The rain pattered against the window. It had been falling for over an hour, and the raindrops hitting the glass merged into a meandering stream that slowly trickled down.
School was over. Jiang Yuan packed up her textbooks, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and followed Lin Suye down the stairs with the crowd.
On the first floor of Duxing Building, students were sheltering from the rain and cursing the sudden change in the weather. Some students couldn't wait any longer. They picked up their textbooks and held them over their heads, then rushed out into the rain.
"Yezi, I'm so glad you brought an umbrella. Otherwise, I'd turn into a drowned rat," Jiang Yuan said with a beaming smile. She imagined herself looking wet and pitiful in her mind and couldn't help feeling grateful that Lin Suye was with her.
Lin Suye glanced at the thick crowd in front of them and pulled Jiang Yuan back to avoid the crowd. "Let's wait a while before we go. There are too many people now."
The two stepped back a few paces, moving slightly away from the door.
"A drowned rat? Yuanyuan, don't describe yourself like that. What if even God doesn't want you?"
A familiar voice with its usual languid tone sounded from behind. It was casual yet as annoying as ever.
Jiang Yuan stiffened. Remembering the message, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the strap of her schoolbag. Her eyes darted around, and she forced out a dry laugh.
She wanted to ignore it and for once didn't fight back.
But the scent of the body wash on that person seemed to have magic. It automatically found its way into her nose, making her feel uncomfortable all over.
Chi Xu stood beside Jiang Yuan, idly stuffing his hands into his pockets. He drooped his eyelids and looked at her.
As soon as he came downstairs, he saw Jiang Yuan.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but the girl in front of him seemed even more nervous than before. Unexpectedly, she didn't retort.
The harsh white light from the corridor lamp shone on top of Jiang Yuan's head, making her look even paler than usual. He could only see her side profile. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her porcelain - like cheeks looked even more delicate.
The baby fat from her childhood had disappeared. She had grown up a lot. Her features were exquisite, and he would never forget those eyes.
She was the one who held a special place in his heart, the girl he had been longing for for many years.
He had been admitted to Peking University just to meet her.
Chi Xu still stared at Jiang Yuan with great interest. A teasing laugh escaped from his throat.
She was shy now and didn't dare to face him.
Jia Fang beside them stroked his chin and shook his head. Look, the air was filled with thick, syrupy romance.
Lin Suye secretly nudged Jiang Yuan with her elbow and frantically winked at her. "Yuanyuan, the guy you're after is right behind you. Why don't you make a move? The brave get the cake."
Jiang Yuan: Please, spare me... I still have my pride.
Maybe Jiang Yuan had been silent for too long. Chi Xu let out a soft laugh and drawled, "Yuanyuan, this morning was really..."
Jiang Yuan's face changed abruptly. She stamped her foot, whirled around, stood on tiptoe, and reached out her "evil" hand to cover Chi Xu's mouth to hide her "crime".
She glared at him fiercely. "Don't say it!"
She hadn't expected that after three years, Chi Xu was still the same old Chi Xu, still loving to tease her.
Damn it. Didn't he tease her enough during the high - school entrance exam?
Her palm touched something soft and warm. Her mind went blank for a moment. When she realized it was Chi Xu's lips, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Her face flushed instantly, the redness spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. It felt as if they had been licked by a tongue of fire.
At this moment, Chi Xu wasn't annoyed by the touch. Instead, he raised his eyebrows with interest and let out a meaningful "Hmmm?"
Jiang Yuan stared at Chi Xu in shock. She had forgotten that their heights were different now. It wasn't like in childhood when he was only half a head taller than her.
It was all her fault that her memory was still stuck in junior high school.
Lin Suye beside them covered her eyes with both hands. The scene was too embarrassing to watch. But she secretly peeked through a tiny gap and couldn't stop smiling.
Jia Fang added fuel to the fire. He let out a "Wow" and gave a thumbs - up. "Awesome, Brother Chi. Hurry up and win over this junior."
The students passing by curiously looked at Chi Xu and Jiang Yuan.
Under the gazes of so many people, Jiang Yuan's face burned hotter and hotter. With difficulty, she found her voice and stammered, "I... I didn't do it on purpose."
Chi Xu squinted slightly. Looking at Jiang Yuan's flustered look, the corner of his mouth unconsciously curved into a faint smile. Then he pretended to sigh.
"Alas, is it my fault that I'm too charming? It scares you so much that you don't know where to put your hands."
Jiang Yuan quickly withdrew her hand and glared at him angrily. "Don't talk nonsense, Chi Xu!"
She even threatened him by calling him by his full name. Maybe it was because of her shyness, but her words lacked their previous force. Instead, it sounded like flirting.
Chi Xu chuckled. Looking at Jiang Yuan's angry look, with her flushed cheeks and cute pink - tinted earlobes, his heart felt like it was being tickled by a kitten.
He really wanted to pinch this "kitten" right now. She was so cute.
Chi Xu licked his slightly dry lips. He wanted to say something more to save Jiang Yuan, whose face was still bright red. But when he looked up, he found that Jiang Yuan had grabbed her friend's arm and rushed out in a hurry.
Chi Xu: "..."
Jia Fang smacked his lips, put his arm around Chi Xu's shoulder, and shook his head. He said earnestly, "Brother Chi, I never thought I'd see the day when you finally show your feelings. It's really rare."
Chi Xu gave him a sidelong glance.
...
Jiang Yuan pulled Lin Suye to a stop at the entrance of the teaching building. She urged, "Yezi, hurry up and take out the umbrella. I've lost so much face. Wuwuwu."
Lin Suye slowly took out the umbrella and gave Jiang Yuan a teasing smile. "Yuanyuan, you're so bold! You had direct physical contact. It was a huge shock. I'm sure Chi Xu will never forget this."
Jiang Yuan's face was still red. She fanned her face vigorously with her hand to drive away the sudden heat.
Hearing Lin Suye's words, she stamped her foot impatiently and quickly explained, "Oh, it was really just an accident. Really, it's truer than gold."
Who could have expected that guy's lips to be so soft... She really wanted to...
Stop it. What on earth was Jiang Yuan thinking?
Jiang Yuan quickly stopped her dangerous and uncontrollable thoughts. She nudged Lin Suye with her elbow and said anxiously, "Let's go quickly. What if the rain gets heavier?"
Lin Suye opened the umbrella, and Jiang Yuan ducked under it. The umbrella wasn't very big, so the two walked forward carefully.
"Hey, why don't you ask if Chi Xu brought an umbrella? If he did, you two could walk together and get closer," Lin Suye suddenly thought of this.
Jiang Yuan didn't answer. She turned her head and looked towards the entrance of Duxing Building. Vaguely, she could see Chi Xu and his friend standing at the door. It seemed they didn't have an umbrella.
Suddenly, she saw a girl running over with an umbrella in her hand. She looked nervous and helpless as she offered the umbrella.
Jiang Yuan said in a low voice, "Yezi, look back quickly."
Lin Suye looked back. After a careful look, she exclaimed, "Isn't that a classmate from our class?"
"Who?" Jiang Yuan asked.
"Zhou Xiangmeng."