Dawn broke, and the morning glow gradually tinted the city.
Jiang Yuan woke up in the middle of the night and then fell asleep again, but her sleep was anything but peaceful.
The young Chi Xu and the present - day Chi Xu appeared intermittently in her dreams.
When Jiang Yuan woke up again, it was already past nine. She had a class at ten - ten.
She got up with dark circles under her eyes, washed up, and as she walked out of her room, Jiao Jiao scurried over to her feet, meowing non - stop.
The rich aroma of congee wafted from the kitchen. Jiang Yuan instinctively walked towards it.
There she saw Chi Xu standing in front of the stove, stirring the congee in the pot with a ladle.
The morning light shone through the window, casting a soft glow around him.
Jiang Yuan stood at the kitchen door, her hand on the wall beside her, silently looking down at him.
As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Chi Xu said without looking up, "Yuan Yuan, you're awake. I just finished making congee. Let's have some together."
"No, I have a class later," Jiang Yuan replied calmly, lowering her head to hide the ripples in her eyes.
Chi Xu's hand stopped stirring for a moment but quickly resumed its rhythm. He still had his back to Jiang Yuan.
"You should still eat something. I have a class too. We can go together. Your plaster was just removed. It's not convenient for you to walk."
Jiang Yuan frowned, feeling a bit irritated. She wasn't sure if it was because he had somehow pierced through her feelings.
On the night they reunited, she had confidently told Lin Suye that she wouldn't get involved.
Jiang Yuan let out a heavy sigh, ruffled her hair casually, and still refused coldly, "We'll be late."
Chi Xu stood still, looking at the bubbling congee. The rich aroma filled the air, but for some reason, he suddenly lost his appetite.
Jiang Yuan hadn't been like this last night.
He turned around, bending his back slightly, his eyes downcast. His eyes were dim, filled with a hint of grievance, and his voice was pitiful.
"Yuan Yuan, now that your leg is better, are you just going to discard me?"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan almost choked on her own breath.
It sounded so much like the ambiguous phrase "Are you just going to dump me after using me?"
Jiang Yuan was left speechless for a while, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
She turned her head away and said angrily, "Who's going to discard you? Don't talk nonsense!"
Her mask of coldness cracked.
A hint of a smile appeared on Chi Xu's face. He looked down at Jiang Yuan, enunciating each word clearly and slowly.
"Yuan Yuan, there's still plenty of time before class. How about we have some congee together and then go to class?
"After all, I've been making this congee since I woke up. It would break my heart if no one ate it..."
He looked at her quietly with red - rimmed eyes, his voice laced with sadness and grievance.
Jiang Yuan felt a lump in her throat. The words that were about to come out were stuck, leaving a sour and bitter taste.
After hesitating for a while, she softened her tone and surrendered, "Okay."
Chi Xu was overjoyed and nodded vigorously. His voice was as sweet as if he had eaten a candy that was overly sugary.
"Hehe, I knew Yuan Yuan was the best."
Chi Xu filled two bowls of congee and carried them to the dining table. Jiang Yuan originally wanted to help, but Chi Xu told her to stay put and wait for him to bring it over.
Jiang Yuan was too lazy to argue with him. She was more than happy to be served.
The steaming congee was placed in front of her. Jiang Yuan picked up the ceramic spoon, scooped up a small mouthful, blew on it gently, and took a sip.
The sweetness of the congee spread on her taste buds, and the tension on Jiang Yuan's face eased a bit.
Chi Xu lowered his head and stirred his congee. He said casually, "Yuan Yuan, why are you so cold this early in the morning?"
"Not really. I just didn't sleep well last night," Jiang Yuan made up an excuse.
In fact, it was true. She was in a bad mood because she didn't sleep well. She was annoyed at herself for falling in love with Chi Xu and was also confused about whether she should continue this relationship.
She was annoyed about so many things, so her words were naturally a bit sharp.
But Chi Xu had no idea what was really going on.
Chi Xu picked up his bowl and took a sip. The faint aroma of congee filled the air.
For several days in a row, Chi Xu noticed that Jiang Yuan was avoiding him again.
This time was different from last time.
Last time, she was just feeling guilty and trying to avoid him as much as possible.
This time, after careful thought, Chi Xu realized that it was almost the same as last time. She left home earlier than him and came back earlier. When he asked her to have dinner together, she said she had already eaten.
But many details showed that this time was different.
For example, Jiao Jiao was now lying alone on the sofa.
For example, even when they met, Jiang Yuan's expression was calm, her eyes showed no emotion, and she talked very little, as if she was trying to hide something...
Another example was that when she didn't have classes, she was with Lin Suye or other friends when asked where she was...
Jiang Yuan hadn't been like this when she avoided him before. She would be evasive when talking and didn't dare to look him in the eye.
Before they knew it, it was Monday night, the weekly compulsory elective class.
Chi Xu arrived early. He was flipping through a book absent - mindedly, waiting for the class bell to ring and for Jiang Yuan to come.
As the class time approached, more and more people came, and the empty classroom was soon filled.
"It's strange. Lin Suye and Jiang Yuan never used to be this late," Jia Fang muttered softly, lying on the cold desk.
Chi Xu checked the time and scanned the classroom but didn't see Lin Suye or Jiang Yuan.
"Wait a minute. I'll send a message to Lin Suye," Jia Fang said lazily as he typed. After a while, his eyes widened in surprise. "What? Jiang Yuan is on leave? Lin Suye said she'll be here soon. We'll ask her what's going on when she arrives."
On leave? He had met Jiang Yuan at the apartment at noon. She was lively and didn't seem sick.
Chi Xu felt as if he was being bound by an invisible spell and couldn't breathe freely.
It wasn't until Lin Suye arrived at the classroom and sat beside them that his breathing became a bit easier.
He immediately asked, "Lin Suye, what's wrong with Jiang Yuan? She seemed fine at noon."
"Ah, don't you know, Chi Xu?" Lin Suye sat down and instinctively exclaimed when she heard the question.
Then she realized something was wrong.
Chi Xu didn't know that Jiang Yuan was on leave. It must be that Jiang Yuan didn't tell him and didn't want to either.
Although she didn't know what had happened between Jiang Yuan and Chi Xu recently.
Jiang Yuan was still the same Jiang Yuan, but she seemed more listless than before and sometimes asked her strange questions.
"Ye Zi, tell me how to stop liking someone."
"Ye Zi, have you ever been heartbroken? How do people get over a breakup?"
"If two people like each other, do they have to be together?"
"I'm a bit lost. I just want to keep avoiding him. I'm afraid to face my feelings."
"I don't want someone I like to keep affecting my emotions."