A Marshmallow: Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Miss You
As the New Year's bells rang, fireworks erupted overhead, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Amid the noise, her heartbeat was especially clear.
Every word spoken softly by Jiang Yan was like a snowflake gently landing in the depths of her heart, nurturing hidden sprouts and causing them to break through the soil.
Gu An looked at his handsome features, and with great clarity, she felt that something in her heart had changed when she stood in front of him. She wouldn't be deceived by other young boys.
But what should she do if she wanted to be deceived by you...
-
The New Year holiday passed in the blink of an eye.
On Monday, suffering from holiday syndrome, Gu An moved about in a dazed state, appearing as if she were sleepwalking.
She half-closed her eyes, finished her breakfast, yawned, grabbed her small bag, and as she was going downstairs, she saw something that made her urgently hit the brakes.
Jiang Yan stood in the hallway, an unusual sight in his police uniform. He had his head down, and his well-defined fingers were fastening the button closest to his throat.
A light blue police shirt was neatly tucked into his belt, and he was slim and tall. Somehow, he always seemed to have a bit more youthful energy than others. Although every line and detail on him was extremely reserved, it was hard to pinpoint what made him so captivating.
As Jiang Yan finished tying his tie and put on his coat, along with his badge and police ID in his pocket, little Gu An, who had witnessed all of this, was completely stunned by his handsome appearance.
Noticing her dazed gaze, he raised an eyebrow and said softly, "Lost in thought? I have a meeting today, and I'm taking you along."
The tall, handsome figure in a formal uniform exuded a restrained aura. The short walk from their front door to the underground parking lot attracted the continuous attention of female neighbors and young girls. Several enthusiastic aunties who had returned from the morning market even approached to introduce their daughters.
Gu An tugged at Jiang Yan's sleeve, hurrying him along. "Brother, I'm going to be late. Please hurry."
Why were there rivals and hidden rivals everywhere?
Gu An furrowed her little brow and clenched her fist silently.
She almost wanted to wrap her scarf around him!
Cover up that face that attracts so much attention! Cover it up completely!
In this day and age, handsome boys were truly unsafe...
You need to protect yourself well, you know!
"Uncle Policeman!"
A clear child's voice rang out, coming from the boy who lived downstairs. He was a cute, round little guy. The little guy ran over, stopped in front of Jiang Yan, and his eyes were filled with admiration.
"Uncle, when I grow up, I want to be a policeman too!"
Gu An couldn't help but smile, but she saw Jiang Yan hesitate for a moment. He was quite tall, and when he looked down at the little human cub in front of him, he seemed a bit awkward, like an adorable big boy.
On that face as cold as frosty snow, the brows and eyes softened visibly.
The little boy "swished" and saluted him with his chubby hand. Jiang Yan's lips curled up, and his long eyelashes gently fell.
He squatted down, his slender fingers lightly pressing on the little boy's head. His voice was soft and steady:
"Welcome to our team."
Gu An, on the side, discreetly placed her hand on her heart.
The gentle side of the police uncle is so charming!
I really want him to pat my head too...
-
Jiang Yan usually walks to work, but today he drove a black Land Cruiser. Gu An noticed a black shoulder bag placed on the back seat. "Brother Jiang Yan, are you going on a business trip?"
Jiang Yan raised his chin slightly, indicating for her to fasten her seatbelt, and replied softly, "Yes."
"For how long?"
Jiang Yan started the car, his thin lips slightly parting, "Can't say."
Gu An sat in the passenger seat, being obedient and quiet.
She turned her head to look out the window. There was his handsome profile on the car window - his face was slim, very pale, with smooth and distinct lines from his jaw to his neck.
There was music playing in the car, Within Temptation's "Memories." It was a melodious, cold-toned female voice, much like a style he might enjoy.
All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments, imagine you here.
The lyrics seemed to fit perfectly, and in Gu An's heart, it felt like a chubby cloud was pressing down on her.
He wasn't her real brother, nor her boyfriend, so why did it still feel so hard to part from him?
She remembered her former desk mate, Jiang Ning, who used to get all sullen before every break because of her crush on a cold and aloof boy in their class. Was this the same feeling?
Gu An drooped her head and silently thought, 'Let the journey to school be longer, just a little longer.'
"We're here."
Large engraved characters of Jing City First High School came into view. It was the peak time for going to school, and high school students were holding books or eating breakfast snacks like pancakes and soy milk, heading to school in groups of three to five.
Gu An lowered her eyes and softly said, "Goodbye, big brother."
She unfastened her seatbelt slowly, turned to get out of the car, but her backpack strap was caught.
"What's wrong?"
Gu An's nose was already a bit sour.
People she spent her time with daily, she wouldn't see them tomorrow, or the day after, or...
Jiang Yan lowered his head to look at her. The little girl probably hadn't fully woken up yet when Gu Zhen called her, her head was adorned with little stray hairs, her slightly curled eyelashes hung low, her baby face with baby fat, always seemed so innocent and childlike.
"Why are you acting like a child?"
Jiang Yan's long, slender fingers touched her forehead, gently smoothing down the stray bangs that were sticking up. The corner of his lips, pursed with a smile.
Gu An held her breath but noticed his fingertips sliding down, pinching the soft flesh of her cheek. It was slightly cool, and the force wasn't heavy, a very intimate gesture.
Even his tone carried a hint of gentle indulgence as if he was explaining things to a child.
"Don't bother with those little boys."
"Be good and wait for your big brother to come back."
-
The transition from the second year of high school to the third year was just around the corner. Gu An did well in her end-of-term exams, and her previously weak subject, mathematics, had risen to an above-average level in her class.
"Gu An, great job!" Jiang Ning pinched her cheek, looking even happier than she was. "The guy who helped you with those problems is pretty good, right?"
Gu An pursed her lips, smiling and revealing a hint of small tiger teeth. Suddenly, she thought of Jiang Yan's focused profile as he helped her with problems and his clean fingers holding the pen.
Winter break arrived, and Gu An returned home. Excited, she rushed to Gu Zhen like a treasure, lifting her little head and showing him her report card. "Hehe, I've moved up about twenty spots!"
Gu Zhen clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow. "Big brother has a reward for you."
"What, what?" Gu An smiled, her tail wagging. "Is it taking me out for something delicious?"
"You're ambitious," Gu Zhen lightly scoffed, rolling the report card into a tube and tapping her head with it. "Do you want to study art next semester?"
Study art?
When Gu An was younger, she had studied drawing for five years, and her love and talent were concentrated in that one area. However, when she moved to her uncle's house, her aunt frowned at the sight of her holding paintbrushes one day, saying it was not only about providing for her daily needs but also buying those brushes and paints. It was like having a little ancestor come home.
She had never touched them again.
Gu An counted on her fingers, making her point to Gu Zhen. "Studying art costs a lot of money – brushes, paints, and even art training. I'll focus on my regular courses and still make it to college."
The light in her eyes dimmed, and the curve of her lips seemed forced.
Gu Zhen had watched her grow up and knew her small expressions and emotions well.
Gu An, a child with a cheerful and mischievous personality, has become remarkably sensible now.
You can imagine what her life was like before.
He tapped her head and frowned, saying, "Your brain wasn't that clever to begin with, and you're always thinking about random stuff."
"Don't tap my head, it makes me dumber!" Gu An pouted and covered her head. She heard Gu Zhen say in a less than pleased tone, "When your art sells for a lot of money, your dear brother is counting on you for retirement. Got it?"
And that's how her pursuit of art began.
Gu Zhen gave her a hand-drawn tablet as a New Year gift that could connect to the computer, and she loved it.
She had a foundation in sketching, and her hand was a bit rusty, but she quickly got into the groove.
Under her hand, the delicately shaped peach blossom eyes were slightly narrowed, and the ends of her eyes had a beautiful upward curve.
But she was nowhere near as brilliant as him.
Gu An casually created a Weibo account and occasionally uploaded her own four-panel comics about a little girl's secret crush.
They were just slices of life that didn't form a complete story, but the art style was soft and adorable.
Every time she uploaded something, Jiang Ning, her constant desk mate, would cheer for her in the comments: "Ah, Goddess, you're amazing!"
Her little desk mate Jiang Ning, who was always at the top of their class, turned out to be a snack and review blogger with 30,000 followers. She reposted her work a few times, and her fan base grew by the hundreds and thousands.
Slowly, her comments multiplied, and every update's comment section turned into a place of excitement:
"Wah, when will the main characters get together?"
"Big brother's art is so sweet QAQ, but it leaves a sour feeling in my heart..."
"They better have a happy ending!!!"
"Where's the 'Head-Pat Squad'??"
Gu An held her pen, puffed out her cheeks, and quietly sighed.
I don't know when they'll get together.
Or if there will be a day when they get together.
But!
I will!
Keep working hard!
-
Jiang Yan has been on a business trip for two months, and very occasionally, her brother would have contact with him, ending their conversations with just a few words.
The case is highly confidential, and Gu Zhen only said it's a ministry-level case with an unimaginably high level of danger.
Gu An's wish went from wanting him to return soon to just wishing for his safety.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, every household reunites.
Gu An found a tutorial online, Gu Zhen rolled out dumpling wrappers, and she wrapped them. Zaizai cheered on the side, and they were all having a great time.
If... if Jiang Yan were here.
She didn't know why, but even though everything in front of her had nothing to do with him, there was always a moment when she would suddenly think of him.
At this moment, Gu Zhen put down the rolling pin and answered the phone, "Hey, still alive."
The voice on the other end of the phone was clear and carried a distinct coldness, "Yes, still alive."
Gu An's heart skipped a beat, and she didn't even notice that the dumpling wrapper she was holding had burst from being overstuffed.
"Gu An, " Gu Zhen turned to look at her with his usual teasing tone, "you're still the same little silly girl."
So, did Jiang Yan ask about her?
Will he talk to her?
It's been such a long time since they've seen each other...
Gu An's mind was in chaos. She hurriedly picked up the dumpling wrapper and patched up the dumplings that had burst. At that moment, Gu Zhen's black phone suddenly appeared right in front of her eyes, and the lit-up phone screen prominently displayed a name:
Jiang Yan.
"I have nothing to say to him. Can you chat with him for a moment?" Gu Zhen tossed his phone to her and picked up a rolling pin, deeply engrossed in rolling out dumpling wrappers.
Her heart suddenly raced. She had forgotten to wipe the flour from her hands. She picked up the phone and hurried to the balcony, closing the door behind her.
She raised her hand and gently pressed her own chest, telling herself to stay calm. On the other end of the phone was just an ordinarily good-looking young man, nothing more.
She answered the call in a small, trembling voice, "Brother Jiang Yan..."
"Mmm." Jiang Yan's voice was soft, but through the receiver, it felt like a whisper, sending a tiny electric shock straight to her heart.
When he couldn't be seen, she always thought of him, wanting to tell him everything. But now that she could actually talk to him, she suddenly found herself speechless, opening her mouth but unable to say a word, like a startled little rabbit.
What should she say?
Should she say that I'm about to start my third year of high school? My grades have gone from the middle to the upper-middle in the class. Next semester, I'm going to study art, and I'm really good at drawing, which I'm sure you didn't know. I've been studying diligently, and I haven't been fooled by younger boys.
But from deep within her heart, a clear voice emerged.
That voice, slow and deliberate, occupied her every thought:
'Jiang Yan, I miss you a lot.'
Outside the window, the stars shone brightly, and the moonlight was pristine.
Gu An's heartbeat became increasingly clear.
"Can we do a video call? I want to see the Zaizai."
"Oh... sure... just wait a moment!"
Gu An beckoned Zaizai to her side and then initiated a video call with Jiang Yan.
The balcony had a poor signal, and the phone lagged for a few seconds. Gu An suddenly realized that she was wearing a fluffy Scooby-Doo pajama, with her hair hastily tied up, far from looking presentable.
She frowned in annoyance and then heard a faint "woof" from Zaizai. Gu An looked down at her phone and realized the video call had connected.
The screen was dark as the sky outside, and the video quality was not very clear. The dim yellow light made Jiang Yan appear distant. He should have been outside, wearing a black tactical vest with the collar snug against his jaw. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, and his skin had a cold, pale tone, but his eyes remained dark, cold, and clear.
Zaizai kept trying to get closer to the phone screen, looking innocent and pitiful. Separated by the video call, Jiang Yan's gaze softened. He didn't speak, just quietly looked at the camera.
Gu An innocently pursed her lips, and her earlier excitement vanished in an instant.
No wonder he wanted a video call!
No wonder he suddenly contacted her during his business trip!
It was all for the sake of the dog!
For the dog!
Oh, why didn't he say hi to me after all this time...
"Move the camera back a bit," Jiang Yan softly said.
"Ok!" Gu An obediently complied.
I'm just a tool!
I want to leave this heartbreaking place... sob, sob, sob, sob...
Her originally curved mouth had turned into a downward arc.
Gu An extended her arm, suppressing her slight sadness, and obediently showed the dog to Jiang Yan, her little mouth chattering:
"Brother, can you see it?"
"It seems a bit laggy..."
"The cub seems to have gained a little weight, even though it exercises so much..."
"It seems to miss you a lot."
Gu An held up her phone. The person she liked was right in front of her, but she didn't dare to look up at him.
Zaizai really misses you.
So do I.
Jiang Yan's icy voice softened as it reached her ears. He slightly lowered it with a hint of nasal tone, "Yeah, I know."
Gu An propped up her chin, her doll-like face forming a pout, and quietly sighed.
Her small, envious eyes fell on the Zaizai's head with a touch of longing.
Unbeknownst to her, from this angle in the video frame, Zaizai couldn't be seen at all; only she, with her head lowered in a daze.
And Jiang Yan's beautiful eyes, bathed in clarity, were now quietly fixed on her. His long, distinct eyelashes were gently lowered, and his lips formed a clean and tender dimple.
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