A Marshmallow: Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Brother, take a look.

Dare to date early.

Break your legs.

Jiang Yan's voice was very cold, but his breath felt warm against her ear, and there was also the clean and pleasant scent of mint on him.

She was completely stunned as warmth spread from her cheekbones down to her neck and ears. The handsome guy, fair-skinned and beautiful, was now back to his icy demeanor, hands in his pockets, eyelids drooping with a cold curve.

Looking at him like this, handsome and aloof, even standing right in front of her made him seem unattainable, like the bright moon in the distant sky.

So Gu An didn't dare to think too much. She just followed his lead and contemplated the three words "break your legs"...

This! Must! Hurt! Ouch!

Why does having an early romance result in a broken leg?

For what felt like ages, Jiang Yan didn't hear Gu An speak. When he lowered his head, he discovered that the young girl seemed to be frightened, her gaze clear and innocent, looking at him pitifully, and he had no idea what was going through her mind. She was completely frozen.

He raised an eyebrow, and she immediately shook her cute little head and mumbled like a parrot, "No early romance, no early romance, don't break the leg..."

In high school, Gu Zhen and Jiang Yan had carefully explained to her the numerous "love-hate" murder cases in Jing City, both detectives with expertise in the field. When they talked about the details of the cases, it was scarier than a horror novel. Now, they were talking about breaking legs...

Gu An pouted her lips and thought quietly, early romance is too dangerous. It's better to have a secret crush on the police uncle...

-

Gu An's college life started like this, and right after enrollment, there was a two-week military training. The early autumn weather was dry and hot. Standing under the scorching sun all day, they were tired and sweaty. When they returned to the dormitory, they just washed up and fell asleep, not caring about anything else.

University A was a top-ranking comprehensive university in the country, close to home, and strong in their respective fields. Both she and Jiang Ning coincidentally chose to study here. Two people, one school, one in the Art College, and the other in the Mathematics College, but it was only after the military training ended that they had a chance to have a meal together.

"Classmate, there's a problem with your campus card, payment failed," Gu An said quietly, turning to Jiang Ning for help with her meal. At this moment, she heard the successful payment notification and realized that a fellow student had swiped her card for her.

Gu An was pleasantly surprised, "Thank you, senior."

She carried her tray and stood obediently on the side, waiting for the senior to finish purchasing her meal. "Give me your contact information, and I'll transfer it to you."

Thinking that a few yuan would make this cute girl uncomfortable, the female student handed her WeChat QR code to scan, "You're welcome."

Gu An carried her tray back to her seat and said, "Just now, I couldn't use my meal card, and a super gentle senior swiped her card for me. Gentle people are truly treasures in this world!"

Gu An ate her meal in small bites, her cheeks round and puffy, like a little hamster.

This senior sister, as well as Jiang Yan, are so gentle, so gentle...

Of course, except for the times when they threaten to break her legs... that's really scary.

Gu An silently made up her mind; she also wanted to be a gentle big sister!

"You're doing just fine now," Jiang Ning pinched her little round face, "Have you been in contact with that person lately?"

Gu An pouted, and the greens in her mouth suddenly didn't taste good. "He hasn't contacted me, and I haven't contacted him... sigh!"

"Understand the art of playing hard to get, sweetheart, play hard to get!!!" Jiang Ning gave her a "figure it out yourself" kind of look. Suddenly, she thought that in the future, she might be able to call someone older than her "brother-in-law." She couldn't help but chuckle a couple of times when she bent down to eat, "Let him dry! You just let him dry!"

-

Jing City, Intercontinental Residence, 1101.

Gu Zhen rarely worked overtime and sat on the couch, looking at his phone at least ten times. They say when a daughter gets married, she becomes part of another family. But why hasn't Gu An married yet, she's just in college, yet she doesn't seem to miss her older brother at all?

When the little brat was at home, there was always freshly cooked food ready. She would say, "I'll be there in a moment," and rush over to serve the snacks she had made to him and Jiang Yan. They could fill their stomachs first, being overly responsible.

Gu Zhen frowned and looked at Jiang Yan beside him, "Has Gu An contacted you? She hasn't called or messaged me for a week. Do you think she's been dazzled by the outside world?"

"She hasn't contacted me either." Jiang Yan's voice was at least ten degrees below zero. He stood up and opened the freezer, preparing to throw some frozen food into boiling water.

In the drawer of the fridge, he didn't know when it had been filled to the brim. The most noticeable items were the boxes of frozen dumplings, with little sticky notes that she had personally attached after making them: beef and tomato filling, pork and cabbage filling, tomato and egg filling... Below, there was a bolded line of text: "Eat well! ^_^"

"What are you looking at? Do you want to have luxurious beef noodles or extravagant sauerkraut..." Gu Zhen approached.

In front of him were the dumplings that Gu An had prepared before leaving home.

His heart suddenly felt both sour and soft.

... This little rascal.

Jiang Yan closed the refrigerator door.

On the coffee table were her favorite chips, a big bag that cost a few bucks. She had instructed Gu Zhen before leaving not to throw them away.

On the sofa lay her small blanket and pillows, adorned with SpongeBob and Patrick, neatly stacked in a corner.

Every corner of the house had cute items she left behind.

And all these adorable items served as a constant reminder:

Gu An is not here.

"Gu An sent a message!"

As the phone rang, Gu Zhen was as excited as a father, reading Gu An's WeChat message aloud, "Bro, I won't be coming home on October 1, I'm going out with my classmates, hehehe!"

Gu Zhen couldn't help but smirk and said, "Look at that little monkey's moments. One day it's a barbecue, the next day it's a dinner party, and now she's just going out for October 1st."

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to touch the dumplings that Gu An had personally made. He settled for two instant noodle cups.

Jiang Yan expressionlessly tapped on Gu An's profile picture. The chat history was stuck at last week, where she reminded Gu Zhen about heavy rain in Jing City and asked him to close the windows.

Indeed, her moments were as lively as Gu Zhen described, a typical college student's life.

Among her ten moments, six different guys appeared.

One of them showed up three times, while another appeared twice.

There was one in a particular photo where Gu An was looking at the camera and he was looking at her, the guy she had to add on WeChat during the freshman orientation.

Gu An was carefree, smiling with her radiant little fang teeth at the camera.

Jiang Yan tossed his phone aside, his thin lips forming a cold straight line.

Going out.

Aren't you afraid of getting scammed?

Aren't you worried about meeting bad people?

Do you know how dangerous this world can be?

Is it with girls or boys?

-

"Gu An, where do you think we should go for a trip, nearby or out of the province?"

After dinner, Jiang Ning dragged Gu An to the school playground.

Beside her was her best friend, and in front of her were the university dreams she had cherished since childhood, studying the art she loved.

They were planning their trip for the upcoming national holiday. Gu An was initially reluctant, but she had recently earned a considerable amount by submitting artwork to a magazine, achieving a temporary financial freedom from the previous semester.

The gentle evening breeze brushed across their cheeks, incredibly pleasant. However, there was always that one moment when she thought of Jiang Yan.

When the boys on the basketball court played, she thought of Jiang Yan guiding her in shooting three-pointers and teaching her to draw a reference line, saying, "Let's see how much Gu An will grow by next year."

When she passed the police academy across the street from her school's gate, she couldn't help but wonder what Jiang Yan was like during his university days, studying, training, and standing shoulder to shoulder with Gu Zhen, full of spirit and purity.

When a guy confessed to her, she would straightforwardly tell them, "I already like someone."

Even though he didn't know, and she only secretly admired him, but her admiration for him, so outstanding, filled her heart with pride, overshadowing those little-known traces of bitterness.

Gu An finally couldn't resist taking out her phone.

I wonder if there are any unread messages...

Coincidentally, it was from the person she missed.

But because her phone was on silent mode, there were no notifications.

The green app indeed had a little red dot, but it was from her class group.

"Has your crush messaged you?"

Gu An shook her head, sighing softly with a hint of resentment. She opened the chat window with Jiang Yan. The last time they'd communicated was when she messaged him during the heavy rain in Jing City, asking him to remind Gu Zhen to close the windows at home.

"You look like a little wife," Jiang Ning sighed as if her sigh could be contagious. Seeing that Gu An was not happy, she also felt a bit sad.

Gu An absentmindedly scrolled through her social media feed, but her eyes unconsciously widened. "He, he, he posted on social media!"

And he posted three times in a row? What's so special about today?

The first post: One picture with the caption, "Have a good meal."

On the dining table, there were only two cups of instant noodles.

Gu An furrowed her brow. Did neither of them eat properly when she's not at home? Jiang Yan has a sensitive stomach, and Gu Zhen made him eat instant noodles!

Gu Zhen, too, is just improvising when busy!

There's so much food in the refrigerator!

From the words "Have a good meal," Gu An read a hint of forced strength, as if her stomach were riddled with holes, and she had to cheer herself up.

The second post: One picture with the caption, "Today's Zaizai."

Zaizai was sitting in a corner, looking innocent, gentle, and quite big, refusing to eat.

"Oh, little Zaizai, I miss you so much! You're not eating because you miss me, right?"

Gu An sniffled, tears almost welling up in her eyes.

"This dog looks similar to the one my little uncle has," she said.

Jiang Ning didn't use WeChat, and besides, Jiang Yan's WeChat name was just a single letter "Y."

The third item, with just one picture, no text at all.

In the picture, only Jiang Yan's hands were visible. His hands were exceptionally beautiful, with distinct knuckles, fair wrists, and prominent blue veins. There was a noticeable scar that ran across the back of his hand, a clear sign of an injury during a mission.

Gu An bit her lip and immediately called Gu Zhen, "Brother, did you see what your colleague posted on their Moments?"

There was noise on the other end of the call, and Gu Zhen responded lightly, "You even remembered to call your brother."

"Jiang Yan never posts on Moments, okay?"

"Are they making an arrest? I'll hang up."

Gu An felt extremely sad. For a moment, she imagined a pretend strong, pitiful Jiang Yan and Zaizai holding hands with tears in their eyes, but she couldn't say a word.

"I won't go out to play on October 1st. I want to go home."

"What?"

Gu An muttered with a pout, "I can't play hard to get, and I can't pretend to be reserved anymore... I feel really upset when I see him not eating properly..."

-

The October 1st holiday arrived in the blink of an eye.

There was a direct subway from the school to her home in another city. On the 30th, after class, Gu An wasted no time. She returned to her dorm to pick up her already packed luggage, slung her small pineapple crossbody bag, and her semi-tied half-bun hairstyle had an energetic flair.

As she scolded herself for being hopeless, she couldn't control her legs from moving in the direction of home. She even murmured softly while looking at her white sneakers:

"Who told you to walk in this direction? It's not me, not me, not me..."

Gu An carried her small suitcase into the residential area. The park was filled with elderly folks watching their grandchildren, and Gu An greeted them with a cheerful smile. When she reached the supermarket downstairs, she went on a spree, using her earnings to buy shrimp that Jiang Yan liked, spare ribs that Gu Zhen favored, and a big bag of snacks for herself.

Earning money on her own was truly enjoyable.

Spending money didn't bother her in the least!

When Gu An arrived home, Gu Zhen was unexpectedly there. He stood still for three seconds, then burst into laughter, "Oh, where did this little monkey come from? Hahaha!"

When Gu Zhen laughs, he actually looks very cheerful, like the kind of youth many girls would secretly admire in high school. Thick eyebrows, a charming gap between his teeth, and a sharply defined face. However, this was nothing like the reunion scene she had imagined on her way home...

"What do you mean, monkey?" Gu An's baby face wrinkled with slight resentment as she looked at her elder brother.

Throughout her life, Gu Zhen had given her numerous nicknames.

Like "Little Comma" because her eyes once swelled up like commas after a mosquito bite.

Or "Little Bean Sprout" because she had cut her hair into a round, short hairstyle before her college entrance exam, and she had a small and slim figure.

And then there were "Little Fool," "Little Rascal," "Little Dazed One," and so on, the list was endless.

But this "monkey" was truly bewildering, leaving her completely puzzled.

In response to her puzzled look, Gu Zhen kindly explained, "Before you left home, you were as pale as an egg."

Gu An had a foreboding feeling, but she was also curious, her voice meek and uncertain, "And now?"

"Monkey," Gu Zhen turned his face away, not looking at her. His lips twitched, and he bit his lower lip, almost biting through it.

Girls always feared being called fat and getting dark. Fortunately, Gu Zhen hadn't mentioned her weight...

"It seems you've gained a little weight?" Gu An stood there, dazed, like a frozen dumbfounded little melon.

Oh no, she should have stayed paler before returning home!

Jiang Yan never really liked her, not even when her looks were at their peak.

And now, she had even gotten a bit tanned, oh no...

Should she buy a ticket back right away?

Not a second earlier or later, but right at the moment she thought of him, she heard the sound of the door lock turning.

Gu An reflexively covered her face with both hands.

But... it had been such a long time since she had seen Jiang Yan. She really wanted to see him.

So, she gently parted her index and middle fingers, allowing only a narrow gap for her tanned little face, revealing a pair of bright, black-and-white eyes.

Jiang Yan was taken aback when he entered the room.

His once cold, peach blossom eyes softened at the speed of melting snow. Even the corners of his eyes curled slightly, forming an upward arc.

Just a moment ago, he was wondering if a certain kid had gone out to play with her classmates.

Not knowing if she would be deceived, not knowing if she would be taken away.

The next second, she appeared before his eyes.

Her hair seemed to have grown a bit, casually tied into a small bun on her head, and the bun was fastened with a headband featuring a little cake. She was wearing a milky yellow doll-collar dress, looking like a freshly baked chiffon cake.

But she held her hands tightly to her face. After a moment, she exclaimed, "Jiang Yan gege," in a muffled voice.

Just like every afternoon when she returned home from high school.

He could see her when he came back from work.

Jiang Yan responded with a soft "Hmm" and looked at Gu Zhen, inquiring about how Gu An was.

Gu Zhen pointed to his own face, "I got sunburned, look like a boiled egg. Sorry for not looking my best when I see you."

Hearing Gu Zhen say that, Gu An, with a child's temper, became irritated and tried to step on Gu Zhen's foot. However, her short legs and Gu Zhen's agile reaction made him escape instantly.

But unexpectedly, the next second, someone touched her head, and her ruffled mood instantly withered, even becoming extremely docile.

"What's wrong..." She raised her head and saw it was Jiang Yan, her voice soft and tender.

She pouted, peeking at Jiang Yan through her fingers. Her crush was standing right in front of her, his features clean and handsome. It had been a while since she saw him, and her heart was starting to race again, thumping loudly.

As he loosened his grip on her wrist, her sun-kissed face was fully revealed. Jiang Yan let go of her hand, but her wrist still felt his lingering warmth, and it was subtly warming.

"Let big brother take a look."

His voice wasn't as clear as usual, sounding quite tired and low. Gu An felt like her ears had been brushed by something hot, thinking that a bass voice was truly a bass voice.

He half-closed his eyes, and his eyelashes were like raven feathers. The afternoon sunlight tinted his pupils with a warm hue, making them black and gentle. When he stared without blinking like that, Gu An couldn't resist at all. Furthermore —

He was smiling!

His smile was exceptionally charming!

Even his dimples were showing!

Absolutely unparalleled in the mortal realm!

Under Jiang Yan's gaze, her cheeks flushed red. Stubbornly, she asked him with her neck held high, "What are you laughing at?"

Oh no, she must look really ugly with her current dark complexion!

He must have learned to mock people from Gu Zhen!

"Who's this little mushroom?" The handsome guy smiled with curved eyes, reaching out to tousle her hair. "Why are you so cute?"

Gu An felt like a firework, soaring and bursting into the sky.

Who's the handsome guy from this house?

Why is he acting like he wants to claim it for himself!!!

"Why did you come back," Jiang Yan spoke casually.

Gu An inexplicably thought of the children waiting for their parents at the kindergarten, asking questions in a manner that combined happiness and grievance, trying to remain unaffected, all in an adorable way.

Gu An looked into his eyes, her little baby face pouting unhappily, enunciating each word with emphasis, "I was afraid two lonely old people at home would starve!"

-

Gu An went up to her small attic, covered herself with a soft and fluffy blanket, and took a warm nap. After getting enough sleep, with a clear purpose in mind, she headed straight to the kitchen and tied the strings of her little apron behind her.

"Big brother will buy dinner," Jiang Yan reached out and tapped her on the back of her head.

Look at this pampered rich young master.

"The ingredients cost ten yuan, but in a restaurant, they would charge ten times more. Do you have too much money with nowhere to spend it?" Gu An scolded jokingly.

Jiang Yan pursed his lips and obediently went to wash his hands.

The cold-faced police officer, who had made countless criminals tremble with fear, now followed the little girl with the attitude of a helper.

If the Criminal Investigation Division team saw this scene, they would likely collectively question their life choices.

Gu An was deeply engrossed in her lecture and couldn't stop herself. She kept on chattering, "I've told you many times before, you can't eat instant noodles. Having them occasionally is fine, but if you keep eating them, it'll ruin your stomach..."

Jiang Yan silently bent his lips, and his little dimple looked both innocent and sweet.

"Do you agree with what I said, hmm?"

The person behind her didn't say a word. Gu An turned around in frustration. Jiang Yan, who usually dressed all in black, was dressed in a deep blue hoodie that revealed a white T-shirt underneath. His appearance was so striking that one could feel their soul being pulled away just by looking at him.

When their eyes met, the handsome guy quickly straightened his lips and maintained his calm demeanor, but from that cold, frosty face, she surprisingly saw an expression called "compliance."

He had long eyelashes, bright and clean eyes, and when he wasn't scaring people with his cold face, he looked incredibly gentle and harmless.

Gu An suspected he was using some kind of charm without evidence. She still maintained her surface seriousness but felt angry when she remembered his post about the two boxes of instant noodles. Then she thought of his injured hand, although the wound had already healed, there was still a deep red scar, which was distressing to look at.

She was both angry and heartbroken. Standing in front of Jiang Yan, she sounded like a nagging loudspeaker:

"You have a stomach problem at such a young age. When you're older and retired, you'll have all sorts of occupational diseases. You won't be able to enjoy delicious food. At that time, I'll eat a lot of delicious food right in front of you and make you crave it!"

After saying this, she realized something was wrong.

When he's old, he'll have grandchildren on his knees.

At that time, how could she possibly eat so many delicious foods in front of him to make him envious?

This statement seemed to imply that at that time, she would still be by his side.

This statement was really without rhyme or reason and overly abrupt, and she blurted it out without thinking.

She discreetly glanced at the person beside her but saw Jiang Yan also slightly stunned.

After a moment, he raised his eyebrows with a smile, like the first signs of thawing after snow, and his previously cool and distant voice seemed to soften. He replied very obediently:

"Big brother knows."

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