A Marshmallow: Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Princess, Your Highness
Gu An's breath caught, like a startled little rabbit. Her doll-like face tensed, her heart almost leaping to her throat, and a few words were about to slip out:
Then who do you like?
Or, do you have someone you like?
He was lying on his side, facing her directly, his side profile softened by the dim light.
She sat on the carpet, and her view was at an eye level. His sword-like eyebrows were long, dark, and sharp, exuding a strong and noble aura. In stark contrast, his eyelashes were long and soft, like gentle feathers, making him seem very tender and harmless.
It was as if he was in a half-dream state and feeling quite uncomfortable. The words were on the tip of Gu An's tongue but she swallowed them back. She poked his shoulder through the thin gray blanket, "Big brother, it's time to take your medicine."
When Jiang Yan opened his eyes, he met Gu An's innocent round eyes. She sat on the carpet next to his bed, looking like a small, huddled figure. Her elbow rested on her knee, her hand supporting her chin, and she stared at him without blinking.
Jiang Yan propped himself up on his elbow and asked, "How long have you been here?"
His voice, unlike the usual clarity, had a hoarse and lazy quality that one might find oddly... seductive.
"Just a moment ago," Gu An rubbed her earlobe and hurriedly handed over the medicine and water.
Jiang Yan buried his face into the pillow, his eyelashes half-closed, and his voice was somewhat muffled, "Can I not take it?"
"No... you can't," Gu An said, enunciating each word. Despite the temptation of the handsome figure before her almost rendering her speechless, she remained resolute, "Taking the medicine will make you feel better quickly and it won't be so uncomfortable."
Jiang Yan sighed, and his expression and tone made Gu An think of children addicted to cartoons telling their parents, "I'll do my homework right away." He looked at her with big, pleading eyes, even a bit pitiful.
Gu An narrowed her eyes, sensing that something wasn't quite right. She lifted her proud chin and sternly said, "The water is at the right temperature, take it now."
Jiang Yan let out a sigh and looked somewhat helpless as he slightly arched an eyebrow. He reached over to switch on the bedside lamp, instantly brightening the room.
His skin, which was naturally pale, lacked color due to his illness, and his lips were slightly devoid of color, with the corners of his mouth turned down. His wet, deep, and dark eyes seemed to be able to ensnare someone's soul when he looked down.
And yet, this incredibly handsome guy, with an enticing charm, obediently looked at her and honestly uttered two words, "Very bitter."
So... is the police officer afraid of taking medicine???
This little discovery made Gu An feel like she had found a treasure. The corners of her lips wanted to lift up uncontrollably, but she had to hold back to save face. In the end, her small face puffed up like a goldfish, but she couldn't quite manage to smile.
Those eyes, unblinking and focused on people, were like an indifferent and stern foreman overseeing the work. The foreman rested her chin on her hands, displaying considerable patience. "Go ahead, I'll watch you drink it all before I leave."
Jiang Yan raised a slender eyebrow, glanced down at the pills that Gu An had handed to him. Finally, he closed his eyes and tossed the pills into his mouth. When he drank water, the movement of his throat was clear and efficient, the lines sharp and cold, disappearing into the white short-sleeved collar.
Gu An instantly felt a sense of accomplishment. Not only did Young Master Jiang show no signs of morning temper, but he also allowed her to press him into taking the medicine, behaving very obediently.
She remembered Gu Zhen saying that Jiang Yan didn't get upset with her when he was in a bad mood and recalled his earlier statement, "Brother doesn't like her." Sweet bubbles began to rise in her heart, and she felt as happy as an elementary school student about to celebrate Children's Day.
She put away the cold medicine and water glass and headed out. Halfway through, she turned back, took a small candy jar from her overall pocket, and offered it to him like a treasure. "Brother, reach out your hand."
Jiang Yan said nothing and obediently complied. His fingers were long, slim, and fair, the palm lines clean and neat.
Gu An aimed the bottle's opening at his palm and dropped two candies of different colors and shapes. A faint fruity fragrance filled the air.
In that moment, he remembered a small figure he had seen when he was in his teens. Just like this, that little one came to comfort him when he was injured, with a little face squeezed up and a constant chatter, "This candy is super delicious, but I can only give you one."
They were torn between not wanting to share and wanting to share and their wrinkled faces were incredibly cute.
"Oops, let me pour out one more..." Gu An's delicate eyebrows furrowed into a wavy line, and her eyes seemingly inconspicuously aimed at the opening of the bottle to see how many candies she had left.
But every subtle expression of hers was observed by Jiang Yan.
He lightly tapped her head with his finger joints and suppressed a smile. "Brother will buy more for you."
"Alright." Gu An giggled and left with her cup and pills. After closing the door, she peeked her cute little head out from the door crack, smiling.
"I'm heading out now! Leader, have a good rest!"
Jiang Yan's lips curled up slightly. "Got it."
-
On an unusual day off during October, Gu Zhen finished washing the dishes and sat on the living room couch, watching "One Piece."
He was tall and had soft hair falling over his forehead, wearing a black hoodie and black sweatpants that gave him a very youthful vibe. Beside him squatted a black and yellow German Shepherd, and together, they looked like they were already living a retired life in advance.
"Hey, buddy," he asked while petting the puppy's fur, "do you think Ace is handsome, or is Luffy more handsome?"
With an unmarried young man of his age at home, Gu An, the little student, felt deeply concerned. "Brother, should you maybe consider finding a girlfriend?"
Gu Zhen, despite his bad temper and sharp tongue, has an incredibly deceptive appearance. Since elementary school, he's been receiving chocolates from girls, and during middle and high school, all the girls who pursued him managed to spoil their teeth.
But why, at this point, doesn't he have a single girl around him? While there weren't any before, there were faint signs of puppy love. She knew there was a beautiful girl out there. When Gu Zhen played basketball, there were always many girls offering him water, but he only accepted hers.
But now, this guy either watches anime or plays basketball in his free time, and he even started chatting with Zaizai. If this continues, won't he become more like a dog...
"Don't you have enthusiastic colleagues or neighbors to introduce a girlfriend to you?" Gu An advised, acting like a little grown-up. "If there's someone suitable, you should consider it."
Gu Zhen, annoyed, raised his eyelids and tapped her on the forehead. "I'm the same age as Jiang Yan, why don't you talk to him?"
Gu An pursed her lips.
No! Absolutely! not!
Jiang Yan... Jiang Yan was the one she intended to have as her boyfriend! When Jiang Yan got a cold because he gave her his coat after watching a concert, Gu An felt extremely guilty. Seeing that the mature young man didn't need her care, she decided to take out a bunch of ingredients from the fridge and started preparing lunch.
What should a sick person eat?
She put on a small apron, cooked congee in the rice cooker, and stir-fried or cold-dressed vegetables after washing them thoroughly. Soon, the room was filled with the aroma of food.
Gu Zhen suddenly felt very hungry. He walked over to the kitchen counter with his phone, and as he reached for the chopsticks, Gu An ruthlessly slapped them away. "This is for Brother Jiang Yan!"
Gu Zhen extended his slender fingers to poke Gu An's forehead. He narrowed his eyes slightly, making them look even longer. "Gu An, why do I feel like Jiang Yan is more like your real brother? How about you call him 'brother,' and you can call me 'Big Brother Gu Zhen'?"
Gu An let out two "hmph" sounds. No, that wouldn't do. Jiang Yan was going to be her boyfriend. With this in mind, her face turned as hot as freshly cooked sticky rice balls.
As she heard the sound of the door opening by her ear, Gu Zhen looked in that direction and smiled, "Gu An, your real brother is here."
After saying this, the irritable young man, Gu Zhen, held a bag of chips and his phone, and with a stoic expression on his handsome face, he walked away, not forgetting to lightly tap Gu An's head as he passed her.
"Ouch..." Gu An pouted, feeling sorry for herself. At that moment, a hand landed on her head, gently patting it.
"Got bullied again?" Jiang Yan asked.
In front of her was his deep blue hoodie. He exposed a bit of his white T-shirt collar, his slender neck, and his sharp jawline. When her gaze moved up, she saw the faint dimple at the corner of his mouth, clean and gentle.
"Okay, it doesn't hurt anymore..." Her previously bristled fur became obedient and gentle, her voice soft and somewhat husky.
She couldn't help but think, "Wow, what kind of angel is the person I like?"
He even helped her rub her head!
And his touch was so gentle!
Nothing like Gu Zhen at all!
"Are you still running a fever?" she asked, tilting her face up. The handsome guy had fair skin and looked mostly unharmed, but she wasn't sure if the fever had subsided.
Without a second thought, Gu An raised her arm to feel his forehead.
But she saw Jiang Yan slightly frozen because he was unprepared, and he blinked somewhat innocently.
The air became tense.
Gu An suddenly realized that she had been impulsive.
Her hand wasn't a thermometer, and it couldn't accurately measure his temperature.
Men and women were different. Going for physical contact like this seemed a bit inappropriate.
And she had heard that Jiang Yan hated physical contact with people.
Just when she was thinking about how to naturally withdraw her hand, the person standing beside her gently lowered his body towards her.
The young police officer bent down in front of her like this, and their eyes met. She was stunned, and he was looking at her.
As the distance slowly closed in, time seemed to shatter and extend infinitely, and the faint, pleasant scent from his body enveloped her.
The handsome guy had high cheekbones and deep eye sockets, and when he looked at people in silence, his pupils were dark and shiny, as if they held a hook.
Gu An gazed at her beloved person so close to her, stunned, and held her breath, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
The next second, Jiang Yan gently leaned down to press his forehead against her palm. His lowered voice was innocent and obedient, "Try it, is it still hot."
The skin of her palm felt delicately cool, but Gu An felt like she was taking advantage of an innocent young man. She withdrew her hand as if she had been shocked, pinching her own little ear, "Okay, okay, it's not hot anymore..."
Until after dinner, Gu An took the Zaizai for a walk, but all she could see in front of her were Jiang Yan's eyes, slightly curved at the corners, radiating light. Seeing him up close was not good for one's mental and physical health.
As they walked, they passed by the bubble tea shop that she frequented on her way to school.
"Dad, I want bubble tea with extra pearls!"
The girl's voice was sweet, and she appeared to be of a similar age, acting like a carefree child, cuddling up to the middle-aged person beside her.
Upon hearing the words "bubble tea," antennas in Gu An's mind perked up reflexively. She swallowed her saliva, and the memories of bubble tea were awakened – the texture of the pearls and the rich milky flavor...
She couldn't think about it. If she did, she might not be able to control her own hand!
She gently patted the Zaizai's head. "Let's head back. It's getting late."
"Our little princess at home, which one does she like? Dad will buy it for you!"
Gu An's footsteps suddenly froze.
The middle-aged man's voice was both unfamiliar and familiar, as if it was traversing a time tunnel, gradually overlapping with a voice deeply buried in her memories.
"Gu An, you need to be sensible. Dad is really busy right now."
"Gu An, you're already so grown up, and you can cry like this? If you cry again, Dad won't want you anymore!"
"You'll stay at your grandmother's for a while, and Dad will come to get you for the New Year."
Jiang Yan was concerned about Gu An going out alone at night and put on his coat.
He walked along the same path where they had been walking. The little girl, holding the German Shepherd, stood in front of the bubble tea shop, as if frozen, her eyes fixed on a certain spot, unmoving.
A father and daughter stood at the entrance of the bubble tea shop.
He remembered that man.
Last year, he had come to the Jing City Police Station to report a theft at home. His daughter's collection of over a dozen limited edition SD dolls had all been stolen, totaling tens of thousands of yuan.
He had gone directly to the police station and requested to see Gu Zhen, but Gu Zhen's expression was grim, and he simply walked away.
He was Gu Zhen's father.
Gu An stood there, her mind blank.
She hadn't seen him in over a decade, yet every month, she received the living expenses he sent. The amount, not too big or too small, continuously reminded her of his existence, keeping her in an unrealistic fantasy that he remembered her.
Waves of bitterness and regret flooded in, causing her vision to blur gradually.
Gu An sniffled hard.
You're an adult; don't cry so easily.
Gu An, don't cry.
But before her eyes, it was her father and her own child together, with smiles full of indulgence and happiness. So why did they bring her into the world and then not want her? Was she really that terrible?
As tears welled up, she suddenly remembered a nightmare she had before, when Jiang Yan asked her if she needed a hug.
"Gu An."
A shallow shadow fell over her head, and a hand came around from the side, gently blocking her eyes. His fingers were slender and clean, and his palm lines were distinct – very recognizable.
"There's nothing worth looking at."
It was almost magical how he appeared when she thought of him.
So amazing...
Gu An tried hard to control the quiver in her voice, speaking slowly to prevent a sob. "Brother Jiang Yan, you don't need to comfort me. I'm not sad at all, really. I'm used to it..."
Her voice grew softer, and his palm became damp.
She held his wrist and lowered her head, revealing her face that was trying hard not to cry.
His gaze landed on her moist eyelashes, those clean and bright eyes that always smiled, now glistening with moisture. It was about to rain, yet she was being excessively mature, still chattering away, "I'm really fine, it's just that I suddenly saw... and it's a bit hard to accept. I'll be okay soon..."
The gentler he was, the softer his voice when comforting her, the more wronged she felt, the more she wanted to cry. It was as if, all of a sudden, she had someone to rely on, and she could act as carefree as someone her age.
But she didn't like herself like this.
She just wanted the people she cared about to be happy because of her.
"Children cry when they need to be comforted, but we, Gu An, have grown up."
His clear and pleasant voice, even though he was saying she wasn't a child anymore, still spoke to her with a comforting tone, carrying a nasal and affectionate quality, so gentle.
The lingering bitterness in Gu An's nostrils hadn't subsided, and her eyelashes were still wet with tears. But the corners of her mouth started to curl upwards, and she finally broke into a smile.
The father and daughter next to them had finished buying their milk tea.
The girl's voice was sweet, "Thank you, Dad!"
"Our little princess likes it, and that's Dad's honor."
Jiang Yan lowered his head and used the back of his hand to wipe her tears, treating her with the same gentleness and seriousness as a kindergarten child.
So, this little girl who had just reached his shoulder, how much suffering had she endured before he met her, and how many times had she secretly cried, just like now?
He used to think she didn't cry like a child.
But when he actually saw her holding back tears, his heart tightened repeatedly.
Gu An's little grievances were being soothed bit by bit by the person in front of her. Because he was there, the air around them began to feel warm and sweet, and all the gloom disappeared in an instant.
Jiang Yan stood upright, the moon's gentle light embracing his supremely cold and distant figure. Starlight shimmered in his deep black pupils, bright and tender. As his lips curved up, Gu An saw her favorite dimple.
And he, the gentle and gentleman, slightly leaned forward, one hand behind his back, and the other hand extended to her.
"Princess, Your Highness."
"It's time to go home."
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