A Marshmallow: Chapter 27

 

Chapter 27: Have you ever been in love?

"I understand."

"Then, big brother won't talk to her in the future."

His brows and eyes were clean, and his words were light and clear. He comforted the kindergarten kid having a tantrum as if it were second nature to him, without asking her why.

It was as if no matter what unreasonable request she made, he could unconditionally fulfill it.

His gentle and obedient appearance reminded Gu An of the innocent and big Zaizai at home.

Zaizai may look imposing and serve as a police and military dog, but who would have thought that he was an adorable troublemaker who loved to cling and be cute in private.

As for the cold-faced police officer in front of her, he had spent the first three years after graduating from the police academy in the frontlines of the anti-drug unit and nearly three more years as a detective.

He had seen the dark side of life that most people would never see in their lifetimes, and dealing with wanted criminals and serious crime suspects was routine for him.

But through his eyes and brows, it was as if you could catch a glimpse of that gentle, pure soul.

Gu An recalled a line written by Francisco Saigon:

"This world is corrupt, crazy, and inhumane,

But you are clear, gentle, and untainted."

Jiang Yan stood up, took a lunchbox, and placed it on the table, then moved a chair for Gu An. "Come and eat with me."

"I wondered why the hallway smelled so good. It turns out my sister brought lunch, and she seems to have become prettier!"

Chu Hang entered with a bowl of instant noodles, and when he saw the dishes in front of Jiang Yan, his eyes almost popped out.

At least six or seven dishes were packed into the not-so-large lunchbox, with the braised pork ribs in thick sauce being particularly enticing and fragrant. "Yan Ge, share some, please."

Gu An scratched her head somewhat sheepishly.

She had spent the entire afternoon preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, so she hadn't thought of making something special for everyone.

What to do now...

She quickly signaled to Jiang Yan with her eyes, and he filled up another lunchbox. He wouldn't be able to finish it all himself, so it was better to share it with his colleagues and strengthen those relationships.

And his colleagues had already directly spoken up...

Gu An blinked, and the handsome guy in front of her was momentarily taken aback, his long eyelashes and large eyes looking puzzled and innocent.

Gu An blinked again and again, her eyes almost twitching, but it seemed that Jiang Yan still didn't understand, showing no reaction at all.

He really had been pampered as a young master...

He had absolutely no situational awareness!

Chu Hang could hardly bear it anymore, "Yan Ge, can you finish it all? If not..."

"I can finish it," Jiang Yan's voice was cold and calm. Without changing his expression, he moved the lunchbox closer to himself.

Gu An was astonished by Jiang Yan's possessive behavior, but it didn't end there. In the next moment, like a child protecting his food, Jiang Yan used his other arm to encircle the lunchbox, firmly keeping it within his grasp.

But his face remained icy.

His actions, however, were nothing like those of a typical young master from a wealthy family.

He indeed resembled more like a kindergarten kid who hoarded candies and didn't want to share with anyone.

He looked at Chu Hang with a guarded expression, as if he was afraid someone would snatch away something delicious.

Gu An even felt the urge to rush over to protect her poor little guy and ruffle his hair.

Never mind, never mind. Let's keep it for ourselves. Good boy!

But... Chu Hang was still standing there, clearly having received tons of damage.

Gu An quickly intervened and picked up a large bag from behind. "Chu Hang, there are fruits here."

Holding the heavy shopping bag, she lowered her head and took out two dragon fruits to hand to Chu Hang. "Happy New Year, full of luck!"

She smiled with her eyes curved, her fair skin making her look adorable, like a little porcelain doll.

Jiang Yan couldn't help but curl his lips, but Chu Hang's gaze remained fixed on Gu An.

He only turned away when Gu An went to distribute the fruits to everyone.

"If Gu An weren't Gu Zhen's sister, that would be great. Gu Zhen is such a scary big brother; I'm afraid of getting beaten up."

"So well-behaved and cute, and so understanding, with a gentle personality."

"I wish she would grow up, and then she could be my girlfriend..."

Chu Hang sighed, but there was no response.

He knew that, despite Jiang Yan's intimidating appearance and Gu Zhen's perfect looks and background, they weren't very skilled in communication. He didn't expect a reply from them. He just wanted to express his regret as a brother, considering that a girl like Gu An would make anyone's heart flutter.

But the chilly feeling behind him was growing stronger.

He turned around, only to meet Jiang Yan's emotionless gaze.

His eyes were clear, with a cold, intense gleam, and there was no buffering in his eyes, just a sharp, direct gaze.

The lofty young master's face was as cold as snow, and his voice was calm without any fluctuations. "What did you just say? I didn't quite hear it."

Chu Hang couldn't help but shudder, and after shivering, he squinted his eyes.

This guy, unlike Jiang Yan and Gu Zhen, who seemed like they had never been in a relationship, had a few girlfriends during his school days. So, compared to those infatuated idiots, he was relatively sensitive when it came to matters of the heart.

Although Jiang Yan's cold face could strike fear into the hearts of wanted criminals, Chu Hang felt like he had discovered a secret beneath the iceberg.

Chu Hang smirked, cleared his throat, and leaned closer to Jiang Yan. "Yan ge, there's no one else here. I just want to ask, have you ever been attracted to a girl?"

That question was like a sharp blade, striking at the most vulnerable spot, catching him off guard.

Jiang Yan's expression wavered for a moment, and his eyelashes drooped, his gaze growing deeper.

After a moment, he returned to his usual composed young master's face.

He arched his slender eyebrows, gave a faint chuckle, and said, "If you're feeling itchy, just say so."

This response solidified Chu Hang's suspicions by about fifty or sixty percent.

Because, considering Jiang Yan's straight-laced style, if someone wanted to exchange contact information with him, he'd probably offer them an online game or a message in a bottle.

So if you've never been moved, it's better to just say "no" directly, rather than beating around the bush.

But it seems he really means it when he says he wants to beat someone up.

Today, Young Master Jiang seems to have a particular aversion to me.

Chu Hang grinned and casually strolled away from him, "Yan Ge, I'm outta here, outta here..."

Gu An returned after serving the fruits and sighed with relief, "Finally done."

Relieved, she sat on her little stool, their eyes met, and her eyes once again happily curved.

Jiang Yan's tone unintentionally relaxed, "Don't worry about everyone's feelings."

Gu An giggled and, with her fingers, started counting for him, "I really like them! The bespectacled forensic little brother is so handsome, and Bro Chu Hang is so much fun. Just now, he looked at the ribs in your lunchbox and almost drooled..."

Chu Hang, bro.

Forensic, little brother.

Is she calling everyone "brother"?

Is the forensic guy handsome?

Aren't they all just regular guys with two eyes and a nose? How can he be considered handsome?

Chu Hang is fun.

Is it fun to want to eat other people's food?

Jiang Yan, with his handsome face, remained cool and composed, saying, "Your brother's colleagues may look about the same age as your brother, but some of them don't really see you as a sister."

Gu An looked up, her baby face blank, and slowly said, "Huh?"

She might as well have written "I'm easily fooled; come and deceive me" on her face.

Jiang Yan pursed his lips, realizing that using more indirect and circuitous language might be confusing for a kid.

So, he directly added with a furrowed brow, "Men aren't good people."

"Except for your brother and me."

Gu An touched her small nose, her little head filled with confusion.

Jiang Yan's furrowed brow also looked handsome, but his expression was too cold, making her shiver.

She quickly nodded in agreement, like a disinterested student nodding along when a teacher asks if they understood in class.

Only then did Jiang Yan's eyebrows relax.

He's been acting so strangely today.

Stingy and inexplicable.

Could it be that overworking has messed with his brain?

What can he eat to clear his mind?

-

After dinner, Gu Zhen still hadn't returned.

Outside the window, fireworks were in full bloom, and Gu An leaned against the window, gazing absentmindedly. She couldn't help but let out a long yawn.

Jiang Yan greeted the team leader and escorted Gu An home.

Gu An wrapped her scarf tightly, buttoned her hat, and looked just like a bear in disguise.

As the bear slowly moved towards the door, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway.

A tall and slightly chubby man appeared, handcuffs in hand.

A diagonal scar ran from his right cheek to his left.

In that moment, Gu An felt like she had seen a demon emerge from hell. Her heart raced, and she forgot to move out of the way.

Sensing her gaze, the fugitive raised his head. Their eyes met for a split second, and before she knew it, she was yanked backward by someone.

Jiang Yan grabbed her wrist and swiftly turned her around.

She only had time to make out his badge and silver epaulettes before her vision went black.

He pressed her head against his shoulder, right next to his chest.

His scent enveloped her, with only a faint hint of laundry detergent from his black training uniform.

"Be good, don't be scared."

His voice was low, his breath near her ear.

Electricity coursed through her earlobe, and her heart quivered.

In the corridor, just a few feet away, a nationally wanted fugitive with a terrifying scar on his face and a predatory look was captured. The chilling sensation rising from the soles of her feet, and the fear that made her hair stand on end, piled up.

She was shielded by him entirely.

Her face buried in his embrace, she dared not breathe, feeling on the brink of suffocation.

Her heart started to race for reasons other than fear, and her blood rushed to her cheeks.

The sound of handcuffs rubbing together drew nearer and then receded.

The interrogation room door not far away opened and closed.

Those few seconds felt impossibly stretched.

Jiang Yan released her hand.

He stepped back, bending down to study her expression closely.

In a gentle, soothing voice, as if not to startle a child, he asked, "Scared?"

Gu An opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to say.

Even though they were just touching a moment ago, only her cheek against his shoulder, the warmth and sensation in his embrace lingered, making her nervous and shy. When she spoke, her heart seemed to want to jump out of her throat.

He frowned, "I'm sorry you had to see all this."

Gu An shook her head, extremely nervous, and unintentionally activated her chatterbox mode, her voice wavering, "It's, it's okay, I've only seen it on TV before... I wasn't scared, thank you just now..."

The young girl looked up with her porcelain doll-like face, her eyes watery and unblinking, like a startled little deer that had accidentally ventured into the human world, looking innocent and pitiable.

Her hair brushed against his shoulder, and her fingers tightly clung to the down jacket sleeve, as if trying to calm her fear.

She seemed a bit bewildered, her mouth chattering non-stop, and her cute little fang peeked out.

The mumbling voice grew quieter, she lowered her head, her eyelashes trembled, and she stopped looking at him.

Jiang Yan only now realized that his actions had been overly intimate, which seemed inappropriate.

He didn't want her to see any dark side of the world.

So, he just held her even closer to his chest.

He subtly pursed his lips, a faint blush tinging his pale ear, spreading down his long, slender neck.

A voice emerged from the depths of his heart, clear and unforgiving:

- Have you really never had a crush on anyone?

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