A Marshmallow: Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The person I like 

"Let's go, I'll take you home."

Gu An nodded, her thoughts still immersed in the not-so-hug hug just now. She stared dazedly as Jiang Yan put on a black work jacket over his training suit. He was tall, clear-cut, and practically a walking clothes hanger, making anything he wore look good.

Just then, Jiang Ning's WeChat messages flooded in one after the other:

【An An An An!!!】

【My crush is taking me to watch the sunrise tomorrow, to watch the sunrise!!!】

【Ah, I'm nervous from this moment on, what should I do?】

Jiang Ning had a childhood friend, and they both lived in the military compound as neighbors. According to Jiang Ning, this guy used to be a sweet fool when they were kids, always sticking close to her.

But when her childhood friend moved away, they met again in high school, and the sweet fool had transformed into a cool, aloof guy. He grew taller and developed a handsome face. During the time she secretly admired Jiang Yan, Jiang Ning also had a secret crush on her childhood friend.

Even through the screen, Gu An could feel how happy Jiang Ning was, and she couldn't help but smile.

It seemed like when it came to a secret crush, even the slightest response from the other person could give you ten times the courage to keep going.

As Gu An typed, her mouth curled up:

【New Year, new beginnings!!! Ning Ning, go for it!!! Fist pump.jpg】

"Is that your desk mate?" Jiang Yan asked in a soft voice.

Gu An looked up at him and nodded emphatically, "She said she's going to watch the sunrise with the boy she likes, hehe."

She smiled, revealing a pair of little fangs. From his perspective, her baby fat had not yet disappeared, making her look cute and innocent.

As they stepped out of the police station lobby, a cold north wind blew in. Jiang Yan used one hand to pull down the hood of Gu An's down jacket, covering her head. The little girl blinked with those innocent, clean eyes and said, "I've never seen the sunrise. When I have the chance, I want to see it too."

Gu An tucked her phone back into the pocket of her down jacket.

In reality, she wasn't envious of Jiang Ning going to see the sunrise. She envied that she could spend the first day of the New Year with the person she liked.

Seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls always had some quirky rituals.

Or perhaps, when there was someone you liked in your heart, you would become like this.

If only there was a chance to go see the sunrise with Jiang Yan in the future...

But he was so busy and tired; he didn't even have time to watch the sunrise.

With these thoughts, Gu An pouted her cheeks, feeling a bit sulky.

Jiang Yan casually unfolded her scarf, neatly wrapped it around her neck, covering most of her face, leaving only a pair of curved eyes visible. Her pupils were black and clear, carrying a hint of childlike innocence.

"Do you want to go?" He watched her quietly, his handsome face devoid of emotion.

Gu An widened her eyes for a moment, then nodded vigorously, like she had been suddenly given a sweet surprise.

"I'll pick you up at five tomorrow."

"Can you wake up?"

Gu An walked ahead of him, her hands behind her back, walking with her round, snowball-like clothes. She looked like an adorable little snowman.

The little snowman had smiling eyes, sharp little fangs, and her voice, muffled by a scarf, was both cute and sultry, "I can, I can, I can..."

She was still young, even though she had grown up by another year. Or perhaps, she would always be younger than him.

But could he keep watching her grow like this?

-

Jiang Yan had said they would depart at five, so Gu An set her alarm for four.

When the alarm went off, without a moment's hesitation, she got out of bed with her eyes closed, folded the sheets with her eyes closed, and went through the entire morning routine with her eyes closed before finally waking up.

She opened her closet, instinctively reached for the round, ginger-yellow down jacket, then put it back. Finally, she chose a black coat with horn buttons, wrapped a bright red scarf around her neck, and tied her long hair into a small bun, smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

Today, she was undoubtedly a cutie!

When she came downstairs, Jiang Yan was already waiting in the living room.

He had probably just taken a shower, and there was a faint scent of shower gel up close, clean and pleasant. He was wearing an extremely cool black hoodie and black trousers, his broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs making him look like a walking mannequin.

Gu An slightly curved the corners of her mouth, in matching tones. All in all, they looked like a couple!

Outside, it was still dark, and the northern wind was bone-chilling. During the brief seconds of stopover in the underground garage, Gu An shivered, her fingers ice-cold.

Jiang Yan opened the car door for her and she noticed a thermos on the seat, meant for her to hold and keep warm.

What an incredibly sweet and considerate little angel!

Gu An yawned, but her heart was already bursting with fireworks.

The first day of the New Year was spent with the person she liked – hehehe!

"Brother Jiang Yan, have you ever watched the sunrise before?" She hugged the thermos for warmth and looked at him with her head tilted.

The sky was still dark, and Jiang Yan's hair and eyebrows were hidden in the shadows, leaving only his clear profile visible. He had high eyebrows and deep eye sockets, a straight and tall nose bridge; from this angle, he was simply perfect.

Jiang Yan replied with a cold and detached, "Yes."

The words "with whom" were almost about to slip out, but Gu An changed her strategy at the last minute and opted for a more indirect approach. "When was it?"

"In college."

College... It was college again!

Gu An had never dared to ask Jiang Yan if he had ever had a girlfriend before. She always felt that it was rather strange that such a handsome guy had never had a girlfriend. In any case, no matter what, they were both single now! Single!

Gu An was deeply lost in her own imagination, unable to extricate herself. She directly conjured up an image of Jiang Yan's former girlfriend, who had a slim waist and long legs, and asked in a sulking tone, "She must have been very attractive, right?"

Her voice still had a sleepy little nasal tone, as if she hadn't had enough rest, and her eyes were watery.

Jiang Yan's lips twitched slightly. "She was okay."

Okay!

Anyone who can make Jiang Yan say "okay" must be really amazing...

The green traffic light at the intersection turned red, and Jiang Yan turned to look at Gu An.

She pulled her baseball cap down over her head and stuffed her left hand into her right sleeve, her right hand into her left sleeve, and pursed her lips tightly. She appeared as if she didn't want to talk to him, like a little sulking child.

"Did Brother say something wrong?"

He turned his head to look at her, still wearing that abstinent and cold demeanor. However, his tone was incredibly gentle, and his long lashes drooped low, giving off a tender and harmless vibe that could almost drown a person in silence.

Gu An's racing heart instantly calmed down, and it took her a while to say slowly, "I just feel like I haven't seen much of the world and haven't even seen a sunrise..."

Not like you!

You and your girlfriend watched the sunrise in university!

Jiang Yan looked helpless, "When Gu Zhen and I went to see the sunrise, it was our sophomore year. He called me multiple times; I really had no choice."

Gu Zhen!

Yes! Gu Zhen!

In Gu An's mind, a hundred SpongeBob SquarePants were running, jumping, and celebrating!

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she held it back and mumbled, "You and my brother have done quite a few things."

The car fell into silence again.

After a moment, there was a rumbling sound. Gu An froze and quickly covered her stomach.

Based on her experience, when she was hungry, her stomach wouldn't just growl once and then stop.

Sure enough, after one growl, there were countless more...

Her cheeks turned bright red, and she wished she could hide under the seat of the off-road vehicle.

Jiang Yan's lips curled up slightly, "Open the compartment on your left, there's food."

Bread, cake, yogurt, and even her favorite chips that she always carried with her, the kind that made a "crunch" sound.

When did he prepare all of this, even while working overnight?

"And there's candy!" Gu An's eyes instantly lit up, the kind she always kept in her pocket, a small transparent glass jar filled with fruit-shaped candies. Her favorite was the grape flavor. "Do you like this candy too?"

Jiang Yan replied with a smile, "Last time when I was apprehending a suspect, he was having dinner with his son, who was crying. I bought it to comfort the child."

Gu An asked curiously, "And then, after consoling the crying child, you took the candy back?"

Jiang Yan chuckled as he looked at her, "I remembered that I had one at home, so I bought an extra box."

"Oh..."

There's still another one at home...

She really liked this way of saying it!

Gu An stole a glance at the car window. Her mouth curled up, and Jiang Yan's profile was fair and handsome.

He remembered buying her candy. Did that mean that there were moments, or extremely rare situations when he would think of her?

Just like how she suddenly remembered him.

-

Half an hour later, the black Land Cruiser reached the seaside of Lin City. The sky was still dark, but the beach was crowded with people, mobile phone lights twinkling, and many tents.

However, Gu An, sitting in the passenger seat, had already fallen asleep with her head tilted to the side. She still clutched the jar of fruit candies tightly in her hand.

She drowsily noticed the car stopping and assumed they had reached their destination. Just as she was about to open her eyes, a crisp and cool scent of mint wafted into her nostrils.

Jiang Yan leaned over, adjusting her seat to make her more comfortable as she slept.

In the enclosed space, with everything heightened, her senses were on high alert.

Her consciousness gradually returned, and Gu An heard the rustling of fabric, and the next moment, a soft and fluffy down jacket was draped over her. It carried his body warmth and his unique scent, which was exceptionally warm.

Gu An didn't dare to breathe, fearing he might discover she was pretending to be asleep.

Jiang Yan's gentleness was truly overwhelming, making her want to possess him more and more.

She closed her eyes, and all she could see were the person beside her.

He pursed his lips, furrowed his brows, had a blank expression, or looked at her with a smile, his long, curly eyelashes.

As Gu An thought about it, she fell asleep for real, until the warm golden sunlight appeared on the horizon and gently touched her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, Jiang Yan was leaning on the car seat with his eyes closed. His long and dense eyelashes covered his eyes like raven feathers, his nose was straight, as if you could really slide down it...

He had his eyes closed, and her heart was still beating fast. She pulled her face into her scarf to hide her slightly reddened cheeks and secretly watched him.

Jiang Yan had fair skin, and the dark circles under his eyes were especially prominent after staying up late. From this close, she could see the new hint of stubble on his pale chin, giving him a casual and handsome look.

Gu An gently covered his coat over him, making sure every corner was tucked in properly.

"Why are you so tired and still want to watch the sunrise with me..."

Gu An sighed, feeling extremely sorry. Yesterday, she had been so focused on having fun that she'd neglected everything else. She really... was quite immature.

"Don't furrow your brow, you look like an old man."

Boldly, she lightly poked his forehead, smoothed it out, and then withdrew her hand as if it were an electric shock.

"Where is the little dimple..."

"Forget it... I'll have to get permission to touch it next time..."

She spoke with a very generous tone, concealing a hint of unwillingness.

Gu An gently pushed open the car door and got out.

The wintry sea breeze was crisp and chilly, brushing across her cheeks.

The sun rose from the horizon, painting the sky with a bright hue.

People cheered and embraced to welcome the first day of the new year.

She stood on the outskirts of the crowd, not wanting to miss a single moment, silently making a New Year's wish: that her brother and Jiang Yan would have a safe year, every year.

If she could make one more wish, she hoped that the person she liked would still be by her side next year.

After making her wish, Gu An turned back happily. But she noticed that the person in the car was already awake. She dashed back, opened the car door, and couldn't hide her excitement in her voice, "The sunrise is really beautiful! No wonder so many people wake up early to see it!"

The last notes of her words were filled with joy, and her eyes formed crescent moons, indicating that she genuinely enjoyed it.

Jiang Yan raised his chin, gesturing for her to fasten her seatbelt. After she had done so, she looked at him with a tinge of regret and said, "Too bad you didn't get to see it."

He had worked an entire night but returned early in the morning to take her to see the sunrise.

After arriving at the beach, with the sunrise right in front of them, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep leaning against the backseat of the car...

After several consecutive days of high-intensity work, Jiang Yan's nerves were stretched to their limits.

In the brief moment of closing his eyes, old memories played in his mind, frame by frame.

He dreamt of being kidnapped when he was young, of working as a narcotics officer, of the drug-sniffing dog that was always by his side, of his mentor being shot, of a rain of bullets and a scene of blood and chaos...

When he opened his eyes, she had turned around, and the sky had turned colorless.

The girl had soft eyebrows, sharp little fangs, and called him "brother" with a smile.

As brilliant as the morning sun.

The daylight was now bright.

"Brother saw it." A clear and clean voice fell on her ears.

"You're kidding..." Gu An lifted her head, overwhelmed by guilt and unable to free herself from it, her voice filled with remorse.

The corners of her previously curved mouth now drooped apologetically. She murmured softly, "You worked overtime all night and still came with me to watch the sunrise, but you ended up falling asleep..."

Jiang Yan didn't rush to start the car, just quietly looked at her, and listened until she finished.

His beautiful eyes took on a warm tone, and his pupils were filled with smiles and tenderness.

He reached out to rub her head and said softly, "To accompany the princess to watch the sunrise is my greatest honor."

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