A Marshmallow: Chapter 29
Chapter 29: Princess's privilege
To be able to accompany the Princess to watch the sunrise.
Is my honor.
He usually spoke with a cold face and a cold voice, which was enticing enough on its own. Not to mention that now his thin lips had slightly parted, his voice had lowered with a hint of nasal tone, and it sounded exceptionally indulgent.
It made Gu An feel like she could ask for anything in his presence. The simple request to watch the sunrise seemed hardly worth mentioning. In fact, it felt like something more extravagant might not be out of the question...
She raised her eyes to look at him.
Jiang Yan genuinely seemed tired, with half-lowered eyes and distinct creases under his eyelids.
He bent his eyes to touch her hair, a textbook version of a head pat that was entirely different from Gu Zhen's way of almost pulling her hair out...
He wasn't just accompanying her to watch the sunrise!
He was setting off fireworks in her heart!
He wasn't just touching her hair!
He was distracting her!
Stop emitting your charm, you charming rascal!
It seemed like the 18-year-old Gu An had completely transformed into a pampered child.
With flushed cheeks and a racing heart, she buried her face in her scarf, only revealing a pair of striking black-and-white eyes, which quietly observed his profile and his long eyelashes.
She took out her favorite grape-flavored candy, and even though it was sweet, it melted even sweeter in her heart.
Jiang Yan dropped her off at home and then returned to his unit.
Gu An hurriedly ran to the attic, took out her digital tablet, and drew a small comic.
Caption: I really like him.
[Groundhog squeals!!!]
[He's too charming, I can't handle it.]
[Whining - this princess is just too lovely.]
[Where do we line up to get a police officer like him?]
[Ah, this guy is so skilled! Too skilled! Ah!]
[Happy New Year, fellow geese! I'm nineteen now! Mom allows me to date!!!]
Gu An rested her chin on her hands, with a round and puffy baby face.
Her New Year's wish had changed from "may this person be by my side next year" to "please let him become my boyfriend soon"...
-
After the third day of the Chinese New Year, Gu An continued to work as a tutor for high school students, and her winter break flew by in a busy blur.
Even though she was home every day, her time with Gu Zhen and Jiang Yan was limited. Now, with their early departures and late returns, she rarely saw them.
The two detectives were usually busy, and during important holidays, they were even busier. Sometimes when Gu An went to deliver meals, she couldn't find them even after waiting for half an afternoon.
She felt both heartache and helplessness and could only double her efforts to provide logistical support. In her spare time, she watched TV programs about health and dietary choices.
Gu Zhen and Jiang Yan returned home at unpredictable times. Whether it was late at night or early in the morning, you could always find the rice cooker in a state of warmth, much like Doraemon's pocket. That seemingly ordinary rice cooker could conjure up various delicious meals.
On top of it, there was always a cartoon sticky note with someone's round, childlike handwriting: "Thank you for your hard work today! Enjoy your meal, sirs!"
"Do you think whoever marries Gu An in the future will be incredibly lucky?" The rice cooker lid was lifted, revealing a pot of soft, flavorful tomato beef stew. Gu Zhen scooped out some rice and furrowed his brows. "Never mind, I shouldn't even think about it; just thinking about it makes me want to punch someone."
Jiang Yan lightly pursed his thin lips but said nothing.
-
Gu An's part-time tutoring job ended on the morning of the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, and two days later was the eighteenth day. She began packing her things to get ready to return to school.
But she didn't know if she would see her brother and Jiang Yan before the start of the school term.
On the eighteenth day of the lunar new year, Gu An woke up in the morning and yawned her way downstairs. Gu Zhen was in the kitchen, wearing an apron, and Jiang Yan was carrying a bowl and utensils to the dining table. They worked with clear roles and harmonious cooperation.
The subtle ups and downs in the air were enveloped in a warm hue. The scene before her was too heartwarming, and Gu An's nose tingled, and the corners of her mouth drooped. She felt even less like going back to school.
She had the mindset of a child, loving the lunar new year, fireworks, the lively atmosphere, snow, candied haws, glutinous rice balls, and roasted sweet potatoes. But these beautiful things were only displayed in the showcase called "winter break."
"Brother, I'm going back to school today..." Gu An had naturally drooping eyes, and when she looked at people, she always had a pitiful and innocent look, like Zaizai.
"Alright," Gu Zhen said nonchalantly. "Let Jiang Yan take you. I have something to do in the afternoon."
Gu An slowluy replied, "Oh," and strangely, she found that most of her pre-school-year-end melancholy disappeared because of those three words, "Let Jiang Yan take you."
After breakfast, just as Gu Zhen was about to clean the dishes, he was quickly stopped by Gu An. She was wearing a white hoodie covered in fried egg patterns, looking like a walking egg pancake. Her round face was adorned with a cute smile. "I'll do it! Officer Gu, you can relax!"
Gu Zhen didn't hesitate to let her. He leaned back on the sofa like a real big shot and resumed watching One Piece with Zaizai. Since he joined the police academy, he had completely lost track of the progress of this anime series.
Gu An placed the dishes in the sink and then saw Jiang Yan coming over. "Brother, let me do it."
He was wearing another color of hoodie, but his didn't have the egg pattern and was rather plain and uninteresting.
But she had to admit that Jiang Yan, in a white hoodie, looked exceptionally handsome and exuded a youthful charm. However, his face was overly cool, with an undertone of forbiddance that couldn't be challenged, and his voice was icy.
The air took on a faint, sweet peppermint scent. Gu An's heart began to produce pink bubbles, and her cheeks started to flush. She looked like a little goldfish with puffed-up cheeks as she made bubbling sounds:
"After finally getting a day off, you still shouldn't be doing housework. Go watch One Piece with my brother or take a nap..."
"Brother, please go relax." Gu An spoke with a crisp tone.
He rolled up his sleeves to reveal slender, well-defined arms. Being quite tall, he had to bend down while washing the dishes, making the contours of his back and narrow waist stand out clearly. His well-defined knuckles were a pleasing sight, with a pale and delicate skin, and he appeared to be a young master who never got his hands dirty.
With such a small sink, they couldn't wash dishes together, so Gu An suggested, "How about I make tangyuan (sweet rice dumplings)? What filling do you like?"
Jiang Yan replied, "Any filling is fine."
"In that case, I'll make black sesame and red bean fillings. My brother likes those." Her voice was crisp as she started to roast black sesame. As she did, she couldn't resist bending over to smell the aroma.
Her round eyes squinted into crescents, like a cat that had just found a tasty treat. Gu An smiled, showing her small tiger teeth. "It smells so good!"
Gu An was powerless against all sticky foods.
After smashing the filling, adding lard, and freezing it in the fridge, she rolled the glutinous rice flour with water into dough, wrapped the frozen filling, and boiled it in a pot.
The tedious and uninteresting process still made her happy. Her cute little fangs were exposed from beginning to end.
When cooking tangyuan, she watched the glutinous rice balls rolling inside through the transparent lid eagerly, as if she were looking at a treasure.
Jiang Yan chuckled, and his smile spread from the corners of his eyes to his lightly pursed lips, becoming a beautiful dimple.
"It's ready, it's ready!"
The moment the tangyuan floated to the surface, Gu An's voice was filled with excitement. She couldn't wait to scoop up a tangyuan with a white porcelain spoon.
The crystal-clear glutinous rice ball had a rich sesame filling, steaming with hot air. Just looking at it made you imagine the soft, chewy, and sweet taste.
She blew on it at the edge of her mouth to cool it down, then presented it to Jiang Yan like a treasure, full of anticipation. "You should try it; I think it'll be delicious!"
Unexpectedly, as the tangyuan was offered to his lips, Jiang Yan lowered his gaze to meet her obedient eyes.
Suddenly, he remembered what Gu Zhen had said. Whoever marries Gu An in the future might be excessively fortunate.
She was still petite, her head hadn't grown taller than his shoulder, and her hair had grown long, resembling the way she looked when he first met her with her little bunched-up hair.
It was slightly messy but very adorable.
She seemed to be excessively cute in every way.
And now, her wet round eyes blinked at him without end. Under his gaze, a faint pink spread from her porcelain-white cheeks to her ears, and it was deepening.
After a few seconds of silence, Gu An suddenly realized that this was actually... a feeding posture.
Boys and girls feeding each other back and forth, she had limited experience and had only seen it in the school cafeteria, all lovey-dovey, taking turns. Feeding Jiang Yan with a spoon was simply impolite...
She had just been eager to let Jiang Yan taste it and hadn't thought this far. The spoon seemed to have a mind of its own and flew to Jiang Yan's lips.
Her cheeks started to burn, not to mention that Jiang Yan was still looking at her.
The spoon in her hand was no longer a spoon; it was like a hot potato, scalding her fingertips.
Gu An was at a loss and bit her lip. How could she naturally take the spoon back... Who can help me, please!
She was deceiving herself, silently chanting in her heart, "Jiang Yan can't see, Jiang Yan has amnesia, Jiang Yan knows nothing." She slowly withdrew her hand bit by bit.
And at that moment, her wrist was gently held.
Her sweatshirt sleeves had been rolled up, so when he held her wrist, their skin was in direct contact...
His distinct knuckles rested on her wrist, and his touch felt slightly cooler than hers...
Her gaze moved from his fingers to his handsome face.
Jiang Yan leaned in, supporting her wrist, and bit into the sesame dumpling.
His typically cold and straight lips were now incredibly clear, with a touch of rosy color and a kind of restrained sensuality.
And those eyes, usually cold and clear, were dark and immaculate, never leaving her cheeks.
Gu An blushed like a ripe tomato, her heart pounding, thumping against her chest.
The handsome guy's lips were red, and he spoke lightly, "Sweet."
-
Jing City was very close to University A. Last time, when school started, the traffic jammed for an hour, while it usually took just twenty minutes to drive.
After lunch, Gu An's heart rate had finally calmed down.
She packed her suitcase and, with nothing better to do, sat on it to play. She kicked her legs, and the suitcase glided far away, making her giggle happily.
The afternoon sun streamed warmly through the large floor-to-ceiling window, and Zaizai lay at her feet, basking in the sun obediently.
The winter vacation had passed in the blink of an eye.
Back at school, she wouldn't see her brother, and she wouldn't see him either.
She and Jiang Yan seemed to have become a little closer.
But she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.
After all, there was no ruler to precisely measure it.
Gu An didn't want to go to school too early. She could delay a bit.
Gu Zhen went back to the office due to overtime, and Jiang Yan sat on the couch with a military magazine in his hand. His side profile was pale, his nose straight, and he could be called peerlessly handsome.
"He's really good looking," Gu An thought.
But tomorrow, she wouldn't see him, and the day after tomorrow either...
She couldn't help herself, glancing at him again and again...
But as the saying goes, if you often walk by the river, your shoes will get wet. When she sneakily looked at him for who knows how many times, Jiang Yan closed the magazine in his hand and stood up.
Gu An quickly looked at the sky, the ground, and Zaizai at her feet. She even hummed a song, wanting to slide away on the suitcase, but Jiang Yan blocked her path.
The handsome guy was 187 cm tall, and when he wore white, he looked like a clean and bright big boy, incredibly charming.
"What's wrong?" Gu An nervously asked.
She was already short, and sitting on the suitcase made her even shorter. She had to crane her neck to meet his gaze.
The next second, Jiang Yan squatted in front of her, lightly tapping her head with his knuckles. "Why have you been staring at me?"
Those beautiful eyes showed no emotion as they gazed coldly at her, but his tone was gentle.
The close-up of his beauty was almost irresistible, but she couldn't lose her composure. Gu An raised her head, her voice a bit sulky but getting quieter, "What's wrong? Don't let me look? It's not like you'll lose anything by me looking..."
She was about to go back to school!
Every glance she took was one less!
He actually wanted to settle scores with her for looking at him! Help, anyone, help me!
Stingy!
Can't get a wife!
So, from now on, you can only marry me!
Gu An pouted, her little head drooping. When a child's temper flared up, she began to sulk.
"Take a look."
Take a...look?!!
She suddenly raised her head, doubting her own hearing. Because sitting on the suitcase, he was even higher than the crouching Jiang Yan, and she was now looking up at him.
The handsome guy's inner corners of his eyes hooked downward, the outer corners curled upward, and when he smiled, the delicate curve at the corner of his eyes was captivating. The normally cold and solemn aura was completely hidden, making it simply earth-shattering.
Sob, sob, you being this handsome is just tormenting me!
Gu An thought again about the softly spoken "Take a look." She felt like she could fall off the suitcase...
"So, is there something you want to tell me?"
Gu An quietly took a breath and tried to control her excitement. She softly asked him, "Can I send you WeChat messages after I go back to school..."
She added cautiously, "I won't send them every day... just occasionally..."
When I really miss you and can't help it.
"Anything else?"
Jiang Yan's pupils were dark and bright. A faint smile played at the corners of his eyes.
Gu An looked like a kid who was told no after being promised a treat. She pitifully gazed at him and asked, "When you're not busy, can I call you?"
Because when you call, you can hear the voice...
Hearing the voice, you can imagine his expression when he talks.
It feels like we're not that far apart.
After saying this, she lowered her little head.
Like a first-grade elementary school student waiting for their grades to be announced.
She touched her little nose, then touched it again. Her palms were slightly sweaty.
Would he think she's annoying, with too much going on? His job is already busy, and now he has to deal with this inexplicable young girl.
"For your big brother, you can do anything you want."
Each word was enunciated clearly, and it settled deep into her heart.
Gu An turned into a frozen glutinous rice ball. She swallowed nervously and blurted out three words full of disbelief, "Is that so?"
Jiang Yan resisted a smile as he looked at her. "Yes."
"Why?" Gu An's little brain had completely crashed, and she stared dumbly at the person in front of her.
The afternoon sunlight fell on his eyelashes, giving them a subtle gleam. His irises also appeared softer, and he looked at her quietly. His gaze was clear, gentle, and harmless, and his voice, which was usually indifferent, had softened.
"Princess's privilege."
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