A Marshmallow: Chapter 30
Chapter 30: He's jealous
"For your brother, you can do anything you want."
"Princess's privilege."
Gu An was completely dumbfounded. Her little head was in a state of confusion, with only the person in front of her clear.
Before this, she had felt shy and embarrassed. However, she could fully utilize the advantage of being short, lowering her head to bury her face in her neck. Even though it didn't serve much purpose, as long as she couldn't see him, her heart rate would slowly calm down.
But now, Jiang Yan was crouching right in front of her, and from her perspective, his long and dense eyelashes were casting sunlight on his face. Not to mention the charming dimple she loved was just a finger's breadth from his lips, so attractive it could enchant souls.
Gu An had never thought of herself as someone who drooled over good looks. Besides, there wasn't a single guy in the entire school who looked better than her own brother, Gu Zhen. So, when her classmates were obsessing over the school's handsome boys, she remained indifferent.
However, for some reason, when facing Jiang Yan's face, she felt defenseless. She wanted to look but didn't dare to, feeling so nervous that she could barely breathe.
"I'll take you to school." Jiang Yan stood up, and only then did Gu An turn her head slightly to take a discreet breath, slowly releasing the tension in her back.
The car ride would only take twenty minutes.
Jiang Yan's fair side profile, sharp jawline, and long, slender hands resting on the steering wheel made him look very appealing. It's just that he was driving extremely slowly, and Gu An even felt like she could walk faster than the SUV.
The two of them were alone in such an enclosed space.
Gu An appeared on the surface as a quiet and gentle young lady, but her mind was like a big screen, repeatedly playing his words, "You can do anything you want for your brother, anything, anything..."
Sigh... she should have asked him to give an example at the time!
Anything means anything, so, for instance...?
Apart from sending text messages and making phone calls, can having a boyfriend be included?
As she thought about it, she blushed and didn't want Jiang Yan to notice, so she slowly pulled down the hoodie of her sweatshirt, covering her head, tying the hood string tightly. Her round face turned into a custard bun, still puffing hot air like freshly steamed buns.
In between, she sneaked a peek at the handsome guy beside her.
Half an hour later, the black SUV arrived at University A's parking lot.
She felt torn inside. When she saw Jiang Yan acting shy, she wanted to leave, but she also didn't want to. She dragged her feet and didn't want to go, and finally, with a pout, she said, "Thanks for the ride, big brother. I guess I'll go now."
She hadn't bought new clothes for the Chinese New Year, so she was wearing her old cream-colored down jacket with a bright yellow hoodie. The hoodie had two small ears, making her look like a custard bun.
When she took off the hood, her bangs were all messy, forming a little cowlick. He casually smoothed the hair she had ruffled.
Jiang Yan looked down, and Gu An's long, curly eyelashes trembled lightly.
There must be many guys who like her.
So many that nobody even knew who had put the movie tickets in her schoolbag.
They didn't need to worry about Gu Zhen's presence like Chu Hang did, and they didn't need to be as cautious as they were in high school, fearing the label of "early love." If they liked a girl, they could pursue her boldly.
She was so obedient; could she be deceived?
"Gu An."
Gu An was dazed, and her face blushed and her heart raced when he touched her hair. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Yan's gaze briefly fell on her cheek, and he had the feeling that she was still an immature child. Finally, he said softly, "It's nothing. Go on."
Gu An frowned slightly, sensing that things were not that simple. Jiang Yan seemed to want to say something but didn't.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and directly leaned in front of him.
The handsome guy up close had flawless, smooth skin, a fair and sharp jawline, and an especially straight nose, which made his eye sockets slightly sunken. Under her gaze, he innocently raised an eyebrow, and at such close range, he looked almost soul-stirring.
The sudden appearance of the little round face in front of him left Jiang Yan slightly stunned.
The child's face had no sharp angles, with dewy, innocent eyes. Due to puffed-up cheeks, his mouth had also become round.
The proximity was too close, and as she blinked, her eyelashes seemed like they could sweep across his chin.
A lump formed in Jiang Yan's throat as he softly asked, "What's up?"
She extended a finger and poked his forehead, mimicking what he did to her earlier in the afternoon. However, her poke was quick, and she pulled her hand back as if she had touched something electric.
"Do you have something to tell me?" Her face, like a doll's, showed imitation even in her tone, just like him.
Jiang Yan's lips quirked with a helpless smile, and he shook his head.
"Well then..."
Gu An sighed, her companion behaving like a somewhat awkward child, and she wondered what he was thinking.
The day was gradually darkening, and she wanted to ask him about the phrase "Anything will do," which included visiting her.
However, she didn't summon the courage to speak until they got out of the car.
-
The second semester of her freshman year began like this.
The schedule remained packed, so despite being close to home, returning at any moment wasn't quite realistic.
Fortunately, this semester had plenty of holidays. There was Qingming in April, Labor Day in May, Dragon Boat Festival in June, and summer break in July...
Gu An set numerous countdowns on her phone to trick herself into thinking that time would pass quickly.
When she was engrossed in drawing, her mind was entirely focused, and she didn't think about anything else. However, when the dormitory started their late-night chit-chat sessions before bedtime, with the girls gathering and discussing which boys in the college were good-looking or who they had a crush on, Gu An couldn't help but think of Jiang Yan.
She huddled in a corner of her upper bunk, wrapped in a small SpongeBob blanket, leaning against the wall. From afar, she looked like a fluffy and soft little cake. With a furrowed brow, she appeared ready to do something big.
What should she send?
What could she send to make it seem like she only thought of him occasionally, not all the time?
Although Jiang Yan said she could send anything, she was still worried about being found out and disturbing him.
After all, detectives are on call 24/7, and their phones are never on silent. What if her message woke him up during his rest...
Gu An stared blankly at the chat box, gazing at the sparse conversation logs, and before she knew it, half an hour had passed without her sending a single word.
Her heart had been racing since she opened the chat box, as if she were facing the real person rather than his profile picture. On Jiang Yan's profile picture, the dog next to him bore a striking resemblance to their German Shepherd at home, cropped from a group photo. You could see the drug detection dog next to him and his tactical combat boots, along with his cold, pale, and slender hand.
She clicked it, and her hand trembled unintentionally. Jiang Yan's profile picture moved twice, startling her, and the next second, the chat box displayed, "Gu An poked Jiang Yan."
Gu An's eyes widened like black grapes, and then she buried her face in a small blanket.
Ah, ah, ah, this excited heart, these trembling hands!
Her phone made a "ding" sound, and a message notification popped up.
[Jiang Yan: ?]
In the top left corner of the chat box, it showed "The other party is typing...". Gu An held her breath, her eyes unblinking.
[Jiang Yan: What are you doing.]
The corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift up, and in her heart, a thousand SpongeBobs and Patrick Stars were dancing hand in hand, throwing confetti while dancing, instantly surrounded by pink bubbles.
She bit her lip, but couldn't manage to smile and, in doing so, managed to catch the entire dorm's attention.
"Gu An, your mouth is stretching all the way to your ears! Did the god-like guy message you?"
"Wow! Look at that blush!"
"The sweet scent of love..."
Gu An chuckled, like a clueless little dork, and began to reply.
[Gu An: Nothing much.]
She couldn't very well say she was thinking about how to send him a message, could she?
[Gu An: How about you?]
[Jiang Yan: Just resting in the afternoon, no overtime.]
Every time Jiang Yan said he was resting, Gu An got a hundred times more nervous. She was afraid that this eligible bachelor might be arranged for a blind date by his family one day or end up like those characters in novels or TV dramas, where prestigious young men have to marry for the family's sake.
[Gu An: So, you've been at home all this time.]
[Jiang Yan: Yeah.]
She could finally breathe easy, and a small, happy fang peeked out.
[Jiang Yan: Besides, no one's looking for me anyway.]
Gu An stared at this sentence and read it three times, each time feeling that Jiang Yan's tone was quite pitiful, innocent, and somewhat like a big, abandoned child. It was as if he was complaining about her not talking to him.
Was she imagining things... right?
-
The temperature gradually rose, and everywhere she looked, lush green replaced desolation. Thick winter coats turned into soft, knitted cardigans.
Gu An's university life was far from colorful. She didn't join clubs, had no shopping hobbies, and wasn't enthusiastic about buying clothes or skincare products to groom herself. Most of her time was spent in the art studio, so her academic performance remained at the top.
The only form of entertainment for the top student was meeting Jiang Ning for dinner, going for walks, occasionally visiting the night market near the school gate, shouting about dieting while indulging in skewers and cold noodles.
Jiang Ning and her aloof little male god seemed to be making some progress. However, Jiang Ning is majoring in mathematics, while the little male god is studying finance, so they have little contact except for a common club.
Jiang Ning is about five or six centimeters taller than her male god, and they have a striking contrast in looks and personality. This contrast became even more pronounced after she grew her short hair long. She may look like a gentle beauty on the outside, but inside, she's a bit of a goof.
And now Jiang Ning was frowning and complaining, "We usually only communicate through WeChat, and it's like taking care of a virtual pet. I can't even find a reason to meet in person..."
Gu An thought, who isn't in the same boat? Even Jiang Yan couldn't manage to be her phone pet...
She might not be as clever as Jiang Ning, or compared to her, she might even be a little naive, but she boldly put forward her idea, "Don't we have dormitory gatherings? How about scheduling one with two dormitories? Do your roommates know his roommates?"
Jiang Ning suddenly perked up, "You're right! My roommate is taking the same elective course as his roommate!"
Jiang Ning's dormitory and her male god's dormitory arranged to have dinner together on Friday evening.
On Friday evening, just as Gu An was about to text her to check on the situation, Jiang Ning's message popped up:
【An An, my roommate is on her period, can you come with me? She's in tears.jpg】
Although this meeting was disguised as a "gathering," Gu An couldn't bear to let Jiang Ning go alone, so she replied righteously, "No problem! Fist bump.jpg"
-
City A Criminal Investigation Support Division.
A murder case occurred in City A not too long ago, which gained widespread attention in society. The suspect, Mr. Qian, lived in City A but worked in Jing City, frequently traveling between the two places. Given the complex social connections, City A's Criminal Investigation Support Division sought cooperation from Jing City's police force. Finally, today, they captured the criminal suspect.
"Thanks to the cooperation of our brothers from Jing City's department, we were able to solve this case so smoothly. Everyone has worked hard. The department will arrange a simple dinner for everyone to have together."
Jiang Yan replied, "Thank you, Director Wei, but I have some personal matters to attend to, so I can't stay."
Wei, the director, asked with a smirk, "In a hurry to get back to see your wife?"
He had heard about the young man in front of him three years ago, but he never imagined he'd be this young.
Jiang Yan nodded slightly without giving a direct response, "I apologize."
Jiang Ning and her male god agreed to meet at a buffet restaurant in the city, where they could have dinner, watch a movie, play games, and go ice skating afterward. The group was large enough not to feel awkward.
The guy's name was Xie Yang, and in high school, Jiang Ning was the top of her class while he was always second, except for the college entrance exam. Xie Yang's roommate sat next to him and became completely background scenery.
Jiang Ning blushed.
Gu An secretly chuckled.
At this moment, her phone rang.
Ahhhh, it's Jiang Yan!!!
【Jiang Yan: Where are you?】
【Gu An: I'm eating delicious food here, hehehe.】
Without much thought, she sent Jiang Yan the address.
【Gu An: When you come to City A in the future, I'll bring you here to eat delicious food!】
Jiang Yan didn't reply further, and Gu An's stomach was growling. Jiang Ning had advised her before not to try to liven up the atmosphere. Instead, she should muster the courage to eat more and talk less, after all, Xie Yang was treating.
Jiang Yan's black Land Cruiser was parked at the restaurant's entrance.
Through the car window, he could see Gu An sitting directly across from the entrance.
On Gu An's left was his little niece, and on the opposite side were two guys.
When she was in front of him and Gu Zhen, she had been curled up on the sofa, watching a skit and laughing so hard her small tiger teeth were lively and spirited. But now, she was demure, with her lips pursed like a little lady.
[Gu An: Have you eaten?]
[Jiang Yan: I'm at the entrance.]
Gu An's eyes widened, and suddenly, she was too flustered to think about anything else. She grabbed Jiang Ning's clothes to show her his WeChat messages. It was clear that Jiang Ning was taken aback too, and in the end, she even poked her head, saying, "Why are you still standing there? What are you waiting for?"
When Gu An pushed the door and ran outside, her mind went blank. It wasn't until she saw him standing next to the black Land Cruiser that she slammed on the brakes. Due to inertia, she leaned forward and her voice was somewhat shaky due to excitement: "Brother Jiang Yan, why are you here?"
The person in front of her had distinctive facial features, looking at people without any expression. He was handsome and aloof, like an exquisite marble sculpture. "Weren't you chatting with those guys? Why did you run out?"
Gu An didn't think much and her head shook like a drum. "No chatting, no chatting, no chatting..."
Jiang Yan's long eyelashes drooped, and he remained silent.
Gu An tilted her small head. Jiang Yan had been too gentle with her in the past, often making her forget that he was a police officer, capable of apprehending criminals with real bullets. But now, he was expressionless, cool, and unapproachable, like an emotionless cooling machine.
It's scary...
Her small face wrinkled into a frown. She was surrounded by low pressure and felt at a loss, but she didn't know what she had done wrong. She rubbed her belly pitifully and said, "Brother, I'm hungry."
Jiang Yan's expression softened a bit, like a parent who wanted to criticize a child but couldn't resist being soft-hearted. However, his voice remained cold, colder than the early spring wind, "Weren't you invited to dinner by those guys a moment ago?"
Gu An puffed up her cheeks like a little goldfish, exhaled a deep breath, and her delicate eyebrows wrinkled. She looked extremely frustrated.
"Jiang Ning wanted to invite Xie Yang, the guy she likes, to dinner. She used the pretext of a dormitory gathering, so it was me and Jiang Ning, Xie Yang, and his roommate having dinner. The main attendees were Xie Yang and Jiang Ning."
Jiang Yan's lips curved up, but he quickly restrained it. He was like an exquisite marble statue when he looked at people without any emotion. "But the other guy... talks a lot."
Gu An spoke slowly, her voice soft and childlike. She scratched her forehead, then corrected herself earnestly, "Not just a lot, but really, really a lot!"
From Jiang Yan's perspective, he looked down and saw the little hair tie on her head, the somewhat messy bangs, her round eyes that blinked when she talked, and her puffed-up cheeks due to frustration, all excessively adorable.
Like a cute little creature that looks good and playful.
He lowered his eyelids and listened to her mumbling and watched her wave her short little arms to show him.
"I was just about to eat a bright red candied hawthorn ball, do you know how delicious those hawthorn balls are..." Gu An excessively praised the inexplicable ball with a rainbow of adjectives. Then, she struggled to steer the conversation back on course. "I had just picked up my chopsticks when he called me, Gu An, what do you like to do in your free time?"
"Gu An, are you art students busy?"
"Gu An, can I be your model when you paint portraits?"
"Gu An, what do you do after school?"
"Gu An, are you free tomorrow?"
Jiang Yan chuckled.
"He just kept asking, and I just kept answering, and in the end..." She shrugged her small shoulders innocently. "I didn't eat anything."
After Gu An finished speaking, laughter rained down from above.
She looked up and happened to meet Jiang Yan's smiling eyes.
This reserved, stoic police officer, when he smiles, his eyes curve, and the curve of his lips is extraordinarily charming. His lips are red, teeth white, and his dimple is shallow. His laughter is clean, pleasant, and carries the cold, youthful tone.
Suddenly, the world was in full bloom.
She was captivated, lost in her thoughts until he lightly touched the back of her head. "Let's go, I'll take you to eat."
-
Jiang Yan had already made a reservation at the restaurant, but Gu An secretly checked the prices and canceled it directly. She even commented, "What a rich and naive young master..."
Jiang Yan's eyes curled slightly, resembling a pitiable husband being bossed around. In the end, Gu An grabbed his wrist and plunged into the night market food street.
"I want to eat grilled cold noodles, fried skewers, ice cream. Will you treat me?"
She walked in front of him, bouncing happily like a marshmallow on legs. The air around the marshmallow seemed to become calm and sweet.
When Gu An went in, she held Jiang Yan's wrist. When they came out, she was already munching on octopus balls, and Jiang Yan had a variety of snacks in his hands.
Gu An pointed to a row of chairs on the roadside. "Shall we sit for a while?"
Jiang Yan nodded, obediently like a knight by a princess's side.
He wiped the chairs with disinfectant wipes back and forth three times...
How nice.
The moon was full, the evening breeze was gentle, and the person she liked was by her side.
Gu An bit into her octopus ball and swung her short legs, squinting her eyes in contentment.
"Jiang Yan, how come you're in City A again? Are you here to assist in solving a case?"
Her cheeks puffed up like a round ball, sauce smeared on the corner of her mouth. Jiang Yan gave her a tissue and gently wiped her mouth, taking care of her like a child. "You seem to know a lot."
"Hehe," Gu An said, tilting her porcelain-like face upward, enjoying Jiang Yan's care. Although she was still shy, it was clear that she was happier. She didn't have time to think about other things.
Her mouth was never idle for a moment, and she took another big sip of hot fruit juice. "When are you going back?"
Could he stay here for a few more days...
So she could see him more.
Jiang Yan's tone softened unconsciously. "We meet at ten to return to Jing City."
Gu An checked the time and saw it was already 9:10. Suddenly, without any mental preparation, she began the countdown...
Her joyful face moments ago crumpled into a frown, and the juice in her mouth instantly lost its sweetness.
Jiang Yan's hand rested on her head, gently rubbing it, and silently comforting the little friend whose feathers were ruffled.
If time could just stand still at this moment.
Or perhaps rewind, back to the moment she first saw Jiang Yan tonight.
Moonlight, evening breeze, April in the human world, and the person she liked.
"That..." The question that Gu An couldn't bring herself to ask on the first day of school, she now mustered the courage to say, "Can you come see me when you have time?"
Before she could finish her sentence, her voice had already become too soft to hear clearly, ending in a mumble stuck in her throat.
Her courage seemed to only suffice for this one sentence. She kept her gaze low and appeared entirely engrossed in sipping her juice.
Yet, she couldn't help but steal glances at him. The lamplight was dim, and his profile was as cold and distant as the unreachable moon on the horizon.
"Depends on how you behave."
Hearing Jiang Yan's response, Gu An promptly perked up. She extended her hand, raising her pinkie finger and thumb, "Let's pinkie promise!"
Jiang Yan's eyes softened helplessly at the corners, and a faint smile played on his lips. "Are you all grown up now, little friend Gu An?"
Initially, they were sitting side by side with a pile of snacks between them.
Now, Gu An decisively abandoned all the delicious treats, stood up and approached him directly. Her expression was deadly serious, and she wrinkled her little nose, saying, "Promise, quick, no backing out on your word."
The last time he had said she could ask him for anything, she should have pinkie promised with him, or even made him write it down. She regretted it every time she thought back to it.
Jiang Yan lounged casually in his chair, stretching his long legs and emanating an aura of utmost aloofness that dared not be offended. He tilted his head slightly to look at her, his slender neck exuding a cold, ivory-like luster, and the contours of his throat were sharp and defined.
"Do you want me to come see you?" he asked.
Gu An pursed her lips and nodded.
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Jiang Yan's eyebrows. He leaned in a bit, and a delicate and refreshing hint of mint wafted into her nose.
The next moment, his long, fair fingers hooked onto hers.
Gu An blushed inexplicably, and her heart raced.
Those beautiful eyes, dark and profound in the moonlight, seemed to have hooks in them when he looked at people. And he just stared straight at her, each word pronounced with a deliberate pause:
"Then you mustn't pay any more attention to those younger boys."
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