A Marshmallow: Chapter 32

 

Chapter 32: Take advantage

"But if you don't let me talk to them, big brother won't say a word to them."

He had high cheekbones, slightly sunken eye sockets, and almond-shaped eyes that could make even a garbage can feel affectionate, let alone the fact that he was now completely focused on her.

Her cheeks heated up as he touched them with his fingertips. Gu An's mind began to lack oxygen, not knowing who she was, where she was, or what to do.

Her slender fingers unconsciously tugged at the corner of Jiang Yan's coat. She remained in a daze for a while before mumbling softly, "What about Yao Yao Ling and the message in a bottle?"

Jiang Yan's eyebrow arched, a rare smile crossing his face. It was like hearing a child's playful joke.

With a beautiful upturn at the corner of his lips, his shallow dimple appeared tender and harmless. He answered seriously, "Yao Yao Ling and the message in a bottle are also gone."

Wearing a white jersey, with black hair and cold eyes, he still appeared as the cool, restrained handsome guy. But his tone was more like a preschooler sharing his achievements: "I behaved well at preschool today!"

Gu An's heart instantly wrapped a layer of honey around the sour lemon, making it delicious. Her small tiger teeth couldn't wait to show their cute tips, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve with happiness.

She decided to let bygones be bygones. In light of his good attitude, she wouldn't mind how many admirers he attracted during the basketball game. She also wouldn't get upset about all the attention he received from girls when he stepped onto the court.

Gu An changed the topic with a cheerful mood, "Let's head home quickly; I'm really hungry..."

In the morning, Gu Zhen drove them, but now he had to stay behind to represent the Criminal Investigation Team and receive the basketball game award.

At the school gate, Jiang Yan habitually took out his phone to call a cab, but Gu An, with quick reflexes, stopped him. "Let's take the bus; it's only one yuan. A taxi will cost at least twenty."

She reached into her little pineapple-shaped shoulder bag, pulled out two coins, and handed one to Jiang Yan, raising her face and being especially generous. "Since you performed well, I'll treat you to a bus ride. Hehe."

Jiang Yan tilted his chin slightly and replied, "In that case, I'll graciously accept."

The bus stop they were waiting at was conveniently located right at the school's main entrance. Most of the young girls waiting there had been out shopping or eating.

These young girls had sharp eyes, and their gazes were fixed on Jiang Yan.

Gu An calmly blocked one of them, but another one immediately looked over...

"We should sit at the back, right?" Gu An cautioned.

Jiang Yan, completely unaware of the little girl's concerns, nodded obediently.

"You sit by the window," Gu An added, "the sun is pretty strong there."

With an "Okay" from Jiang Yan, he moved over. His long legs seemed a bit cramped.

This way, hopefully, no one would keep staring at him, right? Gu An furrowed her brows in thought.

It felt like her precious treasure was being watched constantly, which made her extremely uncomfortable. She wished she could immediately take a certain someone and hide him away.

The bus journey lasted half an hour in total. The bus moved slowly in the afternoon sunlight, swaying like a gentle cradle.

Gu An yawned, her vision briefly blurring, and she caught a glimpse of the handsome guy beside her who had already closed his eyes.

The warm sunlight cast a soft halo on his cool profile, and his thick, lush eyelashes appeared tender in texture.

Even under this kind of lighting, his skin remained flawless and delicate, without any blemishes...

The young girls sat in the front row, their hearts aflutter when they spotted the handsome guy. They whispered to each other while glancing back:

"Is the one next to him really his girlfriend? They've been together all this time..."

"It doesn't look like it. That young girl looks like a high school student. It's more likely to be his sister, right?"

"You know, when you look closely, they do resemble each other, especially their skin tone. They must have great genes!"

Gu An lowered her head and glanced at her milky-white hoodie and her little pineapple crossbody bag. She rarely bought new clothes and mostly wore what she had from high school, which might make her look a bit immature.

But!

She only had a bit of baby fat left, that's all!

She wasn't really as young as a high school student!

She was almost nineteen!

Why did they think she was his sister...

Clearly, they had a "married couple's look"!

"You should go ask him if he's from our school, which major, and which department."

"First, try to get his contact info, plan for the long term..."

They actually wanted to get his contact info!

Right in front of her!

Gu An flared up like an alarmed little cat, curling up into a tiny ball, instantly on high alert.

The girls in the front row actually stood up and came toward her.

Gu An took a deep breath and turned to look at Jiang Yan.

Throughout his years in the criminal investigation career, Jiang Yan had always had a very light sleep, even a bit of nervousness. Maybe it was because of the basketball game today, or perhaps the afternoon sun was too tranquil, or maybe it was because of a certain little kid by his side.

Her scent was sweet, like honey and citrus.

He closed his eyes and, surprisingly, felt drowsy creeping in.

Before long, he realized that a hand had gently pressed his head against her shoulder.

It was just like when he had accompanied her up the mountain during her sophomore year.

After pressing Jiang Yan's head against her shoulder, the girl who had been walking over to her suddenly stopped. Her sweet smile that she had put on earlier to ask for the handsome guy's contact information instantly collapsed, leaving nothing but remnants of makeup...

The girls were momentarily stunned, unable to speak, but their eyes still sneaked glances in Jiang Yan's direction.

"So, he has a girlfriend..."

"Yeah, with a face like that, he must have a girlfriend."

Gu An had never been this bold before. Just as she was relieved that the girls no longer coveted Jiang Yan, a noticeable weight on her shoulder set her cheeks ablaze once again.

Her nose was met with a minty scent, coming closer and closer, delicate and pleasant. 

His stubble brushed against her neck, slightly cool and somewhat ticklish. The tiny sensations were magnified infinitely, sending electric currents through her limbs.

She didn't dare to look at him, yet she wanted to.

Jiang Yan's eyelashes were like raven feathers, and from this angle, his nose seemed sharp like a blade, as if one could slide down it like a slide. His thin lips weren't drawn into a straight line but revealed their originally soft and harmless nature.

Before her young, imaginative mind could wander further, Gu An quickly averted her gaze.

She bit her lip, resembling a glutinous rice ball in a steamer.

Even though she was the one who took the initiative, she was now the one who didn't know what to do. How could she discreetly place him back in his original position?

Gu An's body stiffened, her gaze fixed ahead, utterly clueless and blushing to the point of tears.

Jiang Yan had served as a policeman for nearly six years, three of them in the narcotics division and three in criminal investigation. He had executed countless dangerous missions, faced numerous desperate outlaws, engaged in close combat with nationally wanted criminals, solved numerous high-profile cases, pulled the trigger countless times, and had the gun pointed at him countless times as well...

Yet never before had his heart raced like it was doing now.

It was as though he wasn't the twenty-five-year-old Jiang Yan but the nineteen-year-old Jiang Yan.

For the first time, he leaned on a child.

A child who barely reached his shoulder.

But he couldn't deny that he was falling for her.

He didn't know when it had started.

By the time he realized it, he already liked her very, very much.

Her cheeks and ears were crimson, her lips were nibbled, and she dared not breathe. She appeared pitiful, almost on the verge of tears.

Jiang Yan closed his eyes, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of his lips.

For a thirty-minute bus ride, Gu An's face blushed and her heart raced for the entire duration, as if she had just experienced a heart attack.

It was only when the bus announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the next stop is Intercontinental Manor..." that she could finally free herself from the fiery state of her cheeks.

Gu An wanted to poke Jiang Yan but realized there was an inexplicable hint of reluctance in her heart.

Reluctant to be so close.

Reluctant to part with this peaceful time.

She leaned against him, and Jiang Yan's sleeping face was handsome; every line on his face was gentle.

"Big brother, we've arrived..."

With a nasal tone, Jiang Yan responded with a "Hmm" and sat up, turning his head to look at her.

Gu An's mind went blank, and she quickly rushed out to press the bell. She stood with her back to Jiang Yan, her cheeks still flushed.

As soon as the bus doors opened, she shot out like an arrow. The wind brushed against her cheeks, and her heartbeat slowly calmed down.

But as soon as she turned her head, she met Jiang Yan's gaze.

The handsome guy probably had a good and comfortable sleep; his eyes were clear, bright, and pure. Because he was facing the sun, he squinted slightly.

"Gu An."

Gu An forced herself to say, "Yes?"

"Why is your face so red?" His long, soft eyelashes, when he looked at people without blinking, seemed especially pure and innocent.

Gu An stiffened a bit and managed a dry smile. "Does it look like that? Maybe because I'm naturally rosy..."

After saying that, she quickly turned and walked towards home, acutely aware of her flushed cheeks.

Jiang Yan drawled, "Oh," with a faint smile at the corner of his lips, gentle to the point of being mesmerizing.

Gu An swallowed nervously. "What are you smiling at?"

Jiang Yan lowered his gaze. "I'm not smiling."

When Gu An was only mildly embarrassed, she would blush and avoid eye contact. But once she crossed a certain threshold, her inner childlike temperament would surface. She would get feisty, like a little kitten, and she wasn't afraid of anything.

Just like now.

"You did smile," she said, looking up at him with her head tilted, pointing her finger at his dimple, but quickly withdrew it as if it had been burned. "Even your little dimple smiled!"

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow, his lips curving on one side, and his cool voice carried a hint of innocence. "I thought you blushed because you were taking advantage of your big brother."

Gu An's eyes widened.

...What did he mean by "taking advantage"?! Was just resting his head on her shoulder taking advantage of him?

Her face turned beet red, and the beautiful man watched her blushing.

Gu An opened her mouth, her little face pouting, looking like a gasping little fish.

After puffing up for a while, she wrinkled her delicate eyebrows and tried to sound stern, "I was just worried that you weren't comfortable sleeping, and I didn't want you to hit the car window in case of an emergency brake..."

But she said this with no confidence at all.

Because Jiang Yan had not had an uncomfortable sleep, the bus was running smoothly, with no emergency brakes.

Although she wasn't trying to take advantage of him, she was, in fact, trying to sabotage all his potential love interests without his knowledge.

From this perspective, it might not be taking advantage, but it was close enough...

Gu An felt embarrassed and frustrated, her blood rushing to her head, as she broke the ice under his gaze. "So what if I took advantage?"

Oh, how embarrassing!

Would he think she's a flirt, just like those girls who lusted after his looks?

Oh... would he tell her that they should communicate via message in a bottle from now on, and if she wanted to call, she should dial "Yao Yao Ling"?

She hung her head low, as if retreating into her shell.

The sunlight fell on her head, creating a soft halo, revealing the cute fine hair on her cheeks.

Adorable when her hair is messy.

Just as adorable when she's shy.

Jiang Yan's heart softened beyond words.

He leaned down gently, getting close to Gu An's ear, and whispered, "Brother doesn't mind if you take advantage."

His icy tone turned incredibly soft, with a seductive warmth. It lingered for just a moment before he straightened up.

Gu An followed behind Jiang Yan, her mind taking a long time to come back to reality.

After repeating his words to herself three times, she couldn't help but feel excited, watching the tall and slender handsome guy's back and his smile that revealed a tiny canine tooth.

This was him.

The gentle and charming him, the cold and aloof him, and the determined him on the basketball court.

She had to admit that no matter when she encountered him, it was inevitable that her heart would race.

-

The May Day holiday lasted only three days, and what was even more precious than these three days was that Jiang Yan had rare free time to spend at home.

Gu An didn't even want to take a nap, fearing that when she woke up, it would be dark outside, and Jiang Yan and Gu Zhen would be on a mission.

She moved her easel from the small attic to the living room, sat in front of the canvas, and began drawing Zaizai.

"Zaizai, I'll make sure to draw you looking handsome." Gu An mumbled as she sketched, but before she knew it, her gaze couldn't help but shift from the Zaizai to the man beside him.

He was sitting on the couch, and the air around him carried a fresh scent of mint shower gel because he had just taken a bath.

His white short-sleeved shirt complemented his fair complexion, and his light gray athletic pants accentuated his long and straight legs, revealing his slim ankles. Every line on his face seemed to be perfectly designed to fit her sense of aesthetics, and each time she looked at him, she couldn't help but feel amazed.

Gu An was initially drawing Zaizai, but unintentionally, she also included the man beside Zaizai in her sketch.

She didn't even need to look at him to know the delicate curve of his eyes and the beautiful dimple when he smiled, which she had drawn countless times from her sophomore year until now.

She was always deeply absorbed in her art and didn't notice that the sunset had quietly turned everything into warm colors. She also didn't notice when Jiang Yan had gotten up from the couch and stood behind her.

"Who's this person?"

He stood behind her, leaning down from her shoulder, his tone nonchalant and slightly mischievous, as if feigning innocence.

Gu An was stunned, like a frightened fawn, and her brain, which had crashed twice in just one day, struggled to reboot.

She turned her head in a daze, and she happened to collide with the clear depths of Jiang Yan's eyes, black and pure, now watching her with great interest.

"How about this, don't charge for the painting..."

Her soft voice trembled, and her breath was uneven.

Jiang Yan leaned in, enveloping her with the scent of mint from his body.

It was as if he had wrapped his entire self around her.

He raised an eyebrow, looking both naughty and gentle, even more inviting than usual, yet his tone was serious, as if discussing a business matter, "How much do you charge for your model-like people?"

Gu An casually made up a figure, "The better looking, the more expensive. If they have an eight-pack, that's extra. Yes, it's like that..."

Jiang Yan's handsome face was dangerously close, and he turned his head slightly to look at her, the curve of his lips clearly defined. His clear, slightly lowered voice was magnetic and suggestive as it reached her ear, "So, how much do you think Brother is worth?"

"How much do you want, I'll pay you..." She took a deep breath, and the air became hot, warming her cheeks.

He actually wants to charge for this!

This miser!

Drawing doesn't cost a thing!

They were so close that it felt like his nose could touch her cheek at any moment.

A slight movement, and her cheek could touch his jaw and his thin lips.

The air fell silent.

Gu An was stared at directly by him, and her heart couldn't help but beat rapidly. She pitifully looked at the easel, not daring to meet his gaze.

She just wanted to find a hole to hide in, or maybe pack her schoolbag and leave for school right now.

What kind of a day was today!

Why was he always around when she made a fool of herself!

Always!

Not to mention flattering her about her good drawing... He even wanted to be paid first!

She had drawn thousands of times just to make the person on the canvas resemble him by ten percent.

Thinking about it, she felt somewhat unjust.

"Go ahead and paint."

Jiang Yan's cold voice still held traces of laughter, sounding like he was indulging her in a way she couldn't quite express. Gu An froze.

The next moment, the warm breath and clean voice simultaneously stimulated her earlobe. She heard him say, one word at a time, softly, "Brother will be free for you alone."

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