A Marshmallow: Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Wait for her to grow up
- Do you want a girlfriend?
- Then do you want to help your big brother find one?
- Gu An says she's not interested.
- Then big brother won't look either.
This person, who still had that cold and aloof demeanor like a young master at the team dinner in the evening, was no different from the Jiang officer she had met three years ago when she first arrived in Jing City.
No matter how much noise and excitement there was around, he remained aloof, like an unemotional air conditioner, maintaining his composure.
But now, he bent over, supporting his knee with his hand, looking at her.
This handsome guy with a buzz cut had striking features, and a rare, faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
He looked so gentle and harmless, his eyes beautifully uplifted at the corners, radiating pure warmth.
He always seemed especially indulgent towards her, even to those requests hidden with ulterior motives that seemed unreasonable, he would agree to them all.
During the basketball game earlier, for instance, when she didn't like him talking to other girls, he didn't say a word and even made it a point to tell her.
So... was there a possibility that he liked her, just as she liked him?
The thought made Gu An's breath catch, and she couldn't help but think about today's postcard.
What had he written on it, and why wouldn't he let her see it? She really wanted to know.
That feeling of being kept in suspense was like having a beautifully packaged, sweet candy right in front of her.
You could look but not taste, and it made her heart itch.
"Gu An."
"Yes?"
Jiang Yan's gaze was as clear as water, and the pale complexion had a hint of color due to alcohol.
When he looked straight at people, his eyes seemed unfocused, and a precise little hook scratched at the depths of her heart.
It was the first time Gu An had seen Jiang Yan drink, and she blushed and felt her heart racing, completely defenseless against his gaze.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"When are you going to start dating?" They were too close, his lip line was clear, and the dark crimson color was very enticing.
Gu An swallowed hard, turned her small head, and couldn't look at Jiang Yan again. Her voice was soft and hesitant, sticking in her throat, "Didn't you and Gu Zhen say that if I dared to date early, you'd break my legs..."
She took a deep breath, her clear eyes met his.
Every word was gentle, softly landing in the depths of his heart.
"So, I'll start dating at twenty."
Jiang Yan slowly curled his lips and ruffled her hair, saying, "Good girl."
The ice-cold voice carried a tenderness that had never been shown before. Gu An's little ears suddenly turned bright red.
She arrived home at ten, changed into her pajamas after washing up, and tied her long hair into a bun. The person in the mirror was still blushing like a candied apple.
The digital tablet was connected to the computer, and the girl on the screen was soft and cute with rosy cheeks.
She held a postcard in her arms, with "I like you" written on it.
In the second panel of the comic, the girl with a porcelain-white round face looked up, her hands clenched into fists: "Do you want a girlfriend?"
The young, reserved police officer bent down to meet the girl's gaze, his eyes slightly curved, and a beautiful dimple at the corner of his lips.
"You said you didn't want to."
"Big brother doesn't want to."
Caption: Confessing at twenty / Fist clenched
【I can't believe it!】
【Does this mean that if you want to help big brother find a girlfriend, you should give yourself as a birthday gift to big brother? / Mischievous smile】
【Oh my goodness, you're right, Officer J really knows what he's doing!】
【Officer J's heart is moved, isn't it? I've already seen them as a couple! Right?!】
【Goose vs. Duck!】
【I'm the Civil Affairs Bureau, and I've moved myself! / Face with dog ears】
Gu An smiled.
In the past, every time she updated her comic, the comments were filled with people screaming "get together" like groundhogs and chickens, and it left a bitter taste in her heart.
Because she determined the ending of the comic, but whether she and Jiang Yan could have a happy ending was not entirely up to her.
But at some point, she started to feel strangely confident. The distant moon didn't seem so unattainable anymore.
That postcard filled her with anticipation, and she couldn't help but start the countdown for her twentieth birthday.
-
The next day, Gu An returned to school.
Entering June, the final exams and summer vacation were just around the corner.
Pulling all-nighters at the end of the semester was a common occurrence, especially since many subjects' credits were based on major assignments. Gu An often downed strong coffee and immediately started working on her projects in the studio.
After several days of high-intensity work, Gu An's mind had started to slow down, and she completely froze in front of the easel. She took out her phone and opened her conversation with Jiang Yan.
The last message was from a week ago.
Gu An had sent him a photo of the matcha cake she was eating.
No response.
That's how it was with a detective; when they disappeared, they disappeared completely. Because of classified work, they couldn't reveal any details about where they were or what they were doing.
However, she wasn't so confident. The reason Jiang Yan hadn't replied to her messages was because he was on a mission, or maybe he was starting to find her boring and didn't want to reply.
Gu An bit her lip, resisting the urge to contact him, and just as she was about to put her phone back in her bag, a message notification sounded.
【Jiang Yan: Just finished the mission.】
With just these few words, Gu An could imagine him unstrapping his bulletproof vest and taking off his gear.
She let out a sigh of relief, wanting to complain about Jiang Yan's neglecting her on WeChat, making her worry that she was disliked.
When you meet someone you like, even the tiniest emotions become magnified. Gu An suppressed her excitement, replied with a cold "Oh," and put her phone aside, pretending she didn't care about what he said. But as soon as the notification sound rang, she picked up her phone within a second.
【Jiang Yan: Still awake?】
Her lips started to curl upwards, and thankfully, there was no one in the art studio right now. Otherwise, her roommates would start teasing her endlessly...
【Jiang Yan: Can we video chat?】
Gu An was taken aback, and in the next second, she rushed to the window, using the glass as a mirror.
She was wearing a black T-shirt meant for the art studio, inevitably stained with paint.
Her long hair was casually tied up in a bun with a pencil, making her look entirely unsuitable for meeting her crush.
But she really wanted to see him...
So, she summoned the courage and made a video call. Jiang Yan answered within a second.
The person she missed was now within arm's reach.
A cleanliness freak like him would surely take a shower first after returning from a mission. His jet-black eyebrows had a touch of moisture, and his dark eyes, though wet, were pure. He had a white towel around his neck, and his hair was slightly disheveled but appeared soft.
His T-shirt's neckline was slightly loose, and the clean lines of his pale neck and the hint of a collarbone that was usually concealed were now visible. It was exquisitely straight, and that slightly indented hollow was incredibly hard to look away from.
The phone's camera was positioned casually in front of him, giving the viewer an intimate perspective. Even in such a straight-on view, this handsome guy remained cool, with his rosy lips and white teeth.
Gu An blushed uncontrollably and her heart raced. Her thoughts were consumed, and she stared blankly at the screen, forgetting to breathe.
Until a smiling, magnetic voice came through her headphones, causing her scalp to tingle, "Do I look good?"
Only then did Gu An snap out of her daze. Jiang Yan's lips curled up, mysteriously mischievous. His clear eyes were filled with indulgence.
She rubbed her nose absentmindedly, not denying her admiration for Jiang Yan's looks. Now, she was overwhelmed by his beauty, but she slowly replied, "You look... good."
Jiang Yan, trying to hide a smile, seemed to tease her intentionally. He lowered his clear and melodious voice, speaking with a hint of intimacy, "I didn't reply to your messages earlier because I was on a mission."
Talking to someone with such a pleasant voice was simply maddening.
His gentle, magnetic voice in her ear was like an intimate whisper.
"I know," Gu An absentmindedly rubbed her ear, "Did you cut your hair?"
Jiang Yan replied with an "Hmm" and moved closer to the camera, allowing her to get a better look.
He had a very neat crew cut, with his hairline and temples trimmed perfectly. Normally, he was quite handsome, but this hairstyle gave him a unique cool and edgy charm. Seeing him up close with his handsome features was not good for her mental and physical health, and her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
Thinking about how Jiang Yan had playfully compared her to a little cat or dog before, she muttered in a low voice, "I haven't touched your head."
Jiang Yan chuckled and, perhaps intentionally, looked at her with a playful and slightly mischievous expression. He replied, lowering his voice, word by word, "Next time we meet, I'll let you touch it."
He was incredibly enticing without even realizing it.
A person who was usually so cold, now had a hint of mischief and roguishness in the arch of his eyebrows.
He's like an aristocratic young man teasing a little girl.
Gu An's ears tingled, and her cheeks turned red. "I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going back to my room... Big brother, you go ahead."
Jiang Yan still had a faint smile on his lips, his tone lazy and gentle. "Princess, you hang up first."
-
In July, after the devilish exam week passed, Gu An, the little student, finally welcomed her summer vacation, thrilled beyond measure.
She thought happily that during the summer break, she might not see Jiang Yan every day, but at least she could see him more often, maybe several times a week. More meetings could foster a closer relationship, and closeness could lead to affection!
Gu An returned home with her luggage, the sun shining brightly outside. She wore a bright yellow fisherman's hat on her head, a matching suspender skirt, and canvas shoes, making her look like a cherry-like character.
As soon as she entered the house, Gu Zhen stopped her and looked her up and down. "Come here."
Gu An didn't even take off her small backpack and rushed over to her older brother. "What's up?"
Gu Zhen held a tape measure in his hand. "They say a change of environment can make you grow taller. Let me see if you've grown."
"I've definitely grown," Gu An said proudly, stretching her neck. "My previous pants were definitely too short."
"How tall were you before?"
Gu An replied earnestly, "1.613 meters."
Gu Zhen couldn't help but find it amusing. "You dare to be precise to three decimal places with such a small height increase."
Gu An didn't know why, considering they had the same parents. Gu Zhen had grown to over 1.85 meters, while she had stopped at 1.6 meters.
"Have I grown taller or not?" she asked nervously and expectantly.
Gu Zhen put away the measuring tape and nodded. "You've grown."
Gu An's eyes widened instantly, her cute fangs and canines on display. "How much have I grown?"
Gu Zhen looked down at her, gently tugged at the corner of his mouth, and added, "...a bit lonely."
Grown.
A bit lonely.
Gu An was instantly petrified.
"When you look for a boyfriend in the future, don't choose someone over 1.85 meters tall. Standing next to a tall guy, you'll look like you're carrying a little rooster, and it won't look good," Gu Zhen kindly reminded her, playfully tapping her head.
Not only had she not grown taller...
But he was also advising her not to date someone over 1.85 meters tall!
Her future boyfriend, Jiang Yan, is 1.87 meters tall!
Speaking of Jiang Yan, Gu An looked in his direction.
Jiang Yan, wearing a loose white sports suit, looked neat and clean like a beam of light.
However, this beam of light was originally sitting on the couch reading a book, and at this moment, he calmly raised the military magazine in his hand, blocking that unparalleled face.
And then, he seemed to shake a bit, his chest trembling.
She faintly heard... a laughter with a hint of amusement.
Gu An's small face wrinkled into a frown, and her gaze turned resentful.
Seeing her dear sister starting to bristle, Officer Gu decided to make a hasty retreat, leaving only the poor Jiang Sir alone in the living room.
"Brother, what are you laughing at?"
Jiang Yan lowered the book in his hand, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes, long lashes casting a curved, innocent look. "Brother wasn't laughing."
Gu An looked at his thick eyelashes, her confidence instantly waning. No wonder they say heroes falter in the face of a beauty.
With such a handsome guy in front of her, she couldn't even muster up any indignation. She muttered quietly, "Is the air at 6'0 ft exceptionally fresh and unpolluted?"
Jiang Yan closed the book in his hand, stood up, and a faint shadow fell over his head. "No, it's just easier to pat the little one's head."
He spoke with a smile and an indescribable indulgence, casually ruffling her hair, leaving Gu An looking up at him with a hint of grievance.
She frowned, like a small bun that had wrinkled into a dumpling, her gaze filled with soft resentment, looking excessively cute.
Jiang Yan couldn't help but laugh.
Usually, when he smiled, his thin lips remained tightly pressed, and the curve was very cool.
But now, the corners of his lips lifted sharply, teeth white, dimples bright and dazzling, like a clean and clear 17-year-old boy.
Or the kind of beautiful boy with rosy lips, white teeth, and a captivating appearance.
Gu An suddenly remembered something and pouted while looking at him, "Didn't you say during the video that I could touch your head? I want to do it now."
Her eyes rounded, and the corners of her eyes naturally drooped, clear and bright.
Under her gaze, he couldn't bring himself to say the word "no" and could only be as indulgent as possible.
Jiang Yan's gaze lingered on Gu An's cheek for a few seconds, his brows and eyes turning down, compromising, "Alright."
Gu An completely shifted the anger she had received from Gu Zhen onto Jiang Yan.
Actually, it was just a casual remark, and she had never expected the high and mighty, forbidding young master to agree.
But in the next moment, the 1.87m young police officer actually bent down to a height where he could meet her gaze.
Her coveted beauty, the person she had missed for a month, was right in front of her.
The distance was too close, and a faint, pleasant scent of mint lingered at the tip of her nose.
It seemed that if she moved just a tiny bit forward, her nose would touch his.
Gu An held her breath, her heart pounding.
Jiang Yan's eyelashes were longer and denser than most girls', and they were even more pronounced when he half-closed his eyes.
"Gu An, no one has ever teased me like this."
He lifted his eyelids to look at her, his clear, cool eyes both innocent and helpless, filled with deep indulgence.
"You're the first, and you'll be the last."
-
The next day, it was Jiang Yan's grandfather's birthday.
Jiang Ning was huddled on the couch, using her phone to discuss emotional issues with Gu An. Not long after, her younger uncle arrived.
On such an occasion, it was rare to have both the older and younger generations of the Jiang family present.
Jiang Yan, dressed neatly in a shirt and trousers, appeared very refined and elegant. However, whenever Jiang Ning thought about the summer and winter vacations when he used to tutor her, she couldn't help but shiver. So silently in her heart, she replaced "refined and elegant" with "refined scoundrel."
The refined scoundrel exchanged greetings with the older generation and received their unanimous approval.
He was the top student in the whole high school, had the grades to go to a top university, but chose to enroll directly in the police academy.
After graduating from the police academy, he went to the frontlines of the southwest anti-drug efforts, where he solved numerous major cases and earned numerous accolades.
Jiang Yan was indeed the typical child of someone else's family.
But even the child of someone else's family couldn't escape the elders' concerns about lifelong matters.
She had a boyfriend already, but her younger uncle was still single.
Jiang Ning typed away with her small white teeth showing, clearly taking pleasure in her uncle's situation.
[Jiang Ning: My little uncle is back, hehe. The elders are asking why he still doesn't have a girlfriend!]
[Gu An: How old is your little uncle?]
[Jiang Ning: In virtual years, he's twenty-six, an old man. Same age as the one you like.]
[Gu An: He's not old at all, he's in his prime! *Fist pump*.jpg]
They're not even together yet, and she's already standing up for him?
Jiang Ning felt sour.
[Jiang Ning: Recently, I've felt like he's been in a romantic mood. Always asking where young girls like to go, and even buying clothes for people...]
[Jiang Ning: I thought he might be trying to use his good looks to snag a wife, but there's been no action lately. I guess he's losing his touch... *Shrugs*.jpg]
[Jiang Ning: Luckily, he has an engagement, or else, with that icy demeanor of his, finding a wife would be too difficult!]
[Jiang Ning: My future sister-in-law is really pitiable...]
"Xiao Yan, your grandfather is calling you to the study. He has something to discuss with you."
Grandmother Jiang looked at her grandson with a loving gaze.
No matter his appearance, height, temperament, or personality at work, this grown-up grandson made her feel content no matter how she looked at him. He was already in his mid-twenties, and if he could get married soon, that would be even better.
"I understand, Grandma."
Jiang Grandpa, in his eighties, stood tall and strong, full of vigor. "I mentioned the matter of your engagement before, and now I'd like to hear your opinion."
Jiang Yan nodded.
Back then, he had refused because he had never thought about marriage.
Now, he suddenly thought of someone.
"Grandpa, I already have a girl I like."
"Is that so? When can you bring her home for a meal?" Jiang Grandpa, who had been a soldier all his life, was still a kind elder in front of his beloved grandson. When he heard that an important decision in his grandson's life had been made, he smiled, a rare sight. "Grandpa respects your opinion, and I will talk to the Gu family myself."
Jiang Yan asked, "Gu family?"
The elderly man nodded. "When you had an accident in your teens, the police officer who saved you has a little niece. I think you might have met her back then."
Jiang Yan replied, "At that time, she was very young, in the middle of losing her baby teeth."
Jiang Grandpa continued, "The little girl is named Gu An. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she has an older brother named Gu Zhen. I just found out about it. Gu Zhen is currently with the Jing City Criminal Investigation Brigade. You should know him, right?"
It turns out that when he left, the word "guan" she shouted through the car window was not a single word but "Gu An."
It turns out that the little troublemaker he used to scold was the person he now liked.
A thousand thoughts surged in his heart, indescribable.
"If it's Gu An," Jiang Yan raised his eyebrows, his gaze clear, and his voice gentle and calm, "I'm willing to wait for her to grow up."
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