A Marshmallow: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Following Behind

The next day, Gu An went to the classroom, and the class representatives started collecting homework right after.

"Gu An, here's your math test paper."

"Oh, thank you!"

She lowered her head, and her SpongeBob backpack opened wide.

The math test paper was neatly tucked into the textbook. When she flipped open the textbook, the first thing that caught her eye was the calculus problem, and the annotations next to the question were not written in her handwriting.

The strokes were sharp and handsome; it was written stroke by stroke by him.

Last night, Jiang Yan sat next to her, using those hands that loaded bullets into a gun and pulled the trigger, from the derivation steps to the specific usage, and wrote her a basic calculus theorem.

The tone was cold and lazy, but he didn't mind her being slow, a world of difference from Jiang Ning's devilish little uncle.

It's like a learning machine that can learn anything!

She wanted to go back today!

"Are you getting water?" Jiang Ning had just finished her homework, picked up her own water bottle, and stood up. Gu An slowly regained her composure, took her blue thermos and followed, "Yes."

It was the morning rush back to school, with people coming and going in the hallway, and a group of girls leaning against the window talking.

"Did you hear? There's a girl in the next class named Jiang Ping, she didn't go home last night, her parents can't find her anywhere, they've already reported to the police."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, her parents are going crazy, their homeroom teacher is also looking for her, and her classmates are being called in one by one to find out what's going on..."

This news was like throwing a firecracker into the calm high school life, and it exploded in all directions. In just one day, countless versions had spread: missing, harmed, organ trafficking, or perhaps she had already been abducted and sold to a distant mountain.

Time passed by second by second, and panic descended like layers of dark clouds. As it approached the end of the school day, homeroom teachers rushed to the classrooms to hold emergency meetings, and it wasn't just their homeroom teacher; all the homeroom teachers had serious expressions.

"Everyone must raise their awareness of safety. This string must always be tight. If possible, avoid going out recently. If you do go out, make sure a parent accompanies you..."

Gu An returned home after school, placed her homework for all subjects on her desk, and picked up the sign for math homework.

She clasped her hands together and made a wish: May the Study God bless me; I'll answer every question correctly!

As she rolled up her sleeves and picked up her pen, she hesitated, her chin resting on her hand. Should I answer all of them correctly...? If I answer all of them, how can I get him to explain the questions to me?

As for why she wanted him to explain the questions to her...

...Is it not allowed?!

She was just a thirsty for knowledge! A diligent student! A little fool! Don't ask too many questions!

But as time passed, with each tick of the clock, her anticipation was eroded little by little.

Until she received a text from Gu Zhen: [Working late tonight, neither your Brother Yan nor I will be back, remember to lock the door.]

The next day, at 6 in the morning, the sharp tune of the Minions' Banana Song echoed throughout the entire attic.

Gu An, with her eyes closed, sat up, neatly folded the blankets with her eyes closed, and proceeded to the bathroom with her eyes closed.

She tied up her long hair haphazardly, wearing a creamy white pajama with a bright yellow fried egg pattern, each fried egg's expression seemed to be refusing to wake up.

She yawned as she descended the stairs, planning to find some bread in the kitchen to fill her stomach. Her vision was still somewhat misty, but something caught her attention, causing her to stop abruptly.

The person who used to bounce around in her little mind yesterday was now standing next to the glass table. The kitchen was open-plan, with no clear divisions, and she stood on the steps, getting a clear view of his silhouette as he bent over to cook.

He was 187 centimeters tall, and no matter what he wore, he looked slim and straight. His light blue cotton shirt didn't have the stiffness of a police uniform; it was made of some soft material, allowing the sunlight to shine through. His slender waist was faintly outlined.

He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, his arm muscles were distinct, and his well-defined fingers held a white porcelain knife, slicing tomatoes and placing them on freshly toasted bread.

Gu An's initial reaction was to go upstairs and change out of her pajamas, neatly tie up her hair. But it was too late because he had already carried a sandwich to the dining table. Their eyes met, and he nodded slightly, his voice cool and lazy, "Good morning."

She felt like she was frozen on the steps, her little forelock swaying in the wind. After what seemed like an eternity, she slowly descended the stairs, moving deliberately, "Good morning..."

Jiang Yan pushed a plate in front of her and poured some milk.

She didn't actually drink milk, only yogurt. But now she felt like she had to.

After all, drinking milk helps you grow taller!

"Gu Zhen is very busy with the special project," the person sitting across from her said, his voice slightly hoarse from staying up late, "Don't go out alone lately."

Gu An's bite into her sandwich stopped abruptly, and her cheeks were stuffed full of food, making her look like a motionless hamster.

For a moment, the hamster hesitated and then struggled to swallow the food, before speaking, "It shouldn't be that I'll run into a bad person by chance, right? There are still a lot of people on my way to school..."

Jiang Ping had been missing for more than thirty hours.

Her arms involuntarily broke out in goosebumps.

Jiang Yan, with his handsome and casual face, half-closed his eyes and took out a disinfectant wipe to carefully clean his hands. His thin lips lightly pursed, showing no intention of speaking.

The route from home to Jing City Public Security Bureau passed by Jing City First High School.

If, if he could give her a lift to school on his way, that would be great.

But in just a few days of knowing each other, she had already troubled him countless times.

Gu An took small bites of her sandwich, and her idea of asking him for a ride to school disappeared with a gulp of milk.

"Aren't you going to work today?" she asked in a low voice.

"I'll leave in a bit." He replied in a calm tone, as if any gentleness that briefly appeared when he warned her was a mirage.

"Thank you for the breakfast!" Gu An efficiently cleared the table, then went upstairs to change into her school uniform. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, "I'm off to school then."

"Alright."

She left, clenching her small fist.

What was there to be afraid of?

It's broad daylight!

"Straight path of light~ shines upon the earth~," she hummed a song to boost her courage, completely unaware that someone was following her several dozen meters behind.

The man wore a black tactical jacket and black trousers. The upturned collar covered his jaw, revealing only his calm, beautiful eyes and a prominent nose bridge. His posture was as upright as a sword.

As he walked by, the girls passing him whispered softly, using words like "so handsome" and "a real catch." Their eyes stuck to him like glue.

He was tall but didn't walk quickly.

His gaze was fixed on something in the distance, and then gradually, it seemed to become less icy than usual.

The petite girl in a blue and white school uniform hummed a song, not glancing at the early-opening bubble tea shop as she walked past. She went quite far before turning back:

"Boss, I want a cup of milk tea! And can I have extra pearls."

She stood outside the bubble tea shop, tiptoed to peek inside, her big eyes filled with excitement. When she received her milk tea, she smiled, squinting her eyes, and sipped through the straw with a delightful "slurp."

It wasn't until she walked into the entrance of Jing City First High School, greeted the security guard sweetly, met a familiar little troublemaker, and watched Gu An get scooped up by that troublemaker, her face playfully squished and rounded...

Jiang Yan self-mockingly tugged at the corner of his mouth, flagged down a passing taxi.

"Driver."

"To Jing City Public Security Bureau."

-

After school in the afternoon, Gu An still received overtime messages.

The next day was Saturday, and she woke up even earlier than usual.

Corn and spare rib soup, tomato and beef stew, mixed grain rice, and cold salad.

In between simmering the spare rib soup, she baked a tray of egg tarts and a tray of cupcakes.

Approaching noon, she packed her lunchbox, and everyone at the Jing City Public Security Bureau was focused and ready at their posts, without a weekend atmosphere.

Gu Zhen stared at the monitor, extracting clues from a large number of surveillance screens.

"Gu ge, your sister is here!" The one who called for Gu An was the young man who had initially received the call, named Chu Hang, a recent graduate of the police academy.

"Big brother, this is for you." Gu An handed over the lunchbox. The members of the Criminal Investigation Team looked enviously at the lunchbox, so Gu An quickly took out the small cakes and egg tarts and let her big brother have some. She apologized, saying, "I can't make food for too many people..."

...Jiang Yan.

Where's Jiang Yan?

Gu Zhen raised an eyebrow, "Then who is this lunchbox you're holding for?"

Gu An puffed out her cheeks and slowly said, "For my brother, Jiang Yan."

"Give you credit for that, quite grateful." Gu Zhen didn't notice anything wrong. "Jiang Yan went on a call early in the morning and hasn't returned yet."

Gu Zhen's tone was nonchalant.

However, Gu An's eyes widened.

Early in the morning, Jing City experienced a heavy rain, with over 250 millimeters of rainfall, and cold air followed.

Footsteps hurried behind her, and Gu An turned around.

Jiang Yan wore a bulletproof vest, carrying a loaded gun, and his clothes were already soaked. His police combat boots were covered in dirt. He walked with his head down, simultaneously unstrapping his equipment.

Their eyes met, and he was momentarily taken aback.

"This little guy brought you some food," Gu Zhen said as he carried snacks to share with everyone. He turned and went into the conference room. In the corridor, only she and him were left, staring at each other.

The temperature in Jing City suddenly dropped. She was wearing a bright yellow hoodie, with a porcelain-white baby face that somewhat resembled her favorite fried egg pattern.

Jiang Yan lowered his gaze to himself. He was equipped like this, having pulled the trigger countless times just last night. It wasn't suitable for meeting a young girl.

"Give me a moment," he said with a soft, cold voice.

When he reemerged, he had changed into different clothes. His hair was slightly damp, soft and hanging over his forehead. The stiff, light blue police shirt was neatly tucked into his uniform pants. His slender and solemn figure looked even more handsome in the police uniform.

"Jiang Yan..." Calling his name directly was impolite. Gu Zhen hesitated for a moment and then added two more words, "Gege?"

Jiang Yan responded with a quiet "Mm." The young girl in front of him with round, unblinking eyes said, "Bend down a bit."

He complied, slightly bending over.

At that moment, she moved closer, getting close to his face.

The sweet scent of milk wafted into his nose. Her forehead was right below his chin, and her long, curled eyelashes seemed as if they could brush against his cheek.

Her gaze was focused and serious as she carefully examined his healing wounds.

"Okay, you can stand up now," she said.

Jiang Yan straightened up, a beat slower than expected.

"Have you always been so careless? You don't care about getting wet in the rain or sweating, or else your wounds wouldn't take so long to heal," Gu An furrowed her small eyebrows. Her cute baby face seemed naive and innocent but had a stern expression. 

"Wait for me a moment." She lowered her head and took out a pack of band-aids from her pineapple-shaped crossbody bag.

He quietly watched her, his gaze fixed on her eyelashes.

"Pick one you like," she said, holding out a selection of band-aids with various colorful patterns.

Jiang Yan rubbed his nose and said, "I like the fried egg pattern."

Gu Zhen handed it to him with a smile, "Then go ahead and stick it on!"

He tore open the packaging, not caring about the angle, and applied the band-aid under his chin.

"Don't waste the band-aids!"

"It's crooked!"

Gu An had the appearance of a young forewoman, her small mouth muttering in a grumbling tone.

Unexpectedly, the young police officer suddenly leaned closer to her.

The distance between them closed unexpectedly. She went from looking up at him to being eye-to-eye with him. In front of her was his flawless face.

He has a slender face with clean eyebrows, disregarding the police uniform, he looks more like a handsome young man.

The handsome young man's skin is cold and pale, his freshly washed hair is clean and neatly combed over his forehead, his long and soft eyelashes are clearly defined.

Her gaze follows his brow and nose down for the first time, and she sees his lips clearly... at the side of his lips, there's a beautiful dimple.

Her heart suddenly speeds up, and Gu An stands in place, forgetting who she is and what she's supposed to do.

And he slightly tilts his head...

His long neck, with a cold ivory-like glow, disappears into the collar, the clear outline of his Adam's apple visible.

That scar that had troubled her and occupied her thoughts, is now fully exposed in her field of vision.

"Well, please help me, classmate."

--

Note: If you are new to reading Chinese Novels, Gege means elder brother. It's like the counterpart of "Oppa"

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