Chapter 27: Astringent

In the days that followed, Ji Shuyi intentionally avoided Jiang Cheng at school, completely ignoring him. If she happened to see him from afar, she would turn and run.

Moreover, Ji Shuyi was constantly protected by a girl other than class time.

Jiang Cheng hadn’t expected that the bodyguard he had arranged for her back then would end up being used to defend against him.

Friday.

Ji Shuyi only had one class in the afternoon.

“Just got out of class, heading over now,” Ji Shuyi said into her phone while jogging out of the building, her backpack bouncing against her back. “Are you all there yet?”

Lu Zhixia: “Just waiting on you and Tang Yu.”

Ji Shuyi: “Moving as fast as my little legs can carry me.”

Hanging up, she immediately sent a message to Tang Yu: “Class is over, running towards the school gate. Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Just as the message went through, she received a reply from Tang Yu: “No rush, I just arrived too. I’m waiting for you across from the school gate.”

Ji Shuyi turned off her phone and quickened her pace. As she neared the school gate, a figure suddenly blocked her path.

“Jiang Shao, please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Ji Shuyi’s female bodyguard stepped forward, blocking Jiang Cheng with a stern expression.

Jiang Cheng ignored the bodyguard, his gaze cutting past her to land directly on Ji Shuyi. His eyes were deep, his tone devoid of warmth.

“Come here.”

He said, “I don’t want to fight with your people.”

“I won’t!” Ji Shuyi instinctively hid behind the female bodyguard, only her small head peeking out as she watched Jiang Cheng warily.

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. “Then try and see if you can get out of the school gate!”

Ji Shuyi said furiously, “You’re acting like a hooligan!”

Jiang Cheng chuckled, a helpless sound. “As if it’s the first time.”

“You!” Ji Shuyi was momentarily speechless.

Jiang Cheng frowned slightly and asked directly, “Running so urgently, are you going to see Tang Yu?”

He hadn’t wanted to provoke her into defiance these past few days, but seeing Tang Yu waiting at the gate had instantly filled him with an unbearable tightness in his chest, so he had turned back to find her.

“Yes, I am.” Ji Shuyi didn’t deny it at all, even adding with annoyance, “What about it? Does it bother you? Blocking me here.”

That single sentence made Jiang Cheng’s heart clench, deeply frustrated. He took a deep breath, clenching his fist. Ignoring the female bodyguard, he abandoned any attempt to hide his emotions and coldly questioned, “Didn’t you say you didn’t like him?”

“Huh?” Ji Shuyi was first taken aback, then suddenly laughed. “Jiang, Young Master, what kind of logic is that? Does that mean people can’t hang out together unless they have feelings for each other?”

Jiang Cheng was rendered speechless.

Ji Shuyi continued, “Or do you think that because you kissed me, I belong to you now? That I can’t hang out with anyone else? You haven’t even been reported for indecent assault yet, and you’re already rushing to stake your claim. If you’re thinking of taking responsibility, there’s no need. I’ll just treat it like I had bad luck and got bitten by a dog, reminding myself to pay attention to my physical and mental safety next time. Besides, I don’t like Tang Yu, but I don’t like you either. According to your logic, I shouldn’t even be talking to you. And besides, Tang Yu is gentler than you, more of a gentleman, more polite, more refined…”

“Ji Shuyi!” Jiang Cheng almost spat out her name, interrupting her word by word through gritted teeth.

His face was as dark as ink, his jaw twitching with cold anger. Ji Shuyi immediately shut her mouth, her eyes blinking rapidly. Seeing that the situation was bad, she quickly turned and ran.

Watching the girl run away, her words still echoing in his ears,

‘Gentler than you, more of a gentleman, more polite, more refined…’

He could have moved faster and grabbed her back from the bodyguard, but he was lost in thought as she fled.

Was he… really that bad?

Ji Shuyi, Lu Zhixia, and several other classmates had made plans to play a jubensha (劇本殺, a murder mystery role-playing game popular among young people in China).

Since there were no classes the next day, the group played until very late, even going to a bar to enjoy themselves.

Because of the previous soccer game, Tang Yu had added Jiang Cheng’s WeChat. Tang Yu had said that they could arrange another game sometime, but they hadn’t spoken since adding each other.

And he had not expected that he would actively click on Tang Yu’s WeChat Moments to see his updates.

Flipping to Tang Yu’s profile picture, his fingertip hovered in the air, hesitating for a long time before clicking into Moments.

But that single click felt like a sting.

Sure enough, he saw Ji Shuyi in Tang Yu’s updates, saw the group photo of them playing jubensha.

When people are feeling lost and sad, they see everything in extremes and are prone to wild imagination.

For example, at this moment, Jiang Cheng looked at the group photo in Tang Yu’s Moments. The photo was clearly a group photo of everyone who participated in the jubensha, and Ji Shuyi was standing close to Lu Zhixia.

The group photo was perfectly normal, but Jiang Cheng seemed to directly block out everyone else, only seeing Tang Yu and Ji Shuyi,

And Tang Yu was standing behind her, very close.

Jiang Cheng’s breathing became heavy and suppressed as he looked at the photo. Just as he was about to exit WeChat, another update popped up from Tang Yu’s Moments, featuring a photo of the bar and a group picture. A closer look revealed that it was the same group of people who had played the jubensha.

But in the photo, Ji Shuyi was turning her head to look at Tang Yu, smiling brightly, her joy and naturalness evident.

In an instant, Jiang Cheng felt like something was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

He was all too familiar with that bar; it was the one his father had just acquired a few days ago.

Almost without hesitation, Jiang Cheng grabbed his coat and headed out.

Under the cloak of night, the car sped along.

At the entrance of the bar, a group of people, laughing and joking, emerged, supporting each other.

Lu Zhixia’s cheeks were flushed, and she said with a beaming smile, “Thank you so much, Senior Tang, for treating us to food, drinks, and fun today. It was a perfect day.”

Several other students echoed her sentiments with smiles.

Tang Yu said modestly, “You don’t have to be so polite, thanking me over and over. I had a great time today too. Let’s get together again sometime.”

Everyone chimed in unison, “Okay, let’s get together again sometime.”

After saying their goodbyes, Ji Shuyi got into her car. Just as she was about to close the door, Tang Yu suddenly handed her a large bouquet of roses.

“You almost forgot your flowers. You worked hard to win these today.”

“Oh, I almost forgot my spoils of war!” Ji Shuyi said with a smile, taking the flowers from Tang Yu. “Then goodbye, drive safe.”

This scene was witnessed by Jiang Cheng, who had just arrived.

He saw her smiling as she accepted the roses from Tang Yu.