CHAPTER 14: He Felt Awful, and Regretted Eavesdropping

When best friends share a bed, late-night chats are inevitable. Life was still simple at this age, so they mostly talked about the people and things around them—gossip or memories.

Tang Shu and Ji Mutian were a favorite topic for Cheng Xiangxue. Even though they weren’t in the same class, Cheng Xiangxue, the self-declared “diplomat,” knew all the gossip about those two.

“Hmph, I really can’t stand her. Always pretending to be sweet and pitiful. Gets a tiny cut on her hand and acts like the world needs to know.”

“She didn’t do anything to you.”

“Still doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed by her. Maybe we’re just fated to clash.”

Fated to clash…

Su Jiasui rubbed her warm palms together and said lazily, “You’re kind of superstitious. Honestly, you’re just biased. That’s why everything she does rubs you the wrong way.”

“Whose side are you on? Justice personified? The grandma of truth?”

Before Cheng Xiangxue could press further, Ji Jing called.

Su Jiasui smiled, thankful for the timely rescue. “Hello? You’re home? Got it, I’ll bring it Monday. Tomorrow? Oh, Chengzi is staying over at my place. We’re going out in the afternoon. Want to come? Alright, sleep early then. Bye-bye.”

Cheng Xiangxue leaned over. “Ji Jing’s coming too tomorrow?”

Su Jiasui set her phone on the nightstand, not noticing the ongoing call.

“He said he doesn’t want to be a third wheel.”

“Pfft—he’s clearly talking about me. What, I’m always your third wheel or something?”

Ji Jing suddenly tensed his fingers.

He hadn’t hung up.

Maybe… he could hear what Cheng Xiangxue, who always called him “Brother Jing” to his face, really said behind his back.

Su Jiasui said, “You’re reading too much into it. Ji Jing isn’t that kind of person.”

Cheng Xiangxue scoffed, “Yeah right. Don’t even start. With my sharp observational skills, I could tell from day one he’s super petty.”

Su Jiasui defended him, “He is not petty.”

Ji Jing smiled silently and shifted into a more comfortable position on the bed.
If Su Jiasui had such high opinions of him, then whatever Cheng Xiangxue said didn’t matter.

“Hah. He just doesn’t dare act petty with you. But if you get too close to any other guy, sparks start flying from his eyes. He’s totally faking it.”

“Faking what?”

“Faking trust in you, duh. Think about it—if he walked up and accused you of being flirtatious, implied you were playing guys, wouldn’t you slap him right across the face?” Cheng Xiangxue burst out laughing at her own imagined drama.

Ji Jing clenched his teeth. He hadn’t expected Cheng Xiangxue’s so-called “sharp eyes” to actually be spot-on. Who knows how often she laughed at him behind his back?

“Hey, you think if Jiang Yan stayed at your place, Ji Jing would be all stiff and awkward?”

“…I know exactly what you’re getting at. If you date Jiang Yan, Ji Jing won’t feel so awkward anymore, right? But do you really like Jiang Yan?”

“Well… who knows. I just think teasing him is kind of fun.”

“Cut it out. Jiang Yan’s not like you. If you don’t get into college, you can just go home and live off your parents. They’ll still spoil you forever. But Jiang Yan? This is a critical moment for his whole family’s future. What if you mess up his college entrance exams? How will you make it up to him?”

“You dated Ji Jing and still got good grades. And let’s not forget who used to say a ‘perfect life needs one early romance’—then ran off to confess like a happy little idiot. But when it’s me, suddenly you’re all blocking and scolding. So unfair.”

“Didn’t you already date someone?”

“That doesn’t count. It got shut down after two days. Never even got to start.”

The two followed the thread of the conversation, reminiscing about Cheng Xiangxue’s tragically short-lived puppy love.

Ji Jing never got to hear Su Jiasui’s rebuttal.

He finally hung up.

Then he buried his face into the soft pillow and let out a long, wistful sigh.

He felt awful—and regretted eavesdropping.

….

It rained overnight, and the next day was exceptionally bright.
The sky was washed clean and vividly blue, with a light breeze and no heat.

Such a perfect day—it would be a waste to stay home studying. Old Su even encouraged the girls to head out early and grab lunch outside.

But Su Jiasui and Cheng Xiangxue refused to leave until they’d done their makeup to perfection. They even insisted on curling their hair with a styling wand.

Old Su was old-fashioned. In his view, seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girls didn’t need makeup to be pretty. Natural beauty, like a lotus rising out of clear water—why paint your face and turn into a little goblin? Every time he saw those over-styled teens on the street, his fingers itched to go scrub their heads clean.

Still, his daughter was beautiful.

After makeup, her cheeks were rosy, her lips glossy, her eyes perfectly lined with a touch of smoky shadow—and those soft waves cascading down her shoulders made her look just like a movie star.

If she weren’t so good at studying, Old Su might’ve pushed her into showbiz. Having a celebrity daughter who appeared on TV every day would be pretty cool too.

But a daughter that beautiful came with a price tag.

High-end makeup, designer clothes and shoes, necklaces, watches, little rings—none of it came cheap.

At the mall, Old Su hesitated for a moment before pulling out his credit card and handing it to Su Jiasui. New season meant new clothes and shoes. And since they were already in a mall, how could they not buy stationery? Those stationery shops were full of useless, overpriced knick-knacks. One trip inside, and you’d come out with a whole bag of nonsense.

Whatever! Buy it all!
Old Su made up his mind. He’d use a mountain of real money to lift his daughter up high—let her know that their family was not short on cash. When picking a boyfriend, she didn’t need to look at his income or background—just his character and ability.

He and Ms. Sun didn’t quite agree on this point.

“Thanks, Dad!”

“Have fun and come home early.”

There was no such thing as “coming home early” on the weekend.

Su Jiasui slipped the credit card into her small crossbody bag, feeling that the world was especially wonderful today. She used to not need to buy anything, let alone spend money—everything she wore or ate was distributed according to rank. She had privileges, but couldn’t flaunt them too openly. The people couldn’t be worrying about their next meal while the Commander was busy dressing up.

Life had no anticipation and was utterly dull.

But now, she had family, friends, and a future full of endless possibilities. Damn, it was freaking awesome!

“Let’s eat first, then watch a movie. Oh right, I heard there’s a new ice rink that just opened on the sixth floor—we can go skating,” Cheng Xiangxue quickly laid out the day’s plans. The schedule sounded a little boring to Su Jiahe, but it was very considerate of Jiang Yan. After all, whether it was watching a movie or going ice skating, neither cost too much. Jiang Yan could easily pick one of the two and offer to treat.

“I don’t know how to skate.”

“I’ll teach you! You picked up basketball so fast—skating’s nothing in comparison.”

With her stomach growling, Su Jiahe was distracted by an ad in the elevator. “Sis, I want Japanese food.”

Su Jiahe’s tone and expression were like a big baby’s—how could Su Jiasui say no to that? “Sure, that new place is still doing their opening promo. First prize is a Parker pen.”

“Let’s just hope we get the consolation prize. First prize? Dream on.”

Just as Cheng Xiangxue predicted, they got the consolation prize—a small phone charm of a brown bear. There were many different animals to choose from, but Su Jiasui and Cheng Xiangxue exchanged a look and, without saying a word, both picked the same curly-haired brown bear. It was just too perfect for Ji Jing.

They watched Flipped, which had only been out for two days and was already a box-office hit. Since they bought tickets last minute, all the good seats were gone—they ended up in the very front row.

Su Jiahe was hilarious. There was a line in the movie: “Some people are like a rainbow. You never know they exist until after the storm.” He tilted his head and asked Su Jiasui, “Sis, who’s Fang Zhiyou?”

Cheng Xiangxue nearly choked holding back her laughter, almost suffocating in the theater.

When the movie ended, it was still early. Not wanting to waste her dad’s credit card, Su Jiasui decided to go shopping for a few outfits.

Su Jiahe knew all too well how grueling it was to go shopping with girls and flat-out refused to tag along. He’d rather sit and zone out at the juice bar. Unfortunately, he was overpowered by Su Jiasui’s authority and reduced to a bag-carrying lackey.

While Su Jiasui and Cheng Xiangxue were browsing clothes, Su Jiahe whispered to Jiang Yan, “I really can’t stand Ji Jing, but I’ve got to admit, one thing about him—he could shop with my sister from ten in the morning till six in the evening.”

“Ji Jing’s stamina is impressive.”

“It’s not just stamina. Shopping drains more than your body—it eats away your patience and your soul.”

“Hm… Between going home and doing two sets of test papers or going shopping with Jiasui, which would you pick?”

“I’d rather do the test papers. At least there’s an end in sight. Shopping? You finish one store and there’s always another.”

A sales assistant came over with a warm smile. “Gentlemen, would you like something to drink?”

Su Jiahe let out a long sigh. “That’s it, we’re done for. They’re offering drinks—we’re probably stuck here for another half hour. Two orange juices, thanks.”

Jiang Yan smiled and slowly pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket—packed full of English vocabulary words. “No worries. We can use the time to go over some words.”

“You brought that with you on a shopping trip? You’re insane!”

“A great man once said that memorizing vocab while shopping with girls is the best way to pass the time.”

“Which great man?”

“Fang Zhiyou.”

“…”

Su Jiahe widened his eyes—finally experiencing firsthand Jiang Yan’s cold, subtle, sneaky kind of humor.

In order to escape from the vocabulary drill, Su Jiahe suddenly perked up. “Sis! I want to go buy a pair of sneakers!”

“Wait a bit.” Su Jiasui was still debating between two sweatshirt colors—should she get the green one or the pink one? “I’ll go with you in a second.”

“No need, no need. The store’s on the first floor. I’ll go grab them and be right back.”

“You trying to run off?”

Cheng Xiangxue gave his shoulder a pat from behind. “Perfect. I want to get a pair of sneakers too. I know the store you’re talking about—let’s go together.”

“…Fine, let’s go together.” Su Jiahe regretted not saying he needed the bathroom instead.

Once her brother was gone with Cheng Xiangxue, Su Jiasui finally relaxed. She was really worried her bag-carrying lackey would make a break for it.

“Miss,” the sales assistant said when she saw Su Jiasui hesitating between two outfits, “this cherry blossom pink one is cuter, while the green one brightens your complexion. I think both look great on you, but the green is better.”

Su Jiasui stared at herself in the mirror for a while, then finally made up her mind. “Alright, I’ll take the green one. And those two long-sleeved ones too—please pack them up.”

“Of course. Will you be paying with cash or card?”

“Card—oh no, I forgot to give Jiahe the money! I need to go find them. Jiang Yan, let’s go!”

Jiang Yan got up, and the sales assistant naturally handed the shopping bags to him, smiling as she said, “We hope to see you again. Have a wonderful weekend.”

The sales assistant looked like a flight attendant—polished and professional, with a silk scarf tied around her neck. She matched the classy vibe of the boutique perfectly. In that moment, Jiang Yan felt oddly out of place. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to say thank you.

It was such a small, insignificant moment, yet his mind spun with chaotic thoughts. He suddenly wondered whether he should pay for the skating later. Four people would cost at least a hundred or two. But then again, his parents were out working at construction sites, sweating under the sun just to earn that kind of money. At this stage in life, maybe it was better to keep some distance from his friends—even if they didn’t care about the difference in family background, even if he had regrets about youth.

“Jiang Yan, want some ice cream?” Just moments ago, Su Jiasui had been in a rush to find her brother, but now she stopped in front of a dessert stand.

Jiang Yan’s gaze flicked to the price board. The cheapest cone was two yuan. The more expensive ones were ten yuan—enough for a full lunch. He instinctively shook his head.

Su Jiasui smiled and leaned over the counter. “Hi, two cones please—one strawberry, one vanilla.”

The staff was quick and efficient. As soon as the change was handed over, the ice cream was ready.

Su Jiasui handed the vanilla cone to Jiang Yan. “Here.”

“……”

“Hurry up.”

Refusing Su Jiasui felt like committing a terrible crime. Jiang Yan shifted all the shopping bags to his right hand and freed his left to take the cone. “Thanks,” he said softly.

Su Jiasui looked at him, her smile even brighter, warm and sincere. “I’ve never been one to beat around the bush, so I’ll just say it—let’s be friends. Not the kind who go separate ways after graduation. That means I won’t always be able to tiptoe around your feelings. The longer we hang out, the more likely I’ll slip up. So you, don’t feel pressured either. There’ll be plenty of chances for you to treat me next time.”

Jiang Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He couldn’t speak as directly as Su Jiasui did. “Mm…” He still felt a bit burdened, but for some reason, it didn’t weigh as heavily anymore. In fact, he felt oddly relieved—and even smiled without realizing it.

In a bustling mall on a weekend, a young man and woman holding ice cream cones, smiling at each other—no matter how you looked at it, the scene radiated a sweet kind of charm.

Chen Xu leaned on the railing upstairs, looking down at the two. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled out his phone, snapped a photo, and sent it via MMS to Ji Jing.

Ji Jing replied quickly.

[…?]

[Don’t tell me you don’t recognize them.]

Ji Jing didn’t respond again.

Meanwhile, Su Jiasui picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“Jincheng. Wanna come?”

“Is it just you and Cheng Xiangxue?”

Su Jiasui took a bite of her melting cone. “Plus Jiahe, and Jiang Yan.”

“Oh… how come you’re all hanging out?”

“It’s the weekend. Just out having fun.”

Su Jiasui’s response was so natural that Ji Jing’s heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally settled back into place. “I’ll come find you later, okay? Want boiled fish for dinner?”

Su Jiasui’s light laughter carried through the phone. “If you’re treating, of course I’m in.”

Ji Jing hung up and immediately texted Chen Xu.

[Cheng Zi and Jiahe are there too?? What the hell, are you trying to give me a heart attack so you can inherit something??]

[…Damn it. No good deed goes unpunished. Just wait—when those two fall for each other, you’ll be crying with nowhere to cry.]

Chen Xu couldn’t stop himself from slamming a fist against the railing. He wasn’t even sure why he was so angry.

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Author’s Note:

Tomorrow’s the VIP chapter! Update at noon! Red envelopes for the first 50 comments!

PS: I can’t hold it in anymore—Jiang Yan is NOT the second male lead hahahah!