Chapter 37: This Person, Quite Melancholic

The morning sunlight shone through the giant glass windows into the living room, illuminating the entire house with warmth and brightness. The boy in a white tracksuit sat upright on the sofa, with a smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he looked at her. He held his phone in his left hand, gently waving it at her.

Doesn’t that mean, from the moment she came downstairs to when she drank water… Jiang Chiyu had been watching her the entire time?

Su Tian’s expression froze for a moment.

The smile at the corner of the boy’s mouth gradually widened.

Mr. Su was still talking to Su Tian, “When I went out for my morning jog today, Ah Yu had already finished his run and came back. He even accompanied me for a few more laps. Tian Tian, I was thinking, do you want to pick up the habit of morning jogs again?”

Hearing this, Jiang Chiyu glanced at Mr. Su, looking quite surprised.

Su Tian knew what he was surprised about.

Perhaps no one would believe that in junior high, she was still a healthy girl with all-around development in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor. She would go jogging with her dad every morning. It was only after they went on a beach vacation for a month during summer break, enjoying delicious food and being lazy, that she no longer wanted to run after returning.

Later in high school, she was tortured by science and English to the point of wishing for death. She was exhausted every day, and her dad never mentioned jogging again.

Su Tian was actually a bit tempted. This was indeed a good habit that could free her from the increasingly lazy tendencies. But laziness still prevailed, “…No.”

After saying that, she put down her water glass and snuck into the first-floor bathroom.

Turning around and locking the door, she hurriedly ran to the dressing mirror and took a look. After a moment, Su Tian squatted on the ground, clutching her head in despair.

Ah ah ah ah ah, the image in the mirror of her with greasy bird’s nest hair, disheveled nightgown, and eye boogers, wasn’t it all seen by Jiang Chiyu!

Dad didn’t even remind her that there was a guest in the house!

If it was Mom downstairs, she would have been reminded the moment she opened the door to go back to her room and tidy up before coming out.

She squatted there for a while, then tiptoed to the door and eavesdropped.

“Tian Tian used to always jog with me. But now I don’t have much time, and she’s too lazy to run. Her mom says she’s gained several pounds since she stopped running.”

Ah ah ah ah ah ah! Dad! Why are you telling him everything!!!

Su Tian wanted to scratch the walls listening to this.

Jiang Chiyu’s eyes caught a glimpse of the moving shadow behind the frosted glass door of the bathroom, and the corner of his brow raised.

He looked at Mr. Su, “If Tian Tian is willing, she can jog with me in the mornings. After the run, we can go to school together. It’ll be safer on the road too.”

“Yes, I was thinking the same.” Mr. Su rested his hands on his knees, beaming with joy, “You two are in the same class, so you might as well go to and from school together. This little girl has always been pampered at home. In junior high, there was always someone to pick her up and drop her off. Only in high school did we let her go by herself. Sometimes when she comes home late at night, her mom and I can’t help but worry. I’ll ask for Tian Tian’s opinion when she comes out.”

Jiang Chiyu smiled, “Okay.”

Mr. Su noticed that his daughter had been in the bathroom for a long time and called out loudly, “Tian Tian? Are you still in the bathroom?”

Su Tian didn’t respond, not knowing how to reply. She just hoped her dad would think she had gone back to her room.

“Tian Tian? Tian Tian?” Mr. Su was a bit puzzled, “Didn’t see her go upstairs.”

Jiang Chiyu slowly echoed, “I didn’t see her either.”

Mr. Su immediately turned to look at the bathroom door, his voice even louder, “Tian Tian! Are you in the bathroom? Do you need help?”

Does she bloody need help?

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!

Su Tian had already started scratching at the door, her inner self collapsing like the Yellow River bursting its banks. She was afraid that if she didn’t respond, her dad would directly ask if there was no toilet paper in the bathroom. So she tiptoed away from the bathroom door again and called out in a lifeless voice, “I’m here, I’m washing up!”

“Oh,” Mr. Su turned around, then suddenly turned back, “Don’t you usually wash up in your room?”

“…” Su Tian sat on the toilet lid, mumbling, “Anyway! I just felt like washing up on the first floor today!”

Mr. Su seemed to believe her and turned his head back, continuing to cheerfully chat with Jiang Chiyu.

Su Tian stayed in the bathroom for a while longer, hearing her dad say outside, “Oh, Ah Yu, you and Tian Tian haven’t seen each other for quite a few years. Let me show you her junior high photos.”

Ah ah ah Dad, give me a break!

Su Tian couldn’t stand it anymore. She abruptly stood up and walked over to pull open the bathroom door. Jiang Chiyu’s voice also came through clearly, “Sure.”

Mom didn’t like any object making harsh sounds, so the doors, stools, and tables in the house were specially treated. They wouldn’t make much noise when moved around normally.

She looked quite imposing as she pulled the door open, but actually made no sound at all. Only Jiang Chiyu, sitting facing her, glanced over with the corner of his eye. Mr. Su, seeing Jiang Chiyu’s gaze shift, also turned to look at her.

“Tian Tian is out. If you stayed in there any longer, I would have gone in to fish you out.”

Su Tian felt a bit lifeless. She glanced at the clock in the hall; it was already 8:30. “Dad, don’t you need to go to work today?”

“Not going today. I’m staying home to spend time with you all.” Mr. Su’s tone was very relaxed, “Tian Tian, go get your junior high photo album. I’ll show it to Ah Yu.”

Su Tian spread her hands expressionlessly, “It’s in the cabinet, the cabinet is locked, and the key is lost.”

She made it clear she was refusing. Mr. Su could only sigh with regret, “Alas, can’t share them. Some of the photos were really cute.”

“Dad, I’m going upstairs to study.” Su Tian could feel Jiang Chiyu’s gaze settling on her for a moment when the word “cute” was mentioned. Although a gaze was something intangible, she felt it was heavy, severely impacting her breathing frequency.

She fled as if in a panic.

Back in her room, after washing up and changing clothes, she sprawled on the bed again, hugging a bunny plushie, feeling lifeless for a while. She recalled the two buzzes that rang out in the morning and took out her phone to check.

7:29

Ah Yu: Good morning little sister Tian Tian ^_^

Ah Yu: I’m at your house *?(???)?*

8:06

Ah Yu: Are you still not up, lazy pig?

8:10

Ah Yu: Your appearance is very unique ^_^

Su Tian upon seeing the emoticons: …

Is he showing off? .. It’s on purpose, right??

Jiang Chiyu had arrived at her house at 7:30, and she only woke up at 8:00. Who knows how many things Dad had already told him in that half hour!

Su Tian gritted her teeth silently for a while, thinking that she should also get up early one day to run into Uncle Jiang or Auntie Jiang, then go into Jiang Chiyu’s house to pry some information!

She didn’t want to see the name Ah Yu anymore, so she clicked on his profile picture and changed his contact name to “Perverted Transfer Student”.

When she exited, she finally noticed that Jiang Chiyu’s profile picture was a cloud.

To be precise, it was a patch of evening sky.

It was dark, and only after zooming in could one see clearly. Su Tian enlarged it with two fingers and discovered a tiny bit of a pointed roof in the lower right corner of the picture, looking a bit like a Gothic-style building.

She concluded that this must be a dark sunset he took from a high place in England.

The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it‘s near dusk.

She further concluded that Jiang Chiyu felt he was getting old.

Sigh, this person, quite melancholic indeed.