Chapter 20 (1/3)
Jiang Siyi stood in the hallway for a long time, letting the wind blow on her face.
The January wind was biting, numbing her hands and feet, but it couldn’t dispel the heat in her cheeks.
She carefully placed the love letter at the bottom of her backpack before slowly walking back to the classroom.
“Jiang Siyi, don’t sleep in class anymore, understand?” the math teacher said as she wrote a formula on the blackboard.
“Mm.”
The girl returned to her seat and nodded at the teacher.
The other students were surprised, whispering amongst themselves, “Her sister must have given her a good scolding.”
“I think so too!”
Little Jiang, who heard everything: “…”
The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out any draft. Although the lights were on, the classroom still felt dim. Normally, Jiang Siyi would be fast asleep.
But today was different.
She opened her textbook, found the problem the teacher was explaining, and started listening attentively.
She felt like she was back to being the good student she had been for a while.
Senior students didn’t have a long break between classes. When the music for exercises started playing, the math teacher abruptly turned it off and continued explaining the problem.
The students were used to it. Although tired, they could only listen.
Xu Yuan, restless, started making faces at Jiang Siyi.
Jiang Siyi mouthed a few words back.
“What are you two doing?” The math teacher’s eyebrows shot up, and a torrent of scolding followed. Unsurprisingly, both of them were kicked out of the classroom.
“I didn’t even finish listening to the problem.” Jiang Siyi squatted in the hallway, clutching her worksheet, feeling frustrated. But then she thought it was okay; she could mark it and ask Shen Shiwu later.
Xu Yuan was shocked. “How did you become a good student again?”
Jiang Siyi hummed. “Because I’m in a good mood.”
“Oh,” Xu Yuan looked at her expression and sensed something was up. “How good?”
Jiang Siyi, tired of squatting, slowly stood up, leaning against the wall.
Looking at the foggy sky, her voice was clear.
“I’m dating someone.”
Xu Yuan almost jumped out of her skin.
“Who? Your sister?”
Jiang Siyi blinked. “Mm.”
“No way! Tell me everything!” Always eager for gossip, she nudged Jiang Siyi’s shoulder. “Who confessed?”
Jiang Siyi almost blurted out—Of course it was me.
But remembering the love letter, her face flushed. After a long while, with Xu Yuan practically bouncing with anticipation, she finally said, “We confessed to each other.”
“Mutual confession? Oh my god, that’s so sweet.”
Xu Yuan, seeing her blushing like a red apple, added, “You’re blushing like this even when she’s not here. Aren’t you going to die of embarrassment when you go home tonight?”
Jiang Siyi scoffed. “I never get embarrassed. Don’t worry.”
Then she discreetly hid half her face behind her worksheet.
***
The fog thickened, gradually obscuring the sky.
During break time, Jiang Siyi pulled the curtains open a crack, looking at the white expanse outside, thinking how dangerous it must be to drive.
She stared for a while, her palms starting to sweat.
Jiang Siyi couldn’t focus during the last class and was the first one out of the classroom when the bell rang. The school’s PA system was playing music, not a recent pop song, but a piano piece.
Listening to the gentle melody, Jiang Siyi’s heart calmed down slightly.
The fog was thick, enveloping the pedestrians, making it difficult to walk.
She could only slow down, carefully making her way through the fog.
“Eh, where’s Shen Shiwu?”
Usually, Shen Shiwu would be waiting at the same intersection, but today, there was no sign of her. Jiang Siyi felt a pang of anxiety, remembering her mother…
A long time passed, so long that even the lady selling sausages had packed up and gone home, but Shen Shiwu still hadn’t arrived.
Why?
Could something have… really happened?
The fog was too thick, and she was afraid of falling, so she squatted down, her heart pounding. If something had happened to Shen Shiwu, she wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.
Shen Shiwu finally found the small figure squatting on the ground.
Relieved, she walked towards her, the clicking of her high heels against the pavement echoing in the fog. She squatted down in front of the girl. “Little girl, your girlfriend is here to pick you up.”
Jiang Siyi finally looked up.
Meeting the woman’s gaze, she threw herself into her arms.
Shen Shiwu’s embrace was warm and fragrant, and she couldn’t help but nuzzle closer.
“Sorry, the traffic is terrible because of the weather.” Shen Shiwu patted her back, holding her tighter. “I’m late.”
“Were you crying again?”
Jiang Siyi, her thoughts exposed, quickly blinked back her tears. She buried her face in Shen Shiwu’s neck, her voice muffled. “No.”
The winter uniform was thick and white, and Shen Shiwu, looking down at the girl in her arms, felt like she was holding a fluffy ball.
She couldn’t help but chuckle, her voice filled with amusement. “Okay, if you say so.”
“It’s too cold outside. Let’s go home.”
Jiang Siyi finally lifted her head.
She nodded. “Mm, let’s go home.”
The person she had a crush on had suddenly become her girlfriend, and Little Jiang wasn’t quite used to it. She slumped in her seat, fidgeting nervously.
Shen Shiwu had seen through her long ago. Seeing her earlobes flushed, she chuckled softly. “Why are you so nervous?”
Jiang Siyi hummed, refusing to admit it. “I’m not nervous.”
“You’re blushing all over, and you’re still denying it?”
She fell silent, then mumbled after a while, “This is my first relationship, so I’m not very experienced. I get shy sometimes, don’t mind me…”
The traffic was indeed terrible because of the fog, the sound of car horns blaring incessantly. The girl lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers, her voice growing softer.
Shen Shiwu looked at her sideways, her heart fluttering.
“Although this is my first relationship too, I can teach you.” She held the girl’s wrist and then opened her own hand. “For example, holding hands.”
Jiang Siyi’s breath hitched, and she slowly raised her left hand.
The moment their fingers intertwined, she felt a warmth spread through her body.
Shen Shiwu’s hands were beautiful, slender and pale, her nails neatly trimmed. Even without any jewelry, they exuded elegance.
And her own hands…
Looking at the calluses on her middle finger from years of writing, Jiang Siyi subconsciously tried to pull her hand away.
But Shen Shiwu’s grip tightened.
Tapping the steering wheel, she said slowly, “Now that you’re holding my hand, you can’t run away, ever.”
I wouldn’t run away.
Jiang Siyi thought, nodding resolutely.
School ended early on Fridays, and since Shen Shiwu was busy with work, she took Jiang Siyi to the office. Entering the revolving door, Jiang Siyi saw that Shen Shiwu was still holding her hand and tried to pull away.
Shen Shiwu looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
The girl lowered her voice. “With so many people watching… isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate about it?”
Just then, someone greeted Shen Shiwu. Jiang Siyi looked over and saw it was the woman who had given her the apple last time.
“Hello, Boss, Happy New Year.”
She seemed to be quite familiar with Shen Shiwu. Seeing their intertwined hands, she didn’t seem surprised and even spoke to Jiang Siyi, “Little girl, here to play again?”
Jiang Siyi suddenly didn’t want to talk to her and moved closer to Shen Shiwu.
What little girl? I’m your boss’s girlfriend!
Shen Shiwu frowned. “If you’re so free, I can transfer you to the finance department.”
The woman immediately fell silent.
She waved her hand. “No, no need. Then, Boss, I’ll go upstairs now. Goodbye.”
Sensing the increased pressure on her hand, Shen Shiwu chuckled. “Still think it’s inappropriate?”
“No.” Jiang Siyi now practically wanted to hang off her.
Walking side by side with Shen Shiwu, her steps were stiff, and she only relaxed after entering her office.
She pulled a chair next to Shen Shiwu and dumped her worksheets onto the desk.
Seeing the girl obediently pick up a pen and start working, Shen Shiwu patted her head. “Good girl.”
Little Jiang, praised, puffed up her chest and continued working.
What was it like to do homework next to a charming CEO girlfriend?
Jiang Siyi’s answer: Impossible to focus, completely impossible!
And so, she was caught.
Her barely-touched worksheet was taken away, and Jiang Siyi watched as Shen Shiwu tapped her head with a pen.
The tap was light, but she still dramatically closed her eyes, pretending to be in pain.
“Not focused at all.”
“Two hours have passed, and you’ve only done three multiple-choice questions?”
My soul has been captured by you.
Jiang Siyi huddled in her chair, looking small and round. She mumbled, “I don’t know how to do them. Xiao Ying only taught me the basics, but the recent worksheets have been really difficult…”
Shen Shiwu glanced at the worksheet and saw that it was indeed true.
Without a solid foundation, everything else was impossible.
She put the worksheet aside and said, “Then do the homework Wu Ying assigned.”
“I didn’t bring it.”
“…”
Shen Shiwu picked up the worksheet and placed it in front of the girl again. “Then there’s no choice. Continue working.”
Jiang Siyi was about to complain that she really didn’t know how to do them when she heard the other woman say, “I’ll teach you, one problem at a time.”
Okay.
She felt a surge of joy, shifted the worksheet slightly, and pretended to compromise. “Fine.”
Half an hour later, Jiang Siyi wasn’t smiling anymore.
She was sitting on Shen Shiwu’s lap, the soft touch behind her rendering her motionless.
“Daydreaming again?”
Shen Shiwu traced her earlobe with her fingertip, her smile still gentle, but her tone slightly dangerous. “Thinking about someone?”
Jiang Siyi’s grip on her pen tightened.
She defended herself, “I’m thinking about the problem.”
“Is that so? Then I wrongly accused Xiao Si.” Shen Shiwu leaned against her shoulder, observing the girl’s every expression.
Seeing her eyelashes flutter slightly, a mischievous thought crossed her mind.
“I’ve explained this problem three times already. If you can’t solve it in fifteen minutes…”
“Then I’ll have to punish you.”
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