As these words were spoken, Jiang Xiao feigned contemplation and did not reply immediately.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long for someone to lose their patience.
“You didn’t discover me a long time ago, did you?” Song Qiuyu tilted her head.
As she spoke, she withdrew the small hands covering Jiang Xiao’s eyes and circled around to stand in front of him.
Jiang Xiao looked up.
The winter sun was very warm, spilling onto the young girl’s face and making her flower-like smile look exceptionally bright. Her large, clean, and clear eyes were especially captivating as they darted around with an incredibly clever look.
More importantly, she looked a bit different today. She was wearing adult makeup, which made her entire aura seem more mature.
“What are you doing?” Song Qiuyu instinctively gripped her cuffs and knit her brows nervously, sensing Jiang Xiao’s gaze sizing her up.
“This makeup looks good, but it doesn’t quite look like you anymore.” Jiang Xiao spoke as he pulled a bag out from under his clothes.
“Oh?” Song Qiuyu was stunned. She didn’t know what was in the bag, but her intuition told her it was a gift.
“The makeup I did for you before suits you better.” Noting her eyes fixed on the bag, Jiang Xiao didn’t keep her in suspense. He reached inside and pulled out two light brown scarves. “Our clothes today are a good match for scarves of this color.”
“Okay~” Song Qiuyu pouted and poked the back of Jiang Xiao’s hand with her finger, her tone playfully teasing. “You’re really putting in so much effort!”
“I haven’t forgotten that we’re still testing each other to see if we can officially become boyfriend and girlfriend!” Jiang Xiao smiled as he took out one of the scarves and stood up to help her put it on.
“So you’re saying that once the test is over, you won’t put in any effort anymore?” Song Qiuyu leaned forward and lowered her head, offering her neck to him as she deliberately raised an eyebrow.
Hearing this, the smile on Jiang Xiao’s lips deepened. He finished putting the scarf on her before speaking. “Then, do you want me to keep putting in effort or not?”
Song Qiuyu was taken any back. She abruptly raised her head and straightened her back, a frustrated expression of defeat appearing on her face.
He actually threw the question back at her!
Seeing Jiang Xiao raise his brows in amusement as he stood up from the bench to put on the other scarf, she wrinkled her nose and let out a light huff.
“I need to go back upstairs first!”
“Hmm?”
“I’m going to tell my Mom that you think the makeup and outfit she helped me with look bad!” She intentionally turned around and walked toward the stairwell.
Jiang Xiao watched her thoughtfully without saying a word.
After walking a few more steps, Song Qiuyu’s expression began to lose its composure.
‘Call me back, call me back… Hurry up and call me back! No, Brother, if you don’t call me now, I’m really going back upstairs!’
She wanted to steal a glance at his expression, but she didn’t dare to look too obviously. She could only clench her hands, her heart feeling stifled.
“The movie starts around seven o’clock. I originally wanted to grab a meal and go shopping first, but it looks like there won’t be enough time.” Jiang Xiao sighed.
Song Qiuyu’s footsteps faltered. Her shoulders slumped, and she closed her eyes, letting out a long breath before turning back to look at the man behind her.
“You win. You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I like you!”
“The feeling is mutual.”
As he spoke, Jiang Xiao reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out again, it was clenched into a fist as if he were hiding something, causing Song Qiuyu’s lips to curve upward toward the sky.
“How do you still have some left?” She trotted back and held out a small hand, already guessing what Jiang Xiao had brought out.
It was likely candy—specifically, Orange-flavored Da Bai Tu Milk Candy. She had already placed the bunch of yellow roses Jiang Xiao gave her earlier into a vase on her bedroom desk. Although the candy and figurines had been taken away, the bouquet of yellow roses remained incredibly beautiful.
“It seems Xi’er doesn’t want it that much, so should I take it back?” Jiang Xiao looked down at the candy in his palm with a slight smile, then suddenly raised his hand higher.
Huh?
Song Qiuyu closed her mouth and looked at her hand, which was already prepared to catch the candy. Her eyes darted around, and she took a shallow breath before thick-facedly grabbing one of Jiang Xiao’s arms and shaking it.
“But I’m a child! If you don’t give me candy, I’ll cause a scene!” She reached out again.
“A child, huh?” Jiang Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Then how old are you?”
“…” Song Qiuyu narrowed her eyes, prepared for this. She held up one finger. “Not even one-year-old.”
“?”
“Because by a girl’s standards, my life only truly began six months ago!”
“…”
“Good opportunity!” Song Qiuyu took advantage of Jiang Xiao’s attempt to stifle a laugh. She grabbed his hand, pried his fingers open, and snatched the candy.
The candy was, as expected, Orange-flavored Da Bai Tu Milk Candy.
‘Not even one-year-old…’ Jiang Xiao mused.
“That’s right! So you’ve committed a crime, and it’s a serious one.” Song Qiuyu unwrapped the candy’s paper.
Jiang Xiao didn’t say anything, only continuing to hold back his laughter. Then, in a flash, he deliberately snatched the candy back, pretending he was going to put it in his own mouth.
Caught off guard, Song Qiuyu was momentarily stunned before she instinctively stood on her tiptoes to grab the candy back.
“Jiang Xiao, I really doubt your age. How can you be so childish? Even more childish than me!” Song Qiuyu’s eyes showed a hint of disdain.
“I learned it from you!” Jiang Xiao tossed the candy into his mouth.
“…”
Song Qiuyu’s eyes widened, and then her face went blank. She practically had ‘I’m not playing with you anymore’ written all over her face. Suddenly, the man in front of her cupped her face. Accompanied by the gentle, orange-flavored milky scent, he tenderly kissed her lips. Song Qiuyu froze for a moment, and her face turned red in an instant.
Jiang Xiao pushed the candy into her mouth, holding her burning cheeks tightly as they shared an intimate, lingering moment.
Her heart skipped a beat.
As the Orange-flavored Da Bai Tu Milk Candy melted, many other things melted along with it. Song Qiuyu felt like a trapped animal in a fire. She was caught in a massive blaze with no way to escape, left to be consumed by the flames until she forgot where she was or what day it was. Even the cold wind blowing past seemed to catch a hint of that scorching heat.
After an unknown amount of time, a sudden bark from behind caused Song Qiuyu to slowly come back to her senses. When his warm fingertip wiped a trace of sweetness from the corner of her lips, it left only a brief, itchy sensation, yet her heart stirred because of it. She couldn’t help but look at him a few more times, her lips slightly pursed then parting again.
The breath of the two of them had long since become entangled, making it impossible to tell one from the other. After taking a few breaths, she knit her brows with embarrassment and looked away, feeling restless.
‘Doing this is normal for a couple in their adjustment period! I need to adapt, I need to get used to it.’ She kept convincing herself.
“Let’s go. It’s time for our date. We’ll go shopping first, then eat something delicious, and finally watch the movie!” At the crucial moment, Jiang Xiao took her curled-up little hand and gave her a firm smile, leading her toward the exit of the residential area.
It felt as though a kite with a broken string had been caught just in time. Her insecure heart seemed to be filled in an instant. Song Qiuyu followed him step by step, letting him lead her away.
For the first time in over ten years, she was trying to completely hand over her direction to someone else. She suddenly felt that being a girl might not necessarily be a punishment from the heavens. It gave her, who had been wandering in a sea of bitterness, another choice—a chance to experience the world and love through another gender.
After drifting for half her life, she had finally met someone she liked who liked her back. Moreover, her parents were back. Song Qiuyu couldn’t help but feel lightheaded.
However, she didn’t lose herself completely as she had in the past. She maintained enough rationality to clearly analyze the situation as she carefully squeezed back on that warm, large hand.
Afterward, they walked through the shops on both sides of the street, doing what freeloaders love to do most: trying free samples.
The red sun was slowly sinking, and they continued to walk further away toward the brilliant sunset. Until they reached the end.
This “end” referred to a Malatang shop.
“Are you sure you want to eat Malatang on our first date?” Jiang Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Yes!”
The two light brown scarves fluttered in the evening breeze. The strands of hair tucked under Song Qiuyu’s scarf were slowly coming loose, curving slightly inward.
As Jiang Xiao looked at her, he felt she looked exactly like a fluffy cat. His eyes twinkled, and his smile deepened.
‘I’ll call her Xi’er Cat.’
“You’re already starting to save money for me.” He couldn’t help but rub her pretty face. “But this is our first date; we should still eat something good!”
“No!” Song Qiuyu frowned. “I just really want to eat Malatang today, and I want to eat it with you.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“Yes!” Song Qiuyu nodded, looking as if she were saying, “I’m a puppy if I’m lying.”
Jiang Xiao checked the time. Seeing how persistent she was, he agreed.
They entered the store and ordered. After a moment, Song Qiuyu picked up the seasonings on the table and began adding extra chili, vinegar, and numbing spice. After she was done, she turned to look at the person beside her.
“Do you want me to add some for you too?”
“Yes!” Jiang Xiao could handle spicy food quite well and wasn’t afraid at all.
After a round of adding seasonings, Song Qiuyu picked up her chopsticks. However, her gaze instinctively drifted to the side again.
Although people said that loving someone meant instinctively accommodating them, theoretically, boys should find girls who were fussy, troublesome, and willful to be very annoying. But judging from how the person beside her indulged and cooperated with her time and time again, even helping her correct things…
‘Yeah, we should definitely be able to make this work.’
Reaching this conclusion, Song Qiuyu tried her best not to be awkward or fussy. She picked up a piece of meat and tried to put it into the bowl of the person beside her.
“I accidentally ordered too much and can’t finish it. Help me eat some!” Her appetite had become much smaller, but Jiang Xiao was different. As a boy, he could eat a lot.
Jiang Xiao was stunned for a moment. He looked at her a few times and then smiled. “Okay!”
To his surprise, as soon as the meat entered his mouth, he broke into a sweat from the spice. He forced himself to endure it, keeping a smile on his handsome face. Song Qiuyu looked at Jiang Xiao in slight surprise. Naturally, she saw through him and immediately pulled out two paper napkins to help him wipe his sweat.
“Is the food in my bowl too spicy? Why don’t you just spit the meat out?”
“No need, it’s delicious!” Jiang Xiao shook his head, chewed a few times, and determinedly swallowed it.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu puffed out her cheeks. She saw right through his act. Not being polite, she smilingly picked up another piece of meat and went even further, bringing it right to his lips.
‘If you want to be a real man, then keep eating?’
Jiang Xiao was stunned again. At this point, he couldn’t refuse, so he opened his mouth and ate another piece of meat. Song Qiuyu stared at him with a strange expression for a few seconds before letting out a chuckle. She moved her chopsticks, hesitating for a moment between being reserved and being outgoing before finally choosing to act reserved, eating slowly.
She took a bite of a fried bean curd skin and said, “Once we finish eating, it’ll be time for the movie.”
“Right.” Jiang Xiao took a few gulps of his ice drink.
As he responded, he also instinctively turned to look at the person beside him. It was clear that Song Qiuyu had also overestimated herself. After only two bites, her pretty face was flushed from the spice. Her small, red mouth kept opening and closing while her small hand fanned her face. She looked both pitiful and adorable.
“Then what about after we finish the movie?” she suddenly asked, turning to look at him, her beautiful almond eyes blinking.
Jiang Xiao narrowed his eyes.
‘Xi’er, what do you think?’
Buckle up, get ready for the next chapter! The author is a college student. Give me your votes! If I don’t get any votes, you’re all just small fry!