Chapter 165: Jiang Xiao, Bad!

Not good!

Song Qiuyu’s mind blared with warning bells—Haki Xiao was about to show off again!

No time to stop him.

“Ahem, ah, this? This scarf was given to me by someone I like.” Jiang Xiao’s handsome face radiated happiness.

“Of course it’s warm.”

“Wow!”

Jiang Yu’s eyes grew even brighter.

“Does that mean I’ll have a sister-in-law?”

Song Qiuyu turned her head away in despair.

There’s no sister-in-law, only dumplings—there will be plenty of pan-fried dumplings in the Diner, delicious pan-fried dumplings.

Sang Tian was all smiles.

If she guessed correctly, this scarf was most likely given by Song!

But even if they like each other that much, actually being together would still be tough—so many people still hold prejudices about this sort of thing.

Heh.

Yet perhaps, it is precisely because this affection transcends worldly prejudice that it is all the more precious.

Thinking of this, a hint of melancholy crept into Sang Tian’s smile.

Jiang Li glanced at the scarf, then slid her gaze over to Song Qiuyu’s face, frowning slightly in puzzlement.

Something’s off with Qiuyu-ge.

“Brother, isn’t sister-in-law coming to watch the Stage Play today?”

Jiang Yu tilted his head, his chubby little hand reaching up to grab the blue scarf looped around his brother’s neck.

Unfortunately, he was too short to reach.

Jiang Xiao gently shook his head, denying it.

At the same time, he pulled down a bit of the scarf draped over his shoulder so his younger brother could touch it a little.

He felt this was something that could only be denied.

After all, Xi’er isn’t in the audience—she’s performing on stage.

Sister-in-law • Song Qiuyu • simply didn’t want to hear those two words anymore, silently choosing to block them out.

As they walked, they chatted idly.

Jiang Yu and Jiang Li were both moved—today’s Jiang Xiao was completely different from the one before college started.

They were genuinely happy for their brother’s change, but each showed it differently.

Jiang Yu, being younger, blurted out whatever came to mind, often with adorable gestures.

Jiang Li was different.

She always managed her words and actions, whether at school or at home—meticulous and precise.

And the reason she was this way was actually because her own brother was her role model.

Since childhood, her brother had been the most outstanding child in the family, never letting down the elders’ expectations.

Especially those three years of junior high—he was as dazzling as the sun.

So when her brother fell into a slump for three years, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

That’s why she was so curious about the person her brother liked.

She was eager to know just who was so extraordinary as to pull him out of that mire.

“Brother, why not bring that sister home when we’re on holiday? I think Mom and Dad would really like to meet her too.”

Jiang Li didn’t beat around the bush and spoke directly.

“Wow, we get to meet sister-in-law!”

Jiang Yu clapped his hands, already looking forward to it.

Jiang Xiao sneaked a glance at the person beside him, finding her utterly unresponsive, as if those words were nothing but gibberish to her.

He found this strangely addictive and was holding back laughter to the point of pain.

“But seriously, Lao Jiang, when did you start dating? You even got a scarf—how come none of us knew?” Xie Zhuran was utterly shocked.

Could it be—

It’s that xixi?

“And also, normally, if you’re dating, shouldn’t you call her your girlfriend? Why do you keep saying ‘the person I like’? It’s so awkward.”

At this, Lin An frowned and looked at Jiang Xiao. “Don’t tell me you two haven’t started dating yet?”

Jiang Xiao’s lips moved slightly.

Seeing this, Song Qiuyu bit her lip and stealthily hooked her pinky around Jiang Xiao’s finger.

Jiang Xiao was momentarily stunned, then felt the finger hooked around his own tug gently, like a plea for mercy—enough with the public displays, you’ll kill me with embarrassment!

Jiang Xiao’s heart pounded wildly.

Song Qiuyu refused to admit she was being coquettish.

Afraid of being found out, she only dared to tug Jiang Xiao’s finger carefully. When he seemed unmoved, she felt both speechless and helpless.

Should I just give up and say something?

But whatever she said, once the two of them talked alone about the past, Jiang Xiao would tally up every little thing with her.

“Not yet.” Sure enough, Jiang Xiao still answered.

The moment he said this, Song Qiuyu felt numb all over, but the rapid heartbeat and flushed face betrayed her.

Deep down, she couldn’t deny that she actually felt a sliver of joy.

Not yet. In other words, sooner or later, they would be together.

Even though Shen Xi had done so many terrible things to him, and Song Qiuyu had deceived him for so long, in Jiang Xiao’s heart, she was still worthy of being his girlfriend.

To be liked and acknowledged so firmly by someone—it was a little overwhelming, a kind of tingling sensation she couldn’t suppress…

She retreated, pulling her finger away, no longer daring to tug. What was she really pulling at? Not Jiang Xiao’s finger.

It was her own heartbeat.

“But she’s already given you a scarf, so your chances must be pretty good!” Xie Zhuran laughed.

“Looks like our dorm’s about to see the first one in a relationship after all.”

Lin An put on a wounded face and sighed.

“What’s with the sighing? We’ll all find someone!” Song Qiuyu couldn’t stand the mood.

Jiang Xiao looked at her with a smile, his gaze meaningful.

Feeling a bit anxious under his gaze, Song Qiuyu sped up and pointed ahead. “The Diner is right up there!”

As the distance grew, Jiang Xiao’s gaze finally left her, and the tension eased, replaced by something impossible to describe.

If he had to put it into words, it felt like… being abandoned.

“Let’s hurry up too.” With that, Jiang Xiao caught up to her.

Looking at the flush at the back of her neck, he thought for a moment, then called out her name.

He took off the already-toasty scarf from his neck and stepped forward to put it around hers.

Song Qiuyu froze, forgetting to resist, stopping in her tracks and letting him put it on her.

“Don’t be startled, Lao Jiang and Lao Song have always been like this, always helping each other out. We call this—” the Great Scholar explained, “Righteous Father and Son, Fatherly Love and Filial Piety!”

“Even the scarf from his future girlfriend, he puts it on Lao Song. Such touching father-son affection, I’m about to cry here.”

Song Qiuyu pressed her lips together, desperately holding back the urge to take the scarf off and hand it back.

Luckily, to everyone else, they still seemed perfectly normal.

After helping her with the scarf, Jiang Xiao ruffled her hair, getting a bit greedy.

Suddenly, he was overcome with the urge to be found out, even though he knew it would surely hurt the girl he liked most.

Looks like I’m a little bad too.

“Qiuyu-ge.”

Jiang Li’s sudden call made Song Qiuyu pause.