Chapter 16 Breaking the Ice

After the National Day holiday ended and I returned to school, the rain stopped, and the next few days were sunny with clear skies after the rain.

With the midterm exams approaching, Yu Bai's goal is to be in the top five of her grade. Her Chinese has improved after intensive tutoring, and she is very confident in achieving this goal.

After finishing reading an article, Yu Bai looked up and rubbed his neck to relax, his gaze unconsciously falling on Jiang Jizhou's back.

They fell into a cold war after that night at the karaoke bar.

Yu Bai felt terrible, but he had to desperately suppress his emotions.

He leaned back in his chair, talking to a male classmate. Only a sliver of his profile could be seen; his sharp features softened as he smiled, making him charming and handsome.

Yu Bai bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, but she seemed oblivious to the pain.

Unrequited love is like a long tropical rainy season—humid and sweltering.

The unspoken love he felt was misunderstood as him liking someone else, and Yu Bai felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest.

She lowered her eyes and continued working on her problems, forcing herself to stop thinking about it.

"No wonder he's a top student, he doesn't even take a break between classes." Mingjing came over, leaned on the table next to Yu Bai, and sighed with admiration.

Yu Bai smiled, then turned to look at Ming Jing. "What happened at your house that day? Are you alright?"

A sly glint flashed in Mingjing's eyes. "It's alright. I just wanted to create an opportunity for you and Chen Ye to be alone."

Yu Bai was taken aback, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, and she emphasized earnestly, "I have absolutely no relationship with Chen Ye."

"Oh, really?" Mingjing's eyes gleamed with gossip. "I thought there was something going on between you two."

The bright, dazzling sunlight outside the window shone through the glass onto Yu Bai's face, but her lips were pale. She felt that even under the warmest sun, her heart would feel so weak and powerless.

"I have nothing to do with him." Yu Bai was on the verge of tears. If Mingjing hadn't left back then, perhaps Jiang Jizhou wouldn't have been so angry, and perhaps the chain reaction wouldn't have led to a series of troubles...

Yu Bai's heart tightened even more, and the suffocating feeling of not being able to breathe became more and more intense.

"Alright." Mingjing smiled awkwardly as she looked at Yu Bai's slightly angry face.

Yu Bai suddenly felt the noise and wanted to be alone, so she put down her pen and walked out of the classroom.

The corridor was sparsely populated. Yu Bai leaned against the railing, head hanging down, basking in the glaring sunlight, trying to draw some warmth, but his body was still ice-cold.

Yu Bai was tall and slender, with long, smooth hair cascading down her back. The sunlight shone on her, giving her an even more gentle and hazy aura.

"Your sister's in the hallway. It's rare to see her come out of the classroom," a boy said to Jiang Jizhou. He was also staring at Yu Bai's back, almost lost in thought.

Jiang Jizhou turned his head to look down the corridor and saw Yu Bai standing alone against the railing, looking somewhat forlorn.

He felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart tightly, causing him unspeakable pain.

Jiang Jizhou knew that Yu Bai was a gentle and sensitive girl. Perhaps he didn't like her at first, but later he took it for granted that he would protect her.

She had an urge to go outside and hold Yu Bai in her arms immediately, but when she thought of how intimate she and Chen Ye were, and the image of her giving Chen Ye a gift, she felt all her strength drain away, and her heart felt a sense of confusion, loss, and pain.

That night, he asked Yu Bai one last time if she liked Chen Ye.

Yu Bai remained silent, simply gazing at him for a long time, his expression sorrowful and grief-stricken.

His heart was enveloped in pure sorrow.

I only see her as a younger sister, so why am I so sad?

Jiang Jizhou forced himself to look away, his gaze falling on the boy he was talking to, and he smiled lazily, "You have nothing better to do."

Upon hearing this, the boy also looked away.

—

At noon after school, Jiang Jizhou didn't go home, but Yu Bai went home alone.

As soon as he entered the house, he heard a clear, bell-like laugh, mixed with cheerful chatter. Yu Bai frowned slightly; the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Looking up, he saw a charming woman, around thirty years old, sitting on the sofa, nestled in Uncle Jiang's arms.

Yu Bai was so shocked her jaw almost dropped. Uncle Jiang, whom she hadn't seen since recovering from her illness, suddenly appeared and brought a woman home. Luckily, Jiang Jizhou wasn't there.

Otherwise, he would definitely be... heartbroken. Yu Bai felt a pang of sadness when he thought of how dejected Yu Bai looked in the cemetery that day.

"You must be Bai Bai. I've heard Feng Ge mention you. You really are a well-behaved and adorable girl." The woman saw Yu Bai standing blankly at the door, stood up to greet her, and spoke in a gentle and pleasant voice, "I'm Lin Yun. You can just call me Aunt Lin."

Yu Bai was stunned. This was the woman from the phone call earlier.

Uncle Jiang smiled broadly at Yu Bai and said, "Come over and say hello to your Aunt Lin. She's pregnant, and you're going to have a little brother."

Upon hearing Uncle Jiang's words, Yu Bai almost froze on the spot. Seeing Aunt Lin stroking her belly with affection in her eyes, she bit her lip and greeted her timidly, "Hello, Aunt Lin."

Then, under the pretext of doing homework, he ran upstairs and locked himself in his bedroom.

What should Jiang Jizhou do? Yu Bai hugged the lop-eared rabbit doll, feeling an overwhelming sadness and worry for him.

When he learned that Uncle Jiang's mistress had been brought home and had a child, and that they would be a family, what about Jiang Jizhou?

He's so arrogant, how could anyone stand him?

Yu Bai had already put the cold war with Jiang Jizhou out of his mind, took out his phone, and sent a message to Jiang Jizhou.

【Where are you? 】

Jiang Jizhou replied instantly, sending his location: Central Park.

Then Yu Bai sent another message, but there was no reply.

Yu Bai changed his clothes and, in order not to arouse Uncle Jiang's suspicion, took a taxi to Central Park.

The weather outside turned from sunny to cloudy and gloomy, so Yu Bai brought an umbrella just in case.

On the bus, Yu Bai received a WeChat message from Chen Ye.

It was a shocking photo of his swollen face.

Jiang Jizhou took a taxi.

Yu Bai was stunned.

【Why? 】

He likes you.

Upon seeing Chen Ye's message, Yu Bai was stunned for two seconds, then turned her head to look out the window. The weather was growing increasingly gloomy. Jiang Jizhou liked her? How could that be?

But why did Jiang Jizhou beat Chen Ye like this? Yu Bai's mind was in turmoil.

Is he really your brother?

Upon seeing Chen Ye's question, Yu Bai let out a long sigh, turned off his phone, and felt utterly confused.

She suddenly didn't know how to face Jiang Jizhou later.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Central Park. In this weather, Central Park was nearly deserted. Yu Bai walked along the path and found Jiang Jizhou at a bench.

"What are you doing here?" Yu Bai walked up behind him and said softly.

"Aren't we in a cold war? Why are you still talking to me?" Jiang Jizhou didn't answer, but asked her instead.

Yu Bai said, "You're strange."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jizhou stood up to face her, his expression indifferent.

Yu Bai continued, "You hit Chen too, didn't you?"

Jiang Jizhou curled his lips into a casual smile, "Are you questioning me, defending him?"

Why did you hit him?

Jiang Jizhou sat back down on the bench, a nonchalant smile in his eyes, tinged with a hint of ruthlessness, "I don't like him."

"Why?"

Jiang Jizhou looked up at her. She was wearing a white dress, which swayed like a lily in the wind.

He glanced away, avoiding her red eyes. "Are you heartbroken?"

Yu Bai shook his head. "No."

Her voice trembled with tears, leaving Jiang Jizhou momentarily at a loss. "Why are you crying?"

Yu Bai didn't answer immediately, but sat down next to him. Her white skirt was blown by the wind and clung to Jiang Jizhou's black trousers, touching his hand, which was wet.

"Will you cry, Jiang Jizhou?" Yu Bai turned his head to look at Jiang Jizhou, remembering that he hadn't cried that time in the cemetery.

Jiang Jizhou didn't react for a moment; her topic changed too quickly. Then she chuckled and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Mmm," Yu Bai said in a muffled voice.

"I said I would always be with you." Yu Bai's ethereal voice drifted in the wind, somewhat broken, but firm enough.

Jiang Jizhou's heart stirred. He smiled, his voice hoarse, "I will always protect you."

It seems the misunderstanding hasn't been resolved yet, but it doesn't seem to matter now, because even if there is a misunderstanding, it can't stop the heart from getting closer to the other person.

Jiang Jizhou grasped the corner of the white dress that had been blown up to her knees by the wind; it was warm and soft in her palm.

Even if he did nothing but sit quietly beside Yu Bai, he would feel content.

Jiang Jizhou looked up, the lush green leaves forming a green ocean, and a strange emotion welled up inside him.

"Jiang Jizhou, let's go home." Yu Bai looked at him steadily, her eyes gentle yet firm.

"Okay." Jiang Jizhou smiled at her.

It was just in time; shortly after I got on the bus, a torrential downpour began, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Raindrops pattered against the car window, leaving streaks of water. Yu Bai looked out at the blurry street scene: people with umbrellas, trees soaked by the rain, water splashing up as cars drove by... The whole city was wet, and her mood was even more somber.

Jiang Jizhou sat to the side, turning his head to see Yu Bai's clean and fair profile, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings as she quietly gazed out the window. His heart softened.

Those unspoken thoughts, like blurry water stains on a car window, gradually become clear in this ordinary moment, like the sun shining after a rain.

Yu Bai suddenly turned her head and met Jiang Jizhou's gentle and affectionate gaze. She was stunned.

The two gazed at each other in silence, the patter of rain in their ears only absorbed in their eyes.

A moment later, Yu Bai and Jiang Jizhou looked away, somewhat embarrassed, their hearts melting like spring water, dissolving all the harsh winter winds and snow.

Their eyes met again, and as their gazes locked, the sound of rain ceased. The pure, youthful affection seemed like a rainbow finally appearing after a long rainy season, hanging brightly and brilliantly in the sky.

They exchanged a knowing smile. Yu Bai blushed with embarrassment and looked away first, while Jiang Jizhou continued to gaze intently at her, a faint smile in his eyes.

Suddenly, Jiang Jizhou leaned close to her left ear and whispered something very softly.

It was too light, so much so that I couldn't hear clearly with my left ear, which was wearing a hearing aid.

Yu Bai seemed to sense something, and looked at Jiang Jizhou in surprise, her face gradually turning red.

The humid tropical rainy season is coming to an end.