Chapter 18 Do you have abs?
After lunch, students at Xunning No. 2 Middle School have an hour for a nap. Due to the hot weather, not many students wander around outside, and there are even fewer people in the art building.
"Chi An?" Jiang Deyu stared at him warily. "What are you doing here?"
They had always kept to themselves and Chi An, so he couldn't understand why Chi An would be blocking them here.
"I'm looking for Jiang Sui."
Chi An ignored Jiang Deyu and coldly focused his gaze on Jiang Sui, who was being protected by Ji Jingyu.
In fact, the moment Jiang Deyu shouted, Ji Jingyu, who was originally standing with Jiang Sui, subconsciously took a step forward, her tall and slender figure completely blocking Jiang Sui from view.
"They're looking for me." Jiang Sui peeked out from behind Ji Jingyu, gently poking his lower back with her fingertip as she spoke.
A faint, tingling sensation.
The boy's back suddenly froze.
Jiang Sui was completely unaware that the touch under her fingertips was firm and slightly hard. It was as if she had discovered a new and interesting toy, and she couldn't help but poke it again and again.
Like an addiction.
Ji Jingyu: "..."
Long, strong fingers grabbed the mischievous little hand.
Jiang Sui's wrist was very slender, and Ji Jingyu could wrap his entire wrist around it with room to spare. He gently tapped Jiang Sui's pulse a few times with his index finger, as if warning her to behave.
Ji Jingyu's palms were very hot, and the part of Jiang Sui's skin that was encircled by him also felt like it was burning, bringing an indescribable sense of trembling.
Jiang Sui's body stiffened, and her heart began to beat faster uncontrollably.
Her gaze fell on their intertwined wrists. Ji Jingyu's hand was a size larger than hers, with long, slender, and beautifully bony fingers, making the small mole on the base of her thumb particularly noticeable. A faint, refreshing minty scent wafted to her nose, making her cheeks flush.
Jiang Deyu was still confronting Chi An ahead.
However, she and Ji Jingyu secretly and ambiguously "held hands" in a dimly lit corner.
Before Jiang Sui could react, Ji Jingyu let go of her hand first.
He turned to look at Jiang Sui. "He came to see you. Do you want to talk to him?"
His clear voice carried a barely perceptible low hue.
Jiang Sui stared at Ji Jingyu, but unfortunately couldn't find any flaws in his face.
His handsome and outstanding eyebrows were no different from usual, as aloof and arrogant as ever, and his thin lips were pursed into an unapproachable arc.
It seemed that only Jiang Sui was affected, her heartbeat becoming disordered.
“If you don’t want to talk to him, we can leave now.”
In Ji Jingyu's opinion, even if Chi An is a school bully recognized by everyone, so what? If Jiang Sui doesn't like it, no one can force her.
Jiang Sui stared at Ji Jingyu's smooth and sharp jawline, and after thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "He must have something to say to me."
The familiarity that flowed naturally from her tone successfully caused a complex expression to flash across Ji Jingyu's face.
—
Jiang Sui and Chi An were talking.
Not far from them, Jiang Deyu was peering over the wall, trying to eavesdrop.
Xia Fan followed suit, asking, "Did you hear anything?"
Jiang Deyu shook his head. "I didn't hear anything."
"Why do you think Chi An is looking for Sui Sui?"
"How would I know if you ask me?"
As he spoke, Jiang Deyu suddenly gasped, "Could it be that he thinks Jiang Sui is pretty and wants to... I mean, wants to pursue her?"
"Pah, pah, pah." Xia Fan glared at Jiang Deyu. "You jinx, don't say such scary things."
Ji Jingyu watched the two of them make a slightly comical gesture, and unconsciously rubbed her index finger and thumb together, as if the cool, smooth, and warm touch still lingered on them.
Is Chi An trying to pursue Jiang Sui?
He suddenly clenched his fist, and the veins on his pale arm bulged, revealing his less-than-pleasant mood.
Jiang Deyu still felt something was amiss. Jiang Sui had been with them the whole time and had no time to provoke Chi An. The only person she had a past conflict with, Li Lin, was not on Chi An's side, and Chi An would never bother Jiang Sui because of someone like that.
Moreover, Chi An immediately said he wanted to find Jiang Sui, and Jiang Sui actually agreed. In his mind, Jiang Sui didn't seem like the type to compromise unless she was truly willing.
So, is it possible that they knew each other before?
After all, both of them were transferred to Xunning from other places.
If he remembered correctly, Chi An transferred from Licheng.
The more Jiang Deyu thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He turned to Xia Fan and asked, "You and Jiang Sui are so close, has she ever mentioned to you where she lived before?"
“Even if Sui Sui and I are close, we’ve only known each other for a few days, and we haven’t even had a chance to talk about this yet,” Xia Fan muttered. “Besides, Sui Sui is obviously closer to Brother Ji, and they even live across the hall from each other.”
The tacit understanding they developed from growing up together was perfectly demonstrated at this moment.
Xia Fan and Jiang Deyu turned to look at Ji Jingyu almost simultaneously. "Brother Ji, do you know?"
Ji Jingyu: "..."
—
"Speak, what do you want from me?"
Chi An pursed his lips, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
He didn't seem to have figured out how to start the conversation yet.
Jiang Sui had known Chi An for many years, but this was the first time she had ever seen him with such an expression.
After observing her friend's predicament for a while, she slowly asked, "Because of Li Wu?"
Although her tone seemed questioning, Jiang Sui already had the answer in her heart.
How did you know?
“I also know that what you said about ‘there’s something I haven’t done’ is related to Li Wu.”
Chi An did not refute.
Because Jiang Sui guessed correctly.
“I hope that when you see Li Wu outside in the future, you can help her and prevent those people from bullying her.” As if thinking of something, Chi An curled his lips. “She is very well-behaved and quiet, and won’t cause you too much trouble.”
"Like today?"
"Um."
"You seem to want to avoid any connection between Li Wu and you."
Chi An's protection of Li Wu has always been very subtle.
Just like what happened in the cafeteria, most people would think that Chi An lost his temper because Li Lin disturbed him, and wouldn't think any deeper.
Chi An turned his head away from Jiang Sui's gaze and stubbornly said, "We didn't have any relationship to begin with."
"Oh," Jiang Sui replied meaningfully.
“Your classmates are quite good.” Chi An abruptly changed the subject. “When you stand with me, they are all very worried about you.”
"They are not my classmates, they are my friends."
"You've made new friends so quickly? I thought you'd be more cautious about making friends, like someone who's been bitten once and is afraid of everything."
Jiang Sui's face darkened. "Don't compare my friend to those two scoundrels, Qin Beibei and Yu Chen."
Ji Jingyu and the others had no idea of her true identity. They were kind to her simply because of her as a person, and not because they had any ulterior motives.
Jiang Sui cherishes her friendship with them.
Chi An clicked his tongue impatiently. "Ji Jingyu seems to be staring at me the whole time, and his gaze is very unfriendly."
Ji Jingyu's face was cold and stern, his dark eyes filled with icy intent. His gaze toward Chi An was scrutinizing and even somewhat hostile.
Chi An narrowed his dark eyes, unsure whether the look stemmed from protectiveness towards his friend, or...
If it's the latter, then Jiang Sui can't be considered to have only put in the effort.
"Really?" Jiang Sui subconsciously turned to look, but Chi An stopped her with his hand.
As expected, the other person's eyes narrowed slightly, and then a hint of indescribable gloom and coldness appeared on their handsome face.
Chi An found it amusing. Who exactly spread the rumor that Ji Jingyu was a cold-faced handsome guy?
His facial expressions are quite rich.
However, Chi An did not intend to tell Jiang Sui his guess. What if he misunderstood? Wouldn't that embarrass Jiang Sui?
"I'm leaving now."
Having said what needed to be said, Chi An turned and left decisively.
He casually waved his forearm a few times in the air as a farewell.
—
Jiang Sui slowly walked back to Ji Jingyu's side, and when she looked up, she met two faces that seemed to want to say something but couldn't.
Jiang Deyu, in particular, watched as Jiang Sui seemed about to speak several times, but hesitated to ask.
"Ask away."
Jiang Sui felt suffocated just looking at him.
"ah?"
Ask anything you want.
After hesitating for a long time, Jiang Deyu finally asked, "You know Chi An?"
"I don't know him."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Deyu opened his mouth wide in disbelief. "Then why did he come to find you? He wouldn't really be pursuing you, would he? Jiang Sui, let me tell you, you really need to be careful about this."
Jiang Sui was sometimes really curious about Jiang Deyu's thought process. She looked at Jiang Deyu and said, "Let me tell you a secret."
The last syllable rose slightly, hiding a hint of mischief.
"What?"
Seeing Jiang Sui's expression, Jiang Deyu became inexplicably nervous.
"I was just lying to you."
"Wh-what?"
“I know Chi An. Didn’t you say before that Chi An committed a crime in his hometown and couldn’t make a living there, so he came to Xunning?”
Jiang Deyu quickly clarified, "It wasn't me who said it, I heard it from someone else."
"He did come to Xunning because he couldn't make a living in his hometown, but your information is incomplete. He didn't commit this crime alone; he had an accomplice."
Hearing this, Jiang Deyu's eyes widened even more, and his unease grew. "Who...who is that accomplice?"
"Me? Otherwise, why do you think I transferred schools?"
Jiang Deyu was completely dumbfounded. He felt dizzy and stared at Jiang Sui for a long time without uttering a single word.
"Do you even have a brain?" Seeing that Jiang Deyu seemed to genuinely believe Jiang Sui's casual fabrication, Ji Jingyu said coldly, "If she really was Chi An's accomplice, how could she have only transferred here this semester?"
“Exactly,” Xia Fan chimed in. “How could Sui Sui be that kind of person? Jiang Deyu, you’re too gullible.”
"Jiang Sui, you lied to me!" Jiang Deyu tried to suppress his anger and raised his voice. His voice, amplified by the empty corridor, sounded aggrieved and annoyed.
"Sorry, just kidding."
Jiang Sui recounted in detail how she and Chi An were friends.
Xia Fan: "So you and Chi An are childhood sweethearts?"
Jiang Sui: "More or less, but we don't usually contact each other much. We only contact each other when we need something."
Xia Fan: "So you transferred to Xunning because of him?"
Jiang Sui glanced at Ji Jingyu subconsciously, but the other party still had that cold expression.
"Of course not. If you hadn't mentioned his name earlier, I wouldn't have known he came to Xunning. It's purely a coincidence."
Jiang Deyu was still somewhat dazed. "So all those rumors about Chi An were false?"
"It's all fake. He didn't do anything wrong, and he wouldn't bully people randomly."
Jiang Sui never expected that she would have to refute Chi An's rumors one day. She should have known better than to let him leave earlier, since it would be more convincing if the person himself spoke out.
"And I've already spoken to Chi An, asking him to appear in front of you as little as possible in the future, so as not to frighten you."
Boys can't stand hearing this kind of talk.
Jiang Deyu almost jumped up on the spot, "Who's scared?"
Jiang Sui looked him up and down. "But I feel like you wouldn't even be able to take a punch from him."
"Jiang Sui, I'm really going to get angry if you say that. If I don't show you my muscles, you won't know how strong I am!"
Ji Jingyu grabbed his hand as he tried to lift his clothes, giving him a warning glance.
Then, when he turned around, he saw Jiang Sui's gaze fixed on his abdomen, her face full of curiosity.
"Brother Ji, do you have abs?"
He guessed that Jiang Sui would ask this question.
Ji Jingyu: "..."
Ji Jingyu: "Yes."
Jiang Sui nodded in satisfaction: "It's good."
Author's note: Xiao Ji: I'll let you touch me next time.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-05-26 23:14:01 and 2024-05-29 00:00:38!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: I'm a senior in high school (1 student).
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Watermelon Seeds and 1 bottle of unknown amount;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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