Chapter 60 I Only Treat You as a Little Sister
"Ji Jingyu, do you want to start a relationship with me?"
Fallen leaves swirled in the wind, carrying the aroma of food, and faint sounds of noise could be heard in the distance.
It was such a random location, but Jiang Sui still said it.
She was neither conflicted nor hesitant.
Rather than a confession, this was perhaps more like a casual chat that started on a whim.
Jiang Sui looked at Ji Jingyu, and even though she hadn't received a reply yet, a happy smile had already appeared on her lips.
She hadn't expected Ji Jingyu to refuse.
How could Ji Jingyu possibly refuse her?
He treated her so differently; everyone could sense his favoritism towards her.
"Brother Ji is biased towards Jiang Sui."
This has almost become Jiang Deyu's catchphrase.
Jiang Deyu is not stupid.
Jiang Sui isn't stupid.
Jiang Sui felt that she had received enough hints from Ji Jingyu.
Besides, there's no rule that says the guy has to confess first in these kinds of situations.
So, Jiang Sui said it.
On such an ordinary evening.
The thought of being able to legitimately touch the small mole on Ji Jingyu's left hand made her heart skip a beat.
But……
Ji Jingyu's silence lasted far too long.
The smile on Jiang Sui's face gradually faded.
The sky grew increasingly dark, and the distant noise subsided, leaving only the occasional sound of a ship's horn; all was quiet.
But a sudden roaring sound filled Ji Jingyu's ears, and he subconsciously took a step back, afraid that Jiang Sui would hear his restless heartbeat.
After a few seconds of silence, he asked Jiang Sui, "Are you really sure you like me?"
"certainly."
Jiang Sui looked at him with an incredulous expression.
She couldn't understand why Ji Jingyu would ask such a question. If she didn't like him, why would she confess to him?
Does he think she's the kind of person who would joke about something like this?
The chill of the autumn night slowly enveloped Jiang Sui, her disordered heartbeat subsided, and her crimson lips pressed into a thin line.
After another long, unbearable silence, Ji Jingyu sighed softly and gently.
He said, "No."
The two short, light words sounded to Jiang Sui like a boulder falling into a calm lake. She instinctively asked, "Why not?"
"because……"
A series of footsteps approaching from afar, accompanied by rapid breathing, interrupted Ji Jingyu's words.
"Damn it, what are you two doing standing here? Starving?" Jiang Deyu's booming voice was incredibly penetrating. "Evening self-study is about to start, let's go!"
Jiang Sui: "..."
You idiot.
Two idiots.
She walked angrily toward the school gate.
Behind me, I could hear Jiang Deyu talking incessantly.
"I'm the one who's really loyal, right? I was the first to notice you two were behind, while the others didn't even realize it. That guy Tong Xia even tried to stop me from coming back to find you, but how could I possibly abandon you? I already promised Brother Hao..."
Ji Jingyu reached out and pinched the bridge of her nose, her tone cold and stern, "Be quiet, you're giving me a headache."
"Headache?" Jiang Deyu asked with concern. "Could it be from the northwest wind?"
Ji Jingyu took a deep breath. "Shut up."
—
Not long after evening self-study began, Qin Lin walked into the classroom.
He still had half a test paper left to go over during the daytime math class.
Halfway through the lecture, Qin Lin was called away by other teachers.
"Ji Jingyu, come up here and explain this problem to the students."
As he spoke, his stern gaze swept over the students below the podium, "This question is difficult, so listen up. If you don't understand, ask a few more times."
Under the bright lights, Ji Jingyu's eyebrows and eyes were clear and deep, his facial features were neat and clean, and his figure was outstanding and upright.
He doesn't need to do anything; just standing there is enough to capture everyone's attention.
Long, slender, pale fingers gripped a piece of chalk, and a cool, deep voice echoed in the classroom, "This question..."
Everyone immediately sat up straight, regardless of whether they could understand or not, at least their attitude was very proper.
The girl sitting in the middle whispered to her deskmate, "Hey, have you noticed? Brother Ji is explaining problems more and more carefully these days."
"What's the meaning?"
"How should I put it? It felt like he really put himself in the shoes of a student who knew nothing, explaining every step in such detail."
His deskmate thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded emphatically, "That's true."
This wasn't the first time Ji Jingyu had been called up by Qin Lin to explain a problem.
Qin Lin joked more than once, "You guys didn't want to listen to this old man's lectures, so I found you a handsome guy. If anyone doesn't listen properly, I'll definitely drag him out."
Ji Jingyu could do all those questions, so his thinking was always very jumpy and his process was concise and simple. Apart from Tong Xia and Yu Xiaocheng, who were quick-witted and could keep up with him, many students actually had a hard time listening to him.
Ji Jingyu's gaze swept over her pretty classmate sitting in the back corner.
His deskmate had his head down, his porcelain-white cheeks puffed up with anger.
Unlike before, she looked at him with sparkling eyes, as if she couldn't bear to look away for even a moment.
She didn't listen to his explanation at all.
In Ji Jingyu's memory, this was the first time Jiang Sui had ever shown him such disrespect.
He knew perfectly well that he had really angered Jiang Sui this time.
So this is what it feels like to be ignored by Jiang Sui.
A sudden, inexplicable pang of heartache shot through Ji Jingyu's heart, causing a subtle pain.
He dared not slack off in the slightest, as if if he relaxed even a little, all the emotions hidden deep in his heart and that could not be seen would be poured out.
"Did you understand?" he asked his classmate in a cold voice.
The hand hanging by the side, which was blocked by the podium, suddenly clenched, and the fingertips inevitably pierced the palm, bringing a slight but hard-to-ignore stinging sensation.
Because he always had a cold expression, no one noticed his unusual behavior at this moment.
Jiang Deyu bit his pen, scratched his head vigorously, and stared intently at the wrong questions on the test paper, intending to try to figure it out on his own for a while.
Three seconds later, he gave up resisting and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother Ji, I didn't understand."
"You all understand, right? Okay." Ji Jingyu's cold voice was completely calm. He tidied up his test paper and returned to his seat decisively.
Students from Class Two: "..."
Did everyone have auditory hallucinations?
Jiang Deyu watched Ji Jingyu return to his seat with an incredulous expression on his face. He poked Tong Xia's arm with his pen and asked, "Did you hear what I just said?"
"Um."
"Why is Brother Ji ignoring me?"
Tong Xia looked at him with affection, and instead of answering, asked, "Why do you think that is?"
The young couple rarely have time alone, and he insists on being a third wheel, so stubborn that you can't stop him.
If he were Ji Jingyu, he wouldn't give Jiang Deyu a friendly look either.
Tong Xia secretly cursed.
[Why won't it work?!]
A note was pushed in front of Ji Jingyu, and the six exclamation marks perfectly expressed Jiang Sui's emotions at that moment.
Jiang Sui was still angry, and at her angrier, she even thought that she would never speak to Ji Jingyu again in her life.
Even at an age when she could easily say "a lifetime," Jiang Sui was still unwilling to sentence her relationship with Ji Jingyu to death.
She was just passing notes; that didn't count as talking to him.
I only ever thought of you as a younger sister.
Jiang Sui has always admired Ji Jingyu's calligraphy; it flows smoothly and powerfully.
But at this moment, Jiang Sui felt so disgusted that she didn't want to look at it a second time.
Screw being a sister!
Who wants to be his sister?!
She crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it at Ji Jingyu.
Ji Jingyu took it with a calm expression, her long, slender, pale fingers slowly smoothing out each fold, folding it into a neat little square as usual, and putting it into the small pocket inside her backpack.
Jiang Sui: "..."
She suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness, like "punching cotton."
You can't even get into an argument with someone like Ji Jingyu.
—
As soon as the bus doors opened, Jiang Deyu rushed out.
It was probably because he hadn't had a proper meal outside for a long time that his stomach was having some digestive issues, which is why he was rushing home to use the restroom.
Jiang Sui felt that Jiang Deyu was more pragmatic than Ji Jingyu.
"See you tomorrow, Sui Sui."
"Um."
As soon as Jiang Sui parted ways with Xia Fan, the smile vanished from her face.
"Jiang Sui," Ji Jingyu called out to her.
"What?" Jiang Sui replied irritably.
"I want to use a voucher."
"What do you mean by exchanging it now? Are you worried I'll renege on the debt?"
Jiang Sui was both angry and aggrieved, and blurted out, "Don't worry, even if we really never see each other again, as long as you ask, I will definitely fulfill all your requests."
Ji Jingyu seemed to have used up all her quota at once.
A thick stack of vouchers lay on his pale, cold palm.
"I hope Jiang Sui doesn't like me."
Jiang Sui: "..."
I have absolutely no desire to read any further.
"I hope Jiang Sui will always be happy."
"I hope Jiang Sui will always be happy."
"I hope Jiang Sui will always be happy."
...
Each subsequent card contained the same message.
Ji Jingyu used up all his vouchers and made only two wishes, trying to make up for the former with the latter.
"Ji Jingyu, what do you mean by this?"
It was as if an airtight net had trapped Jiang Sui, making it hard for her to breathe.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she questioned him with reddened eyes: "You don't like me, but you want me to be happy. Do you really think of yourself as my brother? Too bad, my parents only had one child!"
Ji Jingyu moved his lips, his deep pupils churning with emotions that Jiang Sui couldn't understand.
Jiang Sui gave him a cold look, then turned and left.
Today, everything is destined to work against Jiang Sui.
She had only walked a few steps when she stepped on a bouncy ball that children had left on the path during the day.
The bouncy ball rolled away irresponsibly again, but Jiang Sui was not so lucky.
Ji Jingyu watched helplessly as she fell down in front of him.
He rushed to Jiang Sui almost immediately, his throat tightening, "Are you alright?"
Ji Jingyu's complexion didn't look much better than Jiang Sui's. He wanted to reach out and help Jiang Sui up, but he was afraid that he might hurt her without knowing how to use his strength.
It's rare to see someone so flustered.
Jiang Sui stood up, supporting herself with his hand. She took a small step and felt a sharp pain coming from her ankle.
"Your feet hurt?"
Ji Jingyu immediately realized what was happening and made Jiang Sui sit on the flower bed next to her, preventing her from exerting any more force.
Normally, Jiang Sui would have already started to act cute and affectionate with him.
"It's okay, I'll be fine after sitting for a while."
"Let's go to the hospital."
“I’m not going.” Jiang Sui’s attitude was firm. “It’s none of your business. You go back first. I’ll sit here for a while and wait for my mother to come back.”
It was just a slight twist, which can be treated at home. It's not serious enough to require a trip to the hospital.
In late October, Xun Ning experiences a drastic temperature difference between day and night, and a school uniform jacket is not enough to ward off the chill of the night.
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Sui couldn't help but sneeze.
Her eyes were red from the corners of her eyes to the tip of her pert, fair nose, and her school trousers were stained. The little princess looked disheveled and pitiful.
"Are you really not going to the hospital?"
"I'm not going!"
A sigh came from Ji Jingyu on the wind.
The next second, he squatted down with his back to Jiang Sui.
Jiang Sui stared blankly at Ji Jingyu's broad back, her mind seemingly frozen, unsure of what to do.
Ji Jingyu urged her gently, "Come up."
Jiang Sui: "..."
"It's okay to be angry, but don't play around with your health." He patiently coaxed her, "It's still a while before Teacher Su gets home, and you'll catch a cold if you wait like this."
After a brief standoff, Jiang Sui bent down and slowly climbed onto Ji Jingyu's back.
"Hold my arms around my neck."
"Don't order me around."
Ji Jingyu readily agreed, "Okay, then I'll beg you."
Jiang Sui blinked hard, intending to give him another chance, "You really don't want to date me?"
"……Um."
Jiang Sui fell silent.
Ji Jingyu carried Jiang Sui into the apartment building.
The building has no elevator, which means he has to carry Jiang Sui up five flights of stairs.
With two backpacks hanging from her wrists and someone on her back, Ji Jingyu's steps were very steady, and she didn't bump into Jiang Sui at all.
The two ran into Grandma Ji, who had just come down from the top floor, at their doorstep.
Grandma Ji has planted some vegetables on the rooftop, and she is holding a bunch of fresh, tender green vegetables in her hand.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Jiang Sui clinging to Ji Jingyu's back, Grandma Ji anxiously looked her up and down. "Is Sui Sui feeling unwell?"
Jiang Sui wanted to complain, but didn't know where to begin.
I can't just tell the truth.
She felt ashamed.
"It's just a sprained ankle, nothing serious." Jiang Sui smiled at Grandma Ji, and before she could say anything more, she reached out and patted Ji Jingyu's shoulder. "Put me down quickly."
Ji Jingyu did not put Jiang Sui down immediately, but took a few more steps forward and stopped at the door of Jiang Sui's house.
"Sui Sui, let's not go home yet, okay? Grandma will massage your feet with safflower oil and then cook you beef noodles."
As Jiang Sui unlocked the door, she refused, her voice trembling slightly, "Grandma Ji, I'm sorry, I'm a little tired today, so I won't be able to come."
"There's nothing to apologize for," Grandma Ji said with a loving smile. "My dear, you're tired today, so just rest well. Grandma will make you something delicious tomorrow."
"Um."
With a "bang," the door slammed shut.
Jiang Sui's figure completely disappeared behind the door.
"Did you have a fight with Sui Sui?"
Grandma Ji could not possibly be unaware of the strange atmosphere between Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu; she simply pretended not to know so as not to make the little girl even more upset.
"Sui Sui's eyes are all red, why don't you give in to her?"
Ji Jingyu remained silent for a long time, so long that Grandma Ji thought he wouldn't answer her question.
He said, "I can give in to her on everything else, but not on this one thing."
—
Ji Jingyu returned to his room and sat quietly at his desk, trying to concentrate on doing something.
For example, reading books, practicing calligraphy, or doing a set of test papers.
However, he simply couldn't concentrate.
Jiang Sui's sudden confession was like honey coated with poison to Ji Jingyu, possessing a fatal attraction.
He didn't know how much time had passed until raindrops fell on the back of his hand, and Ji Jingyu was surprised to realize that it was raining outside.
Just a few hours ago, the stars were twinkling, but now everything has changed.
The shadows of the trees swayed, and the sound of rain was continuous, making it seem especially noisy in the quiet night.
Meow~
Tadpoles emerged from the corner, hopped onto Ji Jingyu's lap with practiced ease, and nuzzled him affectionately with their fluffy little heads, as if reminding him to rest.
When Ji Jingyu came out after taking a shower, Tadpole was already lying on its back, fast asleep, by his bedside. If you got closer, you could hear its soft, gentle snoring.
Ji Jingyu tiptoed into bed, and spent the night in a jumble of chaotic and inverted dreams.
Author's Note: Yes, Xiao Ji refused.
Because Da Ajin doesn't allow early romantic relationships.
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