Chapter 24
The two were standing very close together.
Guan Nan tilted his head, and it seemed as if you could count the number of his eyelashes, which were long and curled.
A smooth bridge of the nose and a straight nose.
The sharp, three-dimensional contours exude an aggressive quality.
His street style and aloof demeanor give the initial impression that "this person doesn't seem like a good person and is definitely difficult to deal with."
Jiang Li swung the hook twice but missed. When he inserted the coin again, he noticed a gaze directed at him.
He turned his head, raised an eyebrow, and said lazily, "Disappointed?"
Guan Nan looked away and wrinkled her nose. "No."
After listening, Jiang Li chuckled, as if he didn't believe her.
Guan Nan: "......"
She really didn't think that way.
She just stared at him absentmindedly.
His claw-swinging technique was superb. Guan Nan just watched as he held the pole, casually shook it a few times, and then the three claws covered the transparent line.
Guan Nan, who was still waiting for the claws to fall, suddenly heard him say that.
"Shoot." Jiang Li turned his body slightly to the side, placing one hand on the pole, his posture relaxed and at ease.
Guan Nan was stunned for a moment, puzzled as to when he knew she had brought a camera, but she still obediently took out the camera and pointed the lens at that cynical face.
With a click, the built-in flash of the D camera went off.
"......"
"......"
The two remained silent.
Seeing that he didn't move, Guan Nan cautiously asked, "Should we... reshoot?"
At a distance that wasn't far to begin with, Jiang Li took another step closer, a smirk playing on his lips. His dark eyes were fixed on her face, and when he glanced down at the red on the tip of her ear, his carefree smile deepened.
Guan Nan couldn't take it anymore. She took a half step back and resisted the urge to touch her ear.
Unexpectedly, he took her hand and pressed the button for the photo album.
“That’s fine,” Jiang Li said, still smiling. “Keep it.”
Guan Nan held her breath, afraid to breathe too hard, and mumbled, "Mmm."
Too close.
They were standing too close together.
As she looked through the photo album, she could even feel strands of hair brushing against her forehead, almost touching forehead to forehead. Guan Nan hastily shut down her phone, using the movement to create some distance between them.
She tried to appear calm and touched her ponytail.
Seeing her distress, Jiang Li didn't wait for her any longer and pressed the button in the last few seconds.
It was only then that Guan Nan realized that this "pat" was not the same as the other "pat".
Clang! The lop-eared rabbit landed.
Guan Nan, holding the lop-eared rabbit, followed Jiang Li, watching as their group, scattered and each carrying a pile of dolls, walked to the large claw machine where Xie Shuwan was standing.
"Forget it, don't waste time, this machine is already set up." One of the girls tugged at her.
Xie Shuwan shook off her hand: "Don't move."
"The system is cheating, there's no way you could have cut it out." Yu Shu couldn't stand it anymore and advised her not to catch it, "Next time, let Lin Rui catch it for you."
A rope was suspended above the machine, and the pink panther was tied to the rope. The scissors had to cut the rope short for the pink panther to fall down. Guan Nan stared at the small-mouthed scissors, which weren't very sharp; the thread had been sharpened entirely.
But Xie Shuwan had no intention of giving up.
Yu Shu took out his phone and made a call: "Rui Rui, come out for dinner."
"We can't get out." He had the phone on speakerphone, so everyone could hear Lin Rui's words, and there was also laughter and chatter in the background.
As if she had heard something, Guan Nan frowned slightly.
"Your future..." Under Xie Shuwan's glare, Yu Shu swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue and honestly said, "Xie Shuwan has a doll here that she can't cut out. She's so stubborn that she won't leave until it's cut out."
"What doll? Take a picture and send it to me, I'll get it cut tomorrow." With the sound of a door closing, the background noise on Lin Rui's end completely stopped. "I can't leave here, we have guests."
"What kind of guest is this, with such an air of importance?"
“My third uncle’s second son’s ex-wife brought her husband and daughter to my house. Last time, their daughter had to ask my grandfather for help to transfer schools, and now they’re taking advantage of the holiday to build connections.”
"..." Yu Shu was speechless, only managing to utter, "Your family situation is quite complicated."
Lin Rui didn't say much: "Take a picture and send it to me."
After the call ended, everyone urged Xie Shuwan to leave and stop lingering there.
Hsieh Shu-wan was a little disappointed that she didn't manage to cut out the pink panther.
"Can I try?" Guan Nan asked softly, tugging at Jiang Li, a little reluctant.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li tilted his head, lowered his eyes, and stared at her with narrow, dark pupils, slowly saying, "Then let's give it a try."
With his permission, Guan Nan pinched a few coins and dropped them into the machine. Recalling how Jiang Li had just cast the hook, she imitated him, gripped the rod, spun it around a few times, and then forcefully slapped it to the left, aiming at the pink panther's line.
No response.
Guan Nan stared at the rope, beginning to consider the chances of aligning it correctly and breaking it.
Guan Nan grabbed it again and found that the scissors would be aimed at the line, but would deviate when she came forward the next second.
After calculating the deviation angle, she cut the thread twice more, but it still didn't break.
“Forget it, class monitor,” Yu said. “It’s a tangled mess.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li glanced at Yu Shu, signaling him to be quiet and let her continue cutting.
Xie Shuwan lost hope and said dejectedly, "Forget it, I don't want it anymore."
"Okay," Guan Nan agreed verbally, but her eyes never left the claw machine.
Xie Shuwan: "..."
Turning around again, I saw Jiang Li with one hand in his pocket, a nonchalant smile on his face, and a lazy and casual demeanor.
They didn't find anything wrong with Guan Nan's handling of the situation.
In another round, Guan Nan closed his eyes and slowly pressed his palm onto the beater.
—Click
The pink panther is gone.
"Ah!!!" Xie Shuwan opened her arms and hugged Guan Nan tightly, jumping up and down excitedly, "I love you so much!!! Waaah, thank goodness for you, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to catch the Pink Panther!!!"
Moved by her emotions, Guan Nan smiled and patted her hand.
The girl complimented her: "You're so amazing!"
“Of course,” Yu Shu said proudly, as if praising himself, “He’s a top student, how can he be compared to you scumbags?”
"Damn, you're so despicable! You praise one person and then put down the other!"
His words drew a barrage of criticism, with several people slapping him on the back, making him grimace and beg for mercy.
After the commotion, the group walked towards the exit, chatting and laughing, when they happened to run into Chen Aimei and her friends.
Chen Aimei wasn't surprised to see them, as she had found them through her WeChat Moments. However, her smile froze for a moment when she saw Guan Nan among them. She quickly recovered and greeted them warmly, "Hi, you're here too!"
The atmosphere and attitude at the scene were quite subtle.
No one spoke. Yu Shu scratched his head, maintaining his composure, and said, "Yes, did you just arrive?"
“Yes,” Chen Aimei said with a smile, “Are you going back?”
"We're about to go eat, would you like to join us?" Yu Shu asked politely.
"Okay." After agreeing, Chen Aimei glanced at them again, as if just realizing something, and asked, "Is it convenient?"
Yu Shu looked a little embarrassed, as if he hadn't expected her to actually agree, and could only laugh it off, saying, "We're classmates, there's nothing inconvenient about it."
Guan Nan glanced around and saw that their expressions were all different. Xie Shuwan, who was usually cheerful, was taking pictures of the pink panther as if no one else was around, and had no desire to pay attention to anyone at all.
Whether a relationship is good or bad can be discerned at a glance when leaving. As perceptive as Guan Nan is, she naturally sensed the closeness or distance between people.
She was about to join Chen Aimei when Xie Shuwan, who was holding a pink panther, grabbed her arm.
Xie Shuwan asked, "Nannan, is there anything you'd like to eat?"
“Anything is fine, I’m not picky about food.” Guan Nan shook her head and followed her, then subconsciously looked back again.
"There will be a lot of different things to eat later. See if there's anything you want to eat. If not, just tell me and I'll buy it for you!" Xie Shuwan said generously, then turned to the girl with her and said, "Tang Xin, I want fried chicken!"
Tang Xin didn't even turn her head. "I've ordered."
"Ke," Jiang Li called to the student who ordered, casually instructing, "Add a strawberry custard, not too sweet."
Zhang Ke: "Okay, boss."
It was a holiday today, and the subway was packed with passengers. Guan Nan and Xie Shuwan squeezed in, and the doors beeped. When they looked out, there were still people who hadn't gotten on.
When Guan Nan looked up again, she saw Jiang Li standing behind her, raising an eyebrow at her.
She heard Xie Shuwan, who was looking down at her phone, say, "Don't play with her."
Without a second thought, Guan Nan instantly understood who she was referring to, and asked hesitantly, "Why? You guys...?"
Aren't you classmates?
Why does it seem like no one really likes her?
"Do you believe me?" Xie Shuwan didn't know how to explain it to her, so she tried a different approach.
Guan Nan nodded.
"Then don't play with her anymore."
Guan Nan was about to say something when she heard her ask Jiang Li, "Which exit?"
“E.” Jiang Li finished speaking, and subtly pulled the person closer to him, separating him from the crowded people.
Mid-Autumn Festival Special Task Force (8)
See you at the next intersection: [???]
See you at the next intersection: [What the hell are you doing?!]
How delightful: [picking nose.jpg]
Goodnight: [@What are you looking at? Jialing Park Exit E]
What are you looking at?: [?]
Thirsty? Drink Coke: [Jia Mei]
What are you looking at?: [Are you sick?]
After reading the message, Xie Shuwan turned to Jiang Li and asked, "Can you add Nannan to the group chat?"
"No, I won't." Jiang Li said calmly.
"..." Xie Shuwan lowered her head and sent a message in the group, "@See you at the next intersection, please add Nannan in."
The next second, Lin Rui sent a private message.
Lin Rui: [Your Nannan doesn't have WeChat]
Lin Rui: [Be careful what you say later.]
After reading it, Xie Shuwan casually replied with an emoji and didn't bring it up again.
After a few stops, the carriage became a bit less crowded. Xie Shuwan greeted them and went to the next carriage to find Tang Xin and the others, telling them not to talk nonsense.
Guan Nan hesitated for a moment, then nodded at Jiang Li, "Should we... go for it?"
"No need." Jiang Li lowered his head, and the word landed on her head. "Ignore them."
"Oh." Guan Nan frowned.
After crossing almost a district, the subway announcement said, "Jialing Park Station has arrived." Just as Guan Nan was waiting for the doors to open, she heard him say:
"Play whenever you want, and call me if you need anything."
Guan Nan felt that they were all acting strangely today, but she obediently hummed in agreement.
After exiting the subway, the group spread a cloth on a grassy area in Jialing Park and arranged pizzas, fried chicken, kebabs, desserts, and drinks. They also disassembled two dice cups.
They ate happily and played wildly.
Xin Jia, who arrived late, walked up behind Xie Shuwan and nudged her head: "All you did was give me a location, not even a greeting. I'm going to find you all gone by the time I get there."
Tang Xin: "You chose to leave, so who can you blame?"
“Don’t tell me,” Xin Jia glanced at Tang Xin, “you’re no better than anyone else.”
"......"
"......"
“Class monitor,” Xin Jia patted Guan Nan on the shoulder, “let’s switch seats, I’ll sit here.”
Xie Shuwan refused: "I don't want to sit with you."
The standoff lasted for a moment.
As Guan Nan listened and waited for the results from the two of them, she stood half-standing and half-squatting, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Yu said, "Why don't you two siblings have a fight?"
"Don't talk nonsense," Xie Shuwan pushed Guan Nan towards Jiang Li, "Sit down, sit down."
Amidst the shoving, Guan Nan settled into a corner seat, next to Xie Shuwan on her left, Jiang Li on her right, and Yu Shutang, Xin Li, and Ke Li next to her.
Just as Guan Nan received the strawberry card, her gaze met Chen Aimei on the right side of the opposite side.
"Guan Nan."
Guan Nan looked at her and said, "Mm."
"Can I switch seats with you?" Chen Aimei didn't hide anything this time and said with a smile, "I'd like to eat the fruit in front of you."
"No!" Xie Shuwan's expression was not good. "I want to sit with Nannan!"
Seeing this, Tang Xin quickly smoothed things over: "Which one do you want? I'll get it for you."
"I'll sit over there; it'll be more convenient and won't keep you from having fun."
Xin Jia wasn't as easy to talk to as they were. She glanced at her impatiently and said in a sarcastic tone, "Why make such a fuss? Just switch the fruit, that's all. You really think you're something special."
At this moment, Chen Aimei didn't say anything, but her eyes held a hint of resentment as she looked at Guan Nan.
Guan Nan was currently chewing on the fried chicken that Xie Shuwan had given her.
"Thank you." Guan Nan ate the food and immediately thanked Xie Shuwan.
I don't know if it was because Xie's seat wasn't changed, or because Xie Shuwan gave her that piece of sweet and salty fried chicken.
As for Xie Shuwan, she leans more towards the former.
She shook the dice, typed a message on her phone, and handed it to Guan Nan.
"You're welcome. I just can't stand her."
As the time approached 9:32 PM, no one seemed inclined to leave. Guan Nan glanced at the time and instinctively looked at Jiang Li.
Jiang Li wasn't playing the game at the moment; he was idly scrolling through his phone with his head down.
"Guan Nan, do you need to go to the restroom?" Chen Aimei poured two glasses of wine and looked straight at him.
Guan Nan ignored Chen Aimei all night, and when she heard this, she subconsciously agreed: "Okay."
The walkway had streetlights, but they weren't very bright in the park. The two walked along the gloomy path toward the restroom next to the vending machine.
In the darkness, Chen Aimei asked in a harsh tone, "Didn't you say you weren't familiar with Jiang Li?"
“I…” Guan Nan didn’t know how to answer, “I met him on the road.”
"Met him? So you came just because he told you to?" Chen Aimei pressed aggressively. "Aren't you very poor, unable to even afford food? You know he's rich, so you just follow him around like a madman? Did your mother ever teach girls to respect and love themselves?"
Guan Nan pursed her lips, not arguing with her, her temperament as gentle as ever. "You're drunk, go wash your face in a bit."
"Guan Nan, why do you always pretend to be pitiful?"
Do you know how disgusting your face is?
Guan Nan clenched his fists, calmed his breathing, and continued to comfort her: "Chen Aimei, you're drunk."
Chen Aimei shook off her hand, her expression a mixture of disgust and sarcasm: "Someone like you has to beg Jiang Li for a poverty grant. Have you no shame?"
"Jiang Li, she has a girlfriend, did you know?"
"I'm warning you one last time, he has a girlfriend, stop bothering him!"
Chen Aimei smoothed out the wrinkles she had pulled out, then patted her face, her usual gentle and sweet demeanor completely gone: "Do you know?"
Guan Nan stared intently at her, as if trying to see her face clearly.
This was the first friend she had made since junior high and high school, her first truly good friend. She never imagined that she would be so unworthy in the other person's eyes.
She tried hard to see Chen Aimei clearly, but the sweet face in front of her seemed like one she had never met before.
Guan Nan felt a lump in her throat and her eyes well up with tears.
She dared not speak, tears welling up as if they were about to spill over at any moment.
Accompanying Chen Aimei to the toilet was an exceptionally difficult walk; each step felt like bidding farewell to one of the few friendships she had formed over the past decade.
Guan Nan kept her head down and remained silent until she stood at the entrance of the public restroom.
Before the simple handwashing station set up at the entrance, she turned on the tap, splashed two handfuls of cold water on her face, and forced herself to calm down.
Suddenly, that sentence came to mind.
Some people are only suited to playing alone.
Yes, she's only good at playing alone, playing by herself.
Yes, that's how we've gotten by all these years, hasn't it?
Back at her seat, it was too late, and Guan Nan couldn't stay any longer; there was no need for her to stay any longer.
She greeted Jiang Li and Xie Shuwan in a low voice, as if she were doing something sneaky: "I'm leaving now, have fun."
"Let Jiang Li take you home. It's so late, it's not safe for a girl to be alone." Xie Shuwan didn't ask Guan Nan for her consent and turned to Jiang Li, saying, "Jiang Li, you take Nan Nan home, you don't play around anyway."
Jiang Li paused in putting away his phone, still maintaining his nonchalant demeanor, and said, "Hmm."
Tang Xin laughed at her, "You really worry about everything."
"We'll see you off later too," Xie Shuwan said to her with a smile.
The two walked towards the subway station, one in front of the other, keeping a distance between them. Guan Nan kept her head down, clutching her bag, the thermos inside rattling with the keys, and holding a lop-eared rabbit in one arm.
The lop-eared rabbit had a droopy expression, which was remarkably similar to hers.
Jiang Li looked her and the dog up and down, the corners of his mouth curving into a deeper smile. He couldn't help but tug at her ponytail: "You and your brother look quite alike."
What brother?
Guan Nan's mind was still a little sluggish.
Meeting her gaze, Jiang Li raised his chin to indicate that "brother" referred to the rabbit in her arms.
"..." Guan Nan paused, glancing silently at the rabbit face. Was that the expression she was making now?
Then, Guan Nan forced a smile, trying to salvage the situation.
Then I heard him say, "It looks even more like it now."
How are they similar?
Does she look that unlucky?
Guan Nan stared at the rabbit, feeling that Jiang Li was not only unreasonable, but also incomprehensible!
Two minutes later, Jiang Li suddenly stopped and called her name: "Guan Nan".
This time, he didn't lower his head; Guan Nan looked up at Jiang Li.
The gaze fell on the boy's slender arms, slid over his collarbone, and then up to his slightly protruding Adam's apple and clean, sharp jawline.
She subconsciously pursed her lips.
Jiang Li kept his gaze fixed ahead, and said in a calm tone, "You definitely don't know."
"······"
“You’re clearly unhappy right now.” After saying that to her, Jiang Li took out the sunglasses hanging in his pocket and gently brushed his hair away from her face.
Unhappy?
Hanging on one's face?
Guan Nan blinked, finding it hard to believe that such a word would be applied to her.
You weren't like this before.
Upon hearing this, Guan Nan felt a strange sense of unease, a feeling completely different from the bitterness she had felt earlier.
She was afraid that her unintentionally revealed emotions would make Jiang Li dislike her.
“You’re quite something—” Jiang Li paused here.
That's pretentious.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
