Chapter 76 You pinched me hard.
Buses bearing different school signs were parked at the entrance of Jiangnan University.
The teachers leading the groups from each school repeatedly reminded their students not to get on the wrong bus.
Shi Miao bought an ice cream at a nearby supermarket and took bites of it, trying to dispel the lingering heat around her.
The sweet, milky aroma lingers on the lips and teeth.
She looked at the apology and inquiry Jiang Yingxu had sent on her phone, and coldly typed a few words, saying that the cat would find its own way back and not to look for it.
I didn't even read Jiang Yingxu's subsequent messages.
Shi Miao locked her phone screen, then used her sharp teeth to grind the ice cream stick until it snapped in half and crumbled into wood chips in her mouth. She then awkwardly spat a few times and threw it into a trash can on the street.
She saw Jiang Yingxu walking towards her with his backpack in the distance. She turned around, glanced at Reid standing by the car, and got into the car.
Shi Miao confidently told the system: "I'm going to have a cold war with Jiang Yingxu for a few days!"
Let him know that a cat's belly is not something you can just touch or suck on!
He will pay the price for this!
System: [Tch.]
Shi Miao added, "I want to sit with Yuan Yuan, not with Jiang Yingxu!"
The system rolled over in my consciousness, its tone indifferent, "Oh."
With a determination to fight the Cold War, the kitten stomped around and found Zou Yuanyuan, who had just gotten on the bus and was standing in the aisle talking to Mao Yuhu.
“Yuan Yuan, we…”
When Zou Yuanyuan saw her, her almond-shaped eyes curved into a smile, and she immediately grabbed Shi Miao's hand and led her to the last row.
She asked softly, "Did you see Jiang Yingxu when you came back? Was he very surprised?"
Shi Miao couldn't help but think back for a moment.
Surprised?
uncertain.
But it should be quite surprising.
Shi Miao is a meticulous little cat; her movements, whether human or cat-like, must be separate. "I didn't go in; the grandpa downstairs wouldn't let me in."
Zou Yuanyuan let out a slightly regretful "Ah," and then asked, "Did you call him?"
Shi Miao blurred the timeline: "Sent a message."
Zou Yuanyuan then revealed a satisfied smile, put her arm around Shi Miao's shoulder to help her sit down, and casually took out a small greenish-yellow tangerine from her bag.
"After you left, a big fruit platter was served. We couldn't take the watermelon and the like, but this orange is quite sweet, so I brought one for you."
The unique scent of citrus quickly filled the small space.
Shi Miao stared at the orange that was shoved into her hand, her eyes showing a hint of fear. If she were a cat, she would have already jumped away.
It's strong and pungent.
It's practically undermining a cat's sense of smell!
The orange scent was so strong that Shi Miao was a beat slow to look up. Just as she was about to return it to Zou Yuanyuan, she saw Zou Yuanyuan turn around and smile, revealing a faint dimple on her cheek.
"Jiang Yingxu is here, so I'll be leaving now."
Zou Yuanyuan waved her hand and skipped away like a little lamb.
Shi Miao: "?"
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Yingxu, carrying a black schoolbag in one hand, lowered his head slightly and walked through the long passageway.
As he brushed past Zou Yuanyuan, she pointed at him and his calm gaze fell on Shi Miao in the last row. He gave a slight nod and his thin lips moved slightly, as if to say thank you.
Then he walked over to Shi Miao and sat down.
He had just carried a heavy bag of autumn and winter clothes on a sweltering autumn night. A thin layer of sweat glistened on the tip of his nose. When he came closer, I could feel a surge of heat mixed with the refreshing scent of lemon soap.
"..."
Zou Yuanyuan, you!
Shi Miao quietly shifted her legs to the inside, pretending to be interested in the night view outside the window. She didn't look at Jiang Yingxu, but couldn't help but ponder in her heart.
Did he take a shower after the cat left?
It has a very refreshing soapy scent.
The familiar scent belonging to Jiang Yingxu overshadowed the discomfort caused by the citrus aroma.
Shi Miao held the small orange in her hand, her wrist stiff, as if she were handling a small bomb.
I'm thinking about how to handle this.
A deep male voice sounded in my ear: "Don't you like oranges?"
Shi Miao's ears twitched, and she suppressed the urge to turn her head away.
But then I thought, it was the kitten who was giving him the cold shoulder, not Shi Miao.
She rushed back excitedly saying she wanted to see him, but once she got in the car, her personality suddenly changed, and she became cold and sarcastic. Wouldn't that arouse suspicion?
At that time, Miao could talk to Jiang Yingxu.
Shi Miao quickly set up the equation in her mind and easily convinced herself.
My last act of defiance was refusing to look at him.
Feigning indifference, she said, "Hmm, I don't like this taste."
Jiang Yingxu reached out and opened his palm beside hers. "Give it to me."
Shi Miao handed him the orange.
Jiang Yingxu bent down, put the orange into the small side pocket of his backpack, zipped it up, and then stretched out his leg to hold it down.
To completely mask the citrus scent.
Shi Miao quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Neither of them spoke again.
The driver closed the luggage compartment door on the side of the bus and boarded with Reid.
Red walked through the entire carriage, checking the number of passengers and urging passengers to fasten their seatbelts.
To the very end.
He observed Jiang Yingxu's expression and asked, "Are you still dizzy? Have you drunk more water?"
Jiang Yingxu nodded.
"I drank a bottle of water and took a shower, and I feel fine now."
Reid: "Okay, get some rest when you get home. If you feel unwell during the ride, come find me."
Before leaving, Reid glanced at Shi Miao in her seat one last time.
The girl stared intently out the window, as if there was some incredibly captivating scenery outside. Her hands, resting on her lap, were interlacing their fingers, and her head unconsciously tilted slightly to the side.
He pretended not to care but was actually eavesdropping.
Oh my, this young man.
Reid looked at her, then at Jiang Yingxu, who had lost some of his overly sharp and cold demeanor recently.
I was just about to laugh.
Suddenly remembering his identity, he instantly switched to a cold and serious expression and walked away with an air of superiority.
The bus drove smoothly on the road.
Shi Miao rested her chin on her hand, watching the streetlights outside flow by like water. The car was lit up, so she could easily see the reflection of the boy next to her through the car window.
He leaned back in his chair, his long eyelashes slightly closed, his breathing even, as if he were resting with his eyes closed.
Shi Miao thought of the classroom lights that had been on from morning till night during this period.
Other students in the competition relaxed or slacked off to some extent. Even Zou Yuanyuan and Mao Yuhu made an appointment to take a break from evening self-study and go for a walk on the pedestrian street outside Jiangda University.
The teachers didn't mind; they just told them to be careful.
After all, no one can keep themselves constantly on edge, never relaxing or making a mistake; that would inevitably lead to problems sooner or later.
Ke Jiang Yingxu Neng.
He had grown accustomed to this kind of life, and could only do his best to seize the path of competition.
Bonuses, guaranteed admission, and college entrance examination.
With no one to back you up, you have no choice but to put in a thousand times the effort.
"..."
The soft-hearted kitten couldn't resist touching the boy's face on the window with its fingertip.
I was thinking as I tapped the screen.
never mind.
Consider it a way of venting my anger.
Or, she could forgive Jiang Yingxu when he apologizes to her again.
The return journey was faster than the outward journey.
Students received calls from their parents one after another, their voices rising and falling, asking when they would arrive and telling them not to wait outside the school too early.
Jiang Yingxu closed his eyes to rest, and Shi Miao also slumped into the back of the chair without supporting herself.
I heard a commotion ahead.
She subconsciously glanced at the boy next to her and reached into her pocket to touch the Bluetooth earphones.
Even if it was still a little awkward, I should have handed him an earphone earlier.
The bus seats aren't very big, and the seats are so close together that you'll inevitably bump into the person next to you when you're doing something.
Shi Miao tried her best to tuck her elbows in, but she still accidentally bumped into Jiang Yingxu's hand, which was resting lightly on his lap.
It was noticeably hot.
Shi Miao didn't know why she didn't immediately pull her hand away.
Instead, her thoughts wandered, and she suddenly remembered that back then on the dormitory bed, it was these same hands that held her down, preventing her from running away.
Long fingers easily encircle the kitten's fluffy, thick legs.
She even pinched the fleshy pads with ease.
Shi Miao thought again, her fingers were already hot then, so why is the temperature on the back of her hand still high now?
Suddenly, his long fingers trembled.
Just as Shi Miao was about to withdraw her hand, he grabbed it and pinned it to his lap in the blink of an eye.
Forceful exertion due to conditioned reflex.
The rough fingertips dug into the soft skin of the wrist, mercilessly rubbing a small red scratch.
Shi Miao winced in pain and let out a soft whimper.
"..."
Jiang Yingxu suddenly woke up, his vision gradually clearing. Hearing Shi Miao gasp, he paused for a moment, then abruptly released his grip, his voice hoarse.
"Feel sorry."
Shi Miao withdrew her hand, her cheeks puffing out slightly.
The faint red finger marks on his slender white wrist were enough to prove how much force he had used.
"Pinch harder."
She spoke softly, with a hint of coquettish reproach, rubbing her flushed skin as she spoke.
Jiang Yingxu watched her movements, his jawline tightened, and he silently pulled away a little to the side.
Her long, straight eyelashes were lowered, casting dark shadows. She stared at her palm for a few seconds, then rubbed her fingers together heavily.
That soft, delicate touch still lingered, clinging to my fingertips.
Humans and cats are different, yet somewhat similar.
The excessive contact and overly blatant closeness during this period, coupled with the symptoms that had been suppressed time and time again, finally ignited a backlash due to the combined effects of alcohol, cat-loving, and holding onto Shi Miao's wrist.
Her calm breathing suddenly became erratic.
Jiang Yingxu's heart was pounding, pumping hot blood that flowed to his limbs and bones, causing an itchy sensation as if ants were crawling on his body wherever it flowed.
His slender hands trembled uncontrollably, and his knuckles turned pale from the force of his restraint.
A dull, nerve-like pain surged throughout my body, my temples throbbed, and almost instantly, my vision blurred like an old television set with no signal, displaying static.
Jiang Yingxu remained somewhat calm at this point.
Amidst the overwhelming itching and pain, he silently counted in his mind.
His skin irritation had flared up like this before, ultimately it was because he had suppressed it for too long. It was like a blocked flood; you either have to release the water slowly and gradually, or you have to hold it in until it bursts out violently.
He was very good at pretending to be nonchalant and expressionless, so no one could see through his act.
It will be fine in a little while.
My fingers, which had been tormented by pain and turned cold in a short time, were suddenly covered by something warm and soft.
Someone pried open his stiff fingers and touched the cold sweat on his palms.
Then, she held his trembling hands tightly in her own.
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