Chapter 100
Xie Jing couldn't sleep all night after receiving this message from Shen Jiangfu.
He read Shen Jiangfu's words over and over again. He pondered for a long time, but still didn't know how to reply. He typed and deleted it.
He felt both happy and melancholy, and it felt so sudden that it seemed a little absurd to him.
Deep down, he didn't believe that Shen Jiangfu would like him, and he didn't dare to face his own heart.
He had been prepared to live alone and had never thought about finding a partner. Now, this kind of life has been gradually broken, making him panic and confused.
It was gradually getting brighter outside the window. Xie Jing opened the curtains and looked down. The door opposite was tightly closed.
He got up and went downstairs to open the door. A fresh air hit him in the face, a mixture of the smell of wet earth and grass.
Xie Jing's mind was instantly cleared by the moist and refreshing smell. He stood quietly at the door. After a few minutes, he took out his mobile phone to reply to Shen Jiangfu's message.
I have feelings for you, but I'm not sure how deep they are, or whether they're deep enough to be considered love. I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. I think I made you sad. I don't want to be just a neighbor to you. The thought of that makes me feel uncomfortable.
After Xie Jing finished typing, he stared at the words and read them silently several times. After some hesitation, he successfully sent the message. He sent the first thought that came to his mind when he saw the text message last night.
In fact, he had a lot more to say, but he didn't know how to express it clearly.
*
Shen Jiangfu woke up and saw the message from Xie Jing. She noticed that it was around six in the morning.
She sat up, typed a few lines, threw back the quilt and got out of bed.
She told Xie Jing that they should think about it calmly and talk about it after they have thought it through.
Of course, he is the one who needs to think calmly and clearly.
Finally, she told Xie Jing not to forget to go to class. Despite the new changes in the relationship, this matter could not be changed.
Xie Jing agreed. He really needed to think about it seriously, and he also promised her that he would go to class after National Day.
Originally, Shen Jiangfu was thinking about buying mooncakes, but after a nap, she didn't want to eat them anymore.
People's thoughts come and go, changing again and again. So, we have to see what Xie Jing will do next.
*
After National Day, Shen Jiangfu went to class.
This afternoon, Xie Jing went to school to teach his first class, which was for third grade students.
Each grade has three art classes a week, and she only wants Xie Jing to help teach five classes, one class for each grade. If he can finish all of them this week, then he can teach one class a day and complete his substitute teaching duties.
When Xie Jing came over in the afternoon, he brought a bag with him.
Seeing Shen Jiangfu's curiosity, Xie Jing opened it and showed it to her. It contained some painting tools, including brushes, dyes, color cards, and some other things she didn't recognize.
Shen Jiangfu was afraid that his explanation would be too profound, so she asked him to explain it in a simple way. "You can explain it simply and teach them how to draw some simple stick figures."
Xie Jing saw that Shen Jiangfu's expression towards him was the same as usual, and he felt a little relieved. "Okay, I'll teach them to draw some things they see every day."
He had arrived early just now and happened to see her teaching first-grade students. He stood outside the window and watched for a while, listening to her teaching the students to read the text in her bright and clear voice, which sounded much louder than usual.
The class bell rang.
Shen Jiangfu heard the bell and walked upstairs with Xie Jing, "Okay, come up with me. The third grade classroom is on the second floor."
Xie Jing followed Shen Jiangfu, watching her braids swinging from side to side, his thoughts gradually becoming lost.
Shen Jiangfu led the witness directly into the classroom and stepped onto the podium. "Hello, students!"
“Hello, teacher!”
Shen Jiangfu waved her hand, "Please sit down."
For a moment, all the students in the classroom looked at the only stranger who appeared in the classroom. Some students recognized Xie Jing and whispered their discovery to their deskmate in surprise.
"Today, the painter next to me will teach the students. His name is Xie Jing, and you can call him Teacher Xie. This is a great painter I specially invited for you. You must listen carefully and paint well. He is much better than the teacher." Shen Jiangfu made way for Xie Jing to stand over.
Xie Jing looked at the elementary school students in the audience, put the things in his hands on the podium, and bowed to the audience. "Hello, students. My name is Xie Jing. I am a painter, mainly good at oil painting. Today I will teach you how to paint."
Seeing that the class had already started, Shen Jiangfu said nothing more, "Then you guys follow Teacher Xie to draw, I'll be out first."
She smiled at Xie Jing before leaving, and Xie Jing could see that she was trying to encourage him.
Although she was also curious about how Xie Jing would teach them, she still had homework to grade, so she didn't stay to watch Xie Jing teach.
If he comes again tomorrow, he can stay in the classroom and watch.
After Shen Jiangfu left, Xie Jing followed his own steps, first introducing the tools, showing the students the color cards, and explaining some color categories to them.
Finally, Xie Jing taught them how to draw animals, simple sketches of common animals around them, such as chickens, dogs, cats, pigs, cows, etc., and then gradually increased the difficulty and taught them to draw some complex ones.
With this arrangement, a class goes by quickly.
After class, Shen Jiangfu came to find Xie Jing, "How is it?"
The students in the classroom packed up their things and left school one after another.
As Xie Jing put away his tools, he said, "They're quite obedient and draw well. Some of them are quite insightful."
Shen Jiangfu stood beside him and watched him put everything into the bag. "Okay, let's pack up and go back together. Wait for me for a moment, I'll go get the homework first." After that, she went to the office to get the students' homework books.
Xie Jing stopped what he was doing and watched Chen Jiangfu leave in a hurry. His eyes fell on the ground at the door and it took a long time for them to move away.
Finally, Xie Jing rode an electric bike and went home with Shen Jiangfu.
When he was almost at Xie Jing's doorstep, he remembered that the tickets for the art exhibition had arrived, so he stopped Shen Jiangfu, "Jiangfu, wait a moment, I have something to give you."
Shen Jiangfu, who was driving by, stopped and backed up: "What is that?"
"Here's the ticket I promised you last time."
Shen Jiangfu drove to the door of Xie Jing's house and followed Xie Jing in. Seeing Xie Jing go upstairs, Shen Jiangfu stopped and waited in the lobby on the first floor.
Xie Jing saw that she hadn't caught up with him. He thought about the painting he had drawn earlier and wondered if he should give it to her. He stopped hesitantly and said, "You can come up."
Shen Jiangfu raised her eyebrows and pointed at the stairs, "Can I go up?"
Xie Jing nodded: "Okay."
Shen Jiangfu followed Xie Jing to the second floor.
The two of them arrived at the second-floor living room. She saw an easel in the middle of the empty space, and a long, low table at the back. As she walked closer, she saw some small sculptures and some paint boxes on the table.
Xie Jing went to the drawer, took out a bag, and took out the ticket from the bag.
Shen Jiangfu took it and saw the date on it. "The exhibition will be held on January 16th of next year. I should be on vacation now." She thanked Xie Jing and said, "Thank you for the ticket. I will definitely go to see it then."
She thought of something and continued, "Oh, right. How's your painting? Is it a landscape? Or a figure?"
"Painting the scene."
"It seems you've already thought of it. Have you already drawn it?"
Xie Jing: "It's done." He looked at Shen Jiangfu's curious eyes, "Do you want to see it?"
Shen Jiangfu shook her head, "I'll see when the time comes. I'm looking forward to it."
Xie Jing was thinking about going to the room to get it, but after hearing what Shen Jiangfu said, he gave up the idea and said, "Okay."
However, he remembered a painting he had drawn before.
Xie Jing looked at Shen Jiangfu and said hesitantly, "I drew a picture before and wanted to give it to you."
"Hmm? For me?"
"Yes."
Chen Jiangfu looked at Xie Jing's determined eyes and reassured, "For me? When was it painted?"
Seeing Shen Jiangfu's surprised expression, Xie Jing replied affirmatively, "It's for you. I drew it last month."
Xie Jing looked at her for a while, then walked towards another room.
Shen Jiangfu hesitated for a few seconds, and finally followed him, standing at the door without going in.
The room was filled with square frames containing paintings that Shen Jiangfu guessed were Xie Jing's regular paintings. Some were wrapped in paper, while others were packed in suitable bags, likely because Xie Jing had found the paintings good enough to keep them.
Xie Jing went to the innermost part and took out a painting from a cardboard box.
When he got closer to Shen Jiangfu, she realized that the person in the painting was her.
Xie Jing drew her usual appearance.
Shen Jiangfu touched the painting through the frame. This was the painting she usually walked down the ramp to go home. "Thank you. I like this painting very much."
"I'm going to frame it and put it in my room." Shen Jiangfu took the painting and held it in her arms.
Xie Jing breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shen Jiangfu liked it, "Okay."
Shen Jiangfu observed the painting carefully, "You painted it as if I often go back to say hello to you."
She often went to the vegetable garden to water the plants in the morning. Every time she came home, she would almost always run into Xie Jing watering the flowers at the door, and she would always say hello to him when she saw him.
Xie Jing looked down at Shen Jiangfu, his hands clenched into fists unnaturally, and he replied to her: "Yes."
He wanted to continue talking about what happened that night, "I——"
Chen Jiangfu didn't look up, continuing to look at the painting. She interrupted him and asked, "Why are you painting this?" She slowly raised her head, staring into his amber eyes. Her tone was soft, and as if deliberately tempting him, she asked, "Do you like me saying hello to you every day?"
She emphasized the first four words, deliberately reminding Xie Jing of the text message she sent him a few nights ago.
It's been several days, it's time to think things through.
Looking at Shen Jiangfu's meaningful eyes, Xie Jing read another meaning. He let Shen Jiangfu look up at him, examine him, and test him.
He knew in his heart how to answer this question, and he wanted to say it out loud. He liked her greeting him every day, he liked seeing her every day, and he liked her.
However, when the words came to his lips, he found it difficult to speak.
"I..." Xie Jing looked at Shen Jiangfu waiting for his answer, and stammered out a word.
Shen Jiangfu saw Xie Jing blushing, and her eyes were full of confusion. She pretended to be sad and said, "I know, you still don't like me and don't want to see me."
She was about to turn and leave when she heard an anxious voice, "No!"
She didn't stop and continued walking a few steps towards the stairs. Suddenly, her arm was grabbed by a big hand from behind. "I like to see you, I-"
Xie Jing paused, his voice not as deep as usual, and said solemnly: "I like you."
Shen Jiangfu stopped and turned to face him. Seeing his flushed face, if she was not mistaken, there was a hint of embarrassment in his clear eyes.
"Have you thought clearly whether you like me?" Shen Jiangfu looked at Xie Jing seriously and asked him.
Xie Jing let go of her arm and looked down at her, "I've thought it through, I like you." Once he said this, he no longer found it difficult to say it again.
"What about you? Chen Jiangfu? I want to hear you say it again." Xie Jing pressed on, thinking of Shen Jiangfu's behavior that night, he always felt something was wrong. He was afraid that Shen Jiangfu was just talking nonsense, so he said this with gritted teeth.
Seeing Xie Jing like a cat with its tail stepped on, Shen Jiangfu found it amusing. She deliberately answered slowly, "I..."
After waiting for more than ten seconds, Xie Jing only heard one word. He could see that Shen Jiangfu was trying to tease him, and he felt a little discouraged.
He knew that the moment he told her that he liked her, the initiative between the two of them was completely in Shen Jiangfu's hands.
It was Shen Jiangfu who said she liked him first, but her actual behavior didn't reveal how much she liked him. Thinking of this, Xie Jing felt a little angry. This anger came from the uncertainty she gave him and the insecurity he felt.
Xie Jing stared at her and confirmed with her again, "Chen Jiangfu, I'm sure I like you."
"do you like me?"
He asked again, staring at her with an imperious look, as if she could only say "I like it" and there was no other answer.
Shen Jiangfu's smile spread across her eyes. She pointed at his eyes with a finger and said in a tone of feigned grievance, "Are you threatening me with that look?"
Seeing her like this, Xie Jing recalled the scene on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival. The stubbornness in his eyes disappeared halfway, and was instantly replaced by panic. He explained: "No...no, I..."
"I like you, Xie Jing." Shen Jiangfu looked at Xie Jing and said seriously, "I've thought it through. I like you."
"I'm sure I like you."
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