Chapter 101
Today is Friday, and this art class is Xie Jing's last class. After the class, he waited outside the door.
After the two of them expressed their feelings, Chen Jiangfu would deliberately call Xie Jing her boyfriend whenever she saw him. Several times when her eyes met his, he would hurriedly avoid her, and every time she could see his shy expression.
Shen Jiangfu heard the bell ring for the end of class, packed up her things and went downstairs. She saw Xie Jing standing in the first-floor corridor. She walked up to him and said, "Let's go, boyfriend."
Hearing this address, Xie Jing, who had been standing relaxed, suddenly became unnatural and replied with pursed lips: "Yeah."
Xie Jing adapted for a few days and felt better today.
"Aren't you used to it yet?" Chen Jiangfu stretched out her index finger and hooked his little finger. Because at school, she didn't dare to hold hands directly, and she only dared to caress his hand twice before putting it down.
Feeling the touch on his hand suddenly disappear, Xie Jing rubbed his fingers, trying to feel that touch again. Finding it was not the same feeling as before, he said in a panic, "Something."
Today the two of them did not ride electric bikes, but walked side by side.
On the way, Shen Jiangfu told Xie Jing about the gossip she had heard from her colleagues, "Yu Huo told me today that Teacher Shen went on a blind date last weekend and met a girl he liked, a nurse, but her family didn't like him and was pursuing her. He went to the county town whenever he had time."
"Oh, by the way, he has the same last name as me, Shen Duanfeng, and he teaches mathematics."
When Xie Jing heard about math, he remembered the teacher he saw holding a triangle ruler before class yesterday. "The one wearing glasses? The one who taught first grade math?"
"Yes, he teaches first grade. You should have run into him in class yesterday." Shen Jiangfu continued, "He has dimples when he smiles, and he's quite cute when he smiles."
"You made a good impression on him."
The two of them passed a bridge, the sound of running water gurgling. In the distance, there was a loquat tree with flowers but no fruit. Xie Jing looked at the water below and heard Shen Jiangfu continue to say, "Not bad."
Chen Jiangfu smiled at him and followed him to look at the river below. She looked for a while, then turned her eyes to the reeds on the river bank that were wilted by the sun. "I'm more familiar with Yu Huo."
"She got married. I remember you attended her wedding last time."
The two stayed at the bridge for only a minute before continuing on their way.
"Yes, I also brought you some cold dishes."
"I was done eating."
"I know."
"I always finish everything you give me."
"Have you finished your mooncakes too? We agreed to have half each." Chen Jiangfu suddenly remembered that she hadn't had mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. She didn't ask Xie Jing for any, and Xie Jing didn't even offer any to her.
Xie Jing was stunned, and all the images of the Mid-Autumn Festival came flooding back to him. "I left half for you, it shouldn't be expired."
"Wouldn't you have brought it up to me then?"
"I'm afraid you'll be angry and don't want to see me."
"You can leave the mooncakes at my door and let me know on WeChat."
"But I don't want that. I want to see you."
Although the words sounded nice, Shen Jiangfu didn't appreciate it. "How could you miss me? I was the one who sent you a WeChat message first, and you only replied after you woke up."
Xie Jing walked behind her and whispered in defense: "I didn't sleep all night."
"So you wrote that WeChat message after staying up all night?" Chen Jiangfu pressed on, as if she wasn't going to give up until she got to the bottom of it.
"I was very conflicted at the time. I thought maybe I didn't like you, but because I had been with you for so long, I mistook it for love. I'm not sure."
The two of them continued walking forward. Shen Jiangfu's pace quickened a lot, and Xie Jing followed slowly from behind, without taking big strides to catch up with her.
When they reached the intersection where the road was about to go uphill, Shen Jiangfu stopped and asked him, "So when you saw me say I liked you, how did you feel?"
Xie Jing thought for a few seconds and said, "Happy, nervous, and a little bit expectant."
Shen Jiangfu didn't move, looking thoughtful. "Then how will you confirm that you like me?"
She continued to walk forward, and Xie Jing followed her. He answered her truthfully: "Actually, I confirmed that I liked you before, but I was afraid to like you. I always felt that I could live my whole life alone and didn't want to be tied to anyone else. Besides-"
Xie Jing stopped and looked at the door. "I'm also afraid that you'll know the real me. I'm afraid that you'll show me a look that I can't bear."
Shen Jiangfu paused, she turned around, and saw the determination and a hint of something she couldn't see clearly in Xie Jing's eyes. She knew what Xie Jing was going to say to her.
She walked closer, reached out and held his right hand. Feeling the stiffness in his palm, she looked into his eyes and said seriously, "It's okay if you don't tell me. Secrets are meant to be kept secret." Shen Jiangfu smiled, "I have secrets too, but I don't want to tell them. Do you want me to tell them?"
Xie Jing looked at her, shook his head, and held her hand tightly. "No." He lowered his head to look at their joined hands and groped the back of her hand with his thumb. "But I want to say it."
Xie Jing looked up and saw Shen Jiangfu's surprised eyes. He said word by word, "I tried to self-harm, and Uncle Li found out once. After that, I cut my arms a few times." Xie Jing laughed at himself, "At that time, you asked me if I had self-harmed, and I didn't answer you."
"Jiang Fu, you are very smart. You can guess what I am going to say."
When Shen Jiangfu saw Xie Jing staring at her with a dark and unclear look in his eyes, she realized that Xie Jing had always suspected her. However, he was worried that the results of his investigation would be unpleasant, so he didn't want to dwell on it, didn't want to find out, and didn't want to care.
"You guys who study art are more or less sensitive." Shen Jiangfu gradually approached, slowly resting her head in his arms. Her other hand hugged his back, and her hand gently touched his shoulder. "Don't do this again in the future. You have delicate skin. A few scars here will not look good."
Xie Jing lowered his head to look at the face buried in his chest. He hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to deepen the hug, resting his head on her shoulder, and said solemnly, "Okay."
Xie Jing looked at the brilliant flowers blooming in front of his house, and thought of Shen Jiangfu who had stood here and greeted him before, and he was standing opposite him, but he never thought that one day the two of them would be able to stand here and hug each other.
The two hugged each other quietly for a while. Shen Jiangfu was still thinking about the mooncakes. She came out of Xie Jing's arms and said, "Go to your house and get the mooncakes. I still remember them." She took Xie Jing's hand again and pulled him towards his home.
When he arrived at Xie Jing's house, he took the mooncake from the refrigerator and handed it to Shen Jiangfu.
Shen Jiangfu opened it and found that Xie Jing had only eaten one, "You didn't eat this one?"
"No."
Xie Jing opened the refrigerator, washed some nectarines, and brought Shen Jiangfu to the living room.
"I need to paint two more paintings in a while. When Uncle Li heard that I had finished the theme painting, he took on another exhibition commission for me."
Shen Jiangfu put the mooncake on the stool and bit a peach in her mouth, "You draw, I won't disturb you."
"Don't disturb me. You can come and see me if you want." Xie Jing sat on the other side of her and watched her eat peaches.
"Okay, we live close by. I'll come down to see you when I'm free." Shen Jiangfu bit the peach in her hand halfway, then finished chewing the peach in her mouth and asked him, "Does this painting have a theme?"
"No, there's no limit on the subject this time. Let me draw based on my feelings."
"So is this easier to draw? Or is it not so easy to draw?"
Seeing Shen Jiangfu finish biting the peach flesh and wanting to spit out the shell, Xie Jing took out a tissue and handed it to her, "It's easier for me."
"This peach tastes a bit bland and not sweet." Shen Jiangfu finished eating a peach and prepared to pick a riper one.
Xie Jing helped to pick, he found one and put it in Shen Jiangfu's hand, "This one should be sweet, I ate a sweet one last time."
Chen Jiangfu was holding a peach when she suddenly met Xie Jing's gaze. He was looking at her with the same expression as usual, but with a hint of smile.
"What are you laughing at?" Shen Jiangfu didn't eat the peach. She leaned in and looked into his eyes. "I saw you were laughing just now."
Xie Jing sat in his original position and looked at her, "I think it's good for two people."
Shen Jiangfu raised her eyebrows and stretched out her tone, "Hmm..."
"Is there any difference?" she asked him next.
“Not so lonely.”
Xie Jing reached out and tried to touch Shen Jiangfu's forehead, and smoothed her hair behind her ears. He didn't blink until he had combed her hair.
Shen Jiangfu looked at him carefully. Xie Jing was just helping her with her hair, but in a trance, she felt a sense of being cared for.
She didn't move and let him tidy it up.
Xie Jing retracted his hand and saw Shen Jiangfu standing there in a daze, "Aren't you going to eat peaches anymore?"
Shen Jiangfu shook her head, turned around and sat up straight, "No, I'll take it back and eat it. I want to eat mooncakes."
She reached out and took out a box of mooncakes, and happened to get one that she hadn't eaten yet. She opened it, took out one, tore open the package, cut it into four pieces with the provided knife, and then inserted two forks into the mooncake.
Shen Jiangfu tasted a piece and commented, "This tastes like cantaloupe. It's too sweet and a bit greasy."
"I like the taste. It's not greasy for me." Xie Jing finished two pieces in a few bites and wiped his mouth with a tissue.
Shen Jiangfu finished the remaining piece and asked him, "Do you like sweet things?"
Xie Jing nodded in response: "Yeah."
Seeing him like this, Shen Jiangfu recalled some scenes when she first met him, "You know? When I first started talking to you, you always answered me with 'hmm' or 'hmm'." After saying that, Shen Jiangfu imitated his previous behavior and showed it to Xie Jing.
"Hey, I think I told you that once, didn't I? I don't remember."
Xie Jing showed an embarrassed expression on his face and turned to look at the painting on the wall, "I forgot too."
He was indeed a stranger to everyone before.
For a while, Shen Jiangfu often appeared in front of him, and he felt annoyed.
Xie Jing had never imagined that they would become like this. In such a short period of time, these strangers got to know each other and in the process, they developed a little dislike for each other, but gradually it turned into love.
Sometimes, he would wonder if he and Shen Jiangfu were in love?
Xie Jing looked at Shen Jiangfu, and a special feeling slowly rose in his heart. He didn't know whether this feeling was answering him yes or no. He felt that it was good for them to sit together like this.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
