Chapter 7 Numb.07 Gasping Sounds
Xu Wu was facing away from the white streetlights, which shielded Jie Ying from much of the light, so when he looked up, his handsome features were fully visible.
His sickly pale complexion, paired with lips that weren't very red, made his high, straight nose appear even more defined and beautiful. The light cast natural shadows on the areas around his eyes, and the mole on his face looked more like an ink stain, unconsciously tempting onlookers to reach out and wipe it away.
As they got closer, Xu Wu could even smell a faint, pleasant fragrance emanating from Jie Ying, quite unlike the scent of laundry detergent or soap. This subtle fragrance lingered around Xu Wu's nose.
Xu Wu stared at him without looking away, but bit her tongue involuntarily. The pain made her frown and also brought her back to her senses. She breathed a sigh of relief and clenched her fist.
That was close! She almost reached out. She's crazy, how could she do that?
Until the next second, the blush on Jie Ying's ears seemed to gradually spread to his face and even his neck, creating an eerie feeling of pink and white blending together.
He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing his teeth. It was supposed to be a way to close the distance, but for some reason, the way he did it felt stiff and awkward. His face was still the same, but his smile was distorted and terrifying.
"......."
Xu Wu snapped out of her daze.
"Stop laughing, it's disgusting." She said calmly, moved her ankle which was still tightly held in Jie Ying's hand, clicked her tongue and gave him a light kick: "Let go, how long are you going to hold on?"
Jie Ying hesitated for a moment before slowly releasing his hands, the action tinged with reluctance. His face returned to its usual low-headed, unassuming posture, and he mumbled an apology.
The spot where Xu Wu kicked him didn't hurt at all. Instead, just a light touch made him feel a tingling, electric-like sensation that quickly spread throughout his body, making him want more.
"I'm sorry." Jie Ying picked up the cotton swab again, glanced at Xu Wu cautiously, her heart pounding, and forced herself to remain calm: "I...I'll help you apply the medicine."
He speaks with difficulty, often taking several attempts to finish a simple sentence.
The cotton swab became icy cold after being moistened with liquid. When it was applied to the bruised area on her knee, it made Xu Wu tremble slightly and her eyelashes flutter. However, she controlled the pressure well and hardly felt any pain.
Xu Wu lowered her eyes and moved her ankle slightly, feeling a little awkward. Ever since Jie Ying grabbed that spot, it seemed like it wouldn't cool down. The annoying smell was everywhere and would climb up her trouser leg, sticky and impossible to shake off.
After applying the medicine, Jie Ying put the cotton swabs into a white plastic bag, along with the bottle of safflower oil that had rolled onto the ground.
He blinked and whispered, "Pants, pants..."
Xu Wu dodged Jie Ying's hand, which seemed to be reaching out, and slowly rolled up his pants above his knees and then rolled them down again until they covered his ankles, completely blocking Jie Ying's prying eyes.
"I can do it myself."
Jie Ying looked at her but didn't respond. After a moment, she spread the bag out in front of her and asked, "Is there... anything else you want to throw away?"
"No," Xu Wu replied flatly.
His tone remained devoid of emotion, yet it made Jie Ying's eyes crinkle when it reached his ears. He stood up, ignoring Xu Wu's questioning gaze, and without offering any explanation, turned and walked towards the trash can.
What kind of expression was that...? And—
Taking advantage of the moment when he couldn't see her, Xu Wu quickly raised her hand and smelled the clothes. In addition to the smell of the laundry detergent, there was also a faint additional scent.
The smell was faint and not strong. Realizing that the smell had really affected her, Xu Wu glanced at Jie Ying, who was approaching the trash can, from a distance of a few meters away.
She lowered her head and gently sniffed her wrist; it smelled lovely, not like a pungent perfume.
Two seconds later, Xu Wu realized that what she was doing overlapped with Jie Ying's, and she froze. Then she cursed herself in frustration.
Being around perverts can really be contagious.
Feeling embarrassed, she placed her hands neatly on her thighs, glanced around, and finally fixed her eyes on Jie Ying, who was throwing away trash not far away.
He first threw the white bag into the bucket, then went to the sink next to him and turned on the tap to wash his hands. The water gushed over his ten fingers, which had prominent knuckles and were cold and white. Jie Ying watched quietly, without making any further moves.
He knew the letter was still in Xu Wu's pocket; she hadn't lost it.
Jie Ying's eyes revealed a calm excitement. He thought to himself, "It shouldn't have rained tonight at all."
What is a letter from Ji Lin worth? It's not even worthy of appearing in front of Xu Wu.
Even if it's burned, the remaining ashes are still so filthy.
Even if Xu Wu were to see that kind of thing, it would only offend her eyes.
Jie Ying shook the water droplets off her hands, some of which were forcefully flung back into the pool and merged into the puddle.
A drop of water fell on Xu Wu's high nose. She paused for a moment before looking up at the night sky, where dark clouds had gathered. She reached out and wiped the water off her face, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
It's going to rain.
Of all times.
She leaned on the bench to get up. Her knees, which had been treated with medicine, felt a little better. Before she could react, large raindrops began to pelt the ground, creating ripples that spread out in circles.
I'm so incredibly unlucky.
Xu Wu hurriedly ran downstairs, raising her hand to shield herself from the rain. Despite her speed, she still got a little wet. The sticky feeling of her stray hairs clinging to her skin made her uncomfortable, especially since the temperature dropped sharply immediately after the rain, and the cold wind blowing in made her shiver and sneeze, covering her mouth and nose.
Achoo—
She sniffed and rubbed the back of her hand, trying to draw some warmth from the action.
Immediately afterward, in the instant she lowered her eyes, a mini pack of wet wipes was handed to her.
The wrists of those hands were stained with rain, and a few drops of water slid slowly down the pale blue veins of their pulse and fell to the ground.
The sound of rain pattering in her ears was not heavy; the gentle atmosphere filled her with a sense of peace, as if soothing her emotions.
Too close.
She caught the scent of his body, a blend of the fresh fragrance of rain-soaked earth.
Xu Wu took a step back without making a sound, took the pack of wet wipes, opened it, took out one and wiped her rain-soaked skin, and said, "Give me back the umbrella you took from my house last time."
There happened to be a recycling bin right under the pillar on the right. After wiping, Xu Wu walked over and threw the crumpled tissue into the recycling bin.
She knew that when Jie Ying saw her action, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she pretended not to see it and completely ignored it.
Then she saw Jieying shake her head.
"......"What's the meaning?
Xu Wu asked calmly, "Does this mean you won't pay?"
"No...no." Jie Ying tried his best to pronounce the words clearly, but his stuttering was still very obvious. He stammered as he explained, "I didn't take...I didn't take the umbrella."
He nervously clutched at the hem of his shirt, his head bowed, looking extremely uneasy.
"Because..." he mumbled something, but Xu Wu didn't catch the words he'd just mumbled, so he continued, "He doesn't like me... take it."
Perhaps because of her stutter, Jieying's words, though stammering, were accurate and concise, making them easy to understand.
"Not you?" Xu Wu raised an eyebrow.
Jie Ying hummed in agreement and mumbled, "It wasn't me."
Xu Wu glanced at him briefly a few more times, then looked away, thinking—
This person's affinity with rainy days was surprisingly high, reminding her of the occasional shots in Animal World of mushrooms growing on rotten tree trunks, which, after being washed by the rain, exuded a unique rottenness that belonged to decaying wood, which was also absorbed by the mushrooms.
Jieying's hair was still slightly curly, with a few unruly curls sticking up.
Xu Wu's gaze swept over the area unintentionally, and he still had the energy to think about whether it was because the temperature had dropped due to the rain.
“It’s good that it’s not you,” she said expressionlessly. “And don’t follow me.”
She paused, the words "After all, your photography skills are really bad" almost on the tip of her tongue—
A glimpse of the pale skin on the side of Jieying's neck revealed a beautiful, bloodless complexion. With each breath, his collarbone rose and fell with his movements, creating a deep clavicle hollow.
Xu Wu swallowed his words, but didn't say anything more. Knowing that the rain would continue for a while, he simply turned around and went upstairs to go back to the club.
Upon seeing this, Jie Ying subconsciously lifted his foot to follow, but after taking only one step, he was caught off guard by Xu Wu's words earlier, which told him not to follow.
So the step that was about to be taken out was abruptly pulled back.
A silent sense of defeat enveloped him from the bottom up, leaving no room for escape.
There was still a while before evening self-study ended. Jie Ying squatted downstairs. He was relieved when he heard the bell ring and saw Xu Wu come out with Fu Xi. The rain had almost stopped, but the dampness in the air had not yet dissipated.
The place where he was standing was a blind spot, and it was also hidden in the shadows, so he was basically unnoticed if you weren't paying attention.
Because of this, he was finally able to hide in the shadows and recklessly depict the figure in his line of sight, both greedy and unattainable.
Like her name, she is like a fog that is visible to the naked eye but cannot be grasped.
Jie Ying began to feel uncontrollably jealous of the people around her again, jealous of Xu Wu's upturned lips and caring eyes. He tightened his grip on the wall until his fingertips turned white.
Most of the rain stains on the ground had dried. Jie Ying watched Xu Wu leave the school gate before slowly following behind, carrying her bag on one shoulder.
He and Xu Wu lived in the same direction, and he would usually keep a distance from her, following her until he was sure she had entered her home before leaving.
But Xu Wu wouldn't let him follow.
Back home, Jie Ying took a quick shower and then plopped down on the bed with his fluffy hair still on. He remained completely still for two minutes before slightly sitting up and taking a photo out from under his pillow.
Looking at the girl's profile captured in the photo, he finally stopped hiding the emotions he usually suppressed when facing Xu Wu. He hugged the photo to his chest and rolled around on the bed again.
Before long, the breathing in the air seemed to grow heavier, but the photo was carefully held in her arms, her legs pressed against the blanket, and part of it fell loosely to the ground.
......
Jie Ying let out a muffled groan, the knuckles of her left hand turning a faint pink from the large movement.
A note from the author:
Xu Wu: ^_^
Thank you, little angels, for the nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
You know, this stuff is so delicious (chewing) (chewing)
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