Chapter 41 Should I be the one to take the initiative in comparing things like this...?
Jiang Muzhou was stunned for half a second, and the loofah in his mouth suddenly tasted sweet.
She called him, "A-Zhou?"
Su Cheng looked at him with her eyebrows curved, her eyes sparkling, her full eye bags slightly bulging with laughter, and the corners of her eyes were tinged with a faint pink.
Jiang Muzhou was taken aback by the expectation shining in her eyes.
Was she hinting that he should confess his feelings?
The warmth of her wrist still lingered on the back of his neck.
He really should give an explanation for his intimate actions just now.
But he worried that this was just a delusion caused by the suspension bridge effect. He was taking advantage of her vulnerability to confess his feelings, and if she agreed without thinking, what if she regretted it after the adrenaline subsided?
He didn't care about his own anxious feelings, but he didn't want to put her in any difficult position.
He mechanically chewed the food in his mouth.
Ultimately, he wasn't sure if Su Cheng liked him.
He didn't want to be someone who rushed to pick the flowers; he was willing to be the soil that silently provided nutrients, waiting for the flower to bloom in its own time.
He was willing to make his stance clear, but hoped she wouldn't make a hasty decision, or at least retain the right to cut her losses at any time.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. Just as he was about to speak, Su Cheng pushed her phone in front of him, the screen showing a video she had just posted yesterday.
The two tabby cats featured in the video are almost identical. One is named Didi and the other is named Lili. When they were first rescued, they both had FIP and it took them a course of injections to recover.
Now the two kittens are lively and energetic, and they've reached the age to find a new home. It turns out that Didi is cross-eyed, but it's just a congenital strabismus that doesn't affect its health; in fact, it's become its unique feature.
The plate was covered with freeze-dried food. Just as Didi's little paw touched the second piece of freeze-dried chicken in the third row, Su Cheng's childish voice said, "I choose this as my potion."
The rule was that whoever ate the potion chosen by the other player first would lose. In the end, Didi won easily in both rounds.
Su Cheng put a mini kitten crown on the winning Didi, and with its wise eyes, the comment section was in stitches.
Jiang Muzhou's words stuck in his throat.
He played the video on repeat more than a dozen times last night. Every time he heard Su Cheng's voice, he would imagine her cute appearance as she puffed out her cheeks while doing the dubbing.
But what is the connection between this video and their closer relationship?
He lifted his eyelids, meeting her burning gaze, and waited for her to speak.
Su Cheng's index finger hovered over the number of likes on the right side of the screen.
4.9w, an unremarkable number.
It's not numbers with special meanings like 5.2, 9.9, or 13.14.
Jiang Muzhou still didn't understand.
Various Chinese and English homophones, and even Japanese and French pronunciations, flashed through my mind, but I couldn't catch any ambiguous message.
Suddenly, her pale fingertips trembled slightly on the screen.
A small, pink heart suddenly appeared on the screen.
At that moment, Jiang Muzhou's heart seemed to skip a beat.
It's as if he was just carefully nurturing a budding flower, but in a moment of unexpectedness, he harvested a whole sea of blooming flowers.
"I have no experience in this area." After a long pause, Jiang Muzhou finally spoke, "But shouldn't I be the one to take the initiative in this kind of thing?"
He gazed into her eyes, his sincere tone tinged with regret, "It was a bit sudden; I wasn't prepared for anything."
In his imagination, confirming a relationship should be a solemn occasion, requiring at least a bouquet of flowers or a night filled with candlelight and music.
Su Cheng hurriedly withdrew her finger from the "like" button.
Thinking back carefully to Wang Yuemeng's words, it seems that he did not mention who took the initiative first between him and Jiang Muzhou, but it doesn't matter who takes the initiative in this kind of thing.
"What's there to prepare?" She looked up at Jiang Muzhou, her eyes sparkling with a subtle light. "Having you here is enough."
The crystal chandelier hanging above the dining table cast dappled light and shadow, one of which landed precisely on the corner of her mouth, making the curve of her smile even more captivating.
Like a peach-flavored mint falling into sparkling water, it first makes a soft crackling sound, then millions of bubbles carry the sugar granules to float, spreading wisps of sweetness in Jiang Muzhou's heart.
His pupils were as black as lacquer, yet a ripple appeared on his face.
She was so open and honest; he shouldn't hide anything from her anymore.
“Su Su…”
"My partner in public welfare!"
The two spoke in unison.
Their eyes met, and both revealed unexpected surprise and doubt.
She never expected him to call her by such an affectionate name.
He was equally surprised; it turned out that what she meant by "going further" was this.
Su Cheng's cheeks flushed slightly.
Her parents called her that, her friends called her that, and even some of her fans called her that.
But when he used the same term, it carried an inexplicable air of intimacy.
This is probably due to his magnetic voice, which is comparable to that of a professional voice actor.
Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. She's already calling him A-Zhou. If she always calls him by his full name like before, it would seem too formal.
Jiang Muzhou's tongue was pressed against his palate, and his burning confession almost burst through his teeth, but he suddenly sobered up after hearing the word "partner".
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his hands, which were hanging on his knees, clenched and unclenched.
Her peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, but lost their captivating power, transforming into a still, deep pool, its bottom unseen.
He lowered his eyelids, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips.
The unformed words were crushed into a sigh that only he could hear.
My heart sank for a moment, then plummeted rapidly, and just as I was about to hit the bottom, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
To her, their reunion was just a natural reunion between old classmates. She treated him as a friend without any suspicion, but he harbored unspoken feelings from the very beginning.
Her video account is just starting to gain traction, and it's a crucial stage where she needs to solidify and attract more followers.
But his mind was full of inappropriate thoughts.
Fortunately, the car was stopped in time.
He picked up another slice of loofah.
As you chew, a mild herbal bitterness emerges.
This is the taste it should have.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the bitterness, finally opening his lips: "What are your thoughts?"
The dim light shone on Su Cheng's face, making her doe-like eyes appear exceptionally bright, clear, and passionate.
She started by talking about comments from fans from other places, then discussed the theme and ideas for the next video, and also talked about the current operation of the rescue station.
Finally, she raised her head slightly, her voice clear and firm, "I hope that the number of stray animals can be reduced by 1%."
Jiang Muzhou's eyelashes trembled.
The moment she looked up, a gentle halo enveloped her, adorning her hair and slender shoulders.
The scene at this moment quietly overlapped with the girl in his memory.
The number of stray cats in China has exceeded 100 million and is still growing at a rate of 10% per year. In the absence of existing laws, achieving the goal of a 1% negative growth rate is extremely difficult.
He pursed his lips, unwilling to discourage her.
He picked up a piece of glistening soy sauce chicken and put it into her almost untouched rice bowl.
If you eat so little in front of him, you must not have been eating properly in the past few days.
No wonder she felt lighter when I held her just now.
He spoke calmly, "What do you need me to do?"
Su Cheng chewed on her soy sauce chicken, her bright black eyes staring straight at him. "Wang Yuemeng said you're good at seizing trending topics, so can you help me take a look at how to improve the video?"
Her pink, thin lips glistened, and she added timidly, "But this is a charitable partnership, so I can't share any of the profits with you."
Jiang Muzhou raised an eyebrow slightly.
He didn't mind being taken advantage of, but his heart had been pounding just now, and he wanted to tease her a little, "What's in it for me?"
After a moment's thought, Su Cheng tentatively suggested, "How about I give you naming rights? Like 'Shepherd Boat Egg Dismantling Project,' wouldn't that sound incredibly prestigious?"
"You might as well give me the naming rights for Decepticons," Jiang Muzhou chuckled.
With her almond-shaped eyes wide open, Su Cheng looked shocked. "Why are you still eyeing the Tyrant!"
She looked around furtively, then put one hand on her hip and threatened, "Believe it or not, I'll tell Yuanbao right now that you've got another cat outside!"
Seeing her bluffing, Jiang Muzhou's heart melted completely.
He stopped teasing her, put two more shrimp in her bowl, and got back to the main topic.
"First of all, your target audience is mainly divided into two categories. One category is people who want to have pets. We convey the concept of 'adopting instead of buying' and guide them to change their idea of only pursuing expensive breeds. The other category is people who want to support public welfare but cannot have pets for the time being, such as students living in dormitories or office workers sharing apartments. They can support the operation of the rescue station by purchasing related products."
"The theme of 'Cat-Catching Compilation' is good, but it only attracts the first type of audience. For the second type of audience who support public welfare, my suggestion is to adjust the pricing strategy for merchandise."
Jiang Muzhou opened the official store of the Meet Rescue Station, browsed through the product list, and clicked on one of the links. "For example, this refrigerator magnet that costs 5 yuan may only make 1 yuan profit after deducting the cost. We can set up a special charity section, such as eco-friendly bags or mugs priced at 20-30 yuan, and clearly indicate that 5 yuan will be donated to the 'Egg Unpacking Project' for every item sold. With funds earmarked for this purpose, people will be more willing to buy."
Su Cheng listened attentively, her eyes fixed on the person in front of her.
She felt this meal was comparable to the Buffett lunch, and exclaimed, cupping her hands in her heart, "A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study!"
Unable to hide her curiosity, she leaned forward and asked, "Is this taught by the math department or the finance department?"
Jiang Muzhou put down his chopsticks, a mischievous smile crooked his lips, and said, "It was Teacher Dou who taught me."
Su Cheng was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, "Your sense of humor has improved recently."
As his words trailed off, the rhythm of his heartbeat suddenly faltered.
A good sense of humor.
Does this mean he's getting closer and closer to her ideal type?
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