20

Jiang Yan's brain froze for a few seconds.

The warm breath of the young girl lingered by his ear, seemingly nervous and flustered, the rhythm quick and delicate.

After she quickly jumped away, Jiang Yan moved his stiff fingers, suppressing the urge to touch his ear, and calmed his slightly rapid breathing. Looking at her averted gaze, he teasingly said, "What's this? Are you addicted to being a pervert now?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tiao's face turned as red as magic, from her ears to her neck, her mind going blank.

She really had accidentally kissed him again just now.

She had said she could jump down herself. Who knew Jiang Yan would suddenly step forward and catch her just right?

Thinking about this, Lin Tiao's initial embarrassment vanished, replaced by a sense of justified indignation. "Who's being a pervert? You were the one who came over first."

"I didn't ask you to catch me at the bottom. I said I could do it myself."

The more Lin Tiao spoke, the more she felt she was in the right, and she straightened her back involuntarily. "You don't trust me! And you still take advantage of me!"

"..."

Jiang Yan, who had lived for over a decade, had never seen anyone turn a dead situation into a live one, or claim that black was white, right in front of him.

He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "You sure are quite reasonable, huh?"

"A little bit," Lin Tiao said sincerely, not at all modest.

Jiang Yan touched his ear and laughed in spite of himself. "Do you want me to show you what it really means to take advantage?"

Lin Tiao "..."

That's just too shameless. It simply can't be topped.

By the time they arrived at the classroom, the lesson was already halfway through, and the Chinese teacher was not in the room. Lin Tiao sneaked in through the back door.

As soon as she sat down, she saw Jiang Yan swaggering in through the front door.

"..."

Is being late such a glorious thing?

Fortunately, after they both settled into their seats, the teacher still hadn't returned. Hu Hanghang called out to Lin Tiao from the back, "Why are you two so late? Did the teacher catch you?"

"No," Lin Tiao scratched her head, "It's just… my arm wasn't very convenient, so it took a while."

Jiang Yan was playing with his phone next to her. Hearing this, he glanced at her but said nothing.

"Oh." Hu Hanghang didn't press further. "The teacher just asked where you two went."

"Ah, what did you say?" Lin Tiao remembered that last time, when she and Jiang Yan overslept in the infirmary, Song Yuan's excuse was that they had fought.

"I said you two went to the bathroom."

"..."

This is truly impressive.

Lin Tiao opened her mouth, unsure of what to say next, when the Chinese teacher entered with a box of chalk. She turned her head back to see Jiang Yan still playing with his phone as soon as the teacher walked in.

"The teacher's here."

The Chinese teacher, Mr. Mu Hui, was the youngest and most handsome teacher in the entire sophomore Chinese department.

It was said that he claimed to be the most handsome, considering he was the only teacher under thirty in the department.

Upon hearing Lin Tiao's words, Jiang Yan put away his phone into the drawer, while Mr. Mu Hui, since entering the classroom, had cast several discreet glances toward them.

Lin Tiao guessed that Mr. Mu Hui was probably scheming something in his mind.

Sure enough, as soon as Mr. Mu Hui placed the chalk on the lectern, he asked, "Have you all thought about the question I left for you?"

There were only a few scattered responses in the classroom.

Mr. Mu Hui nodded, leaning on the lectern, and called out a name, "Lin Tiao, why don't you stand up and answer this question?"

Lin Tiao "..."

How was she supposed to know the question?

After a moment of silence, Mr. Mu Hui continued, "Don't know? Then let your deskmate stand up and answer."

Lin Tiao glanced at Jiang Yan and immediately saw a note on his desk with a few words written on it.

Mr. Mu Hui asked us who we envy the most.

"..."

Damn it.

Under Lin Tiao's "you know the question but didn't tell me and still act righteous" gaze, Jiang Yan slowly stood up.

Many students turned their heads to look at the unlucky deskmates who had been in trouble since the start of the school year.

Lin Tiao kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the desk.

The classroom fell silent.

Then, Lin Tiao heard her exemplary deskmate calmly answer, "The person I envy the most is my deskmate."

"..."

Mr. Mu Hui had expected that Jiang Yan wouldn't know the question and would just make up some random answer. He didn't expect him to give an answer, and an unexpected one at that.

He followed up with, "What do you envy about your deskmate?"

Jiang Yan, standing with a somewhat casual posture but speaking earnestly, replied, "I envy her for having me as a deskmate."

Mr. Mu Hui "..."

The whole class "..."

Lin Tiao "..."

"Pffft!"

In the midst of the silence, someone started laughing, and soon the entire classroom erupted in uncontrollable laughter.

Lin Tiao turned to meet Jiang Yan's gaze, incredulously saying, "You're so outstanding it makes me feel ashamed."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Jiang Yan seemed unfazed, his gaze inadvertently falling on her flushed lips, bringing back the memory of that unexpected kiss from not long ago.

He suddenly felt a bit awkward, quickly averting his gaze and touching his ear.

Slightly warm.

Due to Jiang Yan's unusual response, Mr. Mu Hui didn't pursue the issue of their lateness any further, just made a few casual remarks, and let it go.

The remaining ten minutes passed quickly.

As soon as the bell rang for the end of class, Xu Yichuan popped up from the other side of the classroom, saying, "Yan, your answer was truly unprecedented, absolutely a rare gem."

Jiang Yan ignored him, saying nothing, pulling out his phone from under the desk, and started watching a TV show.

Before he had even watched a minute, he suddenly turned to Lin Tiao, "Classmate Lin."

Lin Tiao, who was chatting with Meng Xin about the incident, looked up and said, "Hmm?"

"I'm actually quite righteous."

"...Do you think I believe that?"

"Whether you believe it or not, do you want to be a righteous person?"

Lin Tiao's expression grew impatient. "Just say what you need to say, don't beat around the bush."

Jiang Yan smiled, reached into the drawer, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Lin Tiao. "Help me deliver this to Mr. Yu's office."

Lin Tiao took it and glanced at the paper, looking horrified. "What did you write? You didn't learn some spell or charm to control people, did you?"

"..."

"Mr. Yu is indeed—"

"..."

"You're really heartless," Lin Tiao added.

"..."

"I give up."

In the midst of their random chatter, Xu Yichuan came over and glanced at the reflection paper Lin Tiao was holding. "I didn't expect you, Sister Tiao, to be able to draw talismans."

Lin Tiao glanced at Jiang Yan's darkening face and couldn't help but laugh. She kindly reminded Xu Yichuan, "This is the boss's reflection paper."

"Hehehehe." Xu Yichuan waved his hand stiffly and quickly fled. He wasn't sure if he had eaten too much at lunch and clogged his brain, but he was back to making the same mistake again in the afternoon.

Lin Tiao watched Xu Yichuan run away as if he were fleeing from something and smiled brightly. However, when she looked at the reflection paper in her hand, her brows furrowed again.

She turned back to Jiang Yan and said, "But seriously, your handwriting is really terrible."

Lin Tiao had been sent to learn calligraphy for over a year by her mother when she was young because her handwriting wasn't pretty enough. Even compared to her handwriting before learning, she could easily outperform Jiang Yan by several streets.

Jiang Yan himself didn't seem to mind much. "As long as it's legible."

"The problem is," Lin Tiao held the reflection paper up to him, "other than the three words 'Reflection Paper' at the top, I honestly can't tell what you've written."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Jiang Yan lazily extended two fingers and pinched the reflection paper. "Isn't it quite recognizable?"

He leaned against the wall with a languid posture. "I, Jiang Yan, should not play on my phone during class, not not not—"

Jiang Yan stopped suddenly.

What on earth was he writing?

Lin Tiao turned her head away, not looking at his embarrassed face, and laughed uncontrollably. After she calmed down, she saw his face and couldn't help but laugh again. "I've already decided that for your birthday this year, I'll get you a set of Tian Yingzhang calligraphy books."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan's smile that was hanging on his lips froze, and his expression darkened.

Lin Tiao didn't notice and asked with a laugh, "When is your birthday? I'll just buy them and send them to your house."

Jiang Yan didn't respond.

Lin Tiao looked up, and he suddenly turned his head to look out the window. His profile was clear and smooth, and his voice was flat and emotionless.

"I don't celebrate my birthday."

As soon as Jiang Yan said this, Lin Tiao was stunned. Her laughter seemed to be abruptly cut off, and she looked at him in confusion.

She moved her lips, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't say a word.

Jiang Yan clearly didn't want to explain anything about this topic. After saying that, he didn't say anything more and, when the class bell rang, he just lay down on his desk to sleep, not saying anything further.

Lin Tiao stared at the crown of his head for a few seconds. Only when the biology teacher walked into the classroom did she sigh in resignation and look away.

In the classroom, the teacher's voice was neither too loud nor too soft but continued steadily.

Jiang Yan didn't fall asleep. With his head resting on his arm, his gaze was fixed on the azure sky outside the window, and his thoughts wandered.

The last time he celebrated his birthday was when he was seven years old.

That day, the sky was as azure and clear as today, with a vast, cloudless expanse. The sky was clear and boundless.

His father, Fang Hai, had gotten off work early that day and personally drove to school to pick him up.

On the way back, Jiang Yan insisted on buying the latest Transformers mech, but Fang Hai refused. Jiang Yan complained all the way, pouting with grievance.

When the car arrived downstairs in their neighborhood, Jiang Yan realized that Fang Hai was really not going to buy him the Transformers. The once-spoiled little tyrant finally couldn't hold back his tears.

At that moment, Fang Hai, smiling, carried him out of the passenger seat and rubbed his stubbled chin against Jiang Yan's face. "Little crybaby, the Transformers you wanted have already been bought by Dad."

Little Jiang Yan sniffled, "…Really?"

"When has Dad ever lied to you?" Fang Hai, holding him with one arm, opened the trunk with the other and took out the Transformers.

Little Jiang Yan clapped his hands with joy, hugging the toy tightly all the way home.

After they got home, Fang Hai cooked a meal himself and soon prepared a table full of dishes. However, Jiang Yan's mother didn't return until evening.

Jiang Yan sat on the sofa, watching Fang Hai dial her number over and over until the phone indicated it was turned off.

Fang Hai smiled at him, "Let's eat first. We can't delay Yan Yan's birthday."

At that time, Jiang Yan couldn't see the bitterness and sadness hidden behind his father's smile.

He spent a happy birthday with Fang Hai.

Until eleven o'clock at night, when Jiang Yan, already asleep, was awakened by his mother. He rubbed his eyes and saw his mother sitting by the bed, but his father Fang Hai was nowhere to be found.

"Mom..." Little Jiang Yan was still unaware of what was happening.

Yu Fengyan patted his head, smiling gently, "Get up quickly, Mom will take you to a fun place."

"Where's Dad?" Little Jiang Yan dressed quickly, not seeing Fang Hai at home, and asked quietly.

"Dad went out." Yu Fengyan picked up her son, took her bag, and left the home they had lived in for seven years without looking back.

When they reached the neighborhood entrance, Little Jiang Yan suddenly remembered, "Mom, I didn't take my school bag, and I didn't take the Transformers Dad gave me either."

Yu Fengyan stopped, put him down, crouched beside him, and said seriously, "Baby, Fang Hai isn't your real dad. Mom is taking you to meet your real dad now. We'll get those things once we get to your real dad's place."

Although Little Jiang Yan was young, he understood the words.

His eyes quickly turned red as he pushed Yu Fengyan away, "I don't want anyone else. I only want my own dad, not another dad..."

Yu Fengyan said nothing more, picked him up, and walked towards the neighborhood gate. Little Jiang Yan struggled with all his might, but it was in vain.

He didn't understand why his mother said this dad wasn't his real dad, but he clearly understood that once he left today, he would never see his father again.

He struggled desperately, while Yu Fengyan remained unmoved.

When they reached the neighborhood entrance, he was locked in the car and saw his father running out of the neighborhood with the Transformers in his hand.

He cried out loudly, trying to attract Fang Hai's attention.

Yu Fengyan didn't let him out of the car, got out herself, and talked to Fang Hai from a distance. After a while, she returned to the car with Jiang Yan's Transformers.

"Drive."

As the car started, Jiang Yan went crazy trying to get out, his small hands clutching the car door tightly. Tears blurred his vision, but he could still see the figure standing not far away.

"Dad..."

Jiang Yan was taken away like this, to a new city, a new family, and a new father.

He never saw Fang Hai again or returned to that city.

Jiang Yan hated the new city, hated the new family, and hated the new father.

And he never celebrated his birthday.

He began skipping classes, hating school, associating with delinquents, getting into fights, and doing everything Yu Fengyan considered wrong.

He was like a fallen angel who had fallen from heaven to hell.

Dark, violent, and despondent.

Yu Fengyan could do nothing about him.

Ultimately, it was Fang Hai who changed everything.

In Jiang Yan's second year of junior high, Yu Fengyan received a call from afar. After a few minutes of conversation, she sat on the sofa, dazed.

Jiang Yan, who came home at dawn, had not had a proper conversation with her since they moved here years ago.

Jiang Yan, as usual, pretended not to see her, and went upstairs. Yu Fengyan stood up and called out to him, "Jiang Yan."

He stopped, turned around, and looked at her.

Yu Fengyan looked at Jiang Yan's indifferent expression, her heart aching. She knew that what she was about to say would be like a thunderclap to him.

She forced herself to speak, "Your dad is not doing well."

Jiang Yan scoffed, "So what if he's not doing well?…" Before he could finish, he suddenly realized which father Yu Fengyan was talking about.

Yu Fengyan's eyes turned red, "The hospital over there called, saying it could be just a matter of days. He wants to see you. You should go back for a visit. After all, he has been your dad for seven years."

Jiang Yan looked at her, "What about you? Aren't you going to see him? After all, he has been your husband for seven years."

Yu Fengyan's expression stiffened, "I… won't go."

Jiang Yan seemed to expect this response. He said nothing more and silently went back to his room.

The next morning, when Yu Fengyan came to call him, she found that he had already left home.

Jiang Yan had booked the earliest flight through a friend.

After so many years of aimless wandering, he had made a few friends who were willing to risk their lives for him.

When the plane arrived in Xicheng, it was already past nine in the morning. As the morning fog cleared, Jiang Yan set foot on this land once more after many years.

He didn't linger at the airport. Following the address given by Yu Fengyan, he quickly arrived at the hospital where Fang Hai was.

Fang Hai was in the late stage of stomach cancer.

He was diagnosed with a benign tumor the year Yu Fengyan left, but somehow, it suddenly turned malignant, reaching its terminal stage.

When Jiang Yan entered the hospital room, Fang Hai had just taken his medication. Over the years, he had become emaciated, his face hollow and gaunt, a far cry from the once handsome and refined gentleman he used to be.

Jiang Yan stayed in the hospital room. Around three in the afternoon, Fang Hai woke up briefly but seemed disoriented and fell back asleep within minutes.

He slept like that until nine in the evening.

When he woke, the night outside was dim. Fang Hai opened his eyes and saw Jiang Yan sitting beside him. He managed a weak smile, "You're here."

Jiang Yan remained silent, his eyes fixed on him.

Fang Hai didn't mind and propped himself up, "Your mom said you're not studying well and are getting into trouble. You're still so young; you shouldn't be like this."

Jiang Yan chuckled derisively, "You're not my real dad. Why do you care what I do?"

Fang Hai didn't take offense at the remark, still smiling gently, "Why do you have such a bad temper now? You're not as cute as you used to be."

Jiang Yan lowered his gaze, turning his head to look out the window, his eyes reddening, "If you're going to care about me, you should care about me for the rest of your life."

Fang Hai didn't say anything more, only letting out a helpless sigh.

The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the relentless chirping of cicadas outside. The summer night breeze carried a dry heat.

Jiang Yan hadn't eaten all day and was feeling a bit hungry. He stood up, intending to go downstairs to buy something. Looking at Fang Hai, he asked, "Do you want anything?"

Fang Hai, despite not being able to eat much, requested a bowl of porridge and added, "There's a snack street across the street from the hospital. Be careful crossing the road."

"Okay."

Jiang Yan left the room.

Half an hour later, he returned with the food and saw several doctors rushing into the familiar hospital room.

Jiang Yan's heart sank. He gripped the items in his hands tightly and hurried to the door of the room. Through the small glass pane in the door, he saw the doctors surrounding the bed, seemingly discussing something.

He couldn't hear anything.

The door seemed to separate two worlds.

After about ten minutes, the doctors emerged from the room. Seeing the young man standing outside, one of them removed his mask and asked, "Are you Jiang Yan?"

The young man nodded.

The doctor sighed heavily, his tone somber. "Your father is waiting for you."

For a long time afterward, Jiang Yan couldn't remember how he entered the hospital room. All he remembered was the intense heat that night, so hot that his tears flowed uncontrollably.

Fang Hai's body was already on the brink of collapse, seemingly holding on by sheer will. After seeing Jiang Yan, he let go, and his strength was exhausted.

Jiang Yan approached, knelt by the bed, and finally reached out to grasp Fang Hai's emaciated hand. His voice was hoarse, "Dad—"

Fang Hai opened his eyes, lacking energy but maintaining a constant smile. "I know you're upset with me for not keeping you, but what could I have used to keep you?"

"Jiang Yan, don't hate your mother, and don't hold a grudge against your father," Fang Hai said, patting his head. "None of this is their fault. I've never hated them."

"I don't hate…" Jiang Yan choked up, tears falling onto Fang Hai's hand.

"Jiang Yan, I hope you'll be a good person, upright and honest," Fang Hai said, struggling to keep his eyes open, trying to look at him.

"You should be kind, gentle, love this world, and love everyone who loves you."

…

Fang Hai passed away.

He was an orphan, and the funeral was arranged by Yu Fengyan. Only a few teachers from his office attended.

Since Fang Hai's death, Jiang Yan had not spoken a word. On the day he accompanied Fang Hai to the crematorium, he watched as Fang Hai's remains were reduced to a small box, placed into the cold, narrow space.

He finally couldn't hold back, kneeling before Fang Hai's tombstone and crying, just like when he had left home at seven, crying uncontrollably.

He no longer had a father.

Jiang Yan looked at Fang Hai's calm, smiling photo on the tombstone, remembering Fang Hai's final words in his blurry consciousness.

"She loved him, loved you, loved all the beautiful things in this world, but she didn't love me. It's not her fault; it must be because I wasn't good enough."

This man had loved a woman when he was young. Although she didn't love him, he still loved her all his life.

Jiang Yan thought he was the best person in the world.

Jiang Yan slept through two classes, and during the third period, Song Yuan asked Lin Tiao, "What's wrong with Jiang Yan?"

Lin Tiao furrowed her brows, looked up at Song Yuan, and whispered, "I'm not sure. This afternoon, I mentioned his birthday and that I wanted to give him a gift."

Song Yuan had known Jiang Yan for several years longer than Hu Hanghang and the others and was familiar with what was happening in his life. Hearing Lin Tiao mention this, he understood.

He smiled at Lin Tiao, "I know. He's fine; he's just upset. He'll be okay later. It has nothing to do with you."

Lin Tiao thought, I know he's upset too, but I really want to know why he's upset.

However, Song Yuan clearly knew the truth but wasn't willing to share. Lin Tiao didn't press for an answer.

Seeing the usually aloof and indifferent school bully lying on his desk like a pitiful figure, Lin Tiao felt she needed to do something.

The last period was Mr. Yu's class.

As soon as Mr. Yu entered the classroom and saw Jiang Yan lying on the desk, he initially thought about waking him up but decided against it.

Lin Tiao was prepared to explain what happened when Mr. Yu called the roll, but Mr. Yu didn't wake Jiang Yan and continued with his lesson as usual.

"..."

The final period passed quickly.

As soon as Mr. Yu left, Lin Tiao followed and exited the classroom. Jiang Yan, who had slept through three periods, got up shortly after she left.

He rubbed his face, pulled something out of the drawer, and walked out.

Song Yuan caught up with him, putting his arm around Jiang Yan's shoulder casually. "Missing your dad again?"

Jiang Yan, who had initially not fallen asleep but eventually did, now sounded hoarse as he just woke up. "What?" He looked back and asked, "Where's my deskmate?"

"I don't know. She left as soon as the class ended." Song Yuan, remembering the worried look on the girl's face, laughed. "Lin Tiao seems quite concerned about you."

"My deskmate is worried about me? That means we have a good relationship." Jiang Yan was being patted on the shoulder by Song Yuan as they both walked into the boys' restroom.

Jiang Yan pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and bit it between his lips. As he reached for a lighter, Song Yuan handed him a light, joking, "Smoking without a lighter? Would you eat without chopsticks?"

Jiang Yan lowered his head and exhaled slowly, "Trying to quit."

"Then what, pray tell, are you doing now?"

"Showing you an example of a failed attempt at quitting." Jiang Yan smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"..." Song Yuan was too lazy to look at him and turned to the window. "Bro, how long have we known each other?"

"A few years, I guess. I don't remember." Jiang Yan held a half-burnt cigarette.

He and Song Yuan's meeting was somewhat accidental. When he first moved to the new city with Yu Fengyan, he knew no one and stayed in Yu Fengyan's villa all day, going nowhere.

One day, he desperately wanted to return to Xicheng to find Fang Hai. He stole Yu Fengyan's wallet and ran out, but being so young, he had no idea how vast the villa district was.

He ran and ran, never reaching the end. Eventually, Jiang Yan gave up. On his way back, he saw a child of similar age hanging from a tree.

A golden retriever without a leash was barking at the tree from below.

The child was crying loudly. Feeling distressed, and with the barking mixing with the cries, seven-year-old Jiang Yan found the courage from somewhere and grabbed a nearby stick, rushing over without thinking.

He swung the stick wildly, scaring the golden retriever away. The child climbed down from the tree and chased after Jiang Yan, calling him "big brother."

That child was Song Yuan, who, after being saved by Jiang Yan, followed him everywhere for two years.

When Song Yuan returned to Xicheng for school, Jiang Yan began to fall into self-destructive behavior. They lost contact except during winter and summer vacations.

Song Yuan reminisced, smiling, "Back then, I thought that dog might have had a grudge against you."

"It did have a grudge." Jiang Yan stubbed out the cigarette and threw it in the trash, then washed his hands by the sink.

Song Yuan stood next to him, his phone vibrating in his pocket. He shook his hand, pulled out the phone, and saw a message from Lin Tiao.

"Does Jiang Yan have any favorite foods?"

He smiled, glanced at the person next to him who was seriously washing his hands, and typed a reply.

He likes to eat shit.

Outside the school, Lin Tiao saw the message and was left speechless.

After buying some things, Lin Tiao had dinner with Meng Xin. By the time she returned to the classroom, it was already late. Everyone had eaten and was now playing around in the classroom.

The class's literary commissioner, Zhou Xin, and several girls were working on a Mid-Autumn Festival bulletin board, standing in the back of the classroom.

Lin Tiao entered carrying a bag of items and looked around for her seat. She didn't see Jiang Yan at first but eventually found him surrounded by a group of boys near Xu Yichuan. He was holding a phone with a calm expression, seemingly playing a game, his slender fingers tapping the screen quickly.

The boys formed two concentric circles around him. The inner circle consisted of Hu Hanghang and his friends, while the outer circle was made up of other boys from the class. Except for Hu Hanghang and his friends, the others seemed wary of Jiang Yan and kept their distance, leaving a gap in front of him.

Lin Tiao didn't call out to him. After sitting down with her items, she heard Hu Hanghang shout, "Hey, hey, hey, Jiang Yan, why aren't you playing anymore? We're about to start a new level…"

Jiang Yan sat down at his desk. "Where did you go?"

"Went out to buy some things." Lin Tiao turned to him and asked, "When did you wake up?"

"A while ago."

Lin Tiao observed him for a moment and noticed that he had returned to his usual self. The earlier disheartened look was gone.

Jiang Yan shook his head. "No."

"Then eat this." Lin Tiao placed the shopping bag on his desk. As she lifted the bag, the contents spilled out, covering his desk.

The desk was now covered with snacks—jellies, chips, colorful candies.

Jiang Yan's lips curved into a smile. "Are you raising pigs?"

"No," Lin Tiao blinked, "I bought these for you."

He raised an eyebrow, not understanding, "Hmm? What do you mean?"

Lin Tiao rubbed her eyebrows, "I noticed you seemed off earlier this afternoon." She licked her lips and looked into his eyes, "I wanted to buy some things…"

To cheer you up.

Before she could finish, Jiang Yan seemed to understand. "Wanted to buy something… to cheer me up?"

Lin Tiao felt the term "cheer up" sounded a bit awkward but agreed vaguely, "Ah… sort of. Anyway, you don't need it now. Just consider it dinner."

Jiang Yan looked at the table full of snacks and suddenly said, "I want it."

"What?" Lin Tiao asked, puzzled.

In the noisy and bustling classroom, the boy looked down with a soft expression. As the dusk cast a gentle hue over him, he suddenly raised his head and looked at her, saying, "I need to be cheered up.