29

As Lin Tiao finished speaking, the room was left with only the sound of the television, which had just switched to an advertisement with a sweet, soft voice echoing through the room.

Twilight descended, and the sky outside the window had been covered by the glow of the sunset, casting a broad beam of light through the narrow window.

The room was divided into two scenes.

Jiang Yan sat in the dim light, his posture relaxed, with his long legs slightly bent. His pale, slender fingers rested casually on his waist, while his other hand held the TV remote control.

He seemed lost in thought, his handsome face expressionless, with his curled eyelashes casting a pleasing curve and a bit of shadow below his eyes.

From a distance, Lin Tiao couldn't make out the expression in his eyes.

After what seemed like a long time, Lin Tiao saw him open his arms. His slightly pursed lips moved, his voice husky, "Come."

"Huh?"

Come for what?

A hug.

Did you really take that seriously when I said it was just a joke?

Dude, you're really giving me face here.

Lin Tiao stared at him for a few seconds, confirming he wasn't joking. She took a deep breath, her clenched hands unexpectedly growing sweaty.

She looked into the boy's eyes, which, at this moment, were slightly leaning forward and exposed to the light in front of her.

Those glassy, sparkling eyes were no longer as lazy and relaxed as usual; now they were dark and still, like a calm sea hiding tumultuous waves within.

To hug or not to hug?

Forget it, just consider it a good deed for the day.

Lin Tiao hesitated no longer. She removed the cushion from her lap, stood up, and walked over to him. She leaned in slightly, her warm voice gradually approaching him.

"Alright, since I'm a kind person, I'll give you a hug."

As her words fell, the girl's embrace arrived.

Warm and soft.

Jiang Yan's body stiffened. His head rested on the girl's slightly frail shoulder, and he could smell the familiar fruity scent.

His fingers, hanging by his side, moved slightly. Before he could make a move, his phone on the table suddenly rang without warning.

Jiang Yan's phone rang with a loud, piercing system sound, like a blade slicing through the momentary romance, cutting it short.

Jiang Yan closed his eyes slightly to suppress his annoyance, as the embrace in front of him began to withdraw, and the warmth gradually faded away.

He released his tightly clenched hand, leaned over to pick up the phone on the table, and said in a detached tone, "Hello."

On the other end of the line, Xu Yichuan shivered unexpectedly, unaware that he had just interrupted something, "Brother Yan, have you and your sister left the hospital? We're all waiting for you to have dinner."

The voice from the receiver was completely unfiltered, and Lin Tiao suddenly remembered there was a dinner party that evening.

Jiang Yan rubbed his neck, his gaze shifting to Lin Tiao as if asking for her opinion. Seeing her shake her head, he looked away and said calmly, "Not coming. I have something to do."

Before Xu Yichuan could respond, Jiang Yan hung up, turned off the ringer, and tossed the phone aside.

The TV was still playing, and the atmosphere in the room became oddly strained.

Lin Tiao had already prepared her words for after the hug.

"I, Lin Tiao, am a kind person. I'm hugging you just to comfort you, and I have no other intentions."

Who knew that just ten seconds into the hug, the phone would ring?

It could have rung at any other time, but it chose precisely this moment.

Lin Tiao's prepared words were interrupted, and she fell into silence, staring at the TV.

Jiang Yan sat slightly behind her, leaning against the sofa, his gaze fixed on her.

To be honest, he hadn't expected her to actually go through with the hug. He had even braced himself for her to throw a pillow at his face.

But then, the next second, the girl suddenly stood up and walked over to him. The hug was completely unexpected.

The familiar scent that was uniquely hers enveloped him entirely.

Jiang Yan was momentarily disoriented, his mind blank, unsure of where he was or what he was doing.

The girl's embrace was soft and delicate, almost without any force, just a gentle hold.

Yet, he felt a comforting sensation rise from within.

It was as if he had been floating alone for a long time, and then suddenly, someone reached out and pulled him back.

Little by little, pulling him from the dreamy illusion back to the tangible reality.

Reminding him that he still existed in this world.

And that was all.

In early autumn, it was completely dark by six or seven in the evening. Lin Tiao and Jiang Yan quietly watched two episodes of a TV drama in the room.

Only one floor lamp was on, casting dim light.

Lin Tiao, having sat still for so long, felt stiff and, after stretching lazily, realized she was a bit hungry. She turned to Jiang Yan, who was sitting beside her, and asked, "Want to get something to eat?"

"Are you hungry?" Jiang Yan glanced at the dark sky outside, stood up, and said, "Let's go downstairs and get something to eat."

Lin Tiao put on her shoes and followed him downstairs.

The lobby downstairs was even more lively than during the day. Guan Che and a young boy were sitting behind the bar, chatting casually.

Guan Che noticed the two coming down and smiled, "Are you guys hungry? I ordered Haidilao. Let's eat together later."

Lin Tiao wasn't that hungry, but hearing Haidilao, her eyes lit up. Before Jiang Yan could ask, she eagerly agreed, "Sure."

Guan Che's smile remained unchanged as he checked his phone and then looked up at them, "It's just a few hundred meters away. You two can sit in the back."

Jiang Yan took Lin Tiao to the small lounge where they had breakfast earlier. A few boxes of cigarettes were on the small square table, but there was only one lighter.

He walked over, put the cigarettes and lighter away in a nearby drawer, then went to the small kitchen at the back and retrieved a box of yogurt from the fridge, "Here, have this for now."

Lin Tiao took it, feeling the cold package against her fingertips, and couldn't help but shiver.

Jiang Yan noticed her reaction, glanced at her short sleeves, and with a deepened gaze, stood up and walked out.

Lin Tiao had no idea where he went. At the moment, she felt so hungry that she quickly finished the yogurt by biting the straw a few times.

The yogurt was cold and made her feel chilly all over.

She rubbed her arms, surveying the small lounge, and noticed everything here was small and narrow.

There were many items, but it wasn't messy at all. It looked neatly arranged, and while not exceptionally tidy, it was practically paradise compared to an ordinary internet café.

After a while, Jiang Yan came back in, carrying a black jacket and handed it to her. "Put this on."

Lin Tiao indeed felt a bit cold, so she didn't refuse. She took it and put it on. The jacket had a crisp mint scent.

It was a familiar smell.

The jacket was too big for her. The hem didn't even reach her thighs, and her arms were engulfed in the oversized sleeves.

The sleeves were too long.

Lin Tiao decided to roll them up, revealing a bit of her white arms, but the cuffs were still quite loose, and the sleeves sagged back down after a few minutes.

After struggling a few times, she gave up and let the sleeves gather at her wrists. She asked casually, "Does the owner of this place not usually come here?"

She hadn't seen him during her two visits.

"He's here," Jiang Yan said lazily, his demeanor relaxed as if he had already recovered.

He suddenly reached out his hand toward Lin Tiao.

Instinctively, she stepped aside, but he didn't stop. He reached forward, grasped her wrist, and pulled her hand toward him.

Under the soft light, the young man lowered his head, his long fingers carefully rolling up her sleeves one by one.

Lin Tiao felt inexplicably warm and averted her gaze, asking, "So why have I never seen him?"

Jiang Yan finished rolling up her right sleeve and started on the left, his eyes slightly lowered. Once he was done, he looked up and met her gaze with a slight smile, "You see me every day. How could you not have seen him?"

"..."

Oh, damn.

I thought you were just a hardworking, frugal kid.

Didn't realize you were actually a low-key little boss.

Jiang Yan let go of her arm and took a step back.

He leaned back in his chair, raising the front legs of the chair, and reclining lazily, as if explaining, "The owner of this place needed money urgently."

"I happened to have some cash at the time."

"So I decided to buy it."

He spoke as casually as if he were buying groceries at the market, but even if Lin Tiao didn't know much about the industry, she should understand how valuable properties in such alleys in this city could be.

Not to mention, this was a small three-story building.

Plus, with several other universities besides Ten High School in the vicinity, this small alley could easily be considered a desirable school district property.

He bought it just like that.

This wasn't just a small boss; this was practically a wealthy young man with more money than he could spend, and who made a lot of income every day.

"..."

Lin Tiao felt she had been hit with an unprecedented shock. Just that afternoon, she was chatting with a driver, calling him a delusional rich guy who thought he was the best in the world.

And what now?

It turns out he's not sick at all; he's just a genuine rich guy.

Heartbroken.

Lin Tiao didn't want to say anything more.

Just then, Guan Che walked in with the exclusive delivery person from Haidilao. "Come on, come on, get ready, it's time to eat."

In no time, the small table was filled with dishes. A pot of soup simmered in the middle, with the broth bubbling and a delicious aroma filling the air.

Lin Tiao felt genuinely emotional. She was so hungry.

The three of them sat around the small table. Guan Che called out to the bar area, "Xiao Wei, aren't you eating?"

A response came from outside, "No, brother, I just ate when I came here. You guys go ahead and eat. I'll keep an eye on the store."

"Alright." Guan Che opened the chopsticks and said, "Let's eat."

The small lounge was filled with steam, and the rich aroma of the soup made Lin Tiao feel warm. After eating for a while, she decided to take off her jacket.

Before they started eating, Jiang Yan had brought her several cans of ice-cold cola. Lin Tiao drank as she ate, and soon felt quite full.

The two boys kept eating and chatting, so Lin Tiao didn't want to stop eating either and slowed down her pace.

Jiang Yan and Guan Che didn't eat much; most of the time, they were drinking cans of beer.

The two of them drank seven or eight cans, while Lin Tiao had more food than they did.

Perhaps because Lin Tiao was present, the two boys kept their conversation limited to recent happenings at the internet café. Most of the time, Guan Che would say a few things, and Jiang Yan would respond.

Halfway through the meal, Jiang Yan's phone flashed on the table. He glanced at it, picked up his phone, and walked outside.

Lin Tiao put down her chopsticks and watched his retreating figure.

Guan Che, sitting opposite her, put down his beer after Jiang Yan left and cleared his throat. "What happened today when you went out?"

"We met Jiang Yan's mother at the hospital," Lin Tiao said honestly. She felt Guan Che was different from Xu Yichuan and the others. He seemed to understand Jiang Yan better and was more stable in character, so perhaps he would know how to comfort and guide Jiang Yan.

As expected, Guan Che's face darkened immediately upon hearing this, and he spoke coldly, "Oh, really? She still has the face to come back."

"..."

Lin Tiao felt this issue might be a bit too big.

Can a junior speak so about a senior?

Guan Che seemed to realize his tone was off, and after calming down, he didn't continue the topic. Instead, he looked at Lin Tiao and asked, "Do you want a drink?"

"I don't know how to drink."

Lin Tiao had a low tolerance for alcohol and was prone to getting drunk, so she generally avoided alcohol.

"Alright." Guan Che relaxed his grip, picked up his chopsticks, and served some meat rolls from the pot.

The two of them chatted casually, while Jiang Yan remained outside for a long time after taking a phone call.

Lin Tiao watched Guan Che drinking alone and decided to open a can of beer from the table and offered it to him. "Let's have a drink together, as a celebration for us having a meal together for the second time."

Guan Che thought this girl was quite interesting and didn't refuse. He raised his can to clink with hers and casually asked, "How did you meet Jiang Yan?"

Lin Tiao took a sip of beer, the bitterness spreading on her tongue. She paused before replying, "We were in the same class after the class changes."

After a moment, she remembered something. "Actually, it was at the end of last semester. We were in the same exam room."

Guan Che asked, "What do you think of him?"

"He's pretty good." Lin Tiao took another sip of beer, her thoughts slightly slow due to the alcohol. "Um, why are you asking this?"

"Curious," Guan Che said, lowering his gaze. "In all this time, I haven't seen him treat any girl so well."

Lin Tiao felt a bit tipsy but still caught the key words in his statement. "If you think he's treating me well, you might want to see an eye doctor."

"..." Guan Che smiled, his gaze on her. He hesitated and then asked, "You're not going to get drunk from just this little bit, are you?"

If she got drunk from this, Jiang Yan would definitely give him a hard time.

"I'm not drunk, just a bit dizzy." Lin Tiao gestured. "I think I need to see an eye doctor; I'm seeing double of you."

"..."

Guan Che was about to say something when he noticed Jiang Yan walking toward them, holding his phone.

"..."

He felt that next year on this day would be his last.

Jiang Yan had just finished a phone argument with Yu Fengyan and was in a bad mood.

To his surprise, as soon as he entered, he saw his little desk mate with a beer can, looking visibly drunk.

His expression darkened. He kicked Guan Che's chair and said with a frustrated tone, "Who the hell let you give her alcohol?"

Guan Che was almost knocked off balance by the kick. "I didn't give the girl alcohol; she asked for it herself."

He wasn't lying; Lin Tiao said she couldn't drink, and he hadn't forced her to. If she wanted to drink, he couldn't stop her.

But honestly, he hadn't really tried to stop her.

He didn't expect someone's alcohol tolerance to be so low; she barely had any beer and was already as drunk as if she'd had a few shots of strong liquor.

Jiang Yan was speechless.

Lin Tiao was clearly drunk, her expression a bit dazed, her cheeks slightly flushed. When she heard the argument, she didn't react much.

She just felt a bit dizzy, as if the room was spinning.

In the next moment, she suddenly felt suspended in mid-air. Her heart raced, and before she could react, the scene in front of her changed.

Jiang Yan had initially planned to send her home after dinner, but now that she was completely drunk and probably didn't even know where she lived, he had no choice but to carry her to a room to rest.

Just as he laid her down on the sofa, the girl, as if on a stimulant, took off her shoes and began jumping and bouncing on the sofa while humming and singing.

"..."

Jiang Yan felt utterly overwhelmed.

Guan Che, feeling guilty, came up from downstairs with a cup of honey water. When he entered, he saw Lin Tiao in her drunken state.

Jiang Yan stood by, expressionless, watching him. Guan Che forced a smile, set the water on the table, and quickly left.

Who could have expected this?

The girl seemed quite obedient, but when drunk, she acted like this. It was clear she had been holding back her emotions for too long.

Jiang Yan was completely at a loss with drunk Lin Tiao. No matter how stern he was or how softly he tried to coax her, she wouldn't listen.

She was completely unresponsive.

For a moment, Jiang Yan really wanted to give her a good scolding, but after she sobered up, he wanted to give Guan Che a good scolding instead.

"Lin Tiao." Jiang Yan, feeling helpless, went over, grabbed her wrist, and handed her the cup of honey water, speaking gently. "Stop bouncing around. Drink some water and get some rest. I'll take you home."

"Who are you?" Lin Tiao's eyes were very bright. Even drunk, they seemed even more so. "You look like my desk mate."

She mumbled to herself, sounding somewhat wistful, "He can't be like my desk mate. He's too pitiful."

"???"

"There are many secrets." Drunk Lin Tiao spoke without any logic, just saying whatever came to her mind. "And a lot of money."

"?!"

After bouncing around, she sat cross-legged on the sofa, her gaze unfocused. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

"At the internet café." Jiang Yan felt a throbbing headache, patiently explaining, "You were eating hot pot here and got drunk."

"Nonsense, how could I be at an internet café? I'm a good student." Lin Tiao's thoughts were scattered. She seemed to remember something, her voice soft and a bit plaintive. "I want to go home."

"I don't want to stay at Teacher Yang's place." The girl's eyes were reddened, her voice soft and weak. "I want my mom and dad."

Jiang Yan didn't know about her past, but hearing her say this, he could only understand it in a general sense. Seeing someone who usually seemed carefree now so distressed brought an indescribable feeling to his heart.

He squatted down in front of her, speaking softly to calm her. "Okay, I'll take you home. We won't stay at Teacher Yang's place, alright?"

The boy's voice was deep and gentle, with a soothing tone, "Be a good girl and drink some water. I'll take you home."

Lin Tiao looked down and saw her own small reflection in his eyes. His eyes were dark, like a vortex, drawing her in bit by bit.

She rarely obeyed but took the water he handed her and sipped it slowly.

Seeing her drink the honey water, Jiang Yan couldn't help but sigh in relief. After she finished drinking, he took the empty cup and placed it on the table behind him.

He stood up and searched for his phone on the sofa, planning to call Meng Xin to ask where Lin Tiao's home was.

He had tossed his phone onto the sofa, and with the girl jumping around, he didn't know where it had rolled off to.

After searching for a while without finding it, Jiang Yan's gaze landed on the phone Lin Tiao had left on the table. He reached out to grab it.

Although Lin Tiao was drunk, she had a strong protective instinct for familiar things. Seeing Jiang Yan take her phone, she felt a surge of panic and tried to grab it from him.

Jiang Yan didn't expect her to react this way. After getting the phone, he turned and asked, "What's the password?"

Before he could finish speaking, a figure suddenly lunged at him.

Afraid of the person getting hurt, he didn't dare move away and instinctively tried to catch them. However, the girl had jumped from the sofa, and she was almost as tall as he was.

As he caught her, her head hit his nose with a dull thud.