12: Chapter 12 He wanted to try it

Gu Yanchen opened his eyes and squinted. Finding the girl beside him softer and more adorable than cherry blossoms, he reached into his pocket and handed her a small piece of undergarment that emitted a faint scent of soap.

"Use this to wipe it off."

She smiled sweetly, her stray hairs gently falling beside her ears. Though she looked like a fairy, the words she spoke were surprisingly chilling.

"Are you sick in the head?"

"Otherwise, how did that lace trim get torn? Explain that to me."

Gu Yanchen froze for a moment, his face flushing red instantly, the blush spreading all the way to his neck and ears.

"Exactly how many times did you do it?"

"..."

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to go tattle to Zhang Xiaoxiao."

"Three times."

"I'm really going to tell on you, I'm not lying."

"It was too many times, I can't remember."

The boy turned his head away, looking somewhat listless. He remembered that night again; he had originally only wanted to smell the undergarment, but it spiraled out of control, and it was too intense all night long on the bed.

He had never been so out of control in his entire life.

His mind was filled with images of her snuggled in his arms, eyes slightly closed, panting.

Su Yue stroked the boy's slightly messy short hair, looking quite satisfied. She rarely said something so down-to-earth: "I brought your clothes, and I also bought you a new one, the largest size. I wonder if it fits?"

Gu Yanchen was stunned.

Guided by her gentle voice, he sat up as if possessed.

Then, he obediently took off his old clothes and tried on the new ones. Su Yue lowered her head to help him tidy up, smoothing out the wrinkles on his chest, and smiled: "It's a perfect fit. Doesn't this look quite handsome? Why are you always wearing such dirty clothes?"

"Odd jobs ruin clothes easily."

It was physical labor; just moving a few things would get them dirty. He couldn't bear to wear nice clothes, so after a long time, only these few tattered ones were left. This was the first time someone other than his mother had bought him clothes.

Gu Yanchen stood there blankly. His original belly full of anger was now as docile as a Labrador retriever.

Su Yue bent down to pick up the paper bag, and a row of scabbed wounds on the back of her neck caught his attention. He stared at them, his gaze suddenly turning deep: "What happened here?"

Su Yue hurriedly covered her mouth, saying regretfully: "It's all my fault. I purposely sent a video to Zhang Xiaoxiao to make her angry..."

"She said she didn't hit me."

The girl's body trembled slightly, and she forced a smile: "Yeah... yeah, she said she didn't hit me, so it's fine. Gu Yanchen, I'm leaving. It's best to hand-wash the clothes; don't dry them in the sun. Also, I'm sorry. I won't pester you anymore from now on."

Men are sometimes just like that, always looking for trouble.

Chasing too tightly doesn't work; you have to let go appropriately, making him wonder, 'Su Yue, why are you like this? Everything was fine, so why did you suddenly stop pestering me?'

After saying this, Su Yue waved her hand nonchalantly, put on her schoolbag, and left.

Her slightly curled high ponytail swayed gently with the wind.

Her back looked just like a first love fading away in a youth movie.

Walking out of the school gate, the girl took out her phone and sent a message to Su Yues deskmate: "Did Gu Yanchen follow you out?"

Su Yues deskmate replied: "No, he's still standing under the tree in a daze."

Su Yue: "..."

Su Yues deskmate added: "Now he's just lying down and continuing to sleep. My god, he's so laid back; there are so many mosquitoes under the tree in the evening."

Su Yue replied: "Then let the mosquitoes bite him to their heart's content."

Damn, Gu Yanchen didn't follow as planned. If she walked to the subway station, she would definitely be intercepted by Zhang Xiaoxiao and her group. By then, never mind losing a few strands of hair, being forced to kneel and slapped would be the least of it; she would probably be teased and humiliated by the thugs.

Hiss—

Su Yue quickly called the driver to come and pick her up.

Thus, she stood at the school gate, waiting in boredom.

Not long after, Gu Yanchen, who should have been sleeping under the cherry blossom tree, appeared carrying a tattered cloth schoolbag.

He walked past, then turned back.

"Why haven't you left yet?"

Su Yue: "... Waiting for a car."

"Oh." He kicked at the pebbles under his feet, momentarily at a loss for words, scratched his hair, and asked: "Do you want to eat some glutinous rice balls?"

There were two snack carts not far away. The vendors were taking advantage of the fact that the city inspectors were off duty to run to the school gate to do business.

Steaming hot glutinous rice balls coated in soybean flour were sweet and sticky. Boys might find them too sweet, but the girls in school loved them, and he wanted to thank her for buying him clothes.

Su Yue never ate street food.

To be precise, she didn't eat food in public that would ruin her image.

Her mother had taught her since she was a child that as a girl, the most important thing was one's image—to be beautiful and tidy. But having experienced the Apocalypse, where she had even eaten rat meat, she no longer had those concerns, and she nodded slightly.

Gu Yanchen crossed the road, bought them, and handed them to her—Su Yue took one and ate it with a crunch.

Her cheeks were puffed out, just like a little hamster.

Gu Yanchen smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.

She glared at him. "What are you smiling at?"

Yeah, what was he smiling at?

The boy pursed his lips and sniffed. "I used to think you looked down on people, and I was very hurt, but now I find that you are cunning and a bit bad."

So cute.

Su Yue coughed, ate a few more bites, pushed the plate away, and said impatiently: "Good compliment, don't do it next time. The car is here, goodbye."

The Mercedes-Benz pulled up to the curb, its lights flashing.

She opened the car door, got in with her bag, soybean flour still on the corner of her mouth. Her cold gaze lingered briefly on the tall boy, then quickly moved away.

Gu Yanchen squatted by the roadside, eating the glutinous rice balls she had left behind.

He licked the bottom of the bowl, still wanting more. The soybean flour, with who knows how much brown sugar added, was so cloying it made his throat hurt, yet it still wasn't as sweet as her smile.