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墨書 Inktalez
They exchanged a silent gaze for five or six seconds.
"Why didn't you leave?" Jiang Wen asked her coldly, maintaining his original posture.
"You seem like a little child. When you don't get the attention of adults, you start throwing a tantrum." After a moment, he regained his voice, "I didn't."
"Hmm?" Feng Ning was puzzled. "If you weren't throwing a tantrum, then why did you pull out the needle?"
Jiang Wen's hand was still bleeding, and his expression darkened. "I don't want to hang around."
It was very quiet around them, quiet enough to hear his slightly heavy breathing. Feng Ning was good at reading people, while Jiang Wen was completely unguarded.
He had a cold demeanor and was good-looking, with an air that others were accustomed to.
Tsk tsk, what a petty person.
She chuckled lightly a couple of times and took a cotton swab, tentatively offering it to him. "Here, press it against the wound."
Jiang Wen glanced at the cotton swab for a moment but ultimately took it and obediently followed her instructions.
"If you don't want to hang around, then don't," Feng Ning said as she checked her watch. "Let's go eat."
They initially planned to go to the cafeteria, but when they arrived, it was empty, with many windows already closed. As they exited through the west gate, there were hardly any street vendors around. Feng Ning suddenly became curious: "Young Master, have you ever eaten in the cafeteria?"
"Don't call me Young Master," Jiang Wen frowned, bringing back his calm and composed top student image. "I don't eat there much."
"What's wrong? Everyone else is calling out, so what should I call?"
"Name." "Jiang Wen?"
"Yeah."
She called out again, "Jiang Wen?"
Jiang Wen glanced at her.
"Why don't you go eat at the cafeteria?"
"I don't like the smell..." Jiang Wen hesitated for a moment, struggling to find the words, and finally mumbled two words, "vegetable smell."
"Vegetable smell?" Feng Ning burst into laughter.
She suddenly remembered Zhao Binlin saying that Jiang Wen seemed cool and aloof on the surface, but inside he was just a delicate little thing.
"You're too precious, aren't you? Precious Jiang Wen, who can't even stand the smell of vegetables, hahahahahaha."
Jiang Wen's face turned sour from her laughter.
In fact, Feng Ning herself was feeling quite low; her stomach had just recovered from a recent issue. Both patients had poor appetites. Jiang Wen followed her as they casually entered a congee shop.
"Wait." Standing at the door, Feng Ning blocked him with her hand and sniffed the air.
"What's wrong?" she asked seriously as she turned her head.
"Just smell it first and see if you can still tolerate the taste of this place's dishes," she continued.
Jiang Wen, feeling frustrated, brushed her hand aside. "I'm not that picky."
Feng Ning ordered a bowl of wontons and also got Jiang Wen a bowl of century egg and lean meat porridge.
She took a tissue to wipe the table. "Do you drink milk tea? Meng Taoyu brought me a cup of grass jelly milk tea a few days ago, I think it was from nearby."
Jiang Wen shook his head. "I don't like milk tea."
When the wontons and porridge were served, Feng Ning poured vinegar into her bowl. "Can you believe there are people who don't like milk tea? It's my favorite! Milk tea with instant noodles is the perfect combination, pure happiness."
"Junk food."
Seeing Jiang Wen's serious expression, Feng Ning almost burst out laughing. Afraid he would get angry again, she held back her laughter. "Is that really junk food? Then what about the barbecue you had last time? Isn't that junk food too? You even sorted the trash!"
His tone remained calm. "I eat it occasionally, very rarely."
Feng Ning nodded and gave him a thumbs up, mockingly praising him. "Well, you're such a healthy little baby."
Jiang Wen didn't like hot food; he stirred the porridge until it was lukewarm before reluctantly taking a bite. He didn't speak while chewing and focused on swallowing the porridge, saying, "I'm not a child."
"Oh."
He ate in silence for a while and noticed that Feng Ning had stopped talking. When he looked up, she seemed distracted, her cheeks full as she chewed on wontons, but her eyes were glued to her phone.
Jiang Wen felt a surge of irritation at being ignored. After a moment, he finally asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Looking at handsome guys," Feng Ning replied.
She mumbled a couple of times, "This." She tossed her phone onto the table, revealing the screen displaying Qide BBS. Following someone else's suggestion, she had successfully found the post about the handsome guy.
"Hehe, they are selecting the top ten Campus Heartthrobs. I switched to three different accounts to give you likes and votes."
Jiang Wen glanced at it, his expression shifting from neutral to cloudy. "Oh... I don't care about this."
"Is what they said about Gossip true?" Feng Ning asked, biting her spoon. "You are too much."
He picked up the phone. "What did it say?"
"It said that a girl cried in front of you for a long time, and when she finished, you asked her, 'Who are you?'" Feng Ning straightened up, her eyes wide as she murmured, "You actually said 'Who are you?' Who are you?! Jiang Wen, how could you be so heartless at such a young age?"
Jiang Wen looked slightly confused and furrowed his brows as he thought for a moment. "When did that happen?"
"Junior High School."
"That girl didn't like me," Jiang Wen explained with some difficulty. "She was Zhao Binlin's girlfriend."
"Huh?" Feng Ning's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Why did Zhao Binlin's girlfriend come to cry to you? What did you do? Wow, are you involved in a love triangle?!"
“......”
“It has nothing to do with me. Because Zhao Binlin refused to see her, they were having a breakup at that time.”
Feng Ning pressed on, “Why wouldn’t Zhao Binlin see her if they were breaking up?”
“Because... she said she wanted to marry Zhao Binlin, and then Zhao Binlin got scared.” Jiang Wen's expression was slightly awkward as he hesitated for a moment, “They... well, Zhao Binlin...”
Seeing him struggle to continue, Feng Ning suddenly realized and exclaimed angrily, “Damn it, Zhao Binlin is just like that—hooking up with girls in junior high school and then wanting to dump them afterward. What a scumbag! So Zhao Binlin's emotional debt ended up on you?”
The topic was so bizarre that they surprisingly continued the conversation.
Jiang Wen nodded and added, “Not me, I’ve never... with a girl...” He trailed off mid-sentence, his ears turning red from embarrassment as he turned his head away from her.
Feng Ning laughed mischievously, her eyes sparkling, “Oh really? That’s how a good kid should be. If you want to do something with a girl, you should wait until you’re eighteen; that’s more scientific. But when you reject a girl, you can be a bit gentler and kinder. Don’t be so ruthless; we’re all going through puberty here. We see each other often at this age—teenagers are sensitive about their pride. It would be bad if word got out.”
Jiang Wen retorted, “What about you? You say I’m ruthless to others; what about yourself?”
“What about me?” Feng Ning replied nonchalantly as she took a big bite of her wonton. “I’ve broken the hearts of so many boys; if you ask me, I can’t even remember them all right now. But boys can handle emotional pain better than girls, so being a bit harsh doesn’t matter.”
However, sitting across from her was someone who was insecure and sensitive.
The sensitive one said, “I heard someone say that a boy in junior high cut your hair.”
Jiang Wen rarely, or rather never, took the initiative to inquire about others' gossip. When he spoke, he met Feng Ning's gaze but felt awkward; his voice grew softer, “He liked you for three years and even secretly followed you home, but you didn’t pay any attention.”
"Yeah." Feng Ning didn't notice his awkwardness. "He secretly followed me onto the bus and ended up getting beaten up by me."
"What?"
Feng Ning squinted her eyes, wearing a nostalgic expression. "This guy must have watched too many dramas or has some sort of persecution complex, imagining himself as a hero, insisting on protecting my safety. I don't have the time to play along with his idol drama!"
Jiang Wen: "..."
The summer lunch break is short. After finishing the meal, he realized there wasn't enough time to take a nap before heading back to the dorm.
Feng Ning had a bowl of wontons and felt quite full, patting her swollen belly. "I'm going to buy two cups of milk tea. Do you want to head back to school first?"
Jiang Wen paused and then stood up. "I'll go buy a cup too."
Feng Ning raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Aren't you the one who doesn't drink it?"
"I want to... try it."
Jiang Wen didn't like milk tea, but he had gotten used to her chattering.
If it got quiet, his heart would feel empty.
As for everything else, he didn't understand. He only knew that he was still immersed in the lighthearted and joyful atmosphere of chatting with Feng Ning just moments ago.
Jiang Wen cherished this limited happiness. Time was running out, and he was reluctant to pull away. But he couldn't say anything; he felt helpless and could only bury these feelings deep inside.
The milk tea shop selling grass jelly has a cute name, called Chibi Maruko-chan and Brown Bear. They are separated by just one road, and there are still many people in line.
Among them are students from Qide. A girl spotted Jiang Wen entering and playfully nudged her companion's arm, mouthing "Look at the handsome guy."
Feng Ning has a serious case of indecisiveness; every time she orders food or drinks, she studies the menu carefully and struggles for a long time.
She tilted her head back, her hair giving off a faint fragrance as it brushed against his chin.
Jiang Wen felt his mind sway, momentarily stunned.
Feng Ning raised her hand, pointing at the menu, "Should I get the signature pudding or the grass jelly milk tea?"
He was taller than her, looking down patiently as he said, "I don't know which one is better."
"Last time Meng brought me the grass jelly milk tea, so I'll have the signature pudding this time." Feng Ning frowned, finally making up her mind, and asked him, "What about you? What do you want?"
"Anything is fine; you can order for me," Jiang Wen replied.
Feng Ning showed an unusually troubled expression. "You can't let me order! I've already struggled so much with my own choices!" Despite saying that, she went back to seriously examine the menu again.
Jiang Wen stood behind her, showing a faint smile.
"How about mango coconut sago? Or lemon jasmine tea? Which one do you want?" She turned her head.
Jiang Wen deliberately said, "You choose."
Feng Ning took a deep breath, pondered for a while, and decided, "Then let's go with Mango Coconut Sago."
"Mm."
The line was long, with about ten people ahead. Feng Ning was a talkative person; once she started speaking, she couldn't stop. She didn't even need anyone to respond; she could go on and on by herself.
"You know, as soon as I saw the name of this place, I liked it."
"Chibi Maruko-chan and Brown Bear." He repeated the name of the shop, "Why?"
"Because my favorite cartoon is Chibi Maruko-chan! I still love watching it and often shake my head and mimic Maruko's lines."
There was a bit of sweat on the side of Feng Ning's face, her eyes sparkling with pride as she said, "When I was little, I had short hair, and everyone said I looked just like Maruko. Even my mom said so."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "Jiang Wen... what are you doing here?"
Both of them turned around to see Cheng Jiajia, who was standing next to another girl. At the same time, they noticed Feng Ning.
Cheng Jiajia stood there with a complicated expression, "Can you come out with me for a moment?"
Jiang Wen hesitated to move.
After waiting for about a minute, seeing he didn't respond, Cheng Jiajia said, "Let's clear things up."
"What are you saying?"
Cheng Jiajia bit her lower lip, "Are you sure you want to say this here?"
Jiang Wen remained silent.
Feng Ning maintained a serious expression, watching Jiang Wen follow Cheng Jiajia out the door. She couldn't help but feel regretful; it was such a pity to be in line. Otherwise, she would have loved to follow them and see how they acted out their youth idol drama!
The sunlight was scorching, the heat wrapping around people like a suffocating, sticky shadow. She hadn't felt it before, but now her head began to throb faintly.
Her heart felt like a chemical reagent bottle filled with medication; even a gentle breeze could ignite her impatience.
Cheng Jiajia's eyes glistened with tears, "So, you really intend to break up with me, right?"
Jiang Wen remained silent, his face still showing no obvious emotion.
She turned her head away, stifling her tears, then turned back and continued, "That day when we all had dinner together, they were all your friends. You left without saying a word after causing such a scene, leaving me all alone there. Don't you plan to explain anything to me?"
"I'm sorry."
"You know very well that when I said I wanted to break up, it was just in anger. Why won't you even comfort me with a single word? I never meant it that way."
Cheng Jiajia trembled with anger, "Do you have any idea how hard these past few days have been for me? We just broke up, and you're already out buying milk tea with another girl. Are you together now? Do you like her?"
She was emotionally invested, while his heart felt unsettled. His eyes were fixed on the entrance of the milk tea shop, where several Sunny Dolls and Chibi Maruko-chan smiled brightly. In the distance, there was a row of trees, black telephone poles, white clouds, and a blue sky, the colors unevenly distributed.
Jiang Wen began to imagine what her short hair would look like.
"Okay, let me ask a different question," Cheng Jiajia tightened her grip. "You don't like me anymore, right?"
Children were running around by the roadside, and he wasn't very focused. "Yeah."
"Then did you ever like me?"
After a long pause, she heard Jiang Wen speak:
"No."
Their conversation ended there.
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