Chapter 12
The atmosphere grew silent.
Yan Weiqiu stuffed the notebook back into the drawer and even locked it.
This kind of thing should be locked away forever!
Actually, he hadn’t cried, he was just embarrassed that Jiang Yuebai had discovered his little secret.
The random notes in the notebook were just things he had scribbled down when he was bored, writing whatever came to mind. He had originally thought he wouldn’t bring it to class and that no one would see it if he left it at home.
He hadn’t expected Jiang Yuebai to find it. Fortunately, only the first half of the notebook had been exposed, not the rest.
On the last few pages, one page was filled with Jiang Yuebai’s name.
If Jiang Yuebai had seen that, he would have been even more mortified.
His mood gradually calmed down, but he still didn’t know how to face Jiang Yuebai. The embarrassment of having his little notes discovered lingered, so he got up and went to the bathroom to cool off.
Unlike him, Jiang Yuebai was panicking.
He had always been afraid of Yan Weiqiu crying, and he wasn’t good at comforting people.
So he always let Yan Weiqiu have his way, rarely making him angry.
He had just been so excited to discover Yan Weiqiu’s little secret that he couldn’t resist wanting to know everything about him.
He wanted to know if Yan Weiqiu felt the same way.
Moreover, those notes were fragments of their lives together.
Details he had overlooked over the past ten years.
Jiang Yuebai had a feeling that when he reached the last page of that notebook, he might find the answer he had been searching for all these years.
His gaze fell on the lock on the drawer, and he sighed silently.
If Xiaoqiu didn’t want him to know, he wouldn’t force it.
Click—
Yan Weiqiu came out of the bathroom, and Jiang Yuebai’s gaze immediately went to him. His face was wet, his eyes red, as if he had been crying for a long time.
Jiang Yuebai’s heart clenched at the sight.
Yan Weiqiu lowered his head. He could feel the awkwardness in the air and wasn’t sure if Jiang Yuebai would laugh at him, so he didn’t dare to look up. He just lay back on the bed and continued reading.
But his behavior made Jiang Yuebai think he was so angry that he didn’t want to talk to him. His mind raced, trying to think of something to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.
It was over.
The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. The only sound in the room was the rustling of pages turning.
Jiang Yuebai felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He even opened a food delivery app, browsing ice cream flavors, wondering how long it would take for the ice cream to arrive.
Just as he was about to place an order, Yan Weiqiu spoke, breaking the silence.
“Do you want to have lunch together? Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Huh?” Jiang Yuebai didn’t react, still a little dazed by Yan Weiqiu’s soft voice. Was Xiaoqiu no longer angry?
In the past, if they had a little disagreement, and Xiaoqiu was angry, he wouldn’t even acknowledge him, let alone ask him what he wanted to eat for lunch or if he wanted to eat together.
Yan Weiqiu glanced at him and asked, word by word, “I’m asking you if you want to have lunch together. My treat.”
“I’m not picky, anything is fine.” A smile appeared on Jiang Yuebai’s face, acting very subservient.
Yan Weiqiu looked at him strangely for a few seconds. Why did Jiang Yuebai seem so off?
And why did he look like he had made him angry and was now begging for forgiveness?
He raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile playing on his lips. “So, do you want braised beef, mushroom stewed chicken, spicy beef, or scallion ribs?”
Jiang Yuebai was silent for a moment, his gaze drifting to the wardrobe in the room. On the top shelf was where Yan Weiqiu usually hid his snacks.
Yan Weiqiu loved instant noodles, so there were many Master Kong brand noodles hidden there.
From Yan Weiqiu’s perspective, he had hidden them well, but because Jiang Yuebai was a head taller than him, he had discovered his secret stash at a glance.
But Yan Weiqiu hadn’t realized that his secret had been discovered.
Yan Weiqiu propped his head up, looking at him, as if waiting for his answer.
Jiang Yuebai sighed silently, crouched by his bed, and asked softly, “Are you still angry?”
Angry?
Yan Weiqiu was stunned, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression shifting between surprise and confusion.
When was he angry?
Wait, could it be that Jiang Yuebai had been thinking he was angry this whole time because he hadn’t been talking?
Yan Weiqiu lowered his eyes, suppressing a smile. He was already thinking about how to make Jiang Yuebai pay for this.
Seeing that he remained silent, Jiang Yuebai suggested, “It’s getting late, let’s go eat?”
“Sure.” Yan Weiqiu glanced at him, a smile in his eyes, and dropped the act. “So, what flavor of instant noodles do you want?”
Jiang Yuebai’s expression turned troubled. Afraid of angering him again, he said carefully, “Let’s not eat instant noodles. I’ll treat you. You can have whatever you want.”
Yan Weiqiu remembered seeing a classmate post about a seafood feast on social media a few days ago and muttered casually, “I heard there’s a new seafood restaurant in the south of the city. I wonder if it’s any good.”
Jiang Yuebai caught on immediately. “Mm, I’ve wanted to go there for a while. Why don’t we have that for lunch today?”
Yan Weiqiu nodded. “Okay, I’ll reluctantly agree.”
Jiang Yuebai breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiaoqiu shouldn’t be angry anymore, right?
He could feel Jiang Yuebai staring at him.
Yan Weiqiu tried to keep a straight face, pretending to be angry.
There was a snack street in the south of the city, filled with stalls and bustling with tourists.
Yan Weiqiu stared at the milk tea shop for a long time, then tugged on Jiang Yuebai’s sleeve. “Do you want milk tea?”
His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Jiang Yuebai smiled and nodded. “Mm, I do. What do you want? I’ll buy it.”
Yan Weiqiu was satisfied with his agreeable attitude. “I want taro milk tea with boba.”
The milk tea shop was full of people, and the line was long. Jiang Yuebai placed an order on his phone, then took him to the seafood restaurant, had him sit down, and went back to the milk tea shop.
It was quite a trek back and forth.
Yan Weiqiu watched his retreating figure and muttered, “So troublesome. It’s not like I really needed it.”
He had overlooked the fact that it was a busy time, and there were many people ordering.
Only Jiang Yuebai didn’t find him troublesome.
When Jiang Yuebai returned with the milk tea, Yan Weiqiu was still struggling with what to order.
He loved seafood, but there were too many choices, making it hard to decide.
Jiang Yuebai sat beside him, very close.
He even put the straw in and held it to Yan Weiqiu’s lips.
Yan Weiqiu took a sip and frowned slightly. “What do you want to eat?”
Jiang Yuebai watched as the tip of his pen landed on the crayfish dish on the menu and chuckled softly. “Crayfish. It’s been a while. Do you want five-spice or spicy? Or should we get one order of each?”
Yan Weiqiu was satisfied with this answer but still glared at him with a sullen expression. “I don’t like peeling shrimp.”
Jiang Yuebai raised an eyebrow playfully. “That’s what your little servant is for. Just sit and wait to be fed.”
Yan Weiqiu choked slightly, his face flushing with heat. He pursed his lips shyly and hummed softly, “That’s because you made me angry.”
“I was wrong.” Jiang Yuebai apologized without hesitation, his voice slightly bitter. “And I made Xiaoqiu cry.”
Yan Weiqiu: “???”
When did he cry?
He didn’t even know.
“I saw you.” Jiang Yuebai secretly held his hand and said with a frown, “You were crying in the bathroom for a long time.”
Yan Weiqiu: “???”
He felt his breath catch in his throat.
Who was crying in the bathroom for a long time?!
He was just embarrassed. Jiang Yuebai not only discovered his little secret but also read it out loud in front of him. It was mortifying.
And he wasn’t even that angry with Jiang Yuebai about it.
He certainly didn’t hide in the bathroom and cry.
He just wanted to wash his face and cool off, that’s all.
“I’ll buy you ice cream later, okay?” Jiang Yuebai held his fingertips, gently rubbing them. So soft.
Yan Weiqiu, still at a loss for words, his eyes lit up slightly at his words. “I want Häagen-Dazs.”
“Mm, anything you want.” Jiang Yuebai was still playing with his fingers.
Yan Weiqiu followed his gaze and finally realized what Jiang Yuebai was doing. He immediately pulled his hand back.
…
…
The atmosphere became a little stiff, and they stared at each other.
Yan Weiqiu glared at Jiang Yuebai, his face flushing red.
What was he doing?
Trying to take advantage of him?
The waiter began serving the dishes.
Yan Weiqiu eagerly took a bite of the salt and pepper shrimp that had just arrived, then spat it out in pain.
Jiang Yuebai handed him a glass of tea and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s too hot.” Yan Weiqiu stuck out his tongue and exhaled, mumbling, “I think my tongue is burnt.”
“Let me see.” Jiang Yuebai held his chin, meeting Yan Weiqiu’s gaze. His eyes were watery, and his face was full of grievance, looking both pitiful and adorable.
Yan Weiqiu stuck out his tongue innocently. “Mmm, what are you looking at?”
Jiang Yuebai stared at the tip of his pink tongue, a scene he had fantasized about countless times appearing in his mind. He swallowed hard.
Yan Weiqiu swatted his hand away angrily. “You’re hurting me.”
His skin was delicate, and even a little force would leave a mark.
Jiang Yuebai looked at the faint finger marks on his chin, coughed lightly, and looked away guiltily, starting to peel the shrimp for him diligently.
A bowl full of shrimp meat, drenched in sauce, was placed in front of Yan Weiqiu.
“As an apology.” Jiang Yuebai smiled, his eyes hiding his complex emotions.
Yan Weiqiu smiled triumphantly. “Then I’ll be generous and forgive you.”
“Don’t let it happen again!”
“I know.”
