NOVEL NEXT Chapter 279
There was no other way. Xu Lin could only bring Jiang Zimeng to Su Qingwan’s house. After all, it was late at night, and he couldn’t just leave her at some shady motel.
Su Qingwan had originally planned to sleep, but she suddenly received a message from Xu Lin saying he was coming over, so she ended up watching some TV dramas instead.
“Coming over at this hour… he’s not planning to do something bad, is he? No, what am I even thinking?! I don’t have to compete with Sister Qin like that.”
That said, Xu Lin and Sister Qin had somehow gotten together. The funny thing was, it all started because of her. The two of them had met for the first time because of her, then later got involved in a case, which led to some unexpected events, and suddenly, they were secretly seeing each other.
At first, she was really angry, but then she thought about it—Sister Qin wasn’t the one actively pursuing it. She was more of a passive participant. Despite that, the two of them got cozy, while she, Su Qingwan, had been hesitating all this time.
It wasn’t really Sister Qin’s fault. Besides, during this recent outing, she surprisingly found herself enjoying the idea of the three of them being together.
Although the thought was absurd and made her question her sanity, the truth was clear: if she didn’t team up with Sister Qin, Xu Lin might end up running off with someone else. She used to think it didn’t matter whether she had a man or not, but when there’s a man you actually want right in front of you, it’s hard to resist fighting for him.
“Speaking of which, why haven’t you come yet?”
Just as she muttered this, the doorbell rang. She quickly walked over, putting on a warm and welcoming smile as she opened the door.
But the moment she saw Xu Lin and the girl next to him, her smile froze.“And who is this?”
“Jiang Zimeng.”
“The owner of that villa?” Su Qingwan had a good memory. Though she’d only seen her once or twice, she recalled quickly.
“Yes.”
“And what are you two doing together?”
“Well, Superstar Chu want to buy the villa, but her mother said she couldn’t make it tonight. I had just delivered some snacks to Sister Qin and Bai Xiaoxiao, and since I was near Bai Xiaoxiao’s place, I thought I’d stop by and check on the situation.”
“So it’s while you were on the way. It’s cold outside. Come in first.”
Once inside, Xu Lin noticed the living room lights were off and immediately asked, “Are Auntie and Uncle asleep?”
“No, they’re out. I was just about to rest, so I turned off the lights. You two sit down, and I’ll get you something to eat.”
“You should try the Snow Princess mochi I made.”
“The same type as Superstar Chu’s?”
“You follow her Weibo too?”
“Of course. You guys are already a family now. If her male fans found out it was you, they’d probably tear you apart.”
After settling on the couch, Xu Lin pulled out the mochi, while Su Qingwan ran to the kitchen.
“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Xu Lin glanced at Jiang Zimeng, who sat with her head down, silent and withdrawn.
“…What was I supposed to say?”
“Just say what you usually do, like last time.”
“That was at my house… Out here, I get nervous about everything.”
“Your social phobia is that bad?”
“…”
“Teacher Su, what are you up to?”
“Getting some hot milk for you two. It must be cold outside.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit chilly.”
Xu Lin walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter beside Su Qingwan. She instinctively leaned back into his arms.
“You haven’t explained yet. You went to ask her mom about selling the house—how did you end up bringing the girl back with you?”
“There was a bug in her room. It freaked her out so much she couldn’t sleep. I told her it was too late to deal with it, and I was heading home anyway…”
“But she insisted on coming along, so I had no choice but to bring her here,” Xu Lin explained.
“So you’re just dumping her on me?”
“Yeah. You think it’s appropriate for me to take her back to my place?”
“Who knows, she might think it’s perfectly fine. By the way, this girl seems a bit different from the last time I saw her.”
“She has some social phobia. Be patient with her.”
Su Qingwan had encountered plenty of socially anxious people throughout her school, university, and work life. She herself had gone through a period of confusion, and it was Sister Qin who had helped her a lot during that time. Looking at this young girl—she didn’t seem much older—Su Qingwan figured she must have her own reasons for being this way.
Even girls from well-off families don’t necessarily know how to socialize. Judging by her love for small animals, she seemed kindhearted but lacked the skills to communicate with people.
In that moment, Su Qingwan’s teacherly instincts kicked in, and her annoyance faded away.
“Alright, I’ll take care of her.”
“Thanks, Teacher Su.”
“Drink your milk.” She turned off the stove and brought over three cups of hot milk.
Xu Lin glanced out of the kitchen window and noticed a layer of white on the windowsill. He leaned closer and realized the snowfall had gotten heavier.
“It’s snowing.”
“Yeah, the first snow of the year.”
Su Qingwan walked over and handed him a cup. As Xu Lin took it, his fingers brushed against hers, and he smiled faintly.
“What are you smiling at?”
Feeling a bit flustered under Xu Lin’s steady gaze, Su Qingwan looked away.
“I was just thinking, this year, we’re experiencing the first snow together. I wonder if it’ll happen again next year?”
“…” Su Qingwan’s heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his eyes, but she quickly turned her head away.
“That’s probably a line you’ve used on plenty of other girls, so don’t try to fool me.”
“I haven’t. You’re the first. But you’re right, next time, I could say it to someone else. Thanks for the idea, Teacher Su.”
“Get lost! Have you finished your assignments?”
“Aren’t I exempt from that?”
“No exemptions. You have to finish the worksheets today.”
“This is too much! I’ve been busy all evening, and now you want me to do homework? I’ve got other things to take care of!”
“You’ve got things to do, yet you’re out wandering around.”
“The snacks without preservatives will spoil in two days. Once I finish this milk, I really need to head out.”
“It’s snowing outside. How did you get here?”
“E-bike.”
“Then just stay the night.”
“I still have to do my homework.”
“I’ll let you off just for today.”
“Still can’t. I really do have things to do.”
“Fine, no rush. It’s past 11 anyway. At least let your parents know.”
“Alright.”
Xu Lin sent a message, then carried his cup of milk to the living room, only to find Jiang Zimeng asleep in the corner of the couch. Her large down coat was draped over her, and her mask was off, revealing a doll-like face that looked peaceful and adorably delicate in her slumber.
“She really is a pampered princess. Her nutrition’s top-notch.”
“Her face is indeed quite round.”
“Not what guys usually focus on.” Su Qingwan glanced at a faint curve peeking out from her side.
“Su Qingwan, you’re a teacher! Be serious, would you? Even I, as a guy, didn’t notice that. Your eyes are way too sharp.”
“I wasn’t telling you to look!”
“Alright, I’m leaving. Just leave her there; don’t worry about it. Let her sleep, and deal with her when she wakes up.” Xu Lin finished his milk in one gulp, set the glass down, and stood up.
He really needed to go back and work on his novel. He hadn’t taken a day off today, and he couldn’t afford to miss two days this month.
“Wait a second, let me grab you a scarf.”
“No, no need.”
“Look at your neck—you’re definitely going to catch a chill. It won’t take a second.”
With that, she quickly ran into the bedroom. After a bit of rummaging around, she came back holding a light yellow scarf.
“Don’t move, let me wrap it for you.”
She walked up to Xu Lin and gently wrapped the scarf around his neck, like a tender newlywed wife adjusting her husband’s tie.
But what Xu Lin said next was beyond Su Qingwan’s expectations.
“Now that I think about it, the last time someone wrapped a scarf for me like this was when I was in elementary school, and my mom did it for me.”
“…Xu Lin, I think you’re not just a jerk anymore.”
“Oh?”
“You’re also terrible at talking.”
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