As the witching hour approached, the crooked moon vanished, plunging the room into profound silence. On the one-meter-long dark gray sofa, Jiang Ci’s long legs lay bent, as if restless, seeking comfort in his way around . His eyes were closed, his thin lips pressed into a tight, unhappy line.
In the next instant, Jiang Ci’s eyes snapped open, fixing on the warm yellow chandelier suspended from the ceiling. He squinted, the faint glow doing little to soothe his discontent. An unfamiliar emptiness gnawed at his chest, a phantom limb ache for a presence now absent. The faint, sweet scent of milk, a comforting aroma that usually lulled him to sleep, was conspicuously missing. He couldn’t sleep.
Jiang Ci turned, his body confined by the sofa’s meager length. The distance separating him from the bed allowed him only a glimpse of the undulating curve of the quilt, a soft rise and fall that mocked his discomfort. A cold snort escaped him. Why did he feel so wronged, so ill at ease, when he could have been sleeping in comfort, his arms wrapped around Su Yue’s warm, soft form? His thin lips tightened further.
Jiang Ci had never been one to suffer inconvenience. He sat up, snatched his pillow, and strode directly to the large bed. Only a fool would willingly endure the sofa.
Su Yue’s head throbbed, the persistent ringing in her mind making sleep impossible. She merely lay with her eyes closed, feigning slumber. Hearing the faint footsteps, the mattress beside her dipped. Before she could react, a large hand had already enveloped her from behind, drawing her close.
“Jiang Ci?” Su Yue whispered, her voice barely a breath.
“Shut up and go to sleep,” Jiang Ci muttered, his chest pressed against her back, his chin resting on the side of her neck. He inhaled her faint, milky fragrance, and his taut brows finally relaxed. This, he realized with a sigh of relief, was where true comfort lay.
Su Yue opened her eyes, their clear, moist depths turning to look at him. She ignored his sharp reprimand, instead turning to face him. “Jiang Ci, you’re still angry…” She stretched out her hands, placing her soft palms against his cheeks, her touch brushing against the scar. A faint itch stirred, but Jiang Ci didn’t push her away. Under the soft light, the hard lines of his cold expression softened, ever so slightly.
Su Yue moved closer, tilting her chin, and pressed a soft kiss against Jiang Ci’s tense jaw. “Jiang Ci, don’t be angry.” When he was angry, she couldn’t sleep well all night.
The woman’s voice was a gentle murmur, her gleaming black eyes fixed on him, soft as pooling water. Jiang Ci lowered his gaze, and the strange, persistent feeling of restlessness that had gnawed at his chest all night dissolved instantly.
“You want to coax me again,” Jiang Ci sneered, a hint of accusation in his tone.
“Huh?” Before Su Yue could react, warm fingertips lifted her chin, and his cool lips descended upon hers. A deep, lingering kiss followed, a burst of clear taste flooding her mouth. Su Yue’s long black eyelashes trembled slightly in shock. Her wet, dark eyes inadvertently met Jiang Ci’s own pitch-black gaze, deep and shimmering. For the first time, she found his eyes profoundly beautiful.
Anger value: 0.
Su Yue’s eyes widened, staring at Jiang Ci. Their warm breaths mingled in the quiet night, her chin tingling from the slight roughness of his fingertips. This time, the kiss was profoundly different from any before. Su Yue’s hand unconsciously gripped the hem of Jiang Ci’s clothes, holding on tightly as a blush steadily spread across her pale face. Even during her acting days, it was always a borrowed kiss or a stand-in. In her mind, the exchange of saliva had always been a deeply uncomfortable act.
Jiang Ci’s dark eyes observed Su Yue, his tongue stirring as if he had tasted honey. At such close range, he could clearly see the shifting light in her beautiful, water-filled eyes, and the utter embarrassment and helplessness that washed over her. His heart skipped a beat, then another.
Jiang Ci suddenly pulled back, his breathing a little unsteady, his dark eyes shining with a new, vibrant light. “Su Yue, are you shy?” he asked. Her tongue had been hesitant, passive. This discovery, he found, was utterly novel and intriguing.
Su Yue froze. At his words, her snow-white face instantly flushed a vivid red. Her fingertips tugged at the hem of her dress, slightly pale, and she felt her breath escape in hot, rapid puffs. Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest, a frantic drumbeat she longed to stifle.
Jiang Ci released her chin, but his fingertips moved upward, stroking her excessively red lips. He pressed gently. “This is sweet.” For the first time, he realized that if he could bite her like this once a day, he could forgo mango cake entirely.
“You…” Her throat was dry, her voice a little hoarse. Su Yue pursed her lips and cast a shy glance at Jiang Ci. “Don’t talk. I need a moment.” She released her grip on his clothes, turned her body, and presented her back to him. She had always found kissing disgusting, but when it was Jiang Ci, she had never once resisted.
Jiang Ci hugged her tightly, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. “Su Yue, I’m not angry with you anymore.” She had known it, just then. Su Yue closed her eyes, offering no reply.
The next morning, the sky was utterly bright, sunlight filtering through the glass and bathing the emerald green bamboo by the window. The dark grey room seemed infused with new life. After waking up, Su Yue rose as usual and went to the bathroom. Seeing that the scar in the mirror had healed considerably, a smile touched her lips. Initially, the scars had been black and red, but now only three larger ones remained, the sulfuric acid burns faded to a dark red scab. She suspected Jiang Ci’s repeated outbursts of anger had somehow hastened her scar’s recovery.
When she emerged, Jiang Ci hadn’t woken yet. Remembering the kiss last night, which had lasted longer than any before, a blush still crept up her cheeks. When Jiang Ci finally awoke, he found his arms empty. He sat up, glancing casually, just as Su Yue donned her clothes, revealing a flash of white, tender waist. Jiang Ci closed his eyes and opened them again. The blurred vision had vanished. Now, his eyes were clear and bright.
He could clearly see Su Yue wearing a pair of short jeans, revealing two long legs that were dazzlingly fair and slender. He didn’t know what other women’s legs looked like, nor did he care, but observing the thin, white, perfectly straight legs before him, he couldn’t help but frown. Did she usually wear such things to school? No matter how unreasonable Jiang Ci might be, or how unaccustomed he was to appreciating feminine beauty, he knew Su Yue’s legs were remarkably attractive—white and thin, precisely the type men admired. He stared at her legs coldly, his expression one of distinct displeasure.
“You’re awake?” Su Yue closed the wardrobe, turned, and saw Jiang Ci was awake. “Jiang Ci, good morning.”
His dark eyes narrowed dangerously. Jiang Ci opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and lazy. “Su Yue, come here.”
“What?” Su Yue tugged at the hem of her clothes. She wanted to check on the puppy.
“Come here,” Jiang Ci repeated.
Su Yue hesitated for a moment, then walked over. “What’s the matter?”
Jiang Ci reached out, grasped her, and pulled her into his arms. Unprepared, Su Yue gasped in surprise. “What are you going to do? I have my first class this morning; I can’t be late.”
Jiang Ci sneered, flicking Su Yue’s forehead with his finger. “Who wants to trouble you?” Now that his vision was clear, Jiang Ci could distinctly see Su Yue’s soft, snow-white cheeks, and the dark red scars on the left side of her face were annoyingly prominent. His large hand fell to Su Yue’s leg. He patted it, eliciting a crisp “pop” sound.
“Jiang Ci, what are you doing?” Su Yue, struck without reason, was slightly surprised, then accused him. “You hit me?”
Jiang Ci was equally stunned. He glanced at her snow-white, flawless legs. He hadn’t expected Su Yue’s skin to be so elastic. “Angry?” Jiang Ci’s other hand clasped her waist, his dark eyes fixed on the small face before him, so delicate and smooth he almost wanted to take a bite. He refrained. “Who told you not to wear pants?”
At this, Su Yue’s eyes widened, and she retorted angrily, “Don’t talk nonsense! I’m obviously wearing a pair of shorts.” He couldn’t see anything.
“Oh, it’s better not to wear it so short.” Jiang Ci looked at her blushing face and suddenly found it amusing. He had been blind before, unaware that teasing Su Yue would make her irritable, like a kitten wanting to unleash its claws.
“It’s not too short. It’s summer now, and many girls dress like this,” Su Yue glared at him angrily.
“Change it,” Jiang Ci insisted, his face close to Su Yue’s. He kissed her rosy lips, a hidden smile dancing in his dark eyes that Su Yue couldn’t see.
Su Yue pursed her lips, wanting to argue. The next second, her eyes softened, and she obeyed obediently. “Okay, let me go, I’ll change it.” Then, under Jiang Ci’s clear gaze, the woman who had promised to change her shorts walked out of the room on her two thin, white legs. After all, Jiang Ci couldn’t see, and if she said she’d changed, he wouldn’t know she was lying.
Su Yue hurried to the utility room. When she opened the door, the puppy, which had been lying on the ground with its head down, instantly lifted its head at the sight of her and barked a few times, noticeably louder and stronger than yesterday. Su Yue squatted down and touched its wrinkled head. “Are you feeling better?” The puppy’s head obediently rubbed against Su Yue’s palm, its fur soft, and it let out a contented groan. “Come on, you must be hungry. I’ll take you to breakfast.” Su Yue picked up the puppy.
When they returned to the room, Xiao Haohao was already at the breakfast table. “Good morning,” the little one greeted Su Yue politely. He glanced at his father, sitting not far away, then lowered his voice and whispered to Su Yue, “Does the dog want breakfast too?” This clever little ghost was so cute.
“Yeah, it’s hungry too.”
Across the table, Jiang Ci looked at Su Yue’s dazzlingly white legs and laughed, an angry, humorless sound. This time, she was truly bullying his restored sight. His eyes fell on the stupid dog in her arms, and he frowned.
Anger value: 10.
Su Yue, still holding the dog, paused. Hadn’t they negotiated last night? Why was Jiang Ci still angry? “Jiang Ci, we agreed last night.” Su Yue walked to the table with the dog in her arms.
Jiang Ci’s dark eyes fixed on her legs. He said lazily, “I didn’t agree to you holding it.”
“You!” Su Yue sat down, looking at the man’s displeased face. The scar on his left side seemed even smaller now. She said softly, “Don’t be angry. Its legs are injured now; it can’t walk at all.” As Xiao Haohao squatted down to hold his toy car, Su Yue quickly leaned closer to Jiang Ci and kissed him on the corner of his lips.
Anger value: 0.
The corners of his lips tingled. Jiang Ci raised his eyebrows, snorted coldly, and said nothing more. Su Yue smiled and rolled her eyes. So easily appeased.
A thought struck her, and Su Yue continued, “Jiang Ci, please help me choose a name for the puppy.”
Jiang Ci cast a cold glance at the wrinkled dog in her arms, and said blankly, “Why should I name this stupid dog? Su Yue, don’t even think about keeping this dog.”
Su Yue’s face flushed hot. She really had such a plan—to gradually make Jiang Ci accept the dog. But how could she admit it? “No, its legs won’t heal that fast. During this time, I’m keeping it, and it needs a name. I think you’re smarter than me; you’ll come up with a better name.” Su Yue stretched out her hand and tugged at the hem of Jiang Ci’s clothes, her voice laced with a coquettish plea. “Please help me.”
Jiang Ci lowered his eyes, looking at the black fabric of his clothes, at her fingers, so white and slender. He licked the corner of his mouth. “Ginger.”
“What?” Su Yue looked at him suspiciously.
“Didn’t you want me to give him a name? Then this dog is called Sheng Jiang (raw ginger),” Jiang Ci said casually.
“Why?”
“Don’t you hate the smell of ginger?” If the dog’s name was ginger, she would despise it most of all.
Su Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “That doesn’t sound good. Change it.”
Jiang Ci lifted his eyelids lazily, looking at her long eyelashes trembling with a suppressed smile. He pursed his lips. “Scallion.”
“Huh? Why is it called chives?”
“Because I hate chives.” Jiang Ci made his hatred of dogs clear.
“What about Coriander?” Su Yue looked at the toy car Xiao Haohao was holding. She only now realized that Jiang Ci had named it.
Jiang Ci twitched the corners of his mouth. “I was eating coriander at the time.”
Su Yue understood. When he named the cat, Jiang Ci had been eating coriander. She touched the puppy’s head and smiled. “Okay, from now on, you will be called Chive.” As if understanding Su Yue’s words, the puppy in her arms barked in coordination.
In the following days, Chive temporarily resided in the small western-style building. What Su Yue hadn’t anticipated was Jiang Ci’s genuine hatred for dogs. Whenever he found Su Yue holding Chive, Jiang Ci’s anger value would climb to 10. Su Yue’s only recourse was a quick kiss to pacify him. If he discovered Su Yue feeding Chive breakfast, his anger value would again jump to 10. Su Yue would then proactively hug Jiang Ci.
In less than two weeks, Jiang Ci had been angered multiple times because of Chive. Su Yue hadn’t expected that this very dynamic would lead to her facial scar healing so rapidly. And Chive’s leg was almost fully healed. Now, it could even drag its injured back leg and walk slowly. Su Yue felt both joy and a strange sadness.
Recently, the school celebration program selections were announced. Su Yue hadn’t expected their program to be chosen. Jin Mingyuan walked away dejectedly. “Why did they choose our show? I don’t want to be on stage.” If it were a role playing a great beauty, she would be delighted, but she was playing an ugly dwarf, and she loathed it. “Didn’t you say this school celebration is very important? How could they choose the program so casually? Did you see that school girl dancing? Her movements were stiff and not soft enough, and those who selected them even applauded enthusiastically! Tsk, they really have no vision.” In their families, many daughters had cultivated etiquette and basic artistic skills since childhood, including dancing. Of course, Jin Mingyuan could dance, so she couldn’t tolerate the school girl’s clumsy performance.
“You can’t look at it with your professional eyes,” Su Yue commented.
“That department flower’s piano playing wasn’t very good either,” Jin Mingyuan picked up another point of contention with disgust.
Su Yue looked at her. “Why do you care about them?”
“I’m just a little unconvinced,” Jin Mingyuan patted Su Yue on the shoulder. “Our little Yueyue is so beautiful. If it wasn’t for your face that still hasn’t recovered, tsk tsk, how could there be that school flower, or whatever that department flower is called?” Jin Mingyuan also regretted that the school beauty election had already concluded, and Su Yue had only recently become beautiful. Otherwise, she would undoubtedly be B University’s school beauty.
Because of her rapid recovery, Su Yue still wore a mask whenever she left Xiaoyanglou, so as not to arouse suspicion from others. At this time, her face beneath the mask warmed slightly, and Su Yue felt a pang of guilt towards her friend as she thought of her perfectly recovered face. There wasn’t enough time now, but she would wait a little longer, and then she could let everyone know that the scar on her face had healed.