TSDT - 10

While waiting, Jiang Ying felt a little uneasy, afraid of being seen by acquaintances and becoming the subject of gossip.

There was no other reason than Meng Jingshu’s tendency to be ostentatious, always. Perhaps it was because of his family’s wealth and his own superior conditions; he had received too much attention since childhood, which made him indifferent to others’ opinions and completely lacking in a sense of low profile.

When they first entered high school, the school had dress codes, and everyone was as obedient as quail, rotating between two or three sets of uniforms. But not him. He found pants of the same color as the school pants from who knows where, in several stylish designs, each one unique, not repeating for a week. He loved to wear black tops, at most putting on the school uniform jacket for flag-raising ceremonies and morning self-study to pass inspection. As soon as the inspection was over, he’d immediately take it off, as skillfully as a veteran senior. Every time Jiang Ying led the morning reading, she would see a sea of blue and white below, with only him in black.

Strikingly handsome.

The homeroom teacher lectured him endlessly. When he got tired of listening, he would behave for a few days, only to relapse the next week.

By senior year, even the quails weren’t so obedient anymore, experimenting with different outfits under their uniforms. Young Master Meng was even more advanced, secretly getting tattoos and learning to smoke. During the break between afternoon classes and evening self-study, when the faculty went to eat and rest, he would either play basketball with others on the court or find a secluded corner with a few of the school’s known hooligans, laughing and exhaling smoke.

One time, Jiang Ying found an empty spot to practice her oral English and ran into them. A girl properly dressed in her school uniform, holding an English book and a cassette, bumping into these people, her face suddenly flushed crimson for some reason. A few of them whistled and teased her. Meng Jingshu saw her silly expression, frozen in place, chuckled lightly, and gestured with his chin for her to leave. Jiang Ying snapped back to reality, her face practically steaming, and quickly hurried away.

When he returned to class, Jiang Ying felt she had to reason with him and help him nip his bad habits in the bud. She talked endlessly, nagging him, and Meng Jingshu didn’t seem to be listening, just lazily humming an “mm-hm” as a response. Finally, he glanced at her and said, “Don’t tell the teacher.”

Jiang Ying was especially worried but couldn’t do anything. He was always impossible to deal with. Sometimes when he was late or snuck out during evening self-study and got marked twice, Jiang Ying would remind him, and then he definitely wouldn’t break the rules for the rest of the week. Over three years, the number of times he was punished with running was negligible.

Once, Jiang Ying was really curious and asked him how he managed to restrain himself.

He said coolly, “If you get punished, they notify your parents. My grandparents are even more nagging than you.”

“...”

In fact, Jiang Ying couldn’t quite understand why she, a paragon of good behavior in her student days, had fallen for such a difficult person.

Life was truly unpredictable.

What remained unchanged was the still flashy car emblem...

This time, it was a dark gray, still the same style, it seemed?

Just like his previous pants of the same color but different styles, his black T-shirts of the same brand but different designs?

Flashy yet straight.

Jiang Ying trotted over and said, “Hi, good afternoon,” as she got into the car.

Meng Jingshu was confused by her sudden enthusiasm and raised an eyebrow, looking at her: “Good afternoon.”

It was still a bit awkward after all.

Jiang Ying pouted, having nothing more to say.

Both of them had come straight from work, still in their shirts and trousers, with their hair styled and cologne on. They didn’t look at all like they were going to eat bullfrogs; they looked more like they were about to embark on a business meeting.

After a moment of silence, she didn’t speak, but Meng Jingshu proactively broke it: “Been very busy lately?”

Not really, but Jiang Ying still modestly said, “A little.”

Meng Jingshu glanced at her, playing with his phone.

Phone...

He made a turn and said coolly, “Oh, me too.”

Huh?

Jiang Ying was full of questions.

She was very enthusiastic and polite today, right? What kind of reaction was that from him?

She thought for a moment and said, “Oh, right, your case has already been filed with the court. Now we just wait for their process. I’ll call regularly to follow up, but they have their own procedures, and it can’t be rushed.”

Meng Jingshu habitually frowned slightly while driving: “You can handle this with Assistant Liu; you don’t need to tell me.”

Jiang Ying’s tone was light and airy: “Really? But Mr. Liu said last time that President Meng was very concerned, so I thought since we met, I’d report to you.”

Silence.

Meng Jingshu simply ignored her.

Jiang Ying was in a great mood.

Indifferent in conversation, but generous when treating. That’s fine.

Meng Jingshu handed her the menu: “Order.”

Actually, two people couldn’t eat much. Jiang Ying flipped through it and only ordered a double-layer hot pot and an ice jelly.

“Done.”

Meng Jingshu took the menu, glanced at it casually, and asked in surprise, “That’s all?”

Jiang Ying cupped her cheeks and nodded.

Because there was no queue, she had been in a particularly good mood since entering the restaurant. After ordering, she even looked at him with a silly smile.

Meng Jingshu’s gaze steadied. He lowered his eyes, took a long, soft breath, then quickly checked off a few more dishes.

Jiang Ying, afraid that his ‘young master’ complex would strike and he’d become a spendthrift, quickly snatched the menu and handed it to a passing waiter, adding, “No ice in the ice jelly.”

She looked back. Young Master Meng was staring at her.

Jiang Ying: “Why are you looking at me? Do what you can, don’t waste it.”

Meng Jingshu stopped looking at her.

Jiang Ying: “...”

Why did this person become autistic as he grew up? Unlike her, who was getting smarter and cleverer.

The bullfrogs were fragrant and crispy, and the ice jelly was refreshing. Jiang Ying took photos to show off in the group chat, feeling content.

After leaving the restaurant, Jiang Ying remembered her empty fridge and bid Meng Jingshu farewell, “I need to go to the supermarket downstairs to buy things. You go ahead, bye-bye.”

Meng Jingshu checked the time and asked, “Not going back to work?”

Jiang Ying said, “The boss went to a meeting, and our firm isn’t working this afternoon.”

Meng Jingshu nodded and said, “I’ll go to the supermarket with you.”

Jiang Ying raised an eyebrow: “You don’t have to work either?”

Meng Jingshu said provocatively, “I am the boss.”

Jiang Ying: “...”

Meng Jingshu had already stepped onto the escalator and looked back to pull her, who was lagging behind. As the escalator descended, he stood one step lower, and Jiang Ying’s head gradually became level with his, then slightly surpassed it. He looked at the reflective metal panel next to them, then suddenly stepped up one step backward, stood next to her, and then tilted his head, looking down at her.

?

Outrageous!

Jiang Ying imitated him, stepped back one level, tilted her chin up, and managed to look down at him.

Meng Jingshu chuckled, “Immature.”

Huh?!!!

She took back her thought that he had become autistic!!!

Near the supermarket entrance, there were many snack stalls. Jiang Ying saw a milk tea shop and couldn’t walk past it.

She asked, “What do you want to drink? My treat.”

Meng Jingshu was silent for two seconds and said, “Five minutes ago, you said you were full.”

Jiang Ying: “Yeah, and five minutes have passed now.”

“...” Meng Jingshu said, “I don’t want any, you drink it yourself.”

Jiang Ying: “Are you sure you don’t want any? It’s happy water, super delicious.”

Meng Jingshu corrected her with a cold look: “It’s abs-disappearing water.”

Jiang Ying couldn’t stop laughing. She went and ordered a hot one for herself, slurping up the pearls, and shaking her head back and forth as she praised in front of Meng Jingshu, “It’s awesome!”

Meng Jingshu was amused by her exaggerated performance. He thought of something and suddenly asked her, “Haven’t you gotten tired of this stuff even after high school?”

Their high school was a boarding school. Unless it was a weekend or holiday, they had to show a leave slip to go out. At that time, Meng Jingshu made many unruly friends, both inside and outside school, and often snuck out to play during lunch breaks, needing to get leave slips from Jiang Ying. He impatiently agreed to her every quiet safety reminder, then left school swaggering, returning in the afternoon just as the class bell rang, with a cup of “Underground Subway” milk tea placed on her desk. Back then, girls all liked to drink that.

But leave slips were limited after all. Jiang Ying saw a stack of paper about to run out and was afraid she wouldn’t be able to cover for him if the homeroom teacher asked. She advised Meng Jingshu not to go out so often, and he squinted his eyes and agreed. A few days later, Jiang Ying went to get water just before class started and saw Meng Jingshu running back from a strange direction, covered in dust. That was definitely not the direction of the dorms.

During the break, she asked him, “Did you climb over the wall to get out?”

At that time, Meng Jingshu was buried in his homework. Hearing her words, his eye corners suddenly tensed. He looked up at her, a small portion of his dark pupils covered by his eyelids, looking fierce. Jiang Ying felt her breathing tighten under his gaze, thinking he was about to get angry. Unexpectedly, he said, “I even bought you milk tea. Don’t tell the teacher.”

The boy’s voice, still in its changing phase, was very low, only she could hear it, hoarse like sandpaper rubbing, and her heart also felt chafed by sandpaper, numb.

Jiang Ying still wanted to say something to him, but she was interrupted by the jeers of the surrounding onlookers. They were close, and others didn’t know what they were saying, but seeing the girl’s cheeks suddenly turn red was enough for them to start teasing.

There was nothing she could do. Jiang Ying softly said, “Just be careful not to get caught yourself,” and turned back to her seat.

Meng Jingshu’s deskmate returned after using the restroom. Seeing the situation, he said mischievously to her, “Discipline committee member, how about we switch seats during self-study? You’re sitting diagonally behind me, you can’t see anything, and it’s inconvenient to talk.”

The class bell rang. Jiang Ying threatened him expressionlessly, “The bell rang! If you say another word, I’m marking you down!”

And just like that, Jiang Ying intermittently drank free milk tea for over half a semester. Finally, one time, Meng Jingshu slipped up and was caught red-handed. The homeroom teacher gave him a severe lecture. The school, considering his good academic performance, didn’t record a demerit but only notified his family to educate him well. His new phone was confiscated, and he was sullen for many days in a row...

It was almost ten years ago.

Human memory can be imprecise, but the feelings evoked by memories are similar, with a sense of “just like yesterday.”

Jiang Ying chewed her pearls, slowly saying, “You were too careless. If you had never been caught, I probably would have gotten sick of it.”

She single-handedly pulled the supermarket shopping cart, wobbling. Meng Jingshu steadied one side and simply took over. His clearly defined, broad hand rested on the red handlebar, strikingly conspicuous.

He turned his head and asked her, “Did you really not tell the teacher?”

Jiang Ying: “Wow! You’ve been doubting me all this time?!”

Meaningless blather.

He smiled: “Which way do we go?”

Jiang Ying sipped her milk tea, pointed with her chin, and hummed “mmm-mmm” with puffed cheeks.

Meng Jingshu: “Fresh produce section?”

Jiang Ying nodded: “Mm-hm.”

Meng Jingshu chuckled to himself.

That voice was truly pleasant.