Did he really say something too harsh?
Just as he was feeling annoyed, he suddenly heard footsteps in the corridor. Su Jinning looked towards the door and saw Chen Hang running back to the classroom, looking travel-worn.
Chen Hang shook his rain-soaked umbrella and complained with a grin, "Damn, Ning-ge, the rain outside is huge! These water droplets could kill someone."
Su Jinning was quite annoyed and didn't care about his teasing. She picked up her schoolbag and walked straight to the door: "Let's go, my dad said he's coming to pick me up, he'll give you a ride."
Chen Hang beamed with joy, his eyes wide as he asked, "Really?! That's amazing! Uncle is truly awesome!"
Su Jinning found him noisy and walked ahead in a few steps. Only after leaving the teaching building did Su Jinning realize just how heavy the rain was today.
The rain pouring down in front of me was almost forming a semi-transparent wall, and the pattering sound of it hitting the ground was unsettling.
Through the rain wall, Su Jinning seemed to see a familiar figure from behind.
It was a boy, wearing the school uniform of Zhengde No.1 Middle School, seemingly searching for something by the bushes.
Su Jinning is nearsighted, and even after squinting for a long time, she still couldn't make out who it was.
Chen Hang, who was standing nearby, also noticed it and exclaimed in surprise after seeing it clearly: "Hey Ning-ge! That looks like... a top student?!"
Su Jinning paused slightly, looking at the blurry figure, then turned back to Chen Hang and asked nervously, "Are you sure?"
Chen Hang nodded: "How could I possibly admit to making a mistake about my own students?"
"Damn, wasn't the playground not supposed to be swept today? What's he up to?" Su Jinning wondered as she hurriedly ran into the rain, holding up her umbrella.
Chen Hang was left alone, bewildered in the wind...
As Su Jinning approached, he confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed Shen Moyu. Even after he held the umbrella over Shen Moyu, Shen Moyu didn't notice anyone coming and was still searching through the bushes.
Su Jinning couldn't stand it anymore and suddenly grabbed Shen Moyu's arm, pulling him up.
Rainwater streamed down Shen Moyu's forehead, some of it lingering on his slightly parted lips, which were agape in surprise.
Su Jinning tilted the umbrella slightly towards him and said sternly, "What are you doing? Did you come to the playground to shower?"
In response to Su Jinning's questioning, Shen Moyu merely licked the raindrops off her lips, a hint of elation appearing on her cold, pale face.
"The item has been found."
The rain was so heavy that the two of them were enveloped in the rain. Su Jinning leaned closer and asked in confusion, "What did you say?"
To his surprise, Shen Moyu tiptoed and whispered in his ear, "I've found your jade pendant."
Whether it was the warm, rain-soaked lips that touched Su Jinning's earlobe, or his words that seemed burning hot in the cool rain, Su Jinning's cheeks suddenly flushed, and her eyes widened instantly.
Shen Moyu opened his fair and slender palm, and inside lay the jade pendant that Su Jinning had been longing for.
He gripped the jade pendant, which had been hanging shakily in his hand, and suddenly felt that there was something else mixed in with that joy, which made him feel suffocated.
Shen Moyu looked at his sullen expression and asked, "What's wrong? It's not this part..."
"Yes." Su Jinning nodded heavily, looking into his eyes to confirm again, "It's this one."
Shen Moyu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good then." Wiping the raindrops from his face, he explained, "Last night when you put your coat on me, I heard some strange noises coming from this patch of grass. I thought it was just bugs or mice or something, so I didn't pay attention. I suddenly remembered it in class today, so I came to look for it on a whim, but I didn't expect..."
Before he could finish speaking, Su Jinning grabbed his wrist and hurriedly led him toward the teaching building.
Su Jinning didn't stop until she reached the steps of the teaching building.
"You're going to go looking for it in this heavy rain? Are you an idiot?"
Su Jinning's words were serious, but the emotions in her eyes were unreadable.
Chen Hang was confused, but still felt it was best not to stay there any longer: "Um... well, you must be cold, top student. I'll go get you a cup of hot water. You two talk things out, don't fight." With that, he ran off in a flash.
Shen Moyu frowned. Being soaked to the bone was already making him uncomfortable, and he didn't want to say anything more: "We've found everything, so let's not talk about it anymore, I..."
"sorry."
He was interrupted by Su Jinning once again. But both of them seemed stunned.
Su Jinning's eyes dimmed slightly, and he said aggrievedly, like a child afraid of being scolded by his parents, "I was too harsh this morning, I'm sorry." He took a breath, and the tense expression on his face relaxed a little: "Because I was too anxious, I impulsively blamed you for the mistake, I'm sorry."
His apology was too formal; he just kept his head down the whole time, whether he felt guilty or was afraid to look at Shen Moyu's face, it was hard to tell.
"Probably both." Shen Moyu thought, then sighed, "I don't know what this jade pendant means to you, but you were so excited, it must be very important." He listened to the sound of rain outside the door, which seemed to have subsided a bit, "If it were me, I probably would have gotten angry too. I understand."
After saying that, he glanced at Su Jinning indifferently, his face showing no emotion, and turned to walk towards the stairs.
He felt a dry warmth on his cold wrist and turned to look at Su Jinning, who was holding his wrist.
"Could you... not hate me because of this?"
His voice was soft, his face was heavy, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he were afraid of something.
Shen Moyu was stunned, pondering his words. Looking at his slightly aggrieved expression, he wanted to laugh, even though he knew it was inappropriate.
He felt helpless, recalling the time he got angry at the infirmary entrance because he hadn't eaten the seafood rice he bought.
"Why do you, a grown man, always ask such sentimental questions?"
Perhaps what he really wants to ask is, why are you so afraid of being disliked by others?
Su Jinning felt a little embarrassed and hesitated for a moment before letting go of her wrist: "Am I being pretentious?"
It seems like he's asking himself.
But he still wanted to say, "I just don't want my impulsiveness and recklessness to hurt you, and then lose you as a friend..." He could barely hear himself anymore by the end, then rubbed his face in frustration: "Fine, go to the washroom and wipe yourself off..."
"I don't know if we can be considered friends," Shen Moyu interrupted him.
He stood on the stairs, looking down slightly at the "little kid" who was half a head taller than him but liked to daydream: "But I don't hate you."
Su Jinning blinked gently, then suddenly gripped the jade pendant in her hand tightly.