Chapter 69: Getting Closer Only to Realize It's a Stranger (Part 1)

  The end of November swept away, and the weather finally stopped being capricious with Jiang City, gradually getting colder. The campus finally presented a uniform winter school uniform.

  However, Su Yisou and Jiang Fengchen never contacted each other again. Every time Jiang Fengchen mentioned this matter to Su Yisou, she would uncontrollably quarrel with him, and in the end, they parted ways unhappily. So the two people tacitly avoided mentioning it, not even exchanging phone calls or text messages, as if both of them had quietly withdrawn from each other's world.

  Su Yisu can't remember how many cold wars they've had. Neither of them could swallow their pride and lower themselves to initiate a conversation with the other, even though they both realized that there might be a huge misunderstanding between them.

  That evening, after dinner, the three of them still had some time to kill, so they strolled into the sports field again, sat under the banyan tree shade and enjoyed the breeze. Su Yisu kept holding her phone, looking at it repeatedly, only to throw it aside in disappointment, repeating this action countless times. Finally, Jiang Zuo couldn't bear it anymore and teased: "It's only been a few days, and you're already missing him so much? If you miss him, just give him a call, staring at your phone won't make Jiang Fengchen appear!"

  Su Yisu resentfully glanced at her and said in a low tone: "Who wants to contact him!"

  Jiang Zuo shrugged and didn't respond.

  At that time, Lin Wan was chatting enthusiastically on QQ with her head down, not paying any attention to the two of them. Jiang Mo couldn't help but sneak a peek at Lin Wan's phone and saw the chat record, suddenly shouting: "Lin Wan! Are you going to meet that old uncle of yours?!?!"

  Lin Xiao was startled by Jiang Zuo's sudden appearance, and subconsciously called out in a low voice. He raised his head, looked at Jiang Zuo, and said with lingering fear: "Can't you not scare people like that?"

  "It's clearly because you're too absorbed in your own thoughts. Right, Su?"

  Su Yi looked at the two of them and nodded blankly.

  "Whatever, you're completely out of state." Jiang Xiaoqin disdainfully sneered and gazed at Lin Wan sinisterly, saying: "Little girl, can online things be trusted?"

  "Hmph." Lin Wan coldly snorted and ignored her.

  Jiang Zuo Ling said with a sneer, "You won't really see it, will you?"

  Lin Lin thought for a moment with her head tilted, then replied: "Not seen."

  "That's right!" Jiang Zuo Ling clapped her hands and praised, "Lin Wan, you're very rational!"

  Lin Lin gazed up at the dense, lush foliage above her head and muttered: "Because the world in my fantasies is always a little more beautiful."

  In early December, the temperature in Yincheng dropped at a visible speed, and the whole sky was gloomy all day long. If it weren't for the alternation of day and night, people would really doubt that the sun no longer existed. The cold wind howled, and the bustling streets began to be deserted. Everyone liked to stay in their warm little nests.

  Jiang Fengchen gazed out at the tree branches swaying in the wind, his heart growing increasingly irritable. Even the cocktail mixing he had mastered seemed clumsy now. It was still before opening hours, and Jiang Fengchen stood behind the counter, lost in thought as he wiped it down. He didn't even notice Lian An calling out to him several times right in front of him.

  An Yiran stared at him strangely, with his elbow on the counter, and shouted again: "Fengchen!"

  Jiang Fengchen finally came back to his senses, looking at An Yiran in a daze and asked: "Wha...what's going on?"

  "Let me ask you instead? What's been wrong with you these days? You've always seemed absent-minded."

  "Alas..." Jiang Fengchen wanted to speak but hesitated, as if he had a thousand words to say, yet when the words reached his lips, he couldn't bring himself to utter them.

  An Yiran thought for a moment and suddenly understood, "Still worried about Su Yisuo's affairs? I really don't understand, why can't two people be honest with each other? Torturing each other like this is also torturing oneself, isn't it self-inflicted?"

  Jiang Fengchen's eyes suddenly dimmed, and he said, "Perhaps we are really too young, too naive about love, thinking that two people are the whole world, unaware that besides each other, there are thousands of obstacles waiting for us."

  An Yiran burst out laughing, "This is how big of a disappointment it would take to have such feelings."

  Jiang Fengchen shook his head, suddenly remembering something, and said: "I want to go back to Jiang City for a trip."

  Upon hearing this, An Yiran couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise and involuntarily asked: "You're going back to find her?"

  Jiang Fengchen nodded, "Her birthday is coming up soon, I want to take this opportunity to ease our relationship a bit. Maybe, face-to-face talk will make everything clear."

  An Yiran felt jealous and didn't want him to go back. She suddenly envied that naive and carefree little girl who had only met him once, with so many people caring about her. She didn't want Jiang Fengchen to go back, not just because she was afraid that everything they had done before would be in vain, but also... there was an inexplicable feeling in her heart, a faint idea that she couldn't grasp. She could come up with thousands of reasons to stop Jiang Fengchen, but she couldn't.

  After thinking for a long time, she simply said: "Have a smooth journey."

  The wind outside suddenly stopped, the music in the bar was replaced with passionate rock and roll, a new night of urban noise and confusion was about to unfold, but why did I suddenly feel a little lonely? An Yiran stared at the bustling crowd inside the bar, suddenly feeling a bit bewildered.

  December 7th, Su Yisou's nineteenth birthday. In light of last year's lesson, Su Yisou finally remembered this day and threatened Jiang Jiaolong and Lin Wan not to buy her anything or celebrate in any way. She had never been one for grand festivities anyway. Yet, there seemed to be a tiny bit of expectation in her heart - what was it? She couldn't quite put it into words.

  That night, Su Yisu was about to go to class when her phone suddenly rang. She sighed helplessly, birthdays and all, couldn't stop the enthusiasm of relatives and friends. But when she saw that name, she was stunned, and her eyes also reddened uncontrollably. Chen, you finally called me, why do I feel like these past few days have been so long?

  After composing herself emotionally, she nervously pressed the call button, trying to suppress her inner excitement, and calmly said: "Chen?"

  Jiang Fengchen was taken aback for a moment, deliberately ignoring the coldness in her tone, and said softly: "Yi Su, happy birthday."

  "Uh-huh, I'm happy." Su Yisu bit her lip, tears streaming down, Chen, Jiang Fengchen, I'm not happy, not even a little bit.

  Jiang Fengchen detected something unusual in her tone and couldn't help but feel worried. "Yisu, what's wrong?"

  "No," Su Yisu wiped away her tears and forced a smile. "I... I was just about to head to class, that's all."

  "It's been over a month since I've been outside of school, but the school hasn't changed at all. Yet, I feel like I've already left for a very long time."

  "Chen?" Hearing Jiang Fengchen say that, Su Yisu was so shocked that she almost threw her phone away. "You're saying you've come back?"

  "Right, come back and see you. Are you coming out?"