The girl glanced at Jiang Jiang in slight panic, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Thank you… could you give me two tissues?"
Jiang Jiang took out a brand-new unopened pack of pocket tissues from her pocket and handed it to her. The girl accepted it and said thank you again.
Her voice was very similar, too.
Jiang Jiang was still holding her phone. The camera was tilted a little, and Ji Xu'an could only see half of Jiang Jiang's face.
She couldn't see the situation on the other side clearly, and she felt a little anxious. On top of that, Jiang Jiang didn't reply to her. She had been staring at the girl the whole time. A faint, subtle sense of loss suddenly brushed across Ji Xu'an's heart.
She suddenly recalled that by the artificial lake during the day, Jiang Jiang had been like this as well. She had clearly been hiding something, yet Ji Xu'an had not been able to ask anything.
Fortunately, Jiang Jiang did not ignore her for long. Very soon, Ji Xu'an saw Jiang Jiang straighten the camera, and her fair face reappeared on the screen.
Jiang Jiang shook her head at Ji Xu'an in reassurance. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
Ji Xu'an had been thrown into confusion out of concern. In reality, the girl had merely fallen in front of Jiang Jiang, without even touching her shoes.
Hearing this, Ji Xu'an reluctantly felt at ease. She wanted to ask whether Jiang Jiang knew the person opposite her. She had just parted her lips when she saw Jiang Jiang lift her gaze again and place her attention back on the girl.
Ji Xu'an could only swallow the question she had not asked.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and listened silently to the sounds from the other end of the call.
After wiping her tears dry, the girl standing opposite Jiang Jiang did not leave immediately. Instead, she said thank you to Jiang Jiang again.
Jiang Jiang gave a slight nod. "You're welcome."
Her attitude was not particularly warm. But perhaps because she had not been cared for in a long time, the girl's emotions were a little hard to contain. She looked at Jiang Jiang cautiously for a few seconds, then suddenly said softly, "Actually… I know you."
"Mm?" Jiang Jiang's expression was not very surprised. There was even a kind of calmness as if she had expected it.
On the other end of the phone, after hearing those words, Ji Xu'an's already tense lips drew into an even straighter line. She took a deep breath and did not interrupt the two of them.
The girl continued speaking softly. "You're Xie Xiao from the photography major. I've heard of you."
Jiang Jiang seemed interested. "Really? Who did you hear it from?"
The girl looked somewhat at a loss. "Just… when I heard classmates chatting about you. They said you're very pretty, and your personality is also very good."
Jiang Jiang merely smiled and did not respond to that.
Her attitude gave the girl a certain illusion. The girl's courage clearly grew. After hesitating for a few seconds, she gathered her bravery again and said to Jiang Jiang, "Xie Xiao, whether you believe it or not, the first time I saw you, I felt that you looked very familiar."
As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Jiang Jiang. Seeing that Jiang Jiang did not refute her, she continued in an uncertain tone, "It's like we've known each other for a long time."
Jiang Jiang looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in front of her. For a second, her gaze wavered. That subtle abnormality was so faint that it was difficult to catch, yet it did not escape Ji Xu'an's eyes.
Ji Xu'an suddenly thought of something. Her expression grew colder and more solemn.
Jiang Jiang had lived in Dazhao for more than ten years. It was impossible for her not to have had even one close person. Since Xie Wanwan could appear here, why couldn't others?
Coupled with what Jiang Jiang had said about "an acquaintance," Ji Xu'an seemed to understand something.
Jiang Jiang did not know that Ji Xu'an had already guessed. In any case, she had not originally intended to hide it from her. As she aimed the phone at her own face, she curved her lips slightly and said to the girl, "Perhaps."
The girl gripped the books in her arms tightly. After hesitating for a long time, she asked in a very small voice, "Then… Can I add you as a friend?"
Before Jiang Jiang could speak, she hurriedly waved her hands again. "I don't mean anything else. I just really admire you…"
Jiang Jiang did not ask what she admired about her. She took another step forward, moving closer to the girl. "Do you want to be friends with me?"
The girl was very nervous, but she still mustered the courage to nod. In a low voice, she said, "Mm."
Jiang Jiang did not answer immediately. Instead, she lowered her head to look at Ji Xu'an's reaction. Unexpectedly, the moment she lowered her gaze, she met Ji Xu'an's eyes looking toward the camera.
Ji Xu'an had not expected Jiang Jiang to look at her suddenly. Her expression stiffened at first. Then the corners of her lips lifted slightly, and her eyelashes lowered as well.
She did not want Jiang Jiang to notice her unhappiness.
The fingers with which Jiang Jiang held the phone tightened slightly. After a few seconds, she raised her head again and looked at the girl. "Okay."
The girl's gaze seemed to linger on Jiang Jiang's phone for two seconds. She knew Jiang Jiang was on a call with someone but did not ask further. Instead, she hurriedly took out her own phone in a fluster.
The two added each other's contact information. When setting the remark, Jiang Jiang casually asked, "By the way, I still don't know your name."
"My name isn't very nice." The girl looked at Jiang Jiang hesitantly, then quickly withdrew her gaze.
"I… I'm Xiaobao."
"Liu Xiaobao."
The last two words were so soft they were almost a murmur, yet Jiang Jiang heard them clearly. Her expression did not change. "It's a very cute name."
Liu Xiaobao let out a breath of relief. After a few seconds of silence, she could not help but ask softly, "Do you really think this name is cute?"
Her tone carried a hint of excitement, mixed with a bit of nervousness.
"Mm." Jiang Jiang gave an affirmative answer.
Her gaze was calm. It was as though she was looking at Liu Xiaobao, and yet also as though she was looking at someone else through her.
Liu Xiaobao pressed her lips together and smiled at Jiang Jiang. On that delicate and pale face, there was finally a trace of youthful vitality belonging to a young girl. "Thank you, Xie Xiao."
Her voice was soft. "You really are a particularly good person."
Jiang Jiang curved her lips slightly as well. "Thank you."
After saying that, silence once again fell between them.
Jiang Jiang then shook her phone lightly. "Sorry, Xiaobao. My girlfriend is coming to pick me up."
Liu Xiaobao hurriedly took a step back. "It's fine, it's fine!"
As she spoke, a blush appeared on her face. "I'm sorry. I delayed your time."
Jiang Jiang shook her head. "It's fine. My girlfriend, she doesn't mind."
Ji Xu'an heard it clearly from the other end of the phone. She did not know whether she should first feel happy because of Jiang Jiang's "girlfriend," or first feel depressed that Jiang Jiang truly thought she "didn't mind."
But in the end, she said nothing.
Liu Xiaobao was very tactful. After saying goodbye to Jiang Jiang, she left. Jiang Jiang watched her receding figure, and the smile on her face slowly faded.
She had walked for about seven or eight minutes when Ji Xu'an arrived. She parked the car by the roadside. After getting out, she headed straight toward where Jiang Jiang was.
Because Jiang Jiang did not live on campus, she did not need to participate in the evening training. At this time, most people had already gone to the classrooms. The entrance to the cafeteria, which had been slightly crowded just now, also became quiet.
From afar, Jiang Jiang saw Ji Xu'an's figure. The woman was wearing a light-colored trench coat, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, her temperament cool with a trace of distance.
The "keep strangers away" on her face completely disappeared the moment she saw Jiang Jiang. Even her eyes curved slightly.
Jiang Jiang's heartbeat suddenly grew a little chaotic. Absent-mindedly, she wondered what the first sentence Ji Xu'an would say later would be.
Would she ask who Liu Xiaobao was?
—
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