Lin Jing's heart suddenly stopped.
After about five or six seconds, she looked up at Sheng Kuang. Her gaze swept past his eyes and then quickly retracted. She hummed a vague, indistinct sound, turned, and ran away.
She ran through the school gate, then across the teaching building. By the time she reached the dormitory building, she slowed down to a walk.
Her mind was actually quite muddled, still in a daze about what had just happened.
Back in the dorm, she paid little attention to Lan Tingting's questions about her and Sheng Kuang being paired up. She mechanically pulled out clean pajamas from her locker and went into the bathroom.
By the time she finished her shower and tidied herself up, it was past midnight.
She climbed into bed and then remembered she hadn't messaged Sheng Kuang since returning to the dorm. She picked up her phone and swiped to unlock the screen. Just as she tapped on Sheng Kuang's profile picture, she received a voice message from him.
Lin Jing paused, then tapped to open it. The voice message was silent for a second, then Sheng Kuang's voice came through: "I'm home… go."
Little Jingjiang: ?wap.kanshu5.net
This time, Sheng Kuang sent her a video.
The video showed Little Gourd, who wasn't in his cage. Seeing Sheng Kuang return, the little gourd happily trotted around him.
Sheng Kuang seemed annoyed by its presence and kept trying to shoo it towards its cage. Little Gourd reluctantly refused to enter. Impatient, he tapped the cage twice. Little Gourd whimpered, lowered its head, and crawled into the cage, burying its face in its paws with a look of despair.
Only then did Lin Jing realize that his earlier, dismissive "go" had referred to Little Gourd.
She paused for two seconds, then couldn't help but send him a voice message: "Please be nicer to the puppy."
Little Jingjiang: Then you're really nice to the puppy.
miracle: Thanks.
Little Jingjiang: I wasn't praising you.
Lin Jing couldn't help but roll her eyes and typed back: Thanks.
Sheng Kuang knew she was mocking him, but he didn't argue. Instead, he changed the subject: "Not sleeping yet?"
Little Jingjiang: Getting ready to sleep.
miracle: Mm, go to sleep.
Lin Jing intended to reply with "Goodnight" and put down her phone. She saw "The other party is typing…" appear at the top of the screen. She stopped herself and waited for a moment, then saw a message.
miracle: I'm not sleeping yet.
Lin Jing made a sound and was about to ask if he wasn't sleeping because he had training, when another message popped up.
miracle: If you can't sleep, you can always find me. kanshu5.xia
Lin Jing suddenly understood what he meant, and her expression on the screen gradually became fixed.
Was he saying this because he was worried she was still upset and would be overthinking alone late at night?
When he bumped into her at the airport today, he hadn't done much. He'd taken her out to eat, played some games, and hadn't offered much in the way of comforting words, yet he had comforted her.
In the past, if something like this happened with Jiang Wan, she would have been down for three to five days.
But this time, it hadn't even been three to five hours.
It was truly magical.
At the time, she had only been focused on her sadness and hadn't noticed many details. Now, looking back, she realized Sheng Kuang was truly a boy who was warm to his very core.
He saw she was crying and, fearing she would be seen in such a disheveled state, covered her head with his clothes.
He knew she had encountered unhappy things. She didn't say, and he didn't ask. He simply stayed by her side in silence.
In front of Jiang Wan, she always felt insecure, unconfident, and full of self-doubt. But in front of him, she always felt as though she deserved to be treated well.
Lin Jing's heart felt as if it were immersed in warm water, heating her up, even making her eyes sting slightly.
She slowly swallowed and blinked at the screen. After a long moment, she gently began to tap the screen.
Little Jingjiang: Pin it?
miracle: Hmm?
Little Jingjiang: Pin it on WeChat?
Before Sheng Kuang could reply, she pinned him first and then sent him a screenshot.
Little Jingjiang: Like this, pinned.
Soon, her phone screen lit up.
Sheng Kuang sent her a screenshot in return.
Unlike hers, he had changed her contact name: Little Cp.