Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Milkbiscuit
As he spoke, Lin Jiage discreetly took a look behind him.
The face of Honey Tea Hair had become so awkward that her complexion was starting to look a little awful.
The moment he saw this, only then did Lin Jiage finally retract his gaze, relieved. His coaxing words didn’t stop as he led Shi Yao away—in fact, due to being some distance away, he even intentionally raised his voice in order to ensure a certain someone would hear him, “Besides, didn’t I ignore her every time she tried to speak to me?”
“I didn’t want to talk to her, but it’s not good to drag things out. I had to reject her properly. If I didn’t, she might have taken my silence as consent instead, and that would’ve been way worse!”
“…”
Lin Jiage’s words shot forth one after another, leaving no interval for Shi Yao to interject at all.
After they left the building, safe out of Honey Tea Hair’s sight, Shi Yao could finally exclaim, “Wait wait wait wait wait!” Only then did Lin Jiage stop his seemingly incessant monologue.
Lin Jiage had been holding her close throughout the entire journey, and since it was summertime, the season where everyone dressed light, Shi Yao could clearly feel the warmth and sturdiness of his chest.
His natural fragrance kept assaulting her senses as well.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and when Lin Jiage stopped speaking, she ended up stuttering “You you you you you” for a long time with a reddened face before she finally recalled what she wanted to say, “What are you doing?”
“Oh…” In contrast to Shi Yao’s flustered appearance, Lin Jiage appeared much more composed. “… I’m recruiting your help.”
Recruiting my help?
Shi Yao blinked at him, staring at Lin Jiage with an uncomprehending look in her eyes.
Then, it suddenly dawned on her that, in this instant, she was still being held in Lin Jiage’s arms.
A burning sensation engulfed her face, and she instinctively lowered her head as she hurriedly struggled free from Lin Jiage’s grasp.
At first, she wanted to ask him what he meant by recruiting her help, but after this brief awkwardness, she found herself unable to speak a word.
Silence lingered between the two for quite some time before Lin Jiage spoke up, “There’s no way I could have given you a heads up given the situation, so I acted without permission… By recruiting your help, I meant that I was using you as an excuse to reject that girl…”
At which, Lin Jiage paused for a brief moment before asking hesitantly, “… Do you mind?”
In truth, Shi Yao didn’t particularly care about it either, just that he’d held her and walked for quite some distance…
The crimson-faced Shi Yao wasn’t too sure how to respond to Lin Jiage at this time, so she ended up maintaining her silence instead.
On the other hand, Lin Jiage stared at her slightly reddened neck for a long time before speaking up once more, this time in a deeply apologetic tone, “I just thought that it’d be fine since we’re friends. If it really bothers you, I’ll remember not to do it again in the future…”
Thinking that Lin Jiage had misunderstood her silence for anger, Shi Yao hurriedly shook her head and interjected, “No, that’s not it… Actually, I don’t really mind helping you…”
She was just a little embarrassed… but how could she possibly say such a thing in front of him!
Shi Yao pondered for a moment, and she eventually decided that the best course of action in this situation was to change the topic, so she said, “Well… Aren’t we going to eat now? Let’s eat… mala stir-fry pot, how about that?”
Lin Jiage nodded casually, putting on a look as if he was fine with eating anything, “Sure.”
There was a brief moment of silence between them before he continued, “You can lead the way.”
Shi Yao quickly nodded with an “Un un” before setting forth toward the school gates.
Lin Jiage quickly followed behind her.
The two of them didn’t say a single word along the way, but from time to time, Lin Jiage would shoot a glance in Shi Yao’s direction.
As he looked, he couldn’t help but recall the waist he had wrapped his hand around earlier.
Even through her blouse, he could still feel the softness of her body…