Qi Anan’s tone was incredibly genuine. In the first place, what she said was the truth. Whether it was Jiang Lu in the novel or Jiang Lu who she knew, they were both clean teenagers pure like white moonlights. Their excellence was evident to all.
Jiang Lu was behind this wall. The rhythm of breathing was already chaotic.
Even though he warned himself countless times, he couldn’t hear any fakeness tinged in her words. It was just her childish compliment, but he still couldn’t calm his thunderous heartbeat.
Jiang Lu’s fist clenched very tightly. He closed his eyes for a long time and took a few deep breaths to ensure he wouldn’t give away any emotions before slowly walking out from the corner.
Qi Anan saw him coming and stretched out his hand to greet him: “Jiang Lu, hurry, come and sit down and eat some fruit.”
Qi Zhen raised her eyes and glanced at him, then lowered her head and gently patted her side. She was obviously inviting him to sit next to her.
Jiang Lu took no notice and sat straight down on the outermost single sofa with a cold face. He put his reddened left wrist behind his back, not daring to let Qi Anan see it – that time in the cafe, he desperately scrubbed the palm of his hands that Boss Wang held, and Qi Anan saw it. Although those days were long gone, maybe she didn’t remember anymore. He didn’t want his strange disgust to be too obvious.
Qi Zhen pursed her lips and straightened her back again, not looking at Jiang Lu.
The drifts between the two were so fleeting that Qi Anan didn’t notice them. She pushed the fruit plate between Jiang Lu and Qi Zhen while asking him: “Jiang Lu, what are you going to do during the holidays?”
“I’ll draw.” After Jiang Lu finished speaking, he met Qi Anan’s smiling eyes, and his voice unconsciously softened: “Didn’t you want me to draw a picture for you before? What do you want to paint?”
Qi Anan told Jiang Lu once before the high school entrance examination. At that time, she was looking for an excuse to invite him over for the first encounter with her daughter.
Now that he wanted to keep his promises, Qi Anan thought about it… if he had to draw something, he certainly couldn’t draw Qi Zhen. They were too unfamiliar, and it would be too awkward.
Thinking about it, Qi Anan nodded her head: “So… can you draw me?”
This sentence was what Jiang Lu was waiting for. Fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls may not be interested in landscapes and such. The odds were that she would want a self-portrait.
He hid his despicable selfishness when he agreed to Qi Anan’s request, and now things were developing as he expected.
Jiang Lu said: “I can. But my level is limited, and my sketching isn’t good. Can I take a picture of you and go back and draw slowly?”
His tone was calm, but he wrinkled the sofa cloth behind him beyond recognition.
Qi Anan didn’t know much about this, let alone question Jiang Lu, and immediately nodded in agreement: “Of course.”
She was initially sitting on the sofa with her knees in her arms. After thinking about it, she changed her elbows to prop on her knees and held her cheeks with both hands, showing a happy smile: “How about like this, take a picture.”
Qi Anan was very cooperative and immediately posed for him to take a picture without hesitation, so Jiang Lu couldn’t use any of the excuses he thought up.
Jiang Lu’s hand behind his back slowly loosened, genuinely perked up a very shallow smile, took out the phone, and held it in front of him thoughtfully.
His thumb on the button trembled slightly.
Time was frozen for a moment.
The girl in the camera had exquisite eyebrows, and her eyes were like two small crescents, making people unable to stop their hearts from feeling soft.
He wouldn’t be able to see her in the future, so he wanted to be left with such a precious memory. Ultimately, he was greedy and despicable to ask for a gift for himself.
After taking the photo, Jiang Lu put away his mobile phone: “Qi Anan, you can entertain the guests. I’ll go back and draw it and send it to you.”
Hey hey? Are you leaving? Qi Anan’s heart thumped.
No! The painting was just an excuse for her to invite him; if he left like this, it would be like she specifically asked him to draw.
Jiang Lu hadn’t officially met Qi Zhen yet, and the two hadn’t said a few words yet.
“Jiang Lu, don’t leave so soon,” Qi Anan looked up at Jiang Lu, who had already stood up, and hurriedly followed suit. The intention of making him stay in her eyes almost overflowed: “Will you eat dinner at our house before you leave?”
Qi Zhen couldn’t intervene just now, so she began to persuade: “Yeah, you have only been here for a while. Don’t be so restrained, don’t rush off.”
The word “guest” in Jiang Lu’s sentence just now made her uncomfortable. She was also Qi Hong’s daughter, so why was she a guest?
Jiang Lu didn’t even look at Qi Zhen, let alone pay attention to her. He only looked at Qi Anan: “You guys have fun. I’m leaving.”
His attitude wasn’t easy to refute, and Qi Anan didn’t persuade him anymore. These two were the babies she wanted to pamper. Her baby’s attitude was so determined that Qi Anan didn’t want to make things difficult for him: “Well, then I’ll send you out.”
Qi Zhen moved a little. She initially thought of sending Jiang Lu to the door, but seeing Jiang Lu turn around directly without even giving her a look, suddenly dissatisfaction surged in her heart, so she sat still.
Obviously, he was polite just now. Why was he so frosty again in a blink of an eye? Was this… playing hard to get? Qi Zhen stared at Jiang Lu’s back meaningfully.
Qi Anan asked Butler Chen to get the fruits and snacks she had prepared for Jiang Lu long ago and personally brought Jiang Lu to the entrance to change his shoes.
She stood by Jiang Lu’s side a little listless, hanging her head in sorrow: “It’s such a hot day, you didn’t have anything to eat when you’ve come, you’re leaving so soon, and you have to draw for me when you go back.”
Qi Anan was a little upset, reflecting on whether she was too anxious and Jiang Lu wasn’t too used to strangers that he decided to leave. Maybe she should have created an opportunity for the two to meet by chance or wait for high school classes to get to know each other naturally.
Ah, that was all she could do for now.
Jiang Lu looked at Qi Anan’s pitiful look and moved his lips but didn’t know what to say. She wouldn’t understand what he had gained today.
But remembering another thing, Jiang Lu looked down at Qi Anan: “Who is that person to you who came today?”
Ah, it seemed that she mourned a little early. Jiang Lu clearly also noticed Qi Zhen. Perhaps it was because of the strength of the plot that made waves in his heart. Otherwise, how could he inquire about him as soon as they met?
Qi Anan was secretly excited, her eyebrows curled, and she introduced her: “Her name is Qi Zhen, and she’s my… friend.”
Damn, the way they behaved just now, they obviously just met. There was no way to show her off, ugh.
Her last name was Qi. One had a way of figuring things.
Adding Butler Chen’s attitude, it wasn’t like ordinary hospitality. Jiang Lu had a slight change of heart and didn’t say anything but Qi Zhen’s identity. He already knew in his heart.
Looking at Qi Anan’s attitude, they met for the first time today. If possible, Qi Anan would never take the initiative to ask such a person to come over. Qi Zhen coming up here was probably arranged by their father. Moreover, with such an aggressive attitude, that couldn’t be rejected. After all, Qi Anan had a brother who loved and pampered her. If he could refuse, Qi Zhen wouldn’t be here.
These thoughts were fleeting, and Jiang Lu didn’t dare to think further about them anymore. Qi Anan’s enthusiasm for Qi Zhen wasn’t fake, and she was so lovable and sensible made him feel distressed.
He felt pity in his heart, and knowing he shouldn’t, he still couldn’t help himself: “Qi Anan, if you have anything… you can find me anytime.” He said this speciously, thoughtfully taking care of her feelings.
When these words fell into Qi Anan’s ears, they became another meaning. Was this the power of the plot? She was worried that she didn’t know what reason to ask Jiang Lu out in the future, so Jiang Lu handed her the excuse.
When you doze off, someone hands you the pillow. Qi Anan’s mood brightened up a lot. She couldn’t hide her smile when she was happy, all stained on the corners of her eyes and eyebrows: “Really? I can look for you, for anything? You’re not going to wait until the time comes and find an excuse to excuse yourself, are you?”
Her round eyes were looking forward to it, and she looked at him like a child waiting for a sugar jar.
Jiang Lu’s heart felt like it had been teased by fire. It was a fine tingling pan: “No.”
Qi Anan was very good at coaxing and immediately smiled happily: “Good, then be careful on your way back!”