Jiang Chen felt as though his heart had turned to ash. Was this what he wanted? Of course not, but upon closer reflection, it actually felt pretty good.
However, was this really the time to be dwelling on such things? The pressing issue was that Xia Xiaoyue was giving him the cold shoulder.
She had retreated straight to her bedroom, leaving him with no opportunity to speak. This really put Jiang Chen in a difficult spot.
Inside her bedroom, Xia Xiaoyue was still replaying what had just happened in her mind. This was her first time being so intimate with a guy, and also her first kiss.
After interacting with Jiang Chen for all these days, to say she felt nothing would be a lie. She had taken note of all his thoughtful gestures; it was he who had made her feel the warmth of a home.
Yet, their teacher-student relationship remained, and she could only keep these feelings locked away in her heart.
By the afternoon, as class time approached, Jiang Chen still knocked on Xia Xiaoyue's door and spoke softly, "Teacher, I'm heading out now. Feel free to text me what you'd like to eat tonight."
Xia Xiaoyue naturally heard him, but she remained silent, her mind a blur of confusion.
Receiving no reply, Jiang Chen left the apartment and headed to campus. He decided he needed to seek some advice from Ye Nian that afternoon; after all, Ye Nian was one of the few people he knew who had actual dating experience.
Arriving at the classroom, Jiang Chen sat down next to Ye Nian and quietly leaned in to ask, "Brother Ye, let me ask you something."
Ye Nian nodded, signaling for him to go on.
"Well, when you usually make your girlfriend mad, what do you do to coax her?"
Hearing this, Ye Nian stared at Jiang Chen and lowered his voice. "Are you in a relationship?"
Jiang Chen hastily shook his head in denial. "No, no. I'm asking for a friend."
*Asking for a friend, what a clumsy excuse, old four,* Ye Nian thought to himself.
Still, after pondering for a moment, he said, "You could buy her a gift or something. I don't often fight with my significant other, so I'm not really sure how to help you."
Jiang Chen thought buying a gift sounded feasible, and he could just pop by the mall. Having made up his mind, he noticed Xia Xiaoyue still hadn't texted him back.
*Might as well test the waters myself,* Jiang Chen thought. Acting on the thought, he sent Xia Xiaoyue a message: "Teacher, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
Back at the office, Xia Xiaoyue had been staring blankly at the work in front of her. Hearing the WeChat notification, she glanced down and saw it was from Jiang Chen.
Seeing that he was asking about dinner, she figured eating was the top priority after all. What had happened had already happened, and besides, Jiang Chen hadn't meant to do it.
Moreover, she didn't actually feel any deep aversion toward Jiang Chen as a person. Yet, whenever she recalled what had passed between them, an indescribable wave of embarrassment would wash over her.
After calming herself down slightly, she replied with a few dishes she felt like eating, then dove back into her busy workload with renewed focus.
Upon receiving her reply, Jiang Chen's face immediately broke into a radiant smile. After all, getting such a response meant that the ice between them had at least partially thawed—how could he not be happy?
Sitting nearby, Ye Nian watched Jiang Chen grinning like a fool, couldn't help but shake his head helplessly, and let out a soft sigh. He muttered inwardly, *Sigh, this kid is truly a lost cause!*
When the end-of-class bell finally rang, Jiang Chen bolted out of the classroom like an arrow released from a bow. Left behind in the room, Ye Nian and the other two stared blankly at Jiang Chen's hasty departure.
Wang Congle asked with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong with our number four? Did he need to rush to the bathroom that badly?"
Ding Junfei scratched his head and chimed in, "I think that's very likely."
Only Ye Nian knew the real reason, but he chose to keep quiet and offered no explanation.
Shortly after, Jiang Chen hopped on a shared bicycle and sped away toward the shopping mall he had visited before. This time, however, instead of heading straight for the supermarket, he planned to pick out a gift for someone special.
Standing before the dazzling array of merchandise, he found himself entirely at a loss as to what he should actually buy.
As he strolled slowly past an accessory shop, a wave of excitement washed over him, and he thought to himself that he might just find a suitable gift for Xia Xiaoyue in here. At the same time, he knew his budget was limited, so he had to be extra careful in his selection.
After all, apart from accessories, anything else might either not suit Xia Xiaoyue's taste and style, or exceed his financial limits.
The moment he stepped into the shop, a smiling, enthusiastic clerk rushed over to greet him. "Hello, sir! How can I help you today? We have a wide variety of exquisite accessories for you to choose from."
After a brief moment of thought, Jiang Chen replied, "Um... I'm looking for an accessory suitable for a young woman. Could you introduce some options to me?"
The clerk nodded politely to show she understood, made a welcoming gesture, and said, "Right this way, sir, please follow me." With that, she led Jiang Chen toward a section of the store dedicated to various necklaces.
Upon reaching the spot, the clerk pointed to the dazzling display of necklaces and began enthusiastically pitching them to Jiang Chen: "Take a look at these, sir. These are all exquisite pieces perfectly suited for young women. Take your time browsing, and just let me know if you have any questions or need my advice."
Jiang Chen looked in the direction the clerk was pointing, and his gaze was instantly drawn to a necklace placed in a prominent position.
It was a silver-white necklace embedded with a delicate clover pattern, featuring a design that was both minimalist and elegant yet full of modern style. The necklace even had a lovely name—"Pure Heart."
It perfectly matched his aesthetic tastes, making him fall in love with it at first glance. Priced at 350 yuan, it was within his acceptable budget, so he asked the clerk to wrap it up.
He returned home with the gift and checked the time. Realizing it was almost time for Xia Xiaoyue to get off work, he went ahead and put the winter melon and pork rib soup on the stove to simmer, waiting for her return.
Jiang Chen felt a mixture of anxiety and apprehension, terrified of being rejected and equally afraid she might not like the present.
Taking advantage of the spare time, Jiang Chen video-called his parents. Seeing that the elderly couple were currently having dinner, he mentioned his plan to buy an electric scooter. They were quite supportive and even transferred some extra money to his account, telling him to buy a good one since he would need it for getting around during his four years of college.