Liang Sunian seemed to have always treated him as a child who needed his protection.
She is always available upon call, never complains, and always likes to coax and indulge him, going along with him in everything, which makes him feel that he is really a pampered child who needs to be cared for.
Just like now, he had obviously not thought about anything and was not worried about anything, but after Liang Sunian finished speaking, he really tasted a bit of bitterness and grievance in his emotions.
He felt sorry for the half-hour wait he endured under the scorching sunset at the doorstep yesterday, for the sweet and sour pork ribs that were taken away from him, for his own watercolor brushes that were wasted, for the label of being sensible that he was arbitrarily labeled as a wise man without ever being asked if he wanted ice cream... ...
There are countless things in the past, and things that I thought had been sealed by time have been unsealed. The little things that I once thought were trivial and not worth worrying about now make me feel uncomfortable and bitter when I think about them.
It turns out that it’s really different when someone coaxes you.
The sense of security of being included and protected can really amplify emotions infinitely.
No wonder every time Lu Shang was bullied at school, he would endure it all the way home and then throw himself into Zhou Wenyue’s arms and cry at the top of his lungs.
He thought that it was probably the same as his current mood, sour and swollen, and suddenly he wanted a hug.
It has nothing to do with skin hunger, it's just that I suddenly, simply, and very, very want to be hugged by the person in front of me.
"Is this little friend so aggrieved that he doesn't want to talk?"
"Liang Sunian, I have something to give you."
Two voices overlapped and sounded at the same time, one joking and the other serious, and the former was naturally ignored by them.
"What?" Liang Sunian asked.
Xie Jiaran pulled down one side of his schoolbag strap, took out a blue-covered notebook from it, and handed it over: "Thank you."
Liang Sunian said with a slight smile: "Thank you for the cotton candy?"
"... ..."
Xie Jiaran was speechless for a moment.
But thinking about it, since I was thanking him anyway, it didn't matter what I thanked him for, so I nodded casually: "Yeah."
"Then you are a prophet, you guessed that I would buy you marshmallows today."
Liang Su Nian smiled and casually flipped through the notebook. When he saw the contents inside, surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Did you draw all these yourself?" He spread out a page and pointed at the cute fat strawberry illustration in the center and asked.
In fact, there are more than just this page, there are strawberries on every page of the notebook, in different sizes and shapes, the only thing they have in common is the cuteness of strawberries.
Xie Jiaran nodded.
Liang Sunian flipped through the pages, almost unable to put it down: "How long will it take to draw this?"
Xie Jiaran downplayed the situation and said, "It only takes half a night. This painting method is very simple and doesn't take much time."
Liang Sunian looked at the notebook, then at Xie Jiaran, then looked at the notebook again, and then at Xie Jiaran again.
Xie Jiaran tilted his head in confusion: "?"
Liang Sunian raised the notebook and asked, "Do you know what the best gift I have ever received before today is?"
Xie Jiaran referred to his identity as a rich second-generation and said pertinently: "Villa? Sports car? Sea view room?"
Liang Sunian said: "Neither of them is correct. It is a thermos cup for the elderly with my photo printed on the lid."
Xie Jiaran: "..."
Liang Sunian missed it very much: "My nephew who was in primary school gave it to me. Liang was very touched and thought it was the most thoughtful gift he had ever received. He kept it and never used it. He planned to take it out and savor it when he was old."
Xie Jiaran: “…”
"So, this notebook is now my heirloom."
Liang Su Nian blew a breath on the cover of the notebook seriously, then wiped it clean with his sleeve carefully and asked Xie Jia Ran: "Do you know what I'm thinking about now?"
Xie Jiaran was shocked by his words about a family heirloom, and asked blankly, "What are you thinking about?"
Liang Su Nian said seriously: "I want to discuss with the cotton candy owner whether I can make 100 cotton candies on the spot and send them to you immediately."
Xie Jiaran was dumbfounded: "Ah? That's not necessary—"
Liang Sunian: "Yeah, I think so too."
Xie Jiaran: “…”
Liang Sunian: "Then let's change one."
Change one
What to change
Before Xie Jiaran could even ask, Liang Sunian grabbed his wrist and pulled him into his arms with ease.
It would be uncomfortable to have the marshmallow stuck to his clothes, so he subconsciously raised his right hand and supported it stiffly on Liang Sui's back.
The chin rubbed against the shoulder line, and the ears rubbed against each other. The skin thirst that had not yet completely subsided was caused to explode into tiny sparks along the earlobes by this touch.
It was a sensitive area, and it made Xie Jiaran narrow his eyes and tremble slightly.
"Actually, I was planning to hug you as soon as we met, but it's really inconvenient at your doorstep. I hope it's not too late to make up for it now."
Liang Su Nian's voice, accompanied by a cheerful laugh, rang in my ears: "I can't think of a better return gift than a hundred marshmallows, so I can only give you a hug from the school hunk, so just make do with it."
Only then did Xie Jiaran realize that he had achieved his wish by accident.
After a while, she silently adjusted herself to a suitable posture and hugged him back.
The coldness in his brows was quietly replaced by softness and obedience, as well as a contentment that he himself did not even notice.
"No compromise." He whispered, "This is good enough."
This is a hundred times better than a hundred marshmallows.
Returning to school early was not in his plan, and Xie Jiaran had nothing to do, so he took the formal logic notes Liang Sunian gave him and spent the whole day in the library on Sunday.
The new week brings back the normal studio routine.
His last class of the day ended at 3:30 in the afternoon. The teacher called him to the corridor to talk about the inspiration for the exhibition works. When he returned to the classroom, most people had left.
He sorted out his drawings, packed up his reference books, cleaned the paint palette and brushes, and put them away. When everything was ready to leave, he was stopped in the aisle by Sun Han who had returned.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Sun Han said with a cold face, "Next week the City Painting Center will have a painting competition that requires cooperation between two people. Don't come with me."
Xie Jiaran refused calmly: "I won't participate."
Sun Han frowned: "But didn't you participate with Lin Shan last year?"
Xie Jiaran said: "Lin Shan will not participate this year."
He was never keen on competitions, and if the school hadn't required him to, he probably wouldn't even have participated in a college art exhibition.
Last year, Lin Shan begged him to go for a long time. This year, Lin Shan is not going to participate, so he naturally won't join in the fun if he has no interest in it.
This was what he meant, but it sounded different to Sun Han.
"Xie Jiaran!"
Sun Han's voice suddenly became high-pitched: "Do you look down on me? Do you think that I am not as good as you and not worthy of working with you in the competition?!"
"... ... ?"
Xie Jiaran was very confused: "Why do you understand it this way?"
Sun Han shouted: "Not just this time, from the time we entered school until now, whether it's classroom tests or competitions, you've always been better than me. Do you dare to say that you haven't had this thought before?"
Xie Jiaran was a little speechless.
It was too troublesome to explain such a thing, and he was not good at it. In addition, he did not want to dwell on such a groundless matter, so he gave in and said, "If you want to think so, then think so."
Unexpectedly, it backfired and the effect was like adding fuel to the fire.
"Xie Jiaran, what do you mean? Just because a few people praise you, you really think you are superior, don't you?"
Sun Han was so angry that he wanted to push him without caring about anything else.
Xie Jiaran began to resist and was about to step back with a frown, but his wrist suddenly tightened and he was pulled back half a step. A tall figure appeared in time and protected him steadily behind him.
Liang Sunian had the advantage of height. Even with a friendly smile on his face, he looked down on Sun Han: "Does not wanting to participate mean I look down on you? Classmate, your reading comprehension level is impressive."
Sun Han said to the uninvited guest: "Isn't it?"
"I don't know about that."
Liang Sunian said leisurely: "I only know that when you put the blame on yourself, you can't just throw it on others. What do you think?"
"you!"
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
Sun Han couldn't figure out what he meant by "you". He glared at Liang Sunian and looked at Xie Jiaran behind him: "If you don't want to participate, then don't participate. I don't care. Xie Jiaran, who is the inferior between us? We'll see the result in the finals!"
After everyone left angrily, Xie Jiaran moved his wrist and asked Liang Su Nian: "Why are you here?"
Liang Sunian took out a cell phone from his trouser pocket and said, "I'm in class, so I'm going to give a cell phone to a careless kid on the way."
If he hadn't said it, Xie Jiaran wouldn't have realized that he had forgotten to bring his phone to class: "But you won't pass by the Art Building when you go to Mingde Building from the dormitory."
"Can't we just take a detour and pass by?"
Liang Su Nian smiled and asked, "Why don't you explain it properly?"
Xie Jiaran knew what he was talking about: "It's a bit troublesome, and there's nothing to explain."
"Do you know how conflicts and misunderstandings arise?"
Liang Su Nian said: "The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. What's more, what you said is quite ambiguous. Normal people can easily get so angry that they vomit blood."
He crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly, leaned forward slightly, and smiled casually and brightly: "Xiao Xie, you should communicate more with your classmates. You don't have to be so stingy with words. Isn't your mouth meant for talking?"
After saying that, Yan Jing remembered something and added, "Of course, besides eating."
His words made Xie Jiaran inexplicably feel as if he was being unreasonably favored in public and being educated alone in private.
It was something he had never experienced before, it was amazing.
If I have to describe it, it would be like being attached with a magical and gentle immobilization talisman. Not only do I not want to refute, but I actually quite enjoy it.
... ... It seems even stranger.
Because he didn't know whether this situation was caused by these words or because the person who spoke was Liang Sunian.
After thinking for no solution, I just made up an excuse to change the subject: "I just feel a little uncomfortable and don't want to talk more."
Liang Sunian: "Your little problem has come back again?"
Xie Jiaran gritted his teeth and nodded: "Yes."
Liang Sunian: "Then why don't you send me a message?"
Sure enough, it takes several lies to cover up one lie.
Xie Jiaran was struggling to think of a response, but Liang Sunian immediately said, "Oh, I almost forgot, you didn't bring your phone."
Xie Jiaran: “…Yes.”
Liang Sunian looked down at the time and hissed, "But I have a professional class later, so I can't stay with you."
Xie Jiaran said: "It's okay, I can-"
"So I can only let you down for a while."
Liang Sunian interrupted him, naturally hooked his shoulders, and raised the corner of his mouth:
"Xiao Xie, come with me to class?"