ICY Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Are you happy to be going home with me tonight?” Chu Nan Du joked as school ended in the evening.

“It’s okay. I’m not at the point where I have to be glued to you.”

“You’re so clear-headed now, but when you’re love-struck, you’re beyond saving.”

“What are you going to do tonight if he still hasn’t added you?”

“Then I’ll wait. I’m not going to add him proactively anyway.”

“That’s my bro, speaking the truth. People who are too eager never get good results.”

“Right!” Su Zhao Li suddenly became excited, as if he were drunk on oxygen.

“Shhh, keep it down.” Chu Nan Du looked left, right, front, and back, making sure no one was around before he relaxed.

* * *

“Did he add you?”

“No.” It was already past midnight, and Chu Nan Du sent Su Zhao Li a message every half hour to ask. He was really afraid this guy would wait until dawn.

“Then don’t wait anymore. He’s probably asleep. You can check again when you get up tomorrow morning.”

“He’s done for.”

Sure enough, Su Zhao Li was not to be trifled with.

The next morning at 6:10 AM, the two were walking to school in the dark. “Um… did he add you?”

“Huh?”

Jiang Shi, you’re done for. Chu Nan Du mourned for Jiang Shi in his heart.

“Bro, let’s go get water.”

“Let’s go.”

Su Zhao Li and Chu Nan Du, holding their water cups, ran into Jiang Shi on their way back.

Su Zhao Li deliberately walked in front of Jiang Shi. Just when Jiang Shi thought he was going to say hello and was about to raise his hand, Su Zhao Li rolled his eyes at him and walked past.

Jiang Shi was completely baffled and pulled on Chu Nan Du, who was following behind looking sheepish. “What’s wrong with your brother? He just rolled his eyes at me.”

Congratulations, you finally saw his eye roll. Whenever Su Zhao Li encountered Jiang Shi in the past, he would always roll his eyes at him. If it were anyone else, they would have noticed, but Jiang Shi was no ordinary person and hadn’t seen a single one in a year.

“Maybe he’s in a bad mood.”

“No, he only rolled his eyes at me.”

“Yeah, he only rolled his eyes at you.”

Did I offend him? When? We’ve only met twice, and both times I helped him. It shouldn’t be.

Jiang Shi walked to his seat deep in thought, hands in his pockets, leaning back in his chair and pondering. His fingers unconsciously fiddled with something in his pocket, trying to figure out why.

Was I too cold on the road? Didn’t I take him home last night? Last night, last night! Oh no!! Jiang Shi took out the sticky notes from his pocket. This is terrible!

To get back to Class Seven from the tea room, Su Zhao Li had to pass by Class Five, where Jiang Shi was. Jiang Shi stood at the back door of the classroom with a grim expression, not knowing that he looked fierce when he was serious, scaring quite a few people.

Chu Nan Du looked through the glass at the grim reaper standing at the classroom door. “Leaving?”

“No, you go back. I’ll go back when class starts.”

“Alright, bye.”

Right as the bell rang, Chu Nan Du followed the teacher into the classroom.

“Who’s that at the back door? Can’t they hear class is starting?”

Jiang Shi looked back and saw that Chu Nan Du was already in his seat.

Lost in thought, he started moving. “Teacher, I need to use the restroom.” Jiang Shi poked his head in at the front door of the classroom and asked for permission.

Of course, he didn’t wait for the teacher to answer before running off.

“A lazy donkey has a lot of pee and poop.” The ignored teacher felt depressed.

Jiang Shi found Su Zhao Li, who was doing nothing inside, in the tea room. Su Zhao Li clearly hadn’t expected Jiang Shi to pull such a stunt, and the panic on his face was obvious.

“Why are you here? Class has started,” Su Zhao Li said preemptively.

“Looking for you. You know class has started, so what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for the water to boil.”

Jiang Shi looked at the display showing the water temperature at 100 degrees and was silent for a moment. That was a terrible lie.

“Oh.”

Su Zhao Li was also embarrassed for himself.

“What are you looking for me for?”

“I’m looking for you to explain, no, to apologize.”

“I didn’t mean not to add you. I forgot, really. Look, I’ve already written your number on my hand. I really won’t forget it.”

When Jiang Shi was writing Su Zhao Li’s number on his hand, he really thought he was stupid. He hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was he doing this? But now that he’d seen him, Jiang Shi felt like he hadn’t done enough. Some people just make you want to coax them.

Such a simple and sincere apology blocked all of Su Zhao Li’s next words, and made him feel like he was soaking in warm water. The steam in the tea room was too hot.

“I’m not mad at you.” His voice was soft, so soft that even Su Zhao Li could hear it.

“Ahem, we’ll talk about it when you add me.”

Su Zhao Li walked past Jiang Shi with a blank face. The moment he passed, the blank expression vanished, and he immediately wore a smug look.

Jiang Shi followed Su Zhao Li back. This made Su Zhao Li even more smug. When he passed the door of Class Five, he kept wiggling his eyebrows at Chu Nan Du, afraid he wouldn’t see.

“Jiang Shi, where are you going? You went to the bathroom and forgot where the classroom is?” The angry roar of the teacher from Class Five came from behind. Su Zhao Li almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

* * *

“Happy?”

“Can you tell?” The way he was hopping around, and the upturned tone at the end, made it hard not to hear his bragging.

“Happy.”

Of course Su Zhao Li was happy, he was genuinely happy that the person he liked was being nice to him.

“I added him. Look, this is Jiang Shi’s friend request.” Su Zhao Li almost shoved his phone into Chu Nan Du’s face.

“Who doesn’t have it? I’ve had it for two years.”

“This is different.”

Su Zhao Li took a screenshot of this page, then clicked accept. He clicked on Jiang Shi’s homepage dozens of times, even though he knew it was empty, he just wanted to click.

“I forgive you.”

Jiang Shi sent a built-in smiley emoji. How was he supposed to reply to that?

“Chu Nan Du is going to go to school early again today…” Su Zhao Li deleted and rewrote, unable to decide whether to send it. Would it be too proactive?

Chu Nan Du looked at his phone, speechless.

“I’m not sending it, I’m not sending it. I don’t really want to see him anyway.”

“Thanks, A Li, for letting me lie in bed a little longer at home.”

* * *

“Yo, son, what’s this stack of sticky notes for? The content inside is all the same.”

“Ah, I just met a classmate. He gave them to me so I could add him,” Jiang Shi said as he looked at his phone, replying to Su Zhao Li.

“The handwriting is pretty good, but why did he give you so many?”

“I don’t know.”

“Looks like your friend knows you’re forgetful. Did you add him?”

“I added him. I just sent him a message, look.”

Mother Jiang didn’t want to invade her son’s privacy, but she was too curious about her son’s interesting friend, so she took a peek, just a peek, Mother Jiang told herself.

One glance later, okay, one glance was enough to see everything.

Mother Jiang looked at the sentence “I forgive you” and immediately realized, “Son, when did you receive these sticky notes?”

“Yesterday afternoon.”

“Then when did you add him?”

“Just now.”

No amount of design could make up for her son’s decaying brain.

“Then son, what’s with this smiley face you sent?”

“Expressing friendliness, I’m very happy, but he didn’t reply to me. Is he still not happy?”

“Huh?”

Help, what should I do if my son is too stupid? Urgent!

Jiang Shi thought Su Zhao Li hadn’t replied because he was still unhappy, so he stood downstairs at Su Zhao Li and Chu Nan Du’s residential complex early, waiting.

“What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll go buy it for you.”

“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you, bro?”

“You deserve it.”

Su Zhao Li and Chu Nan Du walked outside while talking.

“Jiang Shi?” Chu Nan Du saw Jiang Shi standing outside first.

When Su Zhao Li saw Jiang Shi, his eyes lit up, and seeing that Jiang Shi had been waiting for a while, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling excited.

“Why are you here?” Chu Nan Du asked Jiang Shi.

“I’m waiting for him.” Jiang Shi pointed at Su Zhao Li.

No, why didn’t you tell me! Chu Nan Du looked back at Su Zhao Li silently, questioning.

But Su Zhao Li’s eyes were full of Jiang Shi now, and he couldn’t spare a glance for Chu Nan Du.

He came all the way to wait for him.

“Bro, didn’t you just say you wanted to go to school early? Hurry up and go.”

Chu Nan Du looked at Su Zhao Li speechlessly. Su Zhao Li saw that he wasn’t leaving, and urged, “Run, run.”

After Chu Nan Du left, only Jiang Shi and Su Zhao Li remained.

Jiang Shi had originally thought that Su Zhao Li wouldn’t pay attention to him, and had already thought of several apology drafts in his mind to make sure he didn’t say the wrong thing, but looking at Su Zhao Li’s expression now, he wasn’t angry at all, and seemed happy that he had come.

Jiang Shi was also very happy now. A major worry had been resolved, and he felt relaxed.

Su Zhao Li and Jiang Shi were walking, but Jiang Shi didn’t say anything, so he didn’t know what to say either.

“You…”

“Are you happy that I came to wait for you?” Jiang Shi interrupted Su Zhao Li’s unfinished words.

Su Zhao Li panicked inside. Could he have been seen through?

“You…”

“Then I’ll come wait for you more often in the future.” Jiang Shi interrupted Su Zhao Li’s unplanned explanation again.

“Ah, sure, sure.” Su Zhao Li felt that there must be pink bubbles around him at this moment. The news was so wonderful that he was dizzy.

Jiang Shi looked at Su Zhao Li, who was smiling foolishly at him. Sure enough, this person needed to be coaxed. When he was happy, he was happy too. Su Zhao Li’s smile was very beautiful, and Jiang Shi couldn’t help but look again and again, and smiled along with him.

From then on, a duo became a trio, and Chu Nan Du was also allowed to walk with them.