That Nameless Summer Chapter 28

mints

As soon as the bell rang for the second period, a small noise broke out in the classroom.Song Li just lay on the table and wanted to squint for a while when Xu Jiangyou poked her in the back. He turned around and saw a math paper in her hand, frowning: “Brother, I’ve been stuck on this function problem for half an hour. Qin Jiangwen must know it. Can you help me ask?”

Song Li raised his eyebrows and followed her gaze to the last row.Qin Jiangwen was lowering his head to sort out the wrong question book. The tip of his pen scratched the paper with a soft rustling sound. The sunlight fell through the window and fell on the top of his hair, glowing with a light golden light.He seemed to be aware of the sight, and the pen tip paused, but he did not raise his head, but the tip of his ears quietly turned red – when Xu Jiangyou stared at him just now, the direct and passionate gaze made him a little at a loss.

“Go by yourself.” Song Li retracted his gaze, his tone was light but a little indulgent.He knew that Xu Jiangyou looked bright and generous, but in fact he was a little awkward in front of the person he liked. Qin Jiangwen, with his cold and sullen look, just fell for her.

Xu Jiangyou bit his lip, hesitated for two seconds while holding the paper, and finally mustered up the courage to walk over.She deliberately walked lightly and stopped in front of Qin Jiangwen’s desk. Her voice was softer: “Qin Jiangwen, do you know this question? Can you tell me about it?”

Qin Jiangwen finally raised his head, his eyes fell on the paper, and he quickly scanned her red cheeks. His Adam’s apple moved: “Which one?”

“That’s it, the optimal value problem of a quadratic function.” Xu Jiangyou pointed to the question on the paper, and his fingertips accidentally touched the table and rubbed the back of Qin Jiangwen’s hand. The two of them retracted their hands at the same time, and the atmosphere instantly became a little subtle.

Qin Jiangwen cleared his throat, took out the draft paper, and the moment he wrote with the tip of his pen, his movements were smooth and sure.He spoke in a low-pitched voice, but his logic was clear. Every step was broken down clearly. He occasionally raised his eyes to look at Xu Jiangyou, his eyes focused and less distant than usual.Xu Jiangyou listened attentively, and occasionally interrupted to ask questions. His eyes fell on his neat handwriting, and he couldn’t help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.

Song Li leaned back on the chair, caught a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye, and the corners of his lips curved slightly.Ling Qingye sat next to him, spinning his pen in his hand. His eyes fell on Song Li’s side face. Seeing that he was looking at him intently, he said lightly: “Are you looking so seriously?”

“Nothing.” Song Li withdrew his gaze and turned to meet Ling Qingye’s eyes.The young man’s pupils were very dark, as if hidden in a deep pool. The usual coldness had faded a bit, revealing some unpredictable emotions.Song Li suddenly remembered the scene at home last night – his father was drinking again, throwing a glass at his mother, cursing and saying, “I have two white-eyed wolves.” He pushed Xu Jiangyou into the room, and stood in the living room to block him until the man fell drunk on the sofa.He had never told anyone about that suffocating feeling, including Ling Qingye.

Ling Qingye seemed to be aware of his emotional fluctuations. He stopped turning the pen and didn’t ask any more questions. He just took out a mint candy from his schoolbag and placed it on the corner of Song Li’s desk: “Refresh yourself.”

Song Li pinched the mint candy, the coolness of the candy wrapper came through her fingertips, and the depression in her heart suddenly disappeared.He remembered that Ling Qingye didn’t like sweets, but he always handed him a mint when he was sleepy or in a bad mood.Just like when he was a child, Ling Qingye would give him the sweetest candy and say, “Brother Song Li, this is not sour.”Those memories buried by time always quietly emerge in such inadvertent moments.

On the other side, Xu Jiangyou finally understood the question and said to Qin Jiangwen with a smile: “Thank you! Can I treat you to milk tea tonight? There is a new milk tea shop in front of the school!”

Qin Jiangwen’s pen tip paused, a trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and then he shook his head: “No, it’s easy.” He refused, but inexplicably looked forward to it in his heart. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the draft paper, which still had traces of calculations from the topic he just lectured on.

“You’re welcome!” Xu Jiangyou was reluctant and leaned closer, his voice lowered and a little cunning, “If you don’t go, I will come and ask you questions every day until you agree.”

The warm breath brushed against his ears, and the tips of Qin Jiang’s ears turned red even more. He turned his head away abruptly, avoiding her gaze, and his voice was as low as a mosquito’s cry: “… Whatever you want.”

Xu Jiangyou’s eyes lit up, he straightened up with a smile, and when he turned around, he met Song Li’s gaze and winked mischievously.Song Li shook his head helplessly, but he was happy for her in his heart – this sister who had been wandering around with him since childhood could finally find a little joy of her own outside of the complicated family.

When the school bell rang, Xu Jiangyou returned to her seat. Qin Jiangwen looked at her back, but the pen in his hand did not move for a long time.He lowered his head and looked at the draft paper. He didn’t know when a small smiley face had been drawn on it. It was secretly drawn by Xu Jiangyou just now. It was crooked, but full of vitality.His fingertips gently brushed the smiling face, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously raised a slight arc, so fast that it seemed like an illusion.

Song Li looked at Ling Qingye’s side face as he listened carefully to the lecture, and suddenly remembered Ling Qingye’s court session during the winter vacation.He knew that Ling Qingye’s father was gay and that he was adopted, but he didn’t know the deeper pain – Zhou Yanan’s death, Ling’s father’s betrayal, and his strength to carry everything alone.Song Li suddenly felt that they were all the same people. Under the seemingly hard shell, there was a fragile heart that longed for warmth.

Ling Qingye seemed to feel his gaze and glanced sideways at him with questioning eyes.Song Li shook his head and said nothing. He just peeled off the mint candy and put it into his mouth.The cool taste spreads on the tip of the tongue, with a hint of sweetness, like Ling Qingye’s concern hidden under the cold appearance, and like the bond that grows quietly in this spring day and belongs to them.

The sycamore branches outside the window swayed in the wind, and the light and shadow flowed on the desks.The thoughts of the young people are like the broken shadows between classes, scattered but real. In the silent company and temptation, they slowly settle and heat up.They all carry the scars of their respective families, but they find a little solace in each other’s proximity.And those unspoken words and unnoticed thoughts are quietly brewing in this ordinary campus daily life, waiting for the day when time will reveal them.