Chapter 546: Just Like That, Smitten

After the movie, it was nearly nine in the evening. Everyone left the cinema, and Jiang Qin chased his little jealous spirit all the way back to the lobby.

The little rich girl naively ran forward, turning at every corner until Jiang Qin cornered her at the entrance of the fire escape.

Caught, the little rich girl’s eyes darted about, and she tried to duck under Jiang Qin’s arm. Just as she bent down, her pert little bottom got a smack, making her much more compliant with a slightly pouty arrogance still on her lips.

“How did you know about Chu Siqi and me?”

“I heard it from the other students around.”

Feng Nanshu gently rubbed her left buttock, murmuring in discomfort.

Jiang Qin tried confessing to a girl but asked for his love letter back halfway, stirring quite a buzz in high school. The little rich girl might lack social interactions, but she certainly has ears.

Jiang Qin looked into her watery eyes. “So you were gossipy even in high school.”

“I only eavesdropped a bit when they talked about you.”

“Damn facial fan, craving my body so soon!”

Jiang Qin opened the door to the fire escape. “Let’s go in and have a good chat.”

Feng Nanshu blinked, peering into the dark corridor that glowed slightly green, and squinted, “I’m going to be smothered with kisses again…”

Friendship is a strange thing, and having good friends is even stranger.

Those with good friends understand; sometimes their moodiness is just another form of affection. A kiss makes it all better or rather, a kiss turns one foolish.

Take Feng Nanshu for example. Despite her cool expression and icy gaze, once Jiang Qin sealed her lips, she stopped her antics.

What high and mighty ice queens, they just need a kiss.

Jiang Qin pinched her round little bottom, easily dominating the sweet, soft lips of the jealous dummy.

Back in high entrance exams, the essay question was about friendship—specifically, the positive impact of good friends on one’s studies and life.

Feng Nanshu scored poorly on that essay, losing the top scholar title.

Now, she would probably score zero because her good friends are all played out.

Meanwhile, another group of burly men, fresh from a movie, were also in the lobby.

Some cried like bereaved turtles, eyes red and faces wet with tears and snot.

Others stared emptily into the night, teary-eyed, reminiscing about past springs and orioles.

Their girlfriends, unempathetic and confrontational, demanded, “Who are you crying over now?”

Of course, a bunch of single folks stood by, watching the spectacle with relish.

Most singles have been alone since their youth and absolutely detest these taken jerks.

Damn, having a partner and still watching a breakup movie deserve it!

Fight and break up—that’s better.

But suddenly, couples on-site started kissing each other, which shocked the watching singles.

They were about to break up, and now they’re devouring each other—crazy!

Meanwhile, a man surnamed Cao was also sobbing uncontrollably near the fire escape, covering his face with his hands and suddenly caught and pummeled by Ding Xue.

“Crying so sadly? What, remembered someone from the past?”

“Just… can’t remember, and that’s… the saddest.”

Young master Cao sobbed, speech faltering, “Damn, I just realized I’m… one of those side characters who just run alongside the main lead!”

Ding Xue looked at him, “The shortest one?”

“The tallest one!”

While others empathized with the protagonist, recalling past loves, he empathized with a side character, recalling years of running alongside.

His pride was merely comparable to the taller side characters.

And he always wondered why he wasn’t born a rich second-generation. Fantasies are supposed to be daring, not his cautious ones!

At that moment, Ding Xue pursed her lips, pinned him against a wall, “Why cry? You might be a sidekick elsewhere, but you’re always my main lead, the lead in my story.”

“…”

Young master Cao huddled in Ding Xue’s arms, whimpering out loud, annoying her till she clamped down on his old lips fiercely making the fire escape door rattle.

Soon, Ding Xue made an eerie discovery.

It was this: when she wasn’t trying too hard, the door behind still rattled, almost like it was going to break.

Someone was inside!

Ding Xue quickly decided to peek but couldn’t open it.

Just then, a click came from inside, and Jiang Qin emerged with Feng Nanshu, shocking Ding Xue.

Jiang Qin hadn’t expected them. He glanced at the panting young master Cao leaning on the door and his alluring gaze, internally applauding.

This couple, perfectly backward.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just smooched for a bit.” Jiang Qin touched his lip corner, wiping off Feng Nanshu’s saliva.

Her little tongue getting increasingly daring and restless, almost impossible to catch.

“?”

Ding Xue remained stunned for five seconds, incredulously turning to Cao Guangyu, “Good friends can kiss so brazenly? Look at his audacity!”

Cao Guangyu, kissed into a daze, “Old Jiang says their friendship god allows it.”

“What? There’s no damn friendship god!”

“Old Jiang claims he’s seen it.”

Jiang Qin glanced at Ding Xue, “Don’t believe? Tonight, I’ll dream up this friendship god to turn you guys into close friends.”

Cao Guangyu, terrified, “No, no, Old Jiang, she believes, she does!”

“Show some respect for the friendship god!”

Simultaneously, Ren Ziqiang and Wang Linlin came out, quieter than ever, their eyes nostalgic, evidently with their own stories.

Then the six of them found a corner seat to sit down, still immersed in the film’s afterglow, continually reminiscing.

“Actually, regrets are also beautiful. Keep them in your heart, don’t let them affect your mood.” Jiang Qin spoke with a detached air, forgetting the jealous one beside him.

Feng Nanshu, maintaining her cold demeanor, nodded, “Brother just keeps those memories hidden in his heart, secretly recalling them without letting me know.”

Jiang Qin reached out and pinched her face, “I’ll say it again, I don’t have any, don’t talk nonsense!”

“Ow.”

“What ow? Say you understand, brother.”

Feng Nanshu obediently spoke, “Understood, brother.”

Just then, everyone saw a zombie-like figure emerge from the cinema.

Cao Guangyu stroked his chin, “Looks a bit like Zhuang Chen.”

Ren Ziqiang also glanced in that direction, “That is Zhuang Chen. Uh, and the one behind him looks like Zhang Guangfa.”

Zhuang Chen had blown up at Jian Chun a few days ago, regretted it deeply after going home, but was too embarrassed to apologize, hoping to use the film’s premiere as a chance to invite Jian Chun out and speak softly.

He thought he might have overthought it; cutting his right fingernails didn’t mean anything.

But Jian Chun declined his invitation, saying she’d watch with her dormitory sisters, and Zhuang Chen ended up giving the other ticket to Zhang Guangfa.

During the viewing, Zhuang Chen was silent, tearfully reliving his moments with Jian Chun, the more he thought, the more heartbroken he felt.

Especially during the final wedding scene, as he watched the heroine marry someone else, it felt like he had completely lost Jian Chun, utterly inconsolable.

The scariest kind of goodbye in this world is the one where after one glance, you can never see your future with her again.

Later, as the groom approached to kiss the bride fiercely, all he could see were Jiang Qin’s face and lips.

Zhang Guangfa felt indifferent, as if he’d just watched for fun, especially after that scene, he always thought Zhuang Chen was an alien.

Soon, Zhang Guangfa saw Jiang Qin and his group, pulling Zhuang Chen over, turning the group of six into eight.

Jiang Qin looked at Zhuang Chen’s dejected appearance, as if seeing his past self, always wanting to harshly scold him, as if finding an opportunity to berate his younger self.

But from his experience, he knew scolding wouldn’t awaken anyone. If it did, there wouldn’t be so many fools in love in the world.

“Actually, university romances aren’t beneficial. It’s better to make friends. Many university romances end up going their separate ways after graduation. If they happen to meet, they might even pretend not to know each other.”

“But good friends are different. School friendships are the most precious. Maybe years later when you meet again, not only has the affection not diminished, it has become even warmer.”

As Jiang Qin spoke, he suddenly paused, “So, many husbands don’t like their wives attending reunions, fearing old friends suddenly warm up, ending up like, ‘We have a child together.'”

Everyone: “???”

Zhuang Chen was just too deep in, with only unrequited love in his mind, feeling the whole world turned gray.

Additionally, because he always viewed Jiang Qin through the lens of a rival, even though Jiang Qin’s words were meant to be comforting, hearing him say “We have a child” suddenly set him off, standing and walking out.

Jiang Qin was stunned, “What’s up with this fool now?”

“Don’t know, probably imagined something happy.”

“Let’s go eat.”

Jiang Qin stood up, buttoned Feng Nanshu’s coat, then turned to the manager at the door, “Find us a table for six, we’re eating hotpot here tonight.”

The manager nodded, “Right away, Mr. Jiang, we’ll arrange it immediately.”

(It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve, and I’ve been non-stop all year. I plan to spend some time with my family these next few days. Just one chapter today, happy New Year everyone.)

It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve. I’ve been non-stop all year. I plan to spend some time with my family these next few days. Just one chapter today, happy New Year everyone.