As Jiang Yuekai stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Lin Jingchu. His expression seemed worried. Seeing her return, he asked, "Where did you go?"
Jiang Yuekai's attitude was slightly cold. "I went out with friends." With that, she intended to go home.
Lin Jingchu sensed her indifference, and his chest suddenly felt tight. "I'm taking Latte out to play. Want to join?"
"No, thank you," Jiang Yuekai replied. "I'm tired and want to rest."
Lin Jingchu felt even more that something was wrong. "Are you not feeling well?"
"No," Jiang Yuekai said, not giving him a chance to ask further. She entered her home and decisively closed the door.
Lin Jingchu stood there in the hallway, his gaze fixed on the closed security door, unable to retract it for a long time.
Jiang Yuekai opened the peephole and looked out. Seeing Lin Jingchu's dejected appearance, the corners of her lips curved upwards. The first move of playing hard to get had succeeded.
Jiang Yuekai was deliberately treating Lin Jingchu with this attitude. In the afternoon, she had seriously discussed it with Zhou Nian, and they had come up with this plan. Facing a "ninja" like Lin Jingchu, only by being elusive and playing hard to get could she provoke him to lose his composure and force him to impulsively speak his true feelings.
After all, when he liked her, he could tolerate her dating Gu Jiang. Even Zhou Nian said she really wanted to know what he was thinking at the time.
Let alone Zhou Nian, Jiang Yuekai was also very curious. Once she and Lin Jingchu were together, she would definitely pester him and ask him about it properly.
As for recently... their opportunities to meet should be very few.
However, Jiang Yuekai was used to going to Lin Jingchu's place every day to eat with him. Eating takeout alone at home today, she felt a bit empty.
While waiting for the takeout, Jiang Yuekai received a WeChat message from Zhou Nian: "How is the plan progressing?"
Jiang Yuekai told Zhou Nian about what had just happened.
Zhou Nian said, "I guess he must be overthinking things right now and won't be able to sleep tonight."
Jiang Yuekai raised her eyebrows. Would he really be like that?
Lin Jingchu was usually calm and self-possessed. As far as she could remember, his emotions had always been exceptionally stable. She had never seen him lose control over anything.
Just one wall away, Lin Jingchu was sitting in the living room, pondering why Jiang Yuekai's attitude towards him had suddenly become so cold after just one day.
Before this, hadn't she asked him about Xu Yiran? Was she angry because of Xu Yiran?
As soon as this thought arose, he dismissed it. Jiang Yuekai didn't like him, so why would she be upset because of Xu Yiran? Moreover, she had asked him about Xu Yiran last night, and she didn't seem to mind.
Then why? Lin Jingchu suddenly remembered that the last time Jiang Yuekai had distanced herself from him like this was because of Gu Jiang...
At this thought, Lin Jingchu's body immediately tensed, and his expression became several degrees gloomier than before.
Just then, there was the sound of the elevator stopping outside, followed by footsteps.
The apartment building had two units per floor. If the elevator stopped on this floor, it was either for him or for Jiang Yuekai.
Lin Jingchu immediately went to the door and looked outside through the surveillance camera. He saw it was the delivery guy. Jiang Yuekai opened the door, took the takeout, and the delivery guy took the elevator away.
Lin Jingchu's expression was complicated. Since Jiang Yuekai moved here, they had always eaten together. Today was likely the first time she had ordered takeout by herself.
Lin Jingchu became increasingly restless. What had happened in the span of a single day?
After much hesitation, he took out his phone and sent Jiang Yuekai a WeChat message: "Are you not feeling well? I can make some porridge and bring it over for you."
After waiting for a long time, there was still no reply from Jiang Yuekai. Lin Jingchu, unable to rest easy, went to knock on her door. After two or three minutes, he heard Jiang Yuekai's voice, "Who is it?"
"It's me," Lin Jingchu's voice sounded a bit hoarse. "Are you okay?"
"I'm going to sleep," Jiang Yuekai said, not opening the door for him. Her meaning was very clear.
Lin Jingchu could only return home. He didn't sleep well that night, thinking over and over again, unable to understand why Jiang Yuekai had suddenly changed her attitude.
The next day was Wednesday. Jiang Yuekai had a class in the morning. Lin Jingchu woke up early, prepared breakfast, and intended to drive her to school. However, he waited outside Jiang Yuekai's door for nearly ten minutes, but no one opened for him.
Lin Jingchu called Jiang Yuekai. When she answered, he said, "Open the door."
"I'm not home," Jiang Yuekai said. "I'm almost at school."
Lin Jingchu was stunned. So early? She usually needed him to wake her up and then drive her to school for her morning classes. "Why are you so early today?"
"Someone is picking me up," Jiang Yuekai said hurriedly, as if busy talking to someone. "I have to go, I'll hang up now."
Lin Jingchu's lips parted, but before he could make a sound, he heard the dial tone.
He stood frozen in the hallway, Jiang Yuekai's words echoing in his ears: "Someone is picking me up."
Coupled with her sudden avoidance yesterday, Lin Jingchu had to consider a certain possibility...
After Gu Jiang, she had someone she liked again.
But, in the few months she had been in college, she had been with him almost every day. He had never heard her mention anything like this!
He had already watched her date Gu Jiang once. Was he going to tolerate a second Gu Jiang?
Lin Jingchu asked Chen Ao out. They sat in a coffee shop, drinking coffee. After Lin Jingchu told him about the matter, Chen Ao immediately said, "I'll ask some junior students I know to inquire!"
Chen Ao was outgoing and had extensive connections, and was very familiar with people in the academy. Before long, he received a reply, but...
"They haven't heard of Yuekai liking anyone," Chen Ao was sure his information was correct. "Are you guessing wrong?"
"It shouldn't be," Lin Jingchu said. "The last time she avoided me like this, it was a similar situation."
Chen Ao couldn't find out, perhaps because Jiang Yuekai was low-key and didn't let others know.
Chen Ao also considered this possibility and then offered another suggestion: "Why not ask the girl who is close to Yuekai? Her name is Zhou Nian, right?"
Lin Jingchu's thoughts coincided with Chen Ao's, but he didn't have Zhou Nian's contact information.
For Chen Ao, this was not a difficult matter. He quickly got Zhou Nian's WeChat from a junior student and forwarded it to Lin Jingchu.
During the break, Jiang Yuekai and Zhou Nian were chatting. Zhou Nian suddenly picked up her phone and showed it to her. It was a friend request. With that familiar avatar, she recognized who it was at once.
"I guess he's here to inquire about the situation," Zhou Nian agreed to Lin Jingchu's friend request in front of Jiang Yuekai, but she didn't speak to Lin Jingchu.
Within a minute, Lin Jingchu sent a message: "This is Lin Jingchu. Sorry to bother you."
Zhou Nian pretended to know nothing. "Hello, Senior Lin. Why did you add me suddenly? Is there something?"
Lin Jingchu: "I have something to ask you about Yuekai."
Jiang Yuekai also saw this message.
Zhou Nian said, "Tsk, your guy is quite direct. It seems he's really anxious."