Chapter 111: Scare Feng Siruo and Make Her Cry!
Hug?
Absolutely not!
Panicking, Feng Siruo suddenly looked up, only to see that the person standing in front of her… was Jiang Zhou.
In an instant, her fearful little face turned into one of delight.
“Come on, give me a hug.” Jiang Zhou opened his arms, waiting for her to come over obediently.
But Feng Siruo took a quick step back and held up three slender fingers, pale and delicate like scallion stalks.
Seeing that, Jiang Zhou’s smile gradually faded. “No way… I’ve been gone two days. You’re telling me three days still haven’t passed?”
Feng Siruo nodded and handed him the milk candy she’d been clutching.
She had waited too long… and she’d been gripping that candy tightly in her little hand the whole time.
So now it was warm, melted through and through.
Jiang Zhou unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth, tasting it carefully.
“It’s all gooey and sticking to my teeth. Not that great anymore.”
Feng Siruo lowered her head, looking a little wronged.
Next time, she’d make sure not to hold the candy in her palm.
She’d just tuck it obediently into her pocket.
But before she could wallow in sadness, Jiang Zhou spoke again, “So next time, don’t wait so long. Just do what you need to do.
“Because no matter how far away you are… I’ll come to find you.
“Like this time. Didn’t you wait for me at the gate, and still missed me?
“So next time, if you can’t find me, just stay put… and let me come find you. Got it?”
After hearing that, Feng Siruo instantly perked up.
She had no backbone.
She was easily coaxed.
She was the kind of girl who could be made happy with just one sentence.
Jiang Zhou looked at her. “Feeling better now?”
“Hmph.”
“Alright. You probably haven’t eaten yet. Let’s go, I’ll take you out for dinner.”
He tugged on his own sleeve to signal her to grab it.
Then the two of them walked together toward the parking lot.
Since this was a reunion after being apart, dinner couldn’t be something simple.
Jiang Zhou immediately drove her into the city center.
He remembered scrolling through social media the other day someone had visited a “hell-themed BBQ place.”
Judging by the pictures, it looked pretty interesting.
So Jiang Zhou brought Feng Siruo there.
And honestly? The place had quite the vibe.
The walls were painted with dark, shadowy ghosts.
The drinks were served in IV bags, just like the ones in hospitals.
Blood-red liquid hung from infusion stands, with plastic straws dangling like IV tubes.
As soon as they walked in, Feng Siruo turned pale.
She clung tightly to Jiang Zhou’s shirt hem, following him step by step.
“What’s wrong? Scared?”
“…Mm.”
Jiang Zhou found a quieter spot and sat her down.
Then he casually ordered some food and glanced across at her delicate face.
Feng Siruo’s cheeks flushed and she looked away.
“So, what have you been doing these past few days while I was gone?”
“Emmm…” Feng Siruo held up three fingers again, reminding him the three-day silence rule still stood.
Jiang Zhou facepalmed.
This girl had really locked herself into this rule.
Three days of silence meant three full days of no talking.
So no matter what he asked, she’d just give him three fingers.
“Okay then. Tell me, how many hours left until the three days are up?”
Feng Siruo timidly held up eight fingers.
Jiang Zhou frowned deeply, looking very annoyed. “Eight hours left? That long?!
“Fine! Go back to your dorm by yourself then. I’m not dealing with this anymore!
“You’ve got such a small heart and a huge temper. I never should’ve been nice to you!”
Feng Siruo instantly lowered her head, looking sad and guilty.
She stood there silently for a while…
When Jiang Zhou still didn’t speak, she picked up her little purse and prepared to leave.
“Wait, how about I give you a suggestion?”
Feng Siruo turned around, eyes full of confusion.
“Let’s pause the timer. Save those eight hours for later tonight. That way, you can finish sleeping them off, and talk to me again tomorrow.
“Plus, if we pause now, we can still talk now, right? What do you think?”
Jiang Zhou gently grabbed her hand and looked at her seriously.
If Ding Yue had been here, she probably would’ve exploded, “What kind of sulking is this?! What kind of tsundere logic?! You can’t save anger like it’s a video game save file!!”
But when Feng Siruo heard Jiang Zhou’s “great idea,” her eyes lit up instantly.
And she nodded without hesitation.
“Alright, then you can talk now. So, what did you do the past few days?”
“Sleep, eat, go to class.”
Jiang Zhou smirked. “You’re such a little homebody. That’s it? No other plans, little hermit?”
Feng Siruo thought for a moment. “Also… waited for you.”
“…”
Jiang Zhou’s gaze suddenly softened.
Then he reached across the grill and tousled her hair.
This girl had done only four things over the past two days: Eat. Sleep. Go to class. Wait for him.
Eating and sleeping were just to stay alive.
Going to class because she was a student.
But in truth, she had only really done one thing: waiting for him to come back.
“That call this afternoon. Was it you who asked Han Rou to make it?”
Feng Siruo shook her head. “I asked her. She asked you.”
Jiang Zhou clicked his tongue. “That heartless little sister clearly doesn’t care that much, so let’s just count it as your call. No denying it.”
“Oh.”
“You really missed me, didn’t you?”
Feng Siruo blushed, but shook her head vigorously.
Since they first met, Jiang Zhou had asked her this same question many times.
And every single time, she denied it.
Because missing someone… implied liking someone.
And liking someone was just one step away from becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.
But Ding Yue’s words always echoed in her mind.
If she really became Jiang Zhou’s girlfriend, her family would never approve.
“You really didn’t miss me?”
“No…”
Jiang Zhou sighed. “Forget it. I guess I shouldn’t chase you anymore.”
Feng Siruo suddenly looked up in panic. “W-why not?”
“I’m in college now too. I want a sweet relationship.
“But if I chase you, you won’t agree.
“If I talk to other girls, you ignore me for three days.
“It’s exhausting…”
“I… I’ll say yes…”
Jiang Zhou pretended not to hear. “Huh? What’d you say?”
Feng Siruo looked down. “Can we wait a little longer?”
“Wait for what?”
“I… I want to ask my family first…”
Jiang Zhou understood.
Ding Yue’s warnings hadn’t come from nowhere.
When it came to his and Feng Siruo’s relationship, her family was the biggest hurdle.
This girl might seem silly in love, but she was actually smart.
She knew she couldn’t agree to anything too quickly.
Jiang Zhou picked up the tongs and flipped a slice of meat on the grill.
A cloud of sizzling white steam rose up.
“I just want to date you, not marry you yet. How about this: we date, but when it’s time to marry, I’ll go find someone else. You can even be my bridesmaid.”
Feng Siruo’s eyes shimmered with tears. “No…”
Jiang Zhou sighed. “Alright then, let’s eat. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“…Okay.”
“I’m not blaming you. I’m blaming myself.”
Feng Siruo looked up, eyes full of confusion.
After dinner, it was still early.
The two of them left the restaurant and headed to the pedestrian street across the road.
At this time of day, the pedestrian street was bustling.
The crowds were shoulder to shoulder, a sea of people.
Though Feng Siruo was extremely unaccustomed to such lively environments, Jiang Zhou still wanted to give her a bit of “social training.”
By the time they reached the street, Feng Siruo’s little hand was clearly gripping tighter.
To her, this kind of scene was noisy and unfamiliar, making it hard to breathe.
Luckily, with Jiang Zhou by her side, things felt a little easier.
But Jiang Zhou, being the mischievous person he was, kept speeding up his pace from time to time.
Feng Siruo’s palm was sweaty, and she couldn’t get a firm grip on the corner of his shirt.
In the end, with no other option, she shyly slipped her hand into his palm.
This was the first time Feng Siruo had ever made such a move.
Her heart thumped even faster than before, yet she inexplicably felt a sense of calm.
Jiang Zhou’s lips curled into a pleased smile like his plan had succeeded.
That’s the power of a “scumbag.”
He didn’t even need to ask, she’d just take the initiative.
Unlike those guys who nervously ask if they can hold hands like pitiful puppies.
“Any stores you want to visit? I’ll take you.”
Feng Siruo looked around, her eyes brightening as she pointed at a small general merchandise store.
Jiang Zhou found it a bit odd.
A little rich girl with over a hundred grand in the bank… why was she always drawn to these cheap little shops?
But he didn’t object. Still holding her hand, he led her inside.
The shop sold all kinds of random things — household items, kitchen gadgets, and accessories of every shape and color.
As they strolled through the aisles, they discovered quite a few fun little trinkets.
But when they reached the accessories section, Jiang Zhou suddenly stopped walking.
Feng Siruo looked up at him in confusion.
“Huh, they sell this kind of stuff too?”
“This place is surprisingly well-stocked.”
Jiang Zhou picked up a cat-ear hairband from the shelf and plopped it on her head.
She tilted her head slightly and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
“What is this?”
“A cute hairband. Oh, there’s more. Let me put this one on you too.”
He picked up a golden bell, dangling it in front of her.
Feng Siruo stared blankly.
A bell… for people?
What kind of weird store is this?
Jiang Zhou didn’t explain.
Instead, he undid the black ribbon tied to the bell, wrapped an arm around her, and gently fastened it on her neck.
The motion resembled a hug.
Aside from that time at the amusement park, this was the first time Feng Siruo had ever stood quietly in his embrace.
Their height difference was just perfect, her head naturally rested against his chin.
Instantly, she began to feel shy.
Then Jiang Zhou let go and pulled her in front of the mirror.
In the blink of an eye, the little rich girl was transformed into a cat-girl.
With her dazed expression, adorable ears, and that little bell, she looked unbearably cute.
Jiang Zhou couldn’t help but sigh.
In their past life, after all that effort to marry this girl, why hadn’t he thought to dress her up more?
With her looks, she could pull off every single style. He should’ve tried them all.
“Do you like it?”
Feng Siruo nodded, her eyes sparkling.
Jiang Zhou playfully pinched her ear, but then felt a bit of regret.
He had the ears and the bell…
Too bad there was no tail.
—
By the time they returned to Shangjing, it was already past nine.
Jiang Zhou walked Feng Siruo back to her dormitory, just in time to run into Ding Yue.
That nosy woman was stunned when she saw the two of them holding hands.
What the heck?
I’d only been away from Feng Siruo for one afternoon and Jiang Zhou had already managed to snatch her away again?
And what is with those cat ears on her head?
“Hey! Why are you two together?” Ding Yue asked.
Jiang Zhou stopped walking. “We had dinner, walked around… just hanging out.”
Ding Yue looked at Feng Siruo, suspicious. “Didn’t you say you weren’t gonna talk to him for three days? Gave in already?”
“…No.”
“Then how come I couldn’t find you anywhere?”
Feng Siruo bit her lip and mumbled, “We paused.”
“…Paused? You can pause an argument now?” Ding Yue was speechless. “Who came up with that?”
Jiang Zhou patted his chest. “Me, of course.”
“You tricked our Siruo again, and you’re still holding her hand!”
Only then did Feng Siruo realize and quickly pulled her hand away.
Jiang Zhou had been holding it the whole way, and she’d actually gotten used to it.
If Ding Yue hadn’t mentioned it, she might not have even noticed.
“Ding Yue, are you jealous or something? Why are you always butting in?” Jiang Zhou gave her a helpless glare.
“I’m her love mentor, thank you very much.”
“Mentor my ass. You should go get yourself a boyfriend first. Want me to set you up with Xu Haodong?”
Ding Yue wrinkled her nose in disgust. “That guy? All he talks about is vulgar nonsense. Gross.”
Jiang Zhou nudged Feng Siruo forward. “Take good care of my wife. I’m heading back.”
“Shameless! Who’s your—”
Before she could finish, Ding Yue suddenly turned to look at Feng Siruo. “…Siruo, he didn’t already get you, right?”
Feng Siruo shook her head. “No…”
“Oh, good. If you give in too fast, he won’t treasure you. Later, I’ll tell you that story again. The one about the princess hung on the city wall.”
“…Okay.”
As Ding Yue kept nagging, Feng Siruo couldn’t help but secretly glance back.
In the moonlight, Jiang Zhou was striding away from the dorms, head held high, back perfectly straight.
—
By the time Jiang Zhou reached the dorm building, the stars were already out.
He pulled his suitcase from the car and lugged it back up to the room.
The moment he stepped in, the three guys in his dorm shot upright.
“Jiang Zhou! Did you sleep out again?!”
Jiang Zhou puffed out smoke. “Yeah. This time I unlocked the achievement of hanging out with three girls.”
Zhang Guangfa didn’t believe him. “Liar! You’re always bragging! Your tongue should’ve snapped by now!”
“Say what you want. At least I get real people. You don’t even get to meet your online crush,” Jiang Zhou shot back, casually popping open his suitcase.
The three dormmates peeked inside and instantly believed him.
Why?
Because sitting right at the top… was a broken cat-ear headband.
It was the one Su Nan had thrown from the hotel room the night before.
Jiang Zhou had kept it as a memento, maybe to tease the tsundere Su Nan later.
But in the eyes of his dormmates… it triggered a tidal wave of respect.
Damn. This guy’s playing at a whole different level.
Not only did he get girls to wear cat ears…
He even wore them out to the point of breaking them?
In that moment, the three roommates looked at Jiang Zhou with worship in their eyes.
Compared to his wild college life… they were just noobs.