The brother and sister sat by the lakeside and chatted for a while.
Jiang Zhiyao had been worried all day; now that she could finally relax, she felt a little drained.
"Go back and rest, you look totally drained."
Jiang Linyuan looked at her and said.
"Mm."
Jiang Zhiyao nodded. As she was about to leave, she suddenly felt something was off.
"Do you see that over there? Has someone been watching us this whole time?"
Huh? A peeping tom too?
Jiang Linyuan turned his head and followed the direction she pointed.
The lakeside was full of couples, so he spotted who Jiang Zhiyao meant at once. It was a little far, the figure wasn't clear, but it was a girl holding a camera.
"She's taking photos, and she's a girl. Aren't you being a bit paranoid?"
Jiang Linyuan said.
Jiang Zhiyao frowned. She still felt uneasy.
Back in high school, whenever she was with Jiang Linyuan, she always had this sensation of being stared at.
"Go back and rest, you're too sensitive."
"Maybe."
Jiang Zhiyao rubbed her brow and admitted she might be overreacting. Thinking that, she glared at Jiang Linyuan.
It's your fault for not answering your phone! If you had picked up, I wouldn't be imagining things!
Why glare like that?
Jiang Linyuan glared right back and ruffled Jiang Zhiyao's hair hard.
"Go to sleep."
"Hey! My hair's a mess!"
Jiang Zhiyao stood up, grumbling in displeasure, but she didn't swat his hand away.
"Want me to walk you back?"
"No need, you just woke up. You're probably starving, go find something to eat."
Indeed, Jiang Linyuan was starving, so he didn't walk her back.
Sigh, Haji Yao is still too sensitive. I just missed one call, why is she so worked up?
People who are overly sensitive are usually not well-liked, except in bed.
After sitting a while, he went to the canteen.
After the two of them left, the girl with the camera walked over and sat on the bench they had been occupying.
"Good thing he's okay."
She flipped through photos on her camera and smiled.
She had followed Jiang Linyuan when he left the dormitory. The sports meet had ended almost a day ago and he hadn't appeared, so her worry was somewhat understandable.
"This is so nostalgic, it feels like being back in high school."
She smiled, looking very satisfied.
Senior Jiang, his sister, and me hiding off to the side.
Hehe, even if it's a little shameless, I can say I'm part of his life now.
...
Jiang Zhiyao returned to the dorm and was about to sleep when another WeChat message popped up.
[Clearly lied about being a virgin to get me]: Yao Yao, I'm coming to Xinnan next week to experience exchange student life, miss me?!
Every time she saw Huang Taoyan's WeChat ID she couldn't help rolling her eyes.
[Green Tea Lick Dogs Deserve to Die]: No, you should focus on going to university in Shanghai, why come to Xinnan?
"Screw you."
Jiang Zhiyao's eyebrows shot up.
"Say that again and we're not friends anymore!"
Huang Taoyan replied quickly.
"Don't, don't, Yao Yao, I'm joking. You know my first choice was Xinnan, I transferred down the list and ended up at university in Shanghai, I'm just taking this chance to see the school I didn't get into."
"By the way, from your tone, is Jiang Linyuan still single?"
Jiang Zhiyao typed back quietly.
"None of your business."
Huang Taoyan sent a voice message, loud and carefree.
"Why are you being so strict? In high school you said you were afraid early romance would distract him, you cut off a bunch of his admirers, and now in university you're still protecting him?"
"Mind your own business."
"Dead bro-control over here. Jiang Linyuan is a sister-fanatic too, he lets you have your way and never loses his temper at you, tsk tsk."
Hearing that, Jiang Zhiyao pursed her lips. She knew she sometimes made unreasonable scenes, but as Huang Taoyan said, Jiang Linyuan rarely got upset over those things.
He was always like this, a little too indulgent toward her.
"We're close as siblings. So what? Are you jealous?"
She typed back.
"Consider me jealous then, Yao Yao. What I want to say is your sibling relationship is a bit too close..."
Jiang Zhiyao didn't want to listen anymore. She buried her head in the blanket and replied.
"Is your mom lecturing me? If you keep this up I'll block you."
"Hehe, smart move, Yao Yao. Now I can answer Auntie's questions. But I'm meddling—Auntie's just worrying for no reason, why would she fret when siblings are that close?"
Jiang Zhiyao stared at the glow of her screen and after a while replied.
"Maybe she's afraid I'll rely on Jiang Linyuan too much."
"True, Auntie's great at teaching and raising kids."
Huang Taoyan couldn't help joking further.
"Jiang Linyuan's just been raised too well, his psychological resilience is top-notch. Someone like him—if I ever said he cried rivers, I'd think I was directing it."
Listening to the voice message, Jiang Zhiyao's mouth twitched.
"Say that again and I'll block you."
"Don't, Yao Yao, Jiang Linyuan is the hottest. He's the dream of thirty thousand girls! Love him to death!"
"I sent the chat log to your parents."
"What the—! Jiang Zhiyao, you ruined me! When I get to Xinnan, I'll make your brother fall for me and you'll willingly call me sister-in-law!"
Jiang Zhiyao ignored her and immediately blocked her.
That girl deserved a beating, no wonder she was summoned by parents every couple weeks in high school. And make Jiang Linyuan fall for her? He was already unbearable back then.
As she thought that, another WeChat message came in. It was Su Muzhi, who had added her recently.
[Hehe]: Does Jiang-classmate's sister have business adding me?
This one was the most threatening.
Jiang Zhiyao gripped her phone tightly.
...
"Jiang Linyuan, Yao Yao blocked me, make her add me back!"
At the canteen, slurping noodles, Jiang Linyuan saw the message from Huang Taoyan and replied.
"You asked for it by running your mouth, serves you right to be deleted."
Huang Taoyan sent a voice message.
"You bro-control freak, what are you saying! I was so nice to you in high school! I posted a lot of stuff for you on many sites!"
"Nice? You said 1080p resources, I clicked excitedly and there were only three people, where were the other 1,077? You hyped me up for nothing!"
"...Jiang Linyuan, do you know a saying? Don't meet someone too dazzling when you're young. Since I met you in high school, nothing I've seen shocks me."
There—there's Huang Taoyan, truly something else.
Jiang Linyuan couldn't be bothered to respond.
But Huang Taoyan wouldn't let it go and kept sending voice messages.
"I'm coming to Xinnan soon, aren't you taking me out to eat?"
"I'll buy you Honey Snow City bubble tea."
"Huh? You're sweet and I'm cute? Won't Yao Yao mind?"
Jiang Linyuan blocked her with one click. Talking to people like that too much was corrupting.