Little Sweetheart

Gu Siyi thought about it for a moment and said, "No need, I haven't finished my current workbooks. I thought you might have better recommendations, but it's okay if you don't."

Xia Zhijun glanced at her. "You don't believe me?"

"No, no…" Gu Siyi hurriedly explained, afraid of being misunderstood. "I think you're already burdened enough. You have to maintain your top grades, work part-time to earn money, and even teach yourself the skills for this job… I'm grateful that you're willing to spend time explaining the questions to me, but compiling workbooks takes so much effort. You could use that time to play ball or watch movies, relax a little…"

Xia Zhijun looked at the girl beside him and fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he suddenly smiled. "So you're concerned about me?"

Gu Siyi became even more embarrassed. "You're a brilliant top student, you don't need me, a low-ranking student, to worry. I'm just a burden… I just don't want to tire you out too much."

Xia Zhijun didn't say anything more. Gu Siyi walked beside him, and the two of them headed for the light rail station.

Xia Zhijun slowed down his pace, and Gu Siyi followed suit. They walked side by side along the street as if they were taking a stroll.

Xia Zhijun raised his hand, placed it on the back of Gu Siyi's head, and said slowly, "It's good that you're like this…"

"Huh?" Gu Siyi was puzzled.

Everyone took everything he did for granted, including his parents. They only cared about his achievements, how high he could fly, whether he met the family's expectations, and whether he could do better…

No one would think that doing everything well and striving to be the perfect person in their eyes was also a tiring task.

Xia Zhijun smiled slightly and asked, "It's about a twenty-minute walk from here to the subway station. Do you want to take a taxi or walk?"

"Let's walk. We just ate so much, it's good to walk and digest."

"Okay."

When they reached the light rail station, Gu Siyi was a little surprised. Twenty minutes was half a class, but why did it feel so fast, like they arrived in no time?

It was past eight o'clock in the evening, peak hour for transportation, and there was a large flow of people getting on and off.

By the time they boarded the train, there were no empty seats left, so they had to stand.

Xia Zhijun held onto a handrail, and Gu Siyi stood beside him. More and more people crowded into the carriage, shoulder to shoulder. Gu Siyi was bumped and had to dodge to the side. "Ouch…"

"Come here." Xia Zhijun put his arm around Gu Siyi's shoulders, pulling her into his embrace, shielding her from the pushing and shoving of the crowd.

"…" Gu Siyi fell into his chest unexpectedly.

His unique clean and refreshing scent was like an independent world, completely enveloping her, and all the messy noise and smells from the outside world disappeared.

His hand rested on her waist, pulling her closer.

Gu Siyi leaned against the boy's chest, her face flushed, feeling a little hot.

Looking over Xia Zhijun's shoulder, all she could see were people, people, people…

An inexplicable guilt made her lower her eyes, not daring to meet the gazes of those around them.

Xia Zhijun lowered his head, leaned close to her ear, chuckled softly, and asked, "Why is your waist so slender?"

"……!!!!" Gu Siyi was so embarrassed. It was one thing to be forced into this situation, but why did he have to say such things?

Mortified, Gu Siyi subconsciously wanted to dodge, but there were people, people, people everywhere…

She was completely trapped in his arms by the wall of people…

So why did they have to take the subway? Why not just take a taxi back to school?

Sensing her restlessness, Xia Zhijun stood up straight, loosening his embrace slightly, holding her in a loose hug.

Finally, they reached their station. People surged on and off the train. Xia Zhijun held Gu Siyi's arm with one hand and put the other around her shoulder, protecting her from the crowd, and led her off the train.

Gu Siyi let out a long sigh of relief and moved towards an open space to breathe in the fresh air.

Xia Zhijun followed leisurely beside her, his demeanor a mix of laziness and indifference, just like his elegant and noble aura.

Gu Siyi: "…"

A top student as refined as him couldn't have been teasing her with that earlier remark.

Even top students could have brainless moments in life. Yes, that must have been a mindless question.

The subway station exit was located inside a shopping mall. As they walked along the passageway, they found themselves inside the mall.

Passing by a Pandora store, Gu Siyi paused, her gaze drawn to the bracelets on display. They were so beautiful.

The salesperson seized the opportunity to promote, "Would you like to try them on?"

Gu Siyi shook her head. "It's okay."

She couldn't afford it anyway. She would try them on at another store when she went shopping with her mother next time.

As they were about to reach the exit, they came across a bustling milk tea shop.

Xia Zhijun asked Gu Siyi, "Do you want some tea?"

Gu Siyi was immediately interested. "Sure."

So they joined the long queue.

Xia Zhijun said, "You order here, I'll go to the restroom."

"Okay." Gu Siyi nodded.

After waiting in line, Gu Siyi bought two cups of tea and sat in the shop, waiting for Xia Zhijun.

While sipping her tea and scrolling through her phone, she saw photos of the buffet on both her QQ space and WeChat Moments, all posted by Zheng Peipei and her friends. Gu Siyi swiped through each photo, sighing inwardly at their photography skills. They had captured both the food and the ambiance beautifully, and the selfies were also stunning.

There were also a few candid group photos taken by Su Han and the other three boys. Looking at their goofy expressions and bright smiles in the photos, Gu Siyi couldn't help but smile and saved each one.

Then, she posted a message on her Moments: Feeling happy today~

As Gu Siyi was giggling at her phone, Xia Zhijun returned. He sat down next to her and said, "Give me your hand."

"Huh?" Gu Siyi looked up in confusion, extending her hand.

Xia Zhijun leaned down, his cool fingers brushing against her wrist…

She watched in surprise as he fastened a delicate Pandora bracelet onto her wrist.

After securing the bracelet, Xia Zhijun sat up straight and said casually, "My mom has been wanting me to buy you a gift, so here you go."

"…Your mom asked you to give me a gift?" Gu Siyi stammered.

"Your mom asked you to give me chili sauce, didn't she?" Xia Zhijun's gaze lingered on her hand. The girl's slender, fair wrist paired with the sparkling bracelet was a lovely sight.

"The salesperson told me that this bracelet represents 'unforgettable moments.' I'll buy you a charm for every unforgettable moment we share."

He looked at her stunned expression and asked, "Do you like it?"

Gu Siyi lowered her head, gazing at the bracelet on her wrist. She lifted her hand, admiring the way it shimmered, her fingers gently touching the charms.

Two delicate birds were nestled within a heart-shaped pendant, the glass beads sparkling like flower petals bathed in sunlight. The more Gu Siyi looked at the bracelet, the more she adored it. Her heart swelled with joy. Covering her face with her hands, she giggled into her palms. After a while, she lifted her head, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she looked at him. "I love it! I absolutely love it! I love it so much!"

Xia Zhijun's finger lightly brushed against her dimple, finding her incredibly adorable.

As he watched her smile, his eyes softened with a gentle warmth that he reserved only for her. "I like it too…"

For the first time giving a girl a gift, Xia Zhijun experienced a special kind of sweetness.

No wonder boys liked to buy gifts for girls; it was truly a great satisfaction. Now he had a better use for the money he earned.

They left the shopping mall and took a direct bus back to school.

The journey, which would have taken less than half an hour by taxi, took them one to two hours because of the public transportation and walking.

Back at school, Xia Zhijun walked Gu Siyi to her dormitory building.

Gu Siyi waved goodbye to him and skipped back to her dorm.

Once inside, she couldn't resist taking out her phone and snapping a photo of her wrist adorned with the bracelet. She posted it on her Moments with the caption: Absolutely love it!

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