When Will My Childhood Sweetheart Marry Me?-Chapter 174: Fleeting Days and Nights, How to Speak of Permanence
The atmosphere at the assessment site was tense. Old Man Jiang sat among a group of young mentors, sipping wolfberry tea while keeping an eye on screen number 52 in area B on the projector.
"Number 52 is really something, isn’t he one of Professor Jiang’s students?"
With a smile, Old Man Jiang set down his thermos and gestured for the mentors to be patient.
The outcome was yet to be decided. They only needed to be observers waiting for the results. As for the rest, the fiercer the competition among that group of kids, the happier he was.
Ten minutes remaining.
The last six programs were still running in a steady progression. Having fought from a group of two hundred to this stage, regardless of the outcome, the six contestants had silently become the focus of everyone’s attention.
Especially one person...
Imperceptibly, everyone’s gaze had gathered on screen number 52.
They had guessed the beginning, but they had never been able to predict the ending.
Since the Computer Science Department of Rong University was established, it had organized countless internal coding competitions, but this year was as if it were cursed with a freshman seizing the final victory.
Number 52, what was his name again?
Jiang Shuyao suppressed a smile, answering a question from a girl beside her, "His name is Pei Yan."
He was her boyfriend.
In the third round, Jiang Shuyao and Jiang Xubai stopped at the top ten.
The one who made it to the end was the class representative for the C language course, who often skipped morning and evening self-study sessions, who frequently coded during advanced math class, who always walked lazily, and whose body was covered with bristles.
After all, they were all adults. No matter how incredulous they felt, they were quickly able to get their emotions under control.
Having been comfortable for too long, perhaps this was precisely the gift the department head had deliberately given to the sophomore and junior students.
It was not only a gift but also a warning and encouragement.
New waves of the Yangtze River drive on those ahead. If the waves in front do not strive to advance, they are bound to be washed up on the beach sooner or later.
A week later, the shock of the base assessment had gradually subsided, but the name Pei Yan, simple and easy to remember, had quietly made its mark in many people’s hearts.
The senior students mentioned him, rubbing their hands in eagerness; his peers mentioned him, speaking evasively.
As for Pei Yan himself, he was the same as before.
Skipping morning and evening self-study, typing the fastest code, carrying his laptop languidly into the classroom, and always sitting undisciplined at the back of Old Man Jiang’s class.
The base officially began operating after the National Day holiday.
There were two pieces of good news before the holiday.
The first was that in the class meeting, He Shumiao’s application to become the official class president was unanimously passed.
The other matter left Jiang Shuyao with no choice.
As the only girl who achieved excellent results in the base assessment, she had no room to refuse and was directly elected by everyone to be the study committee member.
Great, a class representative and a study committee member; neither of them would have a peaceful weekend any longer.
The short holiday was just around the corner.
Jiang Shuyao had planned to go home for the Mid-Autumn Festival, intending to return to school the next day to prepare for the post-holiday art elective.
But on the evening of the 30th, she received a call from Old Jiang, saying he was going on a business trip and her mother was also going to the Capital to attend an important academic conference.
During the holiday meant for family reunion, she was once again abandoned by her parents.
She couldn’t possibly go to the Pei Family for the holiday with Pei Yan, could she?
No, it was still too early. The time wasn’t right.
Her thoughts wandering, she stood by the lawn, kicking pebbles, when suddenly a large hand covered her eyes and pulled her over.
She was unstable and leaned softly against someone’s chest.
Her eyes, wet, stared at him.
"When you think of me, do you get this lost in thought?" Pei Yan pinched her nose with two fingers and chuckled lowly, "Try glaring at me like that again."
Jiang Shuyao raised her fist in protest. Her difficulty breathing made her face red and ears hot, and she was terribly embarrassed.
Tsk, poor little thing.
Pei Yan let go of the girl, straightened her up, looking as calm and collected as if he hadn’t just been teasing his own girlfriend.
Jiang Shuyao covered her bright red nose and tearfully accused, "You used to not bear treating me like this."
"It wasn’t that I couldn’t bear it, I was just afraid."
"Why are you not afraid now?"
Now...
Pei Yan tilted his head lazily, his gaze gently resting on her: "Because you like me too."
Because you like me,
there’s no need to be so cautious anymore, fearing loss.
The sunshine was warm, and reflected in the girl’s shiny eyes were his deep, boundless pupils.
After being silent for two seconds, Jiang Shuyao’s lips curled slightly under the cover of her hand, she lowered her eyelashes and muttered softly, "Twisted logic."
So just because you like someone, you can do whatever you want?
That’s not how it should be.
He’s so domineering.
Pei Yan took her hand down and placed it in his own broad palm, leading her towards the school gate.
"Where are we going?"
"Home."
Home—
Jiang Shuyao came to an abrupt stop, "No, no, I’m not ready yet."
Although she knew Uncle Pei wouldn’t object, recalling the time before the college entrance exam when she tutored Pei Yan and they both acted so innocent, only to reveal their relationship as soon as they got to university, the idea of repairing the plank road in the open while secretly marching through Chen Cang, she felt ashamed to think that the elders might have seen through them.
The girl overreacted, and Pei Yan was somewhat taken aback.
After a quiet pause, Jiang Shuyao slowly realized something, bowed her head, and her little face turned thoroughly red.
Where had her mind wandered off to?
Really...
Amidst the awkwardness, her chin was lifted by Pei Yan’s great hand, and she found herself caught in his eyes, which seemed to be smiling but not.
"This New Year, I’ll go to your house."
Hmm?
What does it have to do with the New Year?
Jiang Shuyao blinked dumbly and listened to him speak seriously, "I’ve been ready for a while now, so I came over first."
"Came over, for what?"
"To call your parents early, get a few more years’ worth of red envelopes."
"Pei Yan!" She fumed with embarrassment.
Pei Yan laughed so hard his chest trembled, holding onto the girl’s hand that wanted to pinch his waist, soft and delicate, softer than a peeled egg, and he desperately wanted to kiss it.
And that’s exactly what he did.
On the path around the artificial lake, Jiang Shuyao stiffened like a pillar, her eyes slightly widened, "Don’t nibble, there are germs."
And she had applied hand cream before leaving the house.
Was this guy like a dog, eating everything?
Her shaky voice reached his ears, Pei Yan held back, but eventually said, "Close your eyes, I want to kiss your lips."
"..." Jiang Shuyao was on the verge of tears, this was no kissing spot, what if someone came by, she covered her lips, "Let’s talk about it when we get home."
But she didn’t have a choice in refusing him, Pei Yan leaned down and started kissing from her delicate, fair neck.
His ravenous demeanor was like a wild beast released from its cage. Jiang Shuyao felt like being in a relationship with him was a constant adventure, calm one moment and tumultuous the next, leaving her no room to adjust.
She reached out to push him, her face blushing hotly, "Someone’s coming, Pei Yan..."
His voice was desperate, "Don’t mind them."
The angle here was hidden; people passing by above could only see their intimate pose, and could guess what was happening with a little imagination.
Pei Yan, tall with a long body, could almost shield her completely. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
For a big man, it didn’t matter if he was shameless.
But his princess, she shouldn’t be seen.
The autumn wind was cool.
When he finally let her go, her eyes still dared not open, her eyelashes quivering, she scolded him with a hint of grievance, "Bastard."
His eyes twinkled with laughter, "Yeah."
The ancients said that love only matters in the long run, not in moments shared.
Fucking nonsense.
Without the moments, what’s the talk of the long run? Liking someone but only being able to look and not kiss, he, Pei Yan, couldn’t do that.
