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Fifth Period (1)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Jiang Huihui didn’t expect that he would offer to help, her mind blanking for a good while. Her fingers pinched the corner of her clothes, feeling somewhat uneasy and somewhat nervous.
But, the most important thing right now was finding Zhou Yanli first. Having an extra person, the search will be quicker.
In such cold weather, he was that thinly dressed….
Thus, Jiang Huihui pondered for a moment and began describing his facial features.
“Slender and long peach blossom eyes, roughly like yours; a high-bridged nose, very similar to yours; height also about the same as you, and also fair-skinned, like you…….”
The more she spoke, the softer her voice became.
How come she felt that Zhou Yanli and Zhou Jinwei were this alike.
The other party had his eyes lowered, quietly waiting for her to finish. His gaze was still calm.
Jiang Huihui recalled that the two of them had just met today, her voice becoming increasingly weak, “You two even met today. The one who……called you dad.”
Zhou Jinwei’s eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly searching his memory.
A moment later, he finally recalled, nodding his head.
“Oh, him.”
He then asked, “This late at night, why are you looking for him? What’s your relationship?”
His tone was very flat, his speech also slow, but it contained the chilliness of a winter night, as well as the huskiness left by cigarette smoke. Jiang Huihui had a kind of fear that didn’t allow her to not answer.
“He….he’s my friend. He has nowhere to go.”
“Nowhere to go….” He thoughtfully repeated her words, “So you plan on finding him, and then?”
Jiang Huihui blanked. Indeed, after finding him, then what? Could it be to let him stay at her place?
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
She lowered her head, muttering in a low voice, “Let’s find the person first, then discuss the rest later.”
Her dad was working out of town, while her mom lived in the employer’s home, so today, there was just her younger brother and her at home.
Seeing how scared her younger brother was today, he probably won’t dare to randomly tattle.
If Zhou Yanli truly has nowhere to go, then letting him stay at her place for the night was also fine.
As she was pondering over the problem, her emotions all reflected on her face. What she was thinking inside, it will all show on her face.
Zhou Jinwei slightly furrowed his brows, “Trust him that much?”
Jiang Huihui blanked, her thoughts getting interrupted, feeling somewhat confused, “Huh?”
Zhou Jinwei didn’t say anything, feeling irritated inside for no reason.
He crushed the cigarette box in his hand, and then placed it into the pocket of his jacket.
“Let’s go.”
His legs were too long. One step of his was able to match two of Jiang Huihui’s. She followed after him, “But, where can we go look? This place is so dark, everywhere all…..”
She was originally even thinking that they might need to search for a long time today, but before she could even finish her words, they both simultaneously stopped in their tracks.
On the other side of the street, Zhou Yanli who was just wearing a hoodie sat by the road, shivering from the cold.
The temperature at night was very low. The stray cats and dogs would often soundlessly freeze to death in the streets. Any later, and afraid he will become one of those stray cats and dogs.
Jiang Huihui hurriedly went over, taking off her own scarf and wrapping it around him, “You must be very cold.”
The boy was startled, lifting his eyes to look at her.
The moment their eyes met, she clearly saw a trace of joy flash across his face, but in the next second, he just averted his eyes, coldly rejecting her kindness, “No need for you to care.”
When Zhou Jinwei heard, he grabbed her wrist, “Let’s go.”
Jiang Huihui: “But he…….”
“He already said, no need for you to care.” He was someone who appeared to not have any emotions. Even when saying these words, he was also frighteningly calm.
Jiang Huihui got pulled by him in the opposite direction, but her line of sight was still on Zhou Yanli.
The latter, because of Zhou Jinwei’s appearance, stood up in surprise, his gaze fixed on the two of them.
Seeing his lips turning pale from the cold, Jiang Huihui, in the end, still broke free from Zhou Jinwei’s hand and walked before Zhou Yanli, “Later, it will only get colder. The weather forecast said that the lowest temperature today will be negative eight degrees. Wearing this little outside, you’ll freeze to death.”
He averted his eyes, his tone stiff, as if sulking, “Even if I freeze to death, it’s still my own business, nothing to do with you.”
Jiang Huihui gave in to him, “Earlier, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been like that…..You’d helped me, yet I……..”
Zhou Yanli was very easy to coax, immediately cheering up.
He finally was willing to look at her, “You really feel you were wrong?”
Jiang Huihui had a serious look, “I really was wrong.”
She wasn’t very tall, both slender and petite, her skin very fair. Her facial features were also evenly distributed on that palm-sized face of hers.
Her black hair was soft and silky. Unlike other girls who would spend lots of time and money taking care of their hair, she would just wear it in a high ponytail or bun every time.
That pair of black, glossy, round eyes, when looking at people, carried a bit of innocent charm.
Those lifeless photos were unable to display her spirit in the slightest. Only when the person was standing before him was he truly able to experience firsthand that urge of wanting to have the person taken into his arms and ruthlessly squeeze.
Zhou Yanli endured.
Since the one apologizing was this sincere, he might as well forgive her, “This time, it’s because this young master is tolerant and generous. But, there won’t be a next time, understand?”
She was exceptionally docile, repeatedly nodding her head, “Understood.”
Zhou Jinwei watched this scene before him, his brows slightly furrowing.
Zhou Yanli looked at him and asked Jiang Huihui, “How come he came too?”
Jiang Huihui still remembered what happened this afternoon at school. Worrying that they will argue again, she hurriedly explained, “I ran into him when looking for you. He said he’d look with me.”
Zhou Yanli’s gaze became a bit unnatural, “Did….did he voluntarily mention, wanting to look for me with you?”
“En, he said it would be more efficient for two people to search together.”
Zhou Yanli’s tone was a bit unnatural, “Who the hell cares that he came to look for me.”
The grudge from school, he still hasn’t forgotten, don’t even think about letting him forgive him this easily.
Zhou Jinwei lifted his wrist to look at the time.
“It’s very late.” He was saying this to Jiang Huihui, “Let’s go, I’ll send you back first.”
Jiang Huihui nodded, reaching out and grabbing Zhou Yanli’s wrist through his sleeve, “Let’s go.”
Zhou Jinwei didn’t move, his line of sight fixed on where their hands were connected.
He asked Jiang Huihui, “You plan on taking him back to your place?”
Jiang Huihui said, “He doesn’t have anywhere to go.”
“There are lots of hotels nearby.”
Jiang Huihui also felt that staying at a hotel was more suitable. She hesitantly looked towards Zhou Yanli. The latter still had Jiang Huihui’s scarf around his neck. Standing up at this time, he was almost two heads taller than Jiang Huihui.
She asked Zhou Yanli for his opinion, “What do you think?”
The latter didn’t speak for a while, still maintaining that nonchalant, laid-back stance.
In the end, he truly was unable to withstand their stares, awkwardly coughing, “Today, I…..didn’t pay attention and had all the money on me given to the noodle shop owner as compensation.”
Jiang Huihui: “…..”
She widened her eyes in disbelief, “That much money, you gave it all away?”
He stammered, “Since I was little, I’ve never lacked money, so I don’t have any concept of money.”
Jiang Huihui observed a moment of silence in her heart. Sure enough, there exists a huge gap between people. Even a penny, she would wish she could break into two, yet there were even people who didn’t lack money to the point of not having any concept of money.
She didn’t have any money. Zhou Yanli also didn’t have any money.
Then…….
The two penniless bums both turned towards the only one present with money, Zhou Jinwei.
The latter was expressionless.
In the end, Jiang Huihui had the person pulled aside into a dark corner, carefully asking him, “Can you…..temporarily lend him some? He will pay you back.”
Because of the huge height difference, she needed to raise her head to look at him. Those eyes of hers were filled with sincerity and a subtle plea.
The night wind caused her delicate little nose to slightly turn red.
Her hand was still pinching his sleeve.
Zhou Jinwei didn’t say a word.
All the way until the latter nervously continued to ask, “Can you?”
His throat moved. He reached out and lightly rubbed her lips.
She froze in place.
After rubbing, he let go, his hand relaxing by his side, his fingertips gently caressing, like savoring the lingering soft sensation.
“There was something there.” He was explaining his somewhat abrupt action.
“Huh?” She subconsciously went to touch, “What was it?”
“Something dirty.”
There was nothing there. He just suddenly wanted to kiss her.
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