Chapter 20

Jin Qishan’s cold war lasted until the day before the exam.
At this time, Su Xiaoxiao and Feng Zihao were discussing winter break plans.
“I’ll be helping my mom at the supermarket during winter break. Busy during New Year, can’t go anywhere. Why don’t you come visit me at the store? You can eat whatever you want,” Feng Zihao said.
“Nope, I’ll be back in N City during winter break,” Su Xiaoxiao replied.
“Ah, so we won’t see each other the whole break?”
“Yeah.”
Feng Zihao muttered softly, “I’ll be so bored without seeing you.”
Luo Zhi quickly said, “It’s fine, I’ll come visit you! I can come every day!”
Feng Zihao frowned. “Don’t come, I don’t have time to play with you.”
Then Luo Zhi and Feng Zihao bickered again.
Jin Qishan couldn’t hear what they were arguing about, but all he could think of was Su Xiaoxiao going back to N City for winter break and Feng Zihao saying he’d be bored without her.
He thought, I’m going to be bored this winter break too.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoxiao stretched while talking to Feng Zihao, her hands reaching over toward Jin Qishan.
“Su Xiaoxiao, your hand’s over here,” Jin Qishan said.
Su Xiaoxiao deliberately waved her hand in front of him. “I’ll reach over, I’ll reach over, you little miser.”
Jin Qishan grabbed her wrist. “You’re the miser.”
He actually dared to argue back!
Su Xiaoxiao huffed and tried to stretch her hand again, but Jin Qishan held it firmly.
Despite being so thin, he was surprisingly strong. Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t overpower one of his hands with both of hers, he utterly dominated her.
When a girl and a boy are of similar height, the strength gap can really be huge.
Seeing she couldn’t win, Su Xiaoxiao tried to bluff.
“Jin Qishan, let go or I’ll bite you.”
“No.”
She opened her mouth wide and slowly moved toward his wrist. “I’m going to bite! I’m going to bite!”
Seeing he wasn’t afraid, she said, “I’m serious!”
She lightly bit him at first, barely any pressure, but he didn’t let go.
She increased the pressure slightly while observing his expression. He still didn’t flinch.
Again, she increased the pressure. Still nothing.
So she increased it a little more.
Su Xiaoxiao wondered why he didn’t feel any pain. Was her bite too light?
Even if he didn’t feel pain, she dared not bite harder. She released her grip, revealing two rows of bluish-purple teeth marks on his wrist.
Feeling guilty, she wiped the saliva off his wrist and blew on it. “Does it hurt? Sorry, I bit too hard.”
Jin Qishan pulled his hand back slightly and said faintly, “It’s okay.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s worry was unnecessary, he felt no pain. Dong Xiaohong had hit him far worse.
Feeling guilty, she offered her wrist to him. “You can bite me too, or hit me, scold me, whatever.”
He lifted his head. “Really doesn’t hurt. If you feel guilty, bring me a gift when you return from N City.”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! No problem. I promise to give it to you as soon as I’m back.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips. That’s what he had been waiting for, her coming back to find him.
The teeth marks on Jin Qishan’s wrist didn’t fade completely even after the exams.
Out of guilt, Su Xiaoxiao obeyed him almost entirely. If he felt disturbed by her chatting with Feng Zihao, she immediately stopped, and didn’t let Feng Zihao or Luo Zhi speak either.
…
After exams ended, Su Junhua and Wu Xinyu came to pick Su Xiaoxiao up and take her back to N City. Junhua happened to be on winter break as well, so he could stay home and look after her.
Once Su Xiaoxiao finished packing, she wanted to go say goodbye to Jin Qishan. “Dad,” she said, “I want to go see Jin Qishan and tell him I’m leaving, okay?”
Su Junhua glanced at his watch. There was still some time before the bus departed. He nodded. “Go on, but don’t take too long.”
After she left, he asked Grandma Su, “Mom, is Jin Qishan a new friend Xiaoxiao made?”
Grandma Su chuckled. “Isn’t he just? They’re desk mates now. He lives right across the hall from us.”
Junhua looked surprised. “There’s a boy her age living across from us? How come I’ve never seen him?”
“They only moved in a few years ago,” Grandma Su explained. “The boy’s quiet and shy, doesn’t talk much. But he’s a good kid, and he and Xiaoxiao get along really well. You’ll like him once you meet him.”
Junhua adjusted his glasses and nodded. “Didn’t expect Xiaoxiao to make such a good friend so quickly.”
He didn’t yet know that his first meeting with Jin Qishan later wouldn’t be so pleasant.
Grandma Su beamed proudly. “Our Xiaoxiao is so popular at school! A few parents even told me they wished their kids could sit with her. But nope, Xiaoxiao only wants to sit with Qinshan.”
At that moment, Su Xiaoxiao was already knocking on Jin Qishan’s door.
A few seconds later, it opened to reveal him.
“Qinshan,” she said softly, reluctant to go. “I’m heading back to N City today.”
Jin didn’t even invite her in. He just nodded coolly.
His indifference stung. She’d thought he’d at least seem a little sad to see her go, she’d taken such good care of him, after all.
“Then I’m leaving,” she said. “Help me pick up the report card when it comes out, okay?”
“Mm.”
She turned to leave when he suddenly called out, “Wait a second. I’ve got something for you.”
He went back inside, rummaged around, and came out holding a pink piggy-bank, which he thrust into her hands.
Su Xiaoxiao’s face lit up. “Thank you!” she said cheerfully.
Jin turned away awkwardly. “Don’t thank me. I won it from a ring toss. It’s a girly thing anyway, I don’t need it.”
“Okay, bye!” Su said, hugging the pink piggy tightly as she trotted home, smiling.
Jin watched her go. He wanted to tell her come back soon, but what came out instead was a muttered, “When you get back, I’ll settle the score with you.”
That winter, Jin Qishan learned what missing someone really meant, and it was nothing like missing his grandmother. This kind of longing clawed at his chest, wordless and sharp.