Chapter 119: Caught You

The two sat quietly in the pavilion, and from time to time, Su Muzhi would get off the wheelchair and move around.

She could leave the wheelchair, but she couldn’t leave Jiang Linyuan.

“How much longer do you have to recover like this? It’s been almost a week, hasn’t it? Auntie Shaqima still won’t let you out?”

Jiang Linyuan held Su Muzhi’s hand, accompanying her as she walked up the steps.

Actually, he had planned to support her, but Su Muzhi said she wasn’t that weak yet, so he just held her hand instead.

Still, Xiao Su’s hand was so warm, fleshy and soft, like a cat’s paw.

“Normally speaking, I could probably go back to school around now, but since you took me out today, it might get extended, you know.”

Su Muzhi smiled, hopping up and down on the steps as if it was the most entertaining thing in the world.

“Don’t talk nonsense. You barely walked a few steps today. It was me and Miss Wheelchair who did all the hard work.”

“My mom won’t see it that way.”

Su Muzhi stopped hopping at a particular step and turned to look at Jiang Linyuan beside her:

“You’ve already whisked me away this far. She’s definitely furious. You’re going to be in trouble after this.”

“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have brought you.”

Jiang Linyuan didn’t care. Auntie Shaqima was indeed all-powerful, and Your Majesty the Vice Principal held his diploma hostage.

If the two of them really pushed him to the wall, he would just have to use Xiao Su’s ultrasound report to buy himself a sliver of hope.

But they probably weren’t that bad. After all, they had met face to face.

“Hehe, that tactic could work on Shen Wanyu. You can be a bit more forceful with her too.”

Su Muzhi said with a smile.

After saying that, she let go of the hand she had been holding with Jiang Linyuan and slowly stretched:

“Let’s go. It’s almost dark. Time to head back.”

“Let’s walk a bit further before hailing a cab. This is a scenic area, pretty congested.”

Jiang Linyuan suggested.

“Alright.” Su Muzhi said.

As the two walked out, dusk thickened, and the evening wind curled up strings of falling leaves, with birdsong occasionally drifting to their ears.

They walked quietly like that, neither of them saying a word.

The time was pleasant, carrying a serene beauty of returning home to rest.

Su Muzhi sat in her wheelchair, strands of her hair lifted by the breeze. She raised a hand to gently press them down and said:

“Take it out.”

“Take what out?”

Jiang Linyuan asked.

“The snack bag. You hid something inside, didn’t you? If you don’t take it out now, you won’t get another chance.”

Su Muzhi yawned, her eyes glinting with amusement as she glanced at Jiang Linyuan.

“So clever. I originally planned to give this to you on the day of the music festival.”

Jiang Linyuan pulled a small box out of the bag, and Su Muzhi promptly snatched it away.

She stared at it for a moment, then hesitated:

“What is this?”

“A paper strip music box.”

Jiang Linyuan said:

“You’ve never seen one?”

“Hehe. No, I’ve never seen such a cheap music box before.”

Su Muzhi delivered one of her classic Quotes, then struck the pose of an empress issuing a decree:

“Play the music.”

Jiang Linyuan couldn’t stand her acting like that and gave her head a light tap.

Xiao Su instantly broke character and glared at Jiang Linyuan with dissatisfaction.

“A paper strip music box—the key part is the paper strip. You have to transcribe the score and punch the holes yourself. It’s a real hassle…”

Jiang Linyuan pulled out another long roll of paper strips, inserted it into the music box, crouched down beside Su Muzhi, and slowly turned the crank.

The soft tones, the gentle melody, mixed with the unique clicking sound of the music box, felt like an orange tabby cat dozing off in the afternoon, purring lazily.

Su Muzhi talked about how cheap the music box was, yet she listened intently, as if all the sounds around her had vanished.

In her ears, only the music box remained.

“What’s the name of the song?”

She asked.

“Can’t remember. I found it online. It sounded nice, so I transcribed the score.”

Jiang Linyuan said.

“You know how to do this?” Su Muzhi asked.

“Do you even know the caliber of Xingnan’s Top Ten Singers?! I’ve got some serious musical chops!”

Jiang Linyuan stopped turning the crank and declared.

“Hehe. It’s just so-so, I guess.”

Su Muzhi said, but her hand reached for the crank and slowly started turning it.

The music continued to play.

“Too bad. If it were last night, I gave this to you, you would have definitely fallen for me.”

“Everyone else was at the music festival, but you, all alone, would have this music box I specially brought just for you. Isn’t that romantic?”

Jiang Linyuan frankly admitted his little scheme.

Su Muzhi laughed:

“But in the end, it’s just a cheap thing.”

She stopped her hand and asked:

“How do I take out this paper strip?”

Jiang Linyuan removed the paper strip.

Su Muzhi looked at the crank music box in her arms and the roll of paper strips, and smiled:

“But as a toy, I’m quite satisfied with it.”

She lifted her head, her eyes brimming with overflowing laughter, as if she had to narrow them just to contain it all.

She suddenly envied her mother. If she had a childhood friend, if it were this person right in front of her.

Maybe she would fall for him. No, definitely.

Not like now, where she couldn’t even tell if it was love for a person or fondness for a toy.

Still… this was fine too.

There was no need to draw such a clear line, just like her mother said.

As long as she didn’t let him run away.

…

On the way back.

The sky had fallen into night. In the taxi, Su Muzhi hugged the music box, apparently tired, and had fallen asleep.

The car hit a bump on the road, and her forehead naturally leaned against Jiang Linyuan’s shoulder.

Outside the window, the sunset had completely faded, and the moon was like a faint kiss mark.

Jiang Linyuan looked at her hair sticking to her forehead and wanted to brush it away.

But the hand he reached out was stopped mid-air.

A smile doubled her charm, and a pair of bright, big eyes looked at him.

“Caught you.”

Su Muzhi opened her eyes and said with a smile.