Chapter 22: Torment

At 2:30 p.m., Ji Pei jolted awake from a nightmare.

She glanced at her wrist. The alarm hadn’t gone off yet. In just half an hour, she’d had such a vivid dream.

Ji Pei stumbled downstairs, legs weak.

In the kitchen, she poured a full glass of ice cubes, added cold water, and sat sipping slowly.

She’d already splashed cold water on her face, trying to snap out of it.

Aunt Wang, prepping food, saw Ji Pei drinking cold water and couldn’t help commenting.

“You young people don’t take care of yourselves. It’s getting chilly—drinking cold water might give you a cold.”

Ji Pei smiled.

“A bit of cold water perks me up.”

Aunt Wang wiped the table.

“Didn’t you say Professor Jiang’s class is at 3:30? Why’re you up so early, Miss?”

Ji Pei, feeling guilty, sipped her ice water.

“Couldn’t sleep, came to sit. Haven’t been back home in a while so i couldn’t sleep comfortably.”

These past days, Ji Pei only delivered meals to Jiang Xihan. Aunt Wang could cook, but Ji Pei forgot.

Seeing the fridge stuffed by Aunt Wang, Ji Pei thought, maybe she’d stop bringing food.

She asked casually,

“Aunt Wang, what do you think of Professor Jiang?”

Aunt Wang grinned widely.

“First time meeting someone like Professor Jiang. She looks cold, but she’s so easy to talk to, great temper.”

If even Aunt Wang, after two days, said this, Jiang Xihan must be genuinely good.

No airs, no looking down on anyone, treating all equally.

After Aunt Wang finished tidying, Ji Pei sighed, set down her glass, and began questioning her life.

Why did she dream of Jiang Xihan?

Why did she see Jiang Xihan’s face as Dongri’s?

Was her subconscious acting up, feeling guilty for Jiang Xihan’s sprained ankle, so she even dreamed of her?

But why that kind of dream?

Was it a spring dream?

No way…

Ji Pei sat on the sofa, hands clutching her phone, repenting.

She pressed the cold glass to her cheek, opened her chat with Dongri, and gripped her hair, looking tormented.

She wanted to talk to Dongri, but in this state, Ji Pei put the phone down.

Chewing a hard, cold ice cube, she swallowed it, pushed open the door, and stepped into the garden.

It was late autumn, maples blazing red.

Right as she stepped out, a falling leaf hit her head. She picked it up, flipped it, and saw a huge spider, flinging it away in panic.

“…”

Truly, when luck’s bad, even picking up a leaf has a 100% chance of finding a bug.

***

At 3:00 p.m., Ji Pei stood outside Jiang Xihan’s bedroom, raising her hand to knock.

She’d been there ten minutes already, mentally preparing herself.

Just as she was about to knock, Aunt Wang appeared behind her, whispering,

“Miss, are you waking Professor Jiang?”

Ji Pei’s heart raced. She stepped behind Aunt Wang.

“Aunt Wang, you wake Professor Jiang.”

She bolted, leaving a baffled Aunt Wang standing there.

Strange. Ten minutes ago, she saw Ji Pei lingering at the door, hesitating to knock. Had they fought?

Aunt Wang pondered, then knocked, calling Jiang Xihan to wake.

***

Jiang Xihan woke, surprised not to see Ji Pei, but quickly realized Ji Pei had no obligation to stay by her side constantly.

Aunt Wang pushed her wheelchair out to the garage, where Jiang Xihan saw Ji Pei in the driver’s seat.

Ji Pei leaned on the steering wheel, staring blankly ahead, only reacting when the passenger door opened.

“Professor Jiang, careful.”

Ji Pei glanced at Jiang Xihan, not holding her hand as before but gripping her sleeve, minimizing contact.

Jiang Xihan sensed Ji Pei’s subtle distance. They were fine this morning—how did a nap change her?

“What’s wrong? You look pale. Bad nap? Nightmare?”

At “nightmare,” Ji Pei felt a jolt, wishing she could jump out of the car and flee.

But she was an adult. Dreams weren’t shameful. Why was she so scared of Jiang Xihan?

Ji Pei inhaled deeply, forcing her expression to relax.

“Yeah, had a nightmare. Woke up and couldn’t sleep.”

Jiang Xihan saw through Ji Pei’s guilty look, barely holding it together.

So young, unable to hide her feelings.

Jiang Xihan’s lips curved slightly. In this state, one glance, and she could guess Ji Pei’s thoughts.

Ji Pei instinctively resisted, avoiding even her touch.

Before napping, she said she’d wake her at 3:00, yet Aunt Wang did it.

No silver here, but plenty of guilt. Jiang Xihan guessed Ji Pei dreamed of her.

She didn’t know what dream, but for Ji Pei to avoid her and not meet her eyes, it was no innocent dream.

Jiang Xihan glanced at Ji Pei, who, caught off guard, turned her head away.

Suspicious. Jiang Xihan now knew Ji Pei dreamed something about her, hence the avoidance.

But what was cute was, despite her inner torment, Ji Pei still drove her to school.

Jiang Xihan rested her hands on her lap, wiggling her right foot, caught by Ji Pei’s sneaky glance.

“Professor Jiang, don’t move your foot.”

Jiang Xihan smiled.

“Actually, it’s much better. I think I’ll walk soon.”

Ji Pei followed her words.

“Then I won’t come in a few days.”

Jiang Xihan’s smile froze, mentally slapping herself. Why did she say that?

The drive was silent. Ji Pei seemed focused on driving, but her mind was a mess.

She felt she was betraying Dongri but couldn’t abandon Jiang Xihan.

The car entered campus, parking in the morning’s spot.

As Ji Pei braked to unbuckle, Jiang Xihan’s left hand reached toward her, leaning left.

A faint fragrance hit. Ji Pei saw her fingers in the rearview mirror, pupils shrinking.

Clutching her seatbelt, Ji Pei was like a cat ready to hiss, poised to claw at the approaching hand.

A breeze seemed to brush her ear, tickling her hair.

Before Ji Pei could react, Jiang Xihan plucked a small white feather, lips curving.

“You had a feather in your hair.”

“Thanks.”

Ji Pei mumbled thanks, unbuckled, and got out faster than a rabbit.

Jiang Xihan saw her ears redden, her lips curling with a triumphant smile.

Tch.

Kids were so easy to tease. She hadn’t even done anything yet.