The girl’s shy expression and demeanor were so obvious that even Jiang Li, who had no experience with relationships, could see her intentions at a glance. Jiang Li stared at the girl for a moment and then turned to Tong Yi, showing a meaningful smile.
For some reason, her smile made Tong Yi feel a sense of panic, “What are you smiling about?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment and said, “Maybe I should go back to the hotel alone?”
Tong Yi looked surprised, “Why would you go back alone?”
Jiang Li blinked, “Because I think I’m quite safe, otherwise…”
“No way.” Tong Yi immediately refused, “As your cousin, how could I possibly let you go back to the hotel alone? I’m practically half your guardian, and I won’t be at ease unless I see you enter the hotel door.” After saying this, Tong Yi took Jiang Li’s arm, “Let’s hurry back, otherwise your teacher might start wondering if you’ve disappeared.”
The girl couldn’t conceal her disappointment as Tong Yi and Jiang Li hurriedly departed. Seeing her watching their retreating figures in a daze, the guy beside her scoffed, sarcastically saying, “So that’s why you stubbornly want a breakup, huh? Looks like you’ve already set your sights on a higher target?”
When the girl kept staring without responding, the guy’s attitude worsened, “With a face like his, what kind of girlfriend couldn’t he get? You think he’d be interested in second-hand goods like you?”
The girl turned to look at him, “When we faced those thugs just a moment ago, why weren’t you as eloquent as you are now?”
The guy became furiously embarrassed, “It was clearly not a big deal, you…”
“Yes, it’s not a big deal for your girlfriend to drink with a thug, I’m embarrassed even to tell anyone I ever dated a coward like you.” After saying this, the girl walked away without looking back.
Jiang Li and Tong Yi had just saved her, so she was naturally grateful and even developed some feelings for Tong Yi. But she knew the trash she had just dumped was right—a guy like Tong Yi would have no shortage of girls who pursue him; she really wasn’t good enough for him.
Still, even if she wasn’t a good match for Tong Yi, she refused to stay in this garbage can any longer, let alone endure the repulsive sight of that trash!
As for Tong Yi and his cousin, she only hoped that everything would go well for them.
…
After being dragged along for a while, Jiang Li suddenly stopped and looked curiously at Tong Yi, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Ask,” Tong Yi responded succinctly.
Jiang Li hesitated for two seconds before speaking, “Are you perhaps… haven’t moved on from Sister Tang?”
Tong Yi was clearly taken aback, “What Sister Tang?” What is Jiang Xiao Li talking about? Tang? What Tang?
“I’m talking about my orphanage sister, Jiang Tang. Don’t play dumb,” Jiang Li looked up into Tong Yi’s eyes as if she had seen through everything.
“…” Tong Yi finally remembered now. Jiang Tang was Jiang Li’s childhood friend who grew up together in the orphanage, a person with good looks who dressed a bit unusually. When he first met her, he even mistakenly thought Jiang Tang was a boy.
Seeing Tong Yi’s frozen state, Jiang Li assumed she had hit the nail on the head. She sighed sympathetically, “You should give up already. Sister Tang is already dating someone, and her boyfriend is an academic type who wears neat white shirts and glasses, a total opposite of you. Even if you wanted to steal her away, you probably wouldn’t have a chance.”
Jiang Li kept talking nonstop until Tong Yi couldn’t take it anymore. Through clenched teeth, he asked with frustration, “What made you think I like Jiang Tang?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Jiang Li was nonchalant. “When Sister Tang first visited, you showed a great deal of interest in her. Initially, you thought she was a guy and kept looking for reasons to approach her. Once you realized she was a girl, your enthusiasm only increased.”
Tong Yi almost choked to the point of coughing blood. He stretched out his hands and put them on Jiang Li’s head, shaking it gently, “Jiang Xiao Li, can you hear the ocean in your head?”
Jiang Li slapped his hand away and even kicked him. “The one with a waterlogged brain is you.”
“If your brain wasn’t waterlogged, how could you misunderstand that I have a crush on Jiang Tang?” Tong Yi said with a look of exasperation.
Jiang Li was puzzled. “If you don’t like her, why were you so abnormal back then?”
“Because I thought she liked you,” Tong Yi blurted out.
Jiang Li frowned. “Are you sure your brain isn’t waterlogged?”
Tong Yi put his arm around Jiang Li’s shoulders, leading her toward the hotel. “Back then, I mistook Jiang Tang for a guy and thought that she had ulterior motives towards you, so I ended up targeting her. After realizing the misunderstanding, of course, I had to find a way to apologize.”
Jiang Li sighed. “Why is everyone so worried I might start dating early?”
Tong Yi was stunned. “Who else is worried about you dating early?”
“My grandpa, my third uncle, and my second and third brothers. They’re all quite concerned. Oh, it seems I should add you too, Big Nephew.” Jiang Li’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “When Qin Zheng and I were participating in the competition, we often had discussions in a group chat. When my second and third brothers found out, they even wanted to join the group, which was quite laughable.”
Tong Yi silently applauded Jiang Li’s twin cousins but commented, “Those brothers of yours are indeed unusual. I don’t find it strange that they do things out of the ordinary.”
Jiang Li rolled her eyes and continued, “I didn’t want them in the group, so I complained to my third uncle. But he actually supported Second and Third Brothers! Even telling me that having more people would increase my chances of winning a prize. That’s when I knew he was also worried about me dating early.”
Tong Yi burst into laughter. “Then you went to complain to your grandfather?”
Jiang Li shook her head. “I didn’t. Grandpa always says one thing and means another. He tells me to make more friends, but when his friends bring their grandsons over, he would use every reason to send me away.”
Tong Yi nodded. “They are your elders and brothers. They definitely want what’s best for you…”
“What about you?” Jiang Li interrupted him expressionlessly. “As a nephew, you dare to meddle in your aunt’s personal affairs. Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?”
Tong Yi let out a muffled laugh, “I’m also your cousin. An elder cousin means big brother, okay? You just called me that yourself. How come you refuse to acknowledge it now?”
Jiang Li was not about to admit it, “What I called you just now wasn’t ‘cousin,’ you heard wrong.”
“Then what did you call me?” Tong Yi asked, half amused, half exasperated.
Jiang Li paused for two seconds, then said calmly, “Cos sin.”
“What?” Tong Yi didn’t catch it clearly.
“Cos sin. You see—cos, sin, tan. I meant to tell them that we are part of a math study group and you’ve mentored me in math. That’s a good way to explain our relationship.” Jiang Li spouted nonsense with the most serious face.
“…” Tong Yi was beyond stunned. As expected of Jiang Xiao Li—She never allows anyone to take advantage of her!
Cos Sin or whatever is then. If it was for Jiang Xiao Li, he would always be ready to be her shield, anywhere and anytime.
So Tong Yi escorted Jiang Li to the hotel, and as he waved goodbye, he couldn’t resist asking, “Jiang Xiao Li, what kind of boyfriend do you plan on having when you date in the future?”
Asking this, his palms were slightly sweaty, anticipating her response.
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