Sparklers

"Why do you look so out of breathe?" Jiang Shen noticed how pale he looked and the slight gleam of sweat on his forehead.

"Ah well..." Yang Mu hung his head, trying to come up with an excuse.

He couldn't just say that he had been desperately searching for her, now could he? He crossed his arms but before he could spit out the words, Jiang Shen beat him to it.

"Were you looking for me?"

Jiang Shen had an inkling that Yang Mu might have been looking for her. But not for the reasons he think. Seeing as she hadn't been able to see Mo Ran and Li Er, she concluded that they didn't attend the party.

A pity. It would've been fun to hang out with them. Granted, Jiang Shen also wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her position as a member of the student union.

Yang Mu looked up, expecting to see a teasing look on her face, but was filled with innocence, much to his disappointment.

"What if I did?"

He wanted to test her. Even if she did have an ambiguous relationship with another guy, it was still a fair game since technically they weren't in a relationship, is it not?

Jiang Shen looked at the crowd having fun in front of them and said, "I'm here now, aren't I?"

/She mistakenly thought that I was uncomfortable being alone.../ Yang Mu felt amused. Although her words left a lot to imagine, the intention in and of itself was still pure.

Her friendliness was beyond him. She reached out to any kind of students but still drew a bottom line. She was respectful, had a great relationship with everyone, and had a personality that was endearing as they come.

Yang Mu couldn't believe that she was still single.

While Jiang Shen remained oblivious to the fact that a lot of guys had a crush on her, he knew for a fact that the only reason she didn't was because she already had someone.

He didn't doubt her relationship with Qing Yao. They may feel the same for each other, but neither had acted. Yang Mu suspected it was most likely Qing Yao's fault.

Whenever her eyes were filled with delight as she smiled softly, Yang Mu felt a glaring familiarity that he still couldn't put his finger to.

He wanted to know her. So much more.

And he was willing to be patient as long as she's still in his sights.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Jiang Shen's face got closer to his as she gazed at him teasingly.

Yang Mu felt the blush creep up to his ears and the rapid beat of his heart. He coughed and said, "I was just thinking about something."

"Well you better snap out of your thinking because the party is about to end."

He snapped his head towards the party with blaring sounds. It was true. The dancing had stopped and the music was changed into something more slow. In the middle were boxes of what seemed to be sparklers.

Seeing students with imposing armbands handing them out, Yang Mu stood up and wiped the dirt off his suit. He turned to her and said, "Want me to get some?"

Jiang Shen put her thumbs up as she flashed her dental braces and replied, "Make sure to get different colors!"

"You have braces?" Yang Mu gazed at her incredulously. It was a serious shock to him.

The only reason why he never noticed was because she had never smiled with her teeth. In actual fact, her braces were barely visible even she opened her mouth while talking.

The sight of Jiang Shen with dental braces made her seem much more adorable. Her eyes that crinkled with delight and her cheeks which resembled a chipmunk made him want to pinch it.

"Oh, I do. You never noticed?"

She had gotten braces ever since she was fourteen. It had been four years. It will be a matter of time until she can take it off, before switching to retainers.

Yang Mu shook his head.

"Well I do so go," she pushed his back to shoo him away. "Before we run out of sparklers!"

Yang Mu felt the warm touch on his back as he hurried to get the sparklers. He wanted more of that touch.

Jiang Shen smiled as she waved him off, descending into a sigh.

The one person she wanted to see was not here. And somehow her mood deflated. It was a pity that he did not get to see her dress.

It also made her think how good it would be if he hung around her even a tenth of her time together with Yang Mu, but shook the thought away.

How could she think about another guy besides the person she likes? It felt like doing him an injustice by doing so.

Although her interactions so far with Qing Yao indicated a mutual understanding of feelings, only she knew deep down in her heart that it wasn't true.

Words should be backed up with action. And even further should be backed with sincerity.

Happiness was as fleeting as the clouds. One moment you're feeling bright and then the next second you've turned gloomy.

His recent actions suggest that there might be a motive behind it, as Jiang Shen knew that Qing Yao would never act like a proper boyfriend with her.

Not in the decade that she had known him.

Her shoulders hunched and with dim eyes, she smiled helplessly at her depressing thoughts.

Maybe she should stop being so stubborn and clinging to a person who would never reciprocate the same.

But how could it be easy to do so?

When Yang Mu came back with a box of sparklers on each hand, practically bouncing in his steps, he noticed the gloomy aura she exuded.

He knelt down on the grass and put a hand on her shoulder. Her body was cold.

Yang Mu hurriedly put down the sparklers in his hand and removed his blazer, using it to cover her bare shoulders to provide warmth.