I shook my head. I was confessing, surely he wouldn’t hit me?
Liam grabbed my chin, with a kind of gritted teeth feeling: “You don’t know. Let me tell you, I have a mental illness. I’ve been trying hard to control myself not to do anything out of line to you, but after what you just said, I really might not be able to hold back.”
He lowered his eyes to look at me, his eyelashes long and thick. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me.
But he didn’t. Although he said he couldn’t hold back, in reality, he was controlling himself very well.
“Didn’t you want to add me on SnapChat?” He stepped back half a step, took out his phone and took a photo of me. Then my phone vibrated, and the photo showed me looking dumbfounded.
Now I was truly shocked. How did I have Liam’s SnapChat? I vaguely remembered adding a lot of people at the beginning of the semester, to the point where I couldn’t distinguish who was who by the end. Was it added then?
Liam just stared at me like this. He was like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt. Seeing my shock, he spoke maliciously: “Without your knowledge, I’ve been in your friend list all along, closely following and collecting every little bit about you. I couldn’t bear to touch the breakfast you bought me, I took it all home and vacuum–sealed it because they were things you gave me… I don’t know who told you about my feelings, but Aria, if you’re scared, run away now. Run far away and never come looking for me again.”
How could he be like this, using a megaphone to blatantly tell me he’s a bad guy, telling me not to get close to him. He seemed to be fiercely warning me, but his eyes looking at me were struggling and lingering. So much so that I wasn’t scared at all, I just thought he was pitiful and cute, like a big dog who had been wronged.
And what I wanted to do was to take this big dog home.
If before, agreeing to save Liam was more out of a sense of mission and responsibility, now I sincerely felt sorry for him from the bottom of my heart. If it weren’t for these misfortunes, he should have been more cheerful and smiley. Just based on that face alone, the girls who liked him could probably hold hands and surround an entire school.
After this week, it would be the National Day holiday.
Liam’s conditions weren’t very good. His father was missing and left him nothing but a house. I heard from people on the forum that he often does part–time jobs during holidays to earn his tuition fees.
On the first day of the holiday, I left home early in the morning, following behind Liam, and saw him walk into a bookstore.
I used my phone to take a picture of the recruitment ad posted on the bookstore’s window.
The next day, when I appeared in front of Liam, he pursed his lips, pulled me aside, and looked down at me: “It seems you didn’t take my warning seriously at all.”
I pointed at the green work uniform on me, identical to his, and said without any guilt: “I’m here to work.”
Liam’s eyes were deep. He stared at me for a long time, as if he wanted to devour me, but in the end, he did nothing. Instead, he picked up some books from the side and walked out, his back silent and irritated.
M
12:12
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I pointed at the green work uniform on me, identical to his, and said without any guilt: “I’m here to work.”
Liam’s eyes were deep. He stared at me for a long time, as if he wanted to devour me, but in the end, he did nothing. Instead, he picked up some books from the side and walked out, his back silent and irritated.
Including me and Liam, there were four employees in the entire bookstore. The other two were a man in his forties and a short–haired girl about my age.
Seeing that I always chased after Liam whenever I was free, the short–haired girl secretly asked me: “Is he your boyfriend?”
I smiled and answered: “Not yet.”
She patted my shoulder, encouraging me: “Keep it up. He looks hard to pursue. I wish you success.”
I smiled without saying anything. On the surface, it looked like I was chasing Liam’s cold face, but in reality, Liam liked me too. We were a
mutual crush.
In the hot afternoon, I bought milk tea for everyone. I personally opened Liam’s and held it to his mouth.
He looked at me quietly. Thanks to his “warning” last time, I finally understood what this look meant.
I pushed the milk tea forward a bit more and said quietly when no one was paying attention: “I ordered this for you. Drink it. I’ll buy you more next time.”
The corner of Liam’s mouth turned up slightly, the amplitude very small and fleeting. He said with some displeasure: “Do you think you’re coaxing a three–year–old?”
Despite saying this, under my soft persistence, he still took a sip of the milk tea from my hand, then frowned.
“Too sweet.”
