“…”Sāng Yán chou wascofused.
He felt as though a large pot had suddenly been smashed over his head.
As she pondered his words, she wanted to explain but then realized that no matter how she replied, it might not be the right answer.If she said "mm-hm," it would confirm his suspicion—indeed he wasn't looking at her;but if she said "no," it would seem like she was continuing with his line of thought—yes, she wasn't looking at him.Sāng Yán still felt a bit ensnared in the situation.
There seemed to be a clear and logical reasoning behind Shēng Yǐfán's question that could make any response seem flawed.Shēng Yǐfán was carefully considering how to give an unassailable answer.In front of Sāng Yán, she didn't rush;instead, she spoke calmly.Her hesitation in replying made Sāng Yán think that she had indeed done what he suspected but was now too afraid to admit it due to his pressure.
Sāng Yán straightened the corners of his lips and pulled back the graduation photo album directly.Noticing this movement, Shēng Yǐfán raised her head.Their gazes met.Sāng Yán stared at her for two seconds before looking away and standing up.
He tossed the album into a box without further discussion, his tone showing slight dissatisfaction: "Get up and clean."This seemed like an attempt to move past the previous incident quickly.Shēng Yǐfán nodded and obediently stood, squatting beside him: "Didn't you say there's nothing much to clean?"Hearing this, Sāng Yán paused.
He turned his head towards her without feeling embarrassed by the contradiction in his words and retorted, "Trying to avoid work?""…"Shēng Yǐfán stared at his face.His features were sharp and well-defined;he didn't smile often, and his usual demeanor was aloof and dignified, creating a strong sense of distance with strangers.
Now that he was angry, this feeling intensified.The sharpness around his eyes seemed amplified.Shēng Yǐfán did not respond but quietly started cleaning up.Although she had heard Chéng Sīqiáo say multiple times how intimidating Sāng Yán could be when frowning, the low temperature in the room dropped significantly, making anyone hesitate to speak.
His presence was overwhelmingly authoritative.But something strange happened.Shēng Yǐfán suddenly felt she wasn't afraid of him anymore.Even a bit amused.She decided to wait until her emotions calmed before trying to cheer him up properly.Suddenly, Sāng Yán placed his hand on her head gently but firmly.
He pressed down slightly, lifting her face towards him, as if he wanted to see what expression she was making.Seeing the faint smile on her lips, Sāng Yán paused and continued to look at her without changing his expression."…"Shēng Yǐfán quickly composed herself."I thought you were just reflecting," Sāng Yán withdrew his hand with a cold laugh.
His tone remained icy: "You were secretly laughing after seeing the handsome guy.""…" Shēng Yǐfán wanted to smile again, "No."Sāng Yán ignored her and continued working.Shēng Yǐfán leaned in closer and asked playfully, "Are you angry?"Sāng Yán put away his items, deliberately pretending not to hear her."Can I still look at your graduation photo album?" Shēng Yǐfán said softly.