Heart Of Glass Chapter 5

Guo Jinshan wasn't the kind of person he wanted to be friends with.

None of the friends in Jiang Pozhen's circle shared the same personality as Guo Jinshan. Due to Jiang Pozhen's own outstanding achievements, it was evident that he was always in the limelight when he was in both elementary and high school. Thus, the people who gathered by his side were normally blessed with eye-catching qualities at the very least. People like Guo Jinshan who were as quiet and ordinary as a mouse in cla.s.s would never have the opportunity to cross paths with him. It really wasn't because he was deliberately distancing people like him. As the formation of small cliques was a normal sight within a community, a boundary existed, indicating that they were purely cla.s.smates right from the start who wouldn't disturb or be on friendly terms with each other.

Their minds operated on different wavelengths. In addition, he had met Guo Jinshan under very horrible circ.u.mstances in life. As such, he wasn't in the mood to get to know him better.

His girlfriend broke up with him, so he wasn't sure what to do with his spare time. As time pa.s.sed by, he spent them all in the reference room. Initially, he went for the sake of the air conditioner in the small room, but then it eventually turned into some kind of habit. In any case, he didn't dislike the job he had in organizing all those materials. Furthermore, he also learnt a lot of things from Guo Jinshan without realizing it.

By the time realization dawned on him, this man whom he frequently met with was no longer considered a stranger.

When did the boundary become fuzzy? As he mulled over it again, he surmised that it probably happened the night they shared a cake after the break-up with his girlfriend.

On the next day, after what could be considered to be the worst birthday ever, he seriously attempted to use the cake as cheese spread over his toast. And what was more magical was that it really did form a delicious combination. Afterwards, he even specially informed Guo Jinshan about the results of his experiment, before coming to realize abruptly that he was being incredibly senseless for saying it. However, Guo Jinshan only crooked his neck to listen, smiling gently as he did so.

When it was almost time for the final exam, his relations.h.i.+p with Guo Jinshan had advanced to the point he was able to converse with him like the way he would with a casual friend.

"Where did you buy the noodles from?" Sitting across the man, Jiang Pozhen parted his lips to ask. Lately, he'd been staying back at noon for lunch with Guo Jinshan.

"Hmm?" While pouring the noodles into a bowl, Guo Jinshan raised his head to answer. "It's from a noodle restaurant nearby."

"You bought beef noodles right?" Jiang Pozhen was eyeing the pieces of beef in his spoon.

"Yeah. The owner said that the flavors are authentic as all the essence is in the soup. They use several spices, and stew the meat until it becomes very soft and mushy inside… I saw that the shop was deserted, so I bought two bowls to try it out."

If no one was around, it basically meant that there was a reason for the restaurant's bad business. This guy had most likely been tricked. Since the man had paid for this meal, Jiang Pozhen could only force himself to drink the broth which tasted awfully like plain water. Responding noncommittally, he then seized the opportunity to smoothly ask a question the moment he saw Guo Jinshan put down his gla.s.ses because of the hot steam from the broth. "What does it feel like to be partially deaf?"

"Ah?" Tilting his head to the side, Guo Jinshan's eyes appeared a little perplexed without his gla.s.ses. He paused momentarily before saying with a smile, "I think…it's the same as being deep underwater."

"Deep underwater?"

"Ah, actually, I don't know to swim." Face a shade of red, Guo Jinshan laughed softly, saying, "But I figured it's similar to that."

"Really?" Compared to his own realistic interpretation, the man's explanation was more imaginary and vague, leaving room for a broad and gentle imagination. Jiang Pozhen thought to himself that although they were both from the sciences, their personality and mindsets were completely different from one another. It was impossible for him to spew anything that seemed like a line from a novel.

All of a sudden, he asked, "Oh yeah, are you free the day after tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow…what's up?" Guo Jinshan replied kindly. The noodles were too hot so he placed down his chopsticks first.

"Didn't you want to head up the mountain before? I wasn't available last time. Let's take a trip down with the telescope before the final exam begins." Jiang Pozhen took a glance at his watch. It was almost time for his cla.s.s to start.

"…Huh?" Guo Jinshan stared at him in surprise.

Due to the abnormal reaction he received from the man, Jiang Pozhen proceeded to ask, "What?"

"No…" Head hung low, Guo Jinshan stared at the bowl of noodles as he responded in a hurry. "About last time, it's alright. You don't need to be bothered by it!"

Bother? Jiang Pozhen knitted his brows together.

"I just feel like going, that's all." Maybe, just maybe he really felt like making it 2up to him. In any case, hanging out with Guo Jinshan wasn't hard for him since it wasn't a big deal. On top of that, he had some free time to relax before finals. It would also be good for him to have a change of pace since he wouldn't have free time any later on. "The day after tomorrow is the weekend. I'll look for you then… You should buy a new phone for convenience's sake." He only found out Guo Jinshan didn't have a phone not too long ago. The man explained that unlike other youngsters, not many people looked for him apart from those in school. Therefore, he didn't have much use for one. But in a case like this, wasn't it inconvenient to not have one now?

"Um…" Guo Jinshan seemed like he wanted to say something.

The bell rang coincidentally. It was time for him to leave. Grabbing the empty bowl, he immediately slipped on his backpack and said, "See you."

As Guo Jinshan stared at his retreating figure vanis.h.i.+ng behind the door, he lowered his gaze and murmured to himself in a low whisper. "You don't have to…force yourself."

Of course, Jiang Pozhen was already too far away to hear him, almost simultaneously missing the lonely expression lingering on the man's face.

"Hey."

Someone called out to him from behind. Jiang Pozhen, who had just stepped out of the building, turned around to look and saw a red-haired, pretty young man approaching him on his bike.

"It's been so hard to meet you at school lately," complained Xu Zhexi as he parked his bike beside him.

Jiang Pozhen knew that he wasn't the kind of enthusiastic person who would care about him even if he wasn't busy.

"What's up?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

"I remember you mentioned you wanted to work as a home tutor? My cla.s.smate's younger brother who is in middle school right now is looking for one. He's fine with you working over winter vacation as well." Xu Zhexi's locks of red hair were rather conspicuous under the sunlight. Similarly, his appearance was eye-catching as well. "If I can't find you again at school, I was thinking of forgetting about introducing the job to you anymore. What are you so busy with nowadays?" He was practically nowhere to be found in school.

"I'm still helping the teaching a.s.sistant with organizing his materials," explained Jiang Pozhen curtly.

"Oh." Xu Zhexi raised a beautifully sculpted brow. "I did hear you mention that the teaching a.s.sistant who was always targeting you is now asking for your help…but this lasted too long…Honestly speaking, I always found it to be a little strange."

"What?" Jiang Pozhen stared at him, but the man had already s.h.i.+fted his attention to his smart.w.a.tch.

"I'm currently busy so let's just talk next time." After spouting those words irresponsibly, Xu Zhexi shot off on his bike.

Jiang Pozhen didn't mind that he ran off like that since his relations.h.i.+p with Xu Zhexi had always been like this, feeling so indifferent as though they didn't know each other. In fact, both of them could accept the att.i.tude and character they both exhibited.

He couldn't speak for others, but in his own case, he wasn't very possessive of his male friends.

Unconsciously, he briefly recalled the moment Xu Zhexi had pointed out that he was a very possessive person. Jiang Pozhen wasn't sure where he based his conjecture from. Until now, he hadn't felt that way yet.

He moved to the cla.s.sroom for his next cla.s.s. It was already 4:30 in the afternoon and all the lessons he went through today finally came to an end. He was already accustomed to making a trip down to the atmospheric science building. Before he could step through the door, he unexpectedly brushed shoulders with the PR student.

No longer friends anymore, he had no idea why the PR student would show up here. The latter was also surprised to see Jiang Pozhen, but he quickly pretended he didn't see him and quickly walked away.

Jiang Pozhen stared at his retreating figure. By the time he turned around and caught sight of Guo Jinshan coincidentally standing beside the foot of the stairs, he surmised whether the PR student had come to find him. However, it looked like he was saved from the trouble of climbing the three flights of stairs now that Guo Jinshan was here.

"I'm done with cla.s.ses for the day. We can leave now," Jiang Pozhen said as he approached him. Only then did he notice the attendance register in the man's hand.

Initially, Guo Jinshan had his head buried in the attendance register, only discovering his presence after he heard his voice.

"Huh? Ah, you're here."

Seeing that he wasn't ready in the slightest, he wondered whether Guo Jinshan had forgotten about their promise to head up the mountain. He seemed rather absent-minded too when he made an appointment with him yesterday.

"Do you have anything else to do?"

"No, nothing left." Guo Jinshan shook his head and continued, "Please wait for a while, we can leave after I put something back."

Jiang Pozhen's eyes trailed after his hesitating figure. He seemed to have trimmed his hair slightly so the hearing aid that was normally covered up behind his ear was slightly exposed. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew about his hearing impairment, he probably would not have noticed it either.

All of a sudden, a thought hit him, prompting Jiang Pozhen to speak out the moment Guo Jinshan came to a halt beside his car.

"Give me your car keys."

"Huh?" Turning around, although Guo Jinshan's expression appeared to be in a daze, he fished out the keys from his pocket and handed it to him without a moment of hesitation.

When the metal item, still feeling slightly warm, was placed in the palm of his hand, Jiang Pozhen was surprised that he would just be handing the keys without questions. He couldn't help himself from being taken aback by the gesture. Holding the keys tightly in his hand, he said, "Let me drive, okay?"

He hurriedly added, "It's not because I doubt your driving skills."

Hearing this, Guo Jinshan's gentle lips instantly curled into a faint smile.

"I know."

Suddenly, Jiang Pozhen felt that the friendly smile on his face seemed to have a hidden meaning to it, but he didn't give it much thought. He instantly opened the door and got in.

"Which part of Mount Yangming are we heading to?" he asked the man who was trying to buckle his seatbelt after he started the car.

"Ah…Qingtiangang Gra.s.sland will do," replied Guo Jinshan.

Jiang Pozhen turned the steering wheel, driving onto the main road. When he reached out to adjust the rearview mirror, his eyes accidentally met Guo Jinshan's gaze.

He wasn't sure whether he was imagining things, but the man sitting at the pa.s.senger seat looked slightly nervous. After their gazes interlocked with one another, he was apprehensive that he couldn't find any topic to talk about, so he said, "We'll be staying until late once we get there…Are you feeling hungry now?"

"There are shops that sell food on the mountain." Mount Yangming's Qingtiangang was a sacred place for both men and women to date. It wasn't as though Jiang Pozhen had never been there before.

"Ah, right." Guo Jinshan gave a soft smile and lowered his head, letting out a soft sigh.

He had this nagging feeling that there was a strange and tense atmosphere hanging in the air around them. They happened to be waiting for the red light to pa.s.s at the crossing so Jiang Pozhen halted the car. Staring at him from the side, he asked, "Maybe I've misunderstood something. You don't feel like going, do you?"

"Huh?" Guo Jinshan was caught by surprise.

"Maybe you really wanted to go a few days ago, but now you don't feel like it. Or maybe you're just busy today. If that's the case, why didn't you just properly tell me?"

Guo Jinshan looked at him, unable to respond for a moment. He could only reply in a hurry. "No, it's not like that…It's a green light!" Panicking, he pointed to the flas.h.i.+ng light ahead that had just changed color.

Frowning, Jiang Pozhen sat upright and followed the flow of traffic. Thinking that since the man wasn't willing to go all the way, it made it look like he was the one who forced him. There was seriously no point in taking a trip like this, so they might as well head back.

Before he could part his lips to say something, Guo Jinshan's low and soft voice suddenly travelled to his ears as he explained in an unhurried pace. "It's not like that. It's because I felt like I wasn't considerate of your wishes. Actually, what happened on that day…you really don't have to worry about it. There's no need for you to force yourself to accompany me."

He wanted to turn the car around just earlier, but upon hearing this, Jiang Pozhen couldn't bring himself to do it anymore. Otherwise, wasn't it the same as telling the man that he really was reluctant to do so?

What made the man who was much older than him behave in such a cautious manner?

Unable to restrain himself, Jiang Pozhen went on to explain, "I often feel that you're too courteous to the point that you have no confidence in yourself. I don't know how other people feel about it, but honestly speaking, the way you are now will only annoy me." After saying that, he stared at Guo Jinshan from the rearview mirror.

Watching him lower his head, the faint curl on the corner of his lips remained unchanged. The only response he gathered was the pair eyelids which were trembling softly…

"I'm sorry," he said softly with an apologetic smile.

Afterwards, during the journey, neither of them made a move to converse with the other, and the atmosphere was rather tense. Jiang Pozhen was beginning to regret his decision about coming with him because of his soft-heartedness and extra free time at the spur of a moment.

After they parked their car, they still needed to walk quite a distance to a more s.p.a.cious area. Carrying a bag of food in one hand, Jiang Pozhen trailed after Guo Jinshan. He couldn't understand why, but it suddenly reminded him of the time when he was still with his ex-girlfriend. Since she didn't like walking on foot to exercise, the two of them would only stay at the viewing platform below.

Guo Jinshan was thin and he was still carrying a large box specially used for protecting the astronomical telescope while climbing the stone stairs. His shaky and unsteady steps made Jiang Pozhen's heart skip with anxiety, subconsciously heightening his vigilance for fear of him missing a step and fall back on him afterwards, causing the two to collapse and get seriously injured as a result, ruining their chances to go stargazing.

"Hey!" Unable to contain himself any longer, Jiang Pozhen reached out and helped him support the heavy box from behind. "You be careful."

Guo Jinshan turned around to look back. Since he was two steps above him, it was a rare case for him to be staring down at Jiang Pozhen.

"I'm sorry." He was sweating profusely.

Why does this guy apologize for everything he does? Jiang Pozhen was getting annoyed again.

"…Move up." Pus.h.i.+ng him up with all his might, they finally completed climbing the stairs successfully. 

Head held high, Guo Jinshan gazed at the sky before saying, "It's getting dark so we need to be quick." Putting the box down on the gra.s.s, he took out the stand and the lens before a.s.sembling them. "If there's no light tonight, it won't be easy for me to properly a.s.semble the telescope." He explained as he chuckled softly.

"Really?" Placing the bag containing their dinner on the gra.s.sy bed, Jiang Pozhen sat down cross-legged beside him, watching the procedures of a.s.sembling the telescope.

"Um, if you're hungry, please go ahead…"

"Is this used to adjust the angle?" asked Jiang Pozhen as he pointed at a particular part.

Guo Jinshan's original intention was to ask him to eat first without waiting for himself. But since he asked out of the blue, he answered, "Yeah. The food will get cold soon. Why don't you…"

"Is this used for focusing?" He asked again, supporting his chin with his hand.

Interrupted for the second time, Guo Jinshan paused slightly in his tracks before he replied, "Yeah…"

"If you don't hurry, not only will the sky get dark, even the food won't taste as good anymore." Jiang Pozhen reminded him.

"Ah, yes!" Guo Jinshan attached the lens in a hurry. After making sure that nothing was out of place, the sky had just happened to darken.

Taking a glimpse at his watch, it was only half past six. The summer nights always came a bit later. 

"Here." Opening the plastic bag beside him, he took out a hamburger before he chucked it at Guo Jinshan.

Hearing that, Guo Jinshan reached out to receive it in a flurry, his actions appearing more clumsier than when he was a.s.sembling the telescope earlier.

"Thank you." He thanked him while holding the burger with two hands and a smile on his face.

He didn't move to Jiang Pozhen's side. Instead, he chose to sat down on the right side of the telescope.

Although Jiang Pozhen had this feeling that the other man was deliberately trying to put some distance between them, he realized he didn't mind after pondering the reason why two men should sit so close to each other.

After eating a few cold french fries, he realized that the sweet smell of potatoes was long gone. Instead, it seemed like there was a weird smell that had been permeating the air. He instinctively parted his lips to say, "Those are the water buffalo." One of the famed products of Qingtiangang Gra.s.sland. Although they didn't see them earlier, he was certain the smell had come from the cattle.

"Water buffalo?" Guo Jinshan thought he was talking to him, so he turned to glance back.

'Aren't there wild cattle here?" When he came with his ex-girlfriend last time, she cried and complained that the place was too stinky and how scared she was. This was supposed to be a dating hotspot for couples and yet his own girlfriend didn't seem to enjoy it that much.

"Yeah, but there's fewer now." As though he was reminded of something amusing, Guo Jinshan gave a slow and gentle laugh before saying, "When I used to come here, I would see them occasionally. But since my eyes don't work that well at night, I would only discover them when they suddenly ran past my side."

The first thing that came into Jiang Pozhen's mind was news of people getting rammed by cattle and claiming compensation after. If the clumsy and slender Guo Jinshan was the one being hit, there was a possibility that it was not going to be as simple as having a few broken bones. He didn't know whether to say that the man had no idea the danger he was in or if he was just lucky. He simply changed the subject, "You seem to be really interested in astronomy." Ordinary people wouldn't go out to buy expensive telescopes without reason.  

Smiling lightly, Guo Jinshan then went on to speak slowly as though he was entranced. "I always looked to the sky outside the window since I could only sit in the bed and watch the sun rise and set every single day. At first, I could only think of the position of the stars that was taught in scout cla.s.s, but as time went on, I began to wonder, why did the weather turn out this way? Why did the clouds have that shape and color…? And gradually, I began to grow more curious, which is why I decided to study this field in university."  

"Gazed at the sky from your bed?" Jiang Pozhen frowned in confusion.

"Ah…" Guo Jinshan paused abruptly. He then pointed to his chest with his left hand, as he tilted his head with a faint smile on his face and explained, "My trachea…I was hospitalized. There were some issues with my trachea. I was born with it. I took a gap year when I was in middle school and high school to undergo surgery."

Jiang Pozhen was taken by surprise.

"…I see." So that meant he should only be twenty-six years old now. No matter how he looked, this man didn't appear to be older than him by seven years. He didn't have a baby face, only a very average-looking one, but the social temperament he lacked obscured the appearance of his actual age.

"I'm broken," said Guo Jinshan quietly.

"What?" Jiang Pozhen looked up at the sound of his voice.

WIth a smile, he continued to speak in embarra.s.sment. "My ear and my windpipe are natural born defects. When I was a child, someone used to say I was a defect the moment I'm born."

From his expression, Jiang Pozhen seemed to have come to a realization as to why this man possessed such an abnormally soft personality, who would use a smile and an apology to face anyone no matter their att.i.tude. An unhealthy child who was afraid of being a burden to his family, who could only gaze at the outdoors from his ward, patiently waiting for the day he could finally go outside. Yet he still carried a hope to go back to school after deferment. Not only was he older than his peers by a year, even his friends and teachers had become strangers in pa.s.sing. He couldn't afford to make his family worry so he was incapable of telling anyone. If he was already quite introverted from the start, how could he fare on his own when he was in a crowd?

Why was he so polite and why did he have no self-confidence? He always started his sentences with "Um" and "This" whenever he spoke, showing great concern as to how the other person was speaking. Even if he didn't have anything to be proud about himself, it was unnecessary for him to keep apologizing like there was no tomorrow… All of a sudden, Jiang Pozhen felt he was being too ignorant for lecturing him in the car earlier.

He had spoken brashly without knowing where the man was coming from. For a person who had come from a superior background, he was considered the worst to have done something like that.

Realizing how quiet he'd become, Guo Jinshan proceeded to exclaim in a panic.

"I'm so sorry! I told you a boring story…" Just as he was unsure of how to make the mood lighter, he suddenly thought of a thing they could divert their attention to. He voiced out unconsciously, "Ah, right!"

Jiang Pozhen looked in his direction and saw him take out his phone.

A faint smile then appeared on Guo Jinshan's face.

"I bought this recently…but I haven't read the instruction manual yet so I don't know how to use it."

Although night fell, Jiang Pozhen could practically imagine the red flush on his face as he admitted his own awkwardness. Taking his phone from his hand, one glance told him that it was the newest model, a flippable colored mobile phone with millions of pixels in high resolution. It also came with the ability to take photos and videos. It even had an external flash… For someone who didn't know how to use mobiles, these powerful features were such a waste for him.

"Why did you buy this model?" he asked, trying to restrain himself.

"The salesperson told me this one is better than the others," explained Guo Jinshan naively.

Surprisingly, that was a reason he could comprehend. In any case, the salesperson must have bluffed about it as though it was raining flowers. Worn out, Jiang Pozhen flipped open the phone and noticed that there wasn't anyone listed in his contact list, so he entered a string of numbers into it. Just as he was done inputting the number, the phone then flashed, indicating it was running out of battery before automatically shutting off on its own.

Jiang Pozhen couldn't help but shut his eyes. He figured Guo Jinshan must have not remembered his own new number yet. He ought to remember to borrow his phone again to see what his number was when there was battery.

Just as he was about to return the phone, Guo Jinshan had already stood back up on his feet, lowering his head to gaze at the telescope.

"…The weather's nice today. I'm sure we will be able to see them."

The smile that was revealed on his face made Jiang Pozhen forget to withdraw his gaze for a moment.

After determining the bearings, they were actually able to observe Jupiter and the moon. Although they were just small round globes in the telescope, being able to observe planets from outer s.p.a.ce with their own eyes was a novelty. And because of that, several young students who had come out to have fun came forward with curiosity. After seeing the spheroids that were several light years away, they shouted out in excitement before thanking Guo Jinshan happily.

Guo Jinshan laughed shyly when the youngsters enthusiastically held his hands.

On the other hand, Jiang Pozhen's reaction wasn't that obvious and exaggerated, but deep down, he also thought that being able to see the planets was a fresh new experience for him. Although he regretted it before, it was fortunate that the results came out well.

Guo Jinshan began to pack up, getting ready to head back since it was already late. Having memorized the disa.s.sembling procedure after seeing it once, Jiang Pozhen went to help out as well. When he was putting the last part, the lens, back into the box, he suddenly whispered to the man.

"How rude."

"Huh?" Confused, Guo Jinshan thought he had done something wrong.

Instead, Jiang Pozhen hauled the thick, black shoulder strap and carried the heavy box.

"That guy who called you a defect. How rude of him to say so." Before the other man could say anything, he made a move to head down the flight of stairs.

Standing in place for a long time, Guo Jinshan watched on in a daze as his telescope box was carried away, only remembering to catch up to him after a brief moment.

"Thank you."

Before the man had reached his side, Jiang Pozhen could only catch the gentle words he had whispered a mult.i.tude of times to himself in the wind.

Jiang Pozhen was also the man behind the wheel on the way back home.

Although the two of them didn't talk much, they at least chatted about how his family thought that a riding bike was like iron wrapped in meat, so that was the reason why Guo Jinshan bought an iron-clad car to protect him. It was only the first month of paying the loan in installments, yet his family was still worried sick. So he rarely drove the car nowadays. Initially, he wanted to sell the car off, but fortunately he didn't do that, which led to the journey they shared tonight… And after that, before Jiang Pozhen noticed it, he had already tilted his head and fell asleep.

Fortunately, he had asked for the address beforehand, so he didn't intend to wake the man up. His mind began to wander as he recalled that Guo Jinshan would usually sort out the materials, look after their experiment lab sessions, and attend all the cla.s.ses he had in the research inst.i.tute. His life, including his free time, was completely filled to the brim with these things. Thus, he probably didn't have the chance to come out and have fun. Although he had his fellow cla.s.smates in the research inst.i.tute, he didn't seem to have any other friends.

Was he considered his friend?

Even though things were going in a strange direction, Jiang Pozhen felt that there was nothing wrong with letting nature take its course. Ever since the first day he met Guo Jinshan, he never expected that he would a.s.sociate with the teaching a.s.sistant who knew the truth of his cheating like this.

The address Guo Jinshan mentioned was an old apartment. Jiang Pozhen stopped the car before pulling the handbrake up as he cast a side glance at the man who was still sleeping in the pa.s.senger seat.

The way the twenty-six year-old man appeared with his head lowered looked when he was fast asleep didn't have any form of s.e.x appeal at all. Yet he still found it entertaining to watch. He tried to control his laughter, reaching out his hand to shake Guo Jinshan gently, saying, "Hey, we're here." After pus.h.i.+ng his shoulder two to three times, the man finally showed signs of awakening.

Guo Jinshan blinked his eyes a few times first before gradually looking up.

Jiang Pozhen wasn't sure whether it was because he was still half-asleep, but the eyes underneath the pair of gla.s.ses was still rather moist as he stared, focusing his utmost attention onto Jiang Pozhen. Then, he faintly flashed a gentle smile, his lips slightly moving with the intention of saying something.

The vulnerability he showed rooted the startled Jiang Pozhen to the spot, causing the hand that was still placed on Guo Jinshan's shoulder to suddenly sink.

This tiny movement made Guo Jinshan wake up with a jolt.

"Huh?" His misty eyes widening in surprise, the dazed expression he had on his face had faded away. "Ah, I fell asleep… is everything alright?" asked Guo Jinshan in embarra.s.sment upon noticing that Jiang Pozhen was still staring at him. He thought it was because of his bad sleeping posture.

Recovering his senses, Jiang Pozhen unconsciously s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the front.

"Nothing. We've arrived at your place."

"I'm sorry for troubling you." Seeing the crystalized numbers on the car's clock, Guo Jinshan said, "It's already very late. You can drive the car home and return it to me next time." With that, he got out of the car.

Jiang Pozhen raised his brow.

"You trust me that much?" Even if the man didn't use the car often, this was too careless of him.

Guo Jinshan opened the door to the backseat. As he took out the box holding the telescope, he said, "It's because you're a good kid. I'll see you again."

He called him a good kid again!

"What—" Jiang Pozhen almost choked on his own breath. Unable to express his dissatisfaction in time, he could only glare daggers at the retreating shaky figure.

A thought of wanting to help him carry the heavy box up the building naturally formed in his mind, but Jiang Pozhen immediately dismissed the idea as he felt that it was an offer he should be making to girls. Propping his elbow against the steering wheel, he had yet to inform Guo Jinshan that he had already saved his phone number in his phone.

Finals were going to start next week. Guo Jinshan wanted him to concentrate on the exams so he didn't require him to help out in the reference room. Jiang Pozhen wasn't sure when would he have the chance to tell Guo Jinshan again.

Maybe Guo Jinshan would notice it by the time he finished reading the instruction manual.

Putting down the handbrake, he turned the car around. Although he was trying hard to think about other things to distract himself, what kept emerging in his mind was still the extremely gentle smile that appeared on Guo Jinshan's face earlier.