Read Novel Full Chapter 135 Part 1 – Definitely Not Like That (I)
Chapter 135 Part 1 – Definitely Not Like That (I)
When Tong Yi said he came because he saw Feng Bai’s post on Moments, Jiang Li immediately realized he had rushed over just to see her. He had stood waiting outside the mall without going in, likely because he was afraid of missing her.
Looking at him, Jiang Li realized it had been about half a month since they last saw each other, which was… a bit long.
“If this had happened a few months ago, and I asked you the same question, how would you have answered?” she asked.
Tong Yi smiled gently. “Why don’t you guess?”
Jiang Li: “…”
No need to guess—she thought. She already knew he would’ve come up with all kinds of excuses to pretend it was a coincidence, then do everything he could to take her shopping. The only difference now was that he was finally being upfront, admitting he came just to see her.
Ever since his confession, Tong Yi had started positioning himself openly as a pursuer. The way he spoke and acted had become much more direct—but she didn’t dislike it at all. In fact, she had never once thought about turning down the way Tong Yi treated her.
Seeing Jiang Li didn’t answer, Tong Yi didn’t press her. He simply smiled and said, “Let’s walk around again. I want to pick out a New Year’s gift for you.”
“I’ve already received quite a few New Year’s gifts today,” Jiang Li said smugly. Just earlier, she’d helped Feng Bai pick out gifts for her future sister-in-law. Everything she picked, he had bought in doubles, which meant she had already received several gifts this New Year—though they were all technically from the same person.
Tong Yi had also noticed the bags Feng Bai had been carrying earlier. He guessed half of them were likely for Jiang Li.
“Even if you have plenty of people who give you gifts, I’ve only found one person in the whole world worthy of receiving mine. So, my Goddess Jiang, will you do me the honor?”
Jiang Li: “…”
How did he get so smooth with his words? Thinking back, his junior high self barely even had a functioning mouth. But she had to admit—maybe she wasn’t all that different from everyone else, because she actually enjoyed hearing this kind of sweet talk from him.
As usual, Tong Yi rested his hand on her shoulder, trying to guide her into the mall. He used to do this all the time, and Jiang Li had long since gotten used to it—but now, for some reason, she couldn’t ignore the weight of that hand.
She turned to look at him, trying to make her voice sound calmer, “As a pursuer, isn’t it kind of inappropriate for you to be slinging your arm around me like this?”
Tong Yi paused, then quickly withdrew his hand, smiling. “Yeah, it’s not really appropriate—for now.”
Jiang Xiao Li used to tolerate that kind of behavior from him because she saw him as a friend, a buddy. Now that she thought it inappropriate, it must mean she was finally starting to see him as the opposite sex. This was certainly a good sign—as much as he wanted to be close to her, he knew it had to be a gradual process.
To Jiang Li, Tong Yi’s “for now” clearly meant he believed one day it would be appropriate. He seemed overly confident, she felt the need to bring him down a notch.
“You know what? I think I should change your contact nickname,” she suddenly mentioned.
Tong Yi, knowing she’d previously labeled him “Big Nephew,” couldn’t help but ask, “What are you thinking of changing it to?”
Jiang Li grinned mischievously. “How about ‘Confident Yet Average Suitor’?”
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Tong Yi looked at her, smiling. “I’ll admit I’m confident, but am I really average?”
“You’re not?” she countered.
Tong Yi nodded seriously. “If you think I’m average, then I must be the most average guy there is.”
Jiang Li poked him in the arm and muttered, “You always go along with everything I say. It’s boring. I get no sense of accomplishment when I argue with you.”
Tong Yi caught her hand. “Do you know why I go along with everything you say?”
That was a hard one to respond to. She couldn’t very well say, ‘Because you’re my suitor and trying to please me,’ now could she?
Seeing her stay silent, Tong Yi continued, “If you said I’m average, I wouldn’t be mad. Just like if you went back and told Third Master Feng that he’s not that smart, I’m sure he wouldn’t be mad either.”
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. “Should I pass that comment on to my uncle?”
Tong Yi laughed. “I was just giving an example. What I mean is, only truly average men would get upset about being called average. Guys like me? You can say whatever you want. Got it?”
Jiang Li’s lips curved into a smile—this was the Big Nephew she was familiar with. She shook her arm and pulled her hand free from his. “I don’t care whether you’re average or not, but if you try to touch me again, I’ll beat you up.”
Tong Yi immediately said, “As you command! Let’s go pick out your New Year’s gift.”
They walked into the mall together. Tong Yi took her to the same store she’d been in before, saying he wanted to get her a necklace.
Jiang Li remembered that he had also given her a necklace for her eighteenth birthday and couldn’t help asking, “Do you have a thing for giving me necklaces?”
Tong Yi explained, “That one was custom-made from a sketch I drew myself. It’s probably not as good as what the experts design. Let’s see if we can find one here that suits you.”
Jiang Li was surprised. “You know how to design jewelry?”
Tong Yi chuckled. “Barely. Definitely not professional. You’ve seen that necklace—it’s really plain.”
“I actually think it’s really pretty,” Jiang Li said softly. Back then, when he had asked her to make him a handmade gift, she hadn’t really understood what he was thinking. She’d felt like, compared to all the expensive presents he gave her, a scarf didn’t seem like a fair trade—it felt like he’d lost out.
But now that she knew the necklace he gave her had been designed by him, that simple birthday gift suddenly felt much more meaningful. She even started to feel guilty—like not wearing it more often might be doing his feelings a disservice.
Tong Yi looked at her and said, “If you think it looks good, then I’ll give you a new one every year, so you can wear them in turn.”
Jiang Li tugged at the pendant around her neck. “This jade Buddha was from my uncle, who went to a temple to have it blessed. It’s meant to keep me safe. Since I’m wearing this, it’s not very suitable to wear a necklace too. I think you could give me something else instead.”
Tong Yi immediately nodded. “Sure, I can get you hair accessories, brooches, bracelets, rings…”
Jiang Li interrupted in a low voice, “Why would you give me a ring?”
Tong Yi smiled. “Not now. I’ll give you one in the future.”
Jiang Li smiled back at him. “You can give it to me, but I can also refuse to accept it. Let’s see if you’ll get embarrassed then.”
Tong Yi: “…”
He wouldn’t be embarrassed, but if the gift he prepared ended up undelivered, he might feel a little regretful.
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Confident Yet Average (普且信): Term coined by the stand-up comedian Yang Li (杨笠) in her punchline “How can he be so average, yet so full of confidence?”