Hair Clip: Sister Xiaoqing, Have Some Water

Jiang Xu's heart was in her throat. She knew that voice—it was Liang Xiaoqing's. There was something strange about people; even a faint sound could set Jiang Xu's heart racing.

She had just stood up when the voice made her sink back down. Her eyes instinctively went to Liang Xiaoqing's work notebook on the desk, neatly placed, its page turned back to the original. As if it had never been touched.

"Xiao Xu—"

Liang Xiaoqing drew out her name, as if checking if she was there.

"I'm here." Jiang Xu's reply was tense, her leg muscles tight. As she rose, the chair scraped the floor with a low, muffled groan. She walked stiffly to the door, pushed aside the bead curtain—the beads clinking like falling droplets—and said, louder this time, "I'm here." She was afraid Liang Xiaoqing hadn't heard her.

Liang Xiaoqing paused, struggling to change her shoes while laden with bags. At the sound, she looked at Jiang Xu, who stood nervously at the bedroom door, looking a bit constrained.

Liang Xiaoqing smiled. "I know. Why are you shouting so loud?"

Jiang Xu saw that smile and, for some reason, grew even more flustered. She hesitated, unable to piece together a sentence. "I... I..." But then her mind kicked in. Seeing that Liang Xiaoqing had no free hands, she hurried over, quick and perceptive, and helped her with her slippers.

Liang Xiaoqing smiled. "Thanks."

Jiang Xu crouched halfway, staring at the floor. She couldn't see Liang Xiaoqing's face, but she knew exactly what expression she wore. She shook her head to say it was nothing, then took the bags from her hands. They were surprisingly heavy.

Liang Xiaoqing finally had her hands free to change her shoes. She bent slightly, her shoulder-length hair brushing Jiang Xu's shoulder, and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Worry lingered in Liang Xiaoqing's heart. This matter was like a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

"No." Jiang Xu straightened quickly. A few strands of Liang Xiaoqing's hair slid past her shoulder. In the soft lamplight, Jiang Xu thought her hair was as sleek as seaweed. She edged back, putting a little distance between them. "I've been studying all day today."

It was a lie, or at least not the whole truth. She hadn't planned to say it, but as she lifted her gaze to Liang Xiaoqing's profile, the work notebook suddenly resurfaced in her mind.

Every stroke of those pages was etched into her memory. Even without reading carefully, just thinking about it brought it all back.

This was the first time anyone had paid her such attention. No one ever had. Jiang Xu's temperament was too quiet; it was natural for people to forget she existed, and even the teachers never gave her a second glance.

She remembered the only time Yang Man had called her over—just to ask why she hadn't continued her studies.

Her answer had been vague and guarded. She hadn't wanted to reveal more about her situation. It couldn't be helped. People like her had learned to be overly cautious since childhood, like a small animal forced to survive alone.

Unexpectedly, her earlobes turned hot and red. Under Liang Xiaoqing's gaze—those eyes now holding a faint shimmer, a slight smile curving them like a rippling pool—Jiang Xu's ears flushed even deeper. She didn't understand why, perhaps because of her guilt.

Liang Xiaoqing paused, seemingly surprised by her answer. She uttered an "Oh" and lowered her gaze thoughtfully.

Jiang Xu nervously met her eyes. To Jiang Xu, Liang Xiaoqing obviously didn't believe her. Jiang Xu's expression turned serious, solemn, and she gave a heavy "Mm." Inwardly, her heart was pounding.

If she said she felt guilty about lying, that wouldn't hold up. Jiang Xu had learned to lie at a very young age. It made life easier. She could lie without batting an eye, without any psychological burden at all.

But Liang Xiaoqing had completely disrupted her principles. She couldn't lie to Liang Xiaoqing without feeling the weight of it. She knew she shouldn't lie to Liang Xiaoqing; lying was a bad habit.

And Liang Xiaoqing was the only person who was good to her.

Jiang Xu and Liang Xiaoqing stared at each other. Liang Xiaoqing looked at her for a long while, and Jiang Xu saw disbelief flash through her eyes.

Suddenly, Liang Xiaoqing's whole face grew more lively. With that slight shift in expression, she looked more cunning. She was usually so gentle; rarely did one see this look on her face.

Jiang Xu paused, and Liang Xiaoqing said, squinting slightly, "Really?"

Jiang Xu panicked, her words faltering. "Re... really..." But she dared not look at Liang Xiaoqing anymore.

Indeed, teachers had a natural aura that only worked on students. That was probably why students rarely wanted to greet teachers. Jiang Xu had known Liang Xiaoqing for so long that in her eyes, Liang Xiaoqing was no longer just a teacher. Because she was familiar with her, she understood her even better.

But even so, Liang Xiaoqing still held a natural authority over her.

Jiang Xu's gaze wandered aimlessly over the familiar furniture. Anxiety gnawed at her. An unignorable gaze kept hovering around her face, neither too close nor too far. She knew she had lost. "It wasn't the whole day, but I studied for half a day."

Liang Xiaoqing noticed the pair of shoes by the shoe cabinet with mud on them. Although someone had tried hard to clean the surface, the dirty traces were still visible. She discreetly averted her eyes and took a step closer to Jiang Xu. "Mm, you've learned to lie."

"...I!" Jiang Xu was startled, looking up at Liang Xiaoqing. The moment their eyes met, she swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue. She instinctively wanted to defend herself, but the person she was facing was Liang Xiaoqing.

After holding it in for a long time, she finally kept silent.

The thing Jiang Xu feared most had happened. Her brows gradually knit together, like a crumpled bow. No matter how mature she was for her age, she was still too young. All her worries were written all over her face, and she might not even realize it herself.

The treatment she had imagined did not come as expected. Liang Xiaoqing stroked her head, gently, like smoothing the fur of some small animal. Jiang Xu didn't move.

Liang Xiaoqing said, "But knowing your mistakes and correcting them makes you a good child. Xiao Xu, don't lie to me from now on, okay?"

"..."

Liang Xiaoqing continued, "I'm not some fierce monster. Why are you so afraid of me? If you were afraid, then why did you squeeze into my blanket last night? Hmm?"

"It's not that." Jiang Xu was a bit anxious. "I'm not afraid." She looked into Liang Xiaoqing's eyes, wanting to look away, but she kept her gaze steady. "I don't want... I don't want to leave a bad impression on you."

Because what she was about to say was embarrassing, but if she didn't say it, maybe she really wouldn't leave a good impression in Liang Xiaoqing's heart.

In the end, Jiang Xu couldn't fully maintain eye contact. She lowered her eyes. "...I'll be good from now on... Will you ever not want me?"

She spoke very quietly, exposing the most fragile part of her heart. Even her fingers trembled slightly, the shopping bags pressing tightly against her palms, enough to ignore the trembling in her fingertips.

"How could I? Xiao Xu, how could you think that?" Liang Xiaoqing was also anxious, never expecting Jiang Xu to think this way. Could it be that her feelings weren't obvious enough? Or was there something she hadn't done carefully enough to make Jiang Xu worry about this.

"As long as you want, I will never not want you." Liang Xiaoqing's hand slowly slid down from Jiang Xu's head and caressed her face. "Xiao Xu, you're overthinking, okay? You're very smart." She rubbed her cheeks. "Don't say things like that from now on, okay?"

"..." Jiang Xu squinted slightly, her lips puffing out a little as her face was rubbed, and she said, "Okay."

Jiang Xu was almost dizzy from the soft affection. She thought perhaps it was because of the fragrance on Liang Xiaoqing, faint, filling the whole room. Sometimes she'd lift her hand and smell her own clothes; even she carried that scent, though it was stronger on Liang Xiaoqing. It wasn't the kind of scent that disappeared if you weren't paying attention.

Liang Xiaoqing rubbed her face again, then bent even lower, taking the heavier bag from her hand. Their fingertips brushed, causing a slight tingle. Liang Xiaoqing took the bag from Jiang Xu, and as the weight lifted from her hand, Jiang Xu snapped back to reality.

"This one's a bit heavy; let me carry it." As she said that, Liang Xiaoqing took her hand and walked toward the sofa, asking, "Did you have lunch?"

"I had noodles."

"What about dinner? Have you eaten?"

Jiang Xu countered, "Have you? Sister Xiaoqing, have you eaten?"

"I have." Liang Xiaoqing turned her head to look at her. "I had dinner too. I ate before coming back. I also stopped by the supermarket on the way." She lifted the bag in her hand. "As promised, I had to bring you something to eat."

Jiang Xu's eyes flickered. "No need, Sister Xiaoqing. You spent money again."

"It's fine."

Liang Xiaoqing smiled and placed the bags on the coffee table. Jiang Xu also put her bags down. Liang Xiaoqing sat on the sofa.

"Sit." She tilted her chin toward the sofa.

Jiang Xu sat down as instructed.

"Turn around," Liang Xiaoqing said.

Jiang Xu turned, her back to Liang Xiaoqing. "Wh...What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just sit still and behave."

Liang Xiaoqing's voice sounded eager with anticipation. Jiang Xu didn't know what she was going to do, but she did as she was told and didn't move, sitting up straight. She felt Liang Xiaoqing fiddling with her hair, the old hair tie being removed, letting it fall loose.

Jiang Xu tilted her head slightly. "...Sister Xiaoqing..."

"Don't move, okay?" Liang Xiaoqing looked serious.

Jiang Xu said nothing more.

"Where is it?" The bags rustled on the coffee table as Liang Xiaoqing rummaged through them, muttering to herself. Judging by the sound, she was looking for something.

The clatter finally stopped, and Liang Xiaoqing's voice was filled with delight. "Found it!"

Jiang Xu really wanted to see what Liang Xiaoqing had found, but she was obedient and didn't move.

Her hair was lifted by Liang Xiaoqing, whose fingers seemed to act as a comb, threading through her hair and combing downward. Jiang Xu's scalp felt wonderful. Realizing Liang Xiaoqing was combing her hair, her body relaxed again.

"Today at the supermarket, I happened to see a shop selling hair ties. I'd never noticed it before. I went in and bought some hair bands, some clips, and two combs. Your hair tie is a bit old, so I got you some new ones. They should come in handy."

As she spoke, Liang Xiaoqing fiddled with Jiang Xu's hair. Jiang Xu's hair quality wasn't great, but she had a lot of it. Liang Xiaoqing needed both hands to handle Jiang Xu's hair, with no spare space to hold a hair tie.

She had Jiang Xu hold it. "See? It's that small bag I found."

Warm breath fell on the back of Jiang Xu's ear. Turning her head slightly, she indeed saw a bag of hair ties in various colors. Liang Xiaoqing hadn't let go of her hair yet. As Jiang Xu moved, the body behind her moved too. When she sat up, she and Liang Xiaoqing were nearly the same height; she'd grown taller now.

Liang Xiaoqing didn't let go of her hair. Following her movement, she shifted her legs, knelt on the sofa, and propped herself up, making herself taller than the seated Jiang Xu, which made it easier to tie her hair.

Jiang Xu bent forward slightly, and Liang Xiaoqing also bent a little, her hair ends brushing the back of Jiang Xu's neck, tickling her. But Liang Xiaoqing didn't notice these small details. She only cared about whether Jiang Xu liked these hair ties. After all, it was the first time she'd bought something for a child of this age, and in a way, it was like raising a child herself.

Liang Xiaoqing's mouth was a bit dry, her throat itchy. Turning her head, she coughed, remembering she hadn't had a drink since coming back. "Cough, do you like them?" she asked Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu looked down at the small bag of hair ties in her hand. The hair ties came in various colors—black, gray, blue, all kinds. Some had finely braided patterns, some were wrapped in a short layer of fluffy material in the same color, some had small ornaments hanging from them, none too flashy, and they'd look even nicer in her hair.

Jiang Xu's eyes brightened slightly, and she said, "I like them."

She'd never thought hair ties could have so many styles. Before, the ones on her head were either given to her by Wang Cai or ones she'd tied up with random string. Compared to the drab gray hair tie she'd used for a long time, any one in the bag was far better than hers.

"Pick one," Liang Xiaoqing said.

Jiang Xu picked the most unobtrusive black one, which had a small bow braided with the same color thread. She blushed and handed it to Liang Xiaoqing. "This one."

"Hey, why pick such a plain one? Pick that one. Your skin is much fairer now; the blue one is just right."

Liang Xiaoqing was right. After two months of Liang Xiaoqing's careful care, Jiang Xu's features had gradually opened up, and her skin had slowly returned to its natural color.

Jiang Xu had good proportions—a small face and long legs. Except for the remaining childishness in her brows and eyes, she was already quite good-looking, and even her skull was full and well-shaped.

Hearing this, Jiang Xu switched to a blue one. Liang Xiaoqing, having spent a long time with this child, could still figure out her thoughts. She took it with satisfaction and tied Jiang Xu's hair into a low ponytail. After tying it, Liang Xiaoqing pulled Jiang Xu's arm and turned her around. "Let me see. How does it look?"

So Jiang Xu turned around.

"Mm, not bad. This hair tie is of good quality." As she said that, Liang Xiaoqing felt something was still off. Remembering something, she rummaged through the shopping bag and pulled out the clip she'd bought. "Right, a girl should look like a girl. Don't be so gloomy all the time."

The clip was a small blue star clip in matching color. Liang Xiaoqing leaned forward slightly and said, "Don't move."

Jiang Xu stayed still. The too-close distance made her blink repeatedly.

Click. The clip was fixed in her hair by Liang Xiaoqing.

Liang Xiaoqing pulled back, wrapping her arm around Jiang Xu's shoulder. "Let me see."

She tilted her head one way, then raised it another, looking left and right, examining Jiang Xu's head from all angles, laughing happily. "Looks like I have really good taste. It's very pretty." Her smiling eyes reflected Jiang Xu's slightly flustered face. Jiang Xu touched the clip in her hair, raised her eyes, and looked at the smile on the woman's lips in front of her.

She was like a different person from head to toe, as if she had been completely changed inside and out.

She pressed her lips together, noticed the dry, chapped corners of Liang Xiaoqing's lips, and strangely, her own lips also felt dry.

She swallowed, got up, and poured a glass of water for Liang Xiaoqing. The water in the glass rippled slightly.

"Sister Xiaoqing, have some water."

Liang Xiaoqing was still immersed in her own joy, one arm around Jiang Xu's shoulder while taking the glass with the other hand.

As she drank, she intimately asked her about trivial matters.