"Even if you're not hungry, you should eat a little. There's a breakfast shop up ahead. Let's pull over and grab something to eat!"
Xie Shu's tone suddenly became stern.
His serious demeanor made Ruan Nianxi nervous, even a bit frightened.
The last time he spoke to her with such severity was back in high school when he was scolding her on behalf of Su Qianyi…
Ruan Nianxi pursed her lips, not daring to say a word, and parked in front of the breakfast shop as Xie Shu had indicated.
This area was home to several universities, so there were quite a few eateries around.
After parking, Xie Shu led Ruan Nianxi into a random breakfast shop. Since he had already bought breakfast at school, he only purchased food for Ruan Nianxi.
Sitting opposite each other, Ruan Nianxi fidgeted with her hands on her lap, still puzzled by Xie Shu's sudden strictness.
Breakfast was served quickly, and soon a bowl of porridge and several meat buns were placed in front of Ruan Nianxi.
"Let's eat first, then we'll head out."
Xie Shu's voice softened considerably from before.
Seeing Ruan Nianxi's anxious expression, he paused and added, "Sorry, I was too harsh just now. I just think skipping breakfast is bad for your health, nothing more."
"Mhm." Ruan Nianxi sipped her porridge in small bites, her mood instantly brightening.
So he was just showing concern for her.
Watching Ruan Nianxi relax, Xie Shu also breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had been too impulsive.
Sigh, in his previous life, due to work, he had lived an extremely irregular lifestyle, which eventually led to stomach cancer…
It wasn't taken seriously in the early stages, and by the time it was discovered, it was already too late.
The time he spent in the hospital was torturous; he didn't want to experience it again, nor did he want the person he cared about to suffer in such a way.
Although it was a past life, to him, it felt like it had only been a few days ago. The painful memories were still vivid, which was why he had been overly concerned just now.
All serious illnesses start with minor ailments.
Health is the capital of revolution, and wellness is the wealth of life.
After spending a few more minutes finishing their breakfast, they got back into the car.
Xie Shu's part-time job was quite far, and Ruan Nianxi followed the GPS, driving smoothly as they chatted.
The soothing music in the car often made one drowsy, and Xie Shu, having slept late and woken up early, succumbed to sleepiness and dozed off.
Noticing Xie Shu's drowsiness, Ruan Nianxi stopped talking.
Throughout the drive, she occasionally glanced at him, sometimes getting so distracted at red lights that cars behind would honk impatiently.
Although she had etched Xie Shu's features deep into her mind, every time she saw him, her heart couldn't help but race.
***
Ruan Nianxi followed the GPS and arrived at their destination without incident.
She glanced at the time, 7:40.
She remembered that the person who messaged Xie Shu yesterday said the class started at 8:00 and that it was fine for him to arrive a bit late.
Thinking this, she didn't rush to wake Xie Shu but instead parked the car, turned off the engine, and quietly watched his face, motionless.
If only she could keep watching him like this forever.
Even if he did nothing, just being by her side made her feel like she owned the whole world.
"Xie Shu, you might not know, but these past few years, every time I speak, it's your name, and every time I close my eyes, it's your face," she murmured.
It was maddening.
But she couldn't disturb him.
She had thought that Su Qianyi's presence would keep her forever outside his world, but thankfully, things hadn't turned out as she feared.
The boy she yearned for had reverted to his high school self, talking to her, protecting her, caring for her…
Ruan Nianxi was lost in her gaze when suddenly a ringtone broke the silence, waking Xie Shu from his slumber.
As he opened his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Ruan Nianxi looking at him and instinctively met her gaze, which she couldn't hide in time.
Xie Shu: "???"
He rubbed his head, fully waking up, and glanced outside the window.
Having been here yesterday, he had directly named the arts district, and now the car was parked right in front of it.
"When did we get here? Why didn't you wake me?" Xie Shu's voice was still hoarse.
Ruan Nianxi, flustered, hung up her phone call and stammered, "We just… just arrived."
"Really? We're not late, are we?"
As he spoke, Xie Shu pulled out his phone to check the time, 7:50.
Hmm, not late.
"Thank you for going out of your way to bring me here," Xie Shu said, putting away his phone and turning to thank Ruan Nianxi.
But Ruan Nianxi, facing the steering wheel and bowing her head, replied in a barely audible voice, "No need."
Xie Shu noticed her flushed cheeks and thought how easily she blushed.
But he had no time to tease her now. He got out of the car, about to bid Ruan Nianxi farewell, when a group of people appeared at the corner, and someone called out to him loudly.
"Teacher Xie Shu!"
Xie Shu looked over and saw it was the students from the art and media classes.
Following them were a few teachers responsible for the students, who usually walked with them to and from classes.
It wasn't far from the corner to the arts district entrance, just a few dozen steps, and the students quickly reached Xie Shu, greeting him enthusiastically. It was clear he was quite popular here.
With the two classes combined, there were quite a few students, all chattering away, while Xie Shu dismissed them all with a simple "Hello."
"Xie Shu, you're early today. If I remember correctly, you live quite far from here," Teacher Li said, following the students and chatting with Xie Shu.
"Yeah, someone gave me a ride today."
"Oh, I see. Well, we should head in. The time… Who is this?"
Teacher Li hadn't finished speaking when she noticed a young and beautiful girl getting out of the car behind Xie Shu, then standing next to him with a stern face.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan