The next morning, people were up early for their eight o'clock routines, groggily making their way to the cafeteria.
Xie Shu had arranged with Ruan Nianxi the night before via text to have breakfast together at the first cafeteria. He arrived a few minutes early on purpose to get breakfast for Ruan Nianxi and wait for her.
As for the other three troublemakers he was with, they were left to fend for themselves.
Xie Shu's timing was impeccable. Not long after he got the breakfast, Ruan Nianxi appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria.
She was wearing a milk-white dress that fell just over her knees, one of the dresses Xie Shu had bought for her at the clothing store yesterday.
Even though Xie Shu had seen her in the dress at the store, seeing her again today still took his breath away. She was tall and slender, with a waist as fine as a willow and a presence that turned heads. Almost everyone who passed by couldn't help but give her a second glance.
Their seats were right by the entrance. Snapping back to reality, Xie Shu stood up and called out Ruan Nianxi's name. Hearing him, she turned her head and spotted him immediately.
Seeing the familiar face before her, Ruan Nianxi's heart rate accelerated without warning, her lips curving into a slight smile. She strode over with her slender legs, her heartbeat quickening with each step closer.
Once she reached him, Xie Shu pulled out a chair for her to sit and pushed the breakfast he had gotten for her towards her, gesturing for her to eat.
Although Xie Shu had come to the cafeteria with his "sons," they had chosen not to sit with him, claiming they didn't want to interrupt his time with Ruan Nianxi, so they had taken a table earlier on their own.
***
They all had classes today and didn't linger long in the cafeteria. After breakfast, the group headed towards the academic area. Upon arrival, Xie Shu didn't go to his own college's building but instead followed Ruan Nianxi, insisting on walking her to class.
"Won't this make you late for your class? I can go by myself," Ruan Nianxi said, worried that Xie Shu might get penalized for being late.
"It's fine. Being a bit late today won't hurt; we don't have to go to the classroom. Our teacher is taking us out of school soon," Xie Shu explained.
Sometimes their college teachers would take them to various places outside the campus, like art galleries and shopping malls, to enhance their aesthetic sense and broaden their horizons, especially since they were design students who needed to see more of the world.
Ruan Nianxi paused for a few seconds before asking, "When will you be back?"
"I'm not sure. We only have classes in the morning, and the afternoon is free. Usually, the teacher takes us out for the day in such cases, but I don't know if we'll come back early this time."
"Oh…"
Ruan Nianxi felt a tinge of disappointment.
So, if luck wasn't on her side, she might not see him until the evening?
"It's not a big deal. As long as our phones are charged, we can still text and video chat. We can stay in touch," Xie Shu quickly added.
After briefly discussing their plans for the day, they naturally shifted the conversation to other topics.
As they approached the building of Ruan Nianxi's college, more and more people who recognized her appeared.
Everyone who passed by couldn't help but cast curious glances her way.
Ruan Nianxi was highly attractive and recognized as the campus belle of her college. Even though she wasn't sociable, her reputation was still quite high.
Which class didn't have a few boys secretly pining for her?
Which class didn't know she was the top student in their field, both in looks and in academic prowess?
Everyone knew Ruan Nianxi was aloof, cold to everyone, a true untouchable flower on a high peak. But what were they witnessing today?
Who was this woman with a tender expression that seemed to drip with sweetness?
What happened to the ice-cold goddess?
And the guy next to her… Holy crap! Wasn't that the guy from the art college who had been trending on their campus forum?
What was his name again, Xie something?
Everyone had seen the gossip on the campus forum and knew some things related to Xie Shu, so was this… him succeeding in winning over their campus belle?
Damn!
This guy really reached far!
He even set his sights on their college!
And by the looks of it, he seemed to have actually succeeded!
The guys passing by were grinding their teeth in envy, while the girls sneakily gossiped, admiring the attractive couple. They really looked good together!
That campus belle from the art college must be blind.
Along the way, both of them noticed the stares, but neither paid much attention. It wasn't until they reached the academic building of Ruan Nianxi's college that Xie Shu stopped and said goodbye.
Before Ruan Nianxi entered, he suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to her, "Oh, could you send me your class schedule?"
He needed to find a time when they were both free for something important.
"Sure."
She didn't ask why or what for; if he asked, she would comply.
After watching Ruan Nianxi enter the building, Xie Shu turned and headed towards the small square in front of their school's gymnasium.
They always gathered there before leaving campus, then took a bus to their destination.
The academic area was quite large, and by the time he reached the square in front of the gym, the bell for class had just rung.
From a distance, he saw his classmates already lined up, with the class monitor apparently counting heads. Seeing this, he quickened his pace.
Their teacher was standing in front of the class line-up and asked Xie Shu, who was just arriving, "Where have you been? Why are you late today?"
The teacher wasn't really interrogating Xie Shu but rather joking, as the relationship between students and teachers during college was generally harmonious. Besides, Xie Shu was one of the top students in class, and most teachers liked him.
Moreover, he wasn't significantly late and hadn't kept the whole class waiting, so no teacher would be upset about it; it was just a playful tease.
Hearing this, Xie Shu stopped in his tracks and defended himself, "Teacher, I'm not late."
"Look at the time."
Xie Shu actually pulled out his phone to check and then seriously said, "7:63."
The teacher: "……"
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan