During the break, Xie Shu didn’t join the gaming crowd at his seat. Instead, he wandered the corridors, pausing now and then to take photos and videos with his phone.

He was chatting with Ruan Nianxi.

Their floor housed several craft classrooms for product majors, with glass walls and shelves filled with their handmade assignments. Bored, he stepped out to share a glimpse of their world with Ruan Nianxi.

Ruan Nianxi, not having those classes, found it all quite interesting. They were having a pleasant conversation when, out of the corner of his eye, Xie Shu suddenly noticed someone standing in the corridor, seemingly watching him.

He turned to look and saw Su Qianyi.

“……”

She stood at the classroom door, facing him. The corridor’s dim lighting prevented Xie Shu from seeing her expression clearly.

But he was sure she was watching him.

After all, they were the only two people in the corridor.

After a few seconds of this “eye contact,” Xie Shu turned his head back to continue messaging Ruan Nianxi and started walking towards the other end of the corridor.

Regardless, he was a married man now and preferred to minimize contact with other women.

He was deliberately avoiding her, but Su Qianyi kept deliberately approaching.

“Xie Shu,” she called out, stopping him as he tried to leave.

The corridor was so quiet that pretending not to hear was impossible.

He stopped, his brow furrowed, silently exasperated.

Lately, Su Qianyi…

Well… his disinterest was obvious, wasn’t it? Except for study-related matters, she should avoid contacting him.

Her reasons for seeking him out were never important; it really wasn’t necessary…

Had he done something wrong to provoke this behavior?

If so, he certainly wouldn’t apologize!

Ah, no, that’s not right.

Upon self-reflection thrice a day, he found no fault in himself!

Despite his reluctance to converse with Su Qianyi, Xie Shu didn’t ignore her.

After all, they were classmates, and there might be study or homework interactions in the future.

Most importantly, he didn’t know if there would be any dreaded group assignments ahead. Sometimes, if a group lacked members, teachers would merge them. He had no idea about future group dynamics.

In any case, he felt that things would be awkward if they became too strained.

He slowly turned around to face Su Qianyi, who had approached from her side.

Their distance closed…

When they were nearly two meters apart, Xie Shu saw she had no intention of stopping, so he stepped back.

Su Qianyi paused and then stood still.

She tilted her head slightly, her beautiful eyes locking with Xie Shu’s.

“Do you want to go out for a walk this afternoon? There’s no class.”

She didn’t bring up their past relationship or ask about WeChat friends like before.

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

“How about lunch together?” Su Qianyi offered another invitation.

“No, I can’t.”

His free time was reserved for Ruan Nianxi.

“Then…”

“Su Qianyi, if you’re looking for me just to say these things, then there’s really no need to contact me in the future. Whatever you want to do or wherever you want to go, it’s none of my business. You can ask your friends to accompany you,” he interrupted, seeing she had more to say.

Xie Shu’s message was clear, and it wasn’t the first time he had rejected her so plainly.

Yet, Su Qianyi persisted.

“But I only want to be with you,” she said frankly.

Xie Shu was momentarily taken aback, then replied, “But I don’t want to be with you.”

Silence fell in the corridor, and after a few seconds of eye contact, Xie Shu repeated his previous words and walked past her towards the classroom.

He had hoped for a quiet spot to chat with Ruan Nianxi undisturbed, but it seemed it was all the same.

Might as well go back and sit down.

As soon as he sat down, he saw a new announcement in the class group chat.

It was from the class monitor, stating that there was a lecture in the school gymnasium that afternoon. Their class, having no other commitments, was required to attend. Everyone had to be present for roll call, no excuses or proxies allowed.

This afternoon? A lecture?

Xie Shu frowned.

He didn’t really want to go.

He had hoped to spend the afternoon deepening his relationship with Ruan Nianxi, but now there was a lecture?

He glanced at the poster attached to the message and recognized a familiar name.

Ruan Qin.

Ah, wasn’t that Ruan Nianxi’s father?

It made sense, though. It was normal for a big businessman like him to be invited to give a talk and share his experience.

The school had hosted lectures by industry professionals before, but they were usually in lecture halls. This time, they booked the gymnasium, indicating a significant event, likely involving many from the school.

Initially indifferent to the lecture, Xie Shu’s interest piqued upon learning who the speaker was.

He should show support for his future father-in-law.

But it was odd. He didn’t recall such a large event in his past life, nor had he seen Uncle Ruan at any lecture. Why now, in this life…?

After classes ended at noon.

Xie Shu waited for Ruan Nianxi on a path leading to the living area, a prearranged meeting spot since their faculties were in different directions.

His roommates, sick of the sugar-coated scene, didn’t want to accompany him but were coerced to stay. They bantered back and forth by the roadside, oblivious to Su Qianyi, who paused as she passed by.

She watched them for a few seconds, her hand tightening slightly, seemingly making a decision. She took a step towards Xie Shu.

But before she could take another, she saw Xie Shu suddenly run in the opposite direction. She halted, following his gaze to see him stopping in front of a girl.

Looking up, she recognized the girl’s face—

—Ruan Nianxi!

This was the second time she had seen Xie Shu and Ruan Nianxi so close at school.

As she watched Xie Shu help Ruan Nianxi with her textbooks, her expression darkened.

A book wasn’t heavy; did he really need to carry it for her?

Her gaze fixed on the pair, but Xie Shu, engrossed in conversation with Ruan Nianxi and smiling, didn’t notice someone in the crowd watching him.

However, Ruan Nianxi, from her angle, did see Su Qianyi. She glanced at her once before looking away, and then she walked past her with Xie Shu, just like she had back in high school…