“Ruan, it’s hot today. Have a cup of tea with milk. I had a friend bring it over, and it’s iced.”
“Ruan, are you tired? How about I help you with the attendance sheet and call those who haven’t signed in?”
“Ruan, do you want me to sign you out later? If you don’t want to attend the lecture, you can go back to the dorm and relax.”
“Ruan…”
Behind Ruan Nianxi, the boy kept talking to her.
Unfortunately, Ruan Nianxi acted as if she didn’t see him at all.
As for the others in their college, they were already used to it and didn’t find it strange.
After the last person in the class signed in, Ruan Nianxi took the attendance sheet and turned to leave.
But as soon as she turned around, the boy was standing just a meter away from her. Seeing her look over, he became even more eager.
He took a few steps forward, trying to hand her the tea with milk.
The area was crowded, with only a narrow path between the classes, just wide enough for one person. If the boy didn’t move, Ruan Nianxi couldn’t get through.
Ignoring the tea with milk in front of her, Ruan Nianxi turned around and continued walking towards the back.
They were sitting on the sports field, which was large, and the back exit was the same.
The boy stood there stunned for a few seconds, but unwilling to give up, he followed her.
Ruan Nianxi walked around the area where their class was seated, and the boy followed her halfway around.
With so many people watching, he naturally felt embarrassed, but he wasn’t the only one who had been treated this way before!
One person might feel embarrassed, but with more people, he grew thicker-skinned.
“Ruan, I don’t mean anything else. I just want to be friends. Don’t be so cold. I’m from Class 1…”
“Ruan Nianxi!”
Just as the boy was about to introduce himself, a voice suddenly interrupted him.
Not only Ruan Nianxi and the boy, but the other students sitting nearby also turned to look in the direction of the voice.
Under everyone’s gaze, Xie Shu walked unhurriedly towards Ruan Nianxi.
“What are you doing?” Xie Shu asked knowingly.
“Collecting the attendance sheet,” Ruan Nianxi replied seriously, meeting Xie Shu’s gaze.
Xie Shu’s lips curved slightly, his eyes filled with a hint of a smile. He gently patted her on the head and said, “I remember you’re the class monitor. You’ve worked hard.”
Ruan Nianxi’s ears turned red instantly. Embarrassed to meet Xie Shu’s eyes, she lowered her gaze to the ground and whispered, “No… it’s my duty.”
Their simple interaction left everyone around them staring in astonishment.
Everyone: (???)
Xie Shu glanced lightly at the boy standing a few steps behind Ruan Nianxi, who looked extremely shocked, and asked casually, “Is he your friend? I saw him talking to you just now.”
“No, I don’t know him,” Ruan Nianxi immediately shook her head in denial.
“Really?”
“Really! I really…”
Ruan Nianxi hurried to explain, but Xie Shu interrupted her with a smile, “I was just asking. Don’t be so nervous.”
To ease Ruan Nianxi’s worries, he changed the topic, “I was just passing by to check on you. The lecture is about to start. Let’s go back to our seats.”
“Okay, I’ll go hand in the attendance sheet to the student council first.”
There were student council members on duty at each entrance of the gymnasium, and they had to hand in the attendance sheets to them.
Since Xie Shu had to pass by one of the entrances on his way back, he went with Ruan Nianxi.
The distance wasn’t far, but he insisted on holding Ruan Nianxi’s hand as they walked.
As he turned, his gaze lingered for a fraction of a second on the tea with milk in the boy’s hand.
The boy wasn’t far from them, so he could hear their conversation as they left.
“Do you want some tea with milk? I’ll buy you some after the lecture.”
“Yes.”
“How’s your health lately? Can you drink cold beverages?”
“I can now.”
The boy couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation.
However, his eyes remained fixed on their interlocked fingers, unable to look away.
Not only him, but all the students in the area also showed expressions of extreme surprise.
Although there had been rumors recently that the aloof beauty Ruan Nianxi was close to a boy from the Art College, most of them had only heard about it.
Seeing it with their own eyes today…
So, was that boy… Ruan Nianxi’s boyfriend?
The short distance was quickly covered.
Ruan Nianxi handed the attendance sheet to a student council member, and then the two of them stepped aside, reluctant to let go of each other’s hands.
Xie Shu cleared his throat and checked the time on his phone.
He had come down from the second floor quickly, and it had only taken three minutes. There were still seven minutes left before the lecture started.
Although it seemed tight, Xie Shu wasn’t in a hurry.
After all, it wasn’t a class where he had to be seated right at the start. Being a bit late wouldn’t matter.
He felt there was plenty of time, enough for him and Ruan Nianxi to take another walk.
With that thought, he pulled Ruan Nianxi along.
Though they said they were going out, they were still inside the gymnasium, just in the hallway.
The gymnasium had corridors at each of the four side entrances, all connected in a circle, so they could walk around the hallway to pass the time.
Even if they ran out of time, they could just enter through any door. It was all the same.
Holding hands, they walked quietly along the corridor.
Xie Shu hadn’t even thought of a topic to talk about when he suddenly heard voices chatting from around the corner ahead.
Judging by the number of voices, it seemed like a group of people, and he vaguely heard some flattering words. They were probably teachers or school leaders, not students.
But that had nothing to do with him.
Just as he thought that, Ruan Nianxi inexplicably pulled him to the side.
He stopped, puzzled, and looked at her in confusion. The next second, she pulled him towards a storage room nearby, and he followed, bewildered.
Before he could say anything, Ruan Nianxi opened the storage room door and pushed him inside.
Bang—!
The door closed.
Xie Shu: “???”
——
I haven’t gone back to the rental yet. I’ll probably go back tomorrow.