Reluctant as he was, Chen Yuan knew that going to the office was the best option.
Jiangg Ning was a person of interest at the university, drawing attention wherever she went. If other students saw them supporting each other, who knew what kind of gossip would start spreading. Not only would he be unable to clear his name, but he'd also incite the jealousy of the other male students.
He wanted no part of that.
Chen Yuan had been busy with his studies lately and had found meaning in his university life. All he wanted was to study hard, get good grades, earn a scholarship, and live a relatively peaceful and quiet life.
Besides, if he went home with good grades, his parents could show off to the neighbors for a long time.
What Chen Yuan wanted had always been simple.
His lack of objection was a tacit agreement. Jiangg Yao suppressed the urge to smile, her heart inevitably quickening as she led Chen Yuan toward the office.
The two of them deliberately kept their distance, one walking in front of the other.
However, Jiangg Yao would turn back from time to time to glance at him, as if afraid he would run off.
Chen Yuan did have that idea, but when his gaze fell on her somewhat stiff gait, his heart softened.
It was almost scary to think about.
Jiangg Ning was actually an associate professor in the department, with her own private office. It was located next to Pusuo Lake in the southwest corner of campus, right by Qiweng Road, in a building that had been completed just a few years ago. The building was only opened for receiving leaders or holding important conferences, so it was almost always deserted.
Regular lecturers didn't have offices; only administrative staff did.
But at the associate professor level, besides teaching, there were many research projects to handle, on top of endless perfunctory meetings...
Jiangg Ning's personal resume was also intimidating. She held a dual master's degree in Social Sciences and Philosophy from Yale University. In her first year at Landa University, she won the university's annual award for excellence in teaching quality. She had published a total of five papers indexed by SCI and EI, and was promoted to associate professor ahead of schedule.
Adding to that, Jiangg Ruxue was an honorary director of Landa University.
With all these factors combined, it wasn't surprising that the department had provided her with a private office.
When the two reached the lakeside, the bright moonlight reflected on the shimmering surface of the water. Nearby, a clock tower completely covered in ivy looked eerie, and the chirping of insects filled the air. The place could truly be described as deserted.
"There's no one around now. Come here."
"…"
"Little Master, you're so hard to order around." Jiangg Yao beckoned to Chen Yuan, but he didn't budge. She could only walk over to him with helpless, mincing steps, afraid of aggravating her wound.
A dark and windy night, a lone man and a lone woman.
That "Little Master" carried a hint of doting affection, which unexpectedly struck a chord with Chen Yuan.
He actually quite liked the nickname. If the old Yaoyao had called him that, he would have been overjoyed.
But now, Chen Yuan kept a straight face, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
"Chen, when I saw you last time, I didn't think you were so…" Jiangg Yao searched for the right word, raising her small hand and clenching it in mid-air before wrinkling her nose and saying, "so cold and heartless."
"I'm sorry, Jiangg, but the past is the past, and now is now. If you keep treating the present like the past…"
"Stop!" Jiangg Yao gestured for him to say no more. "What on earth do you want from me?"
"I don't want anything from you. Didn't we break up? I don't bother you, so you shouldn't bother me. I just don't get it. What is all this today? Does teasing an eighteen-year-old college student give you a sense of accomplishment?"
To say he wasn't resentful would be a lie.
Chen Yuan's resentment was bigger than the sky! He had made up his mind to love a girl, embarking on the first relationship of his life. Those six months of sweetness felt like an illusory dream.
Yaoyao had brought him all of this. As a pure-hearted young man, he had truly thought he'd met the one indispensable girl in his life.
Then, they met in real life.
She had shattered that dream without a second thought, and on top of that, had the nerve to ask sincerely, "You understand, right?"
Understand? Of course, Chen Yuan understood. He had painstakingly steeled his resolve again, working hard to better himself, and then she had to show up again.
'By what right!?'
Even a saint has their limits.
Chen Yuan's gaze was stubborn as he stared at Jiangg Yao.
Her eyes flickered, and she slowly lowered her head, her tone humble. "I wasn't trying to tease you… I'm sure that I really like you, Chen Yuan."
"Look, Jiangg, a lot of people like me. If you want to get in line, you'll probably be number one hundred and something…"
"Can I cut the line?" Jiangg Yao interrupted.
"Who do you think you are? You think just because you like me, I have to willingly accept it, all overjoyed like I've won the lottery?" Chen Yuan scoffed.
"An ex-girlfriend should have some privileges, right?"
"None!"
"Fine, then I'm willing to be number one hundred and something…"
"That's not the point!"
Jiangg Yao flinched at his harsh tone, her eyes squeezed shut. She mumbled, "Aren't you not planning to date anyone? Then it doesn't matter what number I am. If you're not going to date me, then don't date anyone else, either."
"No, I've changed my mind. I want to be in a relationship now," Chen Yuan said, so angry he was nearly grinding his teeth.
"Don't. The girls at this school aren't good… They aren't as old as me. I'm eight years older than you. Generally speaking, older women know how to dote on people better." Jiangg Yao fidgeted, poking her index fingers together as her eyes darted about. A moment later, she suddenly lifted the hem of her trench coat, revealing her long, fair legs. "Besides, I have a good figure. Look…"
Under the moonlight, those legs, seemingly longer than life itself, were incredibly eye-catching, like exquisitely carved masterpieces.
The red gash near the top of her thigh was the wound from the small garden. That single, incongruous mark on her otherwise smooth legs unexpectedly added a great deal of allure.
It was breathtaking.
"Don't pull this kind of stunt."
"Chen Yuan, don't you dare think I'm easy! I'm only this forward with you. To this day, you're the only person I've ever dated. You were my first love, and I was yours. What's wrong with wanting to show you? I'm going to lift it!"
"I don't believe you."
"Believe it or not, I don't care!"
Jiangg Yao was genuinely angry now. A ball of fire was raging inside her. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she went forward and grabbed Chen Yuan, practically pushing him along.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't know, but I'm furious right now!" Jiangg Yao said resentfully.
"That has nothing to do with me."
"Of course it has to do with you! You're the one who made me mad, so you have to help me vent! Let's go, to the office!"
…
"Ah~ Be gentle."
Inside the quiet and elegant office, there were many potted plants, and the bookshelves were filled with various abstruse philosophy books. The blinds were shut tight.
Jiangg Yao was sitting on the desk in a very awkward position, her long legs touching the floor and trembling nonstop. She had even shaken off her high heels.
"Is it really that bad?" Chen Yuan frowned.
The moment the cold medicinal alcohol touched her skin, it felt like an icy chill, a cold that burned. It certainly did "release fire."
When the cotton swab touched the wound, the pain made Jiangg Yao cry out continuously.
She even started pounding on Chen Yuan's shoulder, which showed the extent of her pain.
"It hurts too much."
"Just bear with it for a moment. I can't bandage it without disinfecting it first. Who knows how much bacteria is in that dirty garden." Chen Yuan's attitude was serious, his focus entirely on cleaning the wound. Thankfully, it wasn't deep. Otherwise, it would need stitches and leave an ugly scar.
He instructed her while dabbing a cotton swab full of alcohol and carefully wiping the wound.
Unexpectedly, Jiangg Yao had a huge reaction. She desperately clung to Chen Yuan, shouting without any regard for her image, "I can't bear it! How can it hurt so much… Be gentler!"
"I'm being as gentle as I can—hey!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Jiangg Yao pulled his collar aside and bit down on his neck.
The warmth of her lips on his neck didn't hurt too much; she hadn't bitten down hard.
But it was enough to make Chen Yuan grimace.
Seizing the opportunity, he quickly finished cleaning the wound on Jiangg Yao's thigh. He couldn't let himself get bitten for damn nothing.
"Done. Let go!"
As if a great weight had been lifted, Jiangg Yao released her hands from around Chen Yuan's neck, though her breathing was still ragged.
"It's finally over."
She sighed. Beside her, Chen Yuan tossed the cotton swab into the trash can and capped the bottle of medicinal alcohol. No one spoke. The office was exceptionally quiet. Jiangg Yao rested her chin in her hand and watched him, seeming to enjoy the momentary peace.
"Chen Yuan, don't you think this is fate?"
"I don't."
"But the probability of an online couple meeting in real life is so low, yet we actually met. Isn't this destiny… What do you think?"
"It's just a coincidence, nothing special."
"Is that so?" Jiangg Yao clearly didn't believe him. Having made up her mind to pester Chen Yuan, she naturally wouldn't be so reserved.
To be honest, when a girl gets proactive, she can be more fearsome than a guy.
Jiangg Yao accurately struck Chen Yuan's weak spot. She asked softly, "That day at school, when you realized we were wearing the same ring, what were you feeling? Weren't you pleasantly surprised?"
"It was fine."
"For realsies?" She stared into Chen Yuan's eyes, trying to find a crack in his facade, but he immediately looked away. Jiangg Yao hopped off the desk, determined to look him in the eye.
He turned left, she followed.
He turned right, she followed again, her clear eyes full of inquiry.
"Fakies! You looked away! You're lying!" Jiangg Yao beamed, placing her hands on her hips and questioning him aggressively. "You were happy then, weren't you? Excited? Your online girlfriend turned out to be your teacher, and a beautiful one at that. Your heart fluttered, didn't it?"
"Say whatever you want." Chen Yuan took out his phone and glanced at the time. "It's getting late. You can bandage it yourself. I'm going back to my dorm."
"Hey—don't go yet."
Jiangg Yao shouted frantically, but Chen Yuan was already at the door. He pressed the handle, and the door swung open.
"Chen Yuan! I'll just assume you've forgiven me! I'm really going to assume you've forgiven me!" Her voice gradually faded, but Chen Yuan still heard the last part. She whispered, "Then my next step is to get back together with you."
"Get back together… So now you're not afraid of people finding out?"
"I am afraid. That's why we can do it secretly."
Jiangg Yao held her slender fingers in the air, mimicking two legs walking, and then made them bump into each other. She smiled and winked.
"You're nuts!"
…
After the whole ordeal, which lasted over an hour, Chen Yuan had no idea what to feel when he got back to his dorm.
It definitely wasn't happiness.
His emotions were a mess. As he pushed open the dorm room door, his mind was flooded with images from the office.
It was all so bizarre and absurd.
"Third Brother, you're finally back. What took you so long to feed a cat?" Liu Nan, who was playing a game, turned his head and asked curiously.
Just then, Wei Zhen also returned from outside. He had barely said two words after coming in when he suddenly stared at Chen Yuan's neck.
"What happened to your neck? It's all red."
"It's nothing. A dog bit me."
"Huh?"