Chapter 18

Gu An’an stood on the railing a hundred meters above the small grove, hands on her hips, shading her eyes as she squinted into the distance.
It was really scorching today. The sun blazed down on the concrete road so fiercely that even the sycamore trees and streetlights along the sidewalk seemed to bow in surrender. The concrete looked as if it had been embedded with bits of glass, sparkling with blinding reflections.
She strained her eyes to search, but sweat rolled down into them, stinging until she could barely keep them open.
The north cafeteria had long since closed, but the little campus store was still open. A few academic overachievers were chewing on ready-made burritos from the store window while running under the sun toward the library.
Not everyone at this university was like Su Ruan, Lu Xingyu, or Shen Shan, those who never studied and only went around falling in love. There were still plenty of diligent students grinding themselves to dust for scholarships and grad school entrance exams. After all, Jingchuan University was a 985; though it couldn’t quite compete with nearby Q University, it was still a first-class institution. Students here had strong self-discipline.
Gu An’an’s burning resolve to challenge Su Ruan to a duel had lasted from the moment she circled the northern library for half an hour, her eyes stinging from sweat, to when her stomach began growling from hunger and annoyance. Her energy went from “one burst of determination” to “second-round slump,” and now she was fully in the “third-round exhaustion.”
She slapped her cheeks lightly, trying to make herself focus. She couldn’t lose before the battle even began.
So Gu An’an carefully recalled where Su Ruan might appear.
According to the usual logic of a sweet-romance novelist.
The heroine is delicate, fragile, and lovable, so naturally, she’d encounter all kinds of events designed to highlight those traits. Then, at just the right moment, she’d show her helpless charm to the right people, who would pity and help her, cue “hero saves the beauty” scenes and other material and emotional rewards.
After that, the problems would resolve themselves, and the story would head toward a happy ending.
Think about it, these events couldn’t possibly happen in crowded places. You needed time and atmosphere for tension and tenderness to bloom. Try flirting on a busy street, and even if you’re special, there’s a good chance you’d be run over by someone who wasn’t watching where they were going.
So Su Ruan would most likely be in some deserted fire escape or a secluded little grove.
Stretching her neck, Gu An’an squinted again toward the grove. Maybe the path there really was paved with glass, because the way it sparkled stabbed at her eyes until tears streamed down uncontrollably.
Wiping her face, she checked her latest updates from her intelligence chief, Lin Niaoniao, who was live-monitoring the campus. So far, Su Ruan hadn’t appeared in any of the spots Gu An’an had listed. But that dog Lu Xingyu, they’d managed to locate him.
He was currently in the gym’s break room, discussing strategies for tomorrow’s match against Q University with his teammates.
Lin even attached a close-up photo for reference.
In the image, Lu Xingyu was surrounded by a group of tall basketball players, turning to point at the projected screen behind him with a frown. Judging from his expression, he must’ve found the opponent’s team strong, his brows were furrowed, his face longer than a horse’s, as if someone owed him thirty million.
[Threat eliminated.]
[Return, scout. No more reconnaissance needed today.]
[Your lord requires your presence. Fifteen minutes to reach the gym. The long-legged warriors of the basketball court thirst for your care.]
Gu An’an: “...”
That’s right, Gu An’an wasn’t only the water-carrying MVP of the basketball club; she was also its official face.
Though the motivational crowd led by Su Ruan often mocked her as “vulgar girl,” no one could deny she was pale, pretty, and long-legged.
Today, she was the “colorful black” that the school leaders had insisted on for diversity in the team!
As for “vulgarity,” some of those so-called idealists claimed that while Gu An’an was pretty, she lacked refinement.
Lin Niaoniao had once summed it up perfectly: “Heh, hilarious. Some people wish they could look that vulgar! If those sour hens had her face and body, they’d dance harder than she ever did.”
Gu An’an had seriously thought about it and still couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or an insult.
[Not important!]
[The game’s about to start. It’s your time to shine. Hurry up.]
Gu An’an: Fine. She’d finally taken the initiative to challenge the heroine, but it seemed the Plot God had no intention of letting her shine. Then again, maybe even if she did PK Su Ruan, she’d lose anyway.
Nothing in the world is difficult, if you just give up.
Forget it. Know yourself. Be cautious. Everyone back to their corners.
Squatting down, she analyzed the three routes leading to the gym.
Route one: straight ahead, shortest distance, but no shade. She’d roast alive.
Route two: around the northern library via the tree-lined path, shady but twice the distance.
Route three: through the small grove ahead.
Gu An’an didn’t want to take the grove route.
It was cool and close, sure, but couples often lurked there, doing what couples do.
Social death was theirs, but eye pain was hers.
She’d learned that the hard way, on her very first day back, she’d stumbled right into one such scene.
It was twilight, not fully dark yet, the sky glowing crimson in the west.
Her curiosity and terrible eyesight had teamed up for disaster. Hearing rustling in the bushes, she’d thought it was a cat, her “Senior Cat”, and crept closer, excited at the idea of taking it home.
Heaven knows the psychological trauma of locking eyes with a boy mid-thrust.
Her soul nearly flew out of her body.
Regret. Pure, eternal regret. She wished for eyes that could see through the mortal world and never again.
Since then, she’d never gone near that grove.
But today was so damn hot.
She wiped her sweat. The sun blazed mercilessly.
The basketball club’s nonstop nagging messages made her feel like a ghost was haunting her. She trudged down the steps, thinking anyone practicing outdoors in this heat deserved double respect.
What she didn’t expect was to see the two “real men” of the day, Xie Jinxing and Su Ruan.
No, first she saw Xie Jinxing. Dressed in a black shirt, top button undone.
Then, following his line, she spotted Su Ruan beside him, chatting softly with two unfamiliar girls.
At some point, Su Ruan had changed into a white dress, no longer the outfit Lin Niaoniao had shown her earlier. The dress ended three centimeters above her knees, showing pale, thin calves. Her frame was so delicate that her knees and wrists jutted out slightly, and under the sunlight, she looked like a glowing fairy.
Gu An’an froze on the path about thirty meters away from the bench and the artificial lake.
Why, why did she always have to walk straight into the male and female leads’ bonding moments? Couldn’t they pick an air-conditioned room for their “emotional development”? It was thirty-three degrees! Were they not melting?!
She turned. Half the path was already behind her.
Turning back wasn’t her style. There was no “backtracking” in her personal dictionary. Maybe if she just pretended not to see them, head down, power through, it’d be fine.
That should work, right? After all, who looks around during a date?
If she ran fast enough, they wouldn’t even notice her.
She had completely forgotten her earlier plan to confront Su Ruan. Measuring the distance to the nearest bushes, she estimated she could cross in thirty seconds flat.
But before she could move, one of the girls beside Su Ruan called out, “Over there, isn’t that Senior Gu An’an?”
Gu An’an: “...”
“Oh wow, it is you!”
The girl’s voice was bright and clear, cutting through the air like a bell, and loud enough to make everyone turn.
Gu An’an awkwardly turned back, forcing a smile as four pairs of eyes locked on her.
One of those gazes was sharp and penetrating, like an arrow cutting through clouds, hitting her square in the chest. Her heart thudded. She snapped to attention, standing ramrod straight.
Under those four mixed looks, shock, surprise, confusion, she met the peach blossom eyes of Xie Jinxing.
“Hi~” Gu An’an raised a hand and waved weakly.
Busted. No way to escape now.
She cursed silently and dragged her feet toward them. Thirty meters took her thirty seconds. Stopping three steps away from Xie Jinxing, she forced a polite smile at the girl who’d spoken. “Hi, yeah, that’s me.”
The girl grinned back. “Oh, hi.”
Before she could continue, the man in the black shirt rose slowly from the bench. “An’an.”
His deep, magnetic voice silenced the girl instantly.
“Uncle,” Gu An’an stood straight, obediently greeting him.
“Mm.” Xie Jinxing gave a quiet nod. “Where are you coming from? You’re drenched.”
He sounded so casual, like a caring elder. Anyone listening might actually think they were normal uncle and niece.
Gu An’an “oh”-ed, wiping her face with her hand.
Xie Jinxing watched her unladylike action in silence, the dark depths of his eyes shifting faintly. Then, he reached out and handed her a folded plaid handkerchief, navy with gray stripes.
Gu An’an blinked. “?”
“Wipe your face.”
She took a look, and froze. It was so wrinkled. She hesitated, frowned slightly, wanted to say something but held back.
Paused again. Couldn’t help herself.
“Uncle... why’s your handkerchief so wrinkly? You didn’t, uh, blow your nose in it, did you?”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes went to the handkerchief.
Xie Jinxing: “...”
The air froze.
The two strange girls looked like they wanted to speak but didn’t dare. Su Ruan’s expression faltered, looking faintly hurt, as if she couldn’t believe Xie Jinxing had given her handkerchief to Gu An’an.
Gu An’an didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop her from singlehandedly wrecking the atmosphere.
Nice. Classic Gu An’an, the Queen of Awkward Silences.
It was only after blurting it out that she realized she’d just dissed the cold CEO’s handkerchief in public. Fantastic. Fast-track to early death.
Too late to take it back, she tried to recover: “No, no, Uncle, that’s not what I meant. I meant uh, the pattern’s really nice! Looks expensive. You shouldn’t waste it on me.”
Xie Jinxing said nothing, his eyes lowered, as though pondering something serious.
Gu An’an couldn’t tell if he was secretly offended or just pretending to be calm. Then, with a sigh, she closed her eyes and reached out her hand. “Fine. Give it here, Uncle. I’m sweating.”
“No need.” His voice was unhurried as he tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket. “It’s dirty. Don’t ruin your face.”
Gu An’an: “...”
“I didn’t mean you’re dirty,” she tried to defend weakly. “Really.”
“Is that so?”
“...”
Silence again.
She took a deep breath. This wouldn’t do. The “feeding-the-sharks-on-a-yacht” part of the story was still far off, but she couldn’t afford to slack off now. She needed to maintain her connection with the male lead!
“So, uh, the first match is about to start. Why are you still here, Uncle? You didn’t... forget where the gym is, did you? It’s super hot, so the school changed venues last minute. Didn’t anyone send you the new address?”
He didn’t answer, just stared at her.
Gu An’an felt her scalp prickle.
Then suddenly, he chuckled softly.
“I won’t go to the gym,” Xie Jinxing said. “If you’re not busy, walk me to the gate.”
“Ah?”
“Hm?”
“...Oh. Okay.” She blinked. Did he... not know where the gate was?
But he looked serious, so she messaged Lin Niaoniao quickly and then led him back toward the east side of campus.
That route was longer, they had to backtrack.
As they passed a few girls, one with long hair called out, “Senior! Wait a second!”
Gu An’an turned.
“Um, Senior Gu An’an, you probably don’t know me, I’m Chen Min from the Art Department, Oil Painting major. I once left a comment on your page.” The girl spoke fast. “Can I add your WeChat?”
Gu An’an: “?”
Xie Jinxing had moved a few steps away, taking a call. Su Ruan stood by the bench, gazing at him with timid longing, not daring to interrupt.
“Oh, sure,” Gu An’an said, pulling out her phone and showing her code.
Both girls’ eyes lit up, they scanned eagerly.
After adding them, Gu An’an asked, “So...why do you want to add me?”
Girl A blushed. “Well, both of us paint portraits, and we have to submit a figure study for our final. We wanted to ask if you’d model for us.”
They both adored beautiful people, beautiful people demanded to be painted. As they spoke, they even snuck a glance at Xie Jinxing. He was insanely handsome, but he looked expensive, definitely not someone they could ask. Gu An’an, though, was approachable!
“Senior, will you pose for us? Please? We’ll pay you!”
“Me too!” the short-haired girl chimed in. “Please, senior!”
Uh...
Gu An’an hadn’t expected that. She’d never modeled before. But when they said “figure model,” her brain instantly flashed to Titanic, Jack sketching a naked Rose.
“You mean like Rose? Nude model?” she asked.
And just like that, the third silence fell. Even Xie Jinxing glanced over.
The girls: “...No.”
The air suddenly felt colder.
They waved their hands frantically. “No, no, just a normal portrait!”
“Oh, then sure,” Gu An’an said without hesitation.
Girl A cheered out loud.
Girl B rushed forward. “Me too, senior! Please?”
“Sure,” Gu An’an agreed easily. “Message me anytime.”
The two girls, thrilled, turned to Su Ruan. “Su Ruan, we’ll lend you our notes. Just return them when you’re done copying.”
Su Ruan’s eyes darted nervously toward Xie Jinxing before nodding quickly. “Okay.”
They waved and left, hand in hand.
A moment later, Xie Jinxing hung up. He didn’t approach, just said from afar, “Let’s go.”
Gu An’an felt Su Ruan’s gaze on her. She looked back.
Su Ruan immediately looked away.
Gu An’an couldn’t understand, why did Su Ruan always look at her like a scared little mouse?
As Su Ruan whispered, “Senior, I’ll go first,” Gu An’an finally followed after Xie Jinxing. Sneaking glances at him, she couldn’t help thinking.
Weird. Why wasn’t he reacting at all? Shouldn’t the male lead, like, do something before the heroine leaves?
But Xie Jinxing didn’t notice her confusion. Walking briskly, he typed on his phone the whole time, fingers moving gracefully across the screen.
All the way to the shaded path where the car still waited. The driver and secretary hurried to open the back door.
At that point, Gu An’an figured her escort duty was done.
Finally, Xie Jinxing locked his phone and looked up.
“Uncle, your car’s here. Drive safe! I’ve got a club event, see you!” She turned to leave, only for her ponytail to be caught mid-motion.
“...?” She turned back. “Uncle?”
“Gu An’an.” His gaze was steady, dark, almost as if studying her.
“?”
“...Nothing. Go on.”
“??” Seriously, would it kill him to use more than three words?
He stepped into the car. The window slid up. The engine started. The vehicle rolled away from campus.
Gu An’an muttered under her breath about his cryptic nonsense and spun on her heel to run off.
Inside the car, Xie Jinxing pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
This time, the conclusion was clear.
That girl named Su Ruan, there was indeed something strange about her. It was as if anyone near her would unconsciously fall under her emotional influence. Even someone as cold and hard-minded as he was not immune.
But today, for the first time, he’d discovered something important.
Whenever Gu An’an appeared, that influence vanished.