“Done.”
In no time, Shen An had quickly filled out the student information form with a flurry of scribbles.
This copy was for the school—or rather, it belonged to the school.
The students’ personal files were already complete in the archives, but the school merely kept custody of them; ownership didn’t belong to the school.
The school wouldn’t casually flip through the files on a whim, either.
That was why students had to fill out a fresh set, making it easier for the school to manage.
Chen Nannan took his form but didn’t close the file. Instead, she opened it and carefully cross-checked the contents against the form, item by item.
As she looked it over, she said softly, “Mm, thanks for the hard work. If there’s nothing else, you can go take care of whatever you need to.”
Shen An didn’t rush off.
He leisurely crossed his legs and smiled lightly. “Senior Sister, you’re not planning to check them one by one, are you?”
“Yeah~” Chen Nannan scratched her head. “It’s my job responsibility. Once I finish cross-checking everything, today’s task is complete.”
“That’s a pretty big workload.”
“Nah, it’s not as troublesome as you think. It’ll be quick. Go on, get to your stuff.”
Chen Nannan waved him off casually.
“Uh~” Shen An propped his chin on his hand. “In that case, wouldn’t it go faster if we both checked together?”
Chen Nannan froze for a moment.
“Huh? You want to help me?”
“What, not giving your junior a chance?” Shen An said softly. “Anyway, I’ve got nowhere to be. Hanging out here to butter you up might pay off later if I ever need a favor.”
Chen Nannan covered her mouth and laughed. “Butter me up? What kind of stuff are you thinking about in that head of yours?”
“Okay~ Not buttering up, then. Just your average junior seeing his hardworking senior sister and wanting to lend a hand because he can’t bear to watch her struggle. How’s that explanation? Suit your taste?”
A flicker of hesitation crossed Chen Nannan’s eyes. “You sure? It might take over an hour.”
“And it’s pretty dull.”
Shen An replied gently, “I’ve got plenty of patience.”
“Then…”
Chen Nannan picked up a stack of files and forms with her small hand and slid them toward Shen An. “You handle these.”
“Sure.”
Shen An took them, opened the first one, and bent his head in focus.
In an instant, he shifted into work mode, his usual laziness and nonchalance vanishing.
Chen Nannan blinked, a touch of surprise in her eyes.
When someone got serious—man or woman—they naturally gave off an alluring charm.
Especially someone good-looking.
Shen An’s features weren’t the jaw-dropping, top-tier handsome type, but they carried a unique appeal all his own.
They might not hit you with instant impact at first glance.
But the longer you looked, the more his refined features grew on you. Try as you might to nitpick, you couldn’t find a flaw.
Sunny, optimistic, outgoing, with just a hint of that roguish, go-with-the-flow vibe…
The blend of his temperament, paired with that focused expression, was like an invisible breeze, subtly filling Chen Nannan’s field of vision before she knew it.
She watched him. Kept watching. And somehow, she found herself entranced.
He suddenly rolled his stiff neck, and Chen Nannan yanked her gaze away like a startled kitten, terrified he’d catch her.
After a moment, she saw him dive back into the work, seemingly oblivious. Her heart settled, and she sneaked another peek.
That was the perk of good looks.
No matter the envy or trash-talk, attractiveness was a straight-up genetic advantage.
But if Chen Nannan judged purely by appearances, she’d have dated who-knows-how-many guys by now.
She wasn’t obsessed with looks and rarely went full fangirl.
Sure, beauty could stir her instincts as a higher primate, but it couldn’t shake her rational mind as a person.
Hmm~
Truth be told, as Chen Nannan watched him, she wasn’t even fully aware of what she was looking at—or what she wanted to see.
It felt more like she’d slipped into a daze.
Watching him was like gazing at clouds drifting lazily across the sky, gathering and then drifting apart, time slipping away unnoticed.
So strange…
This feeling.
“Fuck, Song Rui, Shen Lianyao, Wang Yuqiong… Feels like there aren’t any guys.”
Shen An muttered under his breath after cross-checking a few.
Pfft~
Chen Nannan overheard his quiet grumble, snapping her out of her trance.
She clapped a hand over her mouth, pretending she hadn’t heard, and bent her head to her own stack.
Roughly half an hour later, Shen An smoothly finished his assigned portion.
Without a word, he reached over and scooped up the rest from Chen Nannan’s side. Before she could protest, he was back at it.
That left Chen Nannan with nothing to do.
“How are there typos? That’s ridiculous.”
Another mutter drifted from him.
She bit back her words and suddenly decided there was something nice about slacking off like this now and then.
Plus, she got to eavesdrop on his gripes.
So she leaned back in her chair, propped her chin on her hands, and watched him with wide eyes, her mind wandering back to those gathering and scattering clouds, drifting lazily away~
For some reason, she trusted him completely.
She was certain he was diligently cross-checking, not cutting corners or phoning it in.
No need for her to review his work.
Perhaps it was that meticulous focus he showed—it was utterly convincing.
The office door swung open.
Pei Xiuran clutched a file in her hand, on her way to a meeting.
As she passed the small office, she spotted Shen An and Chen Nannan and thought about saying hello.
But when she reached the doorway, she paused.
She took in Chen Nannan, staring fixatedly, and Shen An, head down and absorbed in his task.
Pei Xiuran furrowed her brow, her gaze tinged with surprise and something odd.
This…
She backed away quietly, not wanting to interrupt them.
Ten minutes later, every file and form had been fully cross-checked.
Fifty-eight in total.
That meant English Class One had fifty-eight students.
Shen An neatly restacked and organized the files, then rubbed his chin with a grin at Chen Nannan.
Chen Nannan blinked, puzzled. “All done?”
“All done.”
“Any mistakes?”
“A few, but I already fixed them.”
“That’s good…” Chen Nannan shifted uncomfortably. “Why… why are you staring at me like that?”
“Hm? Weren’t you staring at me the whole time?”
Shen An shot back.
Swoosh!!
He’d noticed??
Chen Nannan’s fair cheeks flushed scorching red in an instant.
She shook her head wildly. “N-no! I wasn’t. I… I was looking somewhere else.”
“Oh?” Shen An glanced around with total confidence. “In this tiny office, besides me, what else is there to look at?”
“I…”
“Don’t tell me you’re seeing stuff normal people can’t? Are you one of those legendary folks with yin-yang eyes, Senior Sister?”
Shen An let out a sinister chuckle, and a hint of pallor crept into Chen Nannan’s flushed face.
Also???
“No…”
She was scared of ghosts.
No—terrified.
“Is that so?” Shen An sounded a little disappointed. “I heard someone died in this office. I figured you and I were the same type.”
Huh???
Someone died… here??
Chen Nannan finally pieced together what he meant by “also.”
She made one last desperate grab. “Same type how?”
“Actually~” Shen An stood up, planted his hands on the desk, and leaned in close to her ear. “I can see things normal people can’t. It was just crouching right behind you.”
Thud.
Chen Nannan rocketed to her feet and whipped her head around, scanning left, right, front, back in a frenzy.
“Don’t worry, it’s gone now.”
Shen An patted her shoulder with perfect calm.
“Ah!!!!”
If he hadn’t said anything, it might’ve been fine—but now she was even more freaked out.
In a panic, she clutched his arm, her body trembling. “D-don’t scare me.”
“How could I scare you? Before it left, it said you’re really pretty and wants to meet up with you another day.”
Chen Nannan: …
A loud gulp echoed through the office. Her big eyes shimmered with terror as she gazed at him pitifully.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I told it that might scare you, so no need for a meetup.”
“Mm-hmm!!” Chen Nannan nodded like her life depended on it.
“But I’m worried it’ll get mad. You know how these things are—once they lose it, they go off the rails. So I suggested it visit you while you’re sleeping. Meeting in your dreams would be safer.”
Wahhh…
Chen Nannan was on the verge of tears.
Her soft voice carried a sobby quiver, laced with heavy pleading. “No~ Tell it I don’t wanna see it.”
Shen An reached out languidly and, with some audacity, caressed her cheek.
Her fair skin felt silky smooth—the touch of a young girl.
Warm with a flush, but mostly cool.
“Didn’t Teacher Pei tell you someone died here? It was gruesome too—tongue and eyeballs practically hanging out. Probably hanged.”
Shen An murmured.
“No!!!” Chen Nannan refused to believe it and shook her head frantically. “Someone died here? When…”
“Tsk, I don’t know the details. You should ask her.”
Huh?
Chen Nannan was still processing when she noticed Shen An struggling to hold back a laugh.
“Shen An!!!”
Chen Nannan suddenly realized what was happening. In her annoyance, she pinched his hand—hard!!!
Hiss.
Shen An dodged in a hurry. “I didn’t expect you to be so dense, Senior Sister—er, I mean, so innocent! Don’t hit me, take it easy!”
Even so, to let her vent her frustration, Shen An obediently huddled in the corner. He let her jab him repeatedly with her so-called “Jade Maiden Finger Technique.”
A moment later, Shen An squatted there in the corner, his clothes a total mess. “Are you really that scared of ghosts, Senior Sister?”
He hadn’t anticipated the story taking this turn.
Anyone with half a brain would have realized it was just a joke.
Yet he had unwittingly struck Chen Nannan’s greatest weakness: her fear of ghosts.
“I…”
She had gotten her anger out, but Chen Nannan still felt uneasy.
Fluttering her long lashes, she murmured softly, “When I was little… I loved listening to ghost stories.”
“But now, I’m terrified of them.”
“It’s probably because I heard too many back then…”
Shen An narrowed his eyes at her words, putting on a profound expression. “Who hasn’t been there? When I was a kid, I used to sneak into the girls’ bathroom all the time. Now that I’m older, I wouldn’t dare.”
“Maybe this is what growing up is—learning fear, learning respect.”
Chen Nannan blinked at him in bewilderment. “?”
“Hey, don’t give me that look! Isn’t sneaking into the girls’ bathroom totally normal? Hey, hey—help!”
Shen An endured another fresh round of pummeling.
