Shen An held the umbrella steady, listening quietly.
He had already pieced together most of what Chen Nannan was describing over the past few days.
The two of them set off from the Academic Affairs Office. They first strolled through the Central District, then hopped on one of the Little Yellow Shuttles for a tour, looping from the Central District over to the East-West Districts.
The West District was mostly boys’ dormitories, while the East District was dominated by girls’ dorms.
As a result, the West District had fewer dorm buildings, spread out more sparsely compared to the dense clusters in the East District.
At the same time, the disparity in numbers between male and female students at East China Comprehensive University was glaringly obvious.
This wasn’t just reflected in the dorm distributions between the East and West Districts.
As they walked along the roads in the West District, the male students weren’t exactly forming a bustling crowd—at best, they were scattered here and there.
On one long stretch of path, Shen An took the time to count carefully. There were about thirty people in total.
Only six of them were boys. The remaining twenty-four were all girls!
And this was in the West District, where the boys were supposed to be concentrated!
It was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
Shen An figured the university shouldn’t be called East China Comprehensive University. It ought to be East China Women’s University, given the massive gender imbalance.
On second thought, though, it was the scorching afternoon right now. The guys were probably all holed up in their dorms, either playing games or napping.
So the real gap might not be quite that exaggerated. He’d just picked a bad time to check.
During their walk, Chen Nannan asked curiously, “By the way, which building is your dorm in?”
Shen An replied softly, “My dorm isn’t in the West District.”
“Huh?” Chen Nannan blinked in surprise. “Is it in the East District, then?”
“Even though the East District is mostly girls’ dorms, there are a couple of buildings for boys. East 19, maybe?”
She ventured a guess.
“No.” Shen An just shook his head.
“Hah?” Now Chen Nannan was really intrigued. “Don’t tell me it’s in the North District?”
“You’re sharp for once. That’s right—it’s in the North District,” Shen An said deadpan.
“Oh, come on. Don’t try that line on me again. No more fibbing!”
Chen Nannan wrinkled her dainty nose. She wasn’t buying it.
The North District wasn’t for the English Department. It was reserved for students in some specialized programs.
Of course, without a special major to back it up, one could still get in using other connections.
But Shen An didn’t strike her as the type.
Shen An didn’t argue. He just smiled.
Chen Nannan furrowed her brow slightly. “You’re serious?”
“Yep. I really do live in the North District.”
“But the North District is the Apartment District.”
“And that’s exactly where I live—in one of the apartments.”
Chen Nannan scratched her head. She couldn’t quite believe it, but Shen An had no reason to lie to her.
Could it actually be true?
No way… The North District…
Her gaze drifted once more, almost instinctively, to the cyan umbrella in Shen An’s hand.
If it had something to do with her, then living in the North District made perfect sense.
“Senior Sister, want some milk tea?”
They’d reached the end of the West District, and Shen An grinned at her.
“Uh, I… I just had some!” Chen Nannan’s train of thought shattered as she recalled the embarrassing moment when she’d spilled her milk tea earlier.
“But I want some.”
Shen An licked his lips. “We’ve been walking for ages. I’m thirsty.”
“Besides, we haven’t checked out the South District yet. We could head there and take a look.”
“Um, do you want to go to the South District?”
“Isn’t that where the milk tea shops are?” Shen An shot back.
“If it’s just milk tea you’re after, you don’t need to go all the way to the South District.”
Chen Nannan chuckled. “Milk tea shops are everywhere on campus, like the cafeterias.”
“Of course, if you really want to go to the South District, that’s fine. I can tag along and show you around.”
She lowered her head, her eyes darting away from him, glancing around randomly.
They hadn’t even spent a full day together yet, but Shen An had already picked up on some of her little habits.
Whenever Chen Nannan started flickering her gaze like that and looking everywhere but at him, it usually meant she was saying one thing but meaning another—plotting something else in her head.
Sure enough, before Shen An could respond, she added, “It’s just that the South District is pretty far from here, and it’s crowded right now. Waiting for a Little Yellow Shuttle would take forever.”
Her words dripped with discouragement. Clearly, Chen Nannan didn’t want to go to the South District.
Or more precisely: She didn’t want to go there with Shen An.
Shen An didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he sighed with feigned disappointment. “Oh, well then. Guess we’ll skip it.”
“Right?” Chen Nannan flashed a sneaky smile of relief. “Hee hee. We’ve walked so much anyway—perfect time to take a break. I know a great milk tea shop nearby.”
“You lead the way then, Senior Sister.”
Shen An yielded just as she wanted, and Chen Nannan immediately perked up, her steps light and bouncy as she walked.
He smiled on the surface, but ripples stirred in his heart.
Tch.
Looks like spending the afternoon together hadn’t made them close enough yet.
He had no idea what Chen Nannan was wary of. Maybe the South District was too crowded, and she was afraid of being spotted—sparking some weird rumors.
Or perhaps there was someone there she didn’t want to run into, especially not with him.
An ex-boyfriend, maybe?
Shen An chuckled inwardly at his own speculation.
But it made sense. They’d only hung out for one afternoon. Getting chummy that fast would be the weird part.
Truth be told, Shen An harbored no ulterior motives toward Chen Nannan. He was just idly guessing, as usual.
It was an old habit of his—always trying to puzzle out what girls were thinking.
The milk tea shop wasn’t far, and under Chen Nannan’s guidance, Shen An arrived quickly.
But the place was in no shape for them to relax.
Every seat inside was taken, and a crowd lingered outside.
A quick glance showed it was mostly girls.
That’s when Shen An noticed the stares directed his way.
Quick peeks, then hasty retreats.
He was used to such glances and scrutiny by now—couldn’t get more accustomed if he tried.
A faint sense of smugness welled up in him.
Being handsome always drew eyes so effortlessly.
“You go buy it. I’ll wait here.”
Chen Nannan stepped right in front of him, blocking the incoming gazes.
Of course, with Shen An’s height, she could only shield him from their view—he could still observe freely.
“Senior Sister, you sure you don’t want any?”
Shen An asked.
“Nope. Can’t have too much milk tea. I’d be up all night~” Chen Nannan quietly pouted.
“Um, actually, I have one more question.”
Shen An narrowed his eyes, a sly curve tugging at his lips.
Chen Nannan went on guard. “Shoot.”
“It’s just~” Shen An patted his pocket, then shrugged.
Chen Nannan twitched her mouth. “You want me to treat you?”
“Ahem, yeah, something like that.”
“Seriously~” She rolled her eyes, exasperated.
It wasn’t that it bothered her. She just found his hemming and hawing annoying.
For something this trivial, he could just say it straight!
She turned and muttered, “Next time, just say it outright. No need to beat around the bush.”
“I didn’t want to impose on you, Senior Sister.”
Shen An stuck close behind her, wheedling a bit.
“What do you want?”
The ordering counter was jammed, and the staff were swamped.
So Chen Nannan squeezed up just to scan the QR code and place the order on her phone.
“Any recommendations, Senior Sister?”
“Me? No clue.”
“What do you usually get?”
“Uh… I don’t drink milk tea much. That cup earlier was from the teacher—one for each assistant class supervisor.”
“Then how about roasted milk tea.”
“Any toppings?”
“Nah.”
“Ice and sugar?”
“Light ice, extra sugar.”
“Extra sugar?” Chen Nannan tilted her head. “You like it that sweet? Aren’t you worried about diabetes?”
Shen An drawled lazily, “Life’s bitter enough already. Can’t I have something sweet?”
Chen Nannan fell silent on the spot.
Coming from him, those words carried real weight.
After ordering on the app, they still had to wait.
Shen An scanned the area and remarked casually, “We won’t have to wait a whole hour, will we?”
Chen Nannan wasn’t sure either. “Probably not. Half an hour at most.”
“But Senior Sister, you said you don’t drink milk tea. How do you know this place is good?”
“My… My friends rave about it all the time. It stuck with me eventually.”
“I see.”
Shen An leaned against the nearby wall, standing comfortably. He squinted and murmured, “Brings back memories.”
“Memories?” Chen Nannan didn’t follow. “Memories of what?”
She caught the nostalgic look on his face and smirked. “Should I step back a bit?”
“Why?”
“To give you room to strike a pose.” Chen Nannan added a sarcastic edge. “Just be careful, though. Our school has tons of girls, but one slip-up and you could land yourself in hot water.”
Shen An feigned confusion. “Huh? What do you mean?”
“It means you need to keep your eyes open,” Chen Nannan retorted sharply.
Before the words had fully left her mouth, a crisp voice rang out, cutting off their banter and eye contact.
Shen An and Chen Nannan both turned to look.
Someone had stepped forward, trying to add Shen An on social media.
Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Chen Nannan lowered her head, a cold smile curving her lips.
Shen An maintained a polite smile as they chatted, but he took the opportunity to size her up from head to toe.
Hmm, that perfume was overpowering—a bit pungent. Her makeup was heavy, her outfit revealing, and her slightly tanned skin carried a faint whiff of alcohol.
Had she just come from a bar? Or was she on her way there?
He didn’t refuse her request. Instead, he politely recited his number.
Then he bid her a friendly goodbye.
Chen Nannan stood silently off to the side. She shot the girl a chilly glance, while her look toward Shen An brimmed with disdain.
Once the girl had sauntered off, twisting her not-so-perky rear, Chen Nannan said coolly, “I forgot to mention earlier—some girls are pretty bold. Bold to the point of stupidity.”
Shen An appeared not to hear her. He stared thoughtfully at the girl’s retreating figure.
This was a prestigious university, wasn’t it? Did they even have girls like this here?
Or maybe things were different from his original world?
Chen Nannan waited for a reply but got none. She glanced over and saw he was still staring at the girl’s butt!
Twist, twist, twist—what was so fascinating about that?
It wasn’t even as perky as mine!
Ugh!
She pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation and said coldly, “Why don’t you just go with her?”
“Uh, are these girls students here too?”
Shen An asked.
“Yes and no,” Chen Nannan replied flatly. “Some didn’t get in through the normal exams and proper channels.”
Oh.
That made sense to Shen An.
His phone buzzed. The milk tea was ready.
Chen Nannan turned to the counter, grabbed the drinks, and shoved one into Shen An’s hand. “Here. Enjoy it slowly.”
“Hey, Senior Sister, are you leaving?”
Shen An asked.
Chen Nannan halted. “Did you add her?”
“Uh, she sent a request, but I haven’t approved it yet.”
Chen Nannan pursed her lips and fixed him with a stern stare. “Don’t approve it. Got it?”
“Uh, why not?”
“Those kinds of…” Chen Nannan glanced warily around them before grabbing Shen An’s arm. “Come with me first.”
Once they were farther away, Shen An asked again, “Senior Sister, you seem to be overreacting a bit.”
Chen Nannan released his arm and said softly, “I don’t want you picking up bad habits, okay? Girls like that are no good. They just party all day and know nothing else.”
“If you start hanging out with them, your college life will be ruined!”
Shen An scratched his head. “I wasn’t planning to hang out with her.”
“Then why were you staring at her the whole time?”
Chen Nannan crossed her arms. “She was long gone, and you were still gawking.”
“I was just curious.”
“No curiosity allowed!” Chen Nannan said, her face stern. “From now on, if you run into girls like that, just ignore them. Understand?”
Shen An chuckled helplessly. “Senior Sister, you seem…”
“I…”
Chen Nannan sighed. “I’m just looking out for you. Believe me or not, up to you.”
“Hey, of course I’ll listen.”
Shen An quickly grabbed her arm and leaned in close, his gaze falling on her cute, pale earlobe. “I’ll only hang out with you, Senior Sister.”
His grip tightened around her slender arm.
The pressure from his fingertips pressed into her skin, sending a ripple straight to her heart.
The hot breath against her ear carried a teasing edge, and his words dripped with ambiguity.
A faint blush colored Chen Nannan’s cheeks. She twisted away with a shy wriggle and shot him a glare. “I didn’t say you couldn’t make friends. I just don’t want you falling in with a bad crowd.”
“You’re basically an adult in college now. You need to think independently and make your own judgments.”
“Don’t act like a kid, or you’ll end up regretting it—and hurting your parents in the process.”
Shen An nodded vigorously. “I get it. This is all out of the kindness of your heart, Senior Sister.”
“Hmph.”
Chen Nannan tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and whispered, “I’ll… take you somewhere to rest. That place is perfect for it.”
“Oh?”
“You… you have time, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Then… follow me.”
