As usual, they sat together. Chen Nannan hugged her knees to her chest, her gaze fixed intently ahead, while Shen An propped himself up on his elbows behind him, eyes narrowed in utter contentment.
He was starting to truly savor this second chance at life.
Free from the torment of illness, no longer needing to wrack his brains with schemes and calculations, he could simply bask in these moments of pure relaxation.
Should he even call it his previous life?
For a moment, Shen An couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive.
He wasn’t sure whether this was a fleeting dream born of his dying mind or a genuine resurrection from beyond the grave.
He had heard that in the final moments before death, people relive their lives like a lantern show, recalling those cherished highlights. If there were none to remember, the subconscious would conjure an illusory world of fulfillment.
To the living, it lasted mere seconds. To the dying, it might stretch longer than an entire lifetime.
Without thinking, he shifted slightly and glanced at Chen Nannan beside him.
This couldn’t be a dream.
With that thought, he slowly raised his hand, extended one finger, and gently prodded her cheek—right at the dimple forming there.
The sensation was utterly real. No dream, however vivid, could mimic it.
It was as soft as poking a cloud drifting across the sky.
Chen Nannan didn’t possess Xu Yijing’s blend of pure innocence and seductive charm, nor Zhao Qingyu’s breathtaking icy allure.
Hers was a sweetly gentle beauty that perfectly matched her personality.
At first glance, she might not measure up to Xu Yijing or Zhao Qingyu.
But look closer, take your time to appreciate her, and Chen Nannan’s unique softness shone through in a way neither of the others could match.
Come to think of it, their appearances mirrored their temperaments so closely. Was that what they meant by “the face reflects the heart”?
Xu Yijing projected an aura of flawless purity, yet her features carried a bewitching base of seduction—like an angel entwined with a devil—which captured her unpredictable, shadowy nature.
Zhao Qingyu was the precise opposite: her features were innocently pure, but the quality emanating from her eyes and brows was pure allure, pure seduction.
Wang Yuqiong had a gentle, poised elegance that suited her demeanor.
Shen Lianyao sported a cool, handsome face and treated everyone with that same measured detachment.
Song Rui, the girl had a timid expression; a solid foundation, but nothing standout in her aura.
And what about him?
Shen An thought with a wry smirk.
The thoughts flickered through his mind in an instant. To Chen Nannan, who had been lost in cloud-watching, it was simply an unwelcome interruption that sparked a flash of playful annoyance.
Rather than swatting away his bold, intrusive finger, she whipped her head around and fixed him with a pair of beautiful eyes brimming with warning.
But his finger remained planted in the little dimple on her cheek. As she turned, the soft flesh bunched up around it, turning her stern warning into something adorably fluffy.
The warning in Chen Nannan’s eyes softened into coquettish anger, but before she could make a move, Shen An cut her off.
“Senior Sister, have you ever considered going on a diet?”
Chen Nannan: ???
“I’d advise you not to spout nonsense!” She sprang to her feet in a flash, hands planted on her hips.
She spun in a circle, muttering nonstop from the corner of her mouth. “Where am I fat? Look closely—there’s not a single spot that needs slimming!”
Her cheeks carried a touch of baby fat that formed those charming dimples, but her figure was outstanding.
Especially her calves, perfectly outlined by the compression pants—straight, slender, and elegantly slim.
Still, Shen An had spotted a flaw: her sports top hung a bit loose. Earlier, while sitting to stay cool, she’d tugged it down.
Now that she was on her feet, it inadvertently exposed one side of her lower abdomen.
That sliver was being squeezed by the tight pants, producing a tiny roll of flesh.
His finger drifted from her cheek to her abdomen, where he gently pinched the little bulge.
“What are you doing?”
The sensitivity of the abdomen far outstripped that of her cheek.
Even setting sensitivity aside, in terms of intimacy, the abdomen won hands down over the face.
Shen An’s casual, faintly flirty gesture startled Chen Nannan into stumbling backward, her voice quivering involuntarily.
“Pfft~” Shen An burst out laughing. “Senior Sister, next time don’t wear pants this tight. They leave marks way too easily.”
Seeing his expression was perfectly normal, harboring no hidden intentions, she gradually reined in her over-the-top reaction. With a cold huff, she said, “You sure do love sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
With that, she plopped back down beside him.
Shen An settled back into his lazy sprawl. “We continuing tomorrow?”
Chen Nannan froze for a second, then sighed. “I’m afraid not.”
“Oh?” Shen An raised an eyebrow in surprise.
She turned to him, a trace of bitterness in her voice. “Things weren’t this piled up before, but after Teacher Pei’s meeting this morning, I suddenly got slammed with a ton of extra tasks.”
“Besides, classes start the day after tomorrow.”
“Oh~” Shen An nodded and gave a light chuckle. “No worries. We can play whenever you’re free.”
Chen Nannan had been about to nod in agreement.
But his utterly nonchalant expression, devoid of any real reaction, rubbed her the wrong way.
She couldn’t help feeling a spark of indignation.
These sudden extra tasks had left her dissatisfied; otherwise, she could have spent a few more good days hanging out with him.
Yet Shen An acted like it was no skin off his back—like playing or not playing was all the same to him.
It was all about the contrast. She was starting to care, getting invested, while he seemed completely unbothered.
In an instant, psychological imbalance set in.
Then again, she reflected with a silent, self-deprecating smile.
Wasn’t this the normal reaction?
What, was he supposed to mope around and beg her pathetically?
Logically, it made perfect sense.
But after a moment of silence, the words that tumbled from Chen Nannan’s mouth were: “I might not have time to play, but others do.”
“You could ask Song Rui, Yuqiong, or Shen Lianyao. They’re not busy with anything. They could hang out with you.”
As soon as she said it, she narrowed her eyes and scrutinized his face, watching for any shift in his expression.
Shen An broke into a grin. “You’re right, Senior Sister. Thanks for the reminder—I almost forgot. I’ll head back and check if they’re free.”
Chen Nannan: …
She turned her head away silently, refusing to engage.
Shen An pressed on excitedly. “Senior Sister, could you lend me the ball?”
“No.”
Chen Nannan shot him down without hesitation.
The excitement on Shen An’s face froze solid. “We won’t break it. If we do, I’ll replace it for you, Senior Sister. Deal?”
Chen Nannan kept her head down, burying it against her knees. “Then why not just buy your own? Why borrow mine?”
“Uh, it’s more convenient this way.”
Convenient?
A fierce glint flashed in Chen Nannan’s eyes as she shot him a sideways glare.
Shen An clammed up, smartly opting for silence.
The playful clamor faded into quiet. The wind whistled coolly around them.
After three or five minutes of stillness, Chen Nannan mumbled from her knee-buried position, “I’m not being stingy.”
“I know.”
Shen An nodded understandingly.
“You…” Chen Nannan started to explain, only for his words to derail her.
You don’t know jack!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She simply stopped acknowledging him altogether.
“Senior Sister isn’t being stingy. Senior Sister is jealous.”
Moments later, Shen An’s voice rang clear in her ear, carried on the breeze.
The words, laced with the cool wind, pierced straight to her heart. Chen Nannan shuddered, her pulse suddenly erratic, as if her secret had been laid bare.
She shook her head vehemently in denial. “Jealous of what? Can you stop letting your imagination run wild like that?”
“Senior Sister is jealous.”
Shen An’s lips curved into a sly smile. “You wanted to hang out with me, but these last-minute changes made it impossible.”
“And there I was, acting like it was no big deal, completely brushing off your feelings. Talk about a grave sin.”
“So Senior Sister got mad. And lend me the ball? No way!”
With a mischievous grin, he nudged her shoulder with his. “Am I right, Senior Sister?”
Mm.
Chen Nannan puffed out her cheeks and shoved him back with her shoulder in annoyance.
“See? Nailed the analysis, didn’t I, Senior Sister?”
Shen An wouldn’t let it go.
A girl’s silence in a moment like this often meant tacit agreement.
But his insistence on dragging her secret into the open naturally reignited her “fury.” She raised a small hand and unleashed a flurry of playful swats.
The two dissolved into horseplay, the earlier silence evaporating in an instant.
Once they settled down, Chen Nannan finally pulled herself together. She pursed her lips. “Fine. I’ll lend you the ball. But I swear, don’t you dare break it.”
“If it breaks, I’ll get you a brand-new one!” Shen An vowed solemnly.
“Pfft, I don’t want some new one. This ball’s the one I bought myself—it has my sweat and effort poured into it.”
Chen Nannan turned unreasonable. “No ball, no matter how expensive, could ever replace it.”
“Uh… then I won’t borrow it.”
“Too late!” Not only unreasonable, she was now strong-arming the deal. “I’m lending it to you right now. No matter who you play with, you’re using my ball!”
Shen An sighed. “Okay, but what if—purely hypothetically—something goes wrong and it gets damaged?”
“What then?” Chen Nannan’s lips quirked up. “Simple. You can sell yourself to cover it.”
“?”
Shen An crossed his arms.
Chen Nannan shot him an exasperated glare. “Quit making that face—it’s gross!”
“What I mean is, you’re going to listen to me from now on. No divided loyalties, got it?”
Mm…
Shen An raised an eyebrow. “Senior Sister, that sounds like there’s more to it. What do you mean by ‘no two-timing’?”
“That’s exactly what it means!”
Chen Nannan said with a serious expression, “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in your body at all!”
“I didn’t expect you to be so eager, Senior Sister—skipping straight past the physical to claim my mind?” Shen An gazed at Chen Nannan with a grave look on his face, then slowly gave her a thumbs-up.
Chen Nannan was exasperated by him, though it wasn’t pure anger; a hint of amusement mingled in as well.
She raised her small hand and smacked him firmly. “Don’t overthink things.”
“Right, tomorrow’s your final interview. Good luck!”
“So what will you be doing tomorrow, Senior Sister?”
“Nothing much—just checking on the department’s progress and then heading back to handle some work.”
“Sounds so boring.”
“You’ll get used to it. Who knows, you might end up doing the same things someday.”
The evening breeze gradually stilled, the sunset faded away, and night quietly fell.
Yet under the veil of night, beneath the vast starry sky, the two showed no sign of leaving. Instead, they chatted idly, one remark leading to another.
This continued until moonlight bathed the rooftop and the night wind turned chilly.
