After a bout of playful scuffling, Shen An—thoroughly exasperated—simply clamped down on Chen Nannan’s hands with brute force, pinning her in place so she couldn’t move.
He gripped her hard enough to hurt, and she let out a coquettish whine. “Let go already!”
Shen An didn’t budge, his tone laced with teasing. “Is this what got you mad at me, Senior Sister?”
“What?” Chen Nannan blinked, caught off guard.
Still clutching her wrists tightly, Shen An pressed on confidently. “Wang Yuqiong.”
“I thought you’d run into some real trouble, but turns out the trouble is me~”
“No wonder you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder all of a sudden. Are you jealous?”
A faint blush crept across Chen Nannan’s pretty face, her eyes flashing with embarrassed annoyance. “You’re talking nonsense again.”
“Then what is it?”
Shen An narrowed his eyes. “Don’t try to fool me. You said yourself you weren’t dealing with any troubles, and it’s not that time of the month. Seems like I’m the only option left.”
Chen Nannan pouted, shooting him a glare. “It is about you, but not in the way you think!”
“Then how?” Shen An asked, genuinely curious.
“You… let go first! It hurts!” Chen Nannan glanced down at her fair wrists, now marked with red imprints from his grip.
“Oh, right, sorry~” Shen An released her small hands. The palm-shaped marks he’d left grew clearer by the second, only fueling her embarrassment.
Rubbing her wrists, Chen Nannan cleared her throat lightly and pondered for a moment before coming up with a passable excuse. “I’m worried about you, that’s all.”
Shen An’s eyes filled with confusion. Are you sure you’re not just messing with me?
“What’s with that look!” Chen Nannan snapped, flustered.
“Nothing. It’s just… that excuse sounds a bit weak, Senior Sister.”
“Pfft! What I mean is, I’m afraid you’ll just follow your whims without any plan. University is all about focusing on your studies.”
She felt a twinge of guilt, but she wasn’t about to show weakness in front of him. “I’ve told you over and over: study hard and put most of your energy into academics.”
“And then… I thought you and Wang Yuqiong… so I got a little mad, thinking you were ignoring my advice.”
“Of course!”
Chen Nannan stressed, “I’m not against you dating—absolutely not. Date whoever you want.”
“I just think you shouldn’t put all your main energy into that. University gives you a lot of freedom with no one watching over you, but that’s exactly why you need to learn to manage yourself.”
“The most important lesson in college is becoming independent.”
“Don’t chase every shiny new thing that catches your eye. Got it?”
She started out a bit guilty, but as she spoke, her inner lecturer took over. She made it sound so convincing—and truthfully, she had a point.
So many students dove headfirst into college freedom, blinded by the fun and excitement, pouring all their effort into partying.
By junior or senior year, as graduation loomed, they realized they’d wasted their time. Regret set in—they’d studied for nothing, picked up no real skills, and knew zilch beyond eating, drinking, and playing around.
Job hunting became a desperate scramble, begging anyone who would listen, with zero edge in the market. They ended up as pure drones.
Shen An was a little surprised.
He knew she wouldn’t admit her little jealous streak outright and would find some other excuse.
But what caught him off guard was how spot-on her words were.
Few people in college saw the harsh realities of the future so clearly.
Unable to help himself, he reached out and ruffled Chen Nannan’s long hair, his voice softening. “Senior Sister, you’d make a great teacher. And you’ll definitely be an amazing one someday.”
Chen Nannan rolled her eyes but didn’t swat his hand away. “Here we go again. Did you even listen to me?”
“I did. But I can only take it in small doses.”
“You… ugh, whatever! Do whatever you want—live or die, I don’t care!” Chen Nannan huffed.
“Ow, I get it, Senior Sister—I know what you mean.” Shen An’s large hand shifted slyly to clasp hers. “You’re just worried I’ll chase every thrill, never know when to stop having fun, and end up wasting my time.”
“But Senior Sister, you seem to have overlooked something. I’m two years older than you.”
He thought his sneaky move had gone unnoticed, but the hand he held was Chen Nannan’s.
The moment his palm enveloped hers, her ears turned pink. She gave a gentle tug to pull away.
But he held on tight. Unable to break free, her mind flooded with shyness. She twisted awkwardly, lowering her head to avoid his gaze.
“So what if you’re two years older?” she muttered with a pout.
She didn’t buy that age alone made someone mature.
Plenty of overgrown babies in their thirties, forties, even fifties roamed society—mooching off parents, lazy as sin, with zero maturity.
“Nothing huge. Just means I can rightfully have you call me ‘big brother.'”
“Pfft!”
Pretending to be mad, Chen Nannan took the chance to shake off his hand. “In your dreams!”
“Mm, message received, Senior Sister.” Shen An grinned. “Guess I don’t even need lunch now—your concern’s filled me right up.”
Chen Nannan’s lips twitched in disgust. “Gross.”
“Alright, alright. I won’t keep you from lunch then!” Shen An shrugged and waved, ready to say goodbye.
With her resentment gone, Chen Nannan wasn’t about to let him off that easily.
Her delicate brows furrowed as she said softly, “Stop.”
“?” Shen An turned back. “You really gonna give me a lecture, Senior Sister?”
“I…” Chen Nannan’s eyes darted. “Do you… wanna… grab lunch together?”
“I-I mean, just asking. It’s fine if you don’t.”
She backpedaled with a dismissive tone. “Anyway, I’ve got stuff this afternoon. Eating with you would just drag on forever.”
Finally, she flipped. “Forget it. I’ll eat alone. You go.”
After all that back-and-forth, Shen An’s smile grew even warmer.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Chen Nannan fidgeted. “I said you can go—why are you still standing there like an idiot?”
“Has anyone told you your tsundere side is actually super cute?”
Emboldened, Shen An cupped her face—a bold probe deep into her defenses.
Cu… cute?
Tsun… dere??
What the hell is tsundere!!!
Chen Nannan froze for a moment before shoving him away with a slap, fuming. “Shen An!”
“Come on, let’s go eat.”
Shen An chuckled and sidled up, slinging an arm around her shoulders to drag her along.
“Get… get off!” Helplessness welled up inside Chen Nannan. This guy had no idea what personal space was…
He pulled off these super bold intimate moves so casually, like they were the most natural thing.
Did he really not consider a girl’s feelings? Wasn’t he afraid she’d get mad at his rashness?
Just groping around like that—pervy!
And… it…
It was so embarrassing!!!
Or had he figured out her personality and knew she wouldn’t actually get angry?
Chen Nannan pressed her lips together in thought. Her seemingly fierce resistance was doomed to fail anyway—she really wasn’t mad.
Just… really shy.
In the end, Shen An compromised and dropped his arm from her shoulders.
She followed along with a helpless expression as they headed to the cafeteria together.
Both had afternoon commitments and no time to kill, so picking the nearest cafeteria was the smart call.
Heading to the South District for food would mean rushing back later—hassle city.
Truth be told, East China Comprehensive University’s cafeteria food was pretty solid, and cheap too.
The only downside? The lines.
Long, long lines.
Shen An eyed the sea of people ahead and whistled. “Senior Sister, how about instant noodles instead?”
Chen Nannan smiled, chiding him. “Be good and wait in line. It’ll be quick.”
“Hey, about those books this afternoon—lots?” To kill time in line, Shen An started chatting.
“Not really. Just seven or eight textbooks. You afraid of a little work, big guy?”
Chen Nannan eyed him disdainfully. “Besides, there’s a cart. Just pull it along.”
“You’ve got me wrong there, Senior Sister. I’m not saying it’s too much work—I was just asking.”
Shen An looked wounded. “Sure, I’m a bit lazy, but I get serious about what needs doing.”
Chen Nannan’s beautiful eyes narrowed, her tone dripping sarcasm. “Oh yeah, super serious about Art Troupe stuff, huh.”
“Honestly, I got dragged into it.” Shen An hung his head.
“Is that so? I hear the Art Troupe girls saying how capable you are. All praising your skills.”
The more Chen Nannan heard herself, the pricklier it sounded. “Once you’re in the Art Troupe, you’ll be everyone’s favorite.”
“They’ll call you for every event, and you can meet a bunch of pretty girls that way.”
“True that.” Shen An perked up. “I’ve heard the Art Troupe’s full of hot girls, but I don’t know which department. Gotta check it out in person.”
The disgust was practically pouring off Chen Nannan’s face.
She immediately stepped aside, warning Shen An, “Don’t come any closer, you pervert!”
“What did I do?”
Shen An looked utterly aggrieved.
“So you’re really gunning for that young lady, huh?” Chen Nannan was thoroughly annoyed by his usual obliviousness in moments like these.
“Uh, of course not.” Shen An said softly, “But if there’s something worth looking at, of course I’m gonna look.”
“You don’t sneak a peek at handsome guys on the street?”
“No way!” Chen Nannan shot back coldly. “I’m not as shallow as you.”
“Right, you’re so refined. You’ve got real depth.” Shen An curled his lip.
“You’re doing this on purpose just to piss me off.” Chen Nannan bit her lip and glared at him furiously. “I’m worried about you!”
“What’s there to worry about? Didn’t you say everyone in the Art Troupe is praising how capable I am? I’m already making a name for myself before even joining, and once I’m in, it’ll be like a fish in water.”
Shen An said smugly.
Chen Nannan glanced around and lowered her voice. “Sure, they praise you, but don’t count on them helping you out!”
“If anything goes wrong, they’ll just sit back and watch the show, tossing out snide remarks. Don’t get too full of yourself.”
Shen An narrowed his eyes, puzzled. “You’re saying that, and Yuqiong said the same thing.”
“Is the Art Troupe some viper’s nest? Or a living hell?”
“I don’t see anything special about it. There are just more girls, that’s all.”
“I…”
Chen Nannan sighed. “The Art Troupe isn’t anything special, and it’s definitely not a viper’s nest.”
“But that’s on the condition that you don’t get targeted by Senior Sister Zhao.”
“Now that you’ve been targeted by Senior Sister Zhao, it’s way worse than just a viper’s nest!”
The corners of Shen An’s mouth twitched upward. Inwardly, he thought Chen Nannan had finally taken the bait.
He might not have gotten any useful intel from Zhao Qingyu, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t pry it out of Chen Nannan.
This senior sister of his clearly knew plenty of inside dirt—she’d just been keeping it under wraps.
“I think Senior Sister Zhao is pretty great.” Shen An feigned ignorance and said bluntly, “She’s a bit sharp-tongued, sure, but she’s bold, and she’s giving me a real shot.”
“Senior Sister, are you buying into the rumors too? She doesn’t seem as scary as you make her out to be.”
Chen Nannan blew her top the moment she heard that!
What a silly boy. She’d warned him over and over, and he still fell for that fox spirit’s tricks?
All that “pretty great” nonsense? Pure fox spirit camouflage!
She grabbed his arm right then, her expression dead serious. “Senior Sister Zhao is nothing like what you’re seeing right now.”
“She’s dangerous!”
Shen An dug in his heels, shaking off Chen Nannan’s small hand with a frown. “Senior Sister, do you have some kind of grudge against Senior Sister Zhao or something?”
Chen Nannan stared at him in stunned disbelief, jabbing a finger in his direction. “What are you even talking about?”
“Forgive me if this comes off rude, but…”
Shen An’s voice grew solemn. “You say she’s dangerous, but I haven’t seen anything dangerous about her.”
“Maybe you’ve been through something with her, so you know what you’re talking about. But that’s your experience—not mine.”
“I get that you’re trying to look out for me, Senior Sister, but please don’t force it on me.”
“Besides, I have no idea what went down between you two. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
Chen Nannan exploded.
She really, truly exploded.
She finally got why some people watched TV dramas until their blood pressure skyrocketed.
Hers was about to do the same.
This…
She took a deep breath. “You want to know? Fine, I’ll tell you!”
“Hold on.”
Shen An cut her off. “It’s our turn.”
He pointed ahead. The cafeteria window was right in front of them.
