Tang Mingchuan touched the corner of his mouth where he had a small wound from yesterday's fight. He had fought several people alone yesterday and got a few minor injuries, but the wound, though still a bit sore, wasn't serious.
"It's nothing, just bumped into a door yesterday," Tang Mingchuan explained without a blush.
Who bumps their mouth to get it bruised? Professor Tang's lying speed is fast, but the quality still needs improvement!
Lin Xi clearly didn't believe it.
In his mind, Tang Mingchuan began to imagine the scene from yesterday, remembering the angry look on Huang Mao's face. After Tang Mingchuan had sent them back to school, he had blocked them at the street corner and beat them up...
Suddenly, his nose felt sour, and his eyes became a bit moist. He was afraid that because of what happened yesterday, Tang Mingchuan had gotten beaten up. Lin Xi felt even more sorry for Tang Mingchuan.
The emotions of the young girl in front of him were clearly changing. Tang Mingchuan thought to himself that the girl might have misunderstood and thought he got beaten up instead of her.
"Professor, was it because of yesterday..." Lin Xi asked tentatively, her eyes misty. Tang Mingchuan found her expression somewhat amusing. This girl was too naive. He nodded in response to her question.
Seeing Tang Mingchuan nod, Lin Xi felt even more upset. Various emotions filled her heart.
They were just ordinary teacher-student relations, and Tang Mingchuan didn't need to step in for her.
"It's all my fault for implicating you..." The little girl's voice was trembling, with a hint of crying, making Tang Mingchuan's heart itch. He quickly comforted her, "I'm standing in front of you safe and sound, aren't I? They won't come after you again."
"This incident had nothing to do with you in the first place, it's all because of me..." Lin Xi felt even more guilty hearing Tang Mingchuan's words. Her speech became intermittent.
"What if I wanted this incident to be related to me?" Tang Mingchuan stared at the young girl in front of him, his tone light but serious.
Lin Xi: ??? Suddenly hearing this, Lin Xi's mind became confused. What did Tang Mingchuan mean by that?
"Young lady, I've taken a liking to you, so protecting you is only natural," Tang Mingchuan said with a straight face, with a kind of seriousness that couldn't be explained.
Was Tang Mingchuan confessing his feelings?
Lin Xi hadn't expected him to be so direct. She felt an unfamiliar feeling and could clearly hear her heart beating wildly.
Tang Mingchuan was six years older than Lin Xi, and he wasn't acting recklessly like a young man. From the moment he met Lin Xi, he was deeply attracted to her.
He really did like her and didn't want to hide it from her. He was a somewhat obsessive person, never having been attracted to anyone before, so when he encountered Lin Xi, he didn't want to miss the chance.
"So, I'm pursuing you. You don't have to blame yourself," Tang Mingchuan said, stating his intention clearly. He was pursuing her, not asking, "Can I pursue you?" He was naturally a man of action.
As they looked at each other, ripples of emotion surged in their hearts, growing stronger.
Both were confessing their feelings, but the words spoken by Ye Ming didn't stir any emotions in Lin Xi's heart. On the other hand, Tang Mingchuan, whom she had only known for a short time, aroused different feelings in her.
Lin Xi didn't know what to say for a while, but rejecting him was something she couldn't bring herself to do.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward, but the owner of the noodle shop brought the noodles to the table, easing the tension.
"Young lady, let's eat first," Tang Mingchuan said gently, handing Lin Xi a pair of chopsticks. The noodles were hot, emitting white steam. For a moment, Tang Mingchuan couldn't see Lin Xi's expression clearly, but he was sure she wouldn't refuse him.
Lin Xi ate very well, taking small bites of the noodles. With her mind elsewhere, she didn't eat much and didn't touch the noodles again.
Tang Mingchuan looked at the large bowl of noodles left untouched, furrowing his brows. The girl was already thin, eating so little was not a good habit. The two of them left the noodle shop one after the other.
Lin Xi walked ahead, and Tang Mingchuan followed behind, one tall and one short, a scene that looked very affectionate.
"Young lady, the candies you gave me yesterday were delicious," Tang Mingchuan said quietly behind Lin Xi.
Lin Xi liked strawberry flavor and almost always carried candies with her. Hearing Tang Mingchuan say this, her ears turned a little red.
She was such a cute little girl, and seeing her blushing ears, Tang Mingchuan smiled. The little girl was so easily embarrassed.
When they reached the school gate, Lin Xi turned around and took out a few pieces of candy from her pocket, handing them to Tang Mingchuan.
"Thank you again. These are the only candies I have left. I'll buy you more another day."
Lin Xi's hands were small and delicate.
Tang Mingchuan didn't refuse, taking all the candies. Accidentally, his nails touched hers. The girl's fingertips were indeed tender!
Sure enough, as soon as he looked at her small ears, they turned red again. She was too cute. "Let's go back. See you tomorrow," Tang Mingchuan smiled.
He had class tomorrow, so they could see each other again. Tang Mingchuan wanted to slowly integrate himself into her life.
Today's sudden confession made the girl a little uncomfortable, but fortunately, she didn't directly reject him.
There was still a long way to go, and everything could take its time.
Until Lin Xi returned to the dormitory, her head still couldn't process what had happened. She hadn't expected Tang Mingchuan to confess his feelings to her. She didn't have any aversion to Tang Mingchuan's confession, but she felt that the progress between them was too fast and couldn't accept it all at once.
Just a few days ago, he was the stunning university professor standing on the podium, and now he had put aside his dignity and confessed to her.
It felt strange. Lin Xi, who had never been in a relationship before, didn't know how to face Tang Mingchuan.
The next day.
Lin Xi and Bai Wei walked to the classroom where Tang Mingchuan would teach.
Normally, university professors didn't need to arrive at the classroom early, but Tang Mingchuan entered the classroom just as the bell rang for class.
As the two walked into the classroom, they found it very quiet, and Tang Mingchuan was already at the podium preparing his lesson.
Tang Mingchuan lowered his head. Today, he was wearing a light blue shirt with off-white pants, giving off a very gentle vibe.
"It turns out that working men are the most attractive. Professor Tang actually came to the classroom early. He's so handsome," Bai Wei whispered to Lin Xi.
Lin Xi looked at Tang Mingchuan, feeling that no matter how
many times she looked at him, he was still stunning.
Tang Mingchuan seemed to realize someone was looking at him. He raised his head, and his gaze coincided with Lin Xi's.
Seeing Tang Mingchuan's fiery gaze, Lin Xi hurriedly looked away. Tang Mingchuan had come to the classroom a little early today just to see her.
He felt a bit obsessed. He had only met Lin Xi recently, but he always wanted to see her, yet he was afraid his enthusiasm would scare her off.