"Nuannuan, aren't you going to call him over?"
Bai Huitian loved the excitement and wasn't afraid of making a big deal out of it when she suddenly spoke up, inciting action.
Chen Nuanhan was jolted out of her reverie, her delicate fantasies dissipating like bubbles, leaving only traces of melancholy behind.
Looking again at Su Huai, his figure had already vanished into the shadows of the trees. The dim yellow light filtering through the branches sprinkled over him, casting a dappled pattern.
The scene was still beautiful, but that unique atmosphere had disappeared.
"Ah? Why should I call him?"
Chen Nuanhan's gaze returned, and she looked up blankly.
"You've been staring so hard and now you're asking us what for?"
"I was just checking to see if it was him!" Chen Nuanhan retorted stubbornly. "We sisters are strolling through campus together; calling a guy over would just ruin the mood. Are you out of your mind?"
"What do you mean 'ruin the mood'?!"
The Dandong Girl, Hu Manli, burst forth, fussing and fuming with drama: "Just keep walking in front, and we'll follow behind eating candy, making sure not to disturb your cooing!"
"Exactly, exactly. We'll be your mood makers!"
As everyone joined in the commotion, Chen Nuanhan became genuinely upset.
"Stop using me as a cover! If you're feeling frisky then go ahead; I'll definitely help with all my heart!"
"Really?"
The Guangxi cousin, Mi Lu, took it seriously, and then everyone turned in astonishment, looking at her.
"Wow! Can't be real? You're actually going to fight over a man with Nuannuan?"
"Cousin, you're so brave!"
With a blushing face, Mi Lu stuttered, "I'm not... Warm Sister isn't interested, right...?"
"So you actually like her uncle? Hey, what's his name again?"
"Su Huai, Su from Jiangsu, Huai from Huai River."
Chen Nuanhan bit her lip in response, feeling a subtle shift in her emotions.
The sisters were also shocked. They had been joking before, but now someone was actually considering the reality—it was exhilarating!
"Why, why?"
"Damn! Love at first sight?"
"Quick, give me your reasons!"
"Just... just..."
Mi Lu mumbled in her soft, sticky Guilin accent, gesturing awkwardly for a while until she finally managed to express a bit of her true thoughts.
"Don't you guys think Su Huai seems very mature and stable?"
Counter-argument one: "But he's a bit dark!"
"Where we're from near the sea, the boys are all dark-skinned."
Counter-argument two: "But he doesn't seem to have much money, does he?"
"My allowance is enough for me! And what does money have to do with dating in college?"
Counter-argument three: "Just because he seems stable? Surely you need a more reliable reason than that?"
"But his temperament is so good, and he doesn't cringe or flinch when standing next to Nuannuan. Aren't such boys rare?"
"Damn!"
All the girls were dumbstruck.
"Xiaomi, your perspective is damn unique... but it makes sense!"
Everyone exchanged looks, and after a moment of thought, they finally realized what was so extraordinary about Su Huai.
Wu Tianyou was so handsome, dressed so stylishly, but next to Nuannuan, he always seemed so cautious, focusing all his attention on her.
But Su Huai was different; he always remained true to himself.
This might not seem like a big deal, but on closer consideration, it was no easy feat.
Given Chen Nuanhan's good looks, even they, being women, felt the pressure; finding a man who could interact naturally with her without losing his cool was practically a rarity, right?
All of them were just high school students liberated from the pressures of heavy academics; Wu Tianyou's behavior was the norm, no blame necessary. Su Huai, on the other hand, was operating on a different level, with a mental fortitude that was almost terrifying.
The girls belatedly discovered their blind spot and suddenly fixed their gazes intently on Mi Lu.
"Xiaomi, you've been hiding it deep... turns out you're the real love expert in our dorm!"
"No, no!" Mi Lu hurriedly waved her hands. "Not at all! How could I have been in the mood for a relationship in high school...?"
"No worries, now's your chance to practice!"
"Exactly, Xiaomi, charge forward bravely, and win over Nuannuan's uncle!"
The louder they got, the quieter Chen Nuanhan became.
The little princess felt incredibly conflicted; she was certain she had no romantic feelings for Su Huai. Logically, she should be happy to see him get together with her dorm mate.
That way, she wouldn't have to worry about Su Huai bothering her, and she'd still benefit from the care of a fellow townsman.
Yet, for some reason, when she thought about Su Huai confidently striding forward with his arms raised, her heart just couldn't bear to let go.
He's my high school classmate!
I should be the person closest to him!
Selfish thoughts flickered through her mind, not fully understood, just inexplicably making her unhappy.
Soon, the girls noticed Chen Nuanhan's silence.
"Nuannuan, are you feeling reluctant?"
Dasa Mi from the Imperial Capital, Bai Huitian, asked bluntly, causing Chen Nuanhan some panic.
After thinking for a moment, she steeled herself.
"I'm not sure either, after all, Su Huai has always taken good care of me... But when it comes to love, it's all about fate. Whoever likes him, just go for it, I promise I won't hold you back," she said.
Her words were all encouragement and support, but what she meant was clearly, "I haven't made up my mind, don't make it difficult for me."
Not quite jealous, but her protective stance flickered in and out of view.
Mi Lu also felt it wasn't right and quickly waved her hands, "No, no... I just think he's a decent person, it's not at the stage of chasing or anything..."
The usually quiet Shu Shengnan suddenly spoke up with deep meaning, "Then I advise you to figure it out sooner rather than later. The male-to-female ratio in our school is a bit extreme.
Those like me and Tiantian, whose middle and high school circles were in the Imperial Capital can wait; at worst, we resolve it internally. But you guys don't have that many options.
The senior girls at our school are like hungry wolves; they get scary when they take the initiative.
If you can't make a move, they won't hesitate. Don't let an outsider snatch him away..."
"Cut it out, who deserves that?!"
Dandong Girl, Hu Manli, waved her hand dismissively, full of bluster.
"Her uncle has been Nuanhan's high school classmate for three years; they're super close friends. Even if they haven't moved in the direction of romance, he won't easily fall for some little minx, right?
If Nuannuan doesn't speak up, no one can snatch him away, not even Old Su!"
Her crazy accent made everyone laugh uncontrollably.
Chen Nuanhan smiled with pursed lips for a while, then felt more at ease.
She believed she still had plenty of time to strike a balance between friendship and love.
Su Huai was pretty good, but unfortunately, far from my standards...
If we could remain friends forever, that would be really nice...
Thinking this, she felt a stir in her heart, took out her phone, and composed a WeChat message to Su Huai.
"Today was a busy yet pleasant day, thank you for looking out for me. My roommates have a very good impression of you, but they all say you're like my uncle...
Can't you be more like a brother? So frustrated! [Frustrated]"
After sending the message, she lifted her head, looking expectantly at the blurred figure in the distance.
Not long after, Su Huai indeed took out his phone, looked down as if typing, and after a few seconds, put his phone back in his pocket.
"Ding-dong!"
Soon enough, a crisp notification sounded from the tightly clutched phone in Chen Nuanhan's hand.
She pursed her lips, opened the WeChat chat window with delight, but after one glance, her expression collapsed on the spot.
Wu Tianyou: "Nuannuan, I think I saw you! Are you out there walking the streets? Turn around, turn around, I'm right behind you!"
Dammit!
Turn your mom's head!
Chen Nuanhan, holding back her exploding fury, suddenly grabbed Mi Lu and darted into a shaded path.
Girls, run for it!
There's a dog behind us!
*********
Brothers and sisters, I'm pushing tomorrow's noon update to midnight. We're going to keep pushing for the top of the new book rankings!
I need your support, early in the morning, if you can afford it, toss in 100 coins, shower me with all sorts of votes, let's make another push!
If we reach number one tomorrow morning, I'll add another update!