Flirting without realizing it

As soon as Hao Nan and Xu Sheng stepped out of the cafeteria, Meng Jia blocked their way.

Hao Nan was extremely annoyed with her and didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. He was in a hurry to go with Qi Xu to do important business, so he turned around to leave, but Meng Jia blocked his way.

Xu Sheng naturally wanted to protect his good brother and maintain the relationship between Hao Nan and Qi Xu. He was too lazy to get entangled with Meng Jia and tried to pull Hao Nan away, but Meng Jia blocked his way again.

"What exactly do you want to do!" Hao Nan finally couldn't hold back and questioned her.

"Where's Qi Xu? Where did she go?" Meng Jia asked directly, completely ignoring his attitude.

Although she didn't know where Qi Xu was, she had figured out Hao Nan's whereabouts. He was definitely in the cafeteria during breakfast time.

"What does Qi Xu have to do with you?" Hao Nan scoffed as if he had heard a joke.

Xu Sheng, listening from the side, was completely bewildered. The more he listened to their conversation, the more strange it seemed. Confused, he could only step aside and quietly become an eavesdropper.

“How can it have nothing to do with me? I’m her student too!” Meng Jia retorted confidently.

"You're already helping her by not causing her any trouble." Hao Nan really didn't want outsiders to get involved between him and Qi Xu. A few days ago at the company, Meng Jia was always caught in the middle, which really made him very angry.

Meng Jia immediately objected: "How am I causing trouble? I can help her, I can be her assistant!"

"You should just stay at school. As for the assistant position, I'm the most suitable person for it, after all, it's first come, first served." Hao Nan said, looking at Meng Jia with a slightly arrogant smile.

In Meng Jia's eyes, that smile was a blatant provocation and boast, which made her so angry that she almost couldn't help but hit him.

But Meng Jia suppressed her anger and gave him a gentle smile: "I think that for assistant work, we girls can take better care of each other and are more attentive than you boys, so we can definitely do it."

"No, you definitely can't handle it." Hao Nan's tone was absolutely certain.

He and Qi Xu have been together for so long, how could an outsider break their bond? That makes no sense at all.

His certainty startled Meng Jia, but she was still unwilling to give up: "What makes you so sure?" Her tone already carried a hint of anger.

"Just because I've spent more time with her than you, time will prove everything."

These words left Meng Jia speechless, standing there unsure how to react.

Xu Sheng, who was leaning against the wall, had been watching with amusement. Hao Nan's provocation had practically cornered him, leaving him no room to maneuver.

"What are you laughing at? Is it that funny?" Hao Nan glared at Xu Sheng, who was laughing unrestrainedly.

Xu Sheng waved his hand, but his smile didn't stop; instead, it became even more unrestrained.

"Shut up!" Hao Nan snapped in a low voice, his displeasure barely concealed. He quickly pulled Xu Sheng away and left without looking back.

People were coming and going at the entrance of the cafeteria, and all eyes were on Meng Jia, who was still standing there in a daze.

She stood there, feeling like two little people were fighting inside her.

A little figure grabbed her ear and shouted, "What are you agonizing over? You're just an outsider! They've had this relationship for years, wake up, stop dreaming!"

Another little figure kicked the former aside and retorted, "Don't talk nonsense! Fate is predetermined, but opportunities must be seized! Since you've met Qi Xu, it's an opportunity given by God. Seize it, and you might be able to reach her level of painting!"

The two little people were making a racket, giving her a headache. Meng Jia shook her head vigorously to banish them from her mind and finally came to her senses.

Finally, she made up her mind: how could she give up such a good opportunity? Sister Qi Xu was her teacher, and she would take her as her role model for the rest of her life.

On the other hand, Qi Xu had completely severed ties with Mingcheng Company, and his previous residence was taken back by the company, so he had to move.

Looking at the pile of things on the floor, she didn't know where to start, and subconsciously thought of Hao Nan.

She took out her phone, intending to send him a message, but when she checked the time, it was only a little past nine o'clock, and Hao Nan was probably still in class.

To avoid disturbing him, Qi Xu finally put down her phone. She knew Hao Nan too well; as long as she sent a message, he would definitely come over immediately.

At this moment, Hongming returned to get her things and happened to see Qixu packing his luggage.

But she only glanced at it indifferently, showing no intention of helping at all.

The two are now like strangers. They used to work at the same company and had some professional interactions, so they inevitably encountered difficulties and helped each other. However, she has now resigned, and there is no need for this relationship anymore. To put it simply, the two were just mutually beneficial before and could not be considered true friends.

In the past few months, Qi Xu has indeed earned a lot of money through his own efforts, but life is still somewhat difficult, and he can only afford to rent a barely habitable room.

She slowly gathered her things together, stuffed them into her suitcase with all her might, and finally managed to zip it up with a heavy press. Her arms were so tired she could barely lift them, so she simply slumped to the floor. After a while, she managed to sit up on the bed, intending to rest for a bit before going to her rented room.

Hao Nan carried breakfast, walked briskly, and went to find Qi Xu with a smile on his face.

As soon as he reached the stairwell, he saw that the door of the Qi Xu family's house was wide open, and there was a pile of things next to the suitcase. The smile on his face instantly froze.

Hearing the noise, Qi Xu looked up and saw him, her face full of surprise: "Aren't you in class?"

"It's a special situation today, no classes all day." Hao Nan handed over the breakfast, "Eat it while it's hot."

Qi Xu took the breakfast and began to eat slowly.

"Where are you planning to stay? Do you have enough money?" Hao Nan pulled up a stool and sat opposite her, his worry and concern evident in his voice.

"I've rented a place and everything's arranged, so don't worry too much." Qi Xu's mouth was still full of food, so his speech was a little slurred.

"After you finish eating, we'll go together to... your new home," Hao Nan said with a smile.

"Thank you, it's so nice to have you." Qi Xu returned his smile with a big laugh.

Upon hearing the "thank you," Hao Nan's heart skipped a beat, and he only gave a faint "hmm."

Although she still had a smile on her face, it lacked the sincerity from before; it seemed forced and devoid of warmth.

Qi swallowed the food in his mouth, picked up his water glass to drink, but unexpectedly choked and coughed incessantly.

Hao Nan immediately stood up and gently patted her back, trying to help her feel better. Qi Xu shook her head, indicating that she was fine.

Hao Nan stopped what he was doing, sat back down, and looked at her with a worried expression.

Qi Xu put the breakfast on the table, picked up her water glass and took another sip. When she looked up, she met Hao Nan's gaze and quickly looked away.

After finishing her water, she deliberately avoided his gaze, looked at the luggage beside her, and changed the subject: "Let's go."

Hao Nan was the first to lift the suitcase, only to find it surprisingly heavy and difficult to lift.

In his shock, he glanced back at Qi Xu and blurted out, "Is that box of stones? Why is it so heavy?"

"Uh... I was too lazy to do it, so I just kept stuffing it in." Qi Xu's tone still carried a hint of amusement.

“If I hadn’t come, you would have collapsed after walking only a few steps.”

"Yes, yes, thanks to you, you're really my lucky star." Qi Xu didn't refute him and went along with what he said.

Hao Nan stared at her bright smile for a moment, then quickly looked away, dragging his suitcase forward, his pace quickening.

Qi Xu, carrying a small suitcase behind him, had no choice but to quicken his pace to catch up.

Hao Nan noticed that she was having some difficulty walking, so he slowed down and waited for her to catch up.

Qi Xu also slowed down and walked alongside him, looking Hao Nan up and down several times before finally fixing his gaze on the suitcase in Hao Nan's hand.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Hao Nan's lips curled slightly, his gaze towards her sincere and passionate.

"Is my box very light?" Qi Xu looked into his eyes, her face full of confusion.

"It's quite heavy, like it's filled with a pile of stones."

Qi Xu looked him up and down again, clearly not believing him: How could he walk so easily with such a heavy box? He must be lying to her.

"You don't believe me? Do you not believe me, or you don't believe this box?"

"I don't believe it at all." Qi Xu's attitude was very firm.

"Then give it a try." Hao Nan stopped, let go of the suitcase he was carrying, made room for her, and took the small suitcase from her hands.

Qi Xu even rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to get down to business. Hao Nan was right next to her, watching her antics with a doting smile.

Qi grabbed the handle of the suitcase and tried to pull it forward, only to find that it was really heavy.

But she still wanted to try again, because no one would always be there to help her, and ultimately she had to rely on herself to make a living.

She struggled to pull herself forward, inwardly complaining: This is more tiring than climbing a mountain!

When she reached the bottom of the small staircase, she pressed the lever, grabbed the handle in the middle of the suitcase with both hands, and pulled it up with all her might.

"My God, I'm so heavy!"

Hao Nan kept a close eye on her from behind, ready to help at any time, just in case something went wrong.

Sure enough, the next second, Qi Xu was pulled forward by the box and staggered. Fortunately, Hao Nan caught her in time and didn't fall.

Exhausted, Qi Xu squatted down against the wall, panting heavily, and asked him, "How did you manage to drag such a heavy box? And you don't seem tired at all."

"Tired? Of course I'm tired! It's just that there's a big difference in our strength." Hao Nan squatted down in front of her and said with a smile, "That's why I can help you. Sometimes, many hands make light work."

Qi Xu stared into his eyes, his expression changing slightly, his gaze filled with obvious displeasure, as if issuing a warning.

"What I mean is, you should prioritize yourself and treat yourself well. No one is more important than yourself." Hao Nan looked into her eyes as he responded to her warning.

Qi Xu looked at him, then suddenly lowered her head and smiled. When she looked up again, her eyes had softened: "Of course I will treat myself well. No one is more important than myself. Aren't you just stating the obvious?"

"How can that be nonsense? You were clearly exhausted when you were moving the boxes. If I hadn't been there, you would have gotten hurt again." Hao Nan pretended to be a little angry, but he couldn't hide the worry in his eyes.

Qi Xu saw through his thoughts and lowered her guard against him, realizing that she had misunderstood him.

"I feel at ease because you're here."

Hao Nan had no choice but to say, "Be more careful next time."

Qi Xu nodded in response.