"Mr. Ning, can I spare you a minute?"
A gentle male voice suddenly came from the side and in front of her. Ning Xiwan paused slightly and looked up at the figure blocking her way.
Huo Linxing was wearing a well-cut dark gray wool coat with a light-colored turtleneck sweater underneath, and he exuded an elegant scholarly air.
He held a gold-edged envelope in his hand, the edges of which shone with tiny golden glints in the sunlight.
Ning Xiwan remembered him. They had been assigned to the same group in the financial case analysis class last semester.
Huo Linxing was meticulous in his work and his reports were clear and organized, which left a deep impression on the professor.
"Is there something?" She lifted the book in her arms, her voice fainter than the autumn wind.
Huo Linxing's Adam's apple rolled. He had specially sprayed a light woody perfume today and had carefully styled his hair.
Standing in front of Ning Xiwan at this moment, he felt that all his preparations were in vain - her amber eyes were too transparent, as if they could see through all disguises.
"I've liked you for a long time." Huo Linxing took a deep breath and handed the envelope to her. "I hope you can consider dating me."
On the envelope was written "To Ning Xiwan" in pen, the handwriting neat and powerful. Ning Xiwan could even smell the faint scent of ink, presumably it had been written not long ago.
Under the sycamore tree in front of the teaching building, a few dead leaves swirled and fell on the open space between the two people.
Ning Xiwan didn't reach out to take it, but just said calmly: "Thank you for your love, but I have a boyfriend."
Zhou Lin's smile froze. He'd imagined many possibilities, but he hadn't expected this answer. Everyone in the Finance Department knew that Ning Xiwan was a solitary person, rarely interacting with the opposite sex except for necessary academic discussions.
"But..." Zhou Lin unconsciously clenched the edge of the envelope, "I've never seen you get close to any boy, right?"
Ning Xiwan raised the corners of her lips slightly, and this smile made Zhou Lin's heart skip a beat, but the next second, he was poured cold water on: "He's in another school."
"It's okay, I can wait! You're in a long-distance relationship, right? Relationships can easily go wrong. I can—"
"No need." Ning Xiwan interrupted him, her voice still polite, but her eyes had turned cold. "He and I have a good relationship, I don't need anyone else to wait."
After she finished speaking, she walked around Huo Linxing, and the hem of her beige windbreaker drew a neat arc.
Huo Linxing stood there, watching her back gradually disappear around the corner of the teaching building, the envelope in his hand wrinkled.
For the next three days, Huo Linxing seemed possessed. He dug out the list of group assignments from last semester and found Ning Xiwan's class schedule.
Every morning at seven o'clock, he would appear at the door of her first class classroom on time, holding hot drinks of different flavors in his hands.
It was drizzling on Wednesday morning. Ning Xiwan walked into the teaching building holding a long black umbrella, her hair stained with fine water droplets.
As soon as she put away her umbrella, she saw Huo Linxing standing at the end of the corridor with a steaming cup of black tea latte in his hand.
"Good morning." Huo Linxing walked over quickly and handed her the paper cup. "I added a pump of vanilla syrup. It's your favorite flavor."
Ning Xiwan narrowed her eyes. She did occasionally go to the school coffee shop to buy this flavor, but the number of times was very few.
It seems that the other party not only tracks her class schedule, but also notices such details.
"I said..."
"Just think of it as ordinary concern between classmates." Huo Linxing said first, with a perfect smile on his face, "Don't feel pressured."
The rain dripped down the tip of the umbrella onto the ground, forming a small puddle.
Ning Xiwan suddenly smiled: "Okay."
She took the paper cup and walked towards the trash can at the end of the corridor under Huo Linxing's surprised gaze.
"Snap."
The paper cup fell accurately into the trash can with a dull thud. The aroma of black tea latte filled the air, and Huo Linxing's face turned pale in an instant.
"Is it clear now?" Ning Xiwan turned around and said in a nonchalant tone.
Students in the corridor stopped one after another, and whispers spread like a tide.
Huo Linxing's ears burned red, and his eyes behind the glasses flashed with embarrassment: "Ning Xiwan, you don't have to be like this, right?"
"It's necessary." Ning Xiwan looked him straight in the eye, her voice low but every word clear, "I don't like people who are entangled."
As she turned to leave, she heard the sound of a paper cup being crushed behind her.
The black tea latte flowed down the edge of the trash can, just like Huo Linxing's shattered self-esteem at the moment.
The Friday afternoon sun was particularly glaring. Ning Xiwan had just walked out of the School of Economics and Management building when she was drawn to a sudden commotion.
A brand new black Mercedes-Benz E-Class was parked at the school gate, with the words "NXW" spelled out in rose petals on the hood.
Huo Linxing stood beside the car in a dark blue suit, holding a large bouquet of Ecuadorian roses. Seeing Ning Xiwan appear, he immediately approached her and knelt on one knee: "Ning Xiwan, give me a chance!"
His voice was so loud that it could be heard across half the campus. Passing students took out their phones to take pictures, and some even whistled.
Ning Xiwan narrowed her eyes and saw Wang Jia and several other girls hiding in the crowd and laughing secretly. It was obvious that they had contributed to this farce.
"What do you mean?" Ning Xiwan asked coldly.
Huo Linxing looked at her affectionately: "I know your boyfriend is not around, and you must be very lonely. Let me take care of you, okay?"
The sunlight shines on the rose petals, reflecting a dazzling light.
Ning Xiwan suddenly laughed: "Are you investigating me?"
"No!" he denied hastily, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. "I just... like you too much."
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