Chapter Six
That was the end of it. Lu Nan didn't exchange clothes with anyone, nor did she pay any compensation.
The boy broke free from him and left in a hurry, seemingly very unwilling to be in the same space as him.
Cheng and Lu spent a blissful Golden Week together, their feelings for each other growing ever stronger. Life continued as usual; a single glance or gesture was enough for them to understand each other's thoughts, and a sweet atmosphere always surrounded them.
Mutual affection is such a wonderful thing!
As his study plan progressed, Cheng Xiangbei's schedule became increasingly busy. He frequently attended classes at other colleges, and if there were any good lectures, he would arrive early to secure a seat. Solid foundational knowledge and a wide network of connections were Cheng Xiangdong's expectations of his younger brother. Cheng Xiangbei, always obedient to his older brother, meticulously planned his studies.
Lu Nan was different from him. Firstly, she didn't have the pressure of studying, and secondly, their approaches to learning differed. Cheng Xiangbei emphasized well-rounded development, a result of his family's upbringing, where everyone was independent. Cheng Xiangbei also had another consideration: he needed to break free from dependence on his family to provide Lu Nan with a future. For this, he had to work twice as hard. Lu Nan was different from him. She was more easygoing in her dealings with others, but very focused on her studies. She was the type who would delve deeply into whatever she liked, never giving up until she had thoroughly mastered the material. Therefore, while Cheng Xiangbei was rushing between classes, Lu Nan was either playing games in her dorm or studying in the library.
The library was quiet in the afternoon, with only the sound of pages turning. Lu Nan was a little tired, so he found a spot by the floor-to-ceiling window and sat down. With his head against the wall, one leg bent and the other straight, the sunlight felt warm on his skin. He took off his glasses and slowly closed his eyes.
As soon as Meng Tianze reached the second floor, he saw this scene. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the face of a boy sleeping against the wall. The interplay of light and shadow made the boy's features particularly hazy, soft, and gentle, as if all other scenery had ceased to exist; the sunlight and the floor-to-ceiling windows existed solely for him. He stood there, quietly watching for a while, until his classmate urged him to look away.
He thought it was just a temporary confusion, but to his surprise, they met again soon afterward, in a way he would never have imagined.
Lu Nan usually attends her classes with Zhong Wei and the others.
There were many general education courses in the first year, and he could take a few with Cheng Xiangbei. So he never worried about the class schedule.
However, there are always exceptions. That day, Zhong Wei and Yang Shaofan went shopping, and Yu Mufeng's whereabouts were unknown. When Lu Nan woke up from her afternoon nap and saw the empty dormitory, she was a little confused.
"Lu Nan, why haven't you arrived yet?" Zhong Wei called.
Lu Nan was taken aback and asked, "What?"
"Lecture Hall 105, the old lady's Marxist-Leninist class! Hurry!" Zhong Wei said urgently.
Lu Nan was startled. Had he overslept? He hurriedly jumped out of bed, grabbed his schoolbag, and rushed out. He didn't even notice his disheveled hair and rugged appearance with one cloth shoe and one slipper.
Running frantically, Lu Nan didn't even hear Li Weide calling his name. He rushed to the front of the college building, pushed open the glass door, and went inside. 105, 105… There seemed to be no sound inside. Lu Nan pushed the door open and went in. The professor stood on the podium, glanced at him sideways, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Panting, Lu Nan ran to the last row and sat down. He opened his textbook and checked with his deskmate to confirm what the teacher was teaching. Huh? English?! His eyes widened as he looked at the Marxist-Leninist textbook in his hand. "Excuse me, isn't this...this lesson supposed to be Marxist-Leninist?"
His deskmate looked at him strangely and said, "This period is English, I'm sure." He then pointed to the large blackboard on the teacher's desk, which was indeed covered in tadpole-like characters. Lu Nan's mind went blank, and he said dumbly, "Isn't this classroom 105?"
The other person nodded, glanced at the signature on his textbook, and chuckled. "Junior, this is classroom 105 of the Business School."
Lu Nan's face flushed red. She quickly stuffed her textbooks into her bag and ran out with her head down. So embarrassing! She went to the wrong building.
Misfortune seemed to always befall Lu Nan. Just as he was running down the last two steps, a water bottle fell to the ground with a thud. Lu Nan was too busy blushing to notice the sudden incident, and his foot stomped on it... thud! He landed face-first on the steps with a loud crash. Not only did he fall, but the force of his fall was so great that his slippered foot kicked out straight out.
*Thud!*—The plastic slipper flew in an arc and landed perfectly on a boy's open book. The boy stared in surprise at the slipper that had fallen from the sky, wondering if he should buy a lottery ticket. After all, he had just been hit by an ice cream ball a couple of days ago.
"Hahaha..." A burst of laughter erupted in the classroom.
The professor on the stage also stopped lecturing and looked at Lu Nan helplessly.
"Meng Tianze, someone's flirting with slippers!" someone teased.
The boy, Meng Tianze, picked up the slipper with a sigh and, unsurprisingly, saw a large shoe print on the book. He stood up, unsure whether to throw the slipper away or kindly offer it to the other person.
Lu Nan pitifully raised his head. Today was definitely his unlucky day; he'd embarrassed himself in the business school. And the school leaders—why did they have to turn both departments into glass doors?! The classroom was filled with laughter; he really didn't know how to face this predicament. He tried to get up and run, but he was missing a shoe.
His glasses fell about a meter away from him, and Lu Nan reached out to grab them. Suddenly, a slipper was placed in front of him. Lu Nan was startled and timidly turned his head to look. At such close range, he could clearly see the person's appearance: a boy with a cold expression, sharp eyebrows, thin lips, and no hint of a smile on his face.
Lu Nan blushed and managed to squeeze out a "thank you" in a barely audible voice.
Meng Tianze recognized his face and was momentarily stunned. This boy… didn't he look like the one who slept in the library? Perhaps the sunlight back then was too alluring, so he kept unconsciously recalling that scene. So gentle, so warm. But the protagonist of that beautiful scene was actually this clumsy guy in front of him?
When Lu Nan finished putting on her shoes and glasses, Meng Tianze was utterly astonished, as if struck by lightning. This person—wasn't this the idiot who threw ice cream all over him at the movie theater entrance? Remembering the unpleasant experience of being dragged into the restroom by him, Meng Tianze was speechless.
Even after Lu Nan mustered the courage to thank him again, Meng Tianze remained stunned, unable to recover for a long time even after the other party ran away without looking back.
That fall at the business school not only shattered Lu Nan's self-esteem, but also left her with two large bruises.
Cheng Xiangbei was heartbroken when he saw it. It was only because the two of them didn't have any classes together today, otherwise, why would he let his precious child out and let him fall so spectacularly?
"Nannan, does it hurt?" I massaged Lu Nan's knee with medicated oil. Those two bruises on her knees were no joke.
Lu Nan nodded, looking embarrassed. He hadn't done it on purpose; it was just that today was incredibly unlucky. Zhong Wei pulled up a chair to watch, laughing as he watched, "Lu Nan, what's your rush? You somehow ended up in the Business School instead of the Engineering School. Going to the wrong classroom is one thing, but kicking your slipper in the senior's face? You're something else!"
"What nonsense are you talking about! I just kicked my shoe off, I definitely didn't kick anyone in the face!" Lu Nan protested.
"That's what everyone's saying anyway," Zhong Wei shrugged. The whole building was buzzing about Lu Nan's amazing fall; after all, laughs don't happen every day.
"Slander! Absolutely slander!" Lu Nan's face flushed red.
"Alright, alright, just sit still!" Seeing him get excited and about to stand up, Cheng Xiangbei quickly pressed down on his shoulder. "Let them say what they want, why are you getting so angry! Just rest well, who knows how many days it will take for the bruises to go away."
Lu Nan looked at him with a wronged expression. "I really didn't kick anyone in the face."
Cheng Xiangbei patted his head and smiled gently, "Yes, I believe you."
So what if she kicked it? Baby didn't do it on purpose. Some people are just too idle these days. Cheng Xiangbei moved a stool around for Lu Nan and coaxed, "Nan Nan, you play the game first, I'll go get you some food."
"Oh." Lu Nan nodded. "I want to eat braised prawns and stinky tofu."
Zhong Wei, standing nearby, exclaimed, "The cafeteria doesn't have this!"
Cheng Xiangbei shrugged, "These two things are no big deal." "Okay, you stay here and play, I'll be back in a bit." He patted Lu Nan's head again before leaving.
Zhong Wei sat to one side, looking at Lu Nan with envy, and sighed, "Cheng Xiangbei is just like your father."
Lu Nan turned his head sharply and shouted angrily, "Father my foot!"
Author's Note: Um, another work assignment has come in, so updates will be irregular starting tomorrow... *sigh*
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