The atmosphere was very strange the following day. Of course, this could just be the subjective feeling of the person involved, or in other words, it was a psychological effect.
However, there are indeed some problems...
A prime example is Chu Xinsu. This guy would often pop his head out from behind the computer while he was working at his desk, his bright but cunning eyes constantly darting between Duanmu Ci and Su Wuyu, and he would occasionally flash a sly smile, making Su Wuyu feel a chill run down her spine. Duanmu Ci would also unconsciously clench his right hand and assume a "Iaido" stance...
Qiu Duli, a middle-aged man, was honest and law-abiding; he wouldn't even dare bring a female colleague home. Considering himself the senior figure in the office, he adopted a neutral, wait-and-see attitude towards this young couple's "entanglement." Frankly, he wasn't very optimistic about Teacher Duanmu, after all, Teacher Su's personality was too…
However, it would be a good thing if Teacher Duanmu could melt this iceberg, at least it would contribute to a harmonious atmosphere in office 503...
Duanmu Ci, however, had a different opinion about this so-called "iceberg," because he felt that Su Wuyu was not naturally aloof and cold; there must be another reason, but he did not know the reason yet.
In the stillness, noon arrived. Just as Chu Xinsu was eagerly preparing to invite everyone out for lunch again, Su Wuyu suddenly stood up from her seat and went to Duanmu Ci's table.
Duanmu Ci looked up, "Teacher Su, what is this...?"
Su Wuyu bit her lower lip lightly, as if she had made some kind of remarkable decision. "You helped me yesterday, so I should thank you both out of courtesy and reason. I'll treat you to dinner."
"Bang—" It seemed like something had fallen to the ground.
Duanmu Ci looked in the direction of the sound and saw that a whole stack of books had fallen at Chu Xinsu's feet. However, he had no intention of picking them up and kept a surprised expression on his face, as if he had heard something incredible. The middle-aged man Qiu Duli was not much better off.
"This...this...this is unbelievable!" Chu Xinsu could barely speak coherently, but he still persisted in trying to explain.
Su Wuyu was too lazy to pay attention to them, or perhaps she was too ashamed to argue, and simply asked someone, "If you don't want to, then forget it."
"Yes, yes."
Chu Xinsu silently added in his heart for Duanmu Ci—"Of course he'd be unwilling!"
...
...
At Duanmu Ci's insistence, Su Wuyu finally gave up on finding a restaurant off-campus and decided to just grab a bite at one of the school's cafeterias. However, it wasn't really just a quick bite. Haishan University's cafeteria was practically a food court, offering a dazzling array of food, far beyond what the average person would expect from a cafeteria.
Since Su Wuyu was treating, Duanmu Ci went along with it, and the two of them ordered the same Yoshinoya beef rice bowl, a bowl of steamed egg custard, and a glass of orange juice. The two identical dishes on the plates looked like a couple's meal.
Su Wuyu found a secluded spot to sit down, and activated the Ice Mountain Barrier to the fullest extent, keeping humans and animals at bay within three meters.
Duanmu Ci lowered his face slightly.
Su Wuyu said, "I said I was going to treat Teacher Duanmu to a meal, but I ended up in the cafeteria instead. I'm so sorry."
Duanmu Ci waved his hand, "It's alright, it's alright."
Su Wuyu said, "That's true, it's good for rich people to change their tastes once in a while."
Duanmu Ci, “…” How can a child talk like that?
Su Wuyu realized her mistake and tried to salvage the situation, saying, "What I meant was that people who are used to eating rich, meaty foods should eat lighter meals, just like city dwellers like to go to rural areas for farm-style meals."
Duanmu Ci, “…” means I’m being a jerk, right?
Su Wuyu was increasingly at a loss for words; her pretty face gradually turned red, but she just couldn't open her mouth.
Duanmu Ci finally understood why Su Wuyu didn't like to talk. With that mouth of hers that always offended people, if she really started talking, she would be killed in a heartbeat...
Duanmu Ci felt that as a man, when dining with a woman, he couldn't just let her find the topics; he had to say something too. "Um... about your father, please accept my condolences." It would be fine if Duanmu Ci didn't know about such an important matter, but once he did, he couldn't possibly remain silent; otherwise, it would be extremely impolite!
Su Wuyu lowered her head upon hearing this, "Actually, it's nothing. My relationship with him isn't very good either, so there's no need to be too sad."
Next, Su Wuyu opened up about the matter. Perhaps because she rarely communicated with people, Su Wuyu spoke haltingly, but she had a strong desire to confide in others, especially in this situation.
It turns out that Su Wuyu lost her mother when she was young, and her father remarried. Like all cliché stories, her stepmother treated her very badly, which led her to develop a very bad personality trait—she was not good at socializing. When talking to people, she would often blurt out a sentence that would leave them speechless, as if she were deliberately provoking them.
In addition, Su Wuyu is a beautiful woman. When a beautiful woman speaks without thinking, she is easily seen as arrogant and lacking in manners despite her beauty. As a result, people tend to keep their distance from her.
Over time, Su Wuyu had fewer and fewer friends, and she became increasingly reluctant to speak, her personality growing more and more withdrawn. Coupled with her striking beauty, she eventually earned the nickname "Ice Queen." This nickname gave Su Wuyu a strong psychological suggestion—I am withdrawn, I am an ice queen, others don't want to approach me, and I don't want to talk to them.
Then a vicious cycle begins, causing things to get worse and worse until they become irreversible.
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Ci finally understood that the "ice queen" in front of him was not an ice queen at all, but a patient with "social anxiety disorder." What she needed was not to continue to maintain her noble and aloof demeanor, but a psychologist.
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