Chapter 31
"Why……"
Jin Chuwan felt somewhat helpless.
Because she was so familiar with her voice, even though she tried her best to lower her voice, Li Xing'en could still easily distinguish her from the chaotic voices.
"Why do I have to fall in love with someone? Can't we just be ordinary friends? Besides, who says that between close male and female friends, one of them has to like the other..."
At this moment, the students surrounding him also began to wonder about the relationship between the handsome freshman and the girl behind him.
"So... you two have known each other since childhood? Isn't that childhood sweethearts?"
The girl's laughter was full of ambiguity, and there was also a hint of probing mixed in with her seemingly casual banter.
The boy narrowed his eyes slightly. His handsome face could easily capture anyone's heart, but at this moment he couldn't quite explain his feelings. Perhaps he had always had it too easy, so he lacked the ability to cope with setbacks.
The two were talking right behind him; they hadn't finished their conversation yet.
The boy behind them was analyzing with Kim Cho-wan the possibility of a platonic relationship between a man and a woman.
"People come together because of mutual attraction, aside from blood ties or interests... Generally speaking, as long as the relationship remains unchanged and no cracks appear, this attraction will gradually deepen over time. Whether it's going from attraction to liking, or from liking to favoritism, it's all in an instant..."
As he spoke, the boy curled his fingers and gently tapped Jin Chuwan's head.
"I'm telling you, you don't seem stupid. Why do I need to teach you such a simple thing?"
The intimate gestures and voice made Li Xing'en somewhat displeased, but he still maintained a smile on his face.
He suddenly raised his arm and wrapped it around Jin Chuwan's neck, pulling the girl, who was thinking about how to refute him, into his world.
"They're asking if we're childhood sweethearts. Do we count?"
There was no hint of ambiguity in the boy's smile; it was just like the teasing of an ordinary friend.
Jin Chuwan was stunned for a moment. She was almost lying in Li Xing'en's arms. Although the position was not uncomfortable, it made it difficult for her to struggle.
"Us? Of course we grew up together—"
Jin Chuwan was a little nervous; she was worried that Li Xing'en would blurt out "Auntie."
This isn't like when we were kids. Others might find it funny but wouldn't think much of it. They're not related by blood, and it's impossible to explain this to outsiders.
Then Chuhe led the last freshman onto the bus. He rolled up the school flag and glanced at the crowd gathered around.
"We're about to leave, hurry up and get seated."
As he spoke, he said gently to the freshman next to him, "There's another seat over there, you can sit there."
Chuhe refers to the position next to Ran Xian.
The other person nodded, then walked over with their bag in their arms.
Jin Chuwan was pushing against the arm on her neck, but the other person showed no sign of letting go. Just as Jin Chuwan was about to get angry, she heard a girl's voice next to her.
"Excuse me, may I switch seats with you?"
Jin Chuwan looked up and found that the other person was looking at her. She pointed at herself.
"……I?"
Seeing the other person nod, Jin Chuwan hesitated, but then heard Li Xing'en chuckle softly beside her.
"Can't you sit anywhere else?"
Hearing this, the girl immediately pouted, "Li Xing'en, you promised my dad you'd take care of me at university, but you just abandoned me..."
It turns out we knew each other.
Jin Chuwan and the onlookers realized what was happening.
The young man chuckled softly, his gaze remaining gentle. "Can't you distinguish between polite formalities at the dinner table?"
Their conversation successfully attracted everyone's attention. Jin Chuwan wanted to avoid it, but just as she was about to get up, the boy's arm suddenly tightened, and Jin Chuwan fell into his arms again. At this moment, even Ran Xian, who was watching the show from behind, stopped smiling.
What kind of scene is this...?
Li Xingen was still smiling, but the girl in front of him was on the verge of tears.
Jin Chuwan sighed silently, then reached out and pinched the boy's arm.
She wasn't stupid; of course she could see that Li Xing'en was avoiding the girl in front of him, and that he was even using her as a shield.
So she twisted it a bit too hard, and she was sure the other person was in a lot of pain, but the boy didn't budge.
So, is she someone you like?
This remark finally ignited the atmosphere of onlookers in the car. Jin Chuwan suddenly felt that the peaceful life she had envisioned was getting further and further away from her, and she retorted in a panic.
"Don't talk nonsense, there's nothing between me and Li Xing'en—"
Thinking about her current situation, Jin Chuwan became increasingly depressed.
"Also, can't you two discuss matters of the heart in private?"
Because Li Xing'en had his neck wrapped around his arm, Jin Chuwan's field of vision was limited, so he couldn't see the sinister smile on the boy's lips.
"--yes."
"I just like her."
On the bus carrying forty people, exclamations of various kinds or cheers of those who loved to watch the drama unfolded.
Jin Chuwan finally pushed away the arms that were gripping her neck. She glared angrily at Li Xing'en, and this was the first time she had ever lost her temper with Li Xing'en since they met.
"...What nonsense are you talking about?"
"If you want to refuse, just say so. Why drag me into this?"
Jin Chuwan glanced at the gazes directed at her from inside the car. Some were curious, some were watching the spectacle, and some were understanding of her situation with a touch of sympathy.
This made her feel a little suffocated.
Jin Chuwan subconsciously scratched her neck, feeling a slight stinging sensation as her fingernails scraped against her skin.
If she were truly seventeen, she might have escaped from the train car without hesitation, but she wasn't.
So she sat back down, put on her headphones, closed her eyes, and pretended that nothing had happened.
However, the girl standing there did not seem to give up. She reached out her hand, wanting to negotiate with Jin Chuwan again, but her arm was blocked before she could touch her.
This time it's Ran Xian.
The boy's fake smile looked exactly like Li Xing'en's.
"How about you sit next to me for now, even if it's a bit of a hassle?"
Ran Xian's initiative and friendliness calmed the girl down a bit. She stopped crying and sat down obediently.
The carriage quickly quieted down, though faint whispers of conversation could still be heard.
The voice sounded as if it was deliberately kept very low so that no one would hear it.
Li Xingen lowered her eyes to look at Jin Chuwan beside her.
At this moment, faint red marks had appeared on her neck. He knew what they were because he had seen them on his mother a long time ago.
Thinking this, the boy slowly closed his eyes.
Was he in too much of a hurry?
It probably isn't.
The atmosphere and the occasion were wrong today, but what was most wrong was his mood.
Thinking this, the boy took out his phone.
Soon, Jin Chuwan's phone vibrated.
At that time, text messaging didn't have many cute pictures; it only had simple emoticons made up of symbols.
"I was wrong, orz..."
"I was wrong T~T..."
"Auntie's QQ~~"
Jin Chuwan glanced at Li Xing'en beside her, and the other's aggrieved and pleading look softened her heart involuntarily.
But she didn't intend to forgive him that way.
At this moment, Li Xing'en glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, moved slightly closer to Jin Chuwan.
The boy opened his palm and then extended two more fingers to "stand" on his palm.
Jin Chuwan glanced at the boy and saw his slender fingers suddenly "kneel down." At this moment, Li Xingen also lowered his head and showed a flattering smile.
"I was wrong,"
The boy's lips moved, but he didn't make a sound. Jin Chuwan looked at him and suddenly turned her head away.
She wasn't the type to hold grudges, and because Li Xing'en's strategy was so successful, she admitted that she wasn't so angry anymore.
She was just a little awkward.
It's hard to say why. Maybe it was because she felt embarrassed being watched, or maybe it was just because she was concerned about her dignity as an adult.
Furthermore, Li Xingen's apology made her realize that she was the immature one between the two of them.
Is she being too sensitive?
The car drove on until it arrived at the school. Jin Chuwan still couldn't figure it out, but she no longer deliberately ignored Li Xingen.
After all, the incident in the car was just a minor accident.
And that's all in the past now.
--
Because of the start of the semester, T University was filled with students dragging their luggage back and forth.
After getting off the bus, Jin Chuwan found herself being watched by more and more people.
Of course, she knew they weren't looking at her.
"We've arrived. Now everyone can go to Building A over there to complete the enrollment procedures, then go to the cafeteria over there to get your cards. After that, you can go to your dorm to rest."
After giving instructions to everyone, Chuhe and his two roommates boarded the bus to pick up the next batch of new students.
Lee Sung-eun glanced at Kim Cho-wan beside her, then took her luggage.
"Are you hungry? Do you want to go eat first?"
Jin Chuwan shook her head. She glanced behind her and saw the girl from before pouting and silently following them.
"Um, is it really okay to just ignore her?"
Li Xingen glanced back. The boy was tall and handsome, and his usually gentle and warm face now looked somewhat cold. He didn't turn around, but suddenly spoke to Jin Chuwan.
"Auntie, do you remember the stalker I told you about before?"
Jin Chuwan looked up in surprise. She hadn't heard him mention it for so long, and she thought the matter had been resolved.
“Actually, not long after the college entrance examination, I caught the person who took the photos. But he said that Miss Lin paid him to do it, and because we had business dealings, the other party’s parents just invited my father and me to dinner and then used a sizable order to cover up the matter.”
As the boy spoke, he turned to look at Jin Chuwan, a self-deprecating smile on his face.
"But this Miss Lin doesn't seem to understand where she went wrong..."
Lee Sung-eun's words plunged Kim Cho-wan into self-blame.
She was only thinking about her own anger, forgetting why her usually mild-mannered child had suddenly thrown a tantrum.
“Star, Star Grace…”
Ran Xian raised an eyebrow and smiled subtly. He glanced at Jin Chuwan, who was completely being led by the nose by the other party.
"What's there to worry about? She's just a little girl. Just ignore her. If it gets really bad, you can call the police."
Ran Xian had already felt that Li Xing'en looked somewhat familiar, but after glancing at the photo his sister sent, he completely remembered who she was.
"You're the eldest son of the Li family, dealing with that girl should be easy for you, right?"
After saying that, Ran Xian raised his hand to support Jin Chuwan, who was still struggling with her decision.
"I'm more curious about him than that..."
As the boy spoke, he pointed at Li Xing'en, who was looking at him indifferently.
"Did you just call me 'Auntie'?"
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