14: Chapter 14 Childhood Sweetheart's Surprise Inspection

The air in the university lecture hall always carried a unique stuffiness, like the smell of overnight coffee mixed with old book pages.

There were five minutes left until class.

An undisguised commotion came from the door. The previously noisy chatter seemed to have been hit with a mute button, followed immediately by an outburst of deliberately hushed whispers.

Leng Qingxuan walked in.

She activated that signature "Stay Away" field of hers.

Her back was straight, her gaze fixed directly ahead, completely shielding herself from the admiring or curious gazes around her.

She held that thick textbook in her hand, walking with steps that seemed precisely calculated, heading straight to the seat by the window in the third row on the left side of the classroom.

Sit down, open the book, pick up a pen.

The entire sequence of actions was fluid and natural, without any unnecessary micro-expressions, as if the otaku girl in the oversized T-shirt from before had truly been possessed.

With acting skills like this, it would be a loss to the entertainment industry if she didn't win an Oscar.

About four minutes passed.

Huang Mao sauntered into the classroom one minute before the class bell rang.

As usual, no one paid him any attention. That was the benefit of being a "background NPC"—he came with a built-in invisibility buff.

He skillfully slipped into the "slacker seat" in the back corner of the classroom, shoved his backpack into the desk compartment, and slumped back into his chair.

This was the distance between him and Leng Qingxuan now.

One was in the core focus area below the podium, and the other was in the spectator zone in the back row.

Separated by the sea of people spanning most of the classroom.

But this feeling… was quite subtle.

For the entire two-period class, that aloof campus belle indeed never looked back once.

But whenever Huang Mao occasionally lifted his head to stretch his neck, he could always keenly catch the figure in front moving slightly.

That was her using the pretext of brushing her hair or turning to grab something to scan backward with her peripheral vision.

Their gazes didn't meet in mid-air; after all, they were too far apart.

But every time she paused for that split second, it felt like she was confirming whether a certain "accomplice" was still present.

This feeling of sharing a earth-shattering secret without any direct communication was even more intoxicating than flirting openly.

The bell for the end of class finally rang.

The Old Professor on the podium slowly tidied up his lesson plans, and students began to file out one after another.

Huang Mao didn't move.

He was a commuter student with no dormitory to return to at noon, so he usually stayed in the classroom to leech off the air conditioning, scroll through his phone, and wait for lunchtime before heading to the cafeteria.

Most of the people in the classroom had left, leaving only a few overachievers still copying the notes from the blackboard.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

It wasn't the short notification ping, but a continuous vibration.

Huang Mao took it out and looked. In the messaging app's chat box, the avatar named 【An Ran】 was flashing frantically.

【An Ran】: Are you in the classroom? Send me your location.

【An Ran】: (Pokes you)

【An Ran】: (Pokes you multiple times)

...

【An Ran】: Class is over, you can't keep playing dead, right? I know you don't have any more classes this morning.

The earliest message had been sent before class even ended; he could feel the murderous intent through the screen.

Huang Mao sighed and slid down in his seat, trying to find a slightly more comfortable position on this uncomfortable hard bench.

There was no avoiding this.

Given this girl's personality, if he didn't reply to her messages, she would just go straight to the school gate to ambush him.

【Huang Mao】: Building 3, Lecture Hall 201.

【Huang Mao】: Come over then, there's barely anyone here anyway.

After replying, he quickly exited the chat box and opened the pinned chat with the anime black cat avatar.

【Huang Mao】: The person who called last night is coming over.

Less than two seconds after the message was sent, the cold, aloof figure in the front row stiffened noticeably.

Leng Qingxuan didn't turn back, just lowered her head and tapped quickly on her phone.

【Leng Qingxuan】: What should I do?

【Leng Qingxuan】: Do you need me to avoid her? For example... disappear for a while?

Huang Mao looked at the words on the screen and tapped away with his fingers.

【Huang Mao】: Either works.

【Huang Mao】: But to avoid unnecessary trouble, why don't you go to the restroom or get some fresh air outside first? I can handle it myself.

Leng Qingxuan in the front row calmly put away her phone.

She stood up, left the thick textbook on the desk to save her seat, and walked out the back door without looking sideways, not even pausing as she passed by Huang Mao.

She didn't even spare him a glance.

Professional.

Truly professional.

Huang Mao watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor and silently gave her a mental thumbs-up.

Less than three minutes passed.

A light but hurried sound of footsteps came from the corridor.

It was the sound of sneaker soles rubbing against the floor, very rhythmic, with every step planted firmly.

Just as Huang Mao lifted his head, half the light at the doorway was blocked.

An Ran had arrived.

Today, she wasn't wearing one of those flashy little dresses, but a very sharp, athletic outfit.

On her upper body was a white, cropped hoodie, the hem cinched tight, resting exactly at the slimmest part of her waist; with the slightest lift of her arm, one could see that firm waistline without a single ounce of excess fat.

On her lower body were light gray joggers; although they were a loose fit, because of her years of exercise, one could still see the long, straight contours of her legs.

That signature high ponytail was tied up high, swaying back and forth with her movements, making her look incredibly spirited and heroic.

If this were ancient times, she would definitely be a swordswoman.

Unfortunately, this swordswoman's expression wasn't very friendly right now.

That pretty face, usually full of vitality and smiling carelessly, was currently as stiff as a dean of students.

Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly narrowed, her gaze scanning Huang Mao like an X-ray twice over.

She didn't call his name loudly like before, nor did she directly pinch his arm.

She just walked in quietly, pulled out the chair next to Huang Mao, and sat down.

She crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her legs.

That "confess and be lenient, resist and be strict" aura instantly filled the entire corner.

Although she was deliberately keeping a straight face to look serious, to Huang Mao, it looked a bit like a child playing adult, which was inexplicably funny.

But if he dared to laugh, this matter probably wouldn't end well today.

"Big shot."

An Ran finally spoke, her voice cool, "Finally have time to check your messaging app?"

"I was in class just now." Huang Mao turned off his phone screen and shoved it back into his pocket, his tone perfectly steady, "Respecting teachers and the way is a student's duty."

"Cut the crap."

An Ran rolled her eyes, and the high-pressure atmosphere she had deliberately created instantly deflated by half, "What was up with that woman on the phone last night?"

She leaned in a little, staring into Huang Mao's eyes, "Don't think about making up excuses to lie to me. I could tell; that voice was right next to you, and besides…"

And it was actually quite pleasant to listen to.

She didn't say this second half out loud; it stuck in her throat and turned into sour jealousy.

Huang Mao leaned back in his chair, looking at the pouting childhood sweetheart in front of him.

Lie?

No need.

One lie requires countless more to cover it up; it's too tiring and very easy to get caught.

Besides, Leng Qingxuan was living in his house now, and they would see each other every day; there was no way to hide it.

Rather than being caught red-handed later and becoming a "scumbag fraud," it was better to lay his cards on the table now.

The key is sincerity.

"Nothing special."

Huang Mao shrugged, his tone as nonchalant as if he were discussing what to have for lunch, "Just a friend I recently made who came over; she'll be staying for a few days."

An Ran froze.

She had prepared a bellyful of tactics to debunk his lies, but her punch had landed on cotton.

"A friend... you recently made?" An Ran stammered, her original momentum instantly weakening by thirty percent, "A girl?"

"Obviously." Huang Mao nodded, "Didn't you hear it last night?"

"Living at your place?"

"Yeah, living at my place."

"A man and a woman alone?" An Ran's voice went up an octave.

"If you want to describe it that way, you're not wrong, though I think 'landlord and tenant' is a more accurate term."

Huang Mao looked calm, even wanting to reach for the water cup nearby to take a sip, "Because of her family's special circumstances, she had nowhere to go, so I'm just taking her in."

An Ran widened her eyes, as if she were seeing this person in front of her for the first time.

Is this still that blockhead Huang Mao who, besides her, hadn't even really held a girl's hand?

Bringing a girl he just met home?

And living together?

A massive sense of crisis instantly rushed to her brain, burning her rationality to a crisp.

"Who?"

An Ran gritted her teeth, each word sounding like it was squeezed out from between them, "What's her name? Which department? What does she look like? Do I know her?"

She quickly ran through her mind all the "seductive hussies" in school who might try to seduce Huang Mao.

Who is it?

Is it that girl with glasses who always approached him under the guise of borrowing a power bank that she saw several times when she came to find Huang Mao before?

Or that loli in the anime club they joined together who spoke in a cutesy voice and liked to crowd around him?

No, those don't fit the "just met" condition... Then who on earth is it...

"You should know her."

Huang Mao touched his chin, "And you should have seen her."

"I've seen her?" An Ran frowned, her brain working at high speed.

"After all, she's quite famous." Huang Mao added, "In this school, there shouldn't be many people who don't know her."

Famous?

An Ran's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be some big campus belle from another department?

Just as she was about to continue questioning, a cold, clear voice suddenly cut in from the side.

"What a coincidence."

The voice wasn't loud, even carrying a hint of casual chill, but it was like a basin of ice water that instantly extinguished the tension in the air.

An Ran whipped her head around.

She saw that Leng Qingxuan, who should have been hiding in the "restroom" or "outside," was standing by the aisle, though she didn't know when she had arrived.

She was holding a pack of freshly opened wet wipes in her hand, leisurely wiping her long, fair hands.

That aloof, ethereal temperament of hers, as if she were above the mortal world, was completely out of place with the slightly old classroom environment.

Leng Qingxuan tilted her head slightly; those eyes that usually held no emotion now carried a hint of a subtle smile, her gaze sweeping lightly over An Ran before finally landing on Huang Mao's face.

"Are you talking about me?"

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly in a standard, polite, yet distant smile.

"As it happens, I'm right here."