18

 Liu Shuyao ran out of the office, her heart heavy as if a large stone was pressing down on her.

With tears in her eyes, she clutched the book that Xiang Ran had hit her with.

She lowered her head and walked toward the first floor.

She could hear the sound of rain hitting the windowsill, and the silence was suddenly broken by a gust of wind, prompting her to lift her head.

Outside, dark clouds had already gathered.

Fine rain drifted inside with the wind, and Liu Shuyao quickly placed the book into her backpack.

She took out her phone to call for a taxi.

But the app displayed a queue of 78 people...

“Sigh~~”

Liu Shuyoao sighed, sent a message to Zhao Ying, but received no reply. She thought Zhao Ying must be at the studio; her phone was probably on silent.

Li Meixun had mentioned that a few high school classmates were visiting, so she went out to be their guide.

Due to her family background, Liu Shuyao wasn’t the proactive type, just nodding along with her classmates.

Watching the queue number barely change on her phone, she thought she might as well wait a bit longer.

That’s what she told herself...

Actually, she wanted to message Xiang Ran...

Thinking about their current situation only made her headache worse.

She repeatedly scrolled through her contacts, exiting and returning countless times.

In the end, she pressed the lock screen button...

When Xiang Ran chased down from upstairs, he saw this scene:

A crowd had gathered at the teaching building's entrance, some braving the rain to leave, others on their phones pleading for help. Most were complaining about the terrible weather, lamenting all the fun things they could be doing on a Friday after class.

But only the school beauty stood quietly in a corner under the eaves, watching the curtain of rain, occasionally brushing aside the greenery that stretched into the corner.

Transparent droplets scattered from the leaves as she moved her fingers, and her waist-length hair, dampened by the rain, created an ethereal glow, dazzlingly white.

It felt just like the size of his palm.

Xiang Ran felt his throat tighten.

The regret of having made Liu Shuyao cry earlier collided with this scene, overwhelming him with thoughts that spiraled wildly in his mind...

How could she be so cute, so protective? What if she really liked me?

As if sensing something, Liu Shuyao inexplicably looked up.

She was startled to find Xiang Ran standing behind her.

Their eyes met, and the despondency that had clouded her expression moments ago instantly brightened.

Damn!

Xiang Ran realized he might have been a bit impulsive just now.

But his feet didn’t listen as he walked toward Liu Shuyao.

Just caring for a classmate!

He forcibly told himself this.

Determined, he resolved to convert Turing’s “Computability and λ-Definability” into an audio version when he got back to the dorm.

On loop...

Liu Shuyou was pleasantly surprised to see Xiang Ran, feeling as if the sadness from the earlier meeting had evaporated.

“Are you here to pick me up?” she asked, tilting her head up.

Xiang Ran avoided her gaze, responding somewhat awkwardly.

“Yeah!”

By this time, more people had gathered at the entrance, and the eaves were quite small. Liu Shuyao, petite as she was, couldn’t compete with the boys. As a few people jostled her, she suddenly found herself pressed against the wall.

She braced herself, ready to get her upper body dirty when...

In the next moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace.

She could hear the quickening heartbeat of the boy’s chest, biting her lip tightly, her face flushed.

But when she looked up, Xiang Ran's expression was calm, as if he was indifferent to what had just happened.

It turned out...

It was as if she had touched some secret. Liu Shuyou playfully rubbed against Xiang Ran’s chest like a cat, letting out a soft “thank you~”

Although Xiang Ran appeared unfazed, his heartbeat had noticeably quickened.

Was he pretending to be serious?

Liu Shuyao slyly considered confirming this and planned to link her arm through his.

However, Xiang Ran, sensing her intention, abruptly pulled away, creating some distance between them.

The sudden movement caught Liu Shuyao off guard, causing her to step back and step into a puddle.

“Ah~”

She gasped softly, realizing it was too late—half of her shoes and socks were soaked, and the side of her white shoes was now a muddy mess.

Outside, the rain had intensified, slanting into the room.

With the experience just now, Liu Shuyao instinctively grabbed her boyfriend's hand and burrowed into his embrace.

The sweet scent of pine surrounded her, wrapping around her nose. Although her back pressed against the cold doorframe, the warmth from his solid presence made her feel less cold, and she could almost sense a hint of sweat forming.

The sound of the rain in her ears gradually softened, barely at a level that an umbrella could withstand.

Xiang Ran didn’t want to delay for another minute. He turned to pull the school beauty out and quickly stepped forward into the rain.

"Let’s go."

Liu Shuyao wasn’t one to hesitate, nodding and stepping under the umbrella.

Initially, the school beauty walked steadily, with nothing more than a slight brushing of elbows between them. To Xiang Ran, this didn’t seem like a big deal.

But gradually, Liu Shuyao began to inch closer to her boyfriend.

Noticing this, Xiang Ran subtly shifted toward the less crowded side...

The school-provided umbrella was quite large; it could easily cover two adult men, let alone a man and a woman.

However, Xiang Ran's shoulder was clearly getting quite wet, the moisture seeping into his clothes, and if you looked closely, it was starting to spread.

So, when they turned a corner, Xiang Ran couldn’t hold back any longer. He placed a hand on Liu Shuyao's shoulder and sternly said, “Stand straight!”

Liu Shuyao noticed that many girls in the rain were practically clinging to their boyfriends! Some were even fully nestled in their boyfriends' arms!

It was clear they were in the throes of romance, unlike them, where with each step she took closer, he took two steps back.

Liu Shuyao felt a pout forming, frustrated to the point of bursting!

Her boyfriend was so hard to please...

It had been days, and they were still in a cold war!

They couldn’t kiss, couldn’t hug...

Now she couldn’t even lean against him?

...

Despite her grievances, Liu Shuyao obediently returned to her original position, refraining from any further antics.

After quickly dropping Liu Shuyao off at the girls’ dormitory, Xiang Ran intended to let her go inside directly.

The school beauty agreed on the surface but sneakily made a move at the last moment.

Feigning as if she were leaving, Liu Shuyao turned around, grabbed Xiang Ran's hand, and boldly tucked her own collar down, leaning her little head against his chest for another rub, her sweet voice saying, “You’ve worked hard~”

Xiang Ran's hand lightly rested on the slender waist of the school beauty; he could easily wrap it around with just one palm. The wonderful sensation sent electric shivers through his brain.

The next second, he felt his usually tightly-run system suddenly report: 404 Not Found.

Stay calm! Stay calm!

Liu Shuyao was acting like this because she saw him as her boyfriend; he couldn’t lose control! He couldn't!

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