Chapter 102: Midday

“Right on time? Huh?”

Su Yichen’s gaze casually swept over Shen Ran’s lips, noticing they were as pink and tender as ever, no different from usual.

Meanwhile, his own lips sported an alluring, bewitching red.

“I heard from Mo Qingqiu yesterday that an assistant would come to coordinate work with me.”

“I was a bit worried I might end up with a difficult senior.”

As he said this, Su Yichen instinctively touched the bridge of his nose, realizing the glasses were already on his face. He then broke into a smile. “Shen Ran, I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“Come in. I’ve finished the work.”

“Mm~”

Shen Ran responded with a cheerful hum. As she entered the room, her small nose suddenly wrinkled.

“The smell is really strong.”

“Air freshener,” Su Yichen explained. “I sprayed some after finishing work.”

“Sprayed a bit too much.”

“It’s fine. I… Ah-choo!”

After saying that, Shen Ran let out a heavy sneeze.

Seeing this, Su Yichen grabbed her arm. As his fingertips touched the warm, smooth skin of her arm, Shen Ran’s toes curled inside her strappy sandals.

“Wait at the door for a moment. I’ll grab the stuff for you, and I’m about to leave myself.”

With that, he released his grip and went back into the office.

Seeing Su Yichen let go so quickly, Shen Ran let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.

‘Did I slip up?’

‘Probably… yeah.’

Shen Ran thought it over and felt secure. No one who got into Qingyue University was stupid; she could understand basic logic.

A stolen kiss—as long as she wasn’t caught red-handed and left no evidence, it was impossible to discover.

All she had to do was stand tall.

With that thought, Shen Ran completely shelved what she had done in the office earlier, showing a “pull up her skirt and deny everything” attitude. She would save it for late-night indulgence under the covers, savoring it alone.

Watching Su Yichen’s profile as he sorted files in front of the desk, Shen Ran couldn’t help but reveal an infatuated expression.

For the first time, she experienced the feeling of being anxious about gains and losses—something she had only read about in books before.

She had only read about it, never felt it.

And even stronger than that was the… moral transgression of stealing.

Shen Ran didn’t know how to describe this feeling. The sensory and psychological thrill was something she had never experienced since birth.

Sensory-wise, Su Yichen’s body was a delicacy she had never tasted.

She had already firmly memorized that taste. She knew…

She would never forget this first kiss in her entire life.

Just standing here and looking at Su Yichen, she couldn’t help but recall the blissful peak from an hour ago.

And mentally, as a girl who had only buried her head in books all her life, the novelty and excitement this brought her was like riding a roller coaster for the first time.

Just as Shen Ran was lost in thought, Su Yichen had already organized the documents and stood before her.

“Let’s go, Shen Ran.” Su Yichen glanced at her and said.

Shen Ran had been paying attention to his movements and didn’t zone out. She immediately responded:

“Mm~”

“By the way, Su Yichen, have you eaten?”

“I just came from the library, haven’t eaten yet. If you haven’t either, how about we grab a meal together?”

The girl extended the invitation naturally.

“…Alright.”

Su Yichen thought about it and agreed.

The two walked down together, taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Su Yichen led Shen Ran around the entire office building. They got lucky—though it was usually break time, the people they needed to meet were all there, and the documents were successfully handed over.

By the time they reached the first floor, both Su Yichen and Shen Ran had finished their work, feeling a weight off their shoulders.

“Su Yichen, what do you want to eat for lunch?”

Standing on the curb in front of the School Literature and Art Union Department, Shen Ran searched for nearby restaurants on her phone.

As if the intimate act of kissing had drawn them closer, the girl’s tone subtly carried a hint of familiarity.

While searching, Shen Ran secretly glanced at Su Yichen’s profile from the corner of her eye. The more she looked, the more amazed she became, her eyes filled with wonder.

Only from this close could she see just how handsome this boy truly was.

But those glasses were just too ugly.

Thinking this, Shen Ran scrolled on her phone and secretly opened a hidden album in her gallery.

There were dozens of photos inside.

Su Yichen lying in a chair, deeply asleep, his lips visibly messy and smeared.

‘So beautiful.’

Su Yichen with his glasses on was the final straw.

Shen Ran knew that if she had a chance to do it over, she would be drawn to his personality and talent, then amazed by his looks, and finally, the glasses would be the last straw.

She would still fall for him, and…

Even more unreservedly.

After quickly glancing at the photos on the screen, she closed them and reopened the food app.

Then she suddenly realized Su Yichen hadn’t answered her.

“Su Yichen?”

The girl’s heart involuntarily tightened.

“Hm?”

Su Yichen, who had been chatting with Huohua, snapped out of it and smiled. “You pick, Shen Ran.”

“Oh… okay.”

A sudden wave of disappointment washed over Shen Ran, something she had never felt before.

‘Is Su Yichen… thinking about someone else?’

‘Lizi, Xiaoya…’

‘Or Senior Sister Qingqiu?’

Shen Ran’s eyes swept over the food options on the screen, but her mind had already started wandering.

“Mr. Su, after watching for so long, do you think it’s Shen Ran?”

Huohua voiced its doubt.

“…I don’t know. Who dares to judge? I don’t have absolute certainty.”

Su Yichen sighed and said:

“She’s acted very normal the whole way.”

“To be honest, the plot I’m most worried about right now… is Shen Ran kissing me, and Mo Qingqiu recording the video.”

“Then that bad woman gets all hyped up on drama and tosses the video to Tong Ya and Luo Yueli.”

“But the chances of that happening are pretty low. Qingqiu, that fun-seeker, has a big appetite. Small games can’t feed her.”

“Then the trouble would be huge.”

Just then, Shen Ran’s voice interrupted Huohua:

“Su Yichen, what do you think of this restaurant?”

“Let me see.”

Taking the phone, Su Yichen frowned slightly.

“Isn’t this a bit expensive? With this per-person cost, if we go Dutch, we’ll each have to pay a hundred.”

“How about we eat in the cafeteria? There should still be food there at this hour.”

After being fleeced by Tong Wen yesterday, though he didn’t care as much about money, life still had to go on. He didn’t know how long he’d be stuck in this void realm.

“It’s fine.”

Shen Ran waved her hand and said:

“My treat. Senior Sister Qingqiu has already given me my wages in advance.”

The girl herself didn’t realize that she had unknowingly developed a hint of familiarity in her demeanor toward Su Yichen.