Chapter 93: Chapter 87: I Didn't Want It, She Insisted.
An Nuannuan really liked to eat hot pot.
Moreover, she also really liked the abnormally spicy kind in the Chongqing-style nine-grid pot.
Just as the beef balls were ready, she couldn't wait to pick one up and placed it on her plate to blow on it.
It's just that her loose strands of hair always seemed to obstruct her speed of eating.
"Hello, could you get me a rubber band?"
Xu Musen said to the waitress.
"Sure, do you need help with it?" The waitress took out a hair tie from her pocket.
"I've got it, thank you."
Xu Musen took the hair tie, rose to his feet, and came up behind An Nuannuan: "Let me help you tie up your hair."
"Uh-huh."
An Nuannuan nodded, as Xu Musen gathered up her enviable, silky strands of hair that felt just like silk.
Xu Musen expertly tied up her hair and even used a disposable chopstick to help her twist it into a bun.
This skilled technique even had the waitress who was originally going to help out looking impressed.
Finding a handsome guy who could also tie up a girl's hair, and do such a good job of it, was indeed rare.
Sure enough, the better-looking the guy, the more charming he tends to be.
"You're really good."
An Nuannuan touched her hair bun, her eating speed could at least double without the hair getting in the way!
She then generously offered Xu Musen the beef ball she had just fished out.
Musen also blanched a slice of tripe for her and watched the young girl eat with her mouth smeared in red chili oil, fanning herself due to the spiciness.
Musen couldn't help but say, "If you like hot pot this much, you really should have applied to a school in Sichuan."
"I did consider it for a bit, but grandma said the medical facilities there aren't as good as here, and also, there's no one to take care of me over there."
There was a hint of regret in An Nuannuan's voice.
Xu Musen remembered that this little girl had mentioned her mom was from Sichuan.
But all this time, he had never seen her parents; she always talked about her grandparents instead.
Xu Musen had never asked about the specifics.
As friends, all that mattered was treating each other sincerely.
"No worries, actually this place is quite good too. We have all kinds of delicacies and snacks from around the country. If you want, you can eat something different every day throughout your four years of college."
"Then will you keep accompanying me out during these four years of college?" An Nuannuan looked up with some expectation in her eyes.
Xu Musen looked at her silly, cute appearance and felt a tickle in his heart.
"Sure."
...
After the meal, Xu Musen pushed her along the school's paths.
An Nuannuan was gulping down a cup of milk tea.
Having delicious hot pot followed by sweet milk tea was just the ultimate happiness in life.
The night weather was cool, feeling especially comfortable blowing on the two of them.
When they arrived at the girls' dormitory entrance, Xu Musen slowed his steps, not sure why.
He felt a reluctance to part, much like after a first date with a girl.
"Xu Musen."
"Hmm?"
"I'm so happy today. On my first day of college, you came to pick me up, made my bed, and treated me to food. You're the only person other than my family who is so good to me without asking for anything in return."
An Nuannuan spoke earnestly, and her voice even seemed sweeter, perhaps because of the milk tea.
"Actually, I'm not that nice. At first, I was just coaxing you to do paintings for me."
"But you paid me a salary."
The fifty yuan salary, which probably meant next to nothing to this rich girl whose family owned a Rolls-Royce.
Yet seeing An Nuannuan's serious expression, Xu Musen increasingly felt something pure in his heart.
In an era where cunning and deception were everywhere, her presence was like a breath of fresh air.
"Nuannuan, if you hadn't known me earlier, would you still trust me like you do now?"
"But I've known you for a long time, every time you confessed, I was the one who picked up the flowers you threw away. And..."
"Cough cough, let's not bring up the embarrassing past."
Xu Musen felt goosebumps all over just thinking about it.
An Nuannuan gave an "oh" and watched Xu Musen with her large, blinking eyes.
"Actually, I'm also really happy. You know, in college, it's nice to have a friend to hang out with, go shopping, and eat together..."
Xu Musen smiled in response, unaware of the fleeting gleam in An Nuannuan's eyes.
Being with An Nuannuan was always very relaxing for Xu Musen.
Perhaps it was because in his past life, he had felt too controlled.
It was like being wrapped in a blanket, warm and comfortable, but the feeling of being completely restrained and unable to move, completely at the mercy of others, was just too painful.
But when he was with An Nuannuan, Musen felt especially relaxed and even had a desire to take care of her and possess her...
Musen was sure he wasn't a lunatic, but he was somewhat influenced after all.
When ordinary people fall in love, they also subconsciously want to know more about their significant other.
Things like checking in, looking through the phone, and so on, are all expressions of possessiveness.
As long as it doesn't cross the bottom line in the other person's heart, it can also be a way to express affection for each other.
The status of a friend is stable but also fragile.
He looked at An Nuannuan's cheeks, then smiled faintly in his heart.
Forget it, things are pretty good as they are now.
If he allowed himself to think too much, he might just scare her away.
"Xu Musen."
An Nuannuan suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
"What's up?"
"Look over there, under that tree."
An Nuannuan pointed to a spot under a tree where the light was dim, where a young couple was hugging each other.