So It Was An Nuan

Seeing that Liu Chang'an had nothing left to do, An Nuan sat up a little straighter, waiting in anticipation, thinking he would surely want to say something now.

The sound of reading aloud filled the air. On the other side, Lin Xinhuai was flipping through his book with a loud rustle. Further away, Miao Yingying kept looking back from time to time—it was hard to tell if she was watching Lin Xinhuai, but word was that Lin Xinhuai had confessed, and the two were now together.

People were moving about in the classroom, the noisy footsteps making it hard to focus. Outside the window, the leaves rustled, as if stirring up her own restless emotions. Pricking up her ears, she heard classmates in front whispering about what happened that night. An Nuan felt a pang of regret for not being part of it, yet she also knew that if she had been there, she would have been completely at a loss.

The May weather wasn't exactly scorching, but she felt sweat in her palms. An Nuan looked down at her legs pressed together; a young girl's secrets were as mysterious as her own body. With the college entrance exam approaching, An Nuan knew she shouldn't let her mind wander, but that shy anticipation felt like the desire for the bayberries of the season—she knew they were sour and wouldn't be sweet, that one light bite would make her teeth ache and her whole body shiver, yet she still wanted to wash them, hold them in her hand, gaze at that alluring crimson, and bite down without hesitation.

The juices would burst forth, filling her mouth with the passion and tartness of the post-plum-rain season. That must be incredibly satisfying, right?

No, it wasn't as if she had to find someone to date... An Nuan primly reaffirmed her state of mind. It was just that since Liu Chang'an had done those things, shouldn't he explain something to her, say something... express something?

Of course, there was also the matter of him hugging some woman on the street. As a friend... surely it was only natural for her to pay attention, even if just under the guise of "gossip"?

When morning classes ended, An Nuan went to the restroom with several other girls; girls always liked to travel in packs for such things.

But today, their smiles were a bit ambiguous. No matter the time or place, gossip and rumors always spread faster than disasters.

"So it really is An Nuan..."

"It's An Nuan!"

"It really is An Nuan..."

The seemingly inexplicable giggles and exclamations made An Nuan blush to the roots of her hair. She swatted at them in mock annoyance, though she had been mentally prepared to be teased by her classmates.

Zhang Taole and An Nuan were close; back in middle school, they had played volleyball together until Zhang Taole stopped growing and gave up the sport. She grabbed An Nuan's hand and put on a heavy expression. "From today on, my wife is being handed over to someone else. Who's going to make me a green hat?"

"You're dead!" An Nuan raised her hand and smacked Zhang Taole on the forehead. Since she was taller, she swatted her just like she was hitting a ball.

"Nuan Nuan, what are you thinking?"

Actually, this was the crux of the gossip. Everyone believed Liu Chang'an's actions were an indirect confession, and how the story unfolded was naturally up to An Nuan.

"I'm not thinking anything! I think this whole thing is just hearsay that spread suddenly; it's probably a misunderstanding," An Nuan said with a serious expression. "Stop talking nonsense. Since the rumors about Liu Chang'an falling down because of Bai Hui lasted for three years, this might just be the same kind of misunderstanding."

An Nuan made sense. Zhang Taole was about to nod, but then she suddenly reacted, jumping up. "What are you talking about? There's a video as proof! Liu Chang'an was so deep and affectionate, even I was moved! How could this be a misunderstanding? You might as well say it was a confession scene for a movie!"

The crowd's excitement flared up again. If it wasn't a misunderstanding, they could keep gossiping; the passion for gossip always filled people with excitement.

An Nuan's cheeks were flushed, and she had nothing left to say, because she had watched that video once... actually, many, many times—so many that she was too embarrassed to admit the number.

At noon, An Nuan and Liu Chang'an went off-campus to eat, and Gao Dewei asked them to pack some food for him.

"I went to the construction site to move bricks all afternoon yesterday and earned another two hundred yuan. I'll treat you to lunch today." Liu Chang'an tilted his head to look at An Nuan. The girl's cheeks had a soft, moist glow, looking even more delicate than usual. Her long hair was tied up with a rainbow-colored hair tie, the ends bouncing with every step, looking very lively.

An Nuan nodded without hesitation, walking forward with her hands behind her back, kicking her legs. She gave a light cough. "You went to move bricks yesterday afternoon... but what about the morning? I heard you were out on a date with your girlfriend, shopping and even hugging."

As she spoke, An Nuan glared at Liu Chang'an with displeasure. As a friend, if he was secretly dating someone, he should have told her, right? So, her current unpleasant attitude was only natural, surely?

It wouldn't make people think she was jealous, nor was it meddling in other people's business. An Nuan felt she had struck the perfect balance.

"Thanks to her, I was able to keep moving bricks in the afternoon. She was the one who hired me to do it yesterday." Liu Chang'an understood the reason, of course. Fan Jian was a decent guy, but he wouldn't make trouble for no reason... that pile of bricks yesterday could have been cleared in two trips by a loader.

"She hired you to move bricks?" An Nuan couldn't help but be curious. Chen Changxiu had sent her the secretly taken photos, and while An Nuan did feel a bit sour, she felt it definitely wasn't what it looked like at first glance. She wasn't that kind of brainless girl.

It could be said that before a relationship is confirmed, girls are often more rational and logical; once they are in a relationship, seeing such photos is a different story.

"It's a pity she only needed me to move bricks. I'm not as handsome as Du Mu or Qin Guan..." Liu Chang'an said with regret. "Actually, Pan An wasn't as handsome as everyone imagines, but Du Mu and Qin Guan were typical handsome scholars. It is said: 'Du Mu had a beautiful appearance, loved singing and dancing, and his romantic style was quite unrestrained, unable to control himself...' Su Shi even painted a portrait of Qin Guan, saying he had a natural, reclusive air, full of immortal charm and chivalry, even when he was down and out... Qin Guan once wrote a poem, Dreaming of Yangzhou..."

"Don't change the subject." An Nuan didn't want to listen to Liu Chang'an ramble; she felt he was doing it on purpose. "Why did she ask you to move bricks instead of someone else?"

"I have her business card." Liu Chang'an waved his hand. "It should be in my schoolbag. I'll give it to you later, and you can ask her yourself."

An Nuan wouldn't do such a thing. In fact, that wasn't what she was most concerned about. What was said first definitely wasn't the important part. She had seen the photos Chen Changxiu took—that woman was wearing black stockings! Such a woman was very mature, definitely much older than Liu Chang'an. What kind of relationship could they possibly have?

"Just someone I met on the road. An electric scooter almost hit her, so I held her for a moment. Chen Changxiu sent those to you, right?" Liu Chang'an finally laughed. "You're quite the busybody."

"Who's busy with you!" An Nuan couldn't help but retort, noticing a hint of coquettishness in her voice, her cheeks warming up.

They arrived at the restaurant, ordered, and were served. Liu Chang'an asked for a takeout box to pack food for Gao Dewei.

An Nuan poked at the rice in her bowl, watching Liu Chang'an, who still showed no sign of explaining things to her. She couldn't help it anymore.

Her view was different from others. Liu Chang'an was definitely not the type to like being high-profile. He might write a poem or a love letter, but it was almost impossible for him to confess in front of everyone. An Nuan had watched the video many times; Liu Chang'an had only explained the truth of the matter. Even though his tone was very gentle and made An Nuan's heart race, he never once explicitly said he liked her from start to finish. He only said that An Nuan was very pretty.

Complimenting a girl on being pretty was a very normal thing for Liu Chang'an, wasn't it? Bystanders had one perspective, but An Nuan, caught in the middle, was anxious and uneasy, inevitably overthinking things.