The tall figure slid into the seat across from her, setting down his tray with unhurried elegance. Jiang Cheng.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The shadowed corner felt brighter, sharper, simply because he sat there. His uniform was immaculate, tie aligned, his every gesture precise, as though even the cafeteria noise bent around his existence.
An Ran froze, chopsticks suspended midair. She could almost feel the weight of his presence pressing against her, his confidence filling the space like sunlight.
When she dared to lift her eyes, he was already eating with calm grace, expression unreadable. She realized with horror that she was staring, and before she could snap her gaze away, his dark eyes caught hers.
Her face flushed crimson. She ducked her head so quickly her glasses nearly slipped off.
He smirked. A faint, fleeting curve of his lips, half amusement, half superiority. He didn't need words. That look alone was enough to remind her how small she was in comparison.
Her gaze fell to the side of his tray, where his book lay open. It wasn't anything advanced, just one of their general subjects. But business management, it could be useful for qin mo ran. She decides to check the library for anything similar later.
He noticed her glance. His voice broke the silence, low and smooth.
"Do you want it?"
Her stomach flipped. What?
"Ah... I… y-yes. I mean, if you don't, um...if it's okay…" Her words tumbled out clumsy and half-formed. She wanted to bury herself under the table.
Jiang Cheng said nothing. He merely brushed the book toward her with the back of his hand, not a gift, not an offering, just a casual motion."Figures," he murmured, more to himself than to her.
An Ran snatched the book, hugging it to her chest as if she had been handed something precious. "Th-thank you. I'll take good care of it."
The faint smirk lingered on his lips. Not kindness, just amusement at her fluster.
Around them, whispers stirred.
"Did she just take his book?"
"She's dead if Lin Ruoyi finds out."
"Does she even know who she's messing with?"
Another voice sneered from further away. "She doesn't belong here. Just look at her."
An Ran's chopsticks trembled in her hand. She forced her eyes down, pretending not to hear, while her heart thudded painfully in her chest.
Jiang Cheng, however, didn't so much as blink. He ate slowly, as if the gossip didn't exist, as if every voice in the cafeteria was background noise unworthy of his notice. That unbothered air only made the contrast sharper, her shrinking versus his untouchable pride.
For a fleeting second, she almost envied him.
When the bell rang, he stood, straight-backed and perfectly composed, slipping his tray away. He passed her without so much as a glance, leaving behind the faint trace of his presence and the eyes that still burned on her from the other tables.
She looked down at the book he had brushed toward her. The name written inside was in elegant, deliberate strokes: Jiang Cheng.
Her fingers traced the ink, a strange flutter in her chest.
***
Classes dragged on afterward, but her mind was set. If she wanted to keep her promise, if she truly wanted Qin Mo Ran to have a chance at studying, she needed materials.
Xu Haoran's notes.
The dismissal bell rang, and students flooded the hallways in a sea of chatter. She tightened her straps, hugging Jiang Cheng's book against her chest, and searched for Xu Haoran.
It wasn't difficult. Wherever he went, people gathered. Girls lingered at the doorway with feigned questions, boys called his name with laughter too loud. His neat uniform and effortless charm only made him shine brighter among them.
An Ran hovered at the edge of the crowd, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She looked ridiculous standing there, like a wallflower waiting for sunlight that would never reach her.
Should I just leave?
Her chance came unexpectedly. A teacher approached, murmuring something about a report. Xu Haoran nodded, excusing himself from his friends and stepping into the staff office. The group outside waited loyally, still buzzing in conversation.
An Ran's pulse raced. She couldn't approach him in front of so many eyes. But when he came out, yes, that would be her moment.
She hovered discreetly, pretending to check her phone, fiddling with the strap of her bag. Every second stretched like hours.
Finally, the door opened. Xu Haoran emerged, holding a folder, his expression calm as ever.
Before they could surround him again, An Ran darted forward.
"Um... Xu Haoran!" Her voice cracked slightly.
He paused, brows lifting faintly as he turned toward her.
Her throat tightened. But she forced the words out anyway. "C... could I… borrow your sheets? The last set for business management. I... I need them."