Xu Han did not return to his dorm after class; instead, he hailed a cab at the school gate and left.
Nobody knew where he had gone.
Until he pushed a wheelchair and appeared in Room 1101 of the faculty apartment building.
He had made sure Jiang Yanan wasn't around before rushing over.
Tang Shiying lowered her gaze to look at the wheelchair, then looked up at Xu Han's deadpan earnestness.
*Little fellow, did you really have to go to such lengths?*
"Student Xu, I feel like I haven't reached the point of needing a wheelchair yet."
"My injury will heal in a couple of days anyway. This is kind of a waste!"
Xu Han followed her gaze. The swelling on her foot had indeed gone down quite a bit, but she still didn't dare put any weight on it.
Tang Shiying's face flushed slightly. He was looking at her foot again; their previous two encounters were still fresh in her mind.
Even though her feet were quite pretty, having a guy stare at them like that felt somewhat awkward.
Xu Han unfolded the wheelchair and motioned for her to sit down.
"I rented this. We can just return it when you're better."
Hearing him say that, Tang Shiying stopped insisting and obediently sat in the wheelchair.
She had to admit, it felt quite comfortable—much better than hopping around on one foot.
Usually, Jiang Yanan came over to take care of her, but Jiang had classes to attend too. Being left alone in the room made getting around genuinely inconvenient.
Besides, the little fellow couldn't be by her side all the time.
If Xu Han had heard that thought, he would have been over the moon; he was dying to stay by Tang Shiying's side every second of the day.
"I'll push you downstairs for a stroll in a while. Staying cooped up inside all day must be suffocating."
Xu Han pushed Tang Shiying over to the dining table and set down the bone broth he had brought with him.
He retrieved a small bowl and a spoon from the kitchen and poured out a generous portion.
"It's just right to drink now, not too hot."
Xu Han tested the temperature with his hand before placing it in front of Tang Shiying.
Tang Shiying didn't move. She just looked at him, lost in thought.
Xu Han tilted his head. "Is it too greasy? Do you not like it?"
"I originally wanted to buy the ingredients and make it myself, but I don't know how to cook. I went—"
"No, I really like... drinking it."
Tang Shiying cut him off with a faint smile, her normally icy face looking remarkably gentle.
"It's too much, I can't finish it all. Let's share!"
Without standing on ceremony, Xu Han went to the kitchen to grab another set of cutlery, sat down opposite Tang Shiying, and dug in.
He carefully used his chopsticks to strip the meat off the large marrow bones, placed it into a side bowl, and pushed it across the table.
Tang Shiying watched his actions out of the corner of her eye.
He looked bold enough, yet whenever he got close to her, he grew cautious and tentative. Still, he seemed utterly sincere—just a little bit blockheadedly earnest.
And so the two of them sat at the same dining table, finishing the bone broth face-to-face.
Right then, Xu Han made up his mind to learn how to cook. Those guys on TV who could cook were pretty charming, after all.
Night was falling.
Tang Shiying let Xu Han push her down to the small park downstairs.
Ever since she sprained her foot, she hadn't stepped outside. She was itching for some fresh air.
A evening breeze swept past, tangling her hair. A slender finger reached out to brush the stray strands aside.
*The little fellow is getting bolder by the day. Time to teach him a lesson.*
Xu Han basked in the gentle evening breeze as a faint, pleasant fragrance drifted into his nose—it was the scent of Tang Shiying's shampoo, and it smelled wonderful.
"Do you know how old I am?"
The person in the wheelchair asked out of nowhere.
Xu Han froze for a second.
"You mean my age?"
"What else could I mean?"
*I honestly can't tell if this little fellow is truly clueless or just playing dumb.*
"Eighteen!"
Xu Han added a quick qualifier: "Don't girls always stay eighteen forever?"
Tang Shiying chuckled inwardly: *The little fellow certainly has a sweet tongue.*
"It seems you're quite good at sweet-talking girls."
"I'm not!"
Xu Han shook his head. Looking down, he couldn't see Tang Shiying's expression.
"My second sister told me. She said my mouth is too clumsy, and that whenever I see a pretty girl, I should say things like that."
The corners of Tang Shiying's lips turned up. *As expected, a total blockhead. Senior Sister Xu really knows her younger brother inside and out.*
"Have you said that to a lot of girls?"
"Nope."
"Why not? There are plenty of pretty girls in your class."
"None of them are as pretty as you."
As soon as Xu Han dropped that line, Tang Shiying's face instantly turned bright red.
What girl doesn't like being complimented by a guy?
The little fellow delivered a straight pitch without any warning—who could possibly withstand that?
In the park, a boy pushed a girl sitting in a wheelchair as they strolled slowly along.
They looked like a couple destined to spend their lives together. The occasional passerby would cast an extra glance their way. It was a scene full of warmth and romance.
In this fast-paced era, Xu Han preferred this kind of slow-burn romance. For two people to go from strangers to soulmates required walking a very long road hand in hand.
Some people fell in love at first sight, while others were driven by infatuation with looks, but he preferred long-lasting companionship.
Love was impulsive, but true love stayed fresh forever.
In his previous life, Xu Han and his path had barely crossed with Tang Shiying's, and his understanding of her was pitifully scant. So this time, taking it slow would yield a much better result.
Just as the two were getting ready to head back, they ran into a middle-aged vendor at the park exit selling candied haws.
His peddling cries caught Xu Han's attention.
"Teacher Tang, would you like some candied haws?"
In his impression, girls should all love this kind of sweet treat.
Tang Shiying glanced at them and said nothing.
She was actually torn. Did she want to eat them?
But she was a teacher, for goodness' sake! Those were things little girls liked.
Besides, her student was standing right beside her, and she still wanted to maintain some dignity!
Before she could make up her mind, Xu Han had already walked up to the vendor.
"One of each! Get me the big ones."
"Coming right up!"
Seeing someone patronizing his stall, the vendor beamed with enthusiasm.
He picked out the largest skewer, slipped it into a bag, and handed it to Xu Han.
"Here you go! Come back again if you like them!"
Xu Han thanked him, walked back to Tang Shiying, and held out a skewer in each hand right in front of her eyes.
Only children make choices—we're having both!
Tang Shiying blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering gently as she felt like a spoiled child being doted on.
It was a strange, pampered feeling.
To the outside world, she always seemed ice-cold toward everyone, which led people to think she was difficult to get along with. Many boys had liked her, but after being rejected so many times, very few dared to approach her anymore.
And so, holding a skewer of candied haws in each hand, she was pushed all the way back to her apartment by Xu Han.
The front door opened, and their eyes met—or rather, six eyes met, because Jiang Yanan had arrived.
Jiang stared at Tang Shiying sitting in the wheelchair holding the candied haws, then shifted her gaze up to glare at Xu Han.
Finally, her eyes locked onto the candied haws.
"Tangtang, did you specifically go downstairs to buy these for me?"
"Right! I knew you were coming over, so I prepared them for you ahead of time."
Reluctantly, Tang Shiying handed over the candied haws in her hands.
Then she turned back to look at Xu Han. "You should head back first."
He had been abandoned once again...