Fancy Me, Professor!

"H-hey, Shu Xian. Let's eat together."

Shu Xian couldn't believe what she just saw. Her mouth opened to say something, but no words left her lips as she stared at the appetizing pasta that was served on the table, along with a delicious-looking chocolate shake with whipped cream on top.

Shu Xian even found it funny that she would want to demand for a cherry on top of it, but still… Zhong Li obviously bought this for a takeout and it's for her even—which actually surprised her!

Shu Xian blinked her eyes a few times in disbelief. It was obvious that it's for her but then, it's as if she wanted to look for a confirmation as she asked Zhong Li a question.

"Is this for me?"

"Y-yes," Zhong Li answered with a stammer, clearing his throat as well while he tugged the neckline of his shirt as if he was finding the difficulty to breathe. "It's yours."

Shu Xian hesitantly sat across him. With her putting her bao and then bottled of water down beside the pasta, she actually smiled at the food before her, the girl already slowly pulling the plate towards her.

Zhong Li smiled approvingly, happy that he was able to get something good for Shu Xian. With him immediately giving her a disposable fork, Shu Xian took it from him gratefully and started to twirl the fork on the pasta for easy consummation.

"Why did you buy me food? Do you need something?"

"What?"

Zhong Li blinked his eyes a few times, quite unsure of what she meant. After Shu Xian put one forkful of pasta in her mouth, she chewed and swallowed slowly before she allowed herself to speak again to reply to his query.

"I mean… you always give me food when you need something. Is there something troubling you in your English activities?"

Zhong Li felt a slight pang of pain in his heart for his intentions to be seen this way. Shu Xian saw his gestures as something that he does because he needed something when in truth, he was genuinely giving her food with no hidden intentions.

Well, Zhong Li knew that he is to blame for that. For the past few days that Shu Xian was helping him in his English activities, Zhong Li often thanked her by giving her food.

However, during her birthday, he had given her food as his present to her as well. Although, now that it's an ordinary day and with him not actually seeking help from her in doing his homework, it was understandable that Shu Xian might think that he needed something.

"Zhong Li?"

Shu Xian calling out to him had snapped him out of his stupor. With Zhong Li looking at her, Shu Xian slightly cocked her head to the side, her brows slightly furrowed together as she took a small sip of the sweet, chocolate shake beside her pasta.

"What's wrong? Are you shy of asking help from me? You know, you shouldn't because—"

"I'm not seeking for help," Zhong Li interrupted, his voice rather snappy as he found it difficult to voice out his feelings. "I mean… I'm not giving you food because I need something."

Shu Xian set aside her drink on the table again. With a small smile on her face, she asked him a question—almost in a mumble to herself since she didn't know whether it'd be good to ask this to a slightly aloof guy such as Zhong Li.

"You mean… you just wanted to give me food?"

"Yes…"

Zhong Li had a soft hint of pink on his face, visible for Shu Xian to see.

She wanted to tease him since this is not something usual to see on a man such as him, but then again, she wouldn't want to make things awkward between them so she just kept her comment to herself.

'Zhong Li looks cute and is actually nice!'

"A-Anyway," Zhong Li started, stammering again. "Enjoy eating. I just… wanted to hang out with you and get to know you better."

"Oh!"

Now this took Shu Xian by surprise, but it wasn't something that bothersome. She grinned ear to ear at Zhong Li and proceeded to eat, actually happy that Zhong Li looked like he was willing to be friends with her.

"I'm sorry to comment about this…" Shu Xian trailed off, taking another forkful of pasta in her mouth before continuing right after she chewed and swallowed. "But I take it that this is difficult for you to do and say aloud since it's something that you don't often do?"

Zhong Li nodded. "Yes."

"Well…" Shu Xian beamed, making Zhong Li's heart race in his chest as he saw the most beautiful smile ever. "You don't have to worry. I'm actually glad that you see me as your potential friend."

Both of them hadn't said anything. With Shu Xian continuing to eat as she enjoyed her food, Zhong Li just watched her with a small smile on his face, thinking about the girl in front of him and what the hell was he doing that was so out of character.

Zhong Li knew that he had never done this before. He knew that this was something foreign to him—making friends with someone else, and a female at that.

When he became close with Yan Yan, it only came naturally and he wasn't actually the one who did the effort into talking to her much. Yan Yan was talkative during their work hours together and Zhong Li got used to it until she crawled her way into being his friend.

But with Shu Xian, it was different. Both of them only started talking because she was helping him with his English activities but now he's making his way into doing efforts such as talking with her voluntarily and also giving her simple gifts such as food.

The latter part about him giving food as a gift was what surprised him, to be honest. He knew that he was stingy and selfish when it came to food and that he was frugal—not spending his money unless he needed and wanted to.

However, when Shu Xian came to mind, he didn't know why, but he'd be happy to do something for her.

Even something as simple as this is okay as long as he'd be able to put a smile on her face.

With Zhong Li now showing Shu Xian his sweetest smile, Shu Xian was slightly taken aback the moment their eyes met. With her straightening her posture on the seat, she felt quite uneasy to be watched while eating, now pushing her bao to Zhong Li.

The man before her blinked his eyes a few times. With him reluctantly getting the bao from her, he arched a brow at her and asked a question.

"What's this?"

"You eat. Take it," Shu Xian answered immediately, the corner of her lips being tugged into a smile. "I don't like it when I'm the only one eating but you aren't."

Zhong Li took the bao and opened its bag with a big smile on his face. He couldn't help but comment about what she said, taking a bite of the bao afterward.

"You're too nice, Shu Xian."

"You, too, Zhong Li," she replied, taking her milkshake to have another sip. "I actually like the food that you gave me. It's as if I'm expecting to see you every time it's my break now."

What she said made him stop chewing for a while, but soon, he continued doing so for him to swallow his food.

As Shu Xian continued eating her food the moment she put her drink down, Zhong Li was pulled into his own thoughts again, what she said ringing in his mind three times.

'It's as if I'm expecting to see you every time it's my break now.'

'It's as if I'm expecting to see you every time it's my break now.'

'It's as if I'm expecting to see you every time it's my break now.'

Zhong Li now thought to himself if he would be finding himself frequently in the student lounge just for Shu Xian to have her break with him. He even started to think about the food that he's going to bring and started calculating how much he will spend for the week!

Because of that, his body almost stiffened upon the realization that he is slowly and somewhat changing because of the woman before him, making him look at her one more time as he took another bite of his bao.

As Shu Xian continued eating her food, she was now oblivious about him watching her as she enjoyed taking each forkful of pasta in her mouth, along with the small sips of her chocolate drink to push the food down.

Zhong Li became aware of the beating of his own heart—how it was racing in his chest while he couldn't keep his gaze away from Shu Xian before him.

Only then did he realize that Yan Yan could be right.

He is starting to like her—and that's the only accepted justification as to why he suddenly started changing.

It was because of her and he actually liked the idea. 

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