Chapter 1602

Before Mu Nuan had clarified things with Ye Heng'an, she avoided him cautiously. But after laying everything out, she became much more open about it. Now, when they occasionally crossed paths from a distance, she no longer sneaked away in fear of him spotting her. Instead, she avoided him outright—choosing the nearest turn to take a different route. Even if that path led nowhere, she’d simply turn around and walk another way. Today, Xiao Qingqing was unusually free from her boyfriend’s clinginess. After class, she linked arms with Mu Nuan as they chatted on their way to the cafeteria. But as they walked, Mu Nuan suddenly slowed her steps and tugged Xiao Qingqing to turn around. Having experienced this a few times before, Xiao Qingqing guessed she must have spotted Ye Heng'an again and instinctively glanced back. And that glance instantly ignited her anger. "Nuan Nuan, is that Ye Heng'an’s girlfriend? How could he bring her to our school? Doesn’t he know everyone here thinks you two are together? This is such a slap in the face!" Mu Nuan observed the curious glances from passersby. In the month since Ye Heng'an had returned, they’d only had one meal together. Because someone had seen them, no breakup rumors had spread. Plus, Ye Heng'an frequently skipped classes and was rarely seen on campus, so most assumed their relationship was still going strong. But now, he’d brought *her* here—as if he couldn’t wait to announce to the world that they were "over." Mu Nuan smiled faintly at Xiao Qingqing and said gently, "It’s normal. When you’re in love, don’t you want the whole world to know? Come on, let’s not disturb them. Let’s go." Xiao Qingqing was still fuming, but seeing Mu Nuan completely unfazed, she could only swallow her frustration and follow. Just then, Kang Yao, standing beside Ye Heng'an, called out loudly, "Sister Nuan Nuan!" Mu Nuan frowned. *What does she want? So annoying.* Xiao Qingqing leaned in and whispered, "That girl’s calling you. If we just leave now, won’t it look like we’re backing down?" At this moment, Mu Nuan naturally couldn’t just walk away. After exchanging a glance with Xiao Qingqing, she turned around to find Kang Yao already trotting toward her, batting her wide, innocent eyes. “Nuan Nuan, what a coincidence! Heng’an brought me to visit his alma mater, and we ran into you right away. We must be fated, don’t you think?” Just then, Ye Heng’an strode over, one hand casually tucked into his pocket. His intense gaze locked onto Mu Nuan’s face, but she deliberately avoided meeting his eyes. Instead, she said lightly, “Quite the coincidence. Our campus is pretty big—it’ll take you a while to explore. You two should go ahead. My roommate and I have something to do.” Ye Heng’an asked coolly, “Heading to the cafeteria?” Mu Nuan nodded. Kang Yao sidled up to him, looping her arm through his and tilting her head coquettishly. “Heng’an, take me to your school’s cafeteria! I want to see how different it is from the ones abroad.” Ye Heng’an agreed, but before he could say more, Xiao Qingqing had had enough. The ship she once rooted for had sunk, and now it was time to protect her girl. Seizing the moment, she hooked her arm through Mu Nuan’s and flashed a mischievous grin. “Well, you two enjoy your meal. We’ve got plans—I’m taking Nuan Nuan to meet a guy we arranged to see today.” Mu Nuan stiffened, shooting her a startled look. *Since when did we agree to meet anyone?* Ye Heng’an’s expression darkened instantly, his piercing gaze freezing on Xiao Qingqing. His voice was icy. “What guy?” Xiao Qingqing feigned nonchalance. “Oh, just someone I set her up with. He’s a great catch—we’re meeting him for lunch. Anyway, we won’t keep you. See you around!” Behind her back, Mu Nuan’s fingers tightened on Xiao Qingqing’s sleeve, tugging in silent protest. Xiao Qingqing flashed a mischievous grin at her. "Let's go, we shouldn't keep people waiting." Mu Nuan had a sinking feeling in her chest when Kang Yao suddenly piped up, "Wow, really? What's the guy like? Is this like a blind date for you, Nuan Nuan?" Xiao Qingqing immediately countered, "How is this a blind date? Our senior has had a crush on Nuan Nuan for ages—it's more like he's pursuing her. And of course, our senior is amazing! He's a year older than Nuan Nuan, mature and dependable. Not like some people who claim to like someone but then turn around and fall for someone else. Tsk." She shot Ye Heng'an a disdainful glance before strutting off. Kang Yao turned and saw Ye Heng'an's face darken, his expression stormy. A shiver ran down her spine, but after a brief hesitation, she scurried after Mu Nuan. "Nuan Nuan, Heng'an and I will come with you! The more, the merrier—we can help you size him up!" Mu Nuan rubbed her temples in frustration. Without a man to show up, this whole charade would fall apart the moment they reached the cafeteria. Xiao Qingqing frowned and cut in sharply, "No need. Nuan Nuan has great taste—she’s got a built-in radar for filtering out losers." Mu Nuan tugged lightly at Xiao Qingqing’s sleeve. She had never considered Heng’an a jerk. After all, back then, he had confessed to her, and she was the one who turned him down. It wasn’t fair to badmouth him now just because he had moved on. This subtle gesture didn’t escape Ye Heng’an’s notice. A faint smirk curled at the corners of his lips as realization dawned on him. He stepped forward smoothly. "Then we definitely have to tag along. Nuan Nuan has always been a role model for all of us. We should see what kind of man could catch her eye." *Nuan Nuan-jie…* The formal address struck her like a physical blow. She remembered Nian Nian once saying that while all the younger siblings called her "jie," Heng’an had always simply called her "Nuan Nuan." In Nian Nian’s eyes, that had made Heng’an special to her. But now… Hannah was probably doing this to avoid any awkwardness in front of Kang Yao. That’s fine, too. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and said, "No need. When you were looking for a girlfriend, I didn’t step in as your older sister to vet her. I’m older than you, so I can make my own decisions. You should take Miss Kang around the campus now. There’s a new pavilion in the grove up ahead—the scenery is lovely. We’ll head off first." With that, she linked arms with Xiao Qingqing and walked away. But Ye Heng’an didn’t leave. Instead, he stayed close behind them with Kang Yao in tow. Mu Nuan sighed in exasperation and leaned in to whisper to Xiao Qingqing, "See? Spoke too soon. What do we do now? Should we just go back to the dorm?" "No way. I can’t just swallow this. Watch me." Xiao Qingqing shot her a sly wink, pulled out her phone, and discreetly sent a text. A moment later, a reply came through, and Xiao Qingqing exhaled in relief. "Let’s go, Nuan Nuan. It’s settled." "Settled how?" "To meet a man, of course..."