Chapter 1603

Mu Nuan was utterly bewildered as Xiao Qingqing dragged her to the cafeteria. Near the entrance, a tall young man in casual athletic wear was pacing back and forth. The moment he spotted the two girls, his cheeks visibly flushed as he hurried over. He nodded at Xiao Qingqing first before locking his gaze on Mu Nuan, his face turning even redder. "Nuan Nuan, you're here," he stammered. Mu Nuan offered him a polite smile, realizing Xiao Qingqing had actually found someone to help. She nodded gently and greeted, "Hello, Senior Bo Rui." Xiao Qingqing glanced over her shoulder at the two figures trailing behind them. When her eyes met Ye Heng'an's icy glare, a shiver ran down her spine. *That look…* It was eerily similar to his uncle’s—chilling enough to make her skin crawl. Quickly averting her gaze, she urged, "Come on, let’s go inside already." The three of them entered the cafeteria together. Xiao Qingqing motioned for them to sit while she went to grab food. Left alone, Mu Nuan and Lin Borui took their seats, an awkward tension settling between them. Lin Borui was a senior in Mu Nuan’s department and a student council officer. They had met two months after Ye Heng'an left, during a theater performance. Since then, Lin Borui had subtly shown his affection for her. Mu Nuan recognized his feelings but never encouraged them. To her, keeping things clear and distant was her way of rejection. Lin Borui, perceptive enough to understand her deliberate distance, never overstepped. Instead, he quietly stayed by her side—one of the few admirers she didn’t find irritating. They had always maintained a comfortable boundary. But sitting together like this now… it felt as if some unspoken balance had been disrupted. "Nuan Nuan, Qingqing texted me saying you broke up with your boyfriend, so she asked me to take you out for dinner..." Mu Nuan scratched her brow awkwardly, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "Senior, actually, there's been a misunderstanding. You can just finish your meal and go." "Nuan Nuan, if it's true, then I have something to say to you. The truth is, I've always..." Before he could finish, Ye Heng'an strode over with a dark expression. Both Mu Nuan and Lin Borui looked up. The moment Lin Borui saw Ye Heng'an, his face stiffened. Ye Heng'an, however, curled his lips into a cold smirk. "Mind if I join you?" Mu Nuan frowned, irritation flickering in her eyes. "You two should find another table. We're in the middle of something here." No sooner had she spoken than Kang Yao leaned closer to Lin Borui, a playful smile on her lips. "So you're the one chasing after Nuan Nuan? Not bad-looking. How old are you? What's your name? Do you even know Nuan Nuan's situation? She's—" "Miss Kang!" Mu Nuan's voice turned icy as she shot Kang Yao a sharp glare. "What business is it of yours to pry into other people's affairs?" Kang Yao pouted but, sensing Mu Nuan's frosty demeanor, didn't push further. Instead, she straightened up and looped her arm through Ye Heng'an's, cooing in a sugary tone, "Heng'an Gege, Nuan Nuan is so mean to me." Ye Heng'an's expression darkened. Just as he was about to pull his arm away, Mu Nuan stood up, her gaze distant and cold. "I won't comment on the girlfriends you choose, but at least learn to respect others and keep your distance. Now, could you please take your entourage and disappear from my sight?" This was the first time Ye Heng'an had ever seen Nuan Nuan lose her temper with him. He had never imagined things between them would come to this. Was it really such an unforgivable crime that he had confessed his feelings to her on his 18th birthday? His voice was low and heavy. "This is the school cafeteria." "Right," Mu Nuan scoffed with a cold laugh. "Thanks for reminding me. Seems I don’t have the authority to kick you out. Fine, stay if you want." Her gaze shifted back to Kang Yao, her voice dripping with icy disdain. "I don’t care whose girlfriend you are or what kind of family backing you have. Stay out of my business. I, Mu Nuan, am not someone you want to mess with. Push me too far, and I won’t care who you think you are!" With that, she turned away dismissively and settled back into her seat, flashing Lin Borui an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Senior." Lin Borui shook his head, sensing the tension but choosing not to intervene. Ye Heng'an pulled his arm free from Kang Yao’s grasp, his expression darkening. Without a word, he tossed his meal card at her and said tersely, "Get whatever you want yourself." Kang Yao pouted but took the card, turning away to order her food. Ye Heng'an strode over and sat down beside Mu Nuan, his silence heavy and unreadable. Their presence had completely soured Mu Nuan’s mood. She took a deep breath, then turned to Lin Borui. "Senior, I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. Maybe we can grab a meal together another time?" Lin Borui stood. "Let me walk you back, then." "Sure." As they rose to leave, Ye Heng'an abruptly seized Mu Nuan’s wrist, dragging her toward the exit. Mu Nuan struggled but couldn’t break free. Just then, Xiao Qingqing hurried over with two trays of food. Seeing the commotion, she immediately set them down and rushed forward, her voice sharp with alarm. "Hey, Ye! What the hell are you doing? Let go of Nuan Nuan!" Kang Yao, spotting the scene from a distance, dashed back and grabbed Xiao Qingqing’s arm, flashing her a conspiratorial grin. The entire cafeteria turned their heads as all eyes landed on them. Mu Nuan felt the heat of embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. "Ye Heng'an, let go!" she whispered sharply, her voice barely audible. But Ye Heng'an ignored her. Xiao Qingqing, having shaken off Kang Yao, rushed forward and planted herself between them, arms outstretched like a shield. She glared at Ye Heng'an with fiery defiance. Ye Heng'an's expression darkened, his voice icy. "Move. Unless you want to risk not graduating from this university in one piece." Not wanting the situation to escalate further, Mu Nuan stepped in. She gently patted Xiao Qingqing's shoulder and murmured, "It's fine. Go back and apologize to Senior for me. I'll handle this myself." Xiao Qingqing hesitated but finally relented, nodding before stepping back. This time, Mu Nuan didn’t need Ye Heng'an to drag her away. She strode out of the cafeteria on her own, eager to escape the prying stares. Once outside, she veered onto a quiet, deserted path before stopping abruptly. Turning to face him, she crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, her voice firm. "Hannah, out of respect for our families' long-standing friendship, I never wanted to make things ugly between us. But as a grown man, you should know boundaries. You already have a girlfriend—stop manhandling me in public." Her words spilled out, charged with frustration. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she added, "Oh, and it's time we ended this fake relationship. Honestly, it's my fault too. I saw you with your girlfriend but didn’t clarify things on the forum sooner. Now that you’ve brought her to campus, I get the message. I’ll post a statement later to make it official—we’re done. And tell your girlfriend to mind her own business. From now on, let’s avoid each other as much as possible. Ideally—" Before she could finish, Ye Heng'an closed the distance between them in one swift step. Cradling her face in his hands, he silenced her with a searing kiss.