The “Mediterranean” gentleman who had just greeted Si Nuo took one look at Guan Xingchen, and the combination of the man’s aura and the sharp, piercing gaze directed at him sent a shiver down his spine. Without a word, he turned and left, terrified of being stuck there a moment longer.
Si Nuo had no idea when the other man had left. His entire focus was fixed on Guan Xingchen, and the moment he saw him, instinct made him take a step back.
Guan Xingchen did not miss the panicked expression on the youth’s face and sighed inwardly. “Have a seat.”
As he spoke, Guan Xingchen walked to the opposite side and sat down. A service robot approached. “Sir, shall I serve the meal?”
“Yes, proceed,” Guan Xingchen said, before turning his gaze back to the youth sitting across from him. “I apologize for scaring you earlier.”
Suddenly hearing the man bring up the incident, Si Nuo looked up, surprised. He took a quick glance at him before averting his eyes. “How did you know it was me?”
“We met once before, and I have seen your profile.”
Si Nuo was somewhat taken aback. Did he remember me after seeing my profile just once? But that wasn’t the main point. “Um… I have something I want to tell you.”
“As it happens, I have something to tell you as well. You go first.” Guan Xingchen deliberately softened his voice, sensing that the youth was clearly nervous and uneasy in his presence.
Si Nuo picked at his fingers under the table. He truly hadn’t expected his match to be the same person who had terrified him twice. His heart hammered in his chest as he prepared to voice his rejection.
He pursed his lips, hesitated, and then tentatively said, “I am an orphan, and I’m currently studying at an art college. I don’t really have any special abilities, and I feel that I am not good enough for you. I hope you can understand.”
After finishing, Si Nuo gripped the tablecloth tightly, eyes cast downward, not daring to meet Guan Xingchen’s gaze. He knew, however, that the man across from him was watching him intently.
“I see. I already received your message of refusal earlier…” Guan Xingchen paused intentionally. He saw the youth lift his head in surprise, seemingly confused as to why the man hadn’t rejected him back. “I’d like to ask you a question, if I may?”
Si Nuo nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Is it true that you rejected me because you were afraid of me?”
The question hit the nail on the head. Si Nuo opened his mouth, unable to think of a way to defend himself. Is it really that obvious?
Little did he know, everything he was thinking was written all over his face.
A hint of a smile appeared in Guan Xingchen’s eyes. “It seems that is the case. Would you be willing to hear my proposal?”
Si Nuo nodded again, though his ears were burning hot this time.
“My situation is quite unique. The central system has only recommended you to me so far. You are my first matching candidate, and if I miss this chance, I don’t know when I will meet another. So, could you give me a chance to let us get to know each other? If, after spending time together, you feel we are not a good fit, we can stop at any time. I will respect your choice. Would that be acceptable?”
Si Nuo hadn’t expected that even after being so blunt, Guan Xingchen would still want to try. Looking at him, he was certain that the man was sincere.
It wouldn’t be polite to keep refusing over and over again, especially since the other party hadn’t forced a final decision. Even though Si Nuo felt that the outcome wouldn’t change even if they spent some time together, he nodded. “Okay.”
Seeing the youth nod, Guan Xingchen felt a strange sense of relief. “Thank you. Let’s eat.”
With Guan Xingchen sitting opposite him, Si Nuo tried his best not to dwell on his presence, but the man’s aura was simply too overwhelming. In fact, since the moment they sat down, many people had been “casually” walking by or glancing in their direction.
Feeling the need to break the awkward silence, Si Nuo asked, “Um, are you feeling better now?”
Seemingly surprised that he would ask after his health, Guan Xingchen’s eyes glowed with warmth. “Yes, I am fully recovered. Do not worry.”
He didn’t bring up that day again; he sensed that Si Nuo likely didn’t want to revisit the memory.
Si Nuo stopped eating after a while. It wasn’t that the food wasn’t delicious, but he couldn’t bring himself to eat comfortably in this situation. Guan Xingchen seemed to notice this but didn’t push him. Before leaving, he had the robot waiter bring over a beautifully wrapped box of cake. “The desserts here are quite good. Take this back to eat.”
Si Nuo was about to decline, but Guan Xingchen added, “This is a perk of our first meeting.”
By the time Si Nuo collected his thoughts, the gift was already in his hands. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome. Let’s go, I’ll send you back.”
Si Nuo didn’t refuse, he had already accepted the cake, after all, and he had promised to try getting to know the man. They left the Central Restaurant, and the adjutant, who was waiting by the hover-car, greeted Si Nuo with a smile before opening the door for them.
A private hover-car was much faster than public transportation. When they arrived at the school gate, Si Nuo thanked Guan Xingchen politely and was about to get out when the man called out to him: “Wait a moment.”
Si Nuo turned back, looking at him with slight unease. Guan Xingchen lifted his wrist, tapping against Si Nuo’s terminal. “All set. I am very happy to have met you today.”
Realizing the man had added him as a contact, Si Nuo felt his cheeks flush. “I, I am too!”
Leaving those words behind, Si Nuo pushed the door open and rushed into the school. Even without looking back, he could feel the man’s gaze lingering on him.
Guan Xingchen watched him run off without turning back, a thicker smile appearing in his eyes. He waited until the youth had disappeared into the building before turning to the adjutant in front. “Let’s go.”
The adjutant looked at Guan Xingchen through the rearview mirror. “Your Highness, are you satisfied with him?”
Guan Xingchen sat there, eyes half-closed. “What makes you say that?”
The adjutant laughed. “The way you look at him is… different.”
Guan Xingchen looked out the window, offering no response.
Si Nuo had originally intended to go back to his dorm, but halfway there, he received a message from Zhang Yu saying that their instructor, Old Zhao, had added an extra class and they needed to go to the classroom.
When Si Nuo arrived, he saw a few red candies placed on his desk. “What are these?”
Zhang Yu curled his lip. “Ren Ju is planning to register his marriage with his match next week. These are wedding candies he’s handing out in advance!”
Hearing this, Ren Ju turned to Si Nuo. “You can come over for a drink at the wedding later to soak up some of the luck. I didn’t expect you to be able to…”
Before he could finish, Zhang Yu noticed the cake Si Nuo had brought back and set on the table. “This is from the Central Restaurant, isn’t it? That’s really expensive!”
His voice was loud enough that Ren Ju noticed the cake in his hand. He looked at it, disbelieving, and asked, “You went to the Central Restaurant? You’ve matched with someone?”