Those eyes seemed to harbor a bottomless vortex, one that could easily draw a person in.
Xu Qingfeng’s heart felt uncomfortable once again. He was acutely aware of the momentary blankness in his own expression, but he felt fortunate that it had only been a fleeting glance. Surely, the other man wouldn’t have noticed his unusual behavior?
When he regained his senses, all that remained was the sight of Huo Xiu’s back as he was ushered away by the crowd.
Glancing at his watch, Xu Qingfeng saw that it was almost time to enter the lecture hall. After straightening his attire, he set off toward the classroom with long, steady strides.
By the time he arrived, he realized he was the last of the audience to reach the room. The vast lecture hall was now a sea of dark heads. Among them, he finally spotted the familiar one he was looking for…
“Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Li.” Xu Qingfeng wore a debonair smile, ignoring the subtle, inquisitive glances directed his way as he gently dismissed the assistant who had completed his task.
After he took his seat, An Yan, who sat beside him with a complex look in his eyes, whispered, “Uncle Xu, why are you here?”
To anyone looking, Xu Qingfeng didn’t seem like someone who should be attending a lecture; he looked more like someone attending a parent-teacher association meeting.
Faced with the question, Xu Qingfeng answered truthfully, “I came for Huo Xiu. You know, I’m also very fond of the piano.”
An Yan didn’t doubt him for a second, especially since he hadn’t yet witnessed Xu Qingfeng’s own level of skill on the piano. Instead, he felt a sense of joy that Xu Qingfeng was a fan just like him.
What Xu Qingfeng couldn’t say, however, was that part of his reason for being there was to observe and prevent any romantic development between An Yan and Huo Xiu.
In his view, Gu Tianze was already improving and would eventually become a responsible man. An Yan was a wonderful person and the “daughter-in-law” he favored.
Wait, what’s going on? He realized he didn’t feel the slightest bit of resistance toward having a male son-in-law anymore. It seemed he was truly beginning to be assimilated by this world.
Perhaps it was destiny; otherwise, how could he have ended up sitting right next to An Yan? To him, this was proof that heaven intended for him to act.
Before the class officially began, Xu Qingfeng and An Yan chatted idly. The more they talked, the more Xu Qingfeng felt that this child was truly well-behaved and sensible exceptionally likable.
“Uncle Xu, you have an eyelash on your face.”
“Really? Where?” Xu Qingfeng rubbed his fingers casually across his well-defined features.
Watching his careless movements and seeing his skin turn slightly red from the friction, An Yan said with a hint of concern, “Don’t rub so hard. It didn’t come off. May I help you?”
He was truly polite; even his request was made with great caution.
“Then I’ll trouble you,” Xu Qingfeng didn’t refuse and leaned his face closer.
An Yan’s movements were even more cautious than his tone as he reached out to remove the eyelash. However, the fine hair was pressed flat against the cheek, making it difficult to grasp. He tried several times without success…
Xu Qingfeng wasn’t in a hurry, but he felt a strange sensation the room, which had been buzzing with voices moments ago, had suddenly gone silent.
Once he saw the eyelash finally held between An Yan’s fingers, he sat up straight. But the sight of Huo Xiu standing there, completely unexpected, caused his entire body to stiffen!
No wonder it had gone quiet.
Taking in Huo Xiu’s expression, the coldness seemed to have intensified. He didn’t even look in Xu Qingfeng’s direction, acting as if they were total strangers.
Well, that makes sense, Xu Qingfeng thought. He hadn’t replied to any messages lately; wasn’t that a clear sign he didn’t want to continue their acquaintance?
Then another thought struck him could it be that Huo Xiu had already noticed An Yan and was displeased by their intimate behavior?
To Xu Qingfeng, that explanation seemed plausible. Although he could sense the chill in Huo Xiu’s expression, the others couldn’t. To them, Huo Xiu simply looked rigorous and incomparably handsome. Though they were students attending a lecture, most of them were more like devoted fans.
Throughout the class, Xu Qingfeng benefited greatly. While he wasn’t sure if he could put the knowledge into practice, listening to Huo Xiu teach was a supreme delight not just for the soul, but for the eyes as well.
Huo Xiu’s hands constantly drew his gaze. Every time the man placed a hand in his pocket, Xu Qingfeng felt a strange sense of loss.
Normally, Huo Xiu was a man of few words, but he was entirely different while lecturing, radiating a unique brilliance. It felt like a cleansing of both mind and body. This was especially true when he performed a live demonstration of a certain passage it was nothing short of a gift!
Xu Qingfeng was quite enthralled. He thought he was immersed, but a glance at the others showed their reactions were even more exaggerated.
The most extreme case was right beside him. The usually quiet boy now seemed to have an invisible trail of drool at the corner of his mouth; his jaw remained hung open for a long time. Even after Huo Xiu had departed, An Yan didn’t notice, staring blankly at the podium as if the lecture were still ongoing.
Only then did Xu Qingfeng realize he was actually the most composed person in the room. He spoke up to snap An Yan out of it. “The person is gone. Wake up.”
An Yan finally snapped back to reality, returning to his usual state. He lowered his head, his face flushing crimson as he explained, “Every time I see Huo Xiu, I just can’t control my emotions for some reason. I get so excited that I do embarrassing things.”
He looked up timidly. “I must have made a fool of myself in front of you, Uncle Xu.”
Xu Qingfeng shook his head. While he appeared perfectly steady on the surface, his mind flashed back to the embarrassing incident where he had held onto Huo Xiu’s hand and refused to let go. If a third person ever found out about that, he would be the one getting laughed at.
If An Yan and Huo Xiu didn’t have deep contact, their relationship wouldn’t change, and they would maintain a distant gap. Things were fine just the way they were…
However, just to be safe, Xu Qingfeng planned to stay by An Yan’s side until Huo Xiu left the campus.
Just as he had this thought, An Yan proactively asked, “It’s lunchtime now. If you don’t mind, we could eat at the cafeteria.”
Worrying that Xu Qingfeng might find it cheap or unappetizing, An Yan added quickly, “Although the prices are low, the variety is quite rich and the taste is actually very good.”
An Yan wasn’t exaggerating. As a top-tier university, the food quality was indeed excellent. Having lived through lean times himself, Xu Qingfeng wasn’t one to be picky. It was just that his noble aura often led people to such misunderstandings.
In his high-end tailored suit, appearing in a cafeteria filled with youthful energy, he stood out like a crane among a flock of chickens. Due to regular exercise, Xu Qingfeng had an excellent physique; at a glance, one might think he was not even thirty, looking remarkably young and handsome.
Xu Qingfeng himself was oblivious to his own charm, thinking only: Youth is wonderful; everyone’s face is so full of vitality.
Was it possible they weren’t blushing because of “vitality”?
The young man standing in front of Xu Qingfeng in line opened and closed his mouth several times, wanting to strike up a conversation, but lacked the courage. Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted.
An Yan, showing some social awareness, suggested to Xu Qingfeng, “Uncle Xu, this line is quite long. Why don’t you go take a seat? I’ll bring the food to you. Is there anything you don’t eat?”
“Not at all, I’m not a picky eater.” Xu Qingfeng didn’t refuse An Yan’s kindness. Standing among the youngsters was indeed a bit conspicuous, so he stepped out of the queue.
When An Yan returned, the hungry Xu Qingfeng began to eat. The food was indeed delicious and served in large portions, rich in the high protein suitable for a fitness enthusiast like him.
He had excellent table manners and occasionally looked up to engage in brief conversation with An Yan, maintaining the kindness of an elder to ensure his future “daughter-in-law” felt no pressure.
An Yan enjoyed talking to him as well; the smile never left his face, and he barely touched his own chopsticks.
As they were chatting happily, Xu Qingfeng caught sight of an even more conspicuous figure out of the corner of his eye.
What’s going on? Why is he here?
Normally, this shouldn’t be happening. It seemed the current situation was anything but normal.
An Yan didn’t notice. With a slight smile, he picked up his tray to leave, saying politely, “I’m finished eating.”
In the mere seconds it took for him to turn around, something irreversible happened.
“I’m so sorry! What should I do?”
The voice was accompanied by the clatter of bowls and chopsticks hitting the floor a very unpleasant symphony. An Yan’s apology was loud; he rarely spoke at such a volume, indicating he was extremely agitated.
Anyone would lose their composure if they spilled grease on their idol.
Huo Xiu’s light-colored jacket was stained with a large patch of filth, clearly making it unfit to wear. Seeing this bizarre turn of events, Xu Qingfeng wondered why it had happened…
Could it be the invisible magnetic attraction between two protagonists that leads to such things?
Huo Xiu’s expression remained calm, but Xu Qingfeng felt perhaps it was an illusion that the man had spared him a fleeting glance. The sharp lines of Huo Xiu’s features radiated an aura that warned others to stay away.
The onlookers didn’t gather around to watch the drama; instead, because of Huo Xiu’s status and aura, the crowd naturally dispersed, leaving a ten-meter radius of empty space around him.
As the unintentional culprit, An Yan was panicked. This was the idol he cherished in his heart; how could he have done something so stupid?
He hurried to make amends. “Um… let me take it to the dry cleaners and return it to you! I’m so sorry, it was my fault for bumping into you. Please, you must give me the clothes and your contact information! Give me a chance to make it up to you!”
An Yan said all of this in one breath. Although he spoke quickly, every word was clear. Huo Xiu heard it, and so did Xu Qingfeng.
This won’t do…
One could tell from the cut and texture of the stained suit jacket that it wasn’t some ordinary garment; it was a limited-edition, one-of-a-kind piece of haute couture.
Huo Xiu came from a wealthy background, different from the Gu family who had become rich recently. His family maintained a low-profile heritage spanning centuries. If the Gu family was a leading wealthy house domestically, the Huo family was the elite of the elite, with business interests spanning the globe.
Xu Qingfeng studied Huo Xiu’s expression. Being skilled at reading people, he could see that Huo Xiu wasn’t angry. Instead, he was focusing on An Yan’s face with a deep, unfathomable gaze.
If things continued this way, wouldn’t An Yan fall in love with Huo Xiu very soon? And wouldn’t the plot where Huo Xiu crushes the “scum” and drives away Gu Tianze happen sooner or later?
No, I can’t let this scene play out.
He had to do something to stop it.