The third-floor seminar room of the library.
This space had been reserved by Zhang Muyang using his student council privileges. It was quiet, filled with natural light, and notoriously difficult to get a seat.
The other two teammates, top student Li Xiang, a bookworm oblivious to the world outside, immediately put on noise-canceling headphones and started studying, and the socially anxious Fang Wenxiu, who simply nodded to Chu Anhe before lowering her head to focus on her notes, gave Zhang Muyang the perfect opportunity.
“Anhe, look at this angle of approach.”
Zhang Muyang pulled out a chair and deliberately sat beside her. He held a red pen, pointing at her notebook.
To see the same paragraph clearly, their heads leaned close together.
As he spoke, his body naturally tilted, his shoulder nearly touching Chu Anhe’s arm, his breath near her ear.
“This case is a bit complicated. If you don’t understand it, I can give you a one-on-one session tonight,” Zhang Muyang whispered. “Just treat me to dinner, that’s all.”
Chu Anhe, fully focused on the complex statute, did not notice the closeness and simply nodded. “Yes, this is a bit difficult. Thank you, senior.”
Zhang Muyang felt over the moon, convinced of his charm. He pulled out a cup of freshly bought trendy cheese milk tea.
“For you. Full sugar, no ice.” He even carefully opened the straw and inserted it, a bright pink heart-shaped straw. “Girls should drink something sweet. It lifts your mood.”
“Thank you,” Chu Anhe reached out to take it.
Meanwhile, outside the seminar room in the hallway, Xie Jingran had just finished a dull academic meeting and was heading to the law school archives to find two rare copies. Passing by the seminar room, the scene through the glass made him freeze.
Even from the side, he immediately recognized the girl with the ponytail, looking very obedient, his legally wedded wife who had escaped from his bed that morning.
At that moment, she was head-to-head with another man.
The man wore a flashy tracksuit, his gaze glued to Chu Anhe. He held a garish cup of milk tea and smiled like an infatuated peacock.
The system red alert sounded in his mind with a piercing alarm.
System: Host! That guy is only 3.5 centimeters from your wife. His creepiness index is 98 percent. This is intolerable.
Xie Jingran’s eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses narrowed, the air around him dropping several degrees.
System: Heart rate accelerated, blood pressure rising, status extreme jealousy.
He coldly replied in his mind, “Shut up. I am just a teacher concerned about the lax academic atmosphere. This is an insult to scholarship.”
System: Haha, teacher? Then explain that crumpled document in your hand. That is your most treasured rare copy.
Xie Jingran looked down at the deeply creased pages in his hand and released them expressionlessly.
She ran off without so much as a greeting this morning, just to come here and drink milk tea with this charlatan?
Very well, Chu Anhe. You have excellent taste.
System Mission Released: Enter immediately, display masculine charm, make the female lead look at you in admiration for more than ten seconds.
Failure Penalty: Kneel to a durian at home tonight. The system will automatically play recordings of you humming in the shower to the female lead.
Xie Jingran inhaled deeply, adjusted his suit cuffs, and rested his fingers on the door handle.
“Knock knock.”
The crisp knock instantly broke the room’s intimate atmosphere.
Zhang Muyang jumped, nearly spilling the milk tea he was handing over.
Chu Anhe instinctively looked up and saw the tall, imposing figure at the door.
“Te… teacher Xie?”
Xie Jingran entered, coldly scanning Zhang Muyang’s frozen hand before his gaze settled on Chu Anhe.
“The law school seminar room is for in-depth academic discussion, not for socializing,” he said clearly.
Zhang Muyang, normally the center of attention, flushed red and stood up. “Teacher Xie, you misunderstand. We were discussing the debate topic for the Mingde Cup. I am the team leader.”
“Really?” Xie Jingran did not acknowledge the handshake. He walked to the table and casually grabbed the densely written debate draft in front of Zhang Muyang, skimming it quickly.
He let out a faint scoff.
“The cited statutes are still from the General Principles of Civil Law before the Civil Code was enacted. The case analysis is superficial, and the logical chain collapses by the third paragraph.”
He snapped the draft back on the table, his fingers tapping with a sound that struck Zhang Muyang’s chest.
“And this is your preparation? A waste of time.”
Zhang Muyang went pale. “I… this argument was referenced from online sources…”
“Online?” Xie Jingran raised an eyebrow. “Scholarship demands rigor. You are using internet memes as evidence? At this level, I suggest you withdraw from the competition before bringing shame to Haishi University.”
Zhang Muyang opened his mouth, finding himself utterly unable to refute.
Xie Jingran ignored him and turned to Chu Anhe. Seeing her slightly flustered expression, his gaze softened.
He pulled the chair between Chu Anhe and Zhang Muyang aside. “Sit a bit closer.”
Zhang Muyang had no choice but to move his chair half a meter away.
Xie Jingran naturally sat beside Chu Anhe.
She blinked, noticing the sudden presence. His cedarwood scent instantly cut through the sweet smell of Zhang Muyang’s sporty perfume.
“The lighting is good here. I happen to have time, so I will help you sort through this garbage,” he said.
System: Well done host. That milk tea is still here. That pink heart straw is taunting you. Remove it immediately.
Xie Jingran’s fingers paused on the documents, eyes locked on the cup of milk tea with the heart-shaped straw.
He reached out and, to Chu Anhe’s shock, removed the cup.
“Teacher Xie?” she whispered.
Unfazed, he walked to the windowsill and placed the cup away.
“This artificially high-sugar beverage causes a rapid spike in blood glucose, triggers insulin resistance, and leads to cerebral cortex drowsiness and delayed responses.”
He turned back, serious. “Debating requires a completely alert mind. You are not exactly sharp already. Drinking this would only make you dumber.”
Chu Anhe could only stare.
Then Xie Jingran took a glass bottle of mineral water from his briefcase, opened it, and handed it to her.
“Drink.”
Chu Anhe held Evian, her mind blank.
Teacher Xie… is he concerned about my blood sugar? Or does he just dislike that milk tea? And this bottle… I have seen it in the supermarket for several dozen yuan. If I drink it, will it be deducted from my stipend?
Only Zhang Muyang, squeezed into the corner, looked at the man who had claimed his spot and was now meticulously explaining legal logic to Chu Anhe. A single thought ran through his mind: Is this really the legendary cold and abstinent Teacher Xie? He is clearly a possessive alpha guarding his prey.