16: Chapter 16 I want to move in too!

The air froze.

It wasn't the figurative kind of freezing, but a physical one. The few square meters at the back of the classroom seemed to have been evacuated into a vacuum; even the trajectories of floating dust motes became sluggish.

Leng Qingxuan's "Master" was still reverberating in the air.

An Ran sat in her chair, her entire being as if someone had pressed the pause button.

She looked at the campus belle standing before her, dressed in casual clothes and exuding a cold, aloof aura. The string in her brain labeled "Reason" was teetering on the edge of snapping.

Her fingers gripped the edge of the chair so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She kept her head down, her bangs obscuring her eyes; no one could see the expression on her face.

Huang Mao felt a bit of a headache.

He watched An Ran's rapidly changing expression, and his heart skipped a beat. Although this girl was usually careless and acted like a tomboy, she was actually more sensitive than anyone.

Leng Qingxuan's move was too ruthless; she had basically backdoored the base.

"Um…" Huang Mao tried to break the deathly awkward silence. "Actually, that's just gaming terminology…"

"No need to explain."

An Ran spoke suddenly, her voice terrifyingly low.

She lifted her head abruptly. Her eyes were rimmed with red, filled with a thin layer of moisture, but there was no sign of the breakdown or retreat Huang Mao had expected in her gaze.

It was a ferocity born from being pushed to the brink.

It was like a small beast whose territory had been invaded, launching a final counterattack upon realizing it was about to lose the nest it relied on for survival.

From childhood to the present, she had been waiting.

Waiting for Huang Mao to grow up, waiting for Huang Mao to realize his feelings, waiting for that logical future. She thought time was her ally, thinking those four words "childhood sweetheart" were the most solid moat.

But now she realized, the moat had long since dried up; the enemy had already scaled the walls with ladders, and had even laid out sheets in the master bedroom!

If she didn't do something.

If she turned and ran away now.

Then in the future, there really wouldn't be any room for the name "An Ran" in this man's life.

He would eat with this woman named Leng Qingxuan, play games together, curl up on the sofa to watch TV, and even be in the bathroom, in the bedroom together…

That image was too blinding, hurting her heart so much.

"Haa…"

An Ran took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently.

The next second.

With a loud "bang."

An Ran stood up abruptly from her seat, the movement so large that it knocked over the folding chair behind her.

The few remaining students in the classroom who were packing their bags or pretending to play on their phones while watching the drama were all startled by the noise, turning their gazes toward her in unison.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, An Ran placed her hands on the desk, leaned forward, and stared fixedly into Huang Mao's eyes.

She roared out in a volume that was practically a declaration of war:

"Then I want to move in too!"

Silence.

Even quieter than before.

The ballpoint pen Huang Mao had been twirling to calm his nerves slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

Even Leng Qingxuan, who had maintained a cold, aloof smile as if everything were under control, had a crack appear on her exquisite face at this moment.

She widened her eyes slightly, looking at the panting, flushed girl in front of her, and for the first time, a look of genuine surprise appeared in her eyes.

This plot direction… is really not bad!

"You…" Huang Mao opened his mouth, his brain unusually stuttering for a moment. "What did you say?"

"I said!" An Ran gritted her teeth, every word sounding like it was squeezed out from between her teeth. "I want to move into your house too! Now! Immediately! Right away!"

If you can't beat them, join them.

If you can't defend the city gate, then tear down the city walls and let everyone fight in a chaotic melee!

This was An Ran's logic. Simple, crude, and effective.

Huang Mao bent down to pick up the ballpoint pen, using the action to quickly compose his expression.

He leaned back against the chair again, resuming his lazy posture, only his gaze became somewhat sharp.

"Classmate An Ran." Huang Mao tapped the table. "Are you not awake yet? This is reality, not playing house. You want to move in? What's the reason? How are you going to explain it to your parents? What about the school?"

He didn't refuse directly, but instead threw out a series of realistic questions.

This was his habit. When solving problems, look at the cost and feasibility first.

"Reason?"

An Ran sneered, her body, which had been tense from nervousness, actually relaxed. Since the words were already out, there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.

"You still don't know the reason?"

She started counting on her fingers, one by one:

"Can people even live in that dorm of mine anymore? Huh?"

"The eldest one calls her scumbag boyfriend every night, arguing on speakerphone, and it goes on for half the night. I can't even get a good night's sleep!"

"The second one is obsessed with idol fandoms, practicing cheering dances in the dorm in the middle of the night. She's going to stomp a hole through the floor!"

"The third one is even more ridiculous. Last time, she actually tried to secretly keep a stray cat she picked up outside in the closet, making the whole room smell like fleas!"

The more An Ran spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, and the more righteous she became. These were all grievances that had been building up in her heart for a long time, and now they all became weapons in her hands.

"I've wanted to move out for a long time! I was already looking for a place, and since you have a spare room, why should I look further afield?"

This series of accusations left the surrounding onlookers stunned.

Good grief, this reason… is impeccable.

Huang Mao rubbed his temples. He had indeed heard An Ran complain about these things, and there were even a few times when An Ran came to class with dark circles under her eyes because the dorm was too noisy.

"And what about your aunt and uncle?"

"Ha!"

An Ran acted as if she had heard a joke, crossing her arms, lifting her chin slightly, exposing that slender, fair neck.

"My parents trust you more than they trust me! If I said I wanted to move out and live alone, they definitely wouldn't agree at all."

"But if I say I'm staying at your place, with you looking after me, they'd probably pack my luggage and send me over overnight!"

Huang Mao: "…"

That was true.

The two families were close friends for generations; they had been playing together since they were in diapers.

An Ran's parents had always felt that Huang Mao was a steady, sensible, and caring child, and had even jokingly said more than once that they wanted to entrust their daughter to him.

In the eyes of the two elders, Huang Mao was synonymous with "safe."

This was a persona Huang Mao considered quite good, but now it had become An Ran's entry pass to invade his territory.

Huang Mao sighed, his gaze passing over An Ran to look at Leng Qingxuan, who was standing to the side.

As the current "tenant," her attitude also needed to be considered.

Leng Qingxuan received Huang Mao's gaze.

She wasn't angry, nor did she show any displeasure at being offended. On the contrary, in her cold, clear eyes, a light called "amusement" was sparkling at this moment.

It was like a master who had been undefeated, suddenly discovering an opponent who could take a few moves from them.

Interesting.

Too interesting.

She originally thought it was a classic script of childhood sweetheart versus the girl who dropped from the sky, but she didn't expect it to be a shonen anime.

If it were just her and Huang Mao, after a long time, everything that could be done would have been done. Even if they could do it for a long, long time, it might get a little boring after that.

But if you add such a baring-teeth-and-claws, ready-to-explode little cat…

That empty villa should become very lively, right?

Leng Qingxuan's mouth curled up slightly, and she nodded gently at Huang Mao.

The meaning was clear.

Huang Mao withdrew his gaze, looking at An Ran, who was still maintaining her fighting stance, and shook his head helplessly.

He knew that his peaceful life of living alone was, at this moment, officially declared dead.

Replacing it would be a future filled with chaos and Shura fields everywhere.

"Fine."

Huang Mao tucked the ballpoint pen back into his pocket and stood up, his tone as flat as if he were buying groceries at the market.

"Since you've already thought it through, then move in."

An Ran froze for a moment.

She had prepared a bellyful of follow-up arguments and was even ready to throw a tantrum, but the other party just agreed so lightly?

That feeling of punching cotton with all her might left her a bit dazed.

"Re… really?" she asked, somewhat incredulously.

"Fake." Huang Mao rolled his eyes. "Then don't come."

"No! You agreed!" An Ran became anxious instantly, grabbing Huang Mao's arm, afraid he would go back on his word.

Huang Mao looked down at the hand grabbing his arm, didn't shake it off, but just held up three fingers.

"Let's get the ugly stuff out of the way first."

"First, rent and utilities are split 50/50; don't think about taking advantage of me."

"Second, chores are done in turns; I'm not a nanny."

"Third…"

Huang Mao paused, his gaze sweeping back and forth between An Ran and Leng Qingxuan, his tone becoming somewhat meaningful.

"Don't fight in the house. If you break anything, you pay for it."

An Ran's face turned bright red instantly.

Who's going to fight!

But immediately after, a huge sense of joy and relief welled up in her heart.

She won.

At least, she hadn't lost yet.

She had successfully turned herself from an "outsider" into an "insider."

Although the future was full of unknowns, and although that woman named Leng Qingxuan was still terrifyingly powerful, as long as she moved in, there would always be opportunities.

The person closest to the water gets the moon first; this old saying must be right, right?

"Deal!"

An Ran replied loudly, her voice filled with unconcealable excitement.

She let go of Huang Mao's arm, turned her head, and looked at Leng Qingxuan provocatively.

That look seemed to be saying: Just you wait, the good show has only just begun.

Leng Qingxuan was still standing there, holding that pack of wet wipes. Facing An Ran's provocation, she just smiled faintly and then made a move that no one present expected.

She walked forward, extended her fair, slender hand, and offered it in front of An Ran.

"Welcome."

Leng Qingxuan's voice was still cold, but there was no trace of hostility; instead, it carried the composure of a host.

"In the future, please take care of me… classmate An Ran."

An Ran looked at the hand extended in front of her, then looked at Leng Qingxuan's flawless smiling face.

This woman… her level is too high!

Is this a show of force? Is she telling her who the real boss is here?

An Ran gritted her teeth, extended her hand without showing weakness, and shook hers firmly.

"Please take care of me!"

Two hands clasped together.

One cold, one hot.

One soft, one firm.

Huang Mao stood to the side, watching this "meeting of the century," and only felt a chill down his back.

He looked up at the classroom ceiling, as if he could see his future life filled with the smell of gunpowder.

This is hardly a blessing of having two wives.

This is clearly a scene of raising venomous insects.