94: Chapter 94 The Childhood Sweetheart's Choice

For the students of Xinghai Private University, the final bell of the afternoon was nothing short of a gospel proclaiming freedom.

As the melodious electronic bell faded, the campus, which had been silent all day, seemed instantly injected with an overdose of adrenaline, and the clamor rose like a tidal wave.

The setting sun had yet to sink below the horizon, and the golden-red afterglow splashed across the glass curtain walls of the teaching building, refracting a somewhat blinding, warm light.

Students poured out of the teaching building in twos and threes, some heading home, some to the cafeteria, and others back to their dorms.

In the bustling crowd, a young couple was particularly conspicuous.

The girl was clutching the boy's arm, almost hanging off him entirely.

That display of intimacy, oblivious to everyone around them, made many of the surrounding "single dogs" glance sideways, silently raising their torches in their hearts.

"Honestly, the management system at our Xinghai Private University is sometimes truly outrageous."

The girl complained, pouting as she walked, her ponytail swinging with each step.

"I told my high school bestie that we aren't allowed to leave campus during the day and that we have assigned seats in class, and they all thought I was in my fourth year of high school! It's college, yet they still control us so much."

The boy smiled indulgently and reached out to smooth the bangs that the wind had messed up on the girl: "It really is quite strict."

"But look at the bright side, this semi-closed, commuter-style management model actually gives it more of that youth campus drama vibe, doesn't it?"

"Look at those guys in Japanese and Korean dramas; they're supposed to be high school students, but they all act like they've already been admitted to university, dating all day without any pressure of entrance exams."

"We call this an immersive experience."

"That's just sophistry."

The girl was amused, lightly punching the boy, then lowered her voice, a blush spreading across her face.

"But... since it's an immersive experience, tonight... no one is home at my place, you know."

"I'm coming over to your place, then."

The boy was stunned for a moment, then a wicked smile curled the corners of his mouth:

"Sure thing. We can stop by the convenience store on the way to pick up some of 'that stuff'; the ones we bought last time are all used up."

"Oh, keep your voice down! You're so infuriating..." The girl pinched him in shy annoyance, and as they flirted, they soon disappeared into the crowd at the school gate.

This scene might be a daily occurrence for those madly in love.

But for An Ran, who was following not far behind them, it felt like poisoned flying daggers, each one a critical hit.

An Ran stopped in her tracks, standing by the massive landscape stone at the school gate, staring blankly in the direction the couple had disappeared.

The setting sun stretched her shadow long, making it look exceptionally thin.

"Must be nice..."

She slowly regained her composure, looked down at the bag in her hand, glanced once more at the vanished backs, and let out a soft sigh.

She didn't even know why she had followed them for that distance.

Perhaps it was just because after school, she was standing near the teaching building not knowing where to go, and just happened to spot this couple, and inexplicably followed them.

As a result, she got fed a mouthful of PDA, cloyingly sweet.

And the more she ate, the clearer her head became.

When that girl said "Go to your place tonight," it was so natural, just like saying "What should we eat tonight?"

And that boy could just as openly make those kinds of suggestive jokes.

The girl laughed and retorted, not awkward or embarrassed in the slightest.

Their night was surely going to be exciting.

And what about her?

An Ran looked down at a small pebble in front of her toe and kicked it hard.

The pebble rolled away, just like her tangled thoughts at this moment.

Clearly, she was the one who arrived first.

Clearly, they were childhood sweethearts who had been together since kindergarten.

Clearly, she had successfully moved under that longed-for roof, and even had her own room and keys.

But why had the script turned out like this?

Only after moving in did she suddenly realize that she wasn't the only one who liked him.

And others had already gotten there first.

And then she, this big fool who always thought "he'll be mine sooner or later," reacted by—running away.

She just bolted.

Without leaving a single word, she had darted out like a frightened cat.

Now look at her: she had a bit of money on her phone, but she couldn't last a week in a hotel, she couldn't go back to the dorm, and as for Huang Mao's place... she didn't know if she should go back.

Thinking back to what she had witnessed in the corner of the playground that morning, her chest tightened and ached again.

That feeling of both heartache and shame churned together, leaving her in such distress she didn't know where to direct it.

But in the deepest corner of her heart, a trace of an inexplicable expectation remained.

If... if I go back now.

Even if I don't say anything, even if I just sit on the sofa with red-rimmed eyes.

That blockhead, that Huang Mao who always loved to complain but had a soft heart, would he come over on his own?

Would he explain?

Even just a few perfunctory words of concern would be enough...

Furthermore, if she didn't go back now, wouldn't that be equivalent to conceding victory to Su Muxue and Leng Qingxuan?

Wouldn't that be equivalent to handing over the position of "lady of the house" on a silver platter?

Thinking of this, a surge of intense unwillingness welled up in her heart.

"Why should I..." An Ran bit her lip, tasting a hint of metallic blood, "He's my childhood sweetheart, and I liked him first..."

As long as he's willing to coax me, even if he's lying... I'll accept it.

Once this thought surfaced, it could no longer be suppressed.

An Ran took a deep breath, as if she had made a major decision.

She straightened her bag, stepped out of the school gate, deliberately slowed her pace, and walked slowly along the sidewalk outside the school wall—

On one hand, she wanted to use this walk to calm her heart, which was about to jump out of her throat, and on the other hand, she was mentally rehearsing her opening line for when they met.

Should she pretend nothing happened and say "I'm back"? Or should she keep a cold face and go straight to her room?

Just as she was agonizing over it until her brain hurt, her keen intuition as a Sports Student made the hair on the back of her neck stand up slightly.

Someone was following her.

This feeling was subtle; it wasn't the coincidence of a passerby walking the same path, but a sensation of being watched with sticky malice, like a slug crawling across the back of her neck.

An Ran stopped abruptly and looked back.

By now, she had walked out of the busiest area near the school gate and reached a relatively quiet, tree-lined path.

About a dozen meters behind her, a young man wearing an ostentatious designer hoodie with a silver chain around his neck was following her at a leisurely pace.

Seeing An Ran turn around, he didn't hide; instead, he quickened his pace to catch up, wearing a smile he thought was handsome but was actually greasy enough to fry a meal.

It was that scumbag she had encountered near the dormitory building in the afternoon.

An Ran frowned slightly, started walking forward again, and pretended not to notice him.

But after only a few steps, the footsteps behind her noticeably sped up, and immediately after, a loud voice called out.

"Hey, beauty An Ran, what a coincidence, we meet again."

An Ran stopped and slowly turned around.

The person approaching was dressed ostentatiously, wearing a smile he must have learned from somewhere, thinking it was very charming, and came up, speaking in a familiar tone:

"My name is Lin Peng; I introduced myself at your dorm earlier, you remember, right?"

A rich second-generation like him, having hung around in this circle for a long time, prided himself on having a perfect grasp of women's psychology.

Especially pretty girls who looked like they were nursing a broken heart and were isolated and helpless.

As long as he showed off his wealth a little and provided some fake warmth, they were basically easy pickings.

He paused, swept his gaze over An Ran from top to bottom, his tone laced with an uncomfortable flippancy:

"You seem to be in a bad mood. As it happens, I'm not short on money, and I'm not short on places to stay, so how about—"

"Get lost."

An Ran calmly cut him off, her expression unchanging, and that single word was as cold as if it had been taken out of a freezer.

Lin Peng was stunned for a second, then laughed, his smile carrying an undefinable meaning as he slowly took a step forward:

"Hey, why so aggressive... Did you run into some trouble? Tell me about it, maybe I can help—"

As he spoke, his hand was already reaching toward An Ran's shoulder.

An Ran shifted her body slightly, and his hand swiped through the air, missing her. She stepped back half a pace, her eyes filled with obvious vigilance.

"Don't touch me."

Lin Peng's face darkened for a moment, then he pulled that smile back, forced himself a step closer, and kept buzzing on about some "good intentions"—

Before he could finish, An Ran had already side-stepped his hand that was reaching out on its own accord, and at the same time, she delivered a clean, sharp side kick that landed squarely on his calf.

It was not a light kick.

Lin Peng hissed in pain, stumbled back two steps, nearly losing his footing, and his expression changed completely in the next second.

That self-righteous smile had vanished.

"Fine, fine, fine." He gritted his teeth, rubbed his calf, and then tilted his chin toward his back, calling out loudly, "Are you all dead or something? Get out here!"

An Ran's heart sank.

Two figures walked out from the corner of the building.

One on the left, one on the right, both were sturdy-looking boys in black shirts and white pants, clearly trained fighters, and they moved with clear intent to force her toward the side of the road.

This stretch of the street was narrow, with few pedestrians; there was a bend ahead and a secluded path behind, and no one was walking this way.

An Ran scanned the surroundings, assessed the situation, and was silent for two seconds.

Right, a deliberately chosen location, and people arranged in advance.

They knew she was a Sports Student, so they brought reinforcements. Their purpose was written all over their faces, not hidden at all.

Lin Peng finished rubbing his leg and paced forward.

There was no tension, just him standing in front of her with a casual certainty, his tone carrying an unsettling composure:

"Beauty, let's talk again. Should we make this easy, or do you want to keep kicking and make a scene, which won't be good for anyone?"

An Ran didn't speak, staring at him with sharp eyes.

She was calculating.

Only three people; if she kicked their vitals hard, she should be able to create an opportunity to escape. A Sports Student's legs weren't trained for nothing, and self-defense shouldn't be an issue.

As long as she started running, with her explosive power and endurance, these pieces of scum would definitely not be able to catch her.

But another thought flashed through her mind.

She really couldn't be sure if there would be follow-up trouble if she made a scene with this kind of bastard who had money and connections behind him.

Furthermore, she didn't want to cause trouble for Huang Mao.

That guy hated trouble the most; what if he found out and put on that sighing, long-faced expression...

At the thought of that image, the momentum An Ran had just gathered instantly deflated by half.

"What? Scared?" Lin Peng keenly caught the trace of hesitation in An Ran's eyes and immediately laughed triumphantly.

"If you're scared, just be obedient. As long as you serve me well, I'll consider that kick just now as a bit of fun."

Hearing these blunt, disgusting words, An Ran froze for a moment, then clenched her teeth, her whole body trembling.

Hesitate, my ass!

If she really hurt them, she'd just take responsibility for it herself!

Only Huang Mao could touch her! No one else!

Just as that fierce determination surged back into An Ran's heart, a familiar figure came into view at the street corner.

Was it Huang Mao?!

How could he be here!

And he looked a bit anxious; was he looking for someone?

Was he... looking for her?

On Huang Mao's side, he was indeed very anxious, anxious to the point of desperation.

He had originally seen An Ran at the school gate while with Jiang Mengshu, but by the time he rushed over, she was already gone.

He tried searching back along the road, and in the process, sent messages to Leng Qingxuan and Su Muxue, asking them to keep an eye out ahead.

Now, he had finally found her, only to see her surrounded by several men.

...

"Honestly..."

"These past two days of bullshit are really starting to wear me out..."

He took a deep breath, and the aura around him changed—a restrained, icy chill silently pressing forward.

He walked over, each step firm and steady, as if treading to an invisible beat.