The man stopped eating the food he had ordered. He took out his wallet, pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to the waitress, then got up and left in a huff.
"Sir, here's your change." The waitress quickly said.
"No need." The man left the restaurant without looking back.
The waitress pouted and began clearing the table.
Liu Xuan had already taken a seat at Qin Tian's table. Xia Nuannuan had moved to sit next to Qin Tian, while Liu Xuan sat opposite them, appraising the pair with an amused gaze.
Qin Tian remained composed, while Xia Nuannuan, with a flushed face, ate her fries, afraid to look up. After all, she was their teacher, and even if it wasn't their class, it made her feel very embarrassed.
"Classmate Qin Tian, a little introduction?" Liu Xuan asked Qin Tian with a smile, nodding towards Xia Nuannuan beside him.
"My deskmate, Xia Nuannuan," Qin Tian introduced.
"Deskmate!" Liu Xuan nodded as if she had an epiphany, her smile becoming even more playful. She was twenty-seven this year, and according to her anxious mother, she was already an old maid. She was single now, but she had had a campus romance during college. To two teenagers of seventeen or eighteen, she was certainly an experienced person. How could she not see that their relationship was more than just casual?
"Teacher, were you on a blind date just now?" Qin Tian asked with a smile, shifting the topic and taking control.
Liu Xuan thought that her students had witnessed the entire situation, and felt instantly embarrassed. Of course, her acting skills were quite good, and her expression still looked calm.
"Yes, my family arranged it. You were already here, why didn't you say hello?"
"We didn't want to disturb you!" Qin Tian replied with a wry smile.
"Heh!" Liu Xuan rolled her eyes and playfully exposed him, "You wanted to see me make a fool of myself, didn't you?"
"Hehe..." Qin Tian chuckled slyly, offering no confirmation.
Liu Xuan glared at him and cast a reproachful look at Xia Nuannuan. "Classmate Xia Nuannuan, why are you joining him in watching the show?"
"I'm sorry." Xia Nuannuan quickly sat up straight and apologized like a good student. Although her grades weren't top-notch, she had always been a well-behaved student in the eyes of her teachers. She felt a lot of pressure under the teacher's critical gaze.
"Haha... Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, I'm just kidding!" Liu Xuan waved her hands repeatedly and said with a gentle smile, "This isn't school, so we can interact as friends. There's no need to be so formal."
"Okay!" Xia Nuannuan replied, feeling a great sense of relief. It seemed this teacher was quite nice!
"Ah, consider me unlucky today, having you both witness my embarrassment. But thank you for helping me out of that awkward situation. I was really in a bind." Liu Xuan said with a light smile.
"Teacher Liu, you're so beautiful and have such great qualities. You shouldn't lack excellent male admirers, so why are you going on blind dates?" Qin Tian asked curiously. Compared to the somewhat reserved Xia Nuannuan, he was more relaxed and casual when interacting with teachers.
"No, I don't have many male friends, and my social circle is small. I don't mind myself; I believe in letting things happen naturally. It's my parents who are getting anxious," Liu Xuan said, sighing wistfully. "Alas, time flies so fast. I feel like I just graduated not long ago, and now I'm already an old maid!"
Xia Nuannuan, sitting beside Qin Tian, opened her mouth as if to offer some comfort, but didn't know what to say.
"Teacher Liu, I think you're doing great. You should stick to your own opinions," Qin Tian said, picking up his cup and taking a sip of coffee. "Unless it's the right person, everyone else becomes a compromise. Love and marriage are lifelong matters; they shouldn't be compromised."
Upon hearing this, both Liu Xuan and Xia Nuannuan were stunned and looked at him in surprise.
"Ahem... Alright, I read that in a book," Qin Tian said, feeling a bit shy under their gazes, and quickly made up a story.
"You read that kind of book? What's the title? I'll go buy it and read it," Liu Xuan asked with a smile.
"Uh? That... I forgot the title," Qin Tian continued his fabrication.
"Heh!" Liu Xuan rolled her eyes again and teased him with a smile, "As expected of our school's super dark horse scholar. You know so much at such a young age!"
Xia Nuannuan, on the side, covered her mouth and giggled. Her beautiful eyes, fixed on Qin Tian, were filled with admiration and respect. What Qin Tian had just said was perfect and aligned with her own beautiful aspirations for love.
"Uh... I read a lot of leisure books. I'm just talking nonsense, please don't mind," Qin Tian said with a wry smile.
"No, no, that's a good saying. My mom will definitely lecture me when I go back, so I'll tell her this." Liu Xuan said with a smile.
"Oh, don't do that, it's a bit embarrassing."
"Heh, with such a thick skin, you'd feel embarrassed?"
"Teacher Liu, you can't talk about your students like that!"
Hearing this, Liu Xuan and Xia Nuannuan couldn't help but laugh again, their cheerful and pleasant laughter filling the restaurant.
Liu Xuan, regaining her composure, glanced at Xia Nuannuan and suddenly asked, "So, classmate Qin Tian, regarding that 'right person' you mentioned, have you already found them yourself?"
Qin Tian was stunned. Beside him, Xia Nuannuan's face turned completely red, and she shyly lowered her head. She felt her heart pounding rapidly, filled with embarrassment, anticipation, and nervousness.
Liu Xuan smiled charmingly, her gaze shifting between their faces, and felt an inexplicable envy. Pure campus romance, just looking at it, made one feel very good. Perhaps this was also the reason she had remained single since leaving campus. As for why her college campus romance ended without a trace, it was probably due to the common problems that most campus couples faced. Looking at the young man and woman before her, she truly wished they could remain this happy forever.
Qin Tian came back to his senses, glanced at Xia Nuannuan, whose ears were red, took a deep breath, and smiled lightly, nodding. "Yes, I'm quite lucky; I've already found her." His calm and gentle words caused Xia Nuannuan's body to tremble slightly. She felt as if she had drunk the most mellow wine in the world, and an ineffable sense of happiness and satisfaction made her head feel a bit dizzy.
Liu Xuan was also taken aback for a moment, and then a more brilliant smile bloomed on her face. Afterward, the topic came to an end. In her good mood, Liu Xuan felt like having some dessert. So she called over the waitress and ordered a Tiramisu cake and an ice cream.
While eating, they chatted and laughed. Soon, Xia Nuannuan was no longer nervous or formal, joining the conversation and chatting happily with Liu Xuan.