After spending hours exploring the campus—walking through long corridors, peeking into lecture halls, laughing over small things—they finally got tired.
"Guys, I'm starving," one of them complained dramatically, holding her stomach.
"Same! Let's go eat something outside," another added.
"Yeah, there's a restaurant just beside the college," someone suggested.
And just like that, the whole group headed out together.
The restaurant was lively but cozy, filled with soft chatter and the clinking of plates. They took a table and immediately started talking, laughing, and teasing each other like they had known each other for years.
"So, Su An… you've been so quiet," one of her classmates smirked, leaning forward. "Secretly judging all of us?"
Su An laughed lightly. "No, I'm just observing. Someone has to, right?"
"Oh really? Then tell me—what did you observe about me?" another one asked dramatically.
"That you talk too much," Su An replied instantly.
The whole table burst into laughter.
"Wow, savage!"
"Already roasting people on day one!"
The atmosphere felt warm, easy… comfortable.
After a while, Su An gently stood up. "I'll be back… I need to go to the restroom."
"Don't get lost," someone teased.
"I won't," she smiled and walked away.
As she was returning, drying her hands, her phone suddenly started ringing.
She glanced at the screen.
Mom.
She quickly picked it up. "Hello, Mom?"
"Su An, did you eat something? Don't skip meals, okay?"
"I'm at a restaurant right now with my classmates," she replied softly, walking slowly through the hallway.
"Hmm… and how is everything? Did you make friends?"
Su An smiled faintly. "Yeah… they're nice."
Lost in the conversation, her attention completely shifted to the call—
—and in the next second—
Thud.
She bumped into someone.
Her phone almost slipped from her hand.
"Oh—!"
Everything seemed to pause.
The background noise faded.
Time slowed down.
She looked up.
And for a moment… neither of them moved.
Their eyes met.
There was something strangely intense about his gaze—steady, deep, almost as if he was searching for something in her face.
Su An felt her heartbeat quicken for no reason.
"Uh… I'm really sorry, sir," she said, her voice softer than usual, slightly nervous.
But he didn't respond.
He was still looking at her.
Not in a rude way… not exactly.
But in a way that made her feel… noticed.
Recognized.
As if he had seen her before.
Inside Shen Han's mind, a memory suddenly surfaced—
A quiet street.
A small injured cat lying on the side, trembling in pain after being hit by a bicycle.
People passing by.
Ignoring.
Hesitating.
And then—
A girl running toward it without thinking twice.
Carefully kneeling down.
Her hands trembling, but determined.
"It's okay… it's okay…" she had whispered to the cat.
She took out her handkerchief, gently tying it around the injured leg, trying to stop the bleeding… her eyes filled with concern.
Before anyone else could react, she had picked up the cat and walked away, protecting it like it was something precious.
Shen Han had watched everything from a distance.
And that moment… had stayed with him.
Back to the present—
That same face.
Those same eyes.
"…It's nothing," Shen Han finally said quietly, almost as if coming back to reality. His voice was calm, but there was a softness in it now.
Then, after a slight pause, he asked, "What's your name?"
Su An blinked.
Something about the way he was looking at her made her uncomfortable.
Why is he staring like that?
And why is he asking my name like this?
Her expression slightly hardened.
Without answering, she frowned a little, stepped aside, and lightly pushed past him.
"I'm sorry," she said again, but this time her tone was distant.
And then she walked away quickly.
As she returned to the table, her friends immediately noticed.
"Finally! Where were you?" one of them asked. "You took so long."
Su An sat down, still a little distracted.
What was that just now…?
Why did he look at me like that…?
Was he some kind of weirdo?
"What are you thinking?" her friend asked, waving a hand in front of her face.
Su An snapped out of it. "Huh? Oh—nothing."
"Are you sure?" another one leaned in suspiciously. "You look like something happened."
For a split second, Su An hesitated.
Then she forced a small smile.
"Actually… my mom called. That's why it took time."
"Ohhh," her friend nodded. "That makes sense."
"Sit properly, we already ordered food," someone said, pulling her chair closer.
"Yeah…"
But even as she sat there, surrounded by laughter and conversation again—
Her mind wasn't fully present.
For some reason…
That moment.
That gaze.
Stayed.
After Su An walked away without even answering his question, Shen Han stood there for a moment, still looking in the direction she had left.
Something about her reaction… felt unfamiliar.
People usually didn't ignore him like that.
They didn't push past him either.
For a brief second, there was a strange tightness in his chest—something close to… anxiety.
Behind him, his assistant, Chi, who had witnessed the entire scene, slowly stepped forward, trying to hold back a smile.
"Mr. Shen…" he began carefully, "should we… teach her a lesson?"
The words had barely left his mouth when Shen Han's expression turned cold.
He shot him a sharp look.
"You talk too much," Shen Han said flatly. "Your monthly bonus will be deducted."
Chi's face immediately dropped. "Sir—I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"
But inside his mind, he was screaming—
What just happened?!
Did our cold and untouchable Mr. Shen just… get rejected?
Chi lowered his head quickly to hide his expression, but his thoughts kept running wild.
This is unbelievable… If this gets out, it'll be the hottest topic in every group chat.
Meanwhile, Shen Han's gaze drifted again toward the direction where Su An had disappeared.
His voice, when he spoke again, was calm—but there was a clear command in it.
"Chi."
"Yes, sir."
"Find out who that girl is."
Chi blinked.
"And where she lives."
For a second, Chi almost looked up in surprise, but he controlled himself and nodded immediately.
"Yes, Mr. Shen."
As Shen Han turned and walked away, Chi quickly pulled out his phone, already dialing a number.
"Yes," he said in a low voice once the call connected. "I need information on a girl… urgently."
On the other side—
Su An and her friends were completely unaware of all this.
They were still sitting at the restaurant, laughing, eating, and enjoying the moment.
"Try this! It's really good," one of them said, pushing a plate toward Su An.
"Okay, okay," Su An smiled, finally relaxing as she took a bite.
"See? I told you!"
"Hmm… not bad," she teased.
"Not bad?! Excuse me, this is amazing!"
The table once again filled with laughter.
For a while, everything felt light and normal again.
No strange encounters.
No intense stares.
Just a group of friends, slowly becoming closer.
After finishing their meal, they quickly checked the time.
"Oh no—we need to go! The dorm gates will close soon!"
"Run!"
Laughing and rushing together, they made their way back to the college.
By the time they reached the dorm building, they were slightly out of breath.
"Made it just in time," someone said, placing a hand on her chest.
"Barely," another added.
Later that night, inside their rooms, the atmosphere turned calm.
They changed into comfortable clothes and lay down on their beds, phones in their hands.
A WeChat group had already been created.
Messages kept popping up—
"Today was fun!"
"Yeah, especially the food "
"And Su An roasting everyone "
Su An smiled softly at the screen.
"You guys started it first," she typed back.
"Sure, sure "
After chatting for a while, one by one, everyone started going offline.
The lights dimmed.
The room fell silent.
Su An placed her phone aside and closed her eyes.
But for just a brief moment—
That unexpected collision…
That intense gaze…
Flashed in her mind again.
She frowned slightly.
Weird person…
And with that thought, she slowly drifted off to sleep.