Shang Fuyan timely took a sip of water to dull the spiciness, then nodded slightly, “The taste is good.”

A smile appeared on Song Xi’s face, “You truly are a kindred spirit.”

From his observations, Song Xi really enjoyed spicy food, barely touching the clear broth, which showed her level of fondness for spiciness.

Not only did she enjoy spicy foods, but she also drank one iced beverage after another.

Shang Fuyan could not help but remind her, “Song Xi, won’t you feel uncomfortable drinking like this?”

“No, I’m in great shape.”

As she spoke, she took another sip of the iced passion fruit juice, her face silently expressing two large words: satisfied.

Shang Fuyan no longer tried to dissuade her. He had never dated a girl before and was afraid that too much talk might annoy her.

Halfway through the hot pot, the waiter brought a fruit platter. Sliced watermelon and Hami melon, along with a few ripe cherry tomatoes.

Song Xi not only enjoyed spicy and cold foods but also liked sour ones, such as tomatoes and citrus fruits.

She picked up a piece of watermelon and was about to take a bite when she looked up, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“No.”

“Professor Shang, didn’t you say you’re not picky about food?”

It was a good question, and Song Xi was curious to see how he would respond.

The man pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses with one hand, suppressing a smile, “Indeed, I’m not picky, making me easy to take care of.”

Song Xi’s attention was instantly drawn to his last statement, “You mean… anyone can take care of you?”

“That depends on whether I’m willing.”

Song Xi said “oh”, lowered her head to eat the melon, and found that off-season fruits were indeed not as sweet as in-season ones. After eating one piece, she refused to touch it again.

After leaving the hot pot restaurant, it was already dark.

Song Xi had chosen a restaurant not far from the apartment in Zijun Garden, about a ten-minute walk away.

She turned to look at Shang Fuyan, “No need to see me off, I can walk back on my own, and it’s a good way to digest.”

The man did not agree, politely mentioning that he had not been to this area much and it was a good opportunity to take a look around.

How could Song Xi refuse such an excuse?

Thus, the two walked side by side on the sidewalk.

One tall, one short, about twenty centimeters apart, but they looked surprisingly harmonious together.

To others, this was a well-matched pair.

In March, many trees were budding with flowers, bringing a warm hue to the season compared to the harsh winter.

Song Xi had never imagined there would be a day when the two of them would walk down the street together, both in high spirits.

Her lips curved upwards, and she looked at Shang Fuyan, “I have a question, has any student ever pursued you at the university?”

“No.” The man responded decisively.

Song Xi added, “Sending love letters or gifts counts too~”

“I haven’t received any.”

Song Xi was skeptical, “Really none?”

“No. I don’t accept teacher-student relationships.”

Song Xi looked at the ground, but her mind was elsewhere.

At this moment, the man suddenly pulled her. Song Xi snapped out of her daze, her eyes wide like a startled deer, silently questioning.

Shang Fuyan explained gently, “Don’t step on the manhole cover.”

Song Xi looked down and indeed, she had almost stepped on a corner of the manhole cover.

She rolled her eyes and looked up at him, “Hit me three times quickly.”

Shang Fuyan stood still, thinking it was just a superstitious notion.

Seeing no reaction, Song Xi continued, “Stepping on a manhole cover will bring bad luck for three days, so you should hit me three times.”

“Where?”

Song Xi’s lips curled into an unhidden smile, “Head or butt, either is fine.”

Shang Fuyan: “…”

Two seconds later, Shang Fuyan raised his right hand and gently tapped Song Xi’s head three times, saying, “Bad luck eliminated.”

“Professor Shang, you’re really considerate!”

The complemented man’s lips couldn’t help but turn upward. He looked down at her with a hint of gentleness in his voice, “Song Xi, are you flirting with me?”

“Guess my skills aren’t high enough yet.”

Shang Fuyan was amused by her demeanor, finding her increasingly adorable, different from other girls.

He never regretted intercepting this blind date, instead feeling incredibly fortunate.

The ten-minute walk took them nearly twenty minutes to complete.

Song Xi lived on the 27th floor of a small apartment, a one-bedroom, one-living room space, which she lived in alone, quite spacious.

Thinking about the things upstairs that he shouldn’t see, Song Xi did not invite him up but said straightforwardly, “Thank you for seeing me home, but I won’t ask you up for a drink.”

Shang Fuyan pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses, “Just as well, I have some things to handle, so I won’t go up this time.”

“Does that mean you want to come up next time for a drink?”

“You can think of it that way.”

Song Xi, upon hearing this, was inwardly thrilled but kept a straight face, “See you next time, Professor Shang.”

The man nodded slightly, “Go back quickly, don’t you have to prepare for class?”

“Yeah, I’ll go now, bye~” Song Xi waved at him.

Seeing him nod, Song Xi turned and walked silently toward the building, a smile on her face.

Only after her figure disappeared did the man step away. He, too, had been left hanging for the first time by a girl.

Back in her apartment, Song Xi first took a bath, soaking for nearly half an hour before wrapping herself in a thick towel and sitting at her desk.

Instinctively, she checked her phone. There was no message from him, but there was a good news message from Zheng Shuyan.

It turned out that she had sold three houses on her own today, and the commission alone was enough to cover her base salary for a year and a half.

Song Xi was happy for her and replied with a congratulatory message, wishing Zheng Shuyan a rolling flow of wealth.

Perhaps too excited, Zheng Shuyan immediately called her on video.

Song Xi tapped the green answer button, and a face with elf-like short hair appeared on the screen, thick eyebrows, big eyes, very capable, and shrewd in dealing with people.

“Baby, where were you just now, why did you take so long to reply?”

“I was in the bath, and I was full of hot pot smell.”

“You went to the hot pot alone, weren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”

“I made an appointment with someone, we went together.”

Zheng Shuyan, immersed in her own joy, didn’t catch the undertone in Song Xi’s words, “I’m off next Saturday, I’ll treat you to a big meal, will you do me the honor?”

“Of course, I’ll give you the honor.”

They chatted casually for another half an hour before hanging up.

Song Xi noticed a message from Shang Fuyan, checking to find that he had arrived home.

In return, Song Xi sent him a cute animal emoji as usual.

After that, there was no more communication.

Song Xi didn’t mind; she needed to focus on preparing her classes and updating her serialized novel, or her readers might start sending her knives.

It was almost eleven at night when Song Xi stopped working.

She lay in bed, scrolling through her chat history with Shang Fuyan, but for some reason, she “tapped” him.

In a panic, Song Xi quickly retracted the message.

Fortunately, the social app had this function, otherwise, it would have been embarrassing.

Just as Song Xi felt relieved, she received another message from him: “Still awake?”