Song Xi covered her face with both hands and let out a long sigh.

She wanted to pretend she was dead, to pretend she didn’t see the message. But her good manners told her she couldn’t do that; she couldn’t be carelessly rude.

Song Xi had to gather her thoughts and replied, “Just finished.”

She didn’t mention the fact that she had “tapped” him earlier, since she had already retracted it. There was no need to bring it up, even if he had seen it.

Shang Fuyan: “Get some sleep, it’s Monday tomorrow, Teacher Song.”

Song Xi: “Professor Shang, you too.”

Shang Fuyan: “Goodnight.”

Song Xi: “Doraemon sleeping on the moon / emoji”

The man stared at the emoji for a long time, then casually clicked to save it, thinking he might use it someday.

In the past twenty-some years, he had always been proper and never did anything out of line.

In just these two days, Shang Fuyan experienced what it was like to have emotional ups and downs. He would carefully ponder and analyze every word and subtle expression.

If he were to fall for this girl, he couldn’t imagine what the future would be like. He was a bit excited to see just how much she could affect him.

—

The new week began, and Song Xi arrived at school with a positive attitude.

She was now an intern Chinese teacher, teaching fourth grade, and it would be a few more months before she could become a full-time teacher.

Song Xi had earned her position through her own efforts, passing the exams and interviews with excellent scores, and was assigned to this city’s key elementary school, following all the procedures.

The vice principal here was Aunt Zhang, who was due to retire in a few years. She and Song Yun were close friends who shared everything.

The blind date had been arranged behind the scenes by her.

During the break, Aunt Zhang called Song Xi to the principal’s office.

At that moment, they were the only two there.

In private, Song Xi called her Aunt Zhang, but in the school, she addressed her as vice principal Zhang.

Aunt Zhang’s face was filled with a smile, “Xiaoxi, what do you think of that young man?”

“He’s pretty good.”

Aunt Zhang was even more pleased, “I originally planned to introduce you to another boy, closer to your age. But he went abroad, so I introduced you to the university professor instead. Though he’s seven years older, there are advantages to that. He’ll be more considerate, so give it a try.”

Song Xi felt a bit embarrassed, realizing there were so many twists and turns in this blind date.

“Vice Principal Zhang, do you know his family?”

Aunt Zhang shook her head, “Not really. My sister-in-law works as a maid for his family and insisted I set you two up, so I agreed. You know my sister-in-law; she’s a simple, honest person with no ill intentions. You can rest assured. The man has good conditions; if I had a daughter, I’d be happy for her to go on a blind date with him.”

Song Xi nodded, understanding seven-tenths of it but still a bit confused.

When she had the chance, she decided to ask Shang Fuyan directly about what was going on.

The day passed without much busyness but was fulfilling.

Sometimes in the evening, sometimes at noon, Shang Fuyan would take the initiative to send her messages. Song Xi would reply. They exchanged casual pleasantries like “Have you eaten?” or “What are you doing?” but they found joy in these trivial conversations.

Song Xi wasn’t a coquettish person. She believed that taking the initiative was a way to screen others, while being passive was a form of self-depletion.

Therefore, when Shang Fuyan didn’t contact her, she would call him. She enjoyed hearing his voice and asking what he was up to.

Even a few words could convey a lot of information.

This mutual concern added a touch of undefined meaning to their lives.

They didn’t dislike each other and looked forward to the next meeting.

Soon, it was Friday.

Shang Fuyan took the initiative to extend an invitation. He felt that sending a message to ask was not formal enough, so he decided to call and ask if Song Xi was available.

Song Xi was straightforward, not beating around the bush, and agreed readily, giving Shang Fuyan a glimmer of hope.

He felt that her willingness to give him this opportunity at least meant she didn’t dislike him.

As for their feelings, they could develop naturally over time.

He couldn’t be too hasty; they needed to get to know each other better.

Shang Fuyan concentrated all his work in the morning, leaving his afternoon free.

He first returned to his residence, took a shower, and changed into a brand-new custom-made suit before preparing to leave.

He stared at the key rack for a few seconds, then picked the most understated key and left.

There were still two hours before he was supposed to pick her up.

Shang Fuyan considered whether to prepare a gift in advance. He thought and thought but couldn’t come up with anything suitable.

They hadn’t established a relationship yet; they were still in the ambiguous stage, and he couldn’t think of what to give her.

Shang Fuyan called his cousin, who was obviously still sleeping and answered with a grumpy tone, “Professor, do you know what time it is? What do you want?”

“Give you a chance to speak properly.”

“Bro, I’m wrong, don’t be mad! What do you need?”

Shang Fuyan carefully chose his words, “What gift is appropriate for a girl you’ve just started dating?”

Upon hearing this, his cousin instantly perked up, sitting up in bed, “Bro, it’s about time you decided to end your single life and start dating?”

“Don’t talk nonsense, just answer my question.”

“If the girl likes sweets, send her chocolates. They’re not too expensive or too cheap, perfect for a girl you’ve just met.”

“Besides chocolates, what else can I send?”

“If she’s a bit open-minded, you could give yourself to her. No girl can resist your male charm, it’s just a matter of whether you can pull it off…”

Before he could finish, Shang Fuyan hung up. He regretted calling him; what a ridiculous idea!

Shang Fuyan happened to pass by Xisifei Bookstore and decided to check it out.

After all, her hobby was reading.

A slight smile crept onto his lips. The girl was quite wild, reading all sorts of things.

Even if she dared to read them, he didn’t dare to give them to her.

He wasn’t sure how much of what she said was true.

From entering the bookstore to leaving, it took him forty minutes.

Shang Fuyan held the gift in his hand and placed it on the back seat of the car, then got into the driver’s seat and headed for the city’s key elementary school.

He arrived ten minutes early.

Shang Fuyan parked across from the school. If she came out of the school gate, he would see her immediately.

Song Xi was always punctual. If she said she would come out at a certain time, she would.

Though she was studying the humanities, it didn’t stop her from being clear-headed most of the time.

She said goodbye to the security guard at the school gate and walked out with her crossbody bag.