Fancy Me, Professor!

Shi Lian had successfully comforted Zhang Ren. With them continuing to eat ice cream as they waited for dinner this late Sunday afternoon, Shi Lian's phone suddenly rang, making her blink her eyes a few times as she hadn't expected Shu Xian to call her. 

It's weird. Before, she wouldn't find it troublesome that Shu Xian would call her at any time of the day. Heck, she'd really love if her best friend would call her every now and then!

However, now that Shu Xian is calling, she found it bothersome for today now that she is spending time with Zhang Ren!

Was it always like this when it comes to being in a relationship?

Gosh, even she is flabbergasted with herself right now!

She always thought that in the novels and short stories that she read that those women who find their friends bothersome for asking for their time while having a date with their significant other, somewhat petty.

But now that she is in the same situation, she felt bad that now she understood those "petty women" who found their friends bothersome. 

With Shi Lian looking at Zhang Ren, he smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders, wondering why Shi Lian had not yet been answering her best friend's call. 

"What's wrong?"

"It's Shu Xian."

Zhang Ren chuckled. "I can see that."

"Yeah, I know… but…"

"Answer her call. It may be something important."

"Fine."

With Shi Lian now answering the call, she put her phone in loudspeaker so Zhang Ren could hear. 

"Hello? Shu Xian?"

"And what is this I'm hearing that you're now in a relationship with Zhang Ren?!"

Hearing this, Zhang Ren couldn't help but laugh out loud, not bothered that Shu Xian on the other end of the call could hear. With Shi Lian blushing, she rolled her eyes, now replying to her best friend. 

"Well, hello to you, too!"

"Hello, hello…"

There was sarcasm hinted in the voice of Shu Xian. 

"And Zhang Ren is there with you, too!"

"Hey, Shu Xian," Zhang Ren greeted, his grin never leaving his face. "Nice to hear from you this Sunday afternoon."

With Shi Lian smiling at him as she found his teasing manner quite cute, Shu Xian was heard sighing from the other end of the call, now pointing out what she wanted to talk about. 

"I heard from big brother Wang Lei that you are now in a relationship with Zhang Ren. I know that he's not one to lie, but is this true?"

Zhang Ren and Shi Lian looked at each other. With a sweet smile on their face. 

"Yes," they answered in unison, Shu Xian now smiling as she was happy for the both of them despite the surprise that was given to her which prompted her to call them immediately upon knowing this spicy information. 

"Then I'm happy for both of you," Shu Xian said, congratulating them as well. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Shi Lian said, now biting her bottom lip as she was suppressing her joy. With her now thinking about Shu Xian and how they didn't talk since Friday and Saturday, she thought she'd ask how she is. 

"And how about you? How are you so far, Shu Xian? We didn't talk for almost two days until you called," she pointed out, Shu Xian now blushing as she also felt guilty for not telling her this bit of important information about herself. 

"Sorry," Shu Xian apologized, letting out a small chuckle. "Pan An and I are in a relationship."

"What!?"

With both Zhang Ren and Shi Lian exclaiming in surprise, even they were in it for a shock when they didn't expect this one bit!

"How? How did this happen?" Zhang Ren asked, Shu Xian leaning on the rest of the couch with Wan Wan sleeping beneath her master's feet. 

"Well, you know…" Shu Xian trailed off, her smile turning into a wide grin on her face as she felt happy about how her life is turning out. "Things kind of escalated since the appearance of that Ruo Xi in class."

"Aha!" Zhang Ren exclaimed, as if he had a eureka moment. "So, from your date that Friday night, it escalated from there?"

"Well, yes," Shu Xian admittedly answered, her soft flush of pink suddenly turning into a shared of red. "And, uh… you shouldn't know what had happened next."

With her shy tone getting the attention of the two, Shi Lian and Zhang Ren looked at each other as if they already understood from her tone what she was keeping from them. 

"Oh, Shu Xian… don't tell me that you've become naughtier than me?"

"Oh, shut up, Shi Lian," Shu Xian retorted, her reply almost in a mumble but it was still heard by the both of them. "I'm not comfortable talking about this yet."

"Goodness!" Shi Lian laughed out loud, Zhang Ren chuckling along with her. "We're not saying anything but your answer already gave it away! Now we know without you telling us!"

With Shu Xian now feeling embarrassed with how both of her close friends are laughing at her, Shu Xian wanted to get back and tease them. 

"Y-yeah? Well… just wait until you two get too comfortable with each other. You'd touch one another, too!"

Shi Lian didn't know how to react to that. With her face turning beet red and with Zhang Ren also silencing at the thought, Shi Lian caught a glimpse of Zhang Ren's shy expression, now hitting his shoulder for a couple of times. 

"Oh, you, you! You're here with me and you're imagining things!"

"I-I'm not!" 

Zhang Ren winced, feeling how heavy Shi Lian's hits are. Is it because she has an older brother and this is how things are usually are between them?

With Shu Xian laughing as she imagined how they are without having the need to see them, she snuggled up her knees and then asked them a question to divert the conversation. 

"Hey… would you guys like to visit for a snack? Judging your situation, both of you may probably be waiting for dinner for two to three hours."

"Hmm… that's not actually a bad idea," Shi Lian commented, nodding as she liked the idea. "Zhang Ren and I can come back once dinner is served. Besides, I think we have each other's tea to spill."

"Oh, Shi Lian…"

Shu Xian playfully rolled her eyes at what she said, now excited to see both of them. 

"I'm going to cook our dinner while we talk. Is that alright?"

"Not a problem," Zhang Ren answered, further teasing her. "With you cooking, it's as if you two are newly weds and you not just someone Pan An saved in the park that night."

With the comment said by Zhang Ren, the three of them laughed, now agreeing to meet up with each other. 

"Alright. I'll see you guys, then. There are some left over pizza from last night. It can be a snack while we talk."

"Cool. See you then!"

And with that, the call had ended, Shi Lian and Zhang Ren now excusing themselves to go out for a while and coming back for dinner. With Shi Lian and Wang Lei's mother giving them the permission to go, the couple then decided to visit Shu Xian. 

Shi Lian actually liked to offer her place for Shu Xian, but since she knew that she couldn't possibly leave Wan Wan alone in the house and that maybe Pan An is out, she understood that it'd be better to visit her. 

As both of them hailed for a cab, Zhang Ren then held Shi Lian's hand, both of them acting like a couple as if both of them had an experience before. 

***

Ruo Xi rested her head on her husband's chest. With him already asleep as he spent most of his energy with his wife on bed, Ruo Xi was still awake, thinking of what to do next. 

She came back to City S to get Pan An back and possibly have revenge and then make him beg for her!

However, with this Shu Xian ruining all of her plans, she thought what she could do next to make her fall—to make her pay! 

She would have to be careful. With Shu Xian now connected to Pan An's family, she knew that she would have to plot carefully so no one could suspect that it's her. 

She probably would need to ask for help, but who?

Maybe other students from the university? Or perhaps… 

Some of her secret connections?

With the corner of her lips tugging into a mischievous smirk, Ruo Xi started to twirl her index finger on her husband's chest, liking her idea as she couldn't wait to deploy her menacing thoughts on that damned woman who dared to steal his man away from her. 

"Oh, Shu Xian… you'd really regret that you crossed paths with me. Just you wait… you will definitely be surprised and will leave Pan An alone."

An evil glint passed through her eye, the view of the sunset hitting her face as if concealing her evil intentions.