Chapter Twenty-Six: An Awkward Situation

"I really must thank you for that."

It was impossible to tell whether the remark was meant as a compliment or a critique, but Su Mian was too busy enjoying her meal to bother deciphering it. Huo Beihan had initially followed her lead and eaten a little, but as time went on, he barely touched his chopsticks. He simply sat there quietly, listening to Su Mian explain how to pair the different ingredients and describing the flavors of each dish. He eventually managed to eat a bit more, but due to his limited stomach capacity, he spent the rest of the time just watching her eat.

By the time they finished and emerged from the restaurant, Su Mian was still on the same topic. "I always thought someone like you, Big Brother, would find these things a bit out of character, but surprisingly, you adapted quite well."

She was referring to the little games the restaurant owner had suggested, as well as the dry, witty remarks Huo Beihan had dropped from time to time.

"I am a normal person, too," he explained with a faint, bitter smile. "It’s just that, given my position, I cannot always act as I please."

Thinking of the ruthlessly strict upbringing Huo Beihan had endured under the elder Mr. Huo, a chill ran down Su Mian’s spine. Perhaps out of sudden pity or something else, her gaze softened with a touch of regret. "I see. I really didn't know you at all."

As they walked and chatted, they had not gone far from the hot pot restaurant when they ran into two familiar faces. The moment she saw them, the bright smile on Su Mian’s face vanished. Huo Beihan noticed her change in expression immediately and stood calmly by her side.

Su Mian and Qin Yunzheng locked eyes, but neither spoke to break the awkward silence. After all, the unpleasantness from earlier that morning had left them acting like enemies.

Lin Qingqing, however, seemed determined to be oblivious. Seeing them, she took the initiative to greet them. "Sister Su Mian, what a coincidence! Did you two just finish eating at that hot pot place?"

Su Mian still couldn't fathom Lin Qingqing; she was two-faced and backstabbing. Had the provocation from that night not been enough? Seeing that no one responded to her, Lin Qingqing didn't feel embarrassed in the slightest and continued to chatter away. "I didn't expect that after so little time, you’d have already found a new boyfriend. Congratulations."

Qin Yunzheng had remained silent initially because he was reminded of the times he had gone to that very restaurant with Su Mian. Hearing Lin Qingqing’s words, his face darkened like the bottom of a pot. "What are you talking about? This is Su Mian’s older brother."

"Oh." Lin Qingqing’s gaze flickered between Su Mian and Huo Beihan, clearly harboring doubts.

Wanting to avoid further misunderstandings, Qin Yunzheng made an excuse to send Lin Qingqing away. Once she was gone, he noticed that Huo Beihan and Su Mian had already walked some distance ahead. He quickly caught up.

"Wait a moment."

Su Mian glanced back at Qin Yunzheng, her eyes filled with impatience. Ignoring Huo Beihan’s presence, Qin Yunzheng spoke, driven by his earlier reflection on the restaurant. "Mianmian, you still have feelings for me, don't you? Otherwise, why would you choose that specific place when there are so many others? I still remember that every time you were happy, you’d ask me to go there with you. You always said their sauce suited your taste buds best."

As he prepared to recount more memories of their time together, Su Mian cut him off sharply. "Please stop with the delusions. The reason I ate there is simply because I wanted to, and because I like it. It has absolutely nothing to do with who I’m with or my mood."

Listening to Qin Yunzheng, she felt a sudden, sharp regret for the three years she had wasted. It turned out that Qin Yunzheng could remember her preferences all along; he simply hadn't been willing to put in the effort for her.

Qin Yunzheng’s smile froze. He stared at Su Mian in disbelief, his voice trembling. "That’s impossible. You’re just lying to yourself. It’s because of what I said earlier, isn't it? It hurt you. I can apologize."

Su Mian was so angry she wanted to slap him; she clenched her fists, waiting for an opportunity. Huo Beihan, standing close, felt her body trembling. He stepped forward, shielding Su Mian behind him.

"Mr. Qin, I suggest you stop being so narcissistic. My sister is too polite to say it directly, but I can tell you with certainty: she doesn't like you anymore. From now on, behave yourself and stop harassing her."

Huo Beihan’s tone left no room for argument. Qin Yunzheng was left speechless.

"Let’s go." Su Mian felt drained. She felt even more humiliated that Huo Beihan had to step in to handle this for her, as if all her vulnerability had been laid bare before him.

Watching them walk away, Qin Yunzheng clenched his fists tightly. Before this, he had imagined many ways they might interact—whether it was a heated argument or clearing up the misunderstandings of the past. He hadn't wanted things to be like this with Su Mian. He hadn't intended to interrogate her today, but seeing the dead, hollow look in her eyes had pushed him to say those harsh words.

He had felt a flicker of joy when he saw her leaving the hot pot restaurant, thinking perhaps she still held onto their past. He had hoped they could go back to how things were, that everything could fade away. But now, it was no longer possible.

...

Su Mian kept pulling Huo Beihan along as they walked, only realizing when they reached the school gate where she had led them. She offered, "Would you like to walk around the school with me?"

"Alright." Seeing that she was still in low spirits, Huo Beihan did not refuse.

As they were about to enter the main gate, Su Mian caught their joined hands in the reflection of the glass and instinctively let go. "Sorry, Big Brother. I was a bit agitated earlier."

Huo Beihan shook his head. Though he had felt the urge to pull her hand back into his the moment she let go, his reason prevailed.

The sky had turned dark. The two walked aimlessly along the main path, the lights from both sides casting long shadows. Su Mian secretly watched their shadows on the ground. To ease the awkwardness, she brought up some trivial topics. Huo Beihan didn't say much, but he always went straight to the point. They chatted back and forth.

As they reached the path between the playground and the sports field, they nearly collided with an elderly man. Su Mian quickly apologized. Just as the man began to wave it off, he looked up, and Su Mian recognized him immediately.

"Professor Li! What a coincidence."

"It’s you." The man studied Su Mian for a dozen seconds before remembering who she was. He then glanced at Huo Beihan standing behind her and teased with a smile, "You’ve changed boyfriends, have you? I remember it wasn't this one before."

Hearing this, Su Mian forced a smile. Her relationship with Qin Yunzheng had been so high-profile that everyone knew about them. Back then, she had truly wanted it to last, but times had changed and people had moved on. Faced with the professor's gaze, she didn't know how to explain.

"Why are you so shy about introducing your boyfriend now that you're all grown up?"

Professor Li’s words came so fast that Su Mian couldn't even find a gap to interject.

"Professor, actually, he isn't my..."