On a sunny afternoon, Shen Mo, after a few slip-ups and moments of absent-mindedness during his lecture, abruptly ended his third-year class early, storming out of the classroom. His icy aura made everyone on the path instinctively step back three feet from him.
His mind was filled with the image of that girl, Jiang Xiaosi. What was wrong with him? It was just one student leaving—hadn’t he seen plenty of students graduate over the years?
But when he returned home and opened the door, he was met with a fact that both delighted and frustrated him: Jiang Xiaosi had returned. She was lounging on his sofa, drinking his tomato juice, and reading his books.
He couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but the heavy weight pressing on his heart all day suddenly lifted, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief as he entered with a stern expression.
“Why are you still here?”
Jiang Xiaosi looked up at him, her face beaming with joy after their long separation. Her smile was so bright it seemed to light up the whole room. Shen Mo froze for a moment, only to see her suddenly leap towards him, wrapping her arms and legs around him in an excited hug.
Shen Mo, caught off guard by her enthusiasm, took a step back. He was so stunned that he didn’t react for a good while.
“Professor, I’m back!”
Shen Mo tried to shake her off, but she clung to him tightly, so he started to pry her off. “Why are you back again?”
Jiang Xiaosi’s face was flushed with excitement. “You told me to stay, so of course, I came back.”
Shen Mo felt a headache coming on. “When did I ever tell you to stay?”
Jiang Xiaosi waved her phone in front of him, showing him the text message that simply said, “Don’t go.” Shen Mo felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him, his skin prickling with goosebumps. He couldn’t believe such a cheesy message had been sent from his phone.
He racked his brain, trying to recall the incident, and then fury surged through him. ‘Chen Anyuan!’
How dare he use his phone to send that message? And to say something so mushy! “Don’t go”? Shen Mo couldn’t wait for Jiang Xiaosi to leave! He would skin Chen Anyuan alive tomorrow!
“That wasn’t me who sent it.” Shen Mo’s mood plummeted to sub-zero levels.
Jiang Xiaosi snuggled closer into his arms. “Oh, stop being so shy. If you missed me, just say it. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Xiao Tang or the others.”
Shen Mo was beyond exasperated.
“Professor, do you know how touched I was when I saw that message? Just those three words made everything worth it. No matter what hardships, misunderstandings, or grievances I face, I’ve decided to stay, as long as I can be by your side. I promise I won’t make you angry anymore. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Shen Mo’s heart tightened. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. Jiang Xiaosi was quietly nestled in his arms, reminding him of the little hamster Shen Koudan used to keep. He suddenly found himself unwilling to explain the truth to her. Deep down, wasn’t he hoping she would stay?
He sighed. Was Jiang Xiaosi his fate, his trial?
Without thinking, his arms gently held her as he sat down on the sofa, realizing her current position was far from proper.
“If you’re staying, and you’ve promised to do as I say, then we need to establish some ground rules.”
Jiang Xiaosi, still sitting on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re still going to assign me to a different professor?”
“Do you want to switch?”
“I don’t want to.” Jiang Xiaosi shook her head pitifully.
“Then for now, you won’t have to switch.”
“That’s great!” Jiang Xiaosi was so thrilled she tried to kiss Shen Mo, but he pushed her away with a firm hand.
“But,” Shen Mo said seriously, “we need to set three ground rules. First, from now on, you must focus on studying archaeology. Until you earn your degree, you’re not allowed to get distracted by anything else.”
“Like what?”
“Like dating, playing games, or doing business with ghosts and spirits.”
“What? No dating?”
“Second, whether it’s learning magic or martial arts, you can ask your dad for help, or bug Lin Qiang if you want. But within a year, I expect you to have at least basic self-defense skills.”
“No problem! Can I ask you for help?”
“I’m too busy and don’t have the time. Third, until you earn your degree—at least until then—we’ll only have a teacher-student relationship. You’re not allowed to make any inappropriate gestures or advances toward me. If you do, I’ll immediately switch your advisor.”
Jiang Xiaosi’s eyes lit up. “So, if I get my degree, you’ll be with me?”
Shen Mo’s face darkened. “I didn’t say that. What I meant is that during this period, you need to behave properly. After you get your degree, in four years, you’ll be an adult. You can like whoever you want and express yourself however you want. I won’t have the right to interfere. But until then, don’t cling to me!”
Jiang Xiaosi deflated for a moment, then thought about it and said, “But after that, I still have a chance, right? I can officially pursue you?”
Shen Mo choked and started coughing. “You can think of it that way.”
Jiang Xiaosi immediately brightened up again and nodded vigorously. “Okay, I promise. I agree to everything.”
Shen Mo glared at her. If she agreed, then why was she still clinging to him?
Realizing this, Jiang Xiaosi quickly jumped off his lap and stood obediently in front of him, like a well-behaved little wife.
Shen Mo nodded in satisfaction.
Jiang Xiaosi’s thoughts drifted away as she fantasized that the day she graduated would also be the day they got married.
The next morning, Chen Anyuan faced his doom as Shen Mo called him into the office and scolded him for half an hour straight.
“Who told you to use my phone to send a text to Jiang Xiaosi yesterday?”
Chen Anyuan sheepishly admitted his mistake. “Professor, I saw you sitting there during lunch, staring at your phone without eating. You had already scrolled to her number, but your hand just hovered over it, unable to make the call. It was driving Hu Hui and me crazy! So I borrowed your phone and sent the message to keep her from leaving…”
Shen Mo’s face was ashen. That didn’t mean Chen Anyuan had to write something so sentimental and cheesy. He had worked so hard to make Jiang Xiaosi give up on him, and now her feelings had reignited.
… But in the end, he had managed to keep her from leaving.
Shen Mo waved his hand, signaling for Chen Anyuan to leave. Chen Anyuan couldn’t believe he had escaped so easily and dashed out of the office with Hu Hui, clutching his chest in relief. But he knew that Jiang Xiaosi owed them both a nice meal after this stunt.
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