Fancy Me, Professor!

"Aren't you going to be late for class?" the professor asked, cocking his head to the side as he tried his best to hide his annoyance. "Hmm?"

Shu Xian blinked her eyes a few times as she didn't expect that Professor Pan An would come to the Internet and Fiction Library area after he borrowed books. She couldn't help but look at him with astonishment in her eyes, observing the facial expression on his face. 

His lips were on a thin line and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. With him looking sternly at Zhong Li as if he was a rebellious student, Shu Xian arched a brow at him and questioned why he suddenly appeared, brushing off his hand away from her shoulder awkwardly at the same time. 

"What's wrong, Professor Pan An?" she asked, the professor looking at Zhong Li one last time before he slowly returned his gaze to look at Shu Xian.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. What's wrong? What are you doing here when you're supposed to wait for your next class?"

Shu Xian widened her eyes in disbelief, her lips parting as the shock expressed on her face was no longer contained.

As if accused of being in the wrong, she put her right hand on her chest as she thought to herself the possible outburst that she wanted to say aloud. 

'Why are you acting as if this is my fault!?'

'Weren't you the one who lied to everyone about me being called by our Chief Librarian when she's not even here?'

'How can he act as if I'm the one skipping classes!?'

'You're the one who made a lie—an alibi which put us in this situation in the first place!'

'What is he so annoyed about?'

However, the last question lingered in her mind. With her pouting as she let out a small sigh, she just walked down the stairs without saying a word, giving Zhong Li and Yan Yan one last look as if it was her indication of her unexpected goodbye. 

As Shu Xian walked down the stairs and went back to the classroom, Pan An still remained, knowing that it's his free class and that he can stay here for the meantime to kill time. 

Zhong Li still had his eyes on the professor. He couldn't help but think that there was something behind his glare—that there was something behind the way he put his hand on Shu Xian's shoulder as if acting like she's his possession. 

With him now leaning on the desk, Yan Yan stood up and greeted him, doing her responsibility as a Student Assistant. 

"What do you need, Professor Pan An?"

Yan Yan looked at Zhong Li from the corner of her eye. With a look of disapproval coming from her, she narrowed her eyes at him and whispered that's enough for him to hear. 

"Zhong Li, get your act together! We have a professor as our patron!"

Even though Yan Yan pointed that out, Zhong Li didn't say a word. With them looking at each other, Yan Yan grew nervous by the second as she thought that maybe Pan An might give them a bad rating of their service. 

But little did she know, however, that both of them seemed to be communicating with each other in their thoughts. 

'Why do you act as if you own Shu Xian?'

'That is none of your business. And why do you talk to her alone?'

'As if I was keeping her to myself when she volunteered to help me!'

'You're not going to get more time with her alone.'

'As if you control the course of events that are going to happen!'

'You dare question the thoughts of a professor?'

It's as if a lightning appeared in between their brows. With them looking at each other as if challenging each other, Yan Yan awkwardly chuckled, getting the attention of the professor. 

"A-anyway, Professor Pan An… what do you need? A computer unit to avail for internet use? Or a fiction book, perhaps, that you'd like to read?"

Pan An shook his head. With him only giving Yan Yan a smile, he told his goodbyes, already leaving without expecting a reply from them. 

"I don't need anything, thank you. I'll be on my way."

And with that, the professor already walked down the stairs. With Zhong Li and Yan Yan already left alone, both of them looked at each other in consternation, however, the annoyance in Zhong Li's eyes had never left. 

"That was weird," Yan Yan commented, already sitting down on her swivel chair as she let out a sigh of confusion. She even crossed her arms in front of her chest as she thought aloud. "Professor Pan An walked up here for nothing? That's a rather odd reason for an unexpected visitation."

"Maybe out for a walk," Zhong Li said quickly like he snapped, already focusing on what he was typing as his force on his mouse clicker was somehow strong. 

"You seem to be in a foul mood," Yan Yan commented, narrowing her eyes at him at the same time. "Is it because Shu Xian had already left?"

Zhong Li snapped his head to look at Yan Yan. With her question obviously getting his attention, he blinked his eyes a few times, stuttering over his words that made him look as if he's "guilty."

"I-It's not because of Shu Xian, you dummy. Y-you're saying too much."

Yan Yan couldn't help but laugh. With her shaking her head, she continued to tease Zhong Li, saying something about what she noticed towards Pan An's actions to Shu Xian. 

"I really don't get why Professor Pan An suddenly visited our section. He even put his hand on Shu Xian's shoulder! I wonder if he's interested in Shu Xian."

As if Yan Yan's intention to tease Pan An had succeeded. With him slowly turning his head to look at Yan Yan, his question made her smirk, the girl hiding her mouth behind her hand so he won't notice. 

"You think that the professor is interested in Shu Xian?"

"Well…" Yan Yan trailed off, trying her best not to talk. "I'm not sure, actually! But with him putting his hand on her shoulder, I wonder if—"

"That can't be," Zhong Li interrupted as a scoff of disbelief escaped from his lips. "That's not likely. He's a professional. He shouldn't have an interest towards his student."

"Oh?"

Yan Yan cocked her head to the side, stating her opinions and comments aloud. 

"I think since it's university level, it's possible. She's not in the elementary or high school, anyway."

"No," Zhong Li retorted, his eyebrow twitching as he cringed at the thought. "He's still a teacher in nature even though he's teaching in a higher education. It may seem acceptable because most of the students in college are in the legal age, but still, the image is not quite acceptable."

"Hmm… you do have a point," Yan Yan nodded slowly, continuing to see if Zhong Li would continue to probe. "But we may never know. What if he's interested in her and that he's waiting until she graduates so he could pursue Shu Xian?"

Zhong Li didn't say a word. With him feeling slightly panicked at the thought, he felt his heart aching in his chest. His brows furrowed together, his lips thinning together.

This sight before Yan Yan indeed made her think if Zhong Li is indeed interested on Shu Xian. 

With the sudden silence, Yan Yan crossed her arms in front of her chest, asking him a question that made Zhong Li look at her. 

"Do you like Shu Xian?"

Zhong Li could have blurted out and say no. But with him not wanting to deny, he let out a small sigh, answering her question with another query instead. 

"What if I do?"

Yan Yan widened her eyes in surprise, putting her hand on her mouth to suppress her shock. 

"Really?"

Zhong Li sighed once more as he slumped to his seat, mumbling enough for Yan Yan to hear even though he found it difficult to open up to her. 

"I… I don't know," Zhong Li honestly answered, comfortable enough to open up to Yan Yan since he only had a few friends, including her. "But maybe… since I'm uneasy by the thought of the professor putting his hand on her… and I also don't treat other women kindly."

"Oh, you got the latter part right, indeed," Yan Yan admitted, Zhong Li, glaring at her as he narrowed his eyes at the same time. "Anyway, as to the first thing that you said, I didn't expect you to be affected by it."

Zhong Li shook his head, agreeing the same. 

"Me, either…"

"And what surprised me—" Yan Yan smiled, looking at the guy beside her with great interest in her eyes. "—is the fact that you told me this when you're close with Zhang Ren. You chose to tell me instead!"

A small smile appeared on Zhong Li's face. With him also finding it surprising for him to trust Yan Yan, he just patted her head out of the blue, making her heart race her chest for a bit. 

"Well, you're a good girl who has been talking with me since we met. How could I not trust you?"