Fancy Me, Professor!

The moment Shu Xian went to the garage to see Pan An, the professor was immediately in awe. It was as if he saw a goddess visit before him, a loving smile appearing on his face as he appreciatingly marveled her beauty. 

"Wow, Shu Xian," he exclaimed, reaching out to hold her right hand so he could plant a kiss on her knuckles. "You look very beautiful tonight."

Shu Xian arched a brow at him to tease him. 

"Only tonight?"

Pan An couldn't help but chuckle. With him pulling Shu Xian towards him, he teased her. 

"Always—and I'm too stupidly late to even realize that."

Shu Xian playfully rolled her eyes at him. With her saying something as if to test what would Pan An say after, she still said it, expectant of his reply. 

"But I wore this on the day that I visited your mother. I still look pretty even though I used the same clothes?"

"Of course," Pan An immediately answered, making Shu Xian laugh out loud with what he said next. "If it makes you feel any better, you also look good even if you wear a sack."

Shu Xian hit his chest and laughed as she shook her head. With Pan An already opening the door of the car, Shu Xian entered with excitement then Pan An soon followed after—already starting to drive the moment he already buckled himself on his seat.

"Where are we going to have dinner?" Shu Xian asked, Pan An turning on the AC but making sure that Shu Xian won't feel cold. 

"In a fancy restaurant overlooking the city lights. I have reserved the place."

"Such a romantic, I see," Shu Xian commented, Pan An showing a lopsided smile that made him look more mischievous. 

"How could I not… when I have such a great lady beside me?"

"You know what," Shu Xian started, narrowing her eyes at him as she turned her body slightly to look at him. "You really know your way with words. You don't say that much about me before and now you're treating and complimenting me as a princess."

"I'm sorry," Pan An apologized, a soft chuckle coming right after. "It's not like I meant to do that. I mean… I was already starting to feel something towards you. It's just that I have been confirming if it's sure and true."

Shu Xian found herself unable to speak and reply. With her only nodding and with her now looking at the road before them, she nodded her head slowly as Pan An continued to speak. 

"Shu Xian, let me be honest with you. I didn't expect myself to find attraction towards you."

Shu Xian looked at him once more and continued to listen to him speak. 

"I find you attractive, yes… but I was quiet about it. You're beautiful, Shu Xian. Your mysterious background entices me more to be further interested in you."

Shu Xian didn't know how to accept that. What he said made her feel like an experiment and that he was a scientist unraveling some unknown information. 

Because of Shu Xian's doubtful expression on her face, it made the professor notice her uneasiness without her having to speak about it. 

"Hey, I mean… I'm drawn to you in a way that I want to get to know you. Don't get me wrong, please. That is not my intention."

Shu Xian only nodded, gesturing for Pan An to further talk and explain himself so she could understand better. 

"I realized… that I'm starting to adore you. I'm just too stubborn to accept it so I often push it away."

"I know."

Shu Xian finally spoke, a small smile appearing on her face as she nodded slowly. 

"It's because of Ruo Xi, isn't it?"

Pan An went silent, but he nodded once to answer. With a sigh coming to his face, he stopped the moment the traffic light showed red. He took this opportunity to look at Shu Xian to further explain his feelings towards her. 

"Shu Xian, I'm sorry that I kept showing my frustration towards people including you about Ruo Xi. I was… to be honest, I didn't know that I still had her there—in my heart."

Shu Xian felt a slight pang of pain in her chest. With her face turning to look away so she could look at what's outside her window, Pan An knew that what he said made her feel discomfort so he caught her face by cupping her cheeks with both of his hands. 

"Shu Xian, please do not misunderstand now. She may have come back… but her appearance made me realize what I truly want."

Shu Xian felt her eyes pooling tears. With her lips in a tight line as she felt her heart racing in her chest, she spoke as her lips trembled, stammering on her words as well. 

"A-are you sure that you want… me? Did it cross your mind that y-you might've been using me to forget her?"

What she said was a like a punch jabbed to his stomach, but he couldn't blame her. Shu Xian is young and she never even liked anyone in her whole life and yet here he was… an experienced man in love and she was living with him. 

The only thing he could do now is to keep reassuring Shu Xian. He felt stupid that he showed his frustrations towards Ruo Xi to her and even called her name when he stumbled upon Shu Xian's room. 

He had nothing and no one to blame but himself.

Even with this in thought, he wasn't discouraged.

Rather, he was encouraged to keep showing and telling Shu Xian of his feelings towards her. 

"Shu Xian…"

Pan An said her name and had planted a kiss on her forehead, in hopes that it will make her feel better. 

"Our affection towards each other came upon us earlier today like thunder and lightning—sudden but strong. If you still doubt my actions and words, I can't and I won't blame you as it will only tell me to further prove myself to you and that is no problem."

"Pan An—"

"I'll fight. I'll continue to reassure you no matter how many times it must take for you to know my intentions."

Shu Xian tried her best to fight back her tears. With her hand fanning over her face even though Pan An still cupped her cheeks, he couldn't help but chuckle at her when he heard what she said. 

"I can't cry… my makeup."

"Oh, Shu Xian…"

Pan An briefly planted a kiss on her lips. 

"Other than me telling you that we're to have dinner, I did this with the intention of asking you something."

"Oh?"

Pan An released her from his hold as the traffic light showed them to get ready and he drove the moment it showed green.

"What is it that you want to ask me? You can ask me now. I'm curious."

Pan An had a smirk appearing on his face. With him looking at her from the corner of his eye, he answered her. 

"You will know soon—later. Be patient as this is something important."

"Hmph…"

Shu Xian harrumphed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. As she pursed her lips into a pout, she looked irresistibly cute and if Pan An wasn't driving, he would have pinched her cheeks until the pressure turned it red. 

"You're making me curious as to what you want to ask me. If you want to ask me something, don't make me curious and wait…"

Pan An find her childlike ways irresistibly cute. As he curved down the road and stopped on another red light, he then spoke as he leaned on his backrest to rest for a while. 

"I was about to ask you if we can further our relationship."

Shu Xian's heart raced as she didn't expect to hear that from him. With her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at him, her face naturally turned pink. 

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Pan An smiled. He turned his head so he could sincerely look at her, and further explained what he meant that was intentionally said to make her heart flutter.

"Do you really want me to point it out that I want you as my girlfriend?"

"Y-you… what!?"

Pan An's smile turned into a wider grin, showing his perfect teeth. With the traffic light showing green once again, he continued driving, Shu Xian blinking her eyes a lot of times as she couldn't believe what she just heard.

"You're joking… y-you must be joking me, aren't you?"

"No. It's what my mother would've liked and don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this just for her."

Pan An then looked at her briefly. 

"I'm also doing this because I realized that I want you and I want to get to know you."

Shu Xian found herself completely at a loss for words. With the organ in her chest continuing to beat erratically, she stayed quiet and started pinching her leg, in hopes that she wasn't dreaming.