Uneasy

“So, did you two arrange to have lunch together?”

Ning Rou turned toward the unexpected voice, her eyes widening in shock. “Y-Yuehua? How did you…”

“I came to eat. I waited for you at the dorm, but when you didn’t show, I headed out and picked a restaurant at random… I didn’t realize the Professor was here, too. Was this a planned lunch date?”

Xiao Yuehua wore a rare, sweet smile, her gaze drifting back and forth between Jiang Li and Ning Rou. Yet, beneath that look, there seemed to be a flicker of something as sharp as a blade—an emotion that left both Ning Rou and Jiang Li feeling intensely discomfited.

Ning Rou’s face flushed a violent crimson as she waved her hands frantically. “No, no, no… that’s not it. We met by chance… no, wait, we planned—”

Caught in the act of hiding a secret from her best friend, the sheer weight of her shame caused Ning Rou’s logic to tangle into a messy knot; her words were a disorganized shambles.

Fortunately, Xiao Yuehua seemed to understand her. She simply smiled and waved a hand dismissively. “Ning Rou, why are you so nervous? It’s not like I’m going to go around the academy spreading wild rumors about you and the Professor… You’re just getting tutored by him, I know that.”

“You—you—you… Yuehua, since when did you know!?”

Ning Rou was a picture of frantic embarrassment. She had hidden this for so long, thinking she had been seamless, only to realize she had been parading around in the Emperor’s New Clothes right in front of her friend. Though her intentions were for her friend’s sake, would Yuehua truly not misunderstand?

In her panic, she suddenly grabbed the Professor’s sleeve. “I… I didn’t mean to keep it from you, Yuehua! I was just… just shy and embarrassed to say anything… the Professor can vouch for me!”

However, she wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The moment she grabbed the Professor’s sleeve, Ning Rou thought she saw Yuehua’s expression turn dark and sinister for a fleeting—infinitesimally brief—second.

It must have been a hallucination, right?

“Ning Rou, we’ve been friends for years. Do you really think I wouldn’t believe you?”

Xiao Yuehua shook her head with a hint of helplessness. She reached out and took the hand Ning Rou was using to clutch the Professor’s sleeve, gripping it tightly as she stared earnestly into Ning Rou’s eyes.

“I trust you, Ning Rou. You’re my best friend. You would never do anything to make me sad, right?”

“R-Right…”

Ning Rou instinctively sensed that Xiao Yuehua was speaking with a hidden edge, but she couldn’t fathom what the problem was. She could only nod blankly.

“And then… Professor Nangong.”

Having received her friend’s affirmative reply, Xiao Yuehua turned her head with a satisfied look and smiled toward Jiang Li.

“Professor Nangong, do you mind if I join you?”

Today was a truly strange day.

Truly, it was bizarre from start to finish.

First, there were my own emotions. They seemed to fluctuate wildly based on just a few words from the Professor. I felt like a Golden Retriever being teased by a neighbor; I’d react to his every subtle move with massive internal waves, and yet I was the only one who couldn’t control it. Strange, right? These are my emotions, after all.

Second was the Professor. Today, his complexion was quite poor. Not only were his brows constantly knit together, but he kept staring into space as if lost in a daze. That wasn’t like him at all. Usually, the Professor was meticulous, especially during tutoring. He was like a robot—methodical, step-by-step, never making a mistake, let alone spacing out. But today he was acting completely out of character. It was so strange. Had something bad happened? Was he sick?

To be honest, I was incredibly curious—or rather, worried. But I couldn’t speak up. Given our current relationship, prying into his private life would be overstepping. What if he hated me for it? So, I could only watch him closely, hoping to find a clue in his behavior.

The third strange thing was Yuehua. To be honest, knowing her usual personality, she never cared about what she ate. Lunch was usually handled with takeout; she rarely ever stepped foot in a restaurant, let alone one outside the academy grounds. Yet here she was, and she had “coincidentally” found the exact same place the Professor and I were at.

Realistically, it was inevitable that she’d find out I was secretly contacting Professor Nangong, but I hadn’t figured out how to explain it to her yet. But today, Yuehua chose to believe me without hesitation. In that moment, I felt a surge of intense gratitude and joy.

But after that… Yuehua’s movement when she grabbed my hand was a bit… rough.

Perhaps I was being too sensitive. But at the time, it felt more like… she wanted to fling my hand away from the Professor’s sleeve.

No, no… I must be overthinking it.

“Yuehua, you’re just in time. Why don’t you sit next to—”

“I’ll sit here.”

Before Ning Rou could finish her sentence, Xiao Yuehua had already smiled and pulled out the chair directly next to Jiang Li.

Then, noticing Ning Rou’s stunned and confused expression, Xiao Yuehua explained with a smile, “Sorry, Ning Rou, I prefer the window seat.”

“But…”

Ning Rou stammered two words and then swallowed the rest.

But the seat next to me is also a window seat.

The thought went unsaid, but it echoed in her mind. She pulled her gaze back from the Professor and Xiao Yuehua, sitting down while nursing a sudden, inexplicable sense of gloom.

“I’ve never been to this shop. Any recommendations, Ning Rou?”

Fortunately, her friend’s cheerful voice snapped her back to reality.

“Oh! Right, let me see!” She responded in a bit of a flurry, trying to lift her spirits.

Come to think of it, she and Yuehua hadn’t gone out to eat together in a long time. This was a rare opportunity. She should cherish it. Having quietly convinced herself, Ning Rou patted her cheeks, pushed down those unspeakable little emotions, and took the menu from Xiao Yuehua.

“If we’re talking about what I’ve tried… numbers 6 and 13 are delicious, but your palate is usually lighter, Yuehua, so—”

“Ngh…”

A strange, muffled groan rang out.

Ning Rou’s head snapped up from the menu. However, the Professor and Yuehua were both looking at her normally, as if she had just hallucinated the sound.

But… the atmosphere between the two of them was bizarre.

The Professor’s face wasn’t his usual handsome, indifferent mask; instead, he looked like a prisoner who had been interrogated for an entire day, wearing a weary, brooding expression. Meanwhile, although Yuehua had a charming smile on her face, there was an unmistakable glint flickering in her eyes that made one feel inexplicably uneasy.

“What’s wrong?”

As if noticing Ning Rou staring for too long, Xiao Yuehua tilted her head in confusion. “Is there something strange on my face?”

“No… it’s nothing…”

Ning Rou forced a small smile and looked away, but the suspicion in her heart only deepened.

Between the Professor and Yuehua… something is being hidden.

Contrary to her expectations, this three-person meal was not turning out to be fun at all. Instead, a thick sense of unease gathered like storm clouds, haunting her heart, refusing to let go.