“Remember, it’s full sugar with ice Yangzhi Ganlu.”
Shen Zhishu repeated her order, and from her wording, it was clear she was a regular at bubble tea shops.
Pei Xingyan breathed a quiet sigh of relief; he had almost thought Shen Zhishu’s target wasn’t the drink but him.
Though he wasn’t narcissistic enough to believe his charm could win over anyone, this lady’s attention to him was definitely a bit too much.
Not only had he found an expert just by saying a word, but she also kept pestering him for a reward that she called a “thank-you gift,” though in his eyes, it was simply a prize.
Besides, what Fan Jian said that day did have some truth—Shen Zhishu often came to check the dorms but usually left in a hurry after inspecting his room.
It was as if she just wanted to catch a glimpse of him.
“I remember…” he murmured.
Anyway, there wouldn’t be a next time. Whether he remembered Shen Zhishu’s preferences or not didn’t really matter.
“Mm-hmm.” Shen Zhishu’s lips touched the straw, and she nodded happily like a little girl—completely lacking the demeanor of an adult, let alone the grace her status should command.
“Teacher, do you really like bubble tea that much?” Pei Xingyan asked.
“Why do you never learn?” Shen Zhishu suddenly got angry, smacking his head hard and scolding, “I told you not to call me that. Don’t you think it’s too old-fashioned?”
Pei Xingyan sulked, shrinking his neck, secretly thinking: clearly she’s already an old woman but still refuses to accept it.
Yet he was quick-witted enough to retort smoothly, “Then I guess I can only call you sister… but that doesn’t feel right either.”
“Why wouldn’t it be right?” Shen Zhishu grew a bit flustered. “I’m only twenty-six this year. By age, I’m just seven years older than you. Calling me sister is exactly the right age, isn’t it?”
Pei Xingyan curled his lip, thinking to himself: now a five-year age gap means you’re from a completely different generation. You’re twenty-six and still want to be a sister? Not auntie—unforgivable!
As he muttered inwardly, something felt off.
“How do you know my age?” His brow furrowed, suspicion returning just like before.
No matter how she knew his age, it was too much. Besides, there had been some mix-ups in Pei Xingyan’s school enrollment—he started a year earlier than his peers, so nobody could really know his exact age.
Yet Shen Zhishu not only named it precisely but did so in such a casual tone.
He couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“?” Shen Zhishu’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she curled the corner of her lips into a smirk, letting out a mocking “hmm hmm.” She said, “Do you know how many forms you’ve filled out since enrollment? I’ve looked through them specifically—Pei, the classmate who’s a year younger than the others.”
She resumed sipping her bubble tea as if nothing unusual was happening. Among the chattering ordinary girls, there was no way to associate this girl, who squinted and trembled with the sweetness, with the cold, outstanding young man on the Photo Wall.
Pei Xingyan couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.
That motion was caught by Shen Zhishu.
She suddenly leaned closer, the curve of her lips curling higher, eyes blinking mischievously, “What are you looking at? Looking at me?”
“D-Don’t get so close…” Pei Xingyan always acted like a fool around people with no vested interest, and teasing lines slipped out easily, “If someone saw us like this and misunderstood, affecting your future as a teacher, then I’d have to kill myself to make amends.”
Shen Zhishu shook her head. “It won’t affect anything. We aren’t really teacher and student; even if someone saw us, nothing would happen. Besides, we’re just sitting together having some bubble tea… Why are you saying that? Don’t tell me you have some weird thoughts?”
She smiled slyly, a trace of something ambiguous in it.
But suddenly, something shiny caught her eye.
Following her gaze, she noticed a red string tied around Pei Xingyan’s wrist, with a peanut-sized gold piece that was strikingly eye-catching.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Her smile vanished, but she leaned in even closer.
Her face was almost touching Pei Xingyan’s hand before he could say a word. She asked coldly, “What’s this?”
Pei Xingyan hesitated, then glanced down, realizing she meant the gold charm.
Though he didn’t understand why she cared about it, a gut feeling told him not to tell the truth.
It was a strange but reliable instinct—like a hunter sensing the prey’s trail, or the prey feeling the hunter’s breath; a primal survival intuition.
Feigning nonchalance, he stretched out his hand in front of her, “It’s something my parents left me. Not very valuable.”
“Why haven’t I seen you wear it before?” Shen Zhishu’s concern was clearly over the top, her tone a bit pressing.
“There’s no need to wear it every day, right? And no need to tell you these little things,” Pei Xingyan smiled falsely. “Right?”
Shen Zhishu paused, then sat back down, staring blankly at the red string.
She gently shook her head but said nothing.
She was denying something but unwilling to say it aloud.
“I actually feel like I’m familiar with you somehow.” Pei Xingyan took a sip of the bubble tea. The overwhelming sweetness almost made him choke. He clicked his tongue and pushed the cup aside, continuing, “Feels like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”
Shen Zhishu’s expression became complicated. She bit her lip, moving her head up, down, left, and right—as if admitting, yet also denying.
In the end, she answered nothing but tossed out another question, “Do you think we’ve met before?”
Pei Xingyan shook his head. He had no memories.
He then saw Shen Zhishu deflate like a balloon losing air. She leaned back in her chair, curling up smaller and smaller, her head nearly tucked into her stomach.
Sadness flickered across her face but vanished quickly.
It was an indescribable sorrow—like a child realizing they’ve grown up and can no longer snuggle in their parents’ arms; like an old person aging, realizing they can no longer dance with youth.
It was helplessness, helplessly watching the things lost fade forever in the sunset.
She silently sucked on her drink, her hand gripping the plastic cup, fingers embedded in the cup wall.
Even after finishing the sweet drink, she didn’t say a word.
But her gaze remained fixed on Pei Xingyan. She studied him carefully, again and again, more diligently than a student cramming anatomy diagrams before an exam.
When she finally left, a smile returned to her face. She waved at Pei Xingyan in the crowd, “Thanks for the bubble tea. Don’t forget next time I want—”
“Full sugar with ice Yangzhi Ganlu.” Pei Xingyan finished her sentence for her.
Shen Zhishu smiled sincerely, waving at him as she walked further away.
Once again, Pei Xingyan had a déjà vu feeling.
He seemed to have seen this scene somewhere before.
But where exactly? When exactly?
He still couldn’t remember.