Feed Me, Husband - Chapter 69

Chapter 69

During the lunch break, Gu Xiaonuan stood in front of the graduate student dormitory building, holding the student ID card he had left behind.

She had originally intended to go inside and leave the item with the dormitory manager, but as she turned her head, she caught sight of him walking toward her from a distance.

The midday sun showered him in light. He was wearing earphones, the cord swaying gently against the T-shirt on his chest.

His short black hair was a bit messy from the wind, but he didn’t seem to mind. He only brushed it away when a few strands caught on the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

He carried a simple backpack and wore jeans with white sneakers.

Simple, clean clothes, and refined, handsome features.

Gu Xiaonuan stood at the entrance, watching him approach step by step.

He looked tall and slender, yet Gu Xiaonuan knew he wasn’t as fragile as he appeared on the surface. His heartbeat was strong and powerful, and his blood flowed slightly faster than that of an average person.

He had a healthy, well-built body.

He looked up and seemed to spot Gu Xiaonuan. He quickly picked up his pace and came to a stop in front of her, glancing at the staff ID hanging from her neck.

“Teacher Gu, are you looking for me? Did I leave my student ID at the library?”

Gu Xiaonuan gave a small hum of affirmation and handed the card to him. “You should keep a better eye on your important belongings. Being forgetful isn’t a good habit.”

“Yes, I’ll definitely be more careful.”

His face flushed slightly as he took the card. “I’m sorry for making you wait here for me. I’ve caused you trouble.”

“It’s fine. I have things to do, so I’ll be going now.”

Gu Xiaonuan turned to leave, but he raised his voice. “Teacher Gu! Let me treat you to lunch. I really want to thank you for this.”

Gu Xiaonuan’s intended refusal got stuck in her throat. She looked back at those features that were so similar to another’s and the bright smile on his face. “Is that okay?”

Gu Xiaonuan quietly clenched her hands. “Fine. The cafeteria, then.”

He nodded with a smile. “Great, the cafeteria it is.”

Inside the cafeteria, the students eating there couldn’t help but look over-not at Gu Xiaonuan, of course, but at Lu Yichen beside her.

With such a clean, handsome face paired with a tall, excellent physique, it was hard not to become the center of attention. “Who is that? He’s so handsome.”

“Is he the ‘department hunk’ from somewhere? I’m a junior, and I’ve never seen him before.”

“Maybe he’s a freshman?”

Lu Yichen, being quite tall, leaned down slightly. “Teacher Gu, what would you like to eat?”

Gu Xiaonuan stood before one of the serving windows and mentioned what she wanted. The young, handsome man smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll have the same.”

“Hey there, young man, are you a freshman?” The woman serving the food looked at Lu Yichen with a smile. “You’re quite the looker.”

“I’m a first-year graduate student.”

“No wonder I haven’t seen you around before. A graduate student, huh? Not bad, not bad at all-you’ve got both the looks and the brains.”

Lu Yichen smiled and swiped his meal card. He and Gu Xiaonuan took their trays and sat down at an empty table.

Many girls wanted to go over and strike up a conversation, but they were inexplicably repelled by the atmosphere surrounding the two. In the end, they could only sit nearby and watch.

Noticing the gazes from their surroundings, Gu Xiaonuan felt a slight stir in her heart. Lu Yichen must have been like this when he was young as well-becoming the center of attention wherever he went, highly popular with the opposite sex.

“Teacher Gu, you were also looking at ancient texts regarding that specific historical period. Are you very interested in it?”

“Yes. History is very interesting.”

Gu Xiaonuan ate with mechanical, repetitive movements. Lu Yichen looked up at the way she was eating and frowned slightly. “Teacher Gu, don’t force yourself if you don’t like the food.”

“I’m not forcing myself.” Gu Xiaonuan adjusted the glasses on her face. “It’s very good.”

Lu Yichen let out a small chuckle. “That’s good then. I’m a graduate student in the History Department. Since you like history, Teacher Gu, you seem to have quite a lot of knowledge regarding ancient texts as well.”
“Reading about history and witnessing it firsthand are two very different feelings,” Gu Xiaonuan murmured. Over the vast expanse of time, seeing and feeling things with her own eyes was one sensation; the cold, written records in books were quite another.

Compared to history, she-cold as she was-felt more alive.

In the ceaseless flow of historical time, she had always remained living.

“Teacher Gu seems to be speaking from the heart. Could I add your contact information? Sometimes it’s inconvenient to discuss academic thoughts with my supervisor, so I’d love to exchange ideas with you.”

Gu Xiaonuan’s intended refusal was once again swallowed back down.

She took out her phone and gave a low hum of assent.

With a smile on his young, handsome face, he took out his own phone. The two exchanged contact info and chatted for a while longer before Lu Yichen checked the time.

“Ah, afternoon classes are about to start. Teacher Gu, I’ll be going now.”

Gu Xiaonuan nodded, watching him stand up and leave with his tray.

Behind her lenses, her beautiful eyes stared at the new profile picture in her friend list-a very cute chibi cartoon character.

A message came through.

“Teacher Gu, what time are you usually free to chat? I don’t want to disturb your work or rest.”

Immediately after, a cute sticker was sent over.

Gu Xiaonuan couldn’t look away. The Lu Yichen she knew would never send a sticker like that.

“After work is fine,” she replied.

His response came back quickly.

“Great. Thank you for not rejecting me, Teacher Gu. You’re a really good person. I was worried I was being a bit too forward.”

Another sticker followed. Gu Xiaonuan didn’t reply this time; she simply turned off her screen, stood up, and took her tray to the cleaning station.

She walked out of the cafeteria, looking at the ring on her ring finger.

He wasn’t Lu Yichen.

He wasn’t him.

On an ordinary workday, no one else came to the Ancient Texts Room to borrow books except for Lu Yichen.

When it was time to clock out, Gu Xiaonuan locked the door to the Ancient Texts Room, quickly changed into her own clothes, and left before the other staff members arrived.

University campuses were never short of young faces. As Gu Xiaonuan walked out of the library and neared the main gate, two girls called out to her.

“Teacher! Teacher, wait a moment!”

Gu Xiaonuan turned around. The two girls ran up to her, panting, their cheeks flushed. “Teacher, do you know what department that student you were with at lunch belongs to?”

Gu Xiaonuan was stunned. For a moment, she didn’t know whether she should speak; she wondered if telling them would be a nuisance for him.

“Sorry, Teacher, never mind,” the other girl said quickly, pulling her companion away. “Forget it, she looks like the super straight-laced type. She wouldn’t tell us even if we asked.”

Gu Xiaonuan watched the two girls walk away, then silently turned and walked out of the school gates.

It took less than half an hour to get home by subway.

Back in her room, Gu Xiaonuan looked at her dark phone screen. Since she hadn’t replied to his last message, no new ones had come through.

Gu Xiaonuan changed into casual clothes and let down the hair she had pinned up behind her head. Still wearing her glasses, she pushed open the door and headed out.

After picking up a package the Old Man had sent her from the security office, Gu Xiaonuan headed back.

The package was small, covered in numerous labels for fresh goods.

As she walked into the entrance of her unit, a very familiar back suddenly appeared. Beside him were two suitcases.

Hearing the movement, the person standing there turned around. He looked surprised to see Gu Xiaonuan. “Teacher Gu?”