I'm Just Looking, I'm Just Playing...

Xia Yanchun was utterly speechless.

She wanted to smack Shen Nian.

"How childish can you be?"

"Just teasing you, don’t get mad. Here, have some meat." Shen Nian added food to her lunchbox—this time not as a prank, but with a generous portion of meat.

Xia Yanchun had assumed he wouldn’t eat anymore.

"You gave me way too much! I can’t finish all this!"

"If you can’t finish it, I’ll eat the rest. One portion might not even be enough to fill me up."

"Ew, gross." Xia Yanchun shuddered.

The thought of a perfectly good meal being half-eaten, all mixed up and messy, only for Shen Nian to still gobble it down made her stomach churn.

This was basically eating someone else’s leftovers. Even homeless people wouldn’t do that—it’s not like he couldn’t afford his own food. What, was he a military drill instructor or something, forced to eat scraps?

"Is it really that gross?" Shen Nian was already eating, his words slightly muffled.

"Super gross. Just thinking about it kills my appetite. If you’re still hungry, I’ll treat you to something from the convenience store. Why eat leftovers?"

"Haha, your aunt told me she used to chew shrimp for you when you were a baby."

"That was when I was a baby and didn’t have teeth! It’s totally different!" Xia Yanchun felt physically repulsed. Even her closest family members couldn’t get away with that—not her parents, and definitely not Shen Nian.

The most she could tolerate was sharing a peanut popsicle with Shen Nian—and that was back in childhood. There was no way she could live that kind of grossly intimate life now.

A little saliva was fine, but sharing the same ice cream? That was no different from drinking each other’s spit. Blech.

Shen Nian took another bite. "Honestly, I can’t really handle it either. But if I don’t gross you out, I feel weird."

Xia Yanchun mimicked Shen Nian’s habit of pointing like a husky. Though she didn’t say a word, the eerie pressure made him shut up immediately.

Alright, alright. Not messing with you.

With Shen Nian finally quiet, Xia Yanchun happily dug into her meal, polishing off the food he’d given her before touching her own portion.

"No more veggies left. Guess I’ll eat yours."

"I told you not to give me so much. Regretting it now, huh?"

"I just wanted you to eat well. No gratitude, just kicking me while I’m down?"

"Fine, take it back." Xia Yanchun returned the meat to him. She preferred eating rice and dishes separately, keeping her lunchbox neat and organized.

"Can’t you just say thank you?" Shen Nian sighed, deprived of his "imported" food. Now he’d have to suffer from corn deficiency syndrome.

"What’s there to thank you for…?"

"I want to hear you say it. If I don’t, I’ll be listless all afternoon…"

"Just admit you have a weak kidney."

"Damn it, take that back!" Shen Nian bristled. That insult might fit Ma Mingfan, but it had nothing to do with him.

This was outright slander. Unbelievable.

"Hmph!"

Xia Yanchun wasn’t buying it. Shen Nian had endless energy—no way he’d ever be "listless."

In the end, Shen Nian didn’t eat her leftovers.

The black backpack hanging on his chair was like a treasure trove, always stocked with snacks. After finishing his meal, he relied on those to fill up.

Curious, Xia Yanchun peeked inside. Wow, so much junk food! Spicy strips, chips, little drinks—enough to last her two weeks!

"I’m taking one of your drinks."

"Go ahead."

Shen Nian grabbed one for himself and sipped it at his desk. Since Xia Yanchun would nap soon, he’d have to find his own ways to kill time.

The hidden quest was low-key, so he’d adopted a more relaxed approach. The side quest depended on Chen Qiuyu’s initiative, and the main quest wasn’t due yet. For now, the system left him with nothing to do.

Leaning back lazily in his chair, Shen Nian glanced sideways at Xia Yanchun, who sat just an aisle away, sucking on her drink.

"Xia Yanchun, how about we go home for naps from now on?"

"Huh?" She blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"We have a car now, so commuting’s easy. We could go to your place, sleep comfortably, and be back in minutes."

Xia Yanchun considered it and found the idea surprisingly appealing. But then she caught the key detail in his words.

"Wait, why we?"

"Literally what I said."

"I mean, why both of us?"

"Because I want to nap too."

"Then why my house?"

"Yanchun, don’t be so distant. Isn’t it time to level up our ‘best friends forever’ status?"

"Straight to sleeping together, huh? You’ve got some nerve."

Mortal enemies couldn’t share a bed. How long would it take for Shen Nian to grasp that?

If she didn’t spell it out, would he ever get it?

Or had she done something to make him think there was still room to push forward?

No way! She’d even dodged when he tried to hold her hand!

"...Not allowed?" Shen Nian lowered his eyes, looking dejected.

"Absolutely not!"

"Then… if that’s a no, how about you come sit by me during naps? I usually don’t sleep, but if you’re here, maybe I will."

"What does you sleeping have to do with me?"

Xia Yanchun actually pondered it.

Going home together, sharing a room or a bed? No. But sharing a desk in class? That might work…

It wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before—just with roles reversed. Last month, she’d even sat with Shen Nian during study hall, spacing out together.

As long as they woke up before the bell, no one would notice. The dorm gates stayed locked until then anyway.

So she hugged her little pillow and plopped down beside Shen Nian, bringing a faint floral scent with her.

Instinctively, Shen Nian tugged his collar tighter. The window seat was chilly even with the pane closed, the draft making his neck prickle.

"You said you don’t nap. Why the sudden change?"

"Not being tired doesn’t mean I can’t sleep if I want to." Shen Nian grinned. Mission accomplished.

Compromise was a national pastime—even between rivals with eight hundred schemes up their sleeves.

"You’re so weird. Whatever, I’m sleeping."

"Sweet dreams." Shen Nian stacked a few books to cushion his arms, settling into a comfortable position. He winked at Xia Yanchun, beaming.

Why’s he so happy?

Xia Yanchun pressed her lips together and turned away, her heart inexplicably fluttering.

What’s wrong with me? He’s the one who asked me to come over. Why am I nervous?

She shoved the thoughts aside, determined to sleep. Once she dozed off, the flustered tension from meeting his gaze would vanish.

But the harder she tried, the more awake she felt. Even as her eyelids grew heavy, sleep refused to come.

The person beside her was unexpectedly quiet. Without the hum of the fan, the whole world seemed to have fallen into silence. At this moment, she actually wished he would be a little more lively. Without any movement, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was really asleep.

She could faintly hear his steady breathing. Pretending to be nonchalant, she turned her head with the carefree slowness of a sloth, only to meet Shen Nian’s intense gaze the moment she opened her eyes again.

Her heartbeat inexplicably skipped a beat. Neither of them spoke—it must have been a contest to see who would blink first.

Rivals were like this, always competing over the most trivial things. Starting a fight over the slightest disagreement was just the norm…

Shen Nian merely blinked, but his fingers crept over mischievously, bold and unapologetic, right in front of Xia Yanchun. He tugged at her slightly curled pinky finger.

"Stop it, go to sleep…" Xia Yanchun’s voice was soft.

"I’m just looking. You’re not asleep anyway."

"You’re already touching me, aren’t you?"

Xia Yanchun didn’t pull her finger back. Holding hands was off-limits, but light touches like this were still within the boundaries of what she allowed. As long as he didn’t go too far, she could indulge Shen Nian.

"I’m just playing…" Shen Nian said with feigned seriousness.

"……"

Her pinky was squeezed gently by him, warm under his touch. Watching him as if he couldn’t get enough of it, Xia Yanchun’s heart burned hotter than the sun.

Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato’s request for 3 million+ daily visits causing excessive server pressure, we now recommend switching to other sources provided by fellow experts.