As the former childhood sweetheart ultimately defeated by Tian Jiang.
This meal seemed a bit distracted.
Last time, he was talkative and loved to drink, but this meal, he simply kept his head down and ate.
However, An Nuannuan's grandmother and Professor Gao were laughing and chatting away.
At their age, what's there to worry about? Many things have already been let go.
They had grown accustomed to this way of life.
And had no desire to change anything.
Thinking about it, Professor Gao was so kind to Nuannuan, perhaps because he saw a shadow of the past in her.
But Xu Musen, looking at the old man, couldn't help but feel like he was seeing a glimpse of his own future.
After the meal, Xu Musen and An Nuannuan lay on the rattan chairs in the backyard to enjoy some sunlight.
"Xu Musen, are you troubled by something today?"
An Nuannuan always felt like he seemed a bit preoccupied.
"It's not really a matter," Xu Musen shook his head.
An Nuannuan turned her head to look at him, "Is it about Sister Yao?"
"Why suddenly ask about her?"
"Because only she would make you …" An Nuannuan spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of an unusual emotion.
Xu Musen chuckled, yes, from childhood, Yao Mingyue had always easily influenced his mood.
For better or for worse.
But this also proved that they both cared about each other. If it had been a stranger, how could there be so many thoughts?
"Xu Musen, do you… want to reconcile with her?"
An Nuannuan's lips twisted for a good while before she finally asked.
Xu Musen pondered over these words for a moment. What counted as reconciliation? After all, there was never a real fallout between them.
At most, they announced to others that they would never entertain the idea of dating each other again.
Xu Musen looked at An Nuannuan's expression, feeling that in recent times, this girl's facial expressions had become more varied.
Her sparkling eyes seemed to ask, are you thinking of becoming her loyal dog again?
"Do you hope that she and I reconcile?"
Xu Musen suddenly asked in return.
An Nuannuan looked at him, and after a second's pause, she shook her head and said, "I don't know, that's something you have to decide for yourself. As long as you're happy, that's what matters."
Xu Musen looked at her too. An Nuannuan's cute and delicate profile was rosy and bright under the sunlight, and her clear eyes seemed to always show the cleanest reflection.
In fact, they had known each other for half a year now.
In this age of fast-food romance, many people go from meeting to sharing a bed within months, or even days, or that very night.
Xu Musen was a person both mentally and physically healthy, even above average.
His failed and twisted relationship from a past life made Xu Musen quite eager to experience a normal romance again.
He was superficial, but when it came to love, he was still quite picky.
But not everything was palatable to him.
Like Yao Mingyue, or Zhu Yulan.
They were both good-looking.
But one was like a Border Collie with too many tricks, and the other like an Er Ha with touching intelligence.
And An Nuannuan? She felt to Xu Musen like a smiling angel, a Samoyed.
Fluffy and white, always giving a very comfortable and warm feeling.
Suffocated by control in his past life, Nuannuan's arrival was like the fulfilment of Xu Musen's fantasy.
In fact, he had considered that dating An Nuannuan would be quite nice.
It's just that it was really hard to figure out Nuannuan's thoughts most of the time.
Xu Musen was also unsure of her feelings towards him.
If An Nuannuan was only with him out of gratitude, and he rashly confessed only to be rejected, wouldn't that turn him into a live clown?
Soon enough, Batman would follow the scent and come beat him up.
"It's not about reconciling, just that I think it's time to adopt a more relaxed lifestyle."
"What kind of lifestyle?"
Stretching and yawning, Xu Musen lay back on the rattan chair comfortably, looking at An Nuannuan and smiling, "Just like now. It's pretty good, free, content, without thinking too much about gains and losses."
An Nuannuan also liked life as it was now, but whenever she thought of the words Yao Mingyue had said to her, she felt a bit empty inside.
"Xu Musen, you won't be dating anyone for a while, right?"
"Nuannuan, why do I feel like you particularly like to ask this kind of question lately?"
Xu Musen said with an amused look, "You couldn't possibly want to date too, could you? Have you taken a fancy to some young guy?"
Listerning to him, An Nuannuan's fair little face blushed, then she took a breath and puffed up like a little steamed bun.
She reached out and pinched Xu Musen's arm.
"Okay, okay, I'm just joking with you," Xu Musen laughed. "I was famously known in high school as the toad lusting after swan flesh, the loyal dog. Who would want to date me?"
"That's not true. Xu Musen, you are really nice, and now many people have... asked about you," An Nuannuan spoke softly. It wasn't just Yao Mingyue; ever since Xu Musen's performance, many girls had inquired about him.
The girls in the dorm would talk about him from time to time.
"Really? How come I don't know about it?"
Xu Musen, feigning epiphany, said, "I guess those girls all back off after seeing you by my side. They must be misunderstanding. Nuannuan, you've hindered so much of my romantic fortune. Tell me, how are you going to compensate me?"