The cafeteria floor had just been mopped and was still slick with moisture.
The collision made Linlin lose her footing. One leg shot forward before she could stop it.
“Ah—”
“Linlin!” Dong Xiaomin was holding a tray, and even with one free hand, she couldn’t steady her.
At that critical moment, Yan Yuan appeared as if from nowhere. He reached out, caught Linlin in his arms, and hauled her upright with one powerful pull.
Linlin was so frightened that her heart nearly stopped. When she finally came to her senses, she felt the heat at her waist and the strength of the hand supporting her. The steady, powerful heartbeat beside her ear left her momentarily dazed.
Yan Yuan carried her to a dry patch of floor before setting her down. He lowered his head to examine her legs and asked anxiously, “Are you hurt? Move your ankle. And flex your thighs and calves too—make sure everything moves.”
Linlin’s right leg hurt a little. She had probably strained something when it shot forward with such force and speed.
Putting on a calm front, she rubbed her leg. “I’m fine. I just pulled something a little.”
“Are you sure?” Yan Yuan asked in a deep voice. “If your leg hurts, tell me. You can’t put something like this off.”
“I’m really fine. Look, I can walk perfectly well.”
As she spoke, Linlin took two steps to demonstrate. Only then did Yan Yuan’s tense heart finally relax.
“Brother Xiao Yuan…” Linlin frowned, her heart full of guilt. “But your clothes are dirty.”
The weather was cold, and he was wearing a dark-gray wool overcoat. Its clean, structured cut made his tall, slender figure look even more striking.
He had just finished teaching for the day and was still wearing a pair of thin-framed glasses. They concealed the sharpness and depth in his eyes while adding a scholarly air to his appearance.
In the rush to save her, his coat sleeve had been splashed with soup and grease. A fine overcoat had been ruined in an instant.
Yan Yuan remained composed. He casually took off the coat and draped it over his arm, reassuring her, “It’s fine. Clothes can be washed. As long as you weren’t hurt, that’s all that matters.”
With the overcoat removed, he was left in a white shirt layered beneath a slightly loose, dark-gray fine-wool sweater. His slender yet upright figure radiated an aloof, refined elegance.
Coincidentally, Lu Zeyu was wearing a similar dark-gray sweater that day.
The two men were standing not far apart, making it easy for people to compare them.
Matching outfits could be awkward when one person clearly looked worse.
Lu Zeyu was not unattractive. He was tall, with regular features, and thanks to his striking appearance and generous spending habits, he had quickly become a prominent figure on campus.
But standing beside Yan Yuan, the difference was immediately obvious.
The same outfit looked natural on Yan Yuan, while on Lu Zeyu, the comparison revealed an unmistakable air of effort and inexperience.
Youth did not always have the advantage. The calm dignity Yan Yuan possessed was something a man Lu Zeyu’s age had yet to learn.
“Linlin, who is this?” Lu Zeyu asked.
Linlin was a little angry. Lu Zeyu had been the one to bump into her just now. If he hadn’t, Brother Xiao Yuan’s clothes wouldn’t have been stained.
She frowned at him. “Lu Zeyu, shouldn’t you apologize to Brother Xiao Yuan first?”
Lu Zeyu froze for a moment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Yan Yuan gave a slight nod, his tone indifferent. “It’s fine. Watch where you’re going next time.”
Then he turned and led Linlin to a nearby table. He did not spare Lu Zeyu another glance, as though the man was not worth any more of his words.
Lu Zeyu knew that Jiang Chengzhou was Linlin’s older brother, and this was his first time hearing of—or meeting—Yan Yuan.
He could tell that Yan Yuan’s attitude toward Linlin was special, that he cared about her in a way different from Jiang Chengzhou.
A man’s intuition told him that Yan Yuan was another one of Linlin’s admirers.
Watching Linlin look up and talk to the man, Lu Zeyu’s gaze turned cold. He turned and walked out of the cafeteria.
Linlin watched him leave and muttered unhappily, “What a rude person.”
“All right,” Yan Yuan said with a smile. “Don’t worry about other people. I made you some soup. Drink it with your classmate first. I’ll go get you some rice.”
He turned toward the serving counter. Linlin had just started to reach for him when pain suddenly shot through her ankle as she shifted her weight.
“Hiss—”
Dong Xiaomin quickly grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong?”
Linlin frowned and looked down at her ankle. She had twisted it earlier, but Yan Yuan had been standing so close that she had been too flustered to notice. Now that she had calmed down, the pain had finally registered.
Dong Xiaomin crouched down and gently rolled up Linlin’s pant leg. After one look, she drew in a sharp breath. “It’s swollen.”
It was not actually serious—just a small bump around the ankle. But Linlin’s skin was naturally fair and luminous, making even a slight swelling look particularly conspicuous.
Yan Yuan returned with the tray a moment later.
He paused, his gaze landing on the pant leg rolled above Linlin’s ankle. His tone immediately turned stern. “You twisted your ankle?”
Linlin felt guilty under his gaze and tucked her foot back. “It really didn’t hurt before.”
The cafeteria was crowded, and no matter how worried he was, Yan Yuan could not examine a young woman’s foot in front of everyone.
He set down the tray. “Eat first. Afterward, I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Yan Yuan had saved her, made her soup, and brought her food. Linlin suddenly felt that she had been rather ungrateful for avoiding him these past few days. She gave him a flattering smile.
“Have you eaten, Brother Xiao Yuan? Should I get you something?”
“Just rest. I’m not hungry. There’s still a pot of soup at home. I’ll eat later.”
The lenses of Yan Yuan’s glasses caught the light, hiding his expression.
Linlin bit her lip and finished the meal absentmindedly in front of him.
Dong Xiaomin was even more afraid to speak.
Yan Yuan was a teacher. Linlin had spent enough time with him that she no longer found him intimidating, but Dong Xiaomin thought he seemed rather stern.
She wondered to herself: How can someone as adorable as Linlin have brothers who are all so terrifying?
When they were nearly finished eating, Yan Yuan turned to Dong Xiaomin. “Excuse me, could you stay here with Linlin for a while? I’ll arrange a car.”
Dong Xiaomin nodded eagerly.
Yan Yuan could easily have carried Linlin home, but this was her school. A grown man carrying a young woman around would inevitably lead to gossip.
Yan Yuan wanted to pursue Linlin, but he still did not know what the outcome would be. Until they had an official relationship, he did not want to disrupt her campus life.
He called for a car and took Linlin to the hospital.
When they arrived, Yan Yuan asked the driver to wait. Then he crouched down in front of Linlin.
“Come on. I’ll carry you inside.”
Linlin hurriedly waved her hands. “Brother Xiao Yuan, I can walk by myself.”
Yan Yuan stood up and looked at her for several seconds. Then he extended his arm. “Then hold on to me.”
“…”
Linlin hesitated for only a moment before Yan Yuan reached out, put an arm around her, and half-carried, half-supported her into the hospital.
