“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Seeing Xia Nuannuan gazing at him with admiring eyes, Qin Tian felt a surge of accomplishment and asked playfully, feigning ignorance.
“Hee hee… Because you were so cool just now!”
Xia Nuannuan replied with a sweet smile.
“So, you like me even more now?”
Qin Tian raised an eyebrow with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan shook her head. Seeing his expression instantly fall, she chuckled and said, “It’s impossible to like you any more than I already do.”
With no one else around, she wasn’t as shy.
Besides, after being teased by Qin Tian until she blushed countless times, she felt it was time to grow a little.
Qin Tian paused, looking at her with a hint of surprise.
Xia Nuannuan’s cheeks flushed, but her eyes were still smiling, and she met his gaze frankly.
“Nuannuan, stop looking at me like that.”
Qin Tian suddenly said with a serious tone.
“Huh?”
Xia Nuannuan looked at him, full of confusion.
Qin Tian lowered his head slightly, leaning close to her ear, and said in a magnetic voice, “If you keep teasing me like this, I won’t be able to resist eating you up.”
Xia Nuannuan blinked in a daze. After understanding the meaning of his words, her face instantly turned crimson, and she lowered her small head, her heart pounding like a startled deer.
“Hahaha…”
Qin Tian laughed triumphantly, like a rogue who had just seduced a virtuous woman.
Fortunately, there was no one around, or they would surely be looking at him strangely.
Xia Nuannuan realized she had been teased again. Her flushed cheeks puffed out slightly. Seeing her shadow reflected on the ground, she shifted her steps slightly, landing her shadow atop his.
Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, they walked hand in hand across the campus, their elongated shadows overlapping.
…
…
By the time they reached the tennis courts, it was already dark.
The lights around the court had been turned on, and members of the tennis club were already playing. Many people were watching from the sidelines.
There were two courts in total. On one, Ning Ruo was playing a singles match against another girl.
On the other court, a mixed doubles match was in progress.
A member of the tennis club sat in the high referee’s chair by the court, serving as the umpire.
Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan arrived at the side of Ning Ruo’s court, found a spot with a good view, and joined the spectators.
As Ning Ruo served, her peripheral vision caught sight of them, and she quickly waved.
Xia Nuannuan, with Qin Tian holding her left hand, raised her right thumb and shouted with a radiant smile, “Go, senpai!”
Many eyes turned towards her, captivated by her innocent smile.
Some freshmen recognized the pair, their envious gazes completely undisguised.
After Ning Ruo easily won the point, she handed her racket to the other girl, retrieved her water bottle from the rest area, and came over to Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan while hydrating.
“Senpai, you play so well!”
Xia Nuannuan praised her with a hint of admiration.
“Me? I’m just an amateur hobbyist. There are many people in our club who play better than me,” Ning Ruo said with a smile, waving her hand dismissively.
“I think it’s amazing. If it were me, I probably wouldn’t even be able to return a single ball,” Xia Nuannuan chuckled.
“I was like that when I first joined the club, too. It just takes a few games,” Ning Ruo smiled and then asked Qin Tian, who was beside them, “So, have you seen many club performances? Have you made a decision?”
“It depends on what she says,” Qin Tian said with a light smile, gesturing towards Xia Nuannuan with his chin.
“I haven’t decided yet. Many clubs seem really fun, I’m a bit torn!” Xia Nuannuan said with a slightly distressed expression.
“Haha… Everyone feels like this when they first arrive at university. You can take your time to consider, and there’s no limit to the number of clubs you can join.”
“That’s true, but who has that much time and energy? It’s better to join just one.”
“That’s also true!” Ning Ruo agreed and then added, “How about after the match, I let you guys have a try? By the way, have you had dinner yet?”
“Not yet,” Xia Nuannuan replied, shaking her head.
“Then you can go to the cafeteria first. The Arts and Sciences College cafeteria is just over there, not far away. Come back after you’ve eaten. This exhibition match has just begun and won’t be over for a while yet,” Ning Ruo suggested.
The two also felt a little hungry, and upon hearing her suggestion, they agreed.
So, the two bid farewell to Ning Ruo and headed to the nearby cafeteria to fill their stomachs.
When they leisurely strolled back to the courts, the exhibition match had just concluded, and some freshmen were being guided by the tennis club members to experience the basics of tennis.
Ning Ruo found a pair of rackets for them and asked if they wanted to try playing.
“Huh? Play right away? I don’t even know how to serve!” Xia Nuannuan said flusteredly.
“Qin Tian can serve, just play around for fun,” Ning Ruo said, looking at Qin Tian.
“I don’t have a problem with it. Nuannuan, want to have a game?” Qin Tian asked with a smile.
“Then you have to go easy on me!”
“Don’t worry, I’m a beginner too.”
“Alright then, let’s do it. I’m not afraid of you,” Xia Nuannuan said, gripping the racket with both hands and cheering herself on.
Soon, they moved to the left court, ready to begin their match, with Ning Ruo standing on the side as the umpire.
Many people around cast curious glances and gathered around.
“Qin Tian serves. First to one game wins, okay, start!” Ning Ruo announced with a smile.
In his past life and this one, Qin Tian hadn't played much tennis, but he had at least watched Prince of Tennis, so he had some understanding of the rules.
Given his physical condition, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to pick up such a sport once he knew the rules.
Tossing the tennis ball with his left hand, Qin Tian swung his racket with his right and hit the ball.
Of course, he didn’t use his full strength, otherwise, Xia Nuannuan wouldn’t have been able to return the ball at that speed.
Moreover, he deliberately hit the ball not too far from Xia Nuannuan.
Xia Nuannuan ran over and swung her racket with her right hand as well.
She managed to hit the ball, but it lacked power and landed on the net in the middle.
“15-0! Junior student, what a shame, that was well played!” Ning Ruo praised with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan smiled shyly, feeling a little more confident.
This tennis thing didn't seem that difficult!
“Go, Nuannuan! Don’t make it too easy for me to win!” Qin Tian shouted.
“Hmph, I won’t. I’ll definitely get the next ball back. Serve quickly!” Xia Nuannuan waved her racket and said confidently.
“Here you go, the ball is coming!”
Qin Tian served again.
This time, Xia Nuannuan successfully returned the ball.
Qin Tian easily chased after the ball and, as before, deliberately hit it back towards her.
To everyone’s surprise, they engaged in a back-and-forth rally.
“Not bad, how did they get so good so quickly? Did they play before?”
“Are you stupid? Can’t you tell Qin Tian is deliberately feeding her the ball?”
“Exactly, even a fool can see that. This isn’t playing tennis, it’s playing with our single hearts!”
“Uh… brother, the way you put it… is truly insightful!”
“Anyway, if they join, I’m out. I don’t want to be shown off to every day.”
“Same here!”
The onlookers, mostly freshmen, were murmuring amongst themselves, feeling quite envious.
In their eyes, the very air of the court seemed to have become light and airy, and the tennis ball even appeared to have transformed into a pink heart.
Wait a minute!
Where had they seen this scene before?
“Love Letter?”
One boy shook his head vigorously, muttering in disbelief.
“Damn, we thought of the same thing. Isn’t this just like that scene in the movie where Xing Ye played volleyball with the female lead?” the boy next to him said with a darkened expression.
The girls felt as if they were watching a live-action romantic idol drama, each with their own feelings.
“Ahhh… so sweet, so sweet!”
“Just watching them play a game, my eyes are going to get diabetes.”
“I can’t take it. I just had dinner, and I came for a walk, but now I’ve been fed a dog food of their affection again.”
“Wuwu… Stop talking. I was starving earlier, but now I’m full.”
“Hehehe… I think it’s great. Isn’t this better than those Korean dramas?”