After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – For the Sake of a Date

On Saturday morning, An Ning got up at 6:30 AM, quietly washed up, and changed into the full set of hiking gear she had prepared the night before. She also packed an extra thick jacket, just in case it was too cold at the mountain summit.

By the time she finished breakfast and returned from the cafeteria, the other three in the dorm had just woken up.

Huang Lu, still groggy, teased with a raspy morning voice, “Getting up this early just for a date. I’m crying, she’s too much.”

Lu Lin was still trying to change her mind. “What’s so good about hiking? Listen to me, let’s go stroll around Dezhi Street. That whole street is full of shops selling pretty little dresses. So cute!”

An Ning just smiled as she placed each person’s breakfast on their desk and softly said, “Then I’m heading out, okay?”

Chen Ying barely lifted her head and waved on behalf of the other two, “Go ahead. Room 302 wishes you success and a lifetime of happiness.”

An Ning rode her bike to the East Gate. It was exactly 7:30.

No sign of Teacher Mu’s car—guess she hadn’t arrived yet?

An Ning straightened her clothes and then sent a message to Mu Yan.

NotJealous: I’m here, Teacher Mu.

Not even half a minute after the message was sent, her phone suddenly vibrated.

Mu Yan was actually calling her directly.

Startled, An Ning almost dropped her phone. She fumbled to pick up and softly answered, “Hello?”

Mu Yan’s voice came through the phone. “Exit the East Gate and go left for a hundred meters. There’s an underground parking lot. Call me when you get there. I’ll wait for you at the exit.”

“Oh, okay.” An Ning responded as she walked toward the gate.

Seems like Ms. Mu also realized that her car stood out too much.

An Ning secretly let out a sigh of relief. Even though she had a clear conscience, she still didn’t want every outing with Ms. Mu to end up on the school forum.

The parking lot was small and a bit outdated.

An Ning stood by the exit and called Mu Yan on WeChat. “Teacher Mu, I’m here.”

“Wait there.”

Mu Yan spat out the two words and hung up. Not long after, the dark underground exit lit up with a pair of headlights.

An Ning suddenly felt a rush of excitement, but as the car pulled out, she realized it wasn’t the familiar sky-blue SUV—it was a rather ordinary-looking white one.

Someone else parking here this early?

The car windows were tinted, so she couldn’t see the driver from where she stood.

She stepped back to make room for the car to pass, but to her surprise, it stopped right next to her.

Did I block their way?

An Ning glanced around in confusion, and just as she was trying to make sense of the situation, the driver’s window slowly rolled down, revealing a pale and beautiful face. Under the morning sunlight, even the small mole at the corner of her eye sparkled.

Mu Yan frowned slightly and said impatiently, “What are you staring at? Get in.”

“Uh—okay.” Though An Ning was stunned, she quickly ran to the passenger side and got in.

This car was clearly not as fancy as the SUV, but both the exterior and interior were pristine—like it was on the road for the first time.

Once An Ning buckled her seatbelt, Mu Yan deftly turned the car around and merged into the sparse traffic near the school gate.

Did she buy this car just so it wouldn’t draw attention?

As An Ning thought about how nice it must be to be rich—able to change cars on a whim—another thought crept in: this car was possibly bought just for her. The feeling it brought was somewhere between moved and overwhelmed.

Soft violin music played in the car. The sun was hanging lazily in the sky, and the morning light cast golden streaks across the white hood.

There was still over an hour to go.

An Ning put down her phone and started counting the golden lines on the hood, sneaking glances at Mu Yan.

Today, Mu Yan wore an off-white tracksuit, looking relaxed and warm. She also seemed more refreshed than the last time they met.

An Ning’s gaze unconsciously drifted to her hands—fair and slender, with delicate joints.

Stop thinking about it.

She forced herself to banish the image of Mu Yan wiping her sweat and simply shut her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Somehow, whether it was the comfy seat or Mu Yan’s soothing scent, she actually fell asleep while pretending.

By the time Mu Yan followed the car queue into the Yunkong Mountain Scenic Area and parked the car, she turned to wake An Ning—only to find the girl clutching her backpack, fast asleep with her head tilted in an awkward position.

No wonder she’d been so quiet for so long.

Mu Yan didn’t wake her. Hiking was, in her mind, the least important part of this trip.

She stared at the sleeping girl in the passenger seat for a long time. When An Ning was awake, she rarely had such moments.

Because she never knew how her gaze looked in An Ning’s eyes.

Would she see through her feelings? Would she sense something from the past—those fleeting traces left behind in snow and mud?

Would she realize what kind of emotions Mu Yan held toward her?

Even Mu Yan didn’t fully understand what she wanted anymore.

She just knew that, following her own wishes, she had once again stepped onto the path that intersected with An Ning’s—this time running forward without ever looking back.

She didn’t know what lay ahead. All she knew was that this felt like the best road for her.

But for An Ning?

She didn’t dare think too deeply. The more she thought about it, the more she blamed herself for being selfish.

She had really grown up.

The once-childlike face in her memory had matured somewhere out of sight—into a young, beautiful face that others were bound to like.

In the quiet car, Mu Yan silently stared at the girl beside her for a long time before finally turning away.

Where is this…?

When An Ning opened her eyes, everything was dark. She instinctively reached up and removed a silk handkerchief from her face—only to be greeted by glaring sunlight that instantly woke her up.

She was still in Mu Yan’s car.

They were supposed to go hiking together, and she’d fallen asleep halfway through?!

She jolted upright and reached for her phone, but a calm voice spoke up beside her.

“You’re awake?”

She turned to see Mu Yan reclining with her seat lowered, casually browsing her phone. Those peach blossom eyes swept over lazily, even tinged with a hint of envy. “You sleep well.”

“I’m sorry, Teacher Mu,” An Ning apologized quickly and glanced at the time on the dashboard.

10:30 AM.

She had slept for over two hours, and Mu Yan hadn’t woken her. She just left the car running with the AC on and sat there for an hour.

“Teacher Mu…” Warmth bloomed in An Ning’s chest. She was about to thank her when Mu Yan cut her off.

“You’re awake, so get out. It’ll only get sunnier,” Mu Yan said while reaching out her hand.

Wait—was she going to wipe her face again?

An Ning froze in place, only to watch Mu Yan reach past her to grab a pack of wet wipes from the front storage compartment.

Turns out she overthought it.

Clearly aware of her stiff reaction, Mu Yan gave her a sidelong glance. An Ning quickly looked away, and the air between them grew awkward.

“That time, I only wiped your face because it was dirty,” Mu Yan said without looking at her, organizing her backpack as she spoke. “Don’t overthink. I’m not usually that free.”

“So that’s what it was. Just like I thought.” The long-unsolved mystery finally settled, and An Ning felt oddly relieved. “I knew you definitely wouldn’t be the type to…”

Like me.

Thankfully, she stopped herself in time.

Mu Yan only glanced at her, opened the door, and stepped out of the car, tossing out a short, “Get out.”

Then she slammed the door shut.

An Ning, startled into sitting upright: “…”

Why does it feel like she’s mad again?