A gentle breeze swept through, rustling the money plants in the pot on the wooden office desk. They swayed back and forth, lush and green under meticulous care.
Bathed in the bright sunlight, Jiangg Ning read through her diary over and over again.
Seeing the pages filled with Chen Yuan’s name, she was so ashamed she wanted to bury her head in her desk drawer.
’How could this be???’ She found it unbelievable. Life had felt perfectly normal these past few days. If she hadn’t written it all down, she never would have realized just how many times she had thought about Chen Yuan.
It was only upon looking back that she got a huge shock.
Jiangg Ning genuinely felt like she was becoming obsessed. She closed her diary, tilted her head back, and stared blankly at the ceiling, her soft hair spilling over the back of the chair.
The campus outside was teeming with life, but her eyes were vacant, as if her very soul had been drained away.
For a mature, rational woman, to have her mind full of brea—... er, a man! This was an utterly terrifying thought.
It meant her life’s focus was shifting, her rhythm was being disrupted, and her rational mind was being flooded by emotions. Her female hormones were surging, with estrogen taking complete command.
This led to increased desire and wilder mood swings.
If she didn’t get treatment soon, she feared she would rapidly degenerate into a case of the dreaded "love brain."
Jiangg Ning was startled. She realized she couldn’t focus on work. ’I never knew I had the potential to be so love-brained!’
And that wasn’t all.
In her social circle, Jiangg Ning had always been the voice of reason. Whenever friends or classmates came to her with relationship problems, she could keenly assess the situation and help them break free from the idiotic mindset that love often induced.
In doing so, she helped her friends quickly escape their misery, regain their senses, and bring order back to their chaotic lives.
During Jiangg Ning’s university days, everyone around her seemed to be in a relationship.
The dating culture abroad was even more intense. It seemed like everyone had a partner. Aside from their studies and basic survival, they spent all their time glued to their significant others, practically like conjoined twins.
Her friends’ single periods would last a mere two weeks. One moment, they’d be happily studying and shopping with Jiangg Ning; the next, they’d be impossible to find. The excuse was always the same: "I’m busy," "No time," or "I’m with my boyfriend."
’These people... don’t they have anything else to do besides date?’
Jiangg Ning had rejected countless suitors. She seemed to be one of the few clear-headed people at the university, spending most of her time holed up in the library. Her life was a straight line between campus and her rented apartment.
Much of the architecture at Yale University is Gothic. In front of the oldest building was a long, stone-covered walkway draped in layers of wisteria... Jiangg Ning would sit there and read in the quiet atmosphere, basking in the warm sunlight.
Back then, she had felt a smug satisfaction, a sense of ’the whole world is drunk, but I alone am sober,’ of progressing all on her own.
Here and now, in her office.
Jiangg Ning clenched her delicate fists.
’Wait a minute. So after all this time... no wonder I was never interested in guys my own age. It turns out my type is someone like Chen Yuan—a little younger, with a fresh, clean, and youthful vibe, but not childish.’
’Hey, how did I end up thinking about Chen Yuan again!?’
Jiangg Ning grabbed her notebook and FLIPPED frantically through the diary entries. The more she read, the more her conscience pricked her. If anyone saw this, her reputation would be in tatters.
’No, I have to destroy this!’
Jiangg Ning RRRIPPED the pages from her diary. She kept glancing at the door, terrified someone would walk in. Her face was a picture of furtiveness, but the flush on her lips and cheeks gave her an alluring charm.
Only, there was no one there to appreciate it.
After tearing out the pages, Jiangg Ning pulled a small pair of scissors from her drawer and began to SNIP SNIP SNIP.
She bit her lip, full of frustration, muttering something under her breath as if shredding these pages would be enough to completely erase Chen Yuan from her mind.
After finishing, she finally felt relieved. She slumped back into her chair and pouted slightly.
There was no way Jiangg Ning would ever admit that her heart was fluttering, that she was fantasizing about dating Chen Yuan.
Something like that... how utterly embarrassing...
...
The area outside the office grew noisy, likely because students were on a break between classes. Down below, a few boys ambled along a path, shouting back and forth.
Jiangg Ning stood by the window and watched for a while.
There were still documents on her desk that needed her attention, but she wasn’t in the mood. She’d had too much water earlier. Jiangg Ning opened the door and hurried into the hallway, her bladder feeling full.
She reached the restroom.
She found an empty stall and went inside. Then, she pulled off sheets of toilet paper one by one and carefully lined the entire toilet seat, not stopping until every inch was covered. Only then did she sit down, finally at ease.
Jiangg Ning’s mysophobia and OCD were mild, mostly flaring up when it came to public facilities. At home, she was fine.
Otherwise, she would have been driven crazy by Jiangg Yao long ago!
"..."
"Hey, where did you put the test papers we got?"
"I left them by the door."
"Don’t lose them."
"How could I? Who would be bored enough to steal test papers to do them? It’s just a small quiz, nobody’s that crazy."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the restroom. Two girls came in, chatting as they entered the open stalls on either side of Jiangg Ning’s.
Students using the staff restroom was a common occurrence.
Although the school officially prohibited it, a simple note on the door did little to stop anyone. It was never clear why most schools had this rule anyway.
These two girls had probably come to get something from a teacher and decided to use the closest restroom.
Jiangg Ning remained silent, scrolling on her phone.