Chapter 202: Veiled Intentions A deep sigh escaped him.
A normal life, he pondered. Staring into Seraphina’s eyes, he knew that his life would never be the same again.
Despite acknowledging the truth in Seraphina’s words, Xin couldn’t shake off the lingering doubts clouding his mind.
Why couldn’t she just say they were friends? Why did it have to be framed as an intimate relationship? Was it to ensure the others backed off completely, or was there something more to it that he couldn’t grasp?
The confusion gnawed at him, but Seraphina had already made her declaration to the entire school, and Xin found himself entangled in the web of her lie.
Reluctantly, he realized that his best course of action was to go along with it. She was doing this for him, after all.
"Besides," Seraphina said, her gaze piercing his soul, "both of us are single . . . or is there someone that you’re interested in right now?"
Xin shook his head, his response coming out almost automatically. "No one at all."
In truth, being in a relationship was the last thing on his mind, especially after Meilyn. His heart was still healing, and he didn’t want to enter a relationship at this moment.
"Then it’s settled," she beamed, her smile radiant.
Xin felt a jolt in his chest, an unexpected flutter of his heart.
Her confidence and allure were both comforting and unsettling. He couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling that something was amiss, that there were layers to this situation he couldn’t fathom.
Yet, overwhelmed by the events of the day, he pushed those thoughts aside for the moment.
In the back of his mind, a voice whispered warnings, but he couldn’t find the strength to address them.
For now, he would follow Seraphina’s lead, hoping that her plan would work out in the end.
"By the way," Seraphina remarked casually, her gaze lingering on Xin, "I saw you handle that situation earlier. You’re surprisingly skilled, even though you appear like you could doze off at any moment. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"Since it’s just Xiaxia and me most of the time. Our mother thought it was a good idea to enroll us in a martial arts class when we were kids. And we continued training in our previous martial arts school, even in high school."
"Is that so . . ." Seraphina trailed off, her interest piqued by Xin’s unexpected prowess.
"Ahem."
Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as a forceful cough echoed behind them.
. Turning, they found the school’s head nurse standing there, her presence as unexpected as it was unwelcome.
Seraphina arched an eyebrow. "You’re here?"
"I’m always here!" the head nurse defended herself, a hint of irritation in her voice, though she dared not shout back at Seraphina Fey.
Seraphina’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Did you overhear anything?"
The head nurse stammered, her face turning pale. "N-no, I didn’t. I was back in my office over there."
"Hmm . . .?" Seraphina scrutinized her, her gaze sharp. "You better be telling the truth, or there will be consequences."
"I swear!" the head nurse lamented, feeling a pang of helplessness. After all, she was supposed to be the adult in this situation and this was her territory.
Regaining her composure, the head nurse changed the topic swiftly. "Anyway, I should be the one attending to him. You need to go to the headmaster’s office. They’re asking for you there."
"Are you in trouble?" Xin inquired, his concern evident.
Seraphina’s smile teetered on the edge of a smirk. "I’m never in trouble. Stay here while I pay a visit to the headmaster’s office. I’ll be right back before you know it."
She then shot a pointed side glance at the head nurse. "Take care of him. If something happens . . ."
"What could possibly happen in the infirmary?" the head nurse wanted to shout but thought better of it, her voice barely above a whisper.
Seraphina gave her one final, penetrating look before she left, her departure leaving an air of tension behind.
"You better be sure that he’s safe when I return."
The head nurse finally breathed a sigh of relief when Seraphina was gone. "She’s as intense as ever."
Xin tilted his head in confusion. "Really?"
The head nurse shifted her attention to Xin, her expression tinged with sympathy. "You probably haven’t realized it because she acts differently around you, but anyway . . . I heard the news on my phone. Is it true that you and Seraphina are going out?"
News traveled swiftly, Xin thought, nodding absentmindedly, still processing the weight of his newfound reality.
The head nurse looked at Xin with pity. "Ah . . . poor kid."
Confused, Xin asked, "Why do you say that?"
"I think you still don’t understand what it means to be in a relationship with someone like Seraphina Fey," the head nurse patted Xin’s shoulder, her tone compassionate. "But anyway, good luck, kid."
Suddenly, Xin felt like he had unwittingly stepped into the midst of a melodramatic movie scene.
Meanwhile, outside the infirmary, Seraphina dialed a number as she strolled down the hallway toward the headmaster’s office.
"Did you receive the money?" she asked on the other end, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, you did a good job as always. I’ll wire you an extra gift for the picture you took. It was perfect."
Seraphina then ended the call abruptly when she noticed Victor leaning casually against the wall.
The hallway was empty. Students were now in their classes.
She walked past him as if nothing had happened but halted when Victor called her name.
"Seraphina."
". . ."
"You better not rope Xin into your world. If you really care about the guy, you would leave him alone," Victor warned his voice firm with genuine concern for Xin.
Seraphina’s expression remained impassive. She turned to face Victor, her smile reaching her lips though her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "I believe our relationship is none of your business," she stated calmly.
With that, she continued on her way, her demeanor shifting to one of seriousness.
For four long years, Xin had been in a coma, a period that Seraphina had spent believing she had lost him forever after she saw him again.
But now that fate had granted him a second chance at life and had reunited them. She was determined not to hold anything back any longer.