The empty plate sat between them like evidence of surrender.
Liang Chen folded the napkin neatly and placed it beside his cup. His posture remained straight, composed, as if the conversation happening was not currently rearranging parts of his calm inner universe. The soft cream and sponge had left faint crumbs on the plate, and he brushed them away with an almost ceremonial precision.
Professor Xiao Yushen, however, looked far too pleased with himself, his eyes glinting as if he had won a secret victory.
"You didn't deny it," Xiao said, voice teasing, calm, and just enough to make Chen's spine stiffen.
Chen lifted his cup deliberately. "Deny what?"
"That you were ignoring me."
Chen took a slow sip of coffee, the warmth spreading to his hands. "…I was busy."
"With what?" Xiao leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, voice half-serious, half-playful. "Avoiding eye contact? Answering my messages three hours late? Walking the long way around the faculty building?"
Chen's eyes drifted toward the window. The campus lake glimmered under the late morning sun. "Coincidences," he said, tone even.
Xiao let out a short, low laugh, one corner of his mouth tilting. "You truly are a literature professor. Even your excuses have metaphors."
Chen's fingers tightened lightly around the cup. "Senior Xiao."
The title rolled out carefully—tested. Measured. Calculated.
Xiao's eyes brightened immediately. "There it is."
Chen looked mildly regretful already, as if acknowledging a lost argument before it had begun.
Xiao tapped the table lightly, producing a faint tick that seemed louder than it was. "So. We are friends again?"
Chen hesitated. "…We are colleagues."
"Friends," Xiao corrected, leaning back, casual but unwavering.
Chen closed his eyes briefly—the way a man does when realizing resistance is pointless. "…Friends," he conceded.
Xiao smiled, slow, warm, satisfied.
A quiet moment passed. The only sounds were the gentle hum of the office air conditioner and the faint clink of ceramic against the saucer as Chen adjusted his cup. The sunlight filtered through the blinds, drawing sharp stripes across the floor, the table, and their shoes.
Then Chen asked, tone steady but softer than before.
"Senior… what did you mean… by confess?"
Xiao's smile didn't falter, though it deepened ever so slightly.
"What do you think I meant?"
Chen's ears turned pink, subtle but undeniable.
"I think," Chen said, "that you enjoy saying strange things to confuse people."
Xiao laughed outright, short and rich, the kind of laugh that made the office walls seem smaller.
"And I think you enjoy pretending you're not flustered."
Chen didn't respond. Which, to Xiao, was confirmation enough.
Xiao stood, gathering both empty cups and placing them on the tray with casual precision. "Come. I'll walk you back to your department."
Chen rose as well, stance straight, expression carefully neutral.
"Senior, this isn't necessary," he said, voice polite, tinged with a hint of curiosity.
"I know," Xiao said, opening the door. "That's why I'm doing it."
They stepped into the hallway side by side. Two professors. One pretending nothing happened. The other very pleased that something finally had.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the library basement, the unofficial university forum was exploding. The student who had snapped the photo earlier had uploaded it with a caption that read:
"Did anyone else see Professors Xiao and Liang going on a coffee date??? 👀☕🍰"
Within minutes, replies flooded in:
WHAT???
PROFESSOR LIANG?? NEVER TALK TO ANYONE??
PROFESSOR XIAO HAS TASTE 👏
SOMEONE ENHANCE THE PHOTO
The thread ballooned. By now, screenshots had been shared across multiple student groups. Students debated: Were they dating? Was this some kind of research collaboration? Was Liang Chen finally humanized in front of other people?
One enterprising student even photoshopped a speech bubble on Xiao's face saying, "Cake is the language of love," while Liang Chen appeared confused but elegant, holding his fork delicately. That image alone became a meme, shared across group chats and whispered about in hallways.
Back in the office, Xiao Yushen and Liang Chen were oblivious. Their shoes clicked softly on the polished floor as they left, the smell of coffee still lingering faintly in the air, and the lake outside glimmered like a mirror of their quiet camaraderie.
Xiao glanced at Chen, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"You know," he said lightly, "this is how the world celebrates small victories. Cake, coffee, and gossip."
Chen glanced at him, expression neutral but eyes flicking down at the crumbs on his plate.
"…I prefer quiet victories," he said softly.
Xiao chuckled, voice low and amused. "Quiet victories are overrated."
Chen shook his head minutely, taking a final sip of his latte. He stood, ready to return to the faculty wing.
As they walked out together, the forum thread continued to churn. Students speculated endlessly, some making wild theories, others desperately trying to verify every detail. Unbeknownst to them, the professors themselves were already several steps ahead, wrapped in their own small, subtle world of cake, coffee, and unspoken understanding.
Outside, autumn leaves drifted lazily across the courtyard. Inside, two professors left a faint trail of warmth, laughter, and cake crumbs.
And somewhere, the unofficial forum exploded further with the latest rumor:
"CONFIRMED: PROFESSORS XIAO & LIANG — MOST UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP/DATE EVER ☕🍰💥"
But for Xiao Yushen and Liang Chen, that was just background noise.
For now.