Zhou Kai's wrist was still held when he finally looked up.
And froze.
The man standing over him was tall—uncomfortably so. Broad shoulders filled the space where light should've been, casting a shadow that swallowed half the table. His expression was grim, calm to the point of danger, eyes dark and unreadable.
Zhou Kai had the distinct feeling that if this man wanted to, he could snap bones politely.
The grip on Zhou Kai's wrist loosened—but not before tightening once, just enough to make a point.
Then a voice spoke.
Low. Even. Dangerous in its restraint.
"mr," the man said, "your coffee."
A porcelain cup was placed in front of Zhou Kai.
Gently.
Perfectly aligned with the table edge.
Zhou Kai stared at it.
Then at the hand.
Then slowly… up at the man again.
"…Huh?" was all Zhou Kai managed.
Confused, he turned his head toward Liang Chen.
Chen was still seated.
Still holding his own cup—now freshly placed in front of him as well.
But his expression was different.
Surprised, yes.
Yet… unmistakably pleased to see this man
Just a little.
Before Zhou Kai could process that betrayal, the tall man spoke again, eyes never leaving him.
"Please be careful," he said. "Hot drinks spill easily."
Zhou Kai swallowed.
Something about that sentence felt like a threat.
"I—" Zhou Kai began at the exact same moment—
"Who is he?" another voice demanded too.
They spoke simultaneously.
And then—
"Who is he?" a third voice cut in.
Three voices. One question.
Silence fell like a dropped curtain.
Zhou Kai jerked his head left.
The man hovering near the table—grim, terrifying—was one.
Opposite him, standing just a step away, was another tall man, breathing slightly hard, hair faintly disheveled as if he'd run all the way here without stopping.
Professor Xiao.
His chest rose and fell as he caught his breath, eyes sharp and locked on Zhou Kai like he'd just discovered a suspicious variable in a long-running equation.
And then—
Zhou Kai looked back.
A third presence completed the triangle.
Xu Jin.
Somehow, impossibly, Chen was now surrounded.
Three tall men stood around the small café table, their shadows overlapping and falling directly over Liang Chen's seated figure.
From the outside—
It looked like a prey encircled by predators.
From the inside—
Chen simply blinked innocently like it is not because of him.
"…Why are you all here?" he asked calmly.
No fear.
No panic.
Just genuine curiosity.
Across the café, the owner lady paused mid–coffee wipe.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Oh ho," she murmured. "This is getting good."
The new employee leaned closer, whispering, "Boss… are they fighting?"
The owner grinned. "No. This is worse."
Back at the table, tension crackled.
Zhou Kai pointed instinctively at Xu Jin.
"Who are you?"
Xu Jin pointed right back. "That's my question."
Professor Xiao crossed his arms. "Professor Chen," he said coolly, "care to explain why your student is having a… private session with you here?"
Zhou Kai bristled. "It's academic!"
Xu Jin laughed once. Dry. "Sure it is."
Chen raised a hand.
"Stop," he said.
The single word cut through them cleanly.
All three men stilled.
The owner lady's grin widened.
Chen stood up.
Slowly.
The shadows shifted.
He adjusted his glasses, gaze moving from Zhou Kai to Xiao, then finally to Xu Jin.
"First," Chen said calmly, "Zhou Kai is here because he missed several lectures and requested help."
Zhou Kai nodded rapidly. "Yes. That."
"Second," Chen continued, turning to Xiao, "I didn't inform you because I didn't think it was necessary to infom about my students progression to anyone." he imposed hard on word 'my'. Both xiao and xu jin grited their teeth where as someone was having smug face.
Xiao's jaw tightened—but he didn't interrupt.
"And third," Chen said, finally looking at Xu Jin, "you."
Xu Jin straightened unconsciously.
"Yes?"
"Why," Chen asked mildly, "are you here?"
Xu Jin opened his mouth.
Closed it.
"…I work here don't you know now I'm an emplyed person?" he offered.
Zhou Kai choked on air. He thought this guy has guts to talk like that to professor chen.
Xiao frowned. "is he look like a person who will work in a cafe?"
Xu Jin glanced at him. "You ran here. Don't judge."
Xiao: "…."
Zhou Kai felt like he'd wandered into a boss-level cutscene without warning.
Chen sighed.
"This is a café," he said. "Not a battlefield."
The owner lady nodded approvingly. "Good line."
The new employee whispered, "He's so calm like an angel…"
Chen turned back to Zhou Kai.
"You were saying something earlier," he said gently.
Zhou Kai flushed.
"I—I forgot," he said honestly.
Xu Jin's gaze lingered on Zhou Kai's hand—now firmly planted on the table and very far away from Chen's face.
"Good," Xu Jin said.
Xiao looked between them. Slowly, something dawned on him.
"…Moonleaf?" Xiao said. "You chose this café?"
Zhou Kai stiffened. "What's wrong with Moonleaf?" he lowkey know what will happen here
Xiao smiled thinly. "Nothing. It's just… well-known."
"For what?" Zhou Kai asked suspiciously.
Xiao didn't answer.
Xu Jin did.
"Dates."
Zhou Kai's soul left his body.
Chen blinked and tilted his head cutely. "Is it?"
They thought simultaneously ' he's cute'
The owner lady coughed loudly. "Very."
Chen: "…."
Silence.
Then Chen calmly picked up his coffee.
"Well," he said, "the coffee's here. Since everyone's present, you might as well sit."
Xu Jin stared. "You're inviting us?"
Chen nodded. "It would be rude otherwise."
Zhou Kai thought: This professor is unreal he saved me from these beasts.
Xu jin said to owner " boss I'm getting break for now".
They were like "??" 'Are you sure she will say yes bro'. Owner lady enthusiastically nodded.
Reluctantly, the three men pulled chairs.
The café atmosphere shifted—from romantic to dangerously killer mode and sat circling over chen who was nonchalantly eating his cake looking otherworldy who has no care in this world just him and his cake.
They were in awe and were staring at him.
To the owner and the girl they looked like well behaved dogs nothing like wild beasts who were there just a few minutes ago.