I'm In Love With the Guy I Grew Up With-Chapter 788: So What If She Is My Student

"You Ruran invited me to her house for dinner!" Xiao Xichen stood with his arms akimbo, his face brimming with pride.

Shi Nianchu’s eyes held an unfathomable depth, "So your relationship with her... is that good."

Slender, fair fingers handed a bag to Cheng Youran, from which a strong scent of Chinese herbs wafted.

Cheng Youran accepted it, "Thank you, Uncle."

Shi Nianchu said indifferently, "I’m leaving." As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Xichen’s bare upper body and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

That look a man gives a boy made Xiao Xichen particularly uncomfortable.

"Teacher, I heard from You Ruran that you’re very skilled. Can I challenge you?" The young and spirited boy laid down the gauntlet.

Shi Nianchu watched him for a few seconds and smiled, "Sure."

...

The opening hours of the Martial Arts Hall ended, and in the vast space, only Xiao Xichen and Shi Nianchu remained.

Cheng Youran couldn’t be bothered to come down and watch, as the outcome was beyond doubt.

Just as she expected, Xiao Xichen’s screams could be heard intermittently from below, clearly indicating he was being thoroughly outclassed.

After the Nth time falling to the ground, Xiao Xichen rose defiantly, "Again!"

"You can’t win against me, it’s meaningless to continue fighting." Shi Nianchu spoke calmly.

"What about you? Does liking your own niece, your own student, have any meaning?" Xiao Xichen said through gritted teeth.

Shi Nianchu did not hide his feelings, "There is no blood relation between us two, and as for the teacher-student relationship... so what if she is my student, which law in China stipulates that teachers can’t like their students?"

Xiao Xichen didn’t expect him to admit it so openly, his handsome face tensed.

"On the other hand, you like her but don’t dare to admit it, hovering around her timid and indecisive, what sense does that make?" Shi Nianchu’s clear black eyes gazed steadfastly at him as if seeing right through him.

Xiao Xichen clenched his fist, "Who says I don’t dare!"

"You don’t dare," Shi Nianchu said with a self-deprecating chuckle, "because we’re the same, acting tough won’t give us the courage to confess our feelings."

Shi Nianchu’s words silenced Xiao Xichen.

What they feared was the same thing—loss.

Confessing could mean not even being able to maintain the current relationship, better not to confess at all.

Upstairs, Cheng Youran’s voice came, "Hey! Time for dinner! Xiao Xichen, haven’t you had enough of being thrashed?"

Shi Nianchu cracked a slight smile and walked away, Xiao Xichen limbered up and with a grimace, he went upstairs.

The dinner was a merry affair for all.

Using digestion as an excuse, Xiao Xichen took Cheng Youran for a walk.

Along the way, Cheng Youran sneaked a glance at Xiao Xichen, her heart rate quickening a bit.

Ever since that time at the seaside villa when Xiao Xichen pinned her on the bed and said, "Let me protect you," she felt that she... might have fallen for Xiao Xichen.

But he was the young master of the Xiao Family, and she was merely the daughter of a civilian martial arts hall. Deep down, Cheng Youran felt she wasn’t worthy of Xiao Xichen.

She really wanted to know, to Xiao Xichen, was she just a friend, or... did he feel the same as she did?

She cleared her throat and tentatively asked, "Xiao Xichen, what do you think of Mr. Shi?"

Xiao Xichen forced a laugh, "He’s pretty good, why do you ask?"

"Um, what do you think of him and me together?" Cheng Youran asked the question, her fists clenched tight, her palms slick and sweaty.

Xiao Xichen stopped in his tracks.

A breeze lifted the hair on his forehead. His gaze towards Cheng Youran seemed resolute.

"It’s not possible."

"Huh?"

"You can’t be with him!"