This chapter is dedicated to BedheadBookworm for being a nice leaver of comments in my story this last month of June! Thank you so much for the support~! I hope to see more of your comments soon! ^^

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"Ruo Xi, you may now enter and introduce yourself to your fellow co-workers.

"

'What?' Pan An widened his eyes in disbelief. 'Ruo Xi?'

As if his world was now playing in slow motion. The woman's right foot stepped inside the faculty room first, followed by her left. With her hand flipping her hair to her back as she walked inside, the other male professors almost dropped their jaws in surprise, seeing how tantalizing the new professor is.

Her red curly hair bounced on her shoulders. With the red blouse tucked inside her black pencil skirt, it embraced her body snuggly—emphasizing the curves of her body. With her heels adding more to her height, she looked more of a model rather than a professor!

She batted her eyelashes as she blinked her eyes. With the smile on her face that showed her perfect teeth, even the female professors felt their heart racing for seeing such a goddess come inside their office!

Pan An's body froze. With his eyes watching her every step, the woman stole a glance of him, their eyes meeting only for but a brief moment.

The professor's heart raced in his chest. He didn't know why… but something in the way that Ruo Xi shortly looked at him made him feel that there's something off about her…

Something that he didn't know about her.

Could it be that she's the Ruo Xi that he knew… or someone rather different who just looks like her—having the same name?

No… Pan An knew that this isn't this simple. It's indeed her, but why would he be in denial?

"Hello, everyone,

" she greeted, her voice sending shivers down Pan An's spine.

"My name's Ruo Xi, and I'm excited to meet you all and further talk with everyone~!

"

Pan An didn't know how to react. With the professors very welcoming of her here as they greeted her and applauded her arrival, Pan An just stayed quiet, his eyes on her as he couldn't believe what he heard and saw.

'Ruo Xi is a professor here now?'

'She really introduced herself as Ruo Xi…'

'No doubt—it's her alright. With her distinguishing mole on her face, how could it not be her?'

'I thought she already left the country?'

'If she's here, then why is she back and why did she apply in this university?'

'Moreover… how can she be a professor?'

Pan An couldn't put the pieces together and he couldn't even think of the best possible answer why she's here. With the professor knowing about Ruo Xi and her educational background, he wondered when did she have teaching units for her to be able to teach!

Ruo Xi knew that she graduated business and even had her masters. With her suddenly introduced as a professor in the college of Teacher Education, how is it possible considering her degree?

"Professor Ruo Xi here took education units when she was abroad and even studied pedagogy.

"

With the dean of the college suddenly talked, it's as if he had read Pan An's thoughts and answered his question.

"She told me that since she wanted to go home to the country where she was born, she thought of giving back as being a professor in the university.

"

With a bow from Ruo Xi, she smiled at everyone, further supplementing what the dean was saying.

"What the dean said is true,

" she started, looking at everyone with an eager expression on her face.

"Since this is my first time of teaching in the university, I'm hoping that you will all guide me~!

"

Ruo Xi did another bow. With the other professors, especially the males, nodding with enthusiasm, Ruo Xi had a light glint that passed through her eyes, a small smirk tugging the corners of her lips.

'I knew it… I knew it, he's here!'

Ruo Xi raised her body to look at everyone clearly. With her smiling and waving her hand at the people who greeted her, she feigned ignorance the moment her eyes landed on Pan An, faking her surprise when she put her hand on her face.

"Oh! Could it be… Pan An?

"

The professor didn't say a word. With her eyes now pooling tears, the others wondered why she knew him, especially why she reacted this way upon looking at Pan An.

"It's you! It's really you, Pan An!

"

Pan An still sat on his swivel chair, silent. With his eyebrows slowly knitting together, his fist on his chair's rest balled into a tight fist, wondering why he was feeling this way.

He always yearned for answers as to why Ruo Xi left him without saying a word. But oddly enough, even though he had not seen her for how many years, it's as if the answers that he always wanted… suddenly swept away and changed into nothing but…

Nonchalance and indiscernible anger.

"Oh, Pan An, you know Miss Ruo Xi?

"

Pan An neither spoke, neither nodded. With Ruo Xi answering for him instead, she turned her body to look at the dean, surprising him and the others with what they heard.

"I don't know if I should say this… but Pan An was my fiancé.

"

'F-fiancé!?' the professors were obviously flabbergasted when they heard this. 'Pan An and Ruo Xi were together before?' they also thought, Ruo Xi, now turning her body to look at Pan An.

She showed a sad smile on her face. With her eyes still watery as she looked at Pan An, she still spoke as if she was hurt seeing him, Pan An, unable to determine what he truly feels.

"I… I guess there are things that we need to talk about—given all that happened before years ago,

" she mumbled, enough for everyone to hear.

"I'm sorry for being emotional for a bit,

" she added looking at the dean.

"It's just that I didn't expect to see someone I know here in the academe.

"

The dean just scratched the back of his head. With him looking at Pan An and with Ruo Xi here just for an introduction, he saw no problem to it to give them a time to talk before classes would start in 15 minutes.

"Well… if you guys want to talk to each other, the conference room by the side of this faculty is okay. Or you may talk to each other during your free time and—

"

"There's no need.

"

When Pan An interrupted the dean, the other professors, including their department head felt a chill blow inside the faculty room.

With his eyes looking like ice as he looked at Ruo Xi, even the woman was surprised to look at him in a different light—as if the Pan An before her now is a completely different person!

"That was all in the past and there are no things needed to be discussed.

"

Their surroundings started to become awkward. With Pan An now getting his bag along with his folder that he needed for his first class, he stood up from his chair, indicating his leave.

"W-wait, you're going to class now, Professor Pan An? This early?

" one faculty member said, Pan An only nodding as he was about to leave the faculty room.

Ruo Xi couldn't believe it! For the first time ever, she felt her heart shatter right here and then, seeing that the man who once loved her from head to toe… suddenly gave her the cold shoulder!

She was always confident that Pan An would succumb to her because he always gave her the world even before they were engaged!

With him acting this way towards her now and saying that there is nothing needed to be discussed when she thought that he will look for answers…

This is indeed uncalled for when she wanted to stir things up ever since she came back here just for her to find him!

"Tsk!

"

Ruo Xi clicked her tongue, making sure that no one will notice. As she shoved her shock to the side, tears started escaping her eyes. She had her quick comeback for an act, surprising everyone as they thought that her crying at this moment is something real.

"P-Pan An…

" she said his name, her lips trembling.

"I… I didn't know that you could be this way towards me.

"

Pan An stopped in his tracks. With him turning his back to look at Ruo Xi, his eyes slightly widened when he saw her crying, her shoulders shaking as she tried her best to stifle her sobs.

Anyone who watched her would pity her. Even Pan An actually started feeling guilty!

He wanted to touch her shoulder, he wanted to tell Ruo Xi to stop and if this were the past, he would immediately comfort her and pull her in his arms for a tight embrace!

However, even with this sight before him… he didn't know why, he felt his heart rock hard.

Not saying a word, he just sighed and turned his back, leaving the room without even giving her one last glance.