On the bullet train, a guy with an incredibly clean-cut, handsome vibe sat next to me. Just before I got off, as I was putting on my backpack, he suddenly asked: "Are you still in college? Which school do you go to?" I gave a slight smirk and casually bragged: "Yeah, Columbia University." The handsome guy's eyes lit up: "I can give you a ride. It's on my way. I'm a professor at Columbia." I froze. Don't they say you can invent whatever identity you want when you travel? Did he just invent his identity too? I crossed my arms and forced a polite smile: "No thanks, Professor. I'm going to NYU first to meet my boyfriend." The handsome professor was silent for two seconds, then nodded seriously: "That's even more on my way. I'm picking someone up at NYU too." 1 I stood frozen in place, my smile almost slipping off my face. I finally gathered the courage to act a little unhinged, and the universe decided to smack me right back. How could he be a professor? He looked younger than me, and his hairline was flawless. Seeing my dumbfounded expression, he gently pulled a card from his breast pocket. It was blue and white, clearly displaying his ID photo and name. Even on a standard ID photo, he looked more breathtaking than those heavily photoshopped influencers online. Clean vibe, nice name. His name was Liam Reed. Underneath the photo were two small words: Faculty. Goddammit, it seemed his identity wasn't invented at all. I averted my gaze and nodded, bracing myself: "Well... sorry to trouble you then, Professor Reed." He gave me a warm, gentle smile and stood up, his tall shadow enveloping me. Long legs, narrow waist, perfect posture—but I was in no mood to drool. When we got off the train, he intentionally walked beside me, thoughtfully reminding me not to get lost in the crowd. His car was parked right at the station—a sleek, understated black Audi A8. The interior was spotless, with a faint, crisp, clean scent in the air. It smelled so good that when he wasn't looking, I couldn't help but take a deep breath. I didn't say a single word the whole ride, terrified he would ask me more questions. I was actually a seasoned corporate drone who had been in the workforce for years. I only got mistaken for a college student because I still dressed like one. And stupidly, my big mouth just had to pretend to be a Columbia overachiever. I just wanted to leave a memorable impression on a handsome guy during a train ride. Now, this was going to be more memorable for me than for him. The car was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. Liam focused on driving, his tone as natural as if he were dropping off one of his own students: "Which department are you in? What year?" My back stiffened. My brain went into overdrive as I stubbornly kept up the lie: "...Just, uh, regular liberal arts. Senior year." "I feel so bad making you go out of your way to drop me off. Could you just let me off at the subway station?" He smiled faintly: "It's on my way. It's only right for a professor to give a student a ride." I quietly crumbled inside, burying my head even lower. It might be on your way, but it's not on mine. The direction I needed to go was the complete opposite of Columbia. Thinking about how I'd have to miserably take the subway all the way across the city later... I wanted to slap my past bragging self in the face. Liam kept his eyes on the road. The sleeves of his dress shirt were casually rolled up to his forearms. His side profile was ridiculously handsome. But I had no mind to admire it; all I could think about was getting out of this car as soon as possible. He suddenly spoke up again: "Aren't you afraid I'm a fake and I'm going to kidnap you?" 2 Wait, that was actually a possibility. Why did I just blindly get into his car earlier? This was way too dangerous! I suddenly gripped my seatbelt tightly, looked at him nervously, and asked: "Would... would you?" He laughed out loud. When he smiled, his eyes crinkled in a way that was incredibly attractive. "I wouldn't. My identity is 100% real. You can look me up online." Since he said that, I decided to actually look him up. I looked down at my phone, searched his name and the university, and his photo actually popped up. In the photo, he was wearing a crisp white dress shirt, standing in front of a campus building. High nose bridge, sharp jawline—not aggressive, but exceptionally good-looking. His eyes and his smile in the photo were exactly the same as the man sitting next to me. The article detailed the various academic achievements he had accomplished at such a young age. I was absolutely stunned reading it. My fingertip hovered over the screen, and it took me a long time to snap back to reality. When I looked up at him again, my heart skipped a beat. He smiled warmly, turning his head to glance at me, but the question he asked was completely devoid of warmth: "You're a senior, so you've already started writing your thesis, right? What topic did you choose?" I felt like my heart had leaped into my throat. My brain short-circuited, going completely blank. Senior? Thesis? Why did I say I was a senior?! How was I supposed to know what topic to pick? I had completely forgotten what my own college thesis was even about. My brain spun at lightning speed, and I stammered for a good while. I haltingly recited the topic of my actual thesis from years ago: "That... the emotional narrative and... audience psychology of... shipping TV couples." As soon as the words left my mouth, my face turned bright red. I couldn't help it. I didn't do anything productive in college except obsess over fictional ships. The hand Liam used to grip the steering wheel paused for a half-second. He turned his head to look at me again, a very faint smile dancing in his eyes. "TV couples? I actually dabble in that area. I could give you some guidance..." I was completely dumbfounded. Thank God the car was already approaching the NYU campus gates. I was practically steaming with anxiety and quickly interrupted him: "Professor Reed, you can just pull over up ahead! My boyfriend should be waiting for me at the gate. I can walk over myself!" He spoke at a leisurely pace: "It's fine. I'm actually early. I'll wait until I see your boyfriend pick you up before I leave." 3 Help. I couldn't sit still anymore. In broad daylight, where was I going to produce a living, breathing boyfriend to pick me up? Suddenly, I thought of a specific useless man and furiously texted him. "Come to the NYU gate and pick me up. You have FIVE MINUTES! I'll cover for you at the next family gathering when they bug you about getting married!" Thank goodness my younger uncle owned a vet clinic nearby. It would only take him five minutes to run over. He was only three years older than me; pretending to be my boyfriend shouldn't be a problem. At that moment, Liam smoothly pulled the car over a short distance from the NYU gate. He patiently turned off the engine. His long, elegant fingers tapped rhythmically against the steering wheel. He even thoughtfully inquired about my "boyfriend's" studies: "What is your boyfriend majoring in? I might know his advisor." God, what did my boyfriend major in? God is too clueless, he can't read minds. I hemmed and hawed for a while, and finally beautified my uncle's veterinary degree. "Oh, he's in pre-med." Liam nodded thoughtfully and said evenly: "That's very demanding, but he has a bright future." I let out two dry laughs and didn't continue the conversation, silently praying for my uncle to appear quickly. Fortunately, he didn't bring up any more academic topics after that. He just casually asked about my life, acting exactly like a caring, fatherly figure. Adhering to the principle of "the more you say, the more mistakes you make," I kept my answers as brief as possible. But perhaps because my responses were too cold, Liam's expression cooled down a bit too. Finally, my uncle appeared. It was literally just a few minutes' walk, yet he insisted on driving his flashy, obnoxious sports car. He revved the engine and slid to a stop by the curb. The window rolled down, revealing a face topped with blinding, bleached-blonde hair. The clothes he was wearing looked like they were stolen from a homeless shelter, ripped and tattered. I was instantly stunned. I hadn't seen him in a month. How did he turn himself into this? I shot a mortified glance at Liam. My face was burning; it was so embarrassing. But I couldn't care about that now. I grabbed the door handle, ready to make my escape. "Um, Professor Reed, my boyfriend is here. I'll be going now." But he unhurriedly unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. His tone was very calm: "As a professor, I need to see you safely into the car." As the door opened, the wind blowing in felt chilly. 4 Liam followed me to my uncle's car. Only when I got closer did I realize there was a woman sitting in the passenger seat, sporting an equally eye-searing look. Heavy smoky eye makeup, hair as messy as a bird's nest. It was my fault for not explaining things clearly to my uncle earlier. This was definitely his new girlfriend. I didn't have time to care about all that. I bit the bullet and whined to my uncle: "Babe, what took you so long? You made the professor wait with me." The usual slacker look on my uncle's face was instantly replaced by terror. He stared at me wide-eyed. I frantically winked and gestured at him with my chin. He instantly understood. But the next second, he received a hard slap on his right cheek. From the woman sitting next to him. "Tyler! You better explain this right now..." She was on the verge of exploding. Tyler quickly covered her mouth. He muttered a few words in her ear, and she finally glared at him and calmed down. I turned around, giving a forced smile as I introduced them to Liam: "Haha, Professor Reed, this is my boyfriend, and... his sister!" Liam paused slightly: "Your boyfriend and his sister... they have quite a unique style." I continued my forced laughter: "Yeah, their whole family is just so trendy!" Liam's gaze had been resting on Tyler the whole time, but suddenly he turned back to look at me. His gaze was the kind of shallow, faint look that said, "I don't understand, but I respect it." I quickly said goodbye to him: "Professor Reed, thank you for the ride. I'm getting in the car now. Bye." He didn't speak, just watched me quietly. His stare gave me the creeps. Just as I turned around, his voice sounded: "How are you going to get in?" I turned back, looking at him in confusion. He smiled warmly and glanced at Tyler's sports car. Only then did I remember. Tyler's damn car only has two seats! I glared fiercely at Tyler. He finally realized it too, and muttered a few more words to the woman in the passenger seat. The woman got out of the car looking extremely annoyed, finally freeing up the passenger seat. I lifted my foot, about to get in, when Liam's clear, calm voice drifted over again. "Aren't we going to add each other on WeChat? Chloe, we should keep in touch." I stared blankly at Liam. Growing up, I had never been chased down so relentlessly by a teacher. The words of refusal were on the tip of my tongue, but meeting his smiling eyes... I couldn't say it. I frantically pulled out my phone, added his WeChat, and then shrank into the car. The moment the car pulled away, Tyler flashed a huge grin and waved at Liam. "Bye, Professor Reed!" 5 I finally let out a sigh of relief. I told Tyler the whole story, and he laughed so hard he couldn't hold the steering wheel straight. I then asked him why he was dressed like that. He said he was really into the "visual kei" aesthetic recently. Just as the car turned a corner, he slammed on the brakes. "Get out. Remember you owe me one again." I was shocked: "You bastard, you're not going to drive me home?" He rolled his eyes at me: "That's an extra charge. Taking you home costs 20 bucks." "I'm your niece!" I yelled. His eyes lit up: "Oh wow, I forgot about that! Then it's 50 bucks!" I slammed his car door and got out, maintaining my dignity. He also showed zero respect and sped off. After all that drama, I had no desire to squeeze onto the subway anymore. So I ordered an Uber. But I waited a long time before a notification finally popped up saying a driver had accepted the ride—and it was an Uber Pool. I glanced at the car model and my eyelid twitched violently. It was another Audi A8. I muttered to myself, today I really had some bad karma with this car model. But it was already rush hour, and it was hard to get a ride, so I couldn't be picky. After waiting by the curb for a while, a black sedan slowly pulled up. I opened the door, and a faint, crisp, clean scent wafted over me. It felt somewhat familiar, but I didn't think much of it. Without even looking up, I casually gave my address. After I spoke, the car still didn't start. Confused, I looked up toward the driver's seat. That one look almost scared my soul out of my body. Liam was sitting comfortably in the driver's seat, his fingertips resting on the steering wheel, his posture relaxed. He looked at me through the rearview mirror, a warm smile on his face. "What a coincidence, Chloe. Where's your boyfriend?" My entire body instantly went rigid, my tongue tying itself in knots: "P-Professor Reed, why is it you..." He gripped the steering wheel, a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips: "My side hustle. Is that a problem?" "What about you? Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?" I clutched my backpack tightly, answering blankly: "Oh, no. I had an emergency at home and needed to go back. He still has class." Liam let out a low chuckle, started the car, and smoothly merged into traffic. "I see. He drives such a flashy sports car, but he didn't even offer to drop you off." I forced a bitter smile: "He's pre-med. Kinda busy." He didn't press further, focusing on driving, his voice soft: "Then sit tight. I'll take you home." I was still shaken, and instinctively blurted out: "Professor, weren't you supposed to pick someone up? Should I just get another Uber!?" 6 Liam, of course, rejected my proposal. He said he got stood up, was heading home anyway, and just conveniently picked up an Uber Pool ride along the way. I was completely speechless. As long as he didn't talk to me about Columbia, I'd gladly sit on his lap and let him drive me home. So, to avoid awkward small talk on the way, I simply leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. But I didn't expect to actually fall dead asleep. I really wanted to beg myself to be better. When I opened my eyes again, the car had stopped. We were in an underground parking garage. "We're here. You can get out." I groggily replied with a "Mhm": "Thank you." Then I opened the door and got out. Suddenly, I jolted awake. Wait, that's not right. Why did he drive into the underground garage? I turned around and saw Liam had turned off the engine and was getting out of the car with me. My footsteps faltered, and I looked back at him in confusion: "Professor Reed... you really don't have to. Dropping me off here is fine. I can go up by myself." I was genuinely panicking. No matter how handsome he was, he couldn't be a creep stalking a beautiful girl, right? He smoothly locked the car, his gaze sweeping coolly over the garage. The expression on his face remained gentle as jade, his tone utterly natural: "I didn't say I was walking you up." I froze for a moment. He looked up toward the elevator bank, a faint smile curving his lips: "My apartment is also in this complex." My entire body stiffened in place, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. We drove halfway across New York to an apartment complex ridiculously far from Columbia. I never expected him to live here too. He looked at my shocked and disbelieving expression and let out a low chuckle. "I live in Building 7. You don't live in Building 7 too, do you?" 7 I practically blurted out: "No, no, no, I live in Building 3!" As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. Why did I answer so eagerly? It made it seem like I was terrified of living in the same building as him. Liam's footsteps paused, a playful glint in his eyes as he drawled: "Oh, what a shame. Since there have been so many coincidences today, I thought it might be even more of a coincidence." I forced a calm smile: "It is... pretty coincidental." So coincidental that if you wrote it in a novel, readers would complain it was too contrived. He didn't reply, just walked with me to the elevator bank for Building 3. The lighting in the underground garage was a warm white, stretching his shadow out long. His shadow occasionally overlapped with mine, then separated. He was half a head taller than me; his gaze could easily sweep over the top of my head. I suddenly felt a knot in my stomach, remembering I hadn't washed my hair during my two-day business trip. My scalp was definitely greasy and shiny. I subtly put a little more distance between us. He suddenly spoke up: "I didn't expect you to live in a complex so far away either." My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly tried to cover my tracks: "Yeah, yeah. We're probably the only two people in the whole complex who commute from around Columbia." As soon as I said that, I bit my tongue hard! I really asked for it. Why did I bring up Columbia again on my own initiative? He smiled leisurely: "True. In the future, I can give you a ride to school." I quickly waved my hands: "No need to go through the trouble! I usually live on campus and rarely come home." He nodded slightly, stopping in front of the Building 3 elevators, and pressed the button for me: "Go on up. Get some rest." The elevator doors opened, and I practically fled inside. I turned around and waved at him: "You get some rest too. Good night." He stood outside the doors, nodded slightly, and his thin lips moved again. "If you want to catch a ride to school, send me a WeChat message." Absolutely not. The elevator doors slowly closed, cutting off his gaze. I let out a long exhale, my heart still pounding wildly. After getting home, I collapsed onto the sofa and, as if possessed, tapped into Liam's WeChat profile. His profile picture was a bland landscape photo, the kind of picture older management types usually use. Scrolling through his posts, it was all shared articles—either academic updates or industry news. A uniform wall of content I couldn't understand, like an old-school bureaucrat. Turns out he really was a bureaucrat. A young one now, an old one later. Normally, if I got the contact info of a guy this good-looking. I would absolutely swallow my pride and find a topic to chat him up. But today had been so awkward I could have curled my toes into diamonds. It was too much of a deterrent. My finger hovered over the screen for a long time, but eventually, I quietly closed the chat window. Please, let's just stay dead in each other's contact lists like this. Let's never meet again, and please never think of me again. 8 But I still underestimated the cruel irony of fate. Two weeks later, my supervisor suddenly informed me I needed to help host a visiting scholar. Moving forward, we were going to collaborate on drafting a batch of important documents. I eagerly followed my supervisor downstairs to greet them. A black SUV pulled up smoothly to the lobby entrance. The car door slowly slid open. A pair of clean, long legs stepped out first. A crisp suit, broad shoulders, narrow waist—an elegant aura. I still had a standard, polite, professional smile plastered on my face as I raised my eyes. A fragile little girl died inside me. It was Liam. The moment he appeared, all the young women in the office were stunned, frozen in place. Then, they all collectively lowered their heads. Secretly cursing themselves for wearing the ugliest outfits in their closets to work today. I didn't have to worry about that. After all, my closet didn't contain anything that wasn't ugly. The main issue was that someone who looked like Liam usually only appeared on TV. Who would have thought I'd run into him at my crappy 9-to-5? Liam, however, was completely composed. He reached out to shake my supervisor's hand, his gaze lightly sweeping over the crowd in front of him. When his eyes landed on me, he paused slightly. Then, a very familiar, warm smile curved his lips. "Chloe, I didn't expect to see you here too." I kept my face stiff and used a breathless whisper that only he could hear to quickly spit out one word: "Internship." My supervisor only heard Liam's words and chuckled from the side: "Chloe, you know Professor Reed? Then you'll be responsible for hosting him going forward." "Professor Reed, you'll have to show our Chloe the ropes." I stood rooted to the spot, the corner of my mouth twitching violently. The professional fake smile on my face was barely holding on. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and nod: "Yes, boss. I'll definitely take good care of Professor Reed." I figured it out. Ever since I met Liam, I was constantly biting the bullet. If this kept up, I'd develop a skull of steel. Liam stood to the side, holding his briefcase, an unfathomable smile hidden in his eyes. "Chloe must be very reliable at her job, considering she's from Colum—" My scalp instantly went numb.
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