“I’m telling you to go out with me.”

Pan An’s words echoed in Shu Xian’s brain over and over like a song on repeat. It was as if the audio was on loop to that part, making the girl remember every word the person has said.

With her suddenly quiet like this, Pan An furrowed his brows, cocking his head to the side in wonder.

“Shu Xian? What’s wrong?”

Shu Xian blinked her eyes at him a few times, still slightly wide as he looked at him. Her mouth parted to say something, but somehow, it turned into a lump in her throat, finding it difficult to speak.

“Y-you… w-we…”

Shu Xian pointed at herself, then to Pan An, making the professor laugh as she blurted out incoherent words in an incomplete sentence.

“Shu Xian, let’s date.”

Shu Xian’s face was beet red. She couldn’t help but hide her face behind her hands, Pan An, laughing at the reaction she was showing.

Shu Xia then peeked through her fingers as she felt that Pan An was teasing her, making her get her notebook from the desk and threw it at him.

“Stop joking around! Jeez!”

Pan An stifled his laugh, “But I’m serious about this, Shu Xian.”

Shu Xian widened her eyes, “Wh-what?”

The playful expression on Pan An’s face slowly disappeared. He then stared into Shu Xian’s eyes, serious as he spoke about the deal again.

“I need us to pretend to date,” he added, Shu Xian furrowing her brows.

“Wh-why?”

Shu Xian felt her heart racing. Even though Pan An said that this is just going to be fake, the thought of her dating someone, even though it is not real, is something she has not experienced before!

Heck, she never even tried being attracted to someone–let alone have a small crush on someone!

“You see, my mother,” he started, getting Shu Xian’s full attention. “She wanted me so bad to get married, and she has been setting me up on blind dates,” he added, Shu Xian, raising a brow at him.

“So, why don’t you?” she asked, shrugging. “I could see you not having a problem. You’re handsome,” she commented, a smug grin appearing on Pan An’s face.

“You find me handsome?”

“I…”

Shu Xian blushed once more, Pan An, chuckling at her red face.

“Oh, stop teasing me!”

Shu Xian rolled her eyes at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Anyway, with your mother setting up blind dates, why don’t you want to go to some of it? You could meet someone you want, you know,” she added, Pan An’s smile slowly disappearing on his face.

“It’s complicated. I don’t want to.”

Shu Xian sensed hostility and at the same time sadness etched in Pan An’s voice.

With Pan An saying that it was complicated and that he didn’t want to go on blind dates, it made her curious about why he said such a thing.

‘Is it okay for me to ask?’

Shu Xian just stared at Pan An, his face no longer happy as it was a while ago. He then heaved a small sigh, forcing a smile on his face as he spoke again, reiterating the deal.

“Since you’re staying at my house, you would have to help me with this one. Please.”

There was desperation in his voice. With the situation at hand and with Shu Xian already living in a nice place, she would have no choice but to comply.

“Alright, then,” she finally agreed, “If this would help you in any way, then I’ll agree to it.”

Pan An’s lips curled into a smile, “Thank you, Shu Xian. With this as well, if my mother would come to visit the house, she would not wonder why you’re staying there.”

Hearing this, Shu Xian blinked her eyes a few times, surprised at what she had heard.

“Y-you mean… your mother comes by at the house at random?”

Pan An nodded, “That’s right. Often unannounced, too.”

Shu Xian blushed once more, “Oh, jeez…”

A light chuckle came from Pan An, getting his phone from his pocket to look at the text he had gotten from his mother hours ago.

“Later, we’ll have dinner with her. She invited me to dinner an hour ago, and she has that I-have-to-go-no-matter-what attitude.”

Shu Xian’s eyes widened in terror, “I would have to meet her now–later? Right off the bat after we just made the deal!?”

Pan An gave her an apologetic smile. He knew that he was also asking too much from Shu Xian even though this was a deal made since she was staying at his house.

“I’m sorry, Shu Xian,” Pan An apologized, “But I have no choice. I want my mother to stop. Knowing her, she would always suggest doing blind dates.”

Shu Xian sighed, puffing her cheeks as she felt her face heating up, nervous to meet the mother of her fake boyfriend.

“Did you already tell her that you will go? Can we reschedule this? I fear that I can’t–”

“Sorry,” Pan An interrupted her, showing the text he had sent to his mother. “I already told her that I’ll come with my girlfriend.”

Shu Xian’s mouth was agape, “How could you send that message? Were you so sure that I would accept this deal from the start!?”

A smug grin appeared on Pan An’s face, “You have no choice to accept. I told you, you’re staying in my house, and you have to do me a favor.”

Shu Xian groaned, tipping her head up in frustration.

“If only I’m not that desperate to make both ends meet, I wouldn’t have agreed to this shenanigan!”

Pan An couldn’t help but laugh. He then got Shu Xian’s attention by tapping the table, making her look at him.

“I’ll be home by five in the evening. What time will your class end today?” he said and asked, Shu Xian, answering his question.

“I’ll finish by four in the afternoon.”

“Okay,” Pan An nodded, “Then use this money,” he added, already giving her some cash, surprising her.

“What’s this?”

“Buy yourself a good dress. She’s taking us to a fancy restaurant later.”

Shu Xian was dumbfounded. As she was about to complain, they heard the bell ring, indicating that it was already 12 noon.

Pan An then stood up, smiling at Shu Xian as he left the conference room first.

“I’ll go on ahead. I’ll see you at home later.”

Shu Xian couldn’t help but scoff in disbelief!

She frustratingly rolled her eyes as she heaved an exasperated sigh, running her hand through her hair.

‘How could he expect me to pull this off!? I never even tried extravagantly dressing myself up!’