Sweet Nights with A Vampire

Chapter 2: Just Eat Normally When You're With Me

Like Nathan Rivers, Luna lived in off-campus student housing. To save money, she shared an apartment with a young female teacher named Isabella Yang who had just started teaching this year. The rental had two bedrooms sharing one bathroom. Nathan Rivers, who lived alone, had once rolled his eyes at this arrangement: "If you want to save money, just live in the dorms. Why bother living off-campus?"

Luna instantly replied: "I don't like crowded places."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she froze.

She remembered how in childhood, a certain boy had countless times said those exact words: "I don't like crowded places." Even as that boy grew into a youth, he had stubbornly maintained this stance. And so she had followed his lead, eventually making it her habit.

During the two years of Xavier Storm's absence, she had unconsciously held onto this habit while waiting for his return.

Over the next few days, Luna frequently visited the Mathematics Department building, yet failed to catch even a glimpse of him, let alone have a chance encounter. When she asked his classmates, they all claimed they weren't familiar with him, saying he would vanish immediately after class.

Lying on her bed staring at the ceiling, Luna felt a heaviness in her heart: Why hadn't Xavier Storm come to find her since his return?

Moreover, it seemed as though he was deliberately avoiding her - how else could they have missed each other every single time?

She slapped her cheeks hard to snap out of it: "Think about it, Xavier Storm was always such an aloof person, why would he come looking for you? Besides, you've been the one with these one-sided feelings since childhood - he probably forgot all about you long ago!"

Luna suddenly sat bolt upright, eyes wide: "No way... my name was even mentioned in the broadcast on opening day, surely he must have noticed..."

"That must be it... otherwise, why hasn't he reached out!" The more Luna thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt, wrapping herself in her blanket and rolling around on her bed.

Just then, Nathan Rivers called, urging her to come eat. Luna trudged out of her room, saying goodbye to Isabella Yang, who was still in her room.

Nathan Rivers and Luna's apartments were conveniently located next door to each other.

Luna's father and Nathan Rivers' father were close friends, so both families were delighted when they learned the two had been accepted to the same university. During the summer after their college entrance exams, both families vacationed together, and gradually the two young people developed a deep friendship built on mutual understanding.

Though Luna was accustomed to solitude, she found Nathan Rivers' presence comfortable. Despite his playful nature, getting to know him revealed his bright and cheerful disposition. During those days without news from Xavier Storm, Nathan Rivers would always appear to lift her spirits, making her days considerably brighter.

To outsiders, they appeared more like a couple. They would playfully bicker, yet always attended classes and shared meals.

But Nathan Rivers clearly understood that they were nothing more than very close friends. He would earnestly confess to other girls, date them, and then break up. Yet with Luna, he maintained a purely platonic friendship.

In truth, this was largely due to Luna herself. He had witnessed how she would sometimes break into sudden smiles while lost in thought, her expression radiating genuine joy.

In those moments, she must have been thinking of someone special, recalling something beautiful.

And he knew he wasn't that person.

So he came to cherish their friendship even more. Even someone as carefree as Nathan Rivers understood the value of maintaining their special relationship. Thus, even while dating, he would make time for Luna, knowing she would otherwise be alone. But Luna was considerate - whenever he started dating someone, she would immediately keep her distance.

As for now... Nathan Rivers had just been dumped by a senior student. So Luna felt at ease dining with him, and would even help him scout for his next potential girlfriend.

Luna adjusted her mood and strode to Nathan Rivers' room, banging on the door while shouting: "I'm starving, Nathan Rivers, where are you!"

Meanwhile, Ethan Sterling spotted Xavier Storm on the path in front of the cafeteria.

Xavier Storm was dressed in basketball attire, apparently heading to the basketball court. Ethan Sterling approached him with a knowing smile, draping an arm over his shoulder: "Why bother with more exercise? Haven't you already won the 5000-meter championship? Let's head home together." Xavier Storm coldly shrugged him off and continued toward the sports field, leaving behind an icy "Not interested."

Ethan Sterling let out a cold laugh: "Why keep up the act? We're all family here."

Xavier Storm turned back, his eyes reflecting an unprecedented coldness.

At the next intersection, he encountered Luna and Nathan Rivers walking toward the cafeteria. He watched as Luna walked slowly while the tall boy beside her alternated between patting her head and draping an arm over her shoulder, his smile radiant.

Xavier Storm stopped abruptly, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes.

Luna swatted Nathan Rivers' hand away from her head for the nth time: "... Are you asking for a beating today..."

His response was an innocent expression: "You seemed down today, I was just trying to cheer you up." "Well, now I feel even worse." "..." "Want me to hit you?" "..."

Satisfied that Nathan Rivers had finally stopped talking back, Luna began debating between getting rice with toppings or Lanzhou noodles. When she casually looked up again, her heart skipped a beat, and her feet refused to move.

The person she had been thinking of day and night, the one she had been searching for, was now walking toward her with determined steps and deep, steady eyes.

The evening breeze rustled through the trees. Though the campus path was crowded with overlapping shadows, his appearance remained unchanged, just as she remembered from two years ago.

Only now, he seemed more composed, his features no longer carrying the rawness of youth.

Xavier Storm stood before the frozen girl, looking down at her, his eyes intense.

Luna stood motionless, staring at the person before her, her thoughts tumbling through her mind.

People passed by. Luna remained rooted to the spot, eyes wide, afraid that if she blinked, Xavier Storm would vanish again.

"So..."

The person before her bent down, eyes teasing, and whispered to her amid the crowd: "... how much longer are you going to stare?"

Ten minutes later.

Watching Xavier Storm calmly eating the tomato and egg rice that she had recommended, Luna could hardly believe her eyes. Was this Xavier Storm? The person she had been searching for so long? Had he appeared? Was he... eating the meal she had chosen?

The person across from her slowly looked up, a smile playing at his lips, speaking in his characteristically languid tone: "If you keep staring, I'll think you want to eat this." Luna quickly lowered her head to her fried rice: "I don't! Just eat..."

Two meters away, Nathan Rivers took alternating bites of the same dish while glancing in their direction, his face full of grievance: "Who is this... why did I have to leave... why didn't Luna defend me..."

In truth, one look from Xavier Storm had been enough to make Nathan Rivers obediently take his tray elsewhere. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he had sensed the other's icy hostility and killing intent, while his good friend had said nothing in his defense. Feeling wronged, he could only slink away to a corner, silently speculating: Friend? Boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Never heard about him...

After finishing lunch in silence and restraint, Xavier Storm looked up at her, his eyes clear, lips curved in a smile: "Luna, just eat normally when you're with me."

"..."

For Luna, eating normally meant taking big bites and slurping her soup loudly.

But during this meal, she had been so proper that even Nathan Rivers in the distance felt unsettled: Luna... you really shouldn't eat like that... it seems so repressed... what a waste of good eating time...

As Luna stood up, Xavier Storm said: "Let's have lunch together tomorrow." Luna trembled slightly: "How about... the day after..." After two years apart, her heart felt somewhat fragile, and having lunch with her secret crush two days in a row felt too intense.

More importantly! Someone who usually devoured a huge portion had only managed to eat half today while taking tiny bites... if this happened again tomorrow, how could she, as a foodie, accept it... Waste was truly shameful.

"Tomorrow at 11 AM at the east gate." His voice left no room for refusal. Luna's mind raced: "I think I have class until 12 tomorrow..."

"That's the day after tomorrow. You don't have morning classes tomorrow." Xavier Storm glanced at his watch, "I need to go." He cast an amused look at the now helpless girl before walking toward the exit.

Having waited so long, Nathan Rivers finally had a chance to come over: "Luna, who exactly is he?" Luna watched his retreating figure, feeling a sense of peace in her heart, but too embarrassed to tell Nathan Rivers this was the person she liked.

"He's a former classmate, and also a neighbor."

"He seems like quite an imposing person..." Nathan Rivers didn't dare to probe further. At this moment, the girl let out a long breath, looked around furtively, and whispered: "He's someone I've had a crush on for a long time."

Nathan Rivers nodded: "I could tell, the way you were acting just now, you were exactly like..." A fierce glare from Luna made him swallow the rest of his words.

The girl smiled: "Even though I'm still as nervous around him as I was two years ago, at least he's back. We have plenty of time ahead of us."

Nathan Rivers saw Luna's smile and finally understood who had been the recipient of those previous smiles.

At this moment, Nathan Rivers was uncharacteristically serious: "I'm happy for you, Luna. Go win him over, so I can focus on my own love life..." Luna couldn't help but interrupt: "You just can't find anyone, don't use me as an excuse..."

Nathan Rivers: "..."

As Xavier Storm walked out of the school gates, he looked up at the bright sky, as brilliant as the light that had once shone in the eyes of the person who had stayed by his side. He closed his eyes and sighed.

You're still you. I hope that I, as I am now, am still the person you knew back then.