Passenger Seat

Shu Xian immediately came after she was finished with her duty. The moment she came home, Wan Wan greeted her, making Shu Xian immediately kneel on the floor to give her a pat and a kiss on the head.

"Oh, Wan Wan! I'm home~!"

Wan Wan barked, giving Shu Xian a lick on the face as Shu Xian giggled, liking the way Wan Wan is so affectionate towards her.

Sooner or later, Pan An came out of his room, already wearing ordinary clothes as he leaned on the doorframe, looking at Shu Xian from where he is as he played with his keys on his hands.

"Ready to go grocery shopping?"

With the question thrown at her, Shu Xian stood up, nodding as she put her bag down and got her wallet.

"Sure! Where are we going, anyway? From your text message, it seemed quite far away?"

She asked, also furrowing her brows at him.

"Also, how did you ever get my number? I don't recall giving you my number," she added, Pan An, letting out a small chuckle before he answered her question.

"While you were cooking, I took the chance. Anyway, your phone didn't have a lock on it so I took the liberty to get your number."

Shu Xian blinked her eyes a few times, "A-aren't you prying into my privacy?"

Pan An nodded, grinning as well as he sees no problem with it.

"I only got your number—not looking at anything else. Don't worry."

Shu Xian narrowed her eyes at the professor, still not liking what he did.

"You know, I could have given you my number if you just asked for it—not you getting it in this way," she retorted, Pan An, just ignoring what she said as he stood up straight, already telling her what he did.

"Anyway, to save up time, I already fed Wan Wan tonight and then walked her outside the house."

"Oh?"

Shu Xian didn't expect Pan An to help her with taking care of Wan Wan. Seeing Wan Wan's happy face as she looked at her with her tongue out hanging, Shu Xian couldn't help but smile, already thanking Pan An.

"Thank you for taking care of her, Pan An. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Pan An said, now cocking his head to the side. "Are you ready? Trip going to the mall I know will take around 20 minutes with my car."

Shu Xian widened her eyes in amusement, not expecting to have a car ride that seemed that long.

"Why is it so far away!? Is it like in the outskirts of this city?"

Pan An nodded, chuckling at the same time as he gave her an answer.

"Yup! Come on, I'm also itching to have a drive with the car. Let's go!"

With Pan An already going to the garage, Shu Xian rolled her eyes, already securing the main door as she smiled as well, not expecting that Pan An seemed to be this excited when they're just going to drive for a grocery shopping.

After Shu Xian was finished in securing the house, she said her goodbyes to Wan Wan, telling her to guard the house then she went to the garage.

The moment she arrived in the garage, Pan An had already opened the door of the front seat for Shu Xian, gesturing her to come inside with a smile on his face.

"In you go, Shu Xian."

Shu Xian raised a brow at him and laughed, already entering the car as she commented on how Pan An is tonight.

"You really seem excited! Have you not been having a drive lately to make you feel like this?"

"Ugh, yes!"

At the same time, Pan An already sat on the driver's seat, igniting the car to life as they already drove out of the garage and into the streets so they could already travel to the grocery store.

"I always wanted to have a drive… with the university just starting recently, it has been so busy and this time, I only have a small sweet time for driving—I'm taking it as an opportunity."

Shu Xian then buckled her seatbelt as Pan An drove, Shu Xian, furrowing her brows together as she saw that Pan An forgot to buckle his seatbelt.

"Hey! How could you be so irresponsible?" she commented, Shu Xian already reaching out as this slightly surprised Pan An, feeling the skin of her arm graze on his as she got the seatbelt from his side and buckled him instead. "Has being this excited made you forget such basic stuff?"

With Shu Xian scolding him, Pan An had not actually left the back of their house yet, making both of them stare into each other's eyes as Shu Xian realized that what she did made her go closer towards the man who was driving.

Both of them didn't say a word. With them still staring each other straight in the eyes, Shu Xian then felt conscious, already averting her gaze as she immediately and awkwardly settled herself back in her own seat, already looking out the window.

"I-I'm sorry," Shu Xian mumbled, only enough for Pan An to hear. "I was only worried since you didn't put your seatbelt on," she added, Pan An's lips in a tight line as he still remembered how beautiful Shu Xian's eyes were as they stared straight into each other's eyes.

"I-it's alright," Pan An said, stammering on his words at the same time. "I'll be more careful next time."

With Pan An putting his phone on the phone holder in between them and opened his music and clicked shuffle, what played in the background made it more awkward for them, the lyrics distracting them.

***

I look at her and have to smile

As we go driving for a while

Her hair blowing in the open window of my car

And as we go, the traffic lights

I watch them glimmer in her eyes

In the darkness of the evening

***

With the first stanza heard, Pan An immediately clicked next, now a more upbeat song playing as he continued driving.

Both of their hearts were racing with the song of Stephen Speaks entitled Passenger Seat, still playing in their minds, an old song that is both familiar to them, the lyrics known.