Fancy Me, Professor!

Chapter 45 - Zhang Ren

Shu Xian goes back to the library after they have finished their afternoon classes. She has two more hours to spare before she goes home to prepare dinner so she came with Shi Lian, her best friend waiting on the couch where she sat earlier.

"I'll wait here. We're going to have dinner later and—"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Shi Lian!" Shu Xian interrupted her, apologizing as well. "I would have to decline tonight because I have to prepare dinner at home. You know what I mean," she added as she put her hands together in a prayer position.

"Oh, yeah…" Shi Lian rolled her eyes, "You're taking care of the house and you need to cook as well. Yeah, yeah…"

"Sorry! I'll make it up! Once I have my first allowance from the scholarship, I'll treat you."

"Oh, you don't have to," Shi Lian said, rolling her eyes at the same time—in a playful manner. "Just give me some company and it's enough. I want that."

"Alright," Shu Xian replied with a smile, already going up the stairs to talk with Miss Wang Fang, the university's Chief Librarian.

The moment she arrived on the second floor, the student assistant who assisted her a while ago was no longer the student assistant that is going to assist her now.

Instead, the student assistant is quite a handsome young guy, with shaggy black hair. Shu Xian blinked her eyes a few times, the guy already greeting her.

"Good afternoon," he greeted with a smile as he stood up from the table and asked a query. "What do you wish to inquire?"

"Oh!" Shu Xian snapped out of her thoughts, answering him with a smile as well as she told him her concern. "Miss Wang Fang told me that when I have the time, I would visit the library for me to learn the policies and such? What tasks to do as well? I'm going to be the new student assistant."

"Oh, thank goodness!" The man before her couldn't help but exclaim, sighing in relief as he nodded. "We are really short-handed here in the library and I really need a helper in handling the books and the patrons."

Shu Xian smiled, already extending her hand to the man before her for an introduction.

"I see! Great timing, then! The name's Shu Xian," she introduced, looking at his nametag for her to know his name. "And you're Zhang Ren?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Ren then extended his hand to her, already accepting the handshake as he properly introduced himself.

"The name's Zhang Ren and I would be your fellow student assistant in the Internet Library and also, in the Fiction Library."

"Oh! I see!"

Shu Xian looked around, noticing that the internet library is indeed together with the fiction library. The internet library area is at the left side of this floor, whereas the fiction library is at the right side of this floor.

The main desk is found in the middle, two chairs together and two computers found—one unit for the input of the internet library patrons, and one for the checkout of the fiction library patrons.

"We will be together in this sorta what they call the help desk," Zhang Ren started, gesturing to the circular desk where he is in. "This here is my station, where I enter the names of those who are using the computer units, and this here beside me, is your station! I'll teach you the ropes later."

Shu Xian nodded, already appreciating how Zhang Ren seemingly is already kind to her when they just met. It made her think that she will have a very understanding and joyful partner at work, already something that she will look forward to.

At the same moment, the door to the Chief Librarian's Office opened, Wang Fang, blinking her eyes a few times when she saw Shu Xian already with Zhang Ren.

"Oh! Miss Shu Xian!" Wang Fang said and greeted with a smile. "Good timing, you have arrived! I was wondering why there were already conversing people outside my office."

"Oh!"

Zhang Ren let out a small chuckle, scratching the back of his head apologetically as Miss Wang Fang crossed her arms in front of her chest, arching a brow at Zhang Ren at the same time.

"Sorry, Miss Wang! I was excited when Shu Xian told me that she was the new student assistant that would help me in my shift!"

"No worries," Wang Fang replied, sighing as she got the phone hanging on the wall and paged in another student assistant. "Can one watch over the internet and fiction library, please? Send one right away—I need to talk to both the recruit and Zhang Ren."

With that, one student assistant already came upstairs without them even having to wait for a minute. She then smiled at everyone as she went inside the help desk, sitting on Zhang Ren's seat.

"Zhang Ren, Shu Xian, come inside. We need to talk about your shifts, your tasks, and the adjustments in your schedule."

With the two of them nodding, Zhang Ren and Shu Xian already entered the office, Wang Fang, closing the door once the two had already sat on the couch.

"I'll get straight to the point, Shu Xian, it's my time out in an hour so I'll go with this briefly and Zhang Ren would have to do the rest."

"Yes, of course," Shu Xian said and nodded, "I understand, Miss Wang Fang."

Wang Fang then showed her laptop to the two, in the profile of Shu Xian that showed her class schedule. Seeing this, Zhang Ren already understood the predicament, nodding slowly as he puffed his cheeks.

"I see… I think you have a problem with your schedule," he commented, Shu Xian, blinking her eyes at the same time.

"What's wrong?"

"You see, Shu Xian, dear… since your shift would be afternoon, 1 PM to 7 PM—student assistants need to work six hours a day, you would have to give up your afternoon classes and only have classes in the morning."