Chapter 16: He’s Not Easy to Please

The little girl didn’t understand, shaking her head dumbly.

Jin Zhuo was at a loss, telling her to go to the bathroom to change clothes first, while he went to the supermarket to buy some things.

He took advantage of the girl’s turn to make a phone call to his mother for help.

The moment the call connected, a loving “Youyou” came out.

…

Thoughts returned, Jin Zhuo put the sanitary napkins back in the basket, jokingly said, “Junior Qin is really smart.”

This time Qin Yingxia paid the money. While they were queuing up, Jin Zhuo had already been approached by two or three girls asking for his contact information.

Qin Yingxia stood by and watched quietly, letting the vinegar jar in her heart overturn all over the place.

She had no right to stop others from expressing their affection for Jin Zhuo openly.

Those girls were brave, at least… braver than her.

Qin Yingxia was indeed a coward. She was afraid of being seen through by Jin Zhuo, and even more afraid of losing even a friend.

Her strategy for Jin Zhuo was like a little snail carrying a heavy shell, climbing up the grapevine step by step, just to pick the sweetest grapes.

Qin Yingxia dared not gamble. She needed a 100% guarantee.

Only when she sensed that Jin Zhuo liked her too, would she, like those brave girls, confess her feelings.

“Let’s go.” Jin Zhuo snapped his fingers in front of her, bringing Qin Yingxia back to her senses.

“Okay…”

She secretly looked back at the girls behind them. Their eyes were all on her and Jin Zhuo, with no jealousy, but envy and blessings.

Obviously, they all thought she was Jin Zhuo’s girlfriend, and that he had rejected them for her.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the truth…

The light in Qin Yingxia’s eyes dimmed, her gaze falling on Jin Zhuo’s empty hand.

The streetlights stretched their shadows long. The girl secretly reached out, using the angle to hook his fingers.

Zhuo Zhuo—”

The sudden voice startled Qin Yingxia, causing her to quickly retract her hand and pretend nothing happened.

They had unknowingly returned to school.

Three boys came towards them, all with outstanding looks, especially the silver-haired man. His features were even more flamboyant and seductive, making him the most eye-catching.

Qin Yingxia recognized this person. The most frequent posts on the campus confession wall were about Jin Zhuo and him, it could be said that they were equally popular.

This was Pei Lanhe.

Jin Zhuo looked sideways, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, and asked her, “Handsome, right?”

Qin Yingxia nodded honestly.

“Okay～” Jin Zhuo still had a smile on his face, but it didn’t seem genuine.

The three of them were all wearing fluorescent wristbands, they must have just finished running.

“Ha～Junior Qin, do you remember me? The one who bumped into your suitcase on registration day, we also met during the interview!” Xie Chi saw them from afar.

He thought so, how come Jin Zhuo disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Later, the post about Jin Zhuo picking up Qin Yingxia from class in the School of Foreign Languages went viral, and Xie Chi finally understood the situation.

He was in a hurry to go on a date!

Qin Yingxia glanced at the people in front of her, politely said, “Hello, seniors…”

“Cough, Junior, hello～” Jiang Yinghuai greeted enthusiastically.

Pei Lanhe nodded in response.

Xie Chi: “Junior Qin, don’t be so polite, we’re all family! We’ll have plenty of chances to meet in the future!”

Qin Yingxia: ?

She was still out of the loop, but Jin Zhuo’s leg had already kicked Xie Chi’s butt, “No filter, huh?”

Xie Chi let out a yelp, rubbing his butt in grievance, “What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Aren’t you two dating? You’re making him shy!”

Come on, how could Jin Zhuo be such a flirty person!

Pei Lanhe and Jiang Yinghuai stood aside silently watching the show.

…

Qin Yingxia was worried that being misunderstood would make Jin Zhuo unhappy, so she quickly denied it, “Chairman, you’ve misunderstood. Senior Jin and I are just having a simple meal, we’re not dating.”

Jin Zhuo: Tsk.

Although she was telling the truth, he was inexplicably annoyed.

Xie Chi: “Huh?”

Jiang Yinghuai: “Oh~”

Pei Lanhe lifted his eyelids to look at Jin Zhuo, who practically had “I’m really annoyed right now” written on his face.

He couldn’t help but find it funny, teasingly saying, “Zhuo Ge, so it was a misunderstanding.”

Qin Yingxia chimed in, “It’s a misunderstanding, Senior Jin is very considerate of me.”

This way Jin Zhuo shouldn’t be unhappy, right?

After saying this, she looked up at the man beside her, only to meet his gaze and clearly sense his displeasure.

So hard to please.

Jin Zhuo threw the things in his hand to Xie Chi, then raised his chin towards Qin Yingxia, “Come on, I’ll walk you back to the dorm.”

“I can go back myself.” She gave a cute and gentle smile, “I won’t cause you any more trouble…”

“Qin Yingxia.” He called her name.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here.”

She waited for a long time, but Jin Zhuo didn’t say anything else.

“Senior Jin?” The girl tilted her head up to look at him.

Jin Zhuo lowered his eyes, looking deeply at her, and finally stretched out his long finger to gently push her forehead, “Then you go back yourself.”

Qin Yingxia thought she had appeased him, and was particularly happy, “Okay!”

So she turned and left.

She just walked away like that, so effortlessly?

Jin Zhuo was about to be driven crazy by Qin Yingxia.

…

Xie Chi, however, didn’t understand, hooking his arm around Jin Zhuo’s shoulder, “Zhuo Ge, a man should be bold, it’s nothing to have a little gossip with the beautiful and heavenly Xiao Qin Xuemei, right? The little girl doesn’t mind, why are you so petty?”

“Don’t tell me you really want to do it like before, let He’er make a pop-up window to explain that you and Xiao Qin Xuemei are just pure friends? That would be so embarrassing…”

Last year, a senior girl had pursued Jin Zhuo relentlessly, deliberately synthesizing multiple intimate photos of them, creating the illusion that they were in love.

Jin Zhuo had warned her repeatedly to no avail, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, he made a pop-up window explaining the truth, which was posted on the daily life software that all Imperial University students used, so it could be seen when they opened the software.

Later, the senior girl graduated and deleted all the photos she had posted about her and Jin Zhuo.

Jin Zhuo pushed away his hand, “I wouldn’t do that to her…”

This time, he was the one being stubborn.

Xie Chi laughed, “Our Zhuo Zhuo knows how to be gentle with women!”

“Get lost, you smell like sweat!”

Jin Zhuo frowned in disgust.

Xie Chi was unconvinced, “You have no taste, this is called manliness!”

Jiang Yinghuai, who had followed them, said, “Ugh…”

Pei Lanhe didn’t say anything, just gave him a thumbs-up for his speech.

“He’er understands me best! Xiao He’er, come here for a hug!”

Xie Chi was too enthusiastic, scaring Pei Lanhe into running away.

•  

When Qin Yingxia returned to the dorm, she saw the other three were fiddling with the new military training uniforms that had just been issued.

“The military training uniforms are here?”

Yu Zhizhi and Xu Siwan heard the noise, simultaneously put down their work, and directly blocked Qin Yingxia against the wall, their eyes burning with gossip.

Qin Yingxia stammered, raising her hands in surrender, “I haven’t betrayed the Single Dog Association, I’m not dating…”

“Huh? Why didn’t it work out?” The two asked in unison.

Qin Yingxia was a little confused, “So you want me to date or…”

“We want you to date Jin Zhuo!”

“You two are a perfect match!”