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Chapter 9: Jealousy
“You’re giving my plate to someone else to use?”…
Turning off the lights: Small, Medium, Large Previous Chapter: Chapter 8 – From now on, I’ll let you have first place. Knocked down. Next Chapter: Chapter 10 – The usually cold heart moves slightly, a barely audible sound of “Hmm…”
Because of Gu Si, there was now an extra mouth to feed, and what once seemed like an abundant bowl of meat dishes now appeared smaller.
Especially since Gu Si was picky and wanted her to use the public chopsticks to serve him, wrap it, and then put it in his small plate.
Ning Qingyan, while eating, had wrapped a few pieces for Gu Si. Seeing the lazy person lying in the chair waiting to be fed, she casually grabbed an empty bowl and threw it at him.
Gu Si, who had just been enjoying himself with his half-squinted phoenix eyes, slightly opened them and caught the empty bowl she threw over with one hand, spinning it around his fingers like he was twirling a pen. His voice was extremely lazy, “What? Want to murder your brother? I’m afraid that with Xiao Yan’s current strength, it would take you more than ten years of practice.”
Ning Qingyan didn’t look at him. She quickly wrapped the meat with sauce, stuffing her mouth full and chewing happily. Once she finished, she finally responded, “The meat’s running out. Go get some yourself.”
Watching Ning Qingyan with her cheeks puffed up in enjoyment, and her hands and feet busy, Gu Si licked his lips, feeling even hungrier. He swiftly got up, grabbed the empty bowl, and dashed off to get more food.
Eating a lot, plus the heat, made one thirsty.
Having already finished two cans of soda, Ning Qingyan was about to open another when a hand holding a bottle of mineral water reached out beside her.
In the sunlight, the hand was as white as jade, with long fingers, making it an ideal hand for hand lovers.
Ning Qingyan glanced over and saw Wen Shijin’s warm phoenix eyes. His voice was clear and calm, “Later, we have a task. Drinking too much iced soda before exercise can cause shortness of breath and harm metabolism. Keep 70% full, too much food with exercise can cause bloating.”
Ning Qingyan took the water bottle. It felt warm from being exposed to the sun. She looked at Wen Shijin, whose eyes curved like a blooming peach blossom, and smiled. “As expected, only my brother is good. By the way, the sauce I made is so tasty when dipped in meat. Want to try?”
She said as she placed the freshly wrapped honey-glazed beef rolls into a clean small plate and handed it over.
Wen Shijin smiled slightly, took it, and, under her expectant gaze, took a bite.
The taste was savory, spicy, and fragrant. The meat was tender, and when paired with fresh, juicy lettuce, the multiple flavors exploded in the mouth. Wen Shijin’s narrow, beautiful eyes slightly squinted in satisfaction.
Green Tea System: “Wen Shijin’s favorability +1.”
Ning Qingyan smiled slightly, noticing Wen Shijin’s eyes brightening. Eating something raised favorability, so the future top scientist was an undercover foodie, huh?
“Is it good?”
She asked, quickly wrapping another one for him. Just as she was about to hand it over, Gu Si, who had just returned with food, took it from her hand with one hand.
The tall figure of 188 cm stood behind her, casting a shadow, which also brought an undeniable sense of pressure.
Gu Si’s narrow eyes were half-squinted dangerously as he looked at the remaining half of the plate in front of Wen Shijin. His lips were pursed in a smirk, though his eyes held no smile. His voice was low and calm: “Ning Qingyan, how’s my plate?”
He was here. He had started calling her full name again.
Ning Qingyan, who had her back to Gu Si, felt a sudden chill from behind. Her hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
Wen Shijin swallowed the food contentedly, and then, with his usual warm voice, said with rare satisfaction, “Delicious.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Qingyan felt an even colder presence behind her. She chuckled awkwardly, trying to cover up her embarrassment, “As long as you like it, as long as you like it.”
“What if I don’t like it?”
Gu Si leaned closer to her ear, his voice almost inaudible, “Dare to give my plate to someone else? Ning Qingyan, do you still want your first place? Hmm?”
The warm breath on her ear sent a shiver through her, and her ears turned red. Nervous, she tried to turn her head to argue with him. In the process, her lips brushed lightly against his chin.
Gu Si, who had bent over to warn her, didn’t expect her to suddenly turn her head. In that brief moment, he only felt a slight tickling sensation on his chin, as if touched by static electricity. The fleeting warmth in the air confirmed the slight contact.
Their faces were now very close, and their gazes met. Gu Si could clearly see the dazed look in her bright, clear eyes.
In just three seconds, he immediately stepped back, his narrow eyes tinged with a faint blush, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He stared at her for a long time, unable to say anything.
Green Tea System: “Gu Si’s favorability +1.”
Ning Qingyan smiled slightly, her eyelashes fluttering. Then, with a confused expression, she nervously said, “I didn’t mean to! I accidentally took the wrong plate… but hey, why is your face a bit red? Don’t tell me you’re getting a heatstroke, my poor brother, let me pat your head.”
Before she could reach out, Gu Si immediately stood up, looking slightly disheveled. He quickly said, “No need. I’ll settle this with you later!” Then, he grabbed his plate and bowl and returned to his seat, as if she were some kind of dangerous beast.
Wen Shijin, watching Gu Si run away in a hurry, tilted his head and looked at Ning Qingyan, puzzled. “Is he okay?”
Ning Qingyan, looking confused, shook her head, “I don’t know, maybe he’s a bit of a perfectionist. He doesn’t like his plate being used by others, so he got a little upset. But it’s fine, I’ll calm him down.”
Wen Shijin, slightly stunned, looked at her with a hint of unease. That “It’s fine, I’ll calm him down” sounded so intimate.
With curiosity in his eyes, he asked seriously, “Even though I knew you first and we’ve only spent half a day together, why does it feel like he’s closer to you than I am?”
Ning Qingyan froze, unable to understand the complex reasoning behind Wen Shijin’s question. She casually replied, “Maybe it’s because he taught me how to flirt with girls and have a girlfriend?”
Wen Shijin nodded seriously and sighed, “In some areas, he really is impressive. I don’t know anything about that stuff. No wonder he’s so familiar with you.”
Ning Qingyan: …
You’re a future scientist tackling world-class problems, of course, you wouldn’t know about flirting.
“Every field has its own expertise,” Ning Qingyan patted his shoulder comfortingly before continuing her meal.
Wen Shijin frowned deeply, his expression unreadable, as if he had encountered an unsolvable problem.
Meanwhile, Huo Qi, sitting far away, remained as cold and aloof as ever, exuding an icy aura that made it hard to approach him. Throughout their conversation, he hadn’t looked at the three of them even once.
While they were still eating and chatting, he had already quickly finished his lunch, laid back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
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The comments were flying fast. Meanwhile, the male guests had also finished their lunch.
The voice of the program director came through the male guests’ earpieces again.
“The [Mountain Climb] mission is over, and the [Mountain Descend] mission begins. The road to rescuing the princess is not that easy. Please follow the drone’s instructions, fasten your parachutes, and prepare to jump off the cliff.”
Jump off the cliff?
The usually calm Huo Qi’s expression darkened. His fingertips tightened, and his narrow, cold eyes became ambiguous.
Ning Qingyan glanced at Huo Qi out of the corner of her eye. According to the information from the Green Tea System, Huo Qi had a moderate case of acrophobia due to a childhood trauma.