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Jiang Yichen diligently washed and peeled the ginger, slicing it into thin strips to enhance the flavor.
He was busy in the kitchen, while Qin Ling sat in the living room. As the effects of the ibuprofen kicked in, the pain from her menstrual cramps eased significantly.
Qin Ling watched Jiang Yichen move back and forth in the kitchen. *So audacious! He actually isn’t listening to the teacher!*
Glancing at her phone, she noticed the time: 10:30 PM.
“Professor Qin, it’s ready,” Jiang Yichen said, emerging from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of brown sugar ginger tea.
“Get back quickly,” Qin Ling urged.
“Drink this first. I’ll wait for you to finish before I go back.”
“Jiang Yichen,” Qin Ling stood up, her gaze stern. “I’ll say it one last time: go back now.”
“Professor Qin, you already said that…” Jiang Yichen stubbornly held the bowl of tea out to her.
“Put it on the table. You need to go back first; I’ll drink it later.”
“No way, I want to see you drink it before I leave.”
“You…” Qin Ling was somewhat exasperated.
She preferred Jiang Yichen when he was obedient.
Now, he was being quite defiant.
Taking the ginger tea from him, she intended to gulp it down in one go.
“Careful… it’s hot…”
Before Jiang Yichen could finish his warning, Qin Ling was already blowing on the hot liquid.
“Do you want me to help you blow on it?” Jiang Yichen asked.
“No need.” Qin Ling took small sips while blowing on the tea.
As the ginger tea went down, she felt a warmth spread through her stomach.
It really did seem effective.
Qin Ling reveled in the warmth coursing through her body, making her limbs feel cozy.
Jiang Yichen watched and nodded frequently. “How is it, Professor Qin? Is the ginger tea okay?”
“Average.”
“Average?” Jiang Yichen pouted, realizing that Professor Qin’s “average” probably meant it was quite good.
“Well, Professor Qin…”
“Speak.”
“Seeing how hard I’ve been running around tonight, could you consider deleting that video of me hugging your pillow and calling it ‘Mom’ when I was at your house?”
“Hm?” Qin Ling, taken aback, set her bowl down. “So, you were waiting for this?”
“Uh… don’t misunderstand, I was just asking. I have no intention of using this as leverage,” Jiang Yichen clarified. “You keep drinking, there’s still some left in the pot. I can serve you another bowl.”
“No need.” Qin Ling turned away. “Once I’m finished, you can go.”
“I won’t leave until you’ve finished drinking,” Jiang Yichen insisted.
“You’re not leaving? If you don’t go back, I’ll post that video in your class group.”
“You…”
*Professor Qin, you really are a clever one!*
Jiang Yichen immediately backed down. “Alright, I’ll leave right away.”
Qin Ling watched him leave, realizing that if she had known it would be this easy, she wouldn’t have wasted time with all that talking.
…
On the way back to the boys’ dormitory, Jiang Yichen sent a message in the dorm group chat.
【Get ready, your big brother is coming back @All Members】
【Zhang Wei: ?】
【Shen An: ?】
【Zheng Mingcheng: ?】
【Jiang Yichen: Why the question marks?】
【Zhang Wei: Because we’re not in the dorm.】
【Jiang Yichen: ?】
【Jiang Yichen: Which internet cafe?】
Jiang Yichen quickly understood.
Last month during military training, they had snuck out for an all-nighter.
That day happened to be a day off.
They went to the closest internet cafe to the school.
Although they had computers in the dorm, the internet cafe had a certain magical charm.
After thinking it over, Jiang Yichen concluded it was probably because of the atmosphere.
Staying up all night playing games was exhilarating, but the next morning, they would feel dazed.
In that dazed state, they might even say, *”Damn it, I’m never pulling an all-nighter again!”*
【Zhang Wei: The same place as last time, Lao Jiang. Hurry up, the girl at the front desk is wearing black stockings today.】
【Shen An: So that’s why you were staring at her legs the whole time?】
【Zhang Wei: Who was staring?】
【Zheng Mingcheng: I can testify; you were staring, and you even dropped several of the knives you were holding.】
【…..】
Jiang Yichen quickly changed direction, heading outside the school.
Fifteen minutes later…
At the Yunzhilan Internet Cafe.
Jiang Yichen logged in and sat down next to Zhang Wei and the others.
“Lao Jiang, what’s been going on with you these past two days?” Zhang Wei asked curiously.
“Didn’t I say? I ate something bad and ended up in the hospital.”
“Seriously? From that Cao’s place? We all ate there; why are you the only one affected?”
“Who knows?” Jiang Yichen shrugged, still puzzled. Maybe he just happened to eat the contaminated meat…
“Wait a minute, I just remembered I forgot to give him a bad review.”
As Jiang Yichen took out his phone, he received a message from Professor Qin.
【Qin Ling: Have you reached the dorm?】
Without thinking, he replied: 【I’m back.】
【Qin Ling: Good.】
Back in the Faculty Apartments…
After Jiang Yichen left, Qin Ling returned to the kitchen to pour herself another bowl of brown sugar ginger tea.
This ginger tea… was surprisingly good, even better than any she had ever had before…