Lin Niannian had booked a restaurant not far from the school, so Jiang Zheng and Yu Qian decided to walk instead of driving. When they arrived, they headed straight to a private room on the second floor.

“Qianqian, come sit here.” Lin Niannian said cheerfully, reaching out to invite Yu Qian to sit beside her. Then she turned to Bai Qiming, who had been sitting next to her, and said, “Ah Ming, you sit with Ah Zheng. I want to eat cake with Qianqian.”

After speaking, she pointed at the six-inch blueberry cake on the table, which she had been eyeing for a long time.

Bai Qiming glanced at Yu Qian and Jiang Zheng, then said nonchalantly, “I think Qianqian doesn’t want to sit with you.”

Yu Qian: “……” That’s not true. You’re talking nonsense.

Before Yu Qian could refute, Jiang Zheng gently led her to the seat opposite Lin Niannian. “You two can sit across from each other and still eat together, right, Little Fish?” As he spoke, his fingertip brushed over Yu Qian’s palm, seemingly unintentionally.

Yu Qian felt exhausted dealing with these two scheming guys, but seeing Lin Niannian’s oblivious expression, she couldn’t say anything. She could only nod stiffly.

Seeing that everyone had settled, Lin Niannian didn’t insist further. She took out a plate and fork, handing them to Yu Qian before sharing the cake with her.

Bai Qiming called the waiter over and signaled that they could start serving the dishes. Then he turned to Lin Niannian with a slight frown and said, “Eat less. We’re about to have dinner soon.”

Lin Niannian’s habit of loving sweets but disliking proper meals gave Bai Qiming endless headaches, yet he couldn’t bear to be too strict with her.

Lin Niannian merely nodded perfunctorily and continued eating her cake with enthusiasm, completely ignoring Bai Qiming’s words.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zheng tilted his head slightly, watching Yu Qian eat with great interest. As the cake disappeared bite by bite into her mouth, his gaze gradually grew heated.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he leaned closer to Yu Qian. “Little Fish, I want a bite too.”

Jiang Zheng was so close that his breath brushed against the side of Yu Qian’s neck as he spoke. Her body stiffened instantly.

She panicked and quickly glanced at Lin Niannian across from her. Seeing that Lin Niannian was still immersed in her cake, Yu Qian sighed in relief. Thank goodness. At least she wasn’t corrupting an innocent girl.

“There’s more over there. Take it yourself.” Yu Qian shifted inward slightly, signaling for Jiang Zheng to grab some on his own.

Jiang Zheng didn’t even glance at the cake on the table. His gaze swept over Yu Qian’s lips with a hint of mischief. “Just feed me a bite with your fork.”

He deliberately emphasized the words ‘your fork’.

Across from them, Bai Qiming, who had been listening, raised his head and shot a cold glare at Jiang Zheng, silently hoping he would restrain himself. Unfortunately, Jiang Zheng didn’t seem to get the message at all.

Yu Qian: “……” They weren’t even officially together yet, right?

Could he stop being so flirty in public? Bai Qiming’s glare was practically sharp enough to cut!

Feeling that life was truly too difficult, Yu Qian’s hand trembled slightly as she held the fork. Seeing that Jiang Zheng was about to lean in even closer, she acted fast. Without thinking, she stuffed the remaining large piece of cake directly into her mouth.

The sheer amount of cake nearly choked her, making her eyes roll back slightly. The excess cream and crumbs that couldn’t fit smeared the corners of her lips.

Jiang Zheng was momentarily stunned by her sudden action. Quickly, he pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth while patting her back to help her breathe. Lin Niannian, startled, hurriedly poured her a glass of water.

When Yu Qian finally managed to swallow the cake down, Lin Niannian frowned at Jiang Zheng and scolded, “Ah Zheng, why are you still fighting over food with a girl? That’s so childish!”

Fighting over food?

Hearing Lin Niannian’s accusation, Jiang Zheng sympathetically glanced at Bai Qiming. Was there anything more painful than having the person you liked remain completely oblivious?

Jiang Zheng grinned shamelessly at Lin Niannian. “I wasn’t fighting over it. I just wanted Little Fish to feed me with her fork—”

“Shut up!”

“Jiang Zheng, shut up!”

Yu Qian and Bai Qiming both cut him off at the same time.

Yu Qian looked at Lin Niannian’s pure, innocent expression and felt utterly embarrassed by Jiang Zheng. Could he stop corrupting this naive girl?

Although Lin Niannian was technically older than Yu Qian by half a year and already an adult, she was truly simple-minded.

This wasn’t an insult— Lin Niannian was simply a reflection of her upbringing. She had grown up under the protection of her parents, older brother, Bai Qiming, and Jiang Zheng. Her environment had been so sheltered that, before Yu Qian, she had never had a close female friend to confide in.

As a result, the emotions that most young girls experienced— puppy love, secret crushes, and longing— had never occurred to her. No one had ever shared such feelings with her, so despite her intelligence, she remained as emotionally naive as a child.

Therefore, when facing Lin Niannian, Yu Qian couldn’t help but place her in the role of a younger sister.

Engaging in this back-and-forth in front of a ‘minor’, Yu Qian felt she simply couldn’t handle the mental strain.

Bai Qiming stared coldly at Jiang Zheng, as if the moment Jiang Zheng dared to say another reckless word, he would sever their brotherly bond in the name of righteousness.

Under the furious gazes of both of them, Jiang Zheng pouted in dissatisfaction. He secretly scolded Bai Qiming. No wonder he had been stuck in a one-sided crush all this time.

Lin Niannian was already an adult, yet he still hadn’t confessed. Was he expecting her to figure it out on her own? At this rate, Bai Qiming might end up single for life.

Lin Niannian didn’t quite understand the tense atmosphere between them. She wanted to say something, but she had no idea what to say.

Fortunately, the arrival of the waiter serving the dishes broke the awkward tension.

“Qianqian, the Huaiyang cuisine here is really authentic. It’s not spicy, but it’s incredibly delicious. You should try it.” Lin Niannian eagerly recommended to Yu Qian.

Yu Qian responded with a smile, then quickly picked up a piece of food and placed it into Jiang Zheng’s bowl, her expression one of feigned politeness. “Hurry up and eat.”

Eat, eat— if he was busy eating, at least he wouldn’t be talking.

At this moment, Yu Qian was genuinely afraid. She feared nothing in this world— except for Jiang Zheng running his mouth!

Jiang Zheng didn’t mind Yu Qian’s attitude at all. Delighted, he began eating the food in his bowl.

Yu Qian picked up a piece of white-robed shrimp^[1]fresh river shrimp that are peeled and cooked with egg white, creating a delicate, smooth texture and a milky white appearance and put it in her mouth. The moment she tasted its fresh and delicate flavor, she was amazed. Quickly swallowing the shrimp, she couldn’t wait to try the other dishes.

Just as Jiang Zheng finished his bowl and was about to speak, Yu Qian immediately used the communal chopsticks to pile more food into his bowl, determined to silence him with sheer quantity.

By the end of the meal, Jiang Zheng was so stuffed that he no longer felt like talking. Yu Qian and Bai Qiming were both very pleased with this outcome.

────ρя


As they stepped out of the restaurant, Lin Niannian mentioned that she needed to head home for a bit, so Bai Qiming went with her.

Yu Qian smiled and waved goodbye to Lin Niannian. Only after they were out of sight did she drop her expression and say to Jiang Zheng, “Can you tone it down a little when Niannian is around?”

“Tch.” Jiang Zheng raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied. “You guys always treat her like a kid. Don’t forget, you’re younger than her.”

Seeing Yu Qian’s disapproving look, Jiang Zheng added, “You’ve noticed Ah Ming’s feelings for her, haven’t you? Without someone giving Niannian a little push, do you think she’ll ever figure it out?”

Yu Qian took a deep breath. “Why are you meddling in someone else’s relationship? Brother Ming himself isn’t even in a rush, yet here you are. Do you think you’re the Deity of Love?”

Jiang Zheng looked at Yu Qian, who was fuming like a little lioness, and burst into laughter. “If I were the Deity of Love, I’d tie you and me together with steel cables— ones that can’t be cut no matter what.”

Yu Qian was exhausted. How had the topic suddenly shifted to her?

She took a moment to compose herself, then put on a fake smile and said, “I suddenly think that being single suits me. Luckily, I don’t have a boyfriend yet.”

Jiang Zheng: “…….”

“Fine, fine, I won’t meddle. Whatever my girlfriend says, I’ll do.” Jiang Zheng looked at Yu Qian with a face full of surrender, as if saying, ‘Alright, you win.’

If Bai Qiming weren’t so pitiful, Jiang Zheng wouldn’t have bothered with other people’s love lives in the first place.

Yu Qian, now his supposed ‘girlfriend’, had completely lost the will to speak. She was convinced that one day, Jiang Zheng’s loose tongue would get him beaten up by Bai Qiming. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time!