Chapter 17: Sorry, He Has a Boyfriend…

They were at the pedestrian street in front of People’s Park, a place with many food options and a wide variety to choose from.

It was dinner time, and there were a lot of people around. The evening sunlight was blocked by buildings, casting a slanted glow on the storefronts along one side of the street.

Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing walked in the shaded area. On their right was the staircase leading to a barbecue restaurant on the second floor. Coming directly towards them from the other side were Lu Liu and three unfamiliar guys, with less than three meters separating the two groups.

Earlier, someone had blocked their view while crossing from the building above. Lin Zhi hadn’t seen Lu Liu, but judging by Lu Liu’s expression, it seemed he had already noticed Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing.

Just as Yao Wenjing reminded Lin Zhi, Lin Zhi looked up and noticed Lu Liu was looking at them, though their eyes didn’t meet. That’s because Lu Liu was staring at… the hand resting on Yao Wenjing’s hair!

Uh, Lin Zhi awkwardly withdrew his hand to his side. In a bustling street, “hands-on” behavior was somewhat inappropriate.

As Lin Zhi’s hand left Yao Wenjing’s head, Lu Liu’s gaze naturally shifted to Lin Zhi’s face.

It had been many days since Lin Zhi last saw Lu Liu, after sending him off last time. Now that he thought about it, Lin Zhi owed Lu Liu a favor. Although Lu Xueli said he treated all his patients equally, Lin Qingye had received extra care during his hospitalization.

When they got closer, Lin Zhi smiled and greeted, “Class monitor.”

“Fancy meeting you here,” Lu Liu smiled, “Are you guys here for dinner too?”

“Mm,” Lin Zhi nodded towards the passage on the right and said, “We’re just here, we’ll head up first.”

Before Lu Liu could reply, Lin Zhi quickly said “Bye” and rushed to the stairs. Yao Wenjing hurriedly nodded towards Lu Liu and followed him up.

However, they hit a busy time—dinner rush—and the barbecue restaurant was packed. Yao Wenjing grabbed a number, and there were still around ten numbers ahead of them.

“How about we try somewhere else?” Yao Wenjing suggested, holding the number.

“Forget it, we don’t know what the situation would be like elsewhere,” Lin Zhi plopped down onto a plastic stool in the waiting area, tearing open a free snack pack. “We’re already here…”

Just then, Lu Liu and his group appeared at the staircase and caught Lin Zhi’s gaze.

Lin Zhi: “…”

Such a coincidence.

Lu Liu muttered something to one of his companions before walking directly up to Lin Zhi. His expression wasn’t at all surprised.

“You didn’t make a reservation?” Lu Liu, much taller than Lin Zhi sitting on the stool, asked, lowering his head slightly. “Would you like to join us? If we share a table, we can fit you in.”

“No, it’s fine,” Lin Zhi held the snack bag, looking up and saying, “I don’t want to trouble you guys.”

Lu Liu nodded, giving a self-deprecating smile. “Right, I didn’t consider that it might trouble you.”

“Uh,” Lin Zhi couldn’t stand people who were obviously being kind but ended up blaming themselves for not thinking things through. He found himself explaining, “It’s not that we’re bothered, I just think it would be too much for your friends. We don’t even know them…”

“It’s not a problem,” Lu Liu’s friend poked his head from behind and casually said, “Come on, we’ll get to know each other soon. It’s a private room, so we can easily fit ten people.”

“Still, it’s fine…” Lin Zhi hesitated.

Ten minutes later, Lin Zhi and Lu Liu’s group of six were sitting at a long table in the private room.

Lu Liu still had his gentle and polite demeanor. He sat to Lin Zhi’s right and casually introduced everyone. Yao Wenjing, however, seemed a little reserved. He lowered his head and obediently sat to Lin Zhi’s left, only offering a polite smile to the three people opposite him when Lu Liu introduced him.

This was the main reason why Lin Zhi had initially refused to join Lu Liu and the others. Yao Wenjing was sure to feel uncomfortable dining with a few strangers.

But that overly friendly… oh, right, Hang Xia, Lu Liu had just introduced him—he was too enthusiastic.

Today is Hang Xia’s birthday, and he loves lively gatherings, so he repeatedly invited Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing to join them.

“You like the noise, so why didn’t you reserve a spot in the main hall?” Lin Zhi asked with a smile.

“Don’t mention it,” Hang Xia sighed. “I invited a lot of people, and worried it might disturb others, so I booked a private room. But I didn’t expect it to be just the four of us today.”

“Today?” Lin Zhi asked, confused. “What’s special about today?”

“Hahaha…” Hang Xia suddenly burst out laughing. “Lin Zhi, you clearly are single.”

Lin Zhi: “…”

Sorry, he has a boyfriend.

“Today is ^[1]Qixi (七夕), also known as the “Chinese Valentine’s Day,” is a traditional Chinese holiday that celebrates the romantic legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. It falls on the … Continue readingQixi,” Hang Xia continued. “Didn’t you notice all the couples and flower vendors downstairs?”

Lin Zhi: “…I didn’t pay attention.”

“But it’s okay, we’re all high-quality single people,” Hang Xia looked around, then clicked his tongue. “Damn, we really should’ve sat in the main hall, we’re wasting a table of high quality.”

“If you want to be a dog, we won’t stop you,” Lu Liu said, pouring half a cup of buckwheat tea for Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing in a calm tone. “But please don’t drag us into it.”

“Exactly.” The boy opposite with silver-rimmed glasses nodded in agreement, extending his cup towards Lu Liu without hesitation. “Thanks.”

Lu Liu silently refilled his tea, then pushed the teapot towards the other side and politely responded, “No need to thank, just help yourself.”

The boy with glasses was named Guan Junnan. Lin Zhi only knew the pronunciation but wasn’t sure if it matched the characters or his expectations.

Guan Junnan made a dismissive sound, refilled his own cup, and also poured some for Hang Xia and Shen Xiangyu, who were sitting by the wall.

Hang Xia also made a similar sound, glancing at the menu while saying, “Being a single dog is just a description. Even if you deny it, you can’t deny the fact that you’re single.”

Lin Zhi smirked, thinking this kid might be a little silly.

“It’s not about denial,” Guan Junnan started to explain but quickly gave up. “Forget it, just order, I’m hungry.”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing? I’ll just order everything,” Hang Xia raised his head to look at Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing. “You guys don’t have any food restrictions, right?”

“No,” Lin Zhi smiled and shook his head.

Hang Xia’s gaze shifted to Yao Wenjing. Lin Zhi added, “He doesn’t either.”

Hang Xia, Guan Junnan, and Shen Xiangyu’s eyes instinctively circled around Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing, while Lu Liu expressionlessly lifted his cup to take a sip.

After Hang Xia ordered the food on his phone, he switched back to his familiar mode.

“Yao Wenjing, say something to us. You see, you and Lu Liu are classmates, and Lu Liu and we’re classmates, so it’s like you’re classmates with us. It’s perfectly normal to have a meal together. Don’t be like him,” Hang Xia pointed to Shen Xiangyu, sitting by the wall. “Every time there are outsiders, he pulls a long face and acts all cool, but secretly… Ah! Ow, ow, ow—”

Shen Xiangyu grabbed Hang Xia’s hand, yanked it back, and released it after Hang Xia’s scream lasted for three seconds.

Lin Zhi, who had been casually staring at his tea, nearly jumped out of his seat from Hang Xia’s sudden loud shout. Yao Wenjing also widened his eyes, looking toward the source of the sound.

“You two are enough,” Guan Junnan said with a look that clearly showed he was used to this scene. “Can you pay attention to your image in front of new friends?”

“Exactly,” Lu Liu nodded in agreement. “You scared my classmate.”