“You’re treating?”
Su Yichen paused, then nodded.
“Since President Shen said so, it would be rude of me to refuse again.”
“Besides, opportunities to freeload off a beautiful woman like this are rare.”
As he spoke, Su Yichen cupped his hands in a half-joking manner toward Shen Ran.
“Since Miss Shen is so insistent, I’ll humbly accept.”
“Pfft—”
“Alright, alright, Young Master Susu, listen to you~”
Shen Ran laughed, her voice carrying a hint of coyness. “After all that talk, you just want to freeload off me.”
She wanted to pinch Su Yichen’s cheek, but knowing it would be too intimate, she held back.
“Senior Sister Qingqiu must have paid you too.”
“She did.”
Su Yichen didn’t hide it, and continued, “Yesterday, your two roommates really took me for a ride.”
“Ah?”
Shen Ran remembered that Tong Ya had asked Luo Yueli to help set up a meal with Su Yichen. She knew about it, but at this moment she knew the best choice was to pretend not to know.
“No wonder Lizi and Xiaoya came back so late yesterday, all dressed up, and together.”
“So you were on a date with them.”
Her words didn’t carry jealousy, but rather a teasing tone between friends.
“Able to go on a date with the two prettiest girls from the College of Liberal Arts at the same time.”
“No wonder you’re Teacher Su.”
“I’m in awe.”
“Then if I eat with you again today, does that mean all three prettiest girls in our college have gone on a date with me? Am I the King of Harem of Qingyue University’s College of Liberal Arts?”
Su Yichen rolled his eyes at Shen Ran and laughed. “Where’s the date? I don’t have that kind of luck.”
Shen Ran exclaimed, “What did you eat? That much…”
“I was taken for a ride, 1200 bucks for one meal. Japanese cuisine. I have no idea why it was so expensive; I’ve never eaten that before.”
“I guess Tong Ya’s eyes are sharp—she picked the most expensive place.”
As he said this, Su Yichen shifted his gaze and caught a glimpse of a white figure behind a swing in the distance.
‘That guy?’
Then he quickly looked away and asked casually:
“Is she usually rich too? A secret little rich girl?”
“Not really, but maybe~”
Shen Ran thought for a moment and said:
“Her clothes are cheap, but now that you mention it, I seem to recall.”
“The skincare products she uses are pretty good. I’ve seen them on Pinxixi. They’re better than what I use.”
“They feel nice, brands I’ve never seen. Once I ran out and borrowed some from her.”
“Then she must be a little rich girl. I wasn’t ripped off for nothing.”
Su Yichen shrugged helplessly.
“It’s fine.”
“Hey, Su Yichen, do you like one of them—Xiaoya or Lizi?”
Shen Ran asked curiously:
“I see you two are pretty close.”
Su Yichen’s tone faltered, as if hesitating.
“I…”
“It’s okay, I won’t tell them.”
Shen Ran thought for a moment and said:
“Trust me, we’re good friends.”
“Maybe I can help you.”
“According to my reliable intel.”
“I’m not sure about Lizi, but Xiaoya seems… she seems to like you.”
Su Yichen pursed his lips and spoke:
“Actually, I…”
“Mm… okay, I’ll say it.”
Before he could finish, a gentle voice came from the side:
“Having a nice chat, you two~”
Shen Ran, who was listening intently, froze for a moment. She turned to see Mo Qingqiu standing at the bottom of the white steps, looking up at her and Su Yichen.
“Senior Sister Qingqiu.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Senior Sister Qingqiu.”
Su Yichen also swallowed the words he hadn’t finished and said:
“Shen Ran and I just finished work and are about to go eat. If you haven’t eaten, want to join?”
Shen Ran, who had just been looking at Mo Qingqiu, couldn’t help but glance sideways when she heard this. She sensed something different in Su Yichen’s tone.
Su Yichen… Did he want Senior Sister Qingqiu to agree? Could it be that the person he likes is Senior Sister Qingqiu?
“Thank you, I’ve eaten, Junior Brother Su Yichen.”
Perhaps because Shen Ran was present, Mo Qingqiu was dignified and generous, exuding the aura of a mature senior sister. Mo Qingqiu smiled warmly.
“It seems I found the right people. You finished the work so quickly?”
“With you two around, I’ll have a much easier time.”
When she said this, her tone suddenly paused, and then a clear shift appeared in her voice. This added an unmistakable ambiguity to her tone.
“Oh, by the way~”
“Junior Brother Yichen, was that… coffee good?”
Su Yichen’s expression shifted slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at Shen Ran beside him. Her face was completely expressionless, exactly the same as before.
After a few seconds of deliberation, Su Yichen curled his lips, his smile as bright as early cherry blossoms.
“Thank you, Sister Qingqiu. It was pretty good.”
Shen Ran was completely confused, lost in the clouds. What coffee? What was pretty good? Wait… Shen Ran seemed to remember something. Today, she had kissed Su Yichen for two hours, her lips swollen.
Her lips had only gone down after she bit three old ice popsicles from the convenience store. Su Yichen, as the ‘invaded’ party, had it much worse. But even so, he hadn’t woken up, and she had ‘enjoyed’ him all the way until the end.
Coffee… Could it be that Su Yichen drank Senior Sister Qingqiu’s coffee? And that phone call from Senior Sister Qingqiu… Was it a reminder that time was up, and Su Yichen was about to wake up?
The more Shen Ran thought about it, the more it seemed true. She tried hard to control her expression and cast her gaze at Mo Qingqiu. Mo Qingqiu seemed to sense it.
Her eyes, full of rippling autumn waves, suddenly narrowed, then blinked. Shen Ran lowered her eyelids and bit her lip, but said nothing.
She wasn’t disgusted at all. On the contrary, she was somewhat… enjoying it. Even looking forward to it.
“As long as it tasted good.”
Seeing Shen Ran’s reaction, Mo Qingqiu’s eyes showed even more amusement. She knew that Shen Ran had fallen.
She had tasted the sweetness and was hooked on that indescribable pleasure. Sigh… She should have tasted it first. There’s no medicine for regret, and time can’t go back.
With just a brief sigh, Mo Qingqiu put the matter behind her. She stepped forward and said:
“Alright, Junior Brother Yichen, Shen Ran, go eat now.”
“Just mention the School Literature and Art Union Department Office and my name when you order.”
“Okay, thank you, Senior Sister Qingqiu.”
Shen Ran was pleasantly surprised. That would save two or three hundred. Her monthly living expenses were only fifteen hundred.
“You’re welcome. You deserve it.”
Mo Qingqiu’s gaze passed over Shen Ran and landed on Su Yichen. Then she took a step. When passing in front of Su Yichen, the girl paused momentarily.
A voice as sweet as honey came from her tender red lips, though lowered, it still clearly reached the boy’s ears.
“Little Brother Yichen, your lips… taste even better than coffee~”