“Of course it’s true. I have no reason to lie to you. Besides, won’t you find out for sure tonight, Little Fox?”
Well, to be honest, she wasn’t actually that heartbroken. Really, she wasn’t…
Liuli comforted herself like this deep down, but it didn’t seem to work very well.
Ke’s words, from a certain perspective, were like a seed of doubt buried in Liuli’s heart, inevitably making her overthink.
“I see…”
Since Serveyia said so, maybe she really could wait until tonight.
And even if it turned out to be a white lie Serveyia told to comfort her, she still had Serveyia by her side.
That should be enough.
“Yike, don’t you have anything to say?”
Seeing that Liuli’s emotions had almost stabilized, Serveyia looked at Yike with slight dissatisfaction.
It was one thing for the two of them to bicker, but if that bickering spread to the little fox, Serveyia wouldn’t let Yike off easy.
“I… I was just messing around. It’s like the jokes we used to crack in college. I really didn’t mean anything by it. Really, I didn’t.”
“It’s fine. I understand…”
Actually, bickering and joking around wasn’t uncommon between Liuli and Yike.
But maybe because she had become a girl, her feelings had grown incredibly sensitive. Or maybe this time Yike’s joke had gone a bit too far.
A joke that could have been brushed off with a laugh just lingered in Liuli’s mind.
“Um, I actually bought a cake for you, Liuli…?”
“A cake?”
“That’s right. It should be about time now. I’ll go pick it up.”
After saying that, Yike left so fast that Liuli almost thought she was trying to run away.
“Huh, does Saint Laia Academy offer delivery service too?”
“Of course. It’s a very convenient service, so it’s natural that everyone likes it. However, normally, since it’s your birthday, Little Fox, buying a cake isn’t that easy.”
“Does everyone buy cakes?”
“Yes, but those cakes aren’t necessarily given to you, Little Fox. Most people buy them to eat themselves.”
“Is that a thing?”
“You can think of it as a Saint Laia perk. But I can’t rule out that Yike bought it from outside.”
“Serveyia, I’ve actually had a question for a while. There are so many stores in Saint Laia Academy. Who runs them?”
“Mostly students and teachers, and a few are run by alumni who came back to open shops.”
“But why? What reason do these noble ladies have for opening stores?”
They weren’t short on money, and they wouldn’t go into that line of work later. What was the point?
“Probably for the experience, and some for socializing.”
“Socializing?”
“Right. Opening a store with a good friend, welcoming customers from all over—the process of receiving guests is itself a form of socializing.”
“But I still find it a bit strange. Do these young ladies really know how to run a shop?”
Even though it sounded a bit like a stereotype, Liuli felt that stores in universities, or schools, were supposed to be down to earth. Could noble ladies really handle that?
But then again, maybe not. After all, there were no ordinary people in this school. If everyone’s understanding was on the same level, maybe it wasn’t strange after all.
“Anyway, it’s not like they’re doing it for money. Whether the shop turns out well or not doesn’t matter—they don’t care, and the customers don’t care either. Besides, Little Fox, haven’t you gone shopping with Fina before? Did you really feel anything wrong with those stores?”
“I guess… not?”
“There you go. It’s not ancient times anymore. Everyone doesn’t live in a closed box. Isn’t it normal to know how to run a shop?”
“Maybe it’s just my perception?”
Liuli thought about it but didn’t voice her inner thoughts. It wasn’t that she looked down on shop owners, but she subconsciously couldn’t connect the two concepts of ‘young lady’ and ‘store.’
“I’m back!”
While Liuli was still interrogating herself, Yike rushed back in again, holding an exquisite-looking cake box in her hand.
“Good thing I had the foresight to order the cake in advance. Otherwise, buying one on the spot would probably be impossible, right?”
“Are all the cakes sold out?”
“I don’t know. A lot of shops had long lines outside. I didn’t even want to look. But the shop I went to sold out early.”
“Hmm, this might sound weird, but Yike, did you order the cake inside the academy?”
“Yeah. One of the owners is a Saint Laia student. I got the address from her and ordered it when I came two days ago.”
“Can I open it now?”
“Of course. It’s for you, Liuli.”
Liuli then glanced at Serveyia. After getting her approval, she excitedly opened the cake box. Inside was an unremarkable-looking chocolate cake.
“Little Fox, just look for now. It’s almost lunchtime.”
“I know.”
Even though Liuli considered herself a glutton, she at least knew priorities. Serveyia’s comment felt more like she was teasing her.
“Enough about that. Yike, are you staying for lunch?”
“Can I?”
Yike’s current expression looked a bit flattered, which surprised Liuli. Had she really not considered the option of staying for a meal?
“Serveyia, is that okay?”
After all, cooking and entertaining guests were Serveyia’s responsibilities. If they were really going to keep Yike for lunch, it was only right to let Serveyia know.
“Of course. Preparing one extra meal is easy.”
“Really? Then I’ll be sure to see what lunch Serveyia prepares for Little Fox’s birthday.”
There it was again. These two always seemed to compete in front of her. But what was the point of all this rivalry? Feelings weren’t something you could compare with strength. It wasn’t like she would like someone more just because they were stronger.
However, she probably couldn’t expect the two hotheads to listen to her now. At least their argument was still just words, not escalating into a real conflict. Should she really be grateful for that?
During lunch, the quarrel Liuli had feared didn’t happen. They just ate in silence, not even a single word exchanged.
As for the cake Yike had brought, Liuli tried a piece. It was indeed better than any cake she had eaten before. The chocolate flavor was very rich. It felt less like a cake and more like a giant piece of chocolate.
“Yike, where did you buy this cake?”
“Do you like it, Liuli? If you do, I can tell you.”
“Yeah, I really like it.”
Liuli really loved sweets. When she found a dessert she liked, she couldn’t wait to know the store’s name.
With Liuli’s question, the atmosphere at the table became lively again. Everyone finally started chatting again. Although the topics weren’t particularly profound, the fact that they could talk was a good thing. At least the tension at the table had eased.
“Yike, do you have any plans for the afternoon?”
After lunch, Serveyia asked out of nowhere, making both Liuli and Yike look at her.
“No. What are you trying to do asking that?”
“Nothing. The student council president of Saint Laia, Alicia, wants to see you.”
“Me?”
“That’s right. I don’t know the specifics, but the president definitely wants to meet you.”
“Alright…”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, it’s fine. You stay and keep Liuli company.” Yike said this with a thoughtful expression. “Strange, what could she want with me?”
In the end, Yike left with her confusion. Liuli finally had a chance to ask the question that had been bugging her.
“Serveyia, does Aili really have business with Yike?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
“But how did Aili come to know Yike?”
It couldn’t be that every young lady in Saint Laia Academy had investigated her, could it? That would be terrifying.
“When Yike came last time, she needed approval from the student council. That’s how Aili got to know her.”
“It doesn’t seem like something urgent?”
“I wouldn’t know. But the only common ground between them is you, Little Fox. It’s probably about you.”
“About me?”
Today was her birthday.
It was one thing that Aili hadn’t shown up, but now she was going to discuss something about her with someone else?
And more importantly, Aili was different from her other friends.
Had she… really accepted Aili’s confession?