Sister, can I be a maid too?

The one on the left looks like he's really asleep; his eyes are glazed over, and his reactions are slow.

And the one on the right...

Sister, even though you're trying so hard to look like you just woke up, can you explain why your ears are so red?

However, he didn't expose him, but just rolled his eyes inwardly and said:

"I'm hungry, anyone want to go down for a late-night snack?"

She glanced over furtively and, seeing that Jiang Yubai didn't seem to care much, Lin Jianxia secretly breathed a sigh of relief and echoed:

"I...I'm a little hungry too."

“OK, count you in,” Jiang Yubai turned to Lin Tingwan on the other side, “What about Wanwan, is she coming?”

Lin Tingwan rubbed her eyes, hesitated for a while, and then slowly shook her head.

Jiang Yubai wasn't too surprised, and clapped his hands casually, saying:

"Then your sister and I will go get some late-night snacks and bring you back some delicious food later."

Watching the two close the door and leave, Lin Tingwan glanced at the doorway and then looked back at the soft bed.

She shifted to the side and lay back down.

The familiar warmth still lingered on the soft bed. The girl smiled slightly and closed her eyes peacefully.

......

......

Outside the residential area, the night breeze was slightly cool.

Lin Jianxia followed Jiang Yubai for a few steps, then suddenly spoke with some resentment:

"Hey, Jiang Yubai, why are you calling her 'Wanwan' too?"

"It just sounds natural, isn't that what you call me too?" Jiang Yubai replied casually. "How about I call you Xiaxia from now on?"

"No way! I'll call you Lin Jianxia! You're not allowed to call me that even for Wanwan!"

Lin Jianxia's voice unconsciously rose.

Jiang Yubai was speechless, and the corner of his mouth twitched:

"Okay, Lin Jianxia, ​​I understand. How about I call you Ms. Lin Jianxia? I think it's more respectful."

Sensing that his tone seemed off, Lin Jianxia's momentum immediately weakened.

That's not what I meant...

"Okay, okay," Jiang Yu waved her hand, changing the subject, "There are a lot of people on the streets today, don't get separated."

Lin Jianxia, ​​who wanted to say something more, swallowed her words and only said "Oh" softly. She silently took a step forward and reached out to grab the hem of his clothes.

Jiang Yubai paused, glanced down but said nothing, and let her pull him along towards the brightly lit snack street.

While waiting for the skewers at the barbecue stall, Lin Jianxia hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, before finally asking in a low voice:

"Um... you're not angry, are you?"

"angry?"

Jiang Yubai shifted his gaze from the sizzling lamb skewers and gave her a strange look.

Why would I be angry?

"Oh, it's good that you're alright."

Jiang Yubai knew what Lin Jianxia was referring to, but he didn't intend to respond.

On the one hand, I felt it was unnecessary. Since the older sister didn't want me to call her that, then I wouldn't call her that. It's just a matter of one more or one less word.

On the other hand, he was too lazy to argue any further, and since he wasn't angry to begin with, he figured it was better to focus on waiting for his skewers than to get caught up in the way of addressing him.

Well, Jiang Yubai definitely didn't feel any sense of loss because he was so decisively rejected by a form of address.

Absolutely not.

"By the way, Lin Jianxia," Jiang Yubai turned his head and asked, "Are we going to that grilled fish restaurant again later?"

"Hmm... Ah?"

Lin Jianxia seemed to be thinking about something, and slowly raised her head. After hearing what he said, her eyes immediately became resentful.

And you say you're not angry—that way of addressing me is definitely intentional!

It's just that my tone was a bit harsh...

"Let's not go," she murmured softly, "we'll just eat somewhere else..."

After all, when they went there last time, the auntie in the shop had already taken it for granted that the two of them were a young couple, and Jiang Yubai didn't deny it.

Going there again... I feel a little awkward.

“Okay,” Jiang Yubai took the grilled meat skewers, cut one in half and handed it to her, “Any other restaurants you would recommend?”

Lin Jianxia chewed on the skewer, thought for a moment, and then shook her head:

"I haven't tried the others much, so just choose what you want to eat."

After strolling around the streets for a while, the two finally chose a popular Sichuan-Chongqing hot pot restaurant.

"Hello, what would you two like to eat?"

The waitress approached the two with the menu and introduced it to them with a smile:

"Our newly launched spicy beef tripe hot pot base is very popular!"

“Sure,” Jiang Yubai nodded. “This is our first time eating here. Do you have any recommendations?”

The waitress blinked, looked at him, and asked:

"Okay, before we begin, let me find out if you and your girlfriend can handle spicy food."

Girlfriend?

Lin Jianxia froze, instinctively wanting to speak, but saw Jiang Yubai slowly reply:

"Her? She's not my girlfriend. We're just strangers who met on the street and happened to share a table."

The moment those words were spoken, the dining table fell silent.

Not only did the waitress's polite smile gradually freeze, turning into a subtle "Are you kidding me?" expression, but Lin Jianxia also looked at Jiang Yubai in disbelief.

No, I thought you were joking last time.

You really say that?!

Jiang Yubai remained calm, tilting his head and asking curiously:

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to order?"

"Oh right, as for the spiciness... I can handle medium spicy, but she's fine with mild."

"Heh, heh," the waitress chuckled awkwardly, "Okay, okay, we recommend this place to you..."

After ordering, the waiter had barely left when Lin Jianxia couldn't help but lower her voice, both embarrassed and annoyed, and asked:

"A stranger, huh? How could a stranger know exactly how spicy the person across from you can handle?!"

Jiang Yubai thought about it and agreed, so he nodded in agreement:

"You're right, next time you can choose the spiciness level yourself."

"Is that the problem?!"

Jiang Yubai had something to say, and said with a smile:

"Hey, when people said we were a couple, I agreed and you weren't happy; now that I say we're strangers, you're still not satisfied—so what do you want me to say?"

Lin Jianxia gritted her teeth and couldn't help but complain:

"Jiang Yubai, in your eyes, are a man and a woman either lovers or strangers?"

“No, not at all,” Jiang Yu thought for a moment, “How about this option: more than friends, less than lovers?”

"But it's not easy to explain to people, after all, this kind of relationship can't be explained in just a few words." He stroked his chin.

Lin Jianxia slumped onto the table, letting out a sigh of utter despair.

"Couldn't you just say we're friends...?"

"That won't work."

Jiang Yubai immediately rejected it.

"When someone asks, 'Are you two a couple?' you both immediately blush and deny it together—isn't this the standard procedure during the ambiguous stage of a relationship?"

"We're completely innocent, why would we do something like this?"

Lin Jianxia suddenly paused for a moment.

Pure and innocent...

"Watch out, it's hot! Here comes the bottom of the pot!"

The waitress carried a steaming hot pot and placed it steadily in the center of the table.

"We ordered a hot pot with two broths, one clear and one spicy. Please enjoy!"

Jiang Yubai stared at the thick layer of butter and the bubbling red chilies in the pot, only then belatedly realizing a question:

"Um... isn't it a bit too stimulating for us to eat this kind of thing so late at night?"

After waiting for a while without hearing a response, he looked up in confusion:

"Lin Jianxia?"

The girl opposite seemed to have just snapped out of her reverie, her gaze slowly focusing:

"what?"

Jiang Yubai gave her a strange look and casually said:

"Nothing, I just wanted to say... have you noticed that Lin Tingwan has been spending more and more time with me lately?"

At first, I would leave right after finishing my meal, then I would stay a little longer, and now it seems I can naturally stay until late at night...