You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

After the two entered, they first greeted Jiang Che and Su Qinghe, and then politely greeted Bai Yuning.

Wang Kai was alright. He had met Bai Yuning a few times with Jiang Che before, so she was practically an acquaintance and he wasn't that nervous.

But Liu Mengyao seemed much more reserved.

Her gaze lingered on Bai Yuning for a couple more seconds. Although she had never met her, the Liu family had a close relationship with the Jiang family, so she had naturally heard of her cousin, Jiang Che.

Bai Yuning was quite generous, greeting the two with a slight smile, and then warmed up the atmosphere with just a few words.

To be fair, Bai Yuning is the kind of person who naturally has a knack for creating a warm atmosphere in social situations. She can chat with anyone and in a way that makes the other person feel very comfortable.

Liu Mengyao's nervousness quickly dissipated as the atmosphere on the field became more lively.

After the six people sat down around a large round table and chatted happily for a while, the dishes were served one after another.

The dishes Bai Yuning ordered today, or rather, the dishes Su Qinghe likes to eat, are quite to everyone's liking.

During the meal, everyone ate and chatted, and the topic naturally turned to the recently concluded college entrance examination.

After three years of hard work, the shackles of youth have finally been removed. Everyone except Bai Yuning's face is now filled with a mixture of exhaustion and relief.

Halfway through the meal, Bai Yuning put down her juice glass, crossed her hands to support her chin, and glanced at the four young people. She casually brought up a topic: "Now that the grueling college entrance exam is finally over, what's the first thing you prospective college students want to do after the exam?"

Bai Yuning's question successfully piqued everyone's interest.

Wang Kai was so happy today that he couldn't resist drinking a couple more beers. Now the alcohol was taking effect, and his face was flushed.

He patted his chest and loudly proclaimed which high-end internet cafe he was going to go to for an all-nighter, to make up for all the tiles he hadn't laid in the past six months.

Sitting next to him, Liu Mengyao was amused by his silly appearance. She reached out and tugged at his sleeve to make him sit up straight, then turned to look at Bai Yuning and replied with a smile.

"I'm not going to play games anymore. I just want to stay home and sleep for three days and three nights to make up for all the sleep I missed during my senior year of high school."

While the claim of three days and three nights is indeed a bit of an exaggeration, with some effort, it might actually be possible to achieve it in one day and one night.

After all, we are all poor high school students who have to get up before dawn every day. After so many years of suppression, it is rare to be able to completely relax. It is hard not to want to hug your quilt and sleep until the end of time.

Bai Yuning had also lived through that era, so she naturally understood Liu Mengyao's thoughts and nodded in agreement with a smile.

When it was Jiang Che's turn to speak, he simply smiled and said that he and Liu Mengyao shared the same idea: to get a good night's sleep first.

As for what constitutes a good night's sleep...

Jiang Che's demands weren't high; he just wanted to put his arm around her waist, give her a kiss, and do something intimate...

Thinking of this, Jiang Che couldn't help but let his gaze drift to Su Qinghe sitting beside him.

Everyone's eyes followed.

Su Qinghe was quietly listening to everyone talk when she noticed that everyone was suddenly looking at her. She was slightly taken aback, then gently bit her lip and lowered her eyelashes.

"I... don't really have anything I want to do. If I had to say what I want, well... I want someone to give me an answer as soon as possible."

After he finished speaking, the whole table fell silent for a moment.

All sorts of gazes immediately focused on Jiang Che.

Jiang Che, who was in the spotlight, chose to remain silent at this moment.

How could he not understand the expectation implied in Su Qinghe's words?

In this situation, replying with "Okay, let's officially be together tonight" would seem too casual and irresponsible.

The most important things in life should never be taken so lightly.

A confession of love needs a sense of ceremony, flowers, and a quiet, private space just for the two of you.

Instead of trying to gloss over the situation with a few jokes in front of relatives and friends at a dinner party.

Jiang Che pretended not to feel the intense gazes around him, nor to understand the implied meaning in Su Qinghe's words. He lowered his head, picked up a bamboo shoot, put it in his bowl, and chewed it silently.

Seeing this, Bai Yuning keenly sensed that the atmosphere was about to become awkward, and quickly spoke up to smooth things over and change the subject: "Oh, since everyone wants to get some rest, then after you've caught up on your lost sleep, we can slowly discuss whether or not to go take a driving test together or go on a trip..."

While chatting animatedly, Bai Yuning's actions under the table didn't stop. She raised her toe and kicked Jiang Che's shin without any hesitation.

Jiang Che looked up in pain and met Bai Yuning's gaze.

Bai Yuning: "What are you doing? The girl has given you such an obvious way out, and you're not taking it?"

Although Jiang Che didn't know what Bai Yuning was thinking, he could roughly understand her gaze.

He then calmly lowered his eyelids, continuing to eat with his head down.

Bai Yuning was truly speechless about her younger brother.

Although she knew that Jiang Che hadn't answered because he didn't want to confirm their relationship so hastily, she still thought he should at least say something.

He just sat there silently, chewing away like nothing was wrong. Didn't he see that Xiao Qinghe was already feeling wronged and sad, and was about to cry?

Bai Yu remained calm and composed, but for now, he could only keep trying to find various topics to keep the atmosphere from becoming dull.

The meal was completed without incident thanks to Bai Yuning's lively and engaging approach.

After the dinner, everyone said their goodbyes at the restaurant entrance.

Wang Kai was so drunk that he was almost unconscious. Seeing this, Jiang Che decided to personally take Wang Kai home.

As a result, Liu Mengyao quickly stopped him, saying that she didn't have anything to do and that she could take care of sending Wang Kai away.

Then he hurriedly dragged Wang Kai away from the scene.

Bai Yuning then opened the car door and got into the driver's seat, saying that there was an emergency at the hospital and she had to go back to deal with it, so she wouldn't be able to take them there.

Before leaving, Bai Yuning rolled down the car window and raised an eyebrow at Jiang Che as a warning.

A gentle breeze swept through the streets of Lincheng on a summer night, carrying away the unbearable heat of the day.

The dim yellow light from the streetlights cast long shadows on the sidewalk, making the two people's shadows very long.

Jiang Che and Su Qinghe walked side by side toward home.

Normally, the two would have chatted and laughed along the way.

Su Qinghe would always stick close to Jiang Che like a clingy kitten, even her walking pace had to be childishly synchronized with his to be satisfied.

But tonight, an inexplicable sense of oppression permeates the air.