Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

Qiu Yingying was enthusiastically describing the wonderful taste of roadside barbecue skewers to Qi Dian when she suddenly noticed that Qi Dian's face had darkened to the point of being sullen. She couldn't help but secretly chuckle to herself.

She deliberately dragged out her words, tugging at Andy's sleeve as she spoke: "Andy, do you remember? The place we went to last time, the grilled lamb kidneys were so delicious, and the owner even added double the cumin..."

"Ahem." Qi Dian finally couldn't help but interrupt her, his eyes behind his glasses showing a hint of impatience. "Yingying, right? It's normal for young people to like lively places, but Andy is usually busy with work, so she probably prefers a quieter environment."

Qiu Yingying immediately frowned, then retorted with an "innocent" look, "Uncle, you don't understand! Andy needs to relax even more when she's tired from work! Staring at reports every day is so boring; occasionally having some skewers and soda is what stress relief is all about!"

As she spoke, she pulled a bottle of chilled plum juice from her bag and slammed it in front of Andy: "Andy, try this. I chilled it especially for you; it's perfect for cutting through greasiness!"

The glass bottle of plum juice was drenched in water droplets, a stark contrast to the elegant bone china cups and saucers in the Western restaurant. Qi Dian's lips twitched, and he was about to say something when Qiu Yingying lightly cut him off: "Uncle, would you like a sip? It's super delicious, much more thirst-quenching than the coffee here!"

Andy watched Qiu Yingying jumping around, her smile widening. She reached out and took the plum juice, her fingertips touching the cool bottle, and couldn't help but smile, "It really is quite delicious. I really liked the one you brought last time."

With Andy's approval, Qiu Yingying became even more smug and simply put all the drinks she had brought on the table. Red, yellow, and green bottles of various colors were arranged in a row, turning this elegant Western restaurant into a lively street food stall.

At the next table, Meng Yanchen paused slightly, his hand holding the coffee cup. His long, slender fingers brushed against the bone china. His eyelashes were lowered, his gaze fixed on the deep brown liquid inside, as if he were carefully savoring the rich flavor of the coffee beans. But his peripheral vision kept drifting towards the booth diagonally behind him. Qiu Yingying's exaggerated yet feigned innocence was tugging at his taut nerves, offering a rare moment of relaxation. His fingertips unconsciously traced the stem of his cup, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he coughed very softly to suppress the almost-revealed smile on his lips. He picked up the cup, took a sip, and his usual aloof and dignified expression returned.

Liang Jiaozhou's mind was not on the coffee and steak at all.

He appeared to be cutting his steak with his head down, the silver knife and fork making a very soft sound on the porcelain plate, his movements slow and deliberate, exuding an elegance that seemed out of place with his roguish demeanor. But only he knew that his gaze had already become uncontrollably fixed on Andy.

Andy raised her hand to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her fingertips tracing the smooth surface of her neck with a natural and casual movement. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting a soft golden glow on her hair and making her clear eyes appear like pools of autumn water. As she listened to Qiu Yingying speak, a gentle smile played on her lips, her eyes crinkling with a captivating beauty that instantly touched Liang Jiaozhou's heart.

It was a strange feeling, like a pebble being thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that made his heartbeat beat out of rhythm. He tightened his grip on the knife, his knuckles turning slightly white. The priceless Patek Philippe on his wrist reflected a cold light under the lamp, but it couldn't suppress the surging heat in his heart.

He recalled the cool touch of the plum juice bottle on his fingertips when Andy took it, and the gentleness in her eyes and brows when she smiled. His heart was pounding; he felt as if he had fallen in love at first sight.

Meng Yanchen nudged him lightly with his elbow, his voice low and teasing: "The knife is about to cut through the plate."

Liang Jiaozhou snapped back to reality, only to realize that the knife and fork in his hand had stopped moving at some point, the tip of the knife resting against the porcelain plate, leaving a shallow scratch. His ears instantly turned red, and he awkwardly released his grip, picked up his water glass, and took a large gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, but it did nothing to quell the burning heat in his heart.

He dared not look up at Andy again, so he turned his gaze to the window and pretended to admire the street scene, but out of the corner of his eye he couldn't help but glance in that direction.

He realized that being moved was a secret that couldn't be hidden even in his eyes. He thought he needed to find a way to get closer to her, and then quietly accompany her, respecting and cherishing her.

Meanwhile, Qiu Yingying was still intently "battling" with Qi Dian. Watching Qi Dian's face darken, her inner voice was already laughing hysterically. She secretly glanced at the system panel; the progress bar for the task "[Disrupt the initial goodwill between Andy and Qi Dian]" had reached 80%, just one step away from success.

She persisted, taking advantage of the waiter's lull in the food service, deliberately "accidentally" knocking her knife and fork to the floor. "Oops!" she exclaimed, bending down to pick them up, not forgetting to kick Qi Dian's chair leg as she did so. "Uncle, I'm so sorry, could you please move aside?"

Qi Dian staggered from her kick, his face turning completely black.

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Andy finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. Qiu Yingying looked up and met Andy's smiling gaze. The two smiled at each other, their eyes full of unspoken understanding.

Qiu Yingying felt even more confident—it seemed she was destined to win this "battle to protect her friend".