Tea-flavored Romance

"Why change to another place?" Gu Xihua turned her head and replied with a smile, "Doesn't high popularity mean the food is good? After all, it has a long-standing reputation. Let's eat here today."

"that……"

"Don't worry, look, the line is getting shorter, it'll be our turn soon."

The three roommates: ? ? ?

Are we worried about the long queues? We're clearly worried about you!

scared.jpg

I had a feeling there was something slightly dangerous about Xuebao's eyes just now... Ning Yuan from the computer science department! This matter is definitely related to him!

Could it be... that he's that scumbag?

Will tonight's dinner party escalate into a bloodbath? Will Olaf kill the unfaithful man in a fit of rage? Should we call the police if it really comes to that...?

Master Ning: Don't you think the air conditioning in here is a bit too strong?

Jiang Manyue: No, maybe you're just a little weak.

Master Ning: "..."

Ah, women.

“I think we still need to have a proper discussion about your position, Jiang,” Ning Yuan said in a deep voice. “I admit to you that I didn’t approach Gu with any romantic feelings before.”

“I know that.”

"But things are different now. I'm going to confess my feelings to her seriously."

"You already said that." Jiang Manyue took out a napkin to wipe her mouth and said calmly, "Actually, I'm more curious about what prompted you to make this decision."

"Ahem... I can't go into details... In short, I suddenly felt that she was quite nice, we got along well, and she seemed to like me quite a bit."

"Are you sure what you saw is the truth?" Jiang Xihua glanced almost imperceptibly at the direction behind Ning Yuan, her eyes seeming somewhat subtle: "Girls are the most skilled at disguising themselves, and Gu Guanxue is a prime example."

Ning Yuan shrugged and said that he had already explained his reasons. No matter what the outcome was, he had to meet with Gu Guanxue and make things clear so that they wouldn't miss each other without knowing the truth.

"So... if you saw Gu Guanxue now, what would you say to her?"

"Um……"

He thought about it very seriously for a moment, but finally shook his head and said, "I still can't figure it out by just thinking about it..."

So, you mean you can figure it out if the person in front of you appears in person?

"Of course, I'm a well-known practitioner; overly theoretical things aren't really suitable for me. If..."

Gu Xihua, who had been waiting in line outside the store for a long time, led her three roommates and sat down at the table next to Master Ning, which had just been vacated. This startled the practical expert out of his pain mask.

Jiang Xihua asked with a smile, "What if...?"

Master Ning: ? ? ?

Olaf, listen to my excuses.

I'm about to confess my feelings to you, and you promised to help me, right? How come you still secretly plotted against me!

Jiang Manyue, is this something a human being would do?!

Beware of fire, theft, and even the full moon celebration; it turns out that what Xiao Zhao and the others said before was truly from the heart. I only regret that I didn't believe them...

Since taking her seat, Gu Guanxue hadn't glanced at them once, as if she hadn't noticed any familiar faces present. Master Ning coughed twice, forcing himself to calm down, while frantically signaling to Jiang Manyue with his eyes, urging her to do something instead of just sitting on the sidelines with a devilish grin, enjoying the show.

Jiang Xihua seemed to find Ning Yuan's despairing expression quite amusing, finally ceasing to torment the weak, pitiful, and bewildered Master Ning any further, and slowly spoke:

"Okay, I've remembered what you asked me to do. I'll think about it when I get back."

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Gu Guanxue, who was not far away, to hear. Ning Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Jiang Manyue had cleared him of suspicion of secretly dating her with a single sentence.

"That's for the best..."

"Let's go, I'm done eating."

"I'll go pay the bill." Ning Yuan got up and walked towards the front desk. He hesitated for a moment as he passed Gu Guanxue and the others, but ultimately chose not to greet them for the time being.

At such close range, there's no way Gu Guanxue wouldn't have noticed his presence... Normally, she would have definitely come over and greeted him with a smile... But now...

Is this considered being angry, or not being angry?

Regardless of the girl's true feelings, Ning Yuan could not stay here any longer; leaving now was the best option. Otherwise, given Gu Guanxue's strange attitude, a tragic ending was inevitable.

If you really want to confess your feelings seriously, you need to consider the right time, place, and people. You can't just act recklessly without any consideration for others! A reckless person is destined to suffer more harm! You must act with reason and strategy.

Of course, if we were to put these theories in a more accessible and understandable way, it would be something like this:

Ning Yuan: I chickened out.

Collapse and retreat! This team fight was silenced by Olaf first, so we definitely can't win. Let's run away and farm for a while.

After quickly settling the bill, Ning Yuan left the restaurant without looking back, and the queue outside moved forward a little further as the two of them left.

"Let's go, we shouldn't stay here any longer."

"What's there to be nervous about? Gu Guanxue isn't your girlfriend anymore. It's not her place to catch you cheating."

“This isn’t about catching them in the act.” Ning Yuan said earnestly as he walked with Jiang Xihua, “It’s about a sense of security. It used to be unimportant, but now that we’ve decided to confess properly, we have to start with myself and with small things. We absolutely cannot let Gu Guanxue think something is wrong with me.”

Jiang Xihua narrowed her eyes slightly: "You seem to have a good grasp of the difference between a girlfriend and a female best friend."

"What female best friend? What's that?"

"Do you need me to help you remember? What you said to Zhao Lihong and the others when you were drinking at the karaoke bar."

Master Ning: "..."

"I was in a daze at that time, and I wasn't often sober, so I couldn't guarantee that what I said was what I really wanted to say."

"Oh~" Jiang Manyue nodded: "So that means you're thinking it but don't dare to say it out loud, right?"

“I didn’t say that…” Ning Yuan firmly denied, “We are comrades-in-arms, what best friend? I’ve never thought of it that way.”

"It's okay, think about it, I don't mind." Jiang Xihua's tone sounded very calm. "You can continue... about your confession plan."

“I plan to meet Gu Guanxue alone, talk things out, and then confess my feelings.” Ning Yuan thought for a moment and replied, “Confessing in public is too silly, it’s a bit like moral blackmail, and normal girls probably wouldn’t like that.”

"Besides, I didn't intend to say those things to her in front of so many people."

“No matter what happens after we meet, we should at least ask those questions we didn’t get to ask.” Ning Yuan chuckled. “Although you keep telling me she doesn’t like me, I think…”

"The words 'I don't like you' need to be said by the person in question to make them give up."

"Don't you want to find a special opportunity?" Jiang Manyue asked.

"What special timing?"

"Gu Guanxue's birthday."

Bonus: The Right Way to Celebrate Children's Day

"Ningyuan! Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay, it'll be out soon."

"But you just said that."

"That was just now, but now it's really coming out... and Jiu Bao, this really can't be rushed."

"Oh... then remember to wear it properly. You almost caused a big problem last time you forgot."

"Don't worry, I'll learn from my mistakes. Do you think I, Ning Yuan, am the kind of man who only cares about convenience and doesn't care about the consequences? Don't you trust me?"

"I believe you~ so please come out quickly, okay? I'm so tired of standing here..."

"Phew~ I'm all better now."

Ning Yuan gently opened the door, appearing fully armed with a hat, mask, and sunglasses. Lu Jiujiu, who was looking down at her phone outside the room, raised her eyes upon noticing the figure in front of her, her bright eyes seeming to hold a hidden light:

"You're all better now."

“Yeah… these days it’s really tiring to go out…” Master Ning shook his head as he spoke: “I should really focus on making money and stop participating in those messy activities… I’m almost becoming a half-entertainment industry person now. I don’t want to be the King of Chinese Entertainment.”

“Isn’t this good too?” Lu Jiujiu blinked and said, “My dad said that the entertainment industry is quite promising for making money right now, with low risk and high returns. He also often praises you for your long-term vision, saying that you have both the vigor of a novice and the composure of a veteran.”

"Is that so?" Ning Yuan asked suspiciously. "When we met, he really went all out to insult me. He was practically pointing his finger at me and yelling at me."

Is he just another arrogant old man? He clearly admires my personality and talent, yet he still belittles me while saying one thing but meaning another.

It's a little scary to think about...

Lu Jiujiu: "Is that so?"

"Of course that's true... You have no idea how old Lu looks down on me." Master Ning said pitifully, "So Jiu Bao, don't be fooled by my seemingly happy and stress-free appearance. I'm actually under unimaginable pressure."

"Then let me speak to him on your behalf..." Lu Jiujiu said with some doubt, "Wouldn't that make things easier for you?"

Master Ning gave a bitter laugh and shook his head, saying, "No need. It's only right that Dad scolds me a bit... After all, I'm not exactly a good person to begin with... I just hope that you won't let me affect your relationship... You know what I mean?"

"Are you trying to trick me?" Lu Jiujiu's little head seemed to sense something was amiss: "In Xiao Ling'er's words... is this your tea ceremony?"

"..."

Damn it, why has Lu Jiujiu, that idiot, become so shrewd after being taught by Xiao Ling?! She's trying to swindle me now, isn't she?!

"Cough cough... It's nothing." He had only wanted a little hug and comfort from his girlfriend, but now that he couldn't achieve that, Master Ning quickly changed the subject, asking, "What were you looking at just now?"

"this."

Lu Jiujiu showed her phone, her face full of anticipation and excitement as she looked at the ever-increasing number of "99+" messages in the group chat: "Our high school reunion is finally about to begin! It's been so many years since we last met. I wonder if everyone has changed a lot?"

"Ningyuan~ do you think our classmates will be really surprised if they find out we're together?" The girl imagined their surprised expressions for a moment, then continued cheerfully, "Will they keep bothering us to tell us how we got together? And maybe even ask who pursued whom?"

Master Ning pondered for a moment.

I don't think so.

Lu Jiujiu: ?

"Why!"

The simpleton was shocked.

"Because I already told them this news beforehand," Master Ning replied guiltily. "So they all probably already know."

Lu Hanhan's expression instantly turned dejected as his joy was taken away. He felt a sense of utter boredom about the class reunion he had been looking forward to for so long.

Why...why did you do this to me...(；′д｀)ゞ