Tea-flavored Romance

"You call this a little bit?" Master Ning complained, "When I carried you in your senior year of high school, it wasn't this difficult. You've grown a lot in the last two years."

Yes, there has been growth in all aspects...

"It's unfair to compare me to myself two years ago."

"Then it would be fairer to compare based on which date?"

Lu Jiujiu thought for a moment, then whispered, "Yesterday?"

"..."

Is there even a fluctuation in this level? The only difference is probably how much you ate today!

Chapter 94: A Two-Stage Reversal!

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about weight anymore." Ning Yuan, carrying the girl on his back, asked slowly, "What exactly do you want from me?"

"No matter what, they must want something from me, right?"

Lu Jiujiu resumed strictly enforcing Ning Yuan's sentence and stopped answering. The girl's warm breath and strands of hair fell on Ning Yuan's neck, tickling him a little. He thought for a moment and asked again, "Since you won't tell me, then I'll ask... If I ask in the right direction, you don't have to say anything. If I ask in the wrong direction, you can give me a little hint."

"I started asking questions."

"Are you... on your period?"

"..."

Lu Jiujiu poked Master Ning's cheek hard, as if she wanted to poke a hole in his face.

"Alright, alright, don't be so serious, I was just joking..." Ning Yuan continued, "Is that related to me?"

There was no reaction. The girl's quiet breathing could be heard not far behind his ear. Ning Yuan understood and asked again, "Is this a bad thing for me?"

Lu Jiujiu was so angry that she couldn't help but poke Ning Yuan's cheek again. However, after thinking about it, she really didn't know whether this was good or bad for him. So she withdrew her finger guiltily and quietly lay behind him without moving.

"That's it... Oh ho, we're here."

Before Master Ning could ask a few more questions, they had already reached the section of road where they could book a ride online. Lu Jiujiu, who was on his back, suddenly started breathing rapidly and struggled to get off him.

He was also worried that the little girl might accidentally jump down and twist her ankle, so he bent down slightly to let her down. Lu Jiujiu straightened up, tidied her hair, and glared at Ning Yuan with resentment in her eyes.

"Oh, perfect timing, the driver's here, no need to make a phone call..."

A black car slowly came to a stop in the distance. Ning Yuan glanced at the license plate and thought to himself that the timing was perfect. He had just placed the order not long ago and was picked up immediately.

"Let's go, get in the car."

As usual, Lu Hanhan got into the car in a huff, curling up on one side and radiating an aura that screamed, "I'm angry." However, the girl's face was so adorable that even with an unfriendly expression, she only appeared cute and endearing to onlookers.

"Master, let's go~ Remember to take the detour to the East Gate at the end~"

"Okay, no problem."

Lu Jiujiu started typing rapidly:

I want to enter from the north gate, because it's closer to my dorm!!!

"You're really planning to walk back... I can't carry you up to the girls' dormitory, and carrying you around the school would be quite conspicuous, you know." Master Ning pursed his lips: "We'll get off at the East Gate later to grab something to eat, and then ask your roommate to bring you a pair of flat shoes."

Lu Jiujiu was taken aback when she heard this. She wanted to refute Ning Yuan's suggestion, but she also felt that his arrangement was probably the best. For a moment, she didn't know what to say to express her rebellion, so she could only put away her phone in a sullen voice and curl up in a ball to sulk.

The driver, a man in his forties, glanced at the young couple in the rearview mirror and chuckled, "You two had a fight?"

"Would you believe me if I said it wasn't you, Master?" Master Ning said, slightly speechless, "I don't even know what I did... I clearly didn't do anything!"

"Young man, I'm not trying to lecture you, but as a boy, sometimes doing nothing is a mistake."

There's a saying: I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing.

Well said! Lu Jiujiu couldn't help but applaud this middle-aged man who had experienced so much in his life.

"Is that so?" Master Ning looked suspicious, thinking to himself that he hadn't expected this uncle to be a veteran Ekko player: "Isn't it unfair to be wrongly accused of something you clearly didn't do?"

"You don't understand, young man. Girls are emotional creatures. Regardless of whether you're right or wrong, if you're wrong, then you're right."

"You may be right but not necessarily right, but you are definitely wrong."

"Uncle, you're talking like a philosopher."

"It's alright. I went through the same thing when I was young. My husband and I used to argue every day when we were your age."

“That’s a different story,” Ning Yuan laughed. “This guy and I are practically childhood friends, and we don’t get involved in each other’s romantic relationships.”

"This is called pure friendship, without any ulterior motives... unless she's keeping me as a sugar daddy~"

The uncle chuckled. With his experience, he could naturally see through the two people's little schemes. However, he did not refute Ning Yuan's words. Instead, he smiled and let the matter drop, then changed the subject to continue the conversation.

Lu Jiujiu, who was listening from the side, suddenly felt that something was wrong... Wasn't this guy secretly confessing his feelings to me? Why is he saying that I'm practically his childhood friend? Is Ning Yuan also shy and embarrassed to talk about this in front of outsiders?

She thought about it carefully and realized that if Ning Yuan's skin could be considered thin, then there would probably be no such thing as blushing in this world.

Wait... if he doesn't intend to confess or date, then everything seems to make sense.

Who would secretly confess their feelings and then leave without a second thought, asking why they're angry...?

And... before that day, when he asked me if I could come over, I refused! So in his mind, he thinks I didn't hear what he said that day at all?

This means... his confession might not have been intended for me?!

Who is that intended for?!

Lu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, feeling her mind suddenly go blank.

This isn't what I should be concerned about right now... What have I been agonizing over all this time?!

It's one thing to outwit and outmaneuver thin air... but why did I spend so much time mentally preparing myself to hear little Ling'er call me sister-in-law?!

Lu Jiujiu's face flushed red, then turned pale, then white, then purple—almost like a rainbow of colors. She'd been so stunned by the shocking news that she hadn't had time to think about the details, and afterwards, she'd been agonizing over how to get Ning Yiling to call her "sister-in-law"...

Now that reason has returned, Lu Hanhan was immediately enveloped by a tremendous sense of shame...

What have I done...?

I was sulking with Ning Yuan... I pinched his cheek hard and ignored him. I wanted Ning Yiling to call me sister-in-law... and I even secretly gave her snacks... I even looked up the process for college students to apply for a leave of absence due to pregnancy online...

Ning Yuan... he shouldn't hold a grudge, right?

Oh no, I'm doomed... If he finds out about all this, I'll never be able to face anyone again...

Lu Jiujiu glanced at Ning Yuan furtively, but having lost her reason to be angry, she no longer dared to shrink back, and the expression on her face gradually became uncertain and suspicious.

No, that's not right. Actually, there's another reason to be angry. It's all Ning Yuan's fault for causing all this misunderstanding, which made me toss and turn for several nights... If he hadn't said such ambiguous things at the end, I wouldn't have been so foolish as to think I'd been confessed to!

However, Lu Hanhan was still Lu Hanhan after all. She never expected such a chaotic and unorthodox punch, completely abandoning her last chance to act unreasonably. Only one thing was on her mind:

How can I make Ning Yuan forget his strange behavior lately?

So, while Ning Yuan and the driver were chatting about all sorts of things, she carefully added a new history entry to the list of previously absurd search results.

[Is there a way to make a male college student suffer from amnesia on the spot? Preferably with minimal physical harm. It's urgent, waiting online.]

Chapter 95: Liking and Love

The search results were a jumbled mess. Some suggested using face wash, others suggested showering him with money, and still others said male college students are easy to fool; if he likes you, he'll make himself forget his memories.

Although she didn't quite understand the last option, Lu Jiujiu had a feeling that the person who answered that question must have a story to tell.

Of course, I'll choose to forgive her.

The numerous and confusing options failed to offer Lu Jiujiu any solace; instead, they only made her more uneasy. Fortunately, Ning Yuan seemed focused on chatting with the driver and had no time to notice her strange expression and reaction... So she bit her lip and cautiously began to seek help from outside support.

Little Ling'er! Come save me! Even if I can't be your sister-in-law anymore... I still secretly fed you so many snacks!

Of course, the girl's claim of being "too busy to care about"... was only seemingly true...

Although Master Ning appeared outwardly calm, he had already subtly raised a question mark in his mind:

?

What is this girl doing? Is she changing her face online?

A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; the average boy's limited understanding often leaves him completely baffled when faced with a girl's thoughts, much like encountering a wall-facing plan.

If by chance, one wants to confront the Wallfacer Project head-on and become a legendary Wallbreaker, then one would need to switch to the profession of "scumbag"... Master Ning felt that he was still quite far from the path of being a scumbag, so he didn't dwell on it.

Don't ask what wall you're breaking; the answer is that something's wrong with you.

The car drove smoothly, and Lu Jiujiu remained huddled in a corner the whole way, holding her phone and glancing warily at Ning Yuan out of the corner of her eye like a little rabbit. If before she was hiding in the corner to express her anger in a childish way, now she was simply too ashamed to look him in the eye.

He was especially ashamed to face Ning Yuan.

When a girl realizes she's wrong after an argument, she might think: "I admit I was wrong, but... you yelled at me?! You actually yelled at me?! I'm so angry and upset and you yelled at me! %...￥#@&"

Lu Jiujiu: I'm so sorry QAQ, I didn't mean to... Please shake me...

Gu Guanxue: I was wrong, I'll do it again next time.

Ning Yiling: What was wrong? (Clenches fist)

Jiang Manyue: What is arguing? (Sharpening a knife)

Fear, shame, frustration, resentment, unease... a mix of emotions left Lu Hanhan feeling terrible. She wanted to let the matter drop, but she was afraid that Ning Yuan would question her and discover the wild thoughts in her mind, so she didn't dare to make a sound and remained a silent listener the whole way.

They drove in silence until the car stopped not far from the school gate. Ning Yuan opened the car door first, walked around to Lu Jiujiu's side.

"Do you want me to carry you down?"

If it were the same naive girl from before, she might have just closed her eyes and let him carry her off the bus. However, now that reason has returned, the girl is naturally not as bold as before.

"I rested for a bit, and I can walk a little further now," Lu Hanhan said softly, his eyes still darting around.

"Wow, you're so strong..." Ning Yuan pursed his lips, but still extended his hand and said, "Let's go, I'll help you."

"Oh, oh oh..."

"Would you like something to eat?"

The girl shook her head with tears in her eyes. All she wanted to do was go back to her dorm, bury herself in the blankets, and try to forget everything. She felt that if she stayed with Ning Yuan any longer, he would soon be able to trick her into revealing everything.

The threat of social death is imminent; I need to find a place to bury myself as soon as possible!

Luckily, he didn't walk too slowly when he was carrying me. If he had had a little more time, I probably would have been exposed!

The little idiot looked reluctant, but Master Ning didn't force her. He nodded and helped her walk towards a milk tea shop not far away: "I just sent a message to your roommates. They will be sending the shoes over soon."