My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

"...Actually, he's not that cute." Lin Jiu muttered softly. He didn't know why he felt a tightness in his chest, as if he was uneasy about his girlfriend praising another boy as cute.

Wang Yuting tried to recall and said, "I remember his hair was quite long, almost longer than mine, and it looked like it was in good condition. He also had a great figure and a clean-cut appearance."

"I can grow my hair long too..."

Lin Jiu thought to himself, gazing wistfully at Wang Yuting.

Wang Yuting continued, "That child is not only good-looking, but also very interesting... Jiu'er, what are you doing?"

"I'll bite you."

Lin Jiu bit Wang Yuting's finger, her little face full of displeasure. She didn't know if it was because of a headache or something else, but she felt like tears were about to flow.

Wang Yuting felt a slight pain in her fingers. To be honest, Lin Jiu's sudden attack hadn't caused much harm, and Wang Yuting didn't feel uncomfortable. In fact, she felt a little itchy and wanted to tease Lin Jiu's tongue. However, Lin Jiu looked very unhappy, so she restrained herself a little and put away her mischievous thoughts.

She stared intently at Lin Jiu, as if trying to find something on his face, and suddenly exclaimed, "I understand!"

"What do you understand?"

Lin Jiu's tone carried a hint of resentment.

"Jiu'er, are you starving? I'll order takeout for you right now. Is there anything you want to eat? It's rare for us to order takeout, so let's order something a little unhealthy but delicious! Pizza, fried chicken, burgers—the higher the calories, the better it tastes! Don't worry about the money, I'll pay this time, so you don't need to use your living expenses."

"……Fool."

Lin Jiu gently bit Wang Yuting's finger.

It didn't hurt at all, but this blow seemed to have a deep, visceral pain for Wang Yuting.

"Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. I just wanted to say... no matter how good-looking other guys are, I won't like them just because of that. I don't like someone based solely on their looks."

Wang Yuting opened her arms and hugged the uneasy Lin Jiu, gently patting his back and whispering in his ear.

"You clearly fell in love with me at first sight, and now you're saying you don't care about looks? It's too late. As a working adult, falling in love at first sight with a seventeen-year-old high school student who's not even an adult yet in a convenience store, that's criminal preparatory work." Lin Jiu's mood improved slightly. He had been thinking about how to get rid of Ling Lin, but it seemed that Ling Lin still had a good life ahead of him.

Senior, you've been given a second chance at life.

"A chirp!"

At the Tea Cat Cafe, Ling Lin, who was on duty in place of Lin Jiu, suddenly sneezed.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to, I'm so sorry!" Ling Lin hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the clothes on the shoulder of the regular customer in front of him. He had accidentally sprayed the other person with his sneeze and was apologizing to him in a hurry.

"As compensation, please let me treat you to a cup of coffee."

"It's okay, don't be nervous."

"But……"

Seeing Ling Lin's still uneasy and guilty expression, Yang Zhuren smiled calmly and gently shook his head. His handsome appearance combined with his warm smile made the other customers in the store subconsciously look at him, not only the female customers, but also some of Ling Lin's loyal fans and twisted fans, who were worried that this outsider might be up to no good.

"In our industry, this is a reward."

Yang Zhuren said sincerely, not at all feeling that Ling Lin's unintentional actions were impolite; rather, he was asking for more effort.

"industry?"

Ling Lin didn't know much about this.

However, before he could ask any questions, Hazuki walked by and took him away, tucking him into her arms.

It's too early for Ling Lin to be exposed to another world now. Don't be fooled by Ye Yue's usual teasing of Ling Lin; she actually takes good care of her employees. Ling Lin is still young; it's not too late for him to learn about those things when he's older.

Yang Zhuren felt a little regretful and carefully touched his shirt.

Ling Lin wiped very carefully, almost completely removing the marks left on his shoulder.

The regular customers in the store looked at Yang Zhuren with more approval and a touch of awe.

at the same time.

Lin Jiu then understood why Wang Yuting had praised Ling Lin for being cute.

Although Ling Lin is very handsome and quite interesting, Wang Yuting doesn't feel any attraction to him at all.

When she saw Ling Lin, she had only one thought in her mind.

"My Jiu'er is still the cutest!"

Wang Yuting chuckled and nuzzled Lin Jiu's cheek, looking as adorable as a Samoyed.

Lin Jiu still looked unhappy, but he had to admit that he was indeed relieved.

Although he might grow into a muscular man like his father in the future, reaching 1.8 meters tall, for now... at least for this moment, he doesn't want to be second in Wang Yuting's heart; he wants to always be first.

"The most important reason why I fell in love with you at first sight is that I was deeply attracted to you."

Wang Yuting seemed to want to melt into Lin Jiu's body, tightly embracing him.

Because I like him, I want to be with him seamlessly.

"I'm not dating you casually. I've considered many aspects and thought about you carefully before taking this step."

Wang Yuting placed her hand on the back of Lin Jiu's head, gently stroking it, and whispered, "When I realized I liked you, I was initially very confused because I had never been in a relationship before and didn't know what it felt like to like someone. At first, I tried to give up and numb myself with work, no matter how difficult the work was, I would do my best to complete it. However, even when I was so busy that thinking was a luxury, I would still unconsciously think of you."

"...Why did you think of giving up?" Lin Jiu asked.

"Think about it, I'm so much older than you. There's a saying that a woman three years older than you is like holding a gold brick, and I'm practically making you hold two bricks. Even if I don't consider what other people think of me, I still have to think about you."

Wang Yuting rested her chin on Lin Jiu's head; this was her special spot where she felt very relaxed.

"What this world has no shortage of are gossips who can't even manage their own affairs, yet they still worry about other people's business... Hmm, no, there's something wrong with what I'm saying. These people don't care about other people's feelings at all, and they don't think from the other person's perspective. Instead, they think they're superior and that their ideas are right, and everyone else's are wrong. If someone is wrong, they have to change according to their ideas, otherwise it's a big mistake. They really think they're something special."

Wang Yuting really disliked this kind of guy. She had several relatives who were this type of person, so she had a deep impression of them.

"...That's true."

Lin Jiu then remembered that Wang Yuting actually had a thoughtful side. She was just not very good at housework, and her life skills were worrying, but in other aspects, she was not the kind of person who could do anything casually. She had her own principles and would consider others, always putting Lin Jiu first... Just like Lin Jiu, his thoughts were also centered on her, and he would think of her in everything he did.

“When we started living together, it felt like a dream, so beautiful it was unreal. I thought I was just overworking and my body couldn't take it anymore, and I was hallucinating. Coming home to you, having hot meals to eat, made me happy every day. Thank you for letting me know how delicious food can be, and for making me realize what kind of life I had been living before.”

Wang Yuting grabbed Lin Jiu's clothes and naturally pressed her upper body against him, pinning Lin Jiu to the sofa.

Lin Jiu looked up at Wang Yuting, his heart suddenly racing, and he almost couldn't breathe.

Wang Yuting took Lin Jiu's hand and placed it on her cheek.

"Before I met you, I always went out alone and came home alone, whether it was to the company or to the convenience store to buy food. I saw that everyone on the street was in pairs, and children after school were accompanied by their parents. I was all alone. Nobody was by my side. Even when I got home, I would just play games in front of the TV. What I feared most was when I entered the loading screen when switching maps. Whenever the TV screen turned gray, it would reflect the image of me playing games alone."

"Thinking about it now still scares me a little. It would have been terrifying if the TV had reflected a human figure next to me." Wang Yuting tried to tell a joke, but Lin Jiu couldn't laugh at all. He had a similar experience. Every time there was a parent-teacher conference, Lin Jiu's seat was always empty—until Wang Yuting attended in his place as a family member. She used this method to tell Lin Jiu that he was not alone.

Lin Jiu gazed into Wang Yuting's beautiful eyes and gently stroked her cheek with his palm.

"I'm here."

"Hmm~!"

Wang Yuting nuzzled Lin Jiu and added, "Only you can do it. You are essential, and you are not someone I can just settle for. I will never compromise on this point. I only need you, and I won't trade anyone else, no matter how good they are."

Upon hearing Wang Yuting's confession, Lin Jiu deeply realized her overwhelming desire to be with him, to continue living together, and to spend the rest of her life with him. The unease in his heart finally subsided, and his slight inferiority complex melted away in Wang Yuting's embrace, a warm current welling up from his heart.

Wang Yuting felt the warmth of Lin Jiu's palm slowly growing, and a warm, sun-like smile appeared on her face as she happily rubbed her hand against his.

"You've raised me into a useless person who can't live without you, you have to take responsibility for me." Wang Yuting acted coquettishly towards Lin Jiu, completely losing her previous mature adult demeanor. Seeing Lin Jiu cheer up, she began to let loose.

Lin Jiu smiled gently, cupped her cheeks, and placed a deep kiss on her face.

"I will."

Chapter 421 It smells so good!

"Thank you, senior. This is a token of my appreciation; please accept it."

Lin Jiu met Ling Lin in the locker room and gave him the chocolate cookies she had made herself.

Thanks to Ling Lin covering his shift the day before yesterday, Lin Jiu finally had time to sort out his feelings, stop dwelling on the foolish things he had done, embrace a new life, and work hard to improve his relationship with his mother.

Moreover, Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting's relationship has become even closer.

Deep down, Lin Jiu harbored a persistent worry: he feared that in a few years, as his body matured and he became less adorable, Wang Yuting's opinion of him might change. However, this thought was disrespectful to Wang Yuting, who felt that Lin Jiu's charm went beyond mere appearance.

He always prioritized Wang Yuting, but he didn't spoil her. His strictness was tinged with affection, and he would occasionally reveal a touch of tenderness. He let her immerse herself in his gentle embrace, and before she knew it, she was almost turning into a helpless fool.

When Wang Yuting encounters trouble, Lin Jiu will stand by her side without hesitation and protect her.

Wang Yuting's strength can only be used to protect herself, not to intentionally harm others. This is something her mother repeatedly emphasized to her when she was learning martial arts: the more powerful you are, the more you must know how to restrain yourself.

Only when saying this did Mo Xiao suppress her usual carefree laughter and earnestly admonish Wang Yuting. Seeing her so serious, Wang Yuting naturally took it to heart; anything that could make her mother behave properly was no small matter.

Therefore, Wang Yuting is actually a girl with a lack of security. Even though she could easily punch through a sandbag, she couldn't point her fists at every person she disliked; otherwise, Manager Sun's blood would probably cover the entire office while she was working. Manager Sun was able to live to this age peacefully mainly because of the good public security, and also because Wang Yuting wouldn't risk her life in prison for him.

Wang Yuting knew one thing very well: in today's society, no matter how good her kung fu was, it was useless. To survive in this world, you needed power and connections; otherwise, you'd be bullied by those in positions of authority and have nowhere to turn for help. But she just didn't like all this messy stuff. She was just working, and it wasn't like she'd be destitute without this job, so why should she get involved in all this filth and corruption?

Wang Yuting worked hard, but the result was a resignation letter riddled with accusations. The company trampled on all her efforts and contributions, and even prepared a written apology in the form of a resignation letter for her. All she had to do was keep quiet and sign it; otherwise, it would be impossible for her to find a job in the future. They would use their connections to completely block her job search.

Wang Yuting couldn't think of a solution. She couldn't very well go and beat up Director Xue. Perhaps she would feel better after beating him up, but she wouldn't escape the legal consequences. Was it worth it? Fortunately, Lin Jiu was there for her. Lin Jiu stood up for her, using legal and legitimate means to protect her interests and ensure that those with malicious intentions received their due punishment.

So, Lin Jiu is super handsome!

If Lin Jiu lacks confidence, Wang Yuting can tell him just how outstanding he is; she could talk about it all day without getting tired.

To repay Ling Lin for unintentionally facilitating a closer relationship between the two, Lin Jiu spent several hours making desserts before going to work. After leaving most of the desserts for Wang Yuting, Lin Jiu packed the rest into an exquisite gift box and tied it with a ribbon.

"It's just a small matter, no need to make such a big deal out of it." Ling Lin didn't expect Lin Jiu to be so serious. He looked at the exquisite gift box in Lin Jiu's hand and was somewhat surprised that Lin Jiu could even make cookies.

"This is a very important thing to me, please accept it, senior." Lin Jiu insisted on giving the cookies to Ling Lin.

"Since you've put it that way, then I'll gratefully accept it." Seeing Lin Jiu's earnest attitude, Ling Lin realized that something might have happened to Lin Jiu the day before yesterday. If he refused again, it would be letting Lin Jiu down, so he accepted the gift box with both hands. It definitely wasn't because he was greedy or anything. He was a senior; how could he accept gifts from a junior just because he liked sweet things?

"Oh, right, senior, please accept this as well."

Lin Jiu took out another gift from the cabinet and gave it to Ling Lin. This gift contained tea that Lin Jiu had carefully selected.

"Eh?"

Ling Lin didn't take the tea box. He asked curiously, "Did I...did I do anything?"

If we're talking about what happened the day before yesterday, then the chocolate cookies Lin Jiu gave us were already a great gift, and it wouldn't be appropriate to accept them.

"This is for my personal reasons."

Lin Jiu handed the tea box to Ling Lin, unsure how to explain it to him.

He couldn't very well tell Ling Lin that he almost killed her because he was jealous, could he?

Lin Jiu chose to give Ling Lin a box of tea as an apology in order to make herself feel better.