Chapter 51

Chen Chun had been tapping his fingers idly on the table. Hearing this, he gave Lin Linya a sidelong glance. “Who sewed your mouth shut and forbade you from eating?”

Only then did Lin Linya feel at ease, stuffing the tripe into his mouth. He set his chopsticks down contentedly.

Oblivious to the surprised murmurs from some, Fang Wenxue calmly continued, “Actually, my boyfriend is footing the bill for today. He wanted to meet my friends, so he helped get everyone together.”

Everyone was happy to have someone else treating them to a meal. Immediately, someone tactfully started clapping. “Alright, Sis! Thanks to Sis and Brother-in-law for the treat! But where is Brother-in-law?”

A shy boy sitting across from Lin Linya stood up. The person next to him gasped, “Whoa.”

Honestly, Lin Linya hadn’t expected him to be Fang Wenxue’s new boyfriend at first. The guy’s looks were just too ordinary. He had plain features, wore very thick glasses, was slightly chubby, and had some acne scars. He was the type who’d get completely lost in a crowd, leaving zero impression.

Standing next to Fang Wenxue, he practically seemed to be on a different visual layer.

Lin Linya and Chen Chun were close, so naturally, he felt indignant for his friend. He was very surprised that Fang Wenxue would pass up a high-quality suitor like Chen Chun for a guy like this.

Fang Wenxue walked over and freely linked arms with him. The two of them were intimate, whispering into each other’s ears, exchanging a few words. The guy seemed to say something that made Fang Wenxue laugh, and she kissed him on the cheek as reassurance.

It was so sweet it dealt a million points of Critical Strike damage to the single dog that was Lin Linya.

After Fang Wenxue walked away, as soon as the guy sat down, someone started egging him on, saying he hid his talents well to snag such a pretty junior schoolmate. They mentioned Fang Wenxue had many failed suitors, having rejected lots of tall, rich, and handsome guys.

The guy didn’t get angry at the comment; he just smiled. “I feel incredibly lucky too, like a dream. Today is my treat. Everyone is Xiaoxue’s friend, so don’t worry about the bill. If you want to add dishes, just scan the QR code on the table and order yourself.”

The hotpot place Fang Wenxue chose wasn’t cheap. The private room was clean and hygienic, and the service was good, but the dishes were very expensive with very small portions.

Someone joked that the guy must be rich to win Fang Wenxue over.

The guy glanced at that person and explained, “I’m not from some ultra-wealthy family. Xiaoxue didn’t choose to be with me because of money. Please don’t say that.”

While heating and eating his food, Lin Linya listened silently to their conversation. Gradually, he began to understand why Fang Wenxue chose him.

The guy spoke politely and appropriately, but he wasn’t a pushover to be pushed around. His words consistently defended his girlfriend, lowering his own posture in the process.

Lin Linya glanced sympathetically at Chen Chun, thinking that Bro Chun’s loss to a man like this wasn’t really a loss after all.

Chen Chun had his head down, bored, listlessly poking at the vegetable leaves in his bowl with his chopsticks. Sensing Lin Linya’s gaze, he turned his head and asked, “What’s up?”

The hotpot restaurant was a bit warm, and a faint pink flush had appeared on Lin Linya’s cheeks. A thin layer of sweat glistened on his porcelain-like skin. His lips had turned red from the spice, looking like they’d been thoroughly kissed. His eyes flickered.

He stuck out a small bit of his tongue, panting. “I bit into a Sichuan peppercorn. My mouth’s gone numb.”

Chen Chun poured him a glass of Cola and placed it in front of him. “Drink.”

Lin Linya just glanced at it and mumbled vaguely, “I don’t want this.”

Chen Chun knew him too well. Seeing this coy little act, he knew Lin Linya was up to some mischief again. Frowning, he asked, “Then what do you want to drink?”

Lin Linya gave him an ingratiating smile.

He showed him a photo on his phone. “On my way here just now, I saw a milk tea shop next door. They have a new Green Grape Cheese Cap! It looks so good, I really want some.”

Chen Chun was in disbelief. “They have drinks right here. You don’t want them, and instead, you want me to go next door to buy you milk tea?”

His face hardened. “No way.”

He usually spoiled Lin Linya too much, listening to everything he said. Now, he’d let him know he wasn’t some wish-granting turtle in a fountain—he couldn’t agree to everything.

Even though Lin Linya was very cute.

Lin Linya scooted next to him, determined to press his arm against Chen Chun’s, and hooked his finger with a sticky-sweet gesture. “Brother.”

A guy nearby who’d been eavesdropping felt his heart melt from that one word “Brother.” He turned with a big smile, “The Department Belle wants milk tea? I’ll go buy it for you. Bro Chun is a steel-straight guy; the whole pouty act doesn’t work on him.”

Chen Chun, “…Are you pulling this crap on me again?”

He looked very much like a frustrated parent who’s brought their kid out to play, only to have the kid throw a tantrum on the ground, demanding a toy, losing face in the process.

That guy asked again. Lin Linya wasn’t close to him, so he politely declined, but the guy insisted on going. Yet, his butt remained glued to the stool as if he had no intention of actually getting up.

Lin Linya really disliked these types of men—all talk and reluctant to actually spend a dime. He felt such guys would repeatedly ask their girlfriends “Do you want it?” when buying gifts, and ultimately never end up getting anything.

He didn’t care for anyone else buying him milk tea. But the guy kept rambling, first saying he’d go, then saying “Department Belle, you’re really good-looking,” his endless chatter becoming annoying.

Chen Chun stood up impatiently. His expression was unfriendly as he looked down at the guy. The scarred eyebrow made Chen Chun look fierce to begin with, but this stare was ice-cold, laced with menace.

Mr. Chatterbox was scared stiff by it and awkwardly shut his mouth.

Without further fuss, Chen Chun turned and asked Lin Linya, “I’ll go buy it. What do you want? Send it on WeChat.”

After the guy left, Lin Linya looked down and typed a few words on his phone, then popped the beef ball, which had been cooling in his bowl for ages, into his mouth. He cast a smug glance at the chattering guy.

The guy was visibly taken aback.

Lin Linya thought he was being provocative, but actually, he held no intimidation factor whatsoever.

Clearly a boy, yet his expression was so coquettish. His slender wrist propped up his cheek, and his ink-wash-painting-like features were exquisitely pretty, almost unreal. With the beef ball in his cheek, one side bulged out slightly.

His vivid expressions gave him a lively, irresistible charm.

Fang Wenxue’s boyfriend had long noticed the commotion on their end. He raised his cup towards Lin Linya, smiling, “Xiaoxue has mentioned you to me often. She frequently praises your singing and good looks right in front of me.”

Fang Wenxue had told him this was her favorite streamer, only later discovering they were at the same university. She’d proudly boasted to him that this was her little “Baby.”

Lin Linya toasted back using the Cola Chen Chun had poured him. “Junior Schoolmate is too kind.”

Seeing the two chatting, the table’s atmosphere livened up. Someone asked Lin Linya, “Department Belle, I heard Bro Chun used to chase after Junior Sister Xiaoxue. Is that true?”

“Whoa, for real? That’s juicy,” someone beside him chimed in.

Lin Linya kept a smile on his face, but inwardly, he was already cursing him for an idiot. He played dumb. “I wouldn’t know. Bro Chun doesn’t tell me these things. Perhaps when he comes back, you can ask him yourself?”

“…”

The others looked at each other.

They wouldn’t dare mention this in front of Chen Chun. So the topic was dropped. Someone else said, “I just don’t think Bro Chun is the type to like anyone. But if I had to name someone, I’d say he probably likes the Department Belle.”

“I always thought so too. Bro Chun is just too good to Yaya, isn’t he?”

“Anyway, Liu Bei wouldn’t stop mid-meal to go buy Zhang Fei a milk tea.”

Anyone with eyes could see that Chen Chun was very indulgent towards Lin Linya. He was simply treated like a princess. Some might even think Lin Linya was his girlfriend.

Even Lin Linya’s good temper couldn’t handle such jokes anymore. He drawled, “…What are you guys talking about? Even food can’t shut you all up?”

He didn’t want to engage these people, so he looked down and concentrated on eating the crispy pork and sweet ice jelly in his bowl.

Suddenly, a milk tea was placed by his hand.

Lin Linya looked up. It was Lu Qingyuan from the Finance Department, whom he hadn’t seen in a while. Surprised, he said, “Junior Brother, you’re here too?”

Lu Qingyuan smiled at him. “Senior Brother, I was right at the table behind you. You just didn’t notice me. I often watch your stream. Just now, I went out to greet someone and thought you might like this, so I grabbed you a milk tea on the way back. See if this flavor is good?”

Nearby, Fang Wenxue’s boyfriend greeted him, “I was wondering why you were gone so long.”

So Lu Qingyuan was invited by him. Fang Wenxue’s boyfriend was a second-year master’s student in finance at S University. His current advisor was Lu Qingyuan’s professor for his major courses; the two often discussed research topics together.

Lu Qingyuan wore a black shirt today, somewhat similar to the one Lin Linya had bought for that event. But while Lin Linya carried a refined, noble air in the black shirt, Lu Qingyuan leaned more towards a gentle, cool intellectual vibe.

The faint cologne scent on him was as pleasant as ever. Lin Linya even wanted to ask him for the purchase link.

Lu Qingyuan unwrapped the straw for the milk tea, punctured the seal, and held it up to Lin Linya’s lips. “Try it. How is it?”

In a daze, Lin Linya leaned over and took a sip from the straw held by Lu Qingyuan’s hand. He commented that it was okay, but Lu Qingyuan’s hand didn’t withdraw. Puzzled, he looked up at him.

His eyes seemed to ask if there was something else.

Lu Qingyuan complimented, “Senior Brother, you are so cute.”

He placed the milk tea by his Senior Brother’s hand, leaned down close to him, and whispered, “If Senior Brother feels uncomfortable at this table, you can come over to ours. I have an empty seat next to me.”

Lin Linya mulled over why Lu Qingyuan seemed to know everything. Finding no answer, he shook his head. “My friend is coming over soon. I need to sit with him.”

If Chen Chun trudged to the milk tea shop, queued forever, and came back to find him seated at a different table, wouldn’t Chen Chun pinch his face until it was deformed?

Lu Qingyuan wasn’t surprised. He nodded with a smile. “Then let’s hang out after we finish eating. Our group was just planning to head upstairs to the arcade.”

That sounded doable. So Lin Linya agreed.

Chen Chun returned to find Lin Linya full and leaning against his chair, drinking milk tea. The outer packaging was identical to the one he’d just bought—likely from the same shop.

Annoyed, he placed the milk tea on the table in front of him. “Which wild man bought this for you? Could’ve said so earlier. Guess I was superfluous, huh?”

“My Junior Brother bought it,” Lin Linya said, blinking at him.

Truthfully, Lin Linya hadn’t wanted milk tea that badly. He’d just wanted to be a little pest for fun; bossing Chen Chun around brought him joy.

Chen Chun smirked coldly, “That much—can you even finish it?”

Lin Linya let out a humph, his tone Tsundere. “Science proves adults need eight cups of water a day. This is only my second; is that too much? Even if eight wild men bought me milk tea, I’d finish them all, including yours.”