Bai Zhen leaned over to buckle Liang Sheng’s seatbelt. They were so close that when she lifted her head, she caught sight of Liang Sheng’s sparkling, teary eyes.
They were… kind of pretty. Bai Zhen froze, her hands pausing mid-motion.
“Ding~” Favorability increased.
“Bai Zhen’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 30”
The system prompt cut through Liang Sheng’s tears, snapping her out of it. She realized her favorability had gone up for no clear reason. What the heck? With her focus diverted, she wasn’t feeling quite so heartbroken anymore.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, she spotted Ye Yuzhe already in the car. Huh! That meant he’d seen her in that pathetic state! A wave of embarrassment froze the fake smile she’d been trying to force onto her cheeks.
“Ye… Ye Yuzhe, when did you, uh, get in?” Liang Sheng scratched her head, clinging to a shred of hope. What if he’d climbed in just as Sister Bai Zhen was buckling her up? Then she wouldn’t have made quite as much of a fool of herself.
But Ye Yuzhe was as straightforward as they come. Without a second thought, he blurted, “Oh, I hopped in ages ago. What’s up?”
Never mind. Sorry to bother you. Liang Sheng clamped her mouth shut. She was utterly mortified.
When they arrived, Bai Zhen first dropped Ye Yuzhe off at her brother’s place. Then she climbed back into the car, ready to take Liang Sheng somewhere nice for a bite to eat and lift her spirits.
“Sister Bai Zhen, where are we headed?” Liang Sheng peered curiously at the unfamiliar road. She’d been sobbing her eyes out earlier and hadn’t caught Bai Zhen’s invitation to grab something delicious.
Bai Zhen Zhuckled inwardly. This kid was so naive—if she were some shady character, Liang Sheng wouldn’t even realize how she’d been sold off.
“Hey~” Bai Zhen teased, “Aren’t you scared I might be a bad guy or something? You just hopped right in the car with me.”
Liang Sheng’s mood had brightened considerably. Since Bai Zhen was joking around, she decided to play along. “What do I have to be afraid of~? Sister Bai Zhen is such a good person…”
“You know the face but not the heart, you know. We’ve only hung out a handful of times.” Bai Zhen burst out laughing. She’d even gotten handed a “nice guy” card!
“Hmph~” Liang Sheng huffed. “Well, I’m still not scared. I’ve got no money anyway. Looks? Sure, I’ve got those, but come on—what can two women even do? Women can’t penetrate women, after all.”
Oh ho, girl, you’re playing with fire. Liang Sheng’s improved mood had Bai Zhen feeling playful too. She pulled the car over to the roadside, twisted around in her seat, and flashed a sultry smile.
“Little Sister Liang Sheng, are you questioning a woman’s prowess in that arena?” That handsome face, paired with a wicked grin, hit Liang Sheng right in the feels.
“I-I-I!” Liang Sheng panicked, her face turning beet red.
Hahaha, Bai Zhen stifled a laugh. Liang Sheng like this was just too much fun! Her playful side kicked into overdrive, and she decided to tease her a bit more.
This time, she went for it. Her left hand gently brushed Liang Sheng’s cheek, her voice low and magnetic. “Want this mature big sister to teach a girl just hitting puberty a thing or two about grown-up stuff?”
“Boom!” Liang Sheng, KO’d. Cause of death: Flirtation-induced fever, cooked alive by her own skyrocketing body heat.
“Hahahahaha!” Bai Zhen doubled over, clutching her stomach in fits of laughter. “You’re too much fun, Liang Sheng. Sis was just messing with you.”
“I-I know!” Liang Sheng shot back, though of course she hadn’t taken it seriously. But man, it was way too flirty and tempting!
Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, Bai Zhen finally had her fill and got ready to hit the road again.
Hmph. A tiny spark of dissatisfaction flickered in Liang Sheng’s chest. Why was it always her getting teased? Where was her chance to turn the tables? She wasn’t gonna take this lying down!
“Sister Bai Zhen.” Liang Sheng grabbed hold of Bai Zhen’s hand just as it reached for the steering wheel.
