Chapter 36

This task… had been completed way too soon.

Huang Xiaoyi looked across at the pair. Lin Qimian and Xu Yueliang were both dressed in spotless white outfits, while the chair backs behind them were glaringly red.

After Lin Qimian finished speaking, Xu Yueliang glanced over. Their eyes met, and Xu Yueliang’s face flushed as red as a pot of boiled lobster.

The scene looked just like… well, that kind of scene.

Huang Xiaoyi scrunched up her face, feeling like she’d shown up today for absolutely no reason.

She took the menu. “Alright, let’s see what we’re having.”

Better to just focus on eating.

The menu made its rounds, the food arrived, and You Weiwei returned carrying a cup of milk tea.

She followed the waiter inside and froze the moment she saw the setup, her straw-sucking lips coming to a complete halt.

You Weiwei had never been good at hiding her reactions. Her gaze swept from left to right, then back again. Xu Yueliang, tucked behind Lin Qimian, poked her head out. “Weiwei, you’re finally back! Come sit.”

You Weiwei: “…”

Where was she supposed to sit?

Huang Xiaoyi grabbed Lin Qimian’s bag from the edge of the bench and shoved it inward, then patted the empty spot beside her with a resigned air. “Here, Weiwei, take a seat.”

You Weiwei: “…”

Huang Xiaoyi, friendly as ever, set out utensils for her. “I’m Huang Xiaoyi. Moon said you like chicken hearts and gizzards, so I ordered plenty. Let me know if anything’s missing…”

You Weiwei walked over and sat down next to her.

She glanced up at the pair across from them. “Doctor Lin looks really pretty today.”

Xu Yueliang’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she chimed in. “Doctor Lin has always been gorgeous~~”

You Weiwei eyed her. “Really?”

Xu Yueliang: “Totally! Back in Middle School, she was even prettier than the school beauty~~”

You Weiwei: “Then how come she wasn’t the school beauty herself?”

Xu Yueliang: “Because she was a total genius—tons of awards, gave speeches for our school at the provincial level… She was just way too impressive. Nobody dared rank someone like that as school beauty.”

You Weiwei: “What about you, Moon? What was your rank?”

Xu Yueliang waved a hand. “Nah, I was super plain back then. No one would bother ranking me.”

“Not plain.” Lin Qimian cut in.

Xu Yueliang tilted her head. “Huh?”

The waiter finished slicing the freshly grilled steak. Lin Qimian took the tongs and placed a piece onto Xu Yueliang’s plate. “Very pretty. Very cute.”

Xu Yueliang’s fingers tightened around her chopsticks. “Ah…”

She leaned in and whispered to Lin Qimian, “Doctor Lin still remembers?”

“Of course I do.” Lin Qimian smiled at her and gestured with one hand. “Back then, your bangs came down here, and your cheeks were even fuller.”

Xu Yueliang pursed her lips, her expression turning faintly aggrieved.

But she brightened quickly, popping the piece of meat into her mouth and chewing with gusto. “So good~~”

Lin Qimian pointed at her cheek. “Now you look even more like you did back then.”

You Weiwei: “…”

Huang Xiaoyi piled a few pieces of meat onto her plate. “Eat up. Let’s dig in.”

You Weiwei buried her head and got to work.

The meal passed in perfect harmony. Midway through, Lin Qimian and Xu Yueliang went together to buy drinks for everyone. When they got back, Xu Yueliang shooed the waiter away from the grill and took over the tongs herself, flipping the meat with devoted care.

Huang Xiaoyi asked her, “Moon, you like cooking?”

“Yeah, it’s alright~” Xu Yueliang stretched out her arms, craning her neck as if to inspect every inch. “I cook whenever I have time, but it’s nothing special.”

Lin Qimian’s gaze landed on her slender white wrist. “Don’t move.”

“Huh?” Xu Yueliang froze instantly.

Lin Qimian gently rolled up her sleeve and tucked it neatly in place. “You’ll get your clothes dirty.”

Huang Xiaoyi: “…”

Waiter: “I’ll grab an apron.”

Xu Yueliang gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m kinda clumsy.”

She widened her eyes at Huang Xiaoyi. “But Doctor Lin hates undercooked stuff, so I want to get it just right—fully done, but not burnt…”

Huang Xiaoyi: “Ah, that’s great. Really great.”

She turned to Lin Qimian. “Doctor Lin, you don’t eat anything even a little raw?”

Lin Qimian smiled. “Nope.”

Xu Yueliang: “She doesn’t like organ meats either. She never says when ordering, and I noticed she hadn’t touched some dishes. Only found out for sure when we went for milk tea~”

Huang Xiaoyi: “…”

She’d shared countless meals with Lin Qimian and never knew about these quirks.

Huang Xiaoyi felt like a complete fool. Pinching her voice playfully, she said, “Doctor Lin, you’re so naughty~”

Lin Qimian took the apron from the waiter, stood up, and leaned over to help Xu Yueliang tie it on.

Huang Xiaoyi: “……”

You Weiwei picked up some food for her with her chopsticks. “Eat up, eat up. Time for dinner.”

Little maid Xu Yueliang finished tying the apron, her cheeks flushed red. She simply stood and began serving Lin Qimian in return.

She grilled with such dedication—it was truly excellent. Everything she placed on Lin Qimian’s plate vanished without a trace.

Once the meal ended, Xu Yueliang’s eyes sparkled as she turned to Lin Qimian. “Doctor Lin, are you full?”

Lin Qimian nodded. “Very full.”

Xu Yueliang turned to the others across the table. “What about Senior Sister Xiaoyi and Weiwei? Are you full? Want me to get more…?”

Huang Xiaoyi and You Weiwei spoke in perfect unison. “Stuffed! Stuffed! No more feeding—we can’t eat another bite.”

Xu Yueliang broke into a grin, looking utterly delighted. “Good to hear.”

She removed the apron and drained the last of her juice. Then, as if on cue, she grew visibly awkward.

Her eyelashes fluttered. She exchanged a quick glance with You Weiwei and rubbed her hands together.

Huang Xiaoyi remembered something crucial. She lifted a hand to brush her hair, using it to shield her face, then shot Lin Qimian an urgent look.

Eye signals darted wildly across the table.

Lin Qimian turned to Xu Yueliang. Her forehead was smooth and full, her profile tracing sweet, playful curves.

Her fidgeting hands finally emerged from under the table, waving vaguely a couple of times. Heads turned her way, but her gaze hung low, landing only on Lin Qimian’s collar.

“It’s still early. How about…”

Lin Qimian cut in before she could finish. “Sure, let’s go play.”

Xu Yueliang looked up, her eyes brimming with joyful stars.

The four of them left the restaurant and wandered through the mall.

They neared the spot they had in mind, but Lin Qimian stayed silent. Huang Xiaoyi shouldered the responsibility once more.

She deployed her amateur acting skills. “Oh! I heard from a coworker—there’s an escape room around here. It’s super fun!!!”

“An escape room?” You Weiwei lit up with excitement. “The one they were advertising at the central square?”

Huang Xiaoyi: “Yep, yep!”

You Weiwei: “I heard about it too! My new media colleague said they just renovated. The stories are crazy scary and thrilling!!! ”

Huang Xiaoyi: “Exactly!!! ”

Lin Qimian finally broached the topic. She turned to Xu Yueliang beside her. “Want to try an escape room?”

Xu Yueliang clasped her hands behind her back and declared loudly, emphatically, “Yes! I love them!”

Lin Qimian eyed her fingers, twisted together like a hemp rope. “You really want to?”

Xu Yueliang let out a hearty laugh. “For real! No faking it!”

Lin Qimian: “I checked the script intros. There’s a Ghost Bride, a Headless Army, and a Reincarnated Child—with NPCs dressed as Giant Infants crawling around on the floor…”

“Aaahhh!” Xu Yueliang shrieked, clenching her fists and yanking them downward in front of her. “That’s so thrilling, aaahhh!!! ”

She took a deep, steadying breath, her gaze locked firmly ahead. “If it’s an escape room, it’s gotta be terrifying! What’s the point otherwise? What are we even escaping!!! ”

You Weiwei: “You’re so right!!! ”

Huang Xiaoyi: “Then let’s charge!!! Fifth floor, out of the elevator and left!”

Xu Yueliang: “Charge!!!! ”

She bolted off first.

Her figure blurred into a streak as she dashed away.

You Weiwei gave chase. Huang Xiaoyi sidled up to Lin Qimian. “Finally, you’re alone.”

Lin Qimian: “She’s scared of that stuff.”

Huang Xiaoyi: “Everyone is. But if she still wants to go, that means it’s not that bad.”

Lin Qimian said nothing. Huang Xiaoyi pressed on. “Do you think she’s only doing it to spend time with you?”

Lin Qimian glanced at her. Huang Xiaoyi giggled. “Doctor Lin, oh Doctor Lin—you’ve gotten awfully confident all of a sudden.”

Lin Qimian raised her hand and gave Huang Xiaoyi’s shoulder a light swat.

Huang Xiaoyi cleared her throat. “Fine. Let’s do a non-scary one. They’ve got a Youth Edition—no NPCs, totally wholesome. It’s a Fantasy Zoo setup. Even adults find it boring. Sound good?”

Lin Qimian: “Sounds good.”

Huang Xiaoyi: “Know what’s the coolest thing about this place?”

Lin Qimian: “What?”

“Not telling. Hee hee hee.” Huang Xiaoyi bounced away, vanishing in a flash.

By the time Lin Qimian reached the elevators, the other three were clustered together, chatting and laughing.

Lin Qimian asked, “Elevator not here yet?”

Huang Xiaoyi pouted. “One just left, but Moon said to wait for you, so we stayed put.”

Lin Qimian smiled and said, “Thank you.”

Xu Yueliang tilted her head back and turned away, pretending to look at the advertisement next to the elevator.

After this elevator arrived, there were quite a few people inside.

The mother was pushing a stroller, so everyone else had to huddle together as much as possible to avoid bumping into the child.

Lin Qimian was the last one to board the elevator. Xu Yueliang reached out and grabbed a small piece of fabric at her waist, pulling her close.

They were extremely close—so close that if Lin Qimian lowered her head, her chin would brush against Xu Yueliang’s hair.

They had all been smoked for so long together in the barbecue restaurant, so they should have smelled like fire and smoke, yet Xu Yueliang carried a sweet scent.

It was a fresh sweetness, like slicing open a juicy orange. It was tolerable when she was at Lin Qimian’s side, but now it was practically right at her lips.

Lin Qimian closed her eyes for a moment, wondering if Xu Yueliang—facing her chest—could see her heartbeat.

Fortunately, the elevator didn’t take long to ascend. When it reached the next floor, the mother with the stroller got out, leaving plenty of space.

Lin Qimian took a step back, putting some distance between them.

Xu Yueliang stayed in her original spot, but she withdrew her hand from Lin Qimian’s hem and clasped it behind her back.

They reached the fifth floor, and Xu Yueliang stepped out of the elevator first.

Lin Qimian followed behind her and said softly, “Your hair roots are growing out.”

Xu Yueliang reached up to touch her head. “Ah.”

Lin Qimian asked, “Does bleaching your hair hurt?”

Xu Yueliang nodded. “Bleaching it this light inevitably touches the scalp. Maintaining this color is really too difficult.”

Lin Qimian said, “You look good with darker hair too. Try it next time.”

“Mm!” Xu Yueliang turned to her with a bright smile, her response ringing out loud and clear.

Lin Qimian raised her hand, her fingers brushing over the second button.

The group entered the escape room shop. The lobby featured an entire deep blue domed ceiling and reflective black walls.

The walls mirrored their shadows, and Xu Yueliang always walked right beside Lin Qimian—close enough that she could grab her with one lift of her hand.

The staff member led the four of them deeper inside, assigned their teammates, and explained the precautions to them.

Once they had stored their backpacks and all the items inside them, and signed the consent forms, the staff suddenly pulled out several watches.

She handed one to each of them and said, “This is a heart rate monitor, providing an extra layer of protection for everyone’s health.”

The staff member smiled very proudly, and Huang Xiaoyi smiled very proudly too.

“Of course, it’s rarely needed, but we’ll record each player’s heart rate throughout the game. Once it’s over, not only can you review the surveillance footage, but you can also get your own ECG!”

Lin Qimian: “…”

Huang Xiaoyi sidled up beside her. “Ahem, this is the shop’s signature feature. Later on, we can check who’s the real brave warrior and who’s just faking their calm.”

“Your heartbeat can’t hide anymore, oh.”