“Sorry.”
Bai Zhen returned just in time, shattering the heavy atmosphere between the girl and the system.
“Huh? Hasn’t the food come yet?” Bai Zhen sat back down in her seat and glanced at the empty table.
Liang Sheng was a little absentminded. “Mm, oh…”
“Hm?” What’s got this kid down again? Bai Zhen smiled helplessly. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did you remember something upsetting?”
“Um… ah?” Liang Sheng snapped out of it, hurriedly scratching her head with a dopey grin while waving her hands. “Nothing, nothing! I was just thinking, Sister Bai Zhen—I’m just super hungry, that’s all~”
“Then I’ll go nudge them along. Just wait here.” Bai Zhen bought Liang Sheng’s excuse. Afraid she’d starve, she stood and headed to the front counter to ask.
Bai Zhen hadn’t gone far when Liang Sheng called after her. “Sister Bai Zhen!”
“Hm?” Bai Zhen turned, puzzled.
“I’m, I’m not actually that hungry. Let’s wait a bit longer—the servers look busy with everyone here!”
“Ding~” Favorability increased.
“Bai Zhen’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 54.5”
What a thoughtful, kind girl—always considerate of others and their workloads. Bai Zhen nearly teared up.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking on her part.
In truth, Liang Sheng had spotted two people she’d rather not see.
Su Ze and Cha Susu sat diagonally across from them, sipping tea leisurely and looking perfectly content—which turned Liang Sheng’s stomach.
Fawning over Lu Ziqing one minute, now simping for Cha Susu the next? Talk about versatile!
Without Lu Ziqing’s backing, Su Ze clearly wasn’t faring as well. His clothes, pants, and shoes had all been downgraded to off-brands; before, Lu Ziqing had handpicked designer labels for him.
Sigh. How could the high-and-mighty Young Master Su ever have imagined he’d fall this far?
By holding Bai Zhen back, Liang Sheng dodged Su Ze spotting her and coming over to schmooze. Instead, it bumped Bai Zhen’s favorability toward her by 1.5 points. A blessing in disguise?
Bai Zhen settled back into her seat. Conversation stalled between them, leaving nothing but awkward eye contact.
“Ahem…” Bai Zhen broke the silence first, curiosity getting the better of her. “Um, Liang Sheng—Sister’s got something she’s wondering about. Mind if I ask? You won’t take offense, right?”
“Go ahead, Sister Bai Zhen. Why would I?”
Bai Zhen’s slender fingers tapped the glass tabletop. She hesitated briefly before plunging in. “It’s just… you and that handsome girl from earlier. Are you… good friends?”
Huh? Liang Sheng panicked a bit. Had Bai Zhen seen through her? Was her crush that obvious?
“Ah, ah…” Liang Sheng let out an awkward laugh. “Of course! We’re best friends.”
Bai Zhen eyed her for a moment but let it drop—the vibe was off anyway.
Liang Sheng twisted her fingers nervously, unable to muster the courage to spill the truth to Bai Zhen. Still, anyone with eyes could spot her little crush.
“Gotta say, your tear ducts are overactive,” Kazuko cut in suddenly.
Liang Sheng shot her a glare. “You’re such a loner. Some people just have sensitive tear glands—they can’t handle a single grievance. That’s me, so I’m basically a princess!”
“…You’re nuts. Too many short videos rotting your brain.” Kazuko rolled her eyes extravagantly.
“Is that so? Yoroshiku…” There she went, sounding like a full-blown colonel.
Joking aside, Liang Sheng’s hunger was no laughing matter—her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots.
“Huh? Sister Bai Zhen, Liang Sheng—you’re eating here too?” That persistent voice cropped up again.
“Ah.” Bai Zhen turned and saw Su Ze. She dipped her head politely. “Su Ze, you’re dining here as well.”
Liang Sheng went speechless. The small talk was excruciatingly awkward. They weren’t close—why was he bouncing over?
Cha Susu’s eyes lit up at the sight of Bai Zhen and Liang Sheng. Golden thighs, both of them! One was a budding influencer-slash-actress; the other, a rich heiress. Befriend them, and her future was secured—one for star-making resources, the other for funding her dramas. Instant life winner!
Heh. Liang Sheng clocked Cha Susu’s naked ambition. She shot to her feet and waved enthusiastically. “Susu! Fancy meeting you again—I’ve missed you tons!”
Cha Susu was over the moon. This was falling right into her lap! She hurried over, greeting Liang Sheng with bubbly warmth before wheedling toward Bai Zhen with a syrupy smile. “Hi, Sister Bai! I’m Cha Susu. I’ve caught your guest spots and binge your streams all the time. Huge fan~”
Liang Sheng blinked. Oh, right—Bai Zhen had gone viral online and was breaking into acting now.
Her path to fame was… unconventional. She’d been walking along during a livestream, smacked into a tree, and dislodged a hornet’s nest overhead. Instant legend.
Liang Sheng stifled a laugh. Butterfly effect, maybe? The original Bai Zhen was all cool professionalism, blowing up off a short clip’s killer acting.
But Liang Sheng’s arrival had turned the poised one into a lovable goof—and amped the goofs to the power of n.
Bai Zhen smiled politely, clearly not thrilled with Cha Susu but civil enough. “Hello, Miss Cha Susu.”
Miss—not little sister. So formal… Miss? Liang Sheng’s thoughts veered sideways. Something was off about this. No way was it what she suspected; it had to be the respectful “miss.”
“Ah, since we all know each other…” Su Ze’s eyes darted slyly. He was scheming again. “Why not push the tables together and eat as one big group? Our food’s not here yet, neither is yours. More the merrier!”
Liang Sheng drew in a sharp breath. Shameless didn’t even cover it.
Bai Zhen shrugged it off. She still had a soft spot for Su Ze, and her mild dislike for Cha Susu wasn’t a dealbreaker. With a smile and a nod, she agreed.
Liang Sheng couldn’t very well object with Bai Zhen on board, so she nodded politely too.
For Cha Susu, it was a dream come true—another thigh to latch onto. Her dad’s cash flow had dried up lately. His last directorial flop got roasted online; no one dared back her anymore. Gigs had vanished.
