Fortunately, at that moment, more dishes arrived.
It was authentic Northeast Di San Xian, but Liang Sheng, still nauseated from the previous one, hesitated to take a bite.
Mo Qingrou had ordered this dish before and found it quite tasty. She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of eggplant, and chewed it slowly.
Ah! It looked edible! And it seemed pretty good!
Liang Sheng hurriedly lifted her chopsticks and grabbed a piece of potato, stuffing it into her mouth.
“Urk, cough cough!” She started coughing again.
The other girls, who had been about to set down their chopsticks, pulled them back immediately.
Liang Sheng waved her hands frantically while coughing and explaining. “Cough cough cough, I accidentally ate a chili. Cough cough, it’s not this dish’s fault. This dish is really good. Cough cough cough.”
Oh… so that was it. Everyone relaxed and started digging in boldly again.
“Mmm, this tastes really good,” Song An’an praised effusively.
Phew~ Liang Sheng let out a sigh of relief.
They wolfed down the rest of the meal in short order, arriving at the crucial matter of paying the bill.
Liang Sheng raised her hand first. “I suggested we come here, so I’ll cover it!”
Her small voice was instantly drowned out by the nearby squabble between Gu Yuqi, Bai Zhen, and Song An’an.
The waitress stared in bewilderment. She’d seen people fight over the bill before—even nearly coming to blows—but those had always been burly, potbellied men. She’d never witnessed dainty girls bickering over something like this.
Mo Qingrou watched impassively, then stood up without a word and scanned the QR code with her phone.
The waitress flashed Mo Qingrou a grateful smile and walked away.
“Alright, I’ve already paid. Stop arguing,” Mo Qingrou said. In that moment, she seemed to glow with the aura of a savior.
“Phew~” Liang Sheng smiled and stood up as well. “Then let’s get going. We shouldn’t keep sitting here; other people want to come in and eat.”
Bai Zhen and the others suddenly felt a pang of embarrassment. They were adults, after all—how could they act so childish?
Girls in love really did tend to let love brain make them a bit foolish.
Everyone except Mo Qingrou piled into Bai Zhen’s car. Mo Qingrou? She was an adult from a wealthy family; of course she had her own luxury ride. Liang Sheng’s envious gaze said it all.
How Liang Sheng longed to hurry up and start college, learn to drive, and have her rich dad buy her a car. Cruising around in that would be so flashy and impressive.
After dropping Liang Sheng off at home, Bai Zhen ferried the other girls back one by one.
The moment Liang Sheng stepped through her front door, Mo Qingrou caught up to her from behind.
Because of that French kiss in the bathroom, Liang Sheng couldn’t bring herself to meet Mo Qingrou’s eyes. She lowered her head, trying to tug free from the hand gripping her arm.
“Liang Sheng.” Mo Qingrou pinched her chin with her other hand, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze. “I was impulsive back there. I’m sorry.”
Hm? So she’d come to apologize.
Liang Sheng sighed helplessly. “It’s fine. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.”
Mo Qingrou didn’t release her grip. She just stared.
“Come on, let go, Sister Mo Qingrou. I’ve already forgiven you,” Liang Sheng said, pushing at her again.
Mo Qingrou spoke slowly. “Liang Sheng, since I French kissed you, I have to take responsibility for it. Be my girlfriend.”
“What?” Liang Sheng was floored. What on earth? No way, no way, no way!
“It’s really not necessary!” Liang Sheng rejected her outright. “It was just a French kiss. That’s normal between girls! You don’t need to worry about any responsibility…”
Mo Qingrou shook her head. “It’s a matter of principle.”
What principle!
“Sister Mo Qingrou!” Liang Sheng was starting to panic. “Didn’t you love seeing me with Gu Yuqi? Weren’t you shipping our CP? Why are you cutting in now?!”
Mo Qingrou didn’t react. She gently caressed Liang Sheng’s cheek. “Compared to others, I’d rather make myself happy.”
What did that mean? Liang Sheng blinked in confusion.
Just earlier, Mo Qingrou had distinctly felt her emotions toward Liang Sheng shift after the kiss. Mo Qingrou was perceptive. Apart from Yandere Hana’s eccentric personality, she had her own quirks.
Unable to outstubborn Mo Qingrou—and unable to break free from her hold—Liang Sheng relented. “Sister Mo Qingrou, you know, dating is serious business. So, could you let me go, let me head home, sit down, and think it over properly?”
Mo Qingrou considered it and realized she had a point. She released her grip on Liang Sheng.
Now free, Liang Sheng darted inside like a puff of smoke.
Sigh… life was tough. Shengsheng let out a sigh.
The incident had her Favorability System absolutely delighted.
“Impressive, Liang Sheng! With just one French kiss, you jacked up Iceberg Beauty Mo Qingrou’s favorability by so much,” Akino Kazuko said, grinning from ear to ear. “You know she’s the toughest nut to crack among these girls.”
“What’s so funny about it!” Liang Sheng’s head throbbed. “Did you see how she was? I have no idea what to do.”
Akino Kazuko tilted her head in thought. She was right. “Fine, I’ll help you brainstorm a solution.”
Host and system plopped down on the sofa, sighing and racking their brains for a strategy.
A few minutes later.
“Ah!” Akino Kazuko suddenly leaped to her feet. “I’ve got it! I have a plan!”
Liang Sheng had been so stressed she hadn’t been able to eat for minutes, but her system’s words instantly lifted her spirits. “What plan? Spill it!”
Akino Kazuko struck a mysterious pose, turning a bit tsundere. “Beg me, and I’ll tell you.”
Liang Sheng itched with irritation. Of all times, she was still joking around.
“Snap!” Liang Sheng flicked her forehead.
“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you! Put your hand down,” Akino Kazuko pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.
Liang Sheng was blowing on her thumb and index finger, knuckles primed, as if ready to flick again if she held out.
Perched on the sofa arm, peering down at her host, Akino Kazuko enunciated clearly: “The plan is… string her along!”
Eh? What a scumbag move!
Liang Sheng was baffled. “I was single for over thirty years in my past life—how would I know how to play the field? For that kind of thing, go bug that scumbag Su Ze.”
Akino Kazuko flashed a cheeky grin, seizing Liang Sheng’s hand and thumping her own chest proudly. “No problem! I’ll teach you!”
Just as host and system were deep in strategy talks, Bai Zhen messaged Liang Sheng: Liang Sheng, I took a bunch more of our selfies today. Want them?
