“That’s because Shengsheng really is that outstanding~” Cha Susu let out a sigh of admiration straight from the heart.
The praise actually made Little Liang Sheng, who had skin thicker than most, feel a bit embarrassed. She became modest for a moment. “Nah, I’m just… just your average high schooler. Ahem, maybe a tiny bit excellent, that’s all.”
In the end, she still managed to sneak in a dose of narcissism.
“Susu, you should hurry up and wash your face too, or the others will get antsy waiting,” Liang Sheng said as she handed the towel to Cha Susu, signaling for her to get moving.
When Cha Susu took the towel, she suddenly felt like they were an old married couple in that moment.
After the two of them finished freshening up, they stepped out of the room. Sure enough, everyone was waiting in the hall.
“Ahaha, you all should’ve just gone ahead and eaten,” Liang Sheng said, blinking her eyes innocently. She’d completely forgotten that she was still holding hands with Cha Susu.
“A-Sheng!” Song An’an, who had been thrilled to see Liang Sheng at first, froze the instant she spotted their joined hands. “You… you two…”
“Huh? Me…?” The airheaded Liang Sheng still had no clue what sort of disaster was brewing.
Cha Susu noticed first. Her little face flushed red as she stealthily slipped her hand free from Liang Sheng’s grasp. Sure, she wanted to get close to Liang Sheng, but not in front of everyone like this—she was too shy for that.
“Shengsheng, they’ll misunderstand~ And they might get mad too~” Cha Susu deployed her signature sweet-talking ploy.
Only then did Liang Sheng realize her hand was empty, and she finally understood the weird looks the other girls were giving them.
“Ah, ah, isn’t it totally normal for good friends to hold hands? No one’s gonna misunderstand, and getting mad? That’s even less likely,” Liang Sheng said, rubbing the back of her head with a dopey grin.
Hearing that, the other girls breathed a sigh of relief—except for Cha Susu, who secretly stomped her foot in frustration.
Hmph! Liang Sheng was such a clueless idiot!
“Come on, no more standing around. Let’s go grab some porridge. I want the fermented rice balls porridge!” Liang Sheng took the lead, heading straight for the porridge shop they’d scoped out the day before.
As she slurped from her bowl, Liang Sheng said, “Later, I’m heading to the beach. If you all have stuff to do, go play at the amusement park over there?”
Liang Jin looped her arm through her cousin’s. “Sister Liang Sheng, let me tag along with you, okay? I’ll leave once you’re done with your thing. It’ll be fun on my own~”
“No way,” Liang Sheng refused with firm resolve. She quickly softened her tone to comfort her. “Really, I can’t. Sis has some super important business to discuss with someone.”
Lu Ziqing wasn’t one to indulge anyone’s whims. She rolled her eyes. “Quit with all the ‘sister this, sister that.’ Liang Sheng says she has business, so we shouldn’t bother her.”
Huh, today’s Young Miss was being awfully understanding. Liang Sheng couldn’t help but flash her a big thumbs-up, only to get an eye-roll and a dismissive sniff in return.
Liang Jin frowned. “Fine, but what goes on between me and my own cousin is none of anyone else’s business, right?”
Liang Jin had a fiery temper too. Lu Ziqing’s jab hit a nerve, and she couldn’t sit still any longer.
The sharp-tongued Lu Ziqing wasn’t about to take that attitude lying down. She instantly flared up, slamming the table and shooting to her feet.
“Stop, stop, stop!! Ahem!” Liang Sheng hadn’t even swallowed her porridge before she jumped up too, arms outstretched to block the brewing fight. “You two, eat your food. We’re finally out here having fun—don’t ruin it over this.”
With the person involved saying that, Lu Ziqing couldn’t keep pushing. She plopped back down in a huff, legs crossed, glaring daggers at Liang Jin, who glared right back.
How awkward. Girls fighting was seriously terrifying. Liang Sheng wiped her brow in silence, wolfed down the rest of her meal, and decided to go find Lan Yueying instead. Sure, hanging around that mysterious woman might bring unknown dangers, but it beat sticking here knowing they’d bicker while she desperately played referee.
Next time? No, there wouldn’t be a next time. She was never bringing this many girls out again—too much drama, too exhausting.
Sigh. Guess she’d have to play the homewrecker again.
Once she’d scarfed down her food, Liang Sheng snatched up her beret and slipped away.
“You all have fun—don’t fight, okay?”
It was like instructing kindergarten kids.
Liang Sheng dashed to the beach and made her way to roughly the same spot as yesterday. She plopped down, let the sea breeze tousle her hair, and played on her phone (the main event), waiting.
“So, you’re just gonna switch spots to mess around on your phone?” Akino Kazuko asked.
Liang Sheng pouted. “What else am I supposed to do with the waiting time? Pull out a ‘Ten Years of Simulations, Thirty Years of Gaokao’ and scribble nonsense in the sea wind?”
“Fair enough…”
The girl and her system waited and waited, all the way until Liang Sheng had scrolled through her hundred-and-eightieth video. Akino Kazuko’s neck ached as she twisted her head, then yelped and smacked her host’s shoulder. “Hey! Liang Sheng! Isn’t that Ling Dang over theree?”
“Huh?” Liang Sheng perked up and followed Akino Kazuko’s pointing finger. Sure enough, there was a flash of blue hair.
She struggled to her feet—her legs numb from sitting so long—brushed the sand off her butt, and squinted toward the blue figure.
“It’s her!” Liang Sheng exclaimed in delighted excitement and started to dash over.
“Wait!” Akino Kazuko stopped the eager Liang Sheng. “Look, isn’t there someone following behind her?”
Liang Sheng halted and squinted harder through her nearsighted haze.
“Ah!” She scowled. “Looks like that annoying old lady’s trailing her. Tsk, what a pain! Talk about bad luck!”
“First time I’ve seen you so disrespectful to your elders,” Akino Kazuko said with a chuckle.
Liang Sheng couldn’t hide her disgust. “Her? Elder? She’s not worthy of respect despite her age! It’s all her yapping that got me wrongly accused. What’s there to respect?”
“So, what now?”
Liang Sheng flung her arms in frustration and turned to leave. “What else? Hang back and observe Ling Dang from afar. Otherwise, if that old lady has another fit and starts yelling for people, I can’t deal with that.”
“Makes sense~” Akino Kazuko shrugged and followed along.
Liang Sheng first walked far behind, moving extra slowly to trail well back from Bell and the old lady. Her eyes glued to Bell’s back, watching their every move.
From that distance, Liang Sheng couldn’t hear what the old lady was saying to Ling Dang, but she could see her mouth flapping open and shut like a fish gasping for air. Ling Dang, meanwhile, smiled serenely, her steps light and carefree. She didn’t spare the old lady a single glance, just kept strolling ahead on her own.
Well done! Liang Sheng pumped her fist. That’s how you freeze out an old hag like that.
Suddenly, Ling Dang up ahead came to a stop.
The old lady caught up and grabbed her arm, tugging this way and that.
Liang Sheng figured the old lady must be trying to convince Bell to go home and stop wandering around outside.
At that moment, Bell turned to look at the old lady. The usual gentle expression vanished from her face. She wrenched free with a fierce yank and shoved the old woman hard.
