“I truly like Liang Sheng.” Such a touching declaration, coming from that icy, emotionless face, was utterly comical and utterly unbelievable.
Dong Yue panicked and blurted out, “I do too…!”
Wait, no? What did she mean by “I do too”? It was as if she’d been led astray.
“Ahem, you pursuing Liang Sheng…” Dong Yue paused, struggling for words for a long moment. “You can! But Liang Sheng is still a high school student right now. At the very least, not for the time being!”
Mo Qingrou chuckled softly to herself. “But I can continue interacting with Liang Sheng as a friend for now. Teacher Dong Yue, you’re only her teacher, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
Those words jolted Dong Yue awake. Of course—that was all she was, Liang Sheng’s teacher. She might be able to stop others from pursuing Liang Sheng until graduation, but what about after?
The mere thought of Liang Sheng with another woman made Dong Yue’s chest ache faintly.
“Uh, yeah, that’s true…” Teacher Dong Yue had no idea how to counter Mo Qingrou’s point. She could only nod, lower her head in silence, and slowly pick up her chopsticks from the side.
Wait—was the teacher… heartbroken?
Liang Sheng hurried to reassure her. “Teacher, don’t worry! I’m a very obedient student~ I absolutely won’t start dating anyone before college!”
“Mm? Mm, mm…” Dong Yue was clearly distracted.
Ni Sihan and Su Ze both felt their hearts sink with a thud.
This was bad. Had Liang Sheng even conquered their stodgy, rigid homeroom teacher Dong Yue? That was…
They both felt the immense pressure Liang Sheng was putting on them.
Meanwhile, Cha Susu was biting her nails, glaring daggers at Mo Qingrou. She wanted nothing more than to stand up right then and declare war, to tell her that she liked Liang Sheng too.
“Haha~” Cha Susu flashed a sweet smile, covering her mouth with a hint of sarcasm. “I think Sister Mo Qingrou’s vibe doesn’t really match Shengsheng’s~ Oh dear, sorry! I didn’t mean to oppose you pursuing Shengsheng. I’m just super straightforward, you know? I say what I think. Please don’t mind~”
Then, Cha Susu timidly glanced at Mo Qingrou a few more times before hugging Liang Sheng’s arm. “Sister Mo won’t get mad, right? Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Classic green tea move—another pot brewing.
“Heh,” This was probably the first time Mo Qingrou had let out a cold laugh, forcing it out through gritted teeth. “I don’t mind. Matching vibes or whatever don’t matter. What matters is that I can treat Liang Sheng well.”
“Exactly~” Cha Susu kept smiling with narrowed eyes. “But~ I’m already super good to Shengsheng as her friend~. So whoever becomes Shengsheng’s girlfriend has to treat her even better than I do~ Otherwise, I won’t feel comfortable handing Shengsheng over to you.”
One “Shengsheng” after another left Liang Sheng dizzy. At the same time, she could feel the thick scent of gunpowder hanging over the table.
“Where are the dishes? When are they coming?” Liang Sheng was sweating bullets on her forehead. She hated it most when women fought over her.
“Shengsheng, it’s hot in here, isn’t it?” Cha Susu solicitously dabbed at the green-haired girl’s forehead with her sleeve, then shot Mo Qingrou a triumphant glance.
“N-No, it’s fine,” Liang Sheng stammered, unsure what to say. “Ah, wait, yeah, it is a bit hot. Pretty hot, actually.”
“Then~ I’ll go grab Shengsheng a glass of water.” With that, Cha Susu left her seat and headed to the restaurant bar.
The others all turned their gazes back to Mo Qingrou.
“Hmph~” Once at the bar, Cha Susu let out a couple of cold snorts. Then she took a deep breath, plastered on her sweet smile again, and ordered a glass of iced lemon water from the server.
“Here!” Cha Susu handed the lemon water to Liang Sheng. “Ta-da~ Lemon tea for Shengsheng. The food will be out soon, I asked.”
“Uh… Th-thanks, Susu.” Liang Sheng took the lemon water and drank a couple of gulps to calm her nerves.
“No problem at all~” Cha Susu sat back down, and an awkward tension thickened over the table.
Fortunately, the dishes arrived soon after, and Liang Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But even with the food out, Su Ze decided to stir the pot.
“I think Miss Mo Qingrou is great. She must be really good at taking care of people. I wonder what Liang Sheng thinks.” Su Ze said it on purpose, to put Liang Sheng in a tough spot.
Cha Susu and Dong Yue were just as eager to hear Liang Sheng’s attitude toward Mo Qingrou. Every eye turned to Liang Sheng, who had half a mouthful of food shoved in her cheeks.
Liang Sheng desperately swallowed the meat, choking until her face turned beet red. Her words came out haltingly. “I… I think…”
“Um-hmm?” Su Ze smiled.
No matter what Liang Sheng said, she’d end up offending at least one of the three women.
If she said she had no feelings for Mo Qingrou, it would hurt and anger her. If she admitted some feelings, then Cha Susu and Dong Yue would surely be disappointed and upset.
Heh, Liang Sheng, let’s see how you answer that.
The meddlesome Su Ze had no idea that Liang Sheng’s emotional intelligence far outstripped his own.
“To be honest,” Liang Sheng elegantly dabbed her mouth. She’d already figured it out. “I’ll tell everyone: I have someone I like.”
The words hit like a bolt from the blue, stunning everyone.
Liang Sheng put on a shy, delighted little expression, fidgeting and twisting her fingers together. “Um~ This person treats me so well, and I can tell she really likes me too.”
“Plus, we’re really close. We haven’t spent much time together, but she always invites me out to hang.”
“She’s smart and outstanding. She’s held my hand, and I’ve given her gifts. Of course, she’s given me gifts too. And…” Liang Sheng grew even shyer. “She’s a girl!”
Holy crap!!
Liang Sheng smirked inwardly.
Every trait she described fit all twelve of the girls she’d conquered, so she wasn’t worried about Cha Susu and the others guessing who it was.
If they tried, they’d end up suspecting themselves.
Sure enough, after hearing Liang Sheng, Cha Susu was the first to fidget just like her.
Wasn’t that girl her?
“Ding~” Favorability increased.
“Cha Susu’s Favorability towards Liang Sheng: 133”
Dong Yue just stared blankly at Liang Sheng, lost in her own thoughts.
No favorability notification.
Mo Qingrou, needless to say, kept her paralyzed face. Liang Sheng couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
No favorability notification either.
Damn it! Big Pig Hoof Su Ze was fuming. He hadn’t expected Liang Sheng to be so slick, giving an answer that covered such a wide range.
