A Flimsy Excuse and a Big Meal

“I, I…” Li Yanze stammered, his words trailing off.

“If she truly liked you, would she really ask you to do all these things?”

“And if she doesn’t like you, no matter how much you do, you’ll never become ‘that someone’ to her.”

The words were too blunt, so much so that even the guy nearby, who had tied his shoelaces three times already, couldn’t help but click his tongue. “That’s a real gut punch, isn’t it?”

Li Yanze fell silent for a moment, then murmured, “I know… but as long as she’s happy, I feel it’s worth it.”

‘Good heavens, he’s managed to lick his way into a sense of tragic martyrdom?’

Zhou Yi suddenly realized that Li Yanze was, in fact, acutely aware of how twisted his relationship with Xiao Su truly was. Yet, he chose to selectively ignore all his own feelings.

Did he truly believe that by sacrificing everything and dedicating himself entirely, he could secure a place in Xiao Su’s heart, ensuring she would forever remember his goodness?

This so-called selfless devotion wouldn’t earn him gratitude; it would merely be taken for granted.

The only reason Xiao Su still acknowledged him was that he was easy to command.

If she needed company today, she’d think of Li Yanze. If she needed someone to run errands tomorrow, she’d think of him too.

But what if, one day, someone more convenient, more to her liking, appeared? It was likely Li Yanze would be cast aside in a heartbeat.

At that point, everything he was doing now would instantly become utterly worthless.

This fellow lived a life far too humble and insignificant. This wasn’t love; it was self-abuse.

Having understood all this, Zhou Yi was about to offer a few more words of guidance when the referee’s whistle blew on the court. Jiang Chen had already left the game and was walking over.

Li Yanze’s eyes lit up. He immediately abandoned Zhou Yi, eagerly stepping forward to offer water and a towel. Zhou Yi was utterly dumbfounded by his seamless actions.

What baffled Zhou Yi even more was that Jiang Chen completely ignored the solicitous figure, walking right past him to stop directly in front of her. “Why are you here?”

A jolt went through Zhou Yi as if she’d been caught red-handed. She quickly rummaged through her mind for an excuse. “I, I just… happened to be passing by.”

Jiang Chen’s brows furrowed slightly, his gaze shifting between her and the fawning Li Yanze. “Passing by?”

Zhou Yi fell silent.

‘She suddenly wanted to make a run for it.’

Meanwhile, Li Yanze seemed oblivious to the awkward atmosphere. He still held out the bottled water, trying to press it into Jiang Chen’s hand. “Senior, would you like some water? It’s iced, I specifically…”

Jiang Chen sidestepped, his tone cool. “Thank you, no.” His eyes remained fixed on Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi felt utterly mortified. For a moment, she had no idea what to say. It wasn’t as if she could tell Jiang Chen, “Benefactor, this humble monk is here to exorcise the ‘Boiling Sheep’ behind you.”

Nor could she honestly admit that she was actually there for the system’s reward, could she?

‘Her relationship with Jiang Chen in the simulator was, at best, a one-time collaboration… Oh, right!’

“Um… I, I came to invite you to dinner,” she managed, forcing a smile and pulling out a plausible excuse. “It’s about that matter with Chen Hao last time… I said I’d thank you.”

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, studying her for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “Alright, then. Wait for me to get ready, and we’ll go together.”

Zhou Yi was dumbfounded. ‘No, wait, Senior, you didn’t even offer a polite refusal? You just agreed so readily?’

So, she could only offer a dry laugh in response. “Uh… okay.”

As she watched Jiang Chen walk towards the changing room, she felt as though she could hear her wallet’s mournful wail.

Then, she turned and met Li Yanze’s teary-eyed gaze, instantly feeling a headache coming on.

‘Before even achieving success, she had fallen.’ Not only had she failed to counsel Li Yanze, but she had also been intercepted by Jiang Chen.

Just as she was feeling utterly vexed, Li Yanze suddenly leaned closer and whispered, “Senior Zhou, you, you just said you were inviting Senior Jiang Chen to dinner… Are you very familiar with him?”

Zhou Yi froze, then stammered vaguely, “Uh, well, we’re… friends.”

“Then, could you… help me?” Li Yanze’s eyes suddenly sparkled. “Just… when you’re having dinner with Senior, could you casually mention that Xiao Su wants to add him on WeChat? Just one sentence! Just one!”

A loud alarm blared in Zhou Yi’s mind. ‘Li Yanze was actually trying to rope her into this?’

Before she could refuse, Li Yanze swiftly pulled a crumpled note from his pocket and pressed it into her palm. “This is Xiao Su’s WeChat ID! Senior, you just need to…”

“Stop right there!” Zhou Yi quickly flicked the note back. “This is non-negotiable!”

Li Yanze’s gaze instantly dimmed. “But Senior… Xiao Su said if she can’t add Senior Jiang Chen, she’ll never speak to me again…”

“No ‘buts’!” Zhou Yi pressed a hand to her throbbing temple. “Wake up, big brother…”

Jiang Chen, now changed, walked over. “What are you two talking about?”

Zhou Yi jolted, frantically signaling to Li Yanze with her eyes. “Nothing! He was just asking me where to get good milk tea!”

Then, she subtly pinched Li Yanze, lowering her voice to warn him. “If you dare say another word, I’ll have Jiang Chen block you right now!”

Li Yanze instantly fell silent.

Jiang Chen picked up his backpack, his gaze flicking between the two figures with their differing expressions. “Let’s go.”

Zhou Yi, head bowed, obediently followed close behind him.

****

Jiang Chen had actually seen through her flimsy excuse long ago; it was impossible to pass by the business school on the way from the basketball court.

But from the moment she appeared at the sidelines, a familiar stir had quietly awakened within him. The so-called ‘big meal’ was merely an excuse; even a few extra moments in her company brought him delight.

As they reached the tree-lined path, Jiang Chen suddenly stopped and asked, “Am I that frightening?”

“Huh???” Zhou Yi nearly bumped into his back. “Wh-why do you ask that?”

Jiang Chen turned around, staring at her. “Then why don’t you dare walk beside me?”

‘Zhou Yi’s heart pounded. Wasn’t she afraid of being exposed, Senior? She wasn’t a real senior; what if she messed up and was seen through?’

“Ahaha… of course not!” She chuckled awkwardly, taking two steps forward to dutifully walk beside him.

Jiang Chen glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a faint smile playing on his lips. “What are you planning to treat me to?”

Zhou Yi paused, realizing she hadn’t considered that at all.

She stammered for a long moment before tentatively suggesting, “Uh… that… Old Zhang’s Beef Noodles?”

Seeing Jiang Chen’s brow furrow, she hastily corrected herself. “Are beef noodles not to your taste? Or, or how about the Little Wooden Bridge Grilled Fish?”

Jiang Chen stopped, turning to fix her with a half-smile. “Someone promised a ‘big meal’ last time. Are you trying to fob me off with a bowl of noodles and a plate of grilled fish now?”

Zhou Yi offered a wry smile.

‘My goodness, Senior, are you really planning to fleece me?’

She hurriedly called out to the system in her mind. “Xiao Qi, can this ‘big meal’ be reimbursed through the public account?”

[Of course not~ This is a reward scenario triggered by the player’s own promise, and it’s not within the scope of mission expenses.]

Zhou Yi’s heart tightened. “No way? What kind of system is this stingy?”

[This system has always been fair, just, and transparent. Proactive tip: The 1000 yuan mission completion bonus you received last time can be used flexibly~]

Zhou Yi was practically fuming. “That’s my hard-earned money from selling myself… no, selling my skills! You can’t make me pay for someone’s dinner out of my own pocket, can you? I don’t care, give me a meal allowance!”

[Line busy, please try again later…]

Zhou Yi fell silent.