Chapter 128: Reasons for refusal

The girl, startled by the sudden suggestion, looked even more confused.

She stared blankly at Jiang Ling for quite a while, but surprisingly, she didn’t refuse.

Instead, she swiftly got off the sofa and turned around.

Jiang Ling also twisted around, pressing her back closely to the girl’s, both of them standing back-to-back.

Then, Jiang Ling stretched out her hand and slowly slid it from the top of her own head.

Fortunately, there weren’t many people in the shop.

The Shop Owner watched the two adorable girls comparing their heights back-to-back, her smile warm but tinged with curiosity, and offered her own observation: “The girl with the purple hair is just a bit shorter, but there’s really not much difference…”

Before the Shop Owner could finish, Jiang Ling was already bouncing up and down in excitement, cheering, “I’m taller than you!”

The girl looked at her, almost singing and dancing with joy, but didn’t bother asking why someone would get so excited about being taller.

After all, she had rarely met anyone shorter than herself since childhood.

“Ah, sorry! I got too excited, did I bother you?”

After a short moment of cheering, Jiang Ling suddenly realized her actions were a bit over the top.

She quickly lowered her arms, bowing repeatedly to apologize.

“It doesn’t really count as a bother.”

The girl shook her head and sat back in her original seat.

“But why did you want to compare heights with me?”

Jiang Ling pursed her lips, not sure how to answer for a moment.

Was she supposed to say—

Because all the women she knew were taller and stronger than her, leaving her no chance to be the invincible top dog?

How could she say something like that?!

So Jiang Ling coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject: “Did you order yet?”

“No, I was waiting for you.”

The girl spread out the menu for her to see, then stretched out her hand toward Jiang Ling: “Let me borrow your hand for a second.”

Without hesitation, Jiang Ling offered her palm.

Seeing this, the girl used her slender, fair fingers to write, stroke by stroke, in Jiang Ling’s palm, while slowly enunciating, “Shen Yue.”

“My name.”

As she finished speaking, she’d just finished writing her name and then withdrew her hand.

“Ah, I’m Jiang Ling. Jiang as in ‘river’, and Ling is…”

“Zero, as in 01’s 0?”

Shen Yue picked up smoothly.

“No, no!”

Jiang Ling’s face turned red as she waved her hands frantically. “It’s the ‘ling’ in ‘bell’! I’m not a 0, don’t get the wrong idea!”

Seeing her anxious denial, Shen Yue knowingly nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I heard only 0s go out of their way to explain they’re not 0s.”

“No, I really am not!”

Jiang Ling was on the verge of tears, wanting to say something more, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Shop Owner’s odd looks from time to time and sulkily lowered her head.

“Fine, think whatever you want.”

“I want to eat this. What about you?”

Shen Yue seemed not to care about the topic at all and quickly picked out what she wanted to eat, glancing up as she asked.

“I’ll have the same as you.”

Jiang Ling looked at the dazzling array on the menu, overwhelmed by choices, so she just decided to go with Shen Yue’s pick.

“Mm, nice taste.”

Shen Yue gave Jiang Ling a thumbs-up with a look of satisfaction, inexplicably carrying a hint of old-fashioned air.

But seeing her petite frame and babyish face, Jiang Ling couldn’t help but ask, “Sorry to be blunt, but how old are you this year?”

“Twenty.”

Shen Yue pushed the menu aside, her obsidian-like eyes twinkling, making her look especially adorable and charming.

A legal loli!

Jiang Ling shouted this in her heart, unable to help herself.

The burgers here were made fresh, so they didn’t come out fast.

While waiting, Jiang Ling felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward, but still did her best to liven things up, trying to set the stage for her later questions.

Shen Yue, meanwhile, seemed like a harmless, disinterested child—ask and she’d answer, but never more than necessary.

In this atmosphere, their food was brought to the table.

“Here you go, please enjoy,”

The Manager politely set out the plates, pointing at the drinks nearby.

“Here’s a complimentary drink for you both. No alcohol for minors, okay?”

Watching the Manager’s smiling figure walk away, Jiang Ling was dumbfounded.

Did she really look that much like a minor?!

“You really do,”

Shen Yue took her drink, stirring the ice with a straw, almost as if she’d read Jiang Ling’s mind.

“…Can you read minds?”

Jiang Ling hugged her shoulders, shivering in mock terror.

“Your face is easy to read.”

Shen Yue pointed at Jiang Ling’s expression with a ketchup-covered fry, then popped it in her mouth and chewed, her words a little muffled.

“I thought you’d be used to it by now. After all, when I go out, people always think I’m a middle schooler.”

“Well, I’m not the same as you. I’m taller than you, after all!”

Talking about this, Jiang Ling immediately straightened her back, looking proud and full of herself.

Shen Yue, seeing her smug look, couldn’t help but curl her lips and let out a giggle: “Pfft… you’re so funny.”

Saying that, she picked up the overflowing burger and took a satisfied bite.

Jiang Ling, feeling like her moment of boasting had been brushed aside, wasn’t quite content, but seeing Shen Yue eat with such relish, she didn’t insist, and took a bite of her own burger.

So the two of them sat face-to-face, fulfilling the agreement they’d made not long ago.

Jiang Ling was always quiet when eating.

Once, she’d choked on her food in the dorm while talking, and after being gently—but pointedly—scolded by Mo Ran, she developed the good habit of eating in silence.

It seemed Shen Yue was the same.

She focused on savoring the food in front of her, her eyes bright and lively, her slightly chubby baby face naturally radiant with a sunny smile.

After eating for a while, Jiang Ling slowed down and studied Shen Yue, then tried not to sound too deliberate as she gently asked, “Why don’t you want to sell us your song?”

Shen Yue’s hands, clutching the wrapper, trembled slightly.

Her face darkened, and she lowered her eyes without speaking.

This made Jiang Ling instantly feel guilty, so she hurried to change the topic: “Alright, let’s not talk about that. I shouldn’t have asked so directly…”

“Because no one likes my songs. If you choose me, you’ll probably be disappointed.”

But Shen Yue suddenly spoke, staring at her plate and enunciating each word: “You can… search my name. After you see those, decide if you still want me to write for you.”

After saying that, Shen Yue fell silent, quietly holding her food, the mood heavy.

Naturally, Jiang Ling immediately pulled out her phone and typed in her name on the search app.

What surprised her was that as soon as she pressed enter, the screen was instantly filled with a flood of news and entries—

#Second-rate composer called out by top musician for showing off; songs are a complete mess

#Shen Yue—hard to listen to