Before he knew it, another afternoon had passed. The dazzling sun had turned orange and was sinking into the distant mountains.
“Ahhhh! I really had a blast today!”
Luo Yao stretched with a big yawn, holding a large pile of things in her hands, her face beaming with happiness.
Not only did she get to accompany Lu Yunze out to play today, but she also soundly beat Lü Ziyi, and on top of that, she bought so many things. Her mood was absolutely soaring.
“Mhm, it was so much fun.”
“Had your fill of fun?” Lu Yunze, who was sitting and resting behind her, asked.
“That’s good.”
Even so, Lu Yunze’s expression wasn’t as elated as Luo Yao’s; instead, he seemed a bit melancholy.
“What’s wrong, Brother Lu? Didn’t you have enough fun yet?”
“Ah, no, it’s fine. If you’ve had enough, then I’ve had enough,” Lu Yunze quickly replied with a smile. “Besides, look, it’s almost dinner time, and there are a lot fewer people now.”
At this hour, the flow of people in the shopping center had visibly decreased, no longer as massive as it was in the afternoon.
However, once the sun fully set and night fell, this place would probably become lively again.
But by then, Lu Yunze and the others would have long since gone home, and that liveliness would have nothing to do with them.
It was precisely because of this that he felt a bit of regret that was hard to let go of.
“Well, I’m going to use the restroom. You can head home first,” Lu Yunze said.
Luo Yao put her hands on her hips. “Brother Lu, you’re at it again. I told you earlier not to drink so much.”
After waving his hand, Lu Yunze headed in the direction of the restroom. However, after turning the first corner, he chose a different path.
Making sure Luo Yao wasn’t following, he found Jiang Sui, who looked rather relaxed, in front of a not-too-busy bubble tea shop.
Lu Yunze didn’t approach immediately, instead quietly observing her.
It seemed he had never seen Jiang Sui when he wasn’t around.
Not working, not having to attend to the Young Master—what would she be like at a time like this?
Jiang Sui was leaning back in her chair, legs stretched out, resting her head on her arm. Her light purple eyes gazed at the sky, lost in thought.
Her beret was taken off and placed on the table. Her ash-brown hair was tied up in a bun. Wearing a hat all afternoon must have been quite stuffy.
Lu Yunze couldn’t read any obvious emotion on her face, but he faintly sensed a hint of melancholy.
Sure enough, she must still be feeling resentful.
Wanting to play openly and properly, not having to sneak time together during someone else’s gaps.
Just as Lu Yunze was sighing softly for her, Jiang Sui was seriously pondering a question in her mind—
For the next mining trip, should I buy some small toys in advance to try out different feels?
Hearing footsteps approach, Jiang Sui turned her head before Lu Yunze could speak, revealing a smile.
“Young Master actually came to find me. I thought you’d just go home directly with the Miss.”
“You’re the one who deliberately leaked your location to me. Isn’t that basically telling me to come find you?”
“I didn’t force you, Young Master. The choice was always in your hands, wasn’t it?”
The words sounded reasonable, but Lu Yunze vaguely sensed a hint of danger from her smile—if he didn’t do as she implied, he probably wouldn’t have peaceful days upon returning.
He sat down and asked, “Were you peeking at us the whole time?”
Jiang Sui adjusted non-existent glasses. “Peeking? Don’t make it sound so bad, Young Master. That’s called observation. Only by constantly being aware of your location can I make the most accurate judgments and avoid being discovered by the Miss.”
She made it sound like she was carrying out some secret mission.
Lu Yunze couldn’t help but laugh.
A silence fell. For a moment, neither knew what to say. So, Lu Yunze ordered a bubble tea for her but didn’t get one for himself—he had already drunk too much today.
After the tea was served, Jiang Sui didn’t drink it immediately. Instead, she looked up at him.
Just a simple exchange of glances made Lu Yunze instinctively avert his eyes, clearly hiding something.
“Young Master, if you have something to say, just say it. Keeping it bottled up will hurt your health.”
Jiang Sui paused, then showed a sly smile.
“Or, should we do it like last time, use my feet to help you… Too bad I’m not wearing stockings this time. If you don’t mind me being all sweaty—”
“Alright, alright, I’ll talk, I’ll talk, okay?”
Lu Yunze surrendered directly.
“Well… about today, I think I need to apologize to you.”
“Why?” Jiang Sui had just picked up a straw but stopped her movement.
“If I could have been a bit bolder and directly refused Luo Yao, you wouldn’t have had to hide like this,” Lu Yunze said. “You were here first, weren’t you?”
Jiang Sui didn’t show the resentment he had imagined. Instead, she seemed quite relaxed.
“But wasn’t my purpose in inviting you out precisely to take care of your feelings? As long as the goal is achieved, the process isn’t important.”
“Really?”
“Can’t the Young Master see the sincerity in my eyes?”
Jiang Sui leaned forward, pointing at her light purple pupils, blinking cutely.
She was too close. Lu Yunze had to lean back, quickly saying, “I see it,” before she sat back properly.
“If the Young Master still feels indebted, then help me with one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Take a sip, and then forget this worry.”
She inserted the straw into the bubble tea cup and handed it to him.
Lu Yunze looked at her sunshine-bright smile and was momentarily stunned.
That radiance was more dazzling than the summer sun, yet it didn’t feel blinding or hot.
He took a small sip of the bubble tea.
“Alright, Young Master, you should head back now, or the Miss will get suspicious.”
Jiang Sui didn’t press further. After speaking, she started drinking the tea herself.
Though, compared to the tea itself, she seemed more interested in the straw Lu Yunze had used.
Lu Yunze stood up, said goodbye to her, and left.
Only when his figure disappeared around the corner did Jiang Sui slowly put down the straw.
“He’s feeling guilty towards me…”
She murmured softly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Compared to bubble tea, that reaction was far more “delicious.”
Just then, footsteps approached again.
Jiang Sui initially thought it was a passerby and continued rubbing her cheek against the cup. Only when the person sat down heavily opposite her did she look over.
“I ate it.”
“Ate it?” Jiang Sui was puzzled.
“Luo Yao ate it?”
“I ate it!”
Thump!
Lü Ziyi slammed a fist on the table, her face full of indignation.
“Why is that woman so strong?!”
After the competition ended, she had seriously analyzed the reasons for her loss. Apart from the strength events where the gap was huge, the other events were actually quite close.
“She doesn’t even look that muscular, yet she’s so much stronger than me… Damn it, I underestimated her.”
Jiang Sui kindly asked, “Want some bubble tea to cool down?”
“Yes.”
“Go buy it yourself.”
Jiang Sui smiled. This was the one Lu Yunze drank from; she wouldn’t share it with anyone.
Lü Ziyi didn’t mind either. She went and bought a cup for herself, sat down, and drank it in big gulps.
In less than five minutes, while Jiang Sui’s tea was still more than half full, Lü Ziyi had already finished hers.
“Aren’t you angry at all?” Lü Ziyi suddenly asked.
“Huh? No, I am angry. I’m even angrier than you.”
Jiang Sui bit her straw, saying expressionlessly, “That damned Luo Yao, she’s just too damned.”
…Her acting was a bit perfunctory.
“I’m leaving. I’m going shopping,” Lü Ziyi stood up.
“You’re not angry anymore?”
“I am, of course I am,” she said through gritted teeth. “But next time, I’ll definitely win and make her admit defeat wholeheartedly.”
After saying that, she left.
Jiang Sui stood up, walked to the glass guardrail, and looked at the retreating figures of Lu Yunze and Luo Yao leaving the shopping center.
“Feeling guilty towards me…”
She softly repeated it.
Whether Lu Yunze couldn’t let it go or could, this emotion would gradually make his heart lean towards her.
From the result, she wouldn’t lose out.
But…
Did she really not care about the process at all?
How could that be possible.
Jiang Sui narrowed her eyes, watching the two figures grow more distant.
The next moment, she bit down hard on the straw.