I abruptly pulled away, putting some distance between us.
At this moment, my glare—half feigned anger, half real embarrassment—held no deterrent power in Su Liumeng’s eyes.
“Who are you calling your little sister?!”
To me, this was practically a public humiliation.
From identity to body structure, I felt a strange kind of shame at being put beneath someone for once.
“And another thing—we’re just ordinary friends right now, so keep your distance.”
My heart still hadn’t calmed down.
My fair little hand instantly raised, drawing a big cross at her with my arms.
I strode forward. Su Liumeng trailed behind, blinking in slight frustration.
Wait, why didn’t that work at all?
According to what novels say, if you want to win someone over, you’re supposed to make them feel flustered.
Most people can’t even tell whether their quickened heartbeat comes from shame or attraction…
Unless—
She prefers me calling her “gege” instead?
Su Liumeng fell into deep thought…
Wouldn’t that be a bit too exciting?
I was just about to head to the cafeteria when Su Liumeng quickly caught up.
The moment I saw her closing the gap, I immediately raised a big X with my arms in front of me, terrified she’d say something outrageous again.
“Distance! Mind the distance!”
“Don’t get too close.”
Su Liumeng’s eyes curved as she smiled—a look that was honestly very pretty.
How had she never noticed before that Sichenyan, when sulking, looked this cute?
“Mm, keep your distance.”
She stepped back slightly, seemingly cooperating with what I said—but her exaggerated expression made me burst out laughing.
Seriously?
Does this girl not have any noble lady airs at all?
Inwardly, I felt both exasperated and helpless.
I ended up just pursing my lips and heading for the second floor of the cafeteria.
I ordered a spicy stir-fry pot.
The rice came with free refills—very economical, a student favorite.
Twelve yuan.
Pretty decent.
I stared at the dwindling number in my meal card.
Su Liumeng wasn’t all that hungry—she just got herself a small bowl of porridge.
She was always attentive.
Noticing the look on my face, she asked, “Are you… worried about money?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Of course. I’m on my own now. Everything I spend, I have to earn myself.”
After I returned the money she gave me last time, I was left with just a few tens of thousands in savings.
Su Liumeng took out her phone and transferred 520,000 yuan to me on the spot.
Pouting slightly, she said, “This is… this month’s friendship fee.”
I stared at the screen, slowly falling silent.
So this is what being a rich girl is like?
Being her friend really means living without a single hardship.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want it?” Su Liumeng’s eyes dimmed a little.
She explained softly, “It’s not like you’ve never seen money before.
This 520k isn’t even much—it’s just a few days of pocket money for me.
If it makes you feel guilty, you can just repay me someday when you make it big. I’ll accept your support then.”
After a moment of silence, I still accepted the transfer.
I really did need the money.
And I wasn’t the type to be overly sentimental.
Just like she said—she’s helping me because she sees me as a friend.
And if I also consider her a friend, there’s no need to overthink it.
“I’ll pay you back,” I muttered quietly.
Maybe because I hadn’t eaten much this morning, one big bowl of rice went down easily, but I was still hungry—so I had another full bowl.
Su Liumeng stared, a little dazed, and surprisingly adorable.
“You—”
“You eat this much now?”
We had lived under the same roof for years.
You could say—she’s the one who knows me best in this world.
So of course she knew my usual appetite.
I’d usually never eat more than one bowl.
That’s probably one reason I never grew tall.
“No idea. Probably just didn’t eat much this morning,” I said as I slowly set down my chopsticks.
Covering a yawn with my hand, I curled up slightly on the long bench like a satisfied little cat.
Su Liumeng’s eyes lit up for a moment, then shifted elsewhere.
She was silent for five full minutes, clearly deep in thought.
Her small fingers twisted nervously at the hem of her skirt.
After gathering her courage for what seemed like forever, she finally called out, “Sichenyan…”
“Mm?” I responded lazily, still lying there.
I usually liked to rest a bit after eating, so I hadn’t gotten up from the cafeteria bench just yet.
Su Liumeng silently cursed herself for being useless.
She looked away, then discreetly pinched her own thigh before suddenly standing up under my gaze.
Meeting my eyes directly—this girl who had always been so poised, confident, never exactly cold-blooded but definitely unshakable—even she faltered for a second now.
Her tone gradually turned serious, as though switching into another mode altogether.
“What kind of person do you like?”
“Can you give me a chance… to pursue you?”
Then, as if something suddenly struck her, Su Liumeng’s face turned a little pale.
She added in a flustered rush,
“Wait… do you even still like girls?”
Her lips pressed into a line, gaze drifting to my chest—where the thin, soft fabric of my summer dress couldn’t quite hide the curves forming underneath.
She waited for my response.
But it didn’t come immediately.
And in that moment, a strange sense of self-doubt crept over her—something fragile, almost pitiful.
Su Liumeng was beautiful. Almost flawless, really.
Well—except for the relatively modest chest.
Her gaze dipped ever so slightly, lip caught between her teeth.
Actually… it’s not that flat, is it? she thought quietly.
I’m at least a B cup…
Could it be that Sichenyan doesn’t like me because of… that?
Her mind spiraled wildly, coming up with all sorts of ridiculous thoughts.
I, on the other hand, had been spacing out, and completely missed the beginning of what she said.
By the time I snapped out of it, I saw her standing there with her head lowered, lip caught in her teeth, looking like a small girl abandoned in some cold, shadowed corner of the world—like she was one second away from crouching into a sad little ball.
“L-Like, I guess?” I blurted out.
It came out as a question because—even I wasn’t entirely sure of the answer.
I was still reexamining my own orientation.
To be honest, I didn’t think my sexuality had changed.
It’s a matter of personal taste, after all.
Why would that shift just because my body changed?
So I firmed my tone.
“Yeah. I do like girls.”
The moment Su Liumeng heard that, a massive weight in her heart finally lifted.
She visibly relaxed, as if someone had untied a knot in her chest.
Her whole demeanor softened, and her voice grew lighter.
“Then… what type of girls do you like?”
This time, I didn’t even hesitate.
“Cute ones.”
The memory of Shangguan Xiyue’s big misunderstanding from before suddenly came to mind, and my fingers trembled so slightly I nearly flung my phone into the air.
I do like cute girls, yes—
But that doesn’t mean I can date myself, right?
Su Liumeng instantly broke into a radiant smile.
That flawless face of hers, lit softly by the ceiling light, gave off a momentary glow—like a night-blooming flower blooming for just an instant, enough to brighten the entire world.
It was sweet.
Sweet enough to reach the depths of anyone’s heart.
Then she gave a soft hum, as if regaining her usual young-lady rhythm.
Her chin lifted slightly, adding a touch of arrogance to her already intoxicating beauty.
Smack—!
Her dainty palm slammed onto the tabletop.
“Si Xinyan, I’m going to pursue you.”
I blinked my big, pretty eyes, still unsure how to react—
And right then, Miss Su followed up with a firm, nearly domineering declaration, her voice filled with both practiced boldness and an undertone of cautious testing.
“This isn’t a request for your opinion.”
“It’s a notice!”
As soon as she finished speaking, her heart started racing—wild and erratic, as if it might leap out of her chest any second.
She was nervous.
No way she’d admit it, but this whole bossy performance… was mostly to cover up how afraid she was that I’d reject her.
She still couldn’t quite handle the image of being turned down.
She and I were so different.
To me, Xiao Yu was someone I had cared about deeply for a few years.
A meaningful connection, sure…
But to her—
She had truly liked me for many, many years.