Shen Xiyan pretended not to see anything.
Then—bam! A sharp kick to the knee. It hurt like hell.
The culprit? Qin Sheng!
She squinted playfully, smiling like a little fox.
For a girl as cool and aloof as Qin Sheng, that sly, mischievous grin created such an adorable contrast.
Okay then. So the mask finally slips, huh?
Shen Xiyan kept ignoring her…
Qin Sheng, undeterred, slipped her foot out of her heel. It was summer, and she only wore thin sheer socks.
Her soft, delicate skin brushed against his calf through the fabric—a faint tingle, subtle yet electrifying.
You’re seriously not done yet?
Shen Xiyan shot her a glare and reached under the table to pinch her hard.
“Ow!” Qin Sheng yelped in pain.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Xi asked in concern.
“…Nothing,” Qin Sheng replied with an embarrassed smile, sneaking another look at Shen Xiyan.
But this time, her expression was different. She glanced at her phone, then at her aunt, as if saying: I have a way to convince her.
Shen Xiyan’s greatest worry right now was his aunt’s health. Seeing Qin Sheng like this, he couldn’t help but believe her.
Once he accepted the friend request, the two were officially connected.
Qin Sheng: [I like you!]
Shen Xiyan: [?]
Qin Sheng: [No need to overthink. I just wanted to leave a mark. Now I’ve confessed to you—both in real life and online. In the future, I can proudly tell our kids how their mom bravely chased love… They’ll be proud of a mom like that.]
Shen Xiyan: [? Where did you even get my contact info?]
Qin Sheng: [Was it really that hard to ask in our class group chat?]
Shen Xiyan: […]
Qin Sheng: [You want Auntie to get a check-up, right?]
After sending that, the screen flashed a big red exclamation mark and a helpful system message:
! You are no longer friends with this user. Please add them as a friend to continue the conversation.
Qin Sheng: “???”
Unbelievable!
He actually deleted her!
“Ah!” Shen Xiyan cried out at the same moment.
“What is it now?” Jiang Xi frowned.
Shen Xiyan gave a strained smile. “…Cramp.”
Qin Sheng let out a cold snort.
Shen Wen chuckled.
Jiang Xi’s sharp, beautiful eyes zeroed in on him.
If she still couldn’t tell something fishy was happening under the table, all her years of living would’ve been in vain.
“Xiyan, let’s re-add each other,” Qin Sheng said sweetly. “My old account got hacked today—otherwise I wouldn’t have come over unannounced.”
Faced with her obvious scheme, Shen Xiyan had no choice but to surrender.
And then…
Qin Sheng: [I like you!]
Shen Xiyan: [What exactly are you trying to do?]
Qin Sheng: [I should be the one asking. Why did you delete me?]
Shen Xiyan: [What, should I keep you around so you can keep harassing me?]
Qin Sheng: [Harassing?! I just wanted to help your aunt get a check-up. I have a way.]
Shen Xiyan: [Not necessary. I can handle it.]
Qin Sheng: [Cut it out. Auntie clearly doesn’t want to go. You can talk until the sky falls, but if she doesn’t agree, can you force her?]
Shen Xiyan went silent. That was the real issue.
His aunt was… stingy. These days, a full check-up could cost thousands. She claimed she didn’t have time, but in reality, she just didn’t want to spend the money.
Qin Sheng: [I can help you.]
Shen Xiyan looked up. Her eyes sparkled, and across her forehead practically flashed the words: Up to no good.
Shen Xiyan: [Why?]
Qin Sheng: [Because I like you. And I don’t want to see you disappointed.]
His heart jolted, a warm current rushing through his entire body.
Qin Sheng: [Of course, if you agree to one condition, I’ll be even happier.]
Shen Xiyan: […] What condition?
Qin Sheng: [Let me have your body for one minute. No matter what I do during that time, you’re not allowed to resist. I swear I won’t hurt you. If you agree, I’ll help immediately.]
Are you trying to bully me, Fat Tiger-style?
“Xiyan, take off your pants!”
“Xiyan, lie down!”
“Xiyan, feed me candy!”
Yeah, stuff like that only exists in Liu Bei fanfics. Normal people don’t play like this.
But… was Qin Sheng normal right now?
Obviously not. There was no telling what outrageous demand she might make.
So Shen Xiyan gave up overthinking it. He stood, looking down at her.
“It’s getting late. I’ll walk you home.”
He put extra emphasis on “walk.”
Everyone knew it was just an act. He’d probably just circle the building downstairs.
Qin Sheng gazed at him, full of wounded affection.
Then she rummaged in her bag, pulled out a card, and handed it to Jiang Xi with a smile.
“Auntie, this is for you.”
Jiang Xi pursed her lips. “What is it?”
“My physical exam card. It came with the insurance package my dad bought. You can get four free full-body checkups a year. I haven’t used a single one yet. Normally, it’s one checkup every three months—no way I’ll use them all. You might as well use it, so it doesn’t go to waste.”
“There are cards like this?”
Jiang Xi’s eyes widened, looking like someone seeing the world for the first time.
Qin Sheng smiled patiently. “It’s an insurance add-on. Most people don’t know about it. Just have Xiyan return it to me after you use it. No rush.”
“I don’t feel right accepting this…”
“Not using it is the real waste. Since you haven’t been feeling well, just go get checked. If there’s nothing wrong, great! If there is, don’t worry—this card covers all the medical costs.”
“They cover someone else’s bills too?”
“Yep. There’s just a yearly limit, which usually gets wasted anyway…”
“What kind of insurance is this?”
“No idea, but it works.”
Qin Sheng wrinkled her nose and stood up, waving cheerfully. “I’ll be off then. Bye, Auntie.”
“Take care on the way.”
“No worries—Xiyan’s walking me.”
“…”
“Well? What are you waiting for? Go!” Jiang Xi gave him a shove.
Once they were outside, waiting for the elevator, Shen Xiyan looked at her seriously. “Why are you helping me?”
“I told you—I don’t want to see you disappointed.”
“But I didn’t agree to your condition.”
“Then I’ll be the one disappointed. That’s fine. As long as you’re not.”
For once, Qin Sheng looked shy—almost girlish.
“Aren’t you going to walk me down?” she asked, pouting. “Or would you rather stand here wasting time? It’s summer, and there are mosquitoes, you know…”
With that, she stepped into the elevator, pressed the button, and stood quietly to the side, eyes straight ahead, deliberately not looking at him. But the small smile on her lips said she was sure he’d follow.
One second…
Two…
Three…
The elevator doors began to close.
Then—a slender hand reached out and stopped them.
Shen Xiyan stepped inside, back to her, and said quietly, “I just don’t want to get bitten by mosquitoes.”
“I knew it!” Qin Sheng grinned behind him.
The clouds parted. Her smile sparkled like starlight.
What a shame—Shen Xiyan didn’t see it.
They rode down in silence.
At the gate of the community, Qin Sheng stopped. “You can drop me off here. The subway’s just ahead.”
“Be careful on the way.”
“I’ll message you when I get home.”
Shen Xiyan hesitated, wanting to say more—but in the end, he just turned and walked away.
Qin Sheng watched his retreating figure. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming.
She took two steps forward instinctively before catching herself and stepping back, covering her mouth so he wouldn’t hear her sob.
Tears spilled down, one after another.
It all felt like a dream.