Li Haochen and his group stood by the door, watching the neighboring "Coconut Delights" shop, when they saw someone completely unexpected.
"Mai Jiaqi?" Ruan Shanshan rubbed her eyes, looking at Murong Yanran beside her with some confusion. "Yanran, am I seeing things correctly?"
"No... no mistake," Murong Yanran was also bewildered. Seeing Mai Jiaqi standing there lecturing employees, it was clear she was either the boss or a supervisor.
Mai Jiaqi reveled in the attention, acting superior and surveying her surroundings. She suddenly spotted Murong Yanran, a smug smile appearing on her lips as she walked over. "Well, well, if it isn't our Miss Murong. Why are you standing outside? Oh, right, now you're just a commoner, you have to hustle at the door to make a living."
"You—"
Murong Yanran was so angered her breathing grew ragged. She bit her lip, her eyes misting over.
Li Haochen stepped forward, taking Murong Yanran's hand and giving her a reassuring look.
Li Haochen quickly reached out and smeared something on Mai Jiaqi's face. The move, initially perceived as a slap, startled her into a scream as she stumbled back two steps.
Murong Yanran was also taken aback, fearing Li Haochen might do something impulsive that would land him in jail.
No one knew when Li Haochen had found a black cloth and wrapped it around his hand. He swiftly wiped Mai Jiaqi's face and pulled his hand back.
Mai Jiaqi only felt a slight touch on her face. Relieved that it wasn't the slap she expected, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, that's some thick foundation, at least eight layers, wouldn't you say?" Li Haochen held up the black cloth, now covered in white powder, and examined it with amusement. The stark contrast of white on black was visually dramatic.
Liang Minfeng snatched the black cloth, shaking it out in front of the idle onlookers. Clumps of powder rained down.
True to his acting skills, Liang Minfeng dramatically threw the cloth away and leaped back behind Li Haochen with a feigned gasp, crying out, "Oh my, you scared me to death!"
Chen He and Liu Dehui on the side chimed in with witty remarks.
"Um... do you think you'd choke if you got intimate with your boyfriend?"
"I'm not thinking about that. If you get intimate, your saliva would mix with it and form a dumpling. You wouldn't need a late-night snack."
"Pfft... Hahaha!"
"These guys are really something... Hahaha..."
Suddenly, the surrounding crowd burst into laughter, doubled over with mirth.
Even Murong Yanran's face was flushed red, trying hard to suppress her laughter.
Mai Jiaqi, seeing everyone looking at her face and laughing, finally understood what had happened. Enraged, she stomped her foot. However, realizing she was outnumbered, she gave up on any aggressive moves, her eyes blazing with fury as she glared at Li Haochen and his companions.
With another angry stomp, her high heel snapped. She twisted her ankle and landed in a rather ungraceful pose. Mai Jiaqi was wearing a sexy bodycon skirt and thong that day, and the spectacle of her fall was quite something, a scene worthy of a blockbuster.
For a moment, the entire place fell silent, punctuated by the occasional sound of swallowing. Most of the men's eyes were wide open, as if trying to increase their viewing area and clarity.
"Ah..."
Mai Jiaqi screamed, rolled over, and crouched down, covering her face with one hand and her backside with the other. She fled back to her shop in embarrassment, not even bothering to pick up her broken heel.
After the brief, eye-opening spectacle, the men had had their fill, but their waists suffered the consequences. Countless groans and cries erupted from the crowd.
Of course, these groans included Li Haochen and his three friends.
"Sigh, I didn't expect her to be like this. This has completely ruined things. I don't know how we'll deal with each other if we run into each other in the dorms," Ruan Shanshan said with some worry and helplessness.
"Shanshan, why don't you move out? I'm worried you'll be taken advantage of," Murong Yanran also worried that Ruan Shanshan might face retaliation.
"Move out?" Ruan Shanshan dared not even imagine it. Considering her family's financial situation, paying a few thousand yuan a year for school versus one or two thousand a month outside was a stark difference. The unrealistic thought vanished.
"It's fine, I'll just try my best to ignore her."
"Shanshan, you should move out."
Chen He was the one who spoke. Since the incident with the sand crab last time, the two had grown closer quickly. He had already made up his mind about her, only lacking a final step to make things official.
Upon hearing Chen He's suggestion, Ruan Shanshan's delicate cheeks flushed. She twisted her index fingers, unsure of what to say, and kept her gaze fixed on the ground.
Chen He's face also reddened as he spoke, "Ahem, Shanshan, it's like this. The second floor of the shop has always been empty. We just need to cook a bit, buy some bedding, and use some materials to partition it into private rooms. And you saw when Mai Jiaqi left, she looked like she wanted to skin us alive. I'm afraid you might get hurt."
Of course, Chen He's reasoning wasn't without merit, but whether that was his sole motivation was uncertain. Who wouldn't believe he had some ulterior motives?
"I..." Ruan Shanshan was tempted but hesitated.
"Shanshan, Chen He is right. For safety's sake, you should move out. I'll accompany you back to the dorms to pack later." Murong Yanran's words provided Ruan Shanshan with the perfect excuse to move, and she immediately agreed.
"Then... alright, I'll take advantage of your kindness."
"Take advantage of what? The landlady is living on her own property!" Liang Minfeng, always quick-witted, made Ruan Shanshan's face flush again. Chen He shot Liang Minfeng a look of great approval.
"Sisters, let's go help Shanshan move!" Murong Yanran winked at Zhang Qianqian and Zhang Guifang.
"Oh... ah, yes, yes, yes."
"Let's go, let's go move."
"Uh... do we need so many people to go?" Li Haochen muttered softly.
"What, do you have a problem with that?" Murong Yanran and the other girls gave them a fierce look, exuding dominance.
"No... no problem, have fun... no, have a good time moving!"
"Let's go shopping later."
"I heard there's a famous snack shop on the old street. What do you say we try it later?"
"Okay, let's go, let's go..."
Even before stepping out of the shop, the girls were already planning where to go, not mentioning moving any items.
Li Haochen and the others' mouths twitched, their faces filled with exasperation.
Upon returning to the shop, Mai Jiaqi's face was ashen, like a pig's liver. The air puffing from her nostrils was like that of burning coal, her expression one that warned everyone to stay away.
Seeing her, the shop employees dared not greet her, turning their faces away and pretending to be busy.
Going up to the second-floor lounge, Mai Jiaqi became increasingly furious, her teeth grinding. Looking in the mirror at the smudges Li Haochen had left on her face, a mixture of yellow and white, she couldn't help but hate her own sallow complexion.
"Ah..."
Mai Jiaqi grabbed a comb from the vanity table and began smashing it around, completely oblivious to the fact that the broken comb had cut her hand.