"Hello, hello, your best friend is quite cute." Pan Hongbin said with a smile.
"Heh, she is quite cute," Luo Xiaorong replied, her smile a little strained.
Zhao Xiaoxia, without even glancing at Wang Yue and Pan Hongbin, kept her head down, engrossed in her phone. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Luo Xiaorong quickly tried to smooth things over, "Xiaoxia is just a bit shy, she'll warm up when she gets to know you."
"Right, right, I understand. I'm quite shy too," Pan Hongbin said.
Afterward, Pan Hongbin suggested they take a walk nearby.
As they walked, Pan Hongbin kept giving Wang Yue meaningful glances. Wang Yue looked at Zhao Xiaoxia, thinking, *If only she were a little more polite. From the start, she's just been looking at her phone, not saying a word. What am I supposed to do?*
However, unable to resist Pan Hongbin's repeated signals, Wang Yue braced himself and said, "Let's go to a snack shop nearby and get something to eat."
"We just ate, I'm not going," Luo Xiaorong said.
Pan Hongbin immediately chimed in, "I'm not going either. Why don't you and Xiaoxia go, Brother Yue?"
Zhao Xiaoxia, who had been looking at her phone, finally spoke, "I don't have money. If he's treating, I'll go."
"Let's go, I'll treat you. I'm a bit hungry anyway," Wang Yue said, steeling himself.
Zhao Xiaoxia finally looked up at Wang Yue and said, "Let's go."
Pan Hongbin secretly gave Wang Yue a thumbs-up. *You're working hard, Brother Yue! I'll always remember your sacrifice!*
Wang Yue led Zhao Xiaoxia toward the town's only milk tea shop. Zhao Xiaoxia again lowered her head to her phone, seemingly unwilling to talk to Wang Yue. Wang Yue was content with this, as it saved him the trouble of dealing with a talkative person.
At the milk tea shop, Wang Yue asked, "What would you like to drink?"
Zhao Xiaoxia looked up again, glanced around, and said, "Give me a double-skin milk."
Wang Yue nodded and said, "One double-skin milk."
The shop owner, a middle-aged woman, said, "Just one double-skin milk, handsome guy?"
"Just one double-skin milk. What about you?" Wang Yue asked Zhao Xiaoxia perfunctorily.
Zhao Xiaoxia gave Wang Yue a look of disdain and said, "I'll just have the double-skin milk." In her opinion, Wang Yue must be broke if he was only ordering one drink. *Why show off if you have no money?* Zhao Xiaoxia disliked guys who pretended to be rich.
Wang Yue inexplicably took out his wallet, not understanding why Zhao Xiaoxia was looking at him like that. As he opened his wallet, a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills dazzled Zhao Xiaoxia's eyes. Wang Yue searched for change for a while, but finding none, he handed a hundred-yuan bill to the owner. The owner, who had initially thought Wang Yue was poor because he only ordered one drink, now couldn't help but glance at Zhao Xiaoxia after seeing Wang Yue was both rich and handsome, wanting to ask, *Seriously, handsome, what's the appeal?*
Upon realizing Wang Yue was well-off, Zhao Xiaoxia stopped playing with her phone and kept looking at him. Wang Yue felt a prickle on his scalp. *I messed up. So this woman likes money. I shouldn't have shown it.*
After receiving the double-skin milk, Zhao Xiaoxia, for the first time, said, "Thank you." Wang Yue replied that it was nothing. After a few sips, Zhao Xiaoxia left half of it and pushed the container over, saying, "I'm trying to lose weight lately, so you can finish the rest for me."
Wang Yue was shocked. *What kind of logic is this? Are we that close? You're handing me half-eaten food? That's something lovers do!*
"Eat it, don't be shy, I don't mind," Zhao Xiaoxia pushed it a little closer. *You don't mind, but I do!* Wang Yue thought to himself, but maintained a calm demeanor. "Thank you, but I don't like double-skin milk," Wang Yue replied politely.
"No, why are you being so wasteful? Waste is shameful, you know!" Zhao Xiaoxia immediately criticized.
"Then you finish it yourself," Wang Yue was starting to lose patience. *This person is too peculiar, I can't handle it.*
"I told you, I'm on a diet," Zhao Xiaoxia drawled, as if pouting. If Qiao Zixuan or Li Xiaoman did that, it would be cute. But Zhao Xiaoxia? Wang Yue forced down the urge to vomit. With a strained smile, he said, "Then just throw it away."
Seeing that Wang Yue absolutely refused to eat it, Zhao Xiaoxia picked it up again and finished it herself, saying afterward, "You're so dumb."
"Huh?" Wang Yue was taken aback. "A girl invites you to eat her leftovers, and you refuse? No wonder you're single. How are you ever going to chase girls like this?" Zhao Xiaoxia taunted.
"Usually, girls chase me," Wang Yue replied with a smile. The air grew momentarily thick.
Zhao Xiaoxia pouted, "Those girls are too shallow. They only chase you because you're handsome and rich, they're all too vulgar." Wang Yue was silent for a moment, then said, "Actually, I'm also a good student." Zhao Xiaoxia was speechless for a while longer before finally saying, "Alright, I'll be honest. I think you're quite good-looking, so I'll give you a chance to get to know me. Figure out how to chase me yourself."
"I know I'm quite cute, so it's understandable that you like me."
"???" Wang Yue was shocked again, followed by silence. *Seriously, at what point did this fat girl get this delusion? Is this the legendary 'universally confident woman'? I've never met one in my past life, and now I'm witnessing it.*
After a long silence, Wang Yue finally said, "Actually, I think you've misunderstood. I'm not interested in you." If not for the fact that Zhao Xiaoxia was Luo Xiaorong's friend, Wang Yue would have turned and left right then. *This is too suffocating.*
"Stop pretending. Xiaorong already told me," Zhao Xiaoxia said with a mocking tone, as if she had seen through everything.
"Told you what?" Wang Yue's mind couldn't quite catch up.
"You really don't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Fine, I'll tell you, don't be embarrassed." Zhao Xiaoxia continued, "I came today because Xiaorong told me on the way that Pan Hongbin would bring his cousin, which is you."
"Pan Hongbin said you've had a secret crush on me for a long time and never dared to talk to me, so I'm cooperating with you today and came to have milk tea with you."
"Alright, since we've cleared the air, you don't need to be shy anymore. I admit you make me feel a little something. Now, try to please me, man."
Wang Yue felt the last time he was this speechless was... the last time. *You rotten Pan Hongbin, you'll lie about anything for your own happiness, won't you? Just wait until I get back and beat you to a pulp!*