I'm Telling You, She's My Girlfriend

Xiao Junyi knew how to pursue women. Without showing his face, he sent flowers for five days straight, all of them extravagantly expensive: black roses, blue roses, double tulips, gloriosa lilies, and more.

Thanks to Shen Xixi's knowledge, Chu Tianqing knew how much those flowers were worth, and she really... couldn't bear to throw them away.

Every morning, she received the flowers, unwrapped them and put them in the restaurant, then gave them to female customers, earning a chorus of praise.

On the sixth evening, Xiao Junyi appeared in person with a bouquet of red roses in his arms. Standing before Chu Tianqing, he offered a sincere invitation. "Miss Shen, would you do me the honor? Let me take you to dinner."

Several tables of customers were still eating in the restaurant. They all turned to watch, eager for gossip, and some even raised their phones.

Chu Tianqing seemed to hear someone remark, "Beauty is a scarce resource these days. Look at her. She's so pretty that even working as a waitress, she has someone pursuing her."

She couldn't afford to lose face like this. She quickly grabbed Xiao Junyi by the sleeve and dragged him outside.

Standing with him in the alley next door, Chu Tianqing kept her face taut and spoke earnestly. "Young Master Xiao, I don't know what I can say to make you understand. I don't feel that way about you. I was wrong to reject you in public before, but that has nothing to do with what's happening now."

"Got it. You just don't think I'm good enough for you." Xiao Junyi wasn't angry. He was still grinning as he said, "Miss Shen, whether before or now, you're hard to win over. Looks like I'll have to keep trying."

Chu Tianqing desperately wanted to say, Please, stop trying. Spare me.

"Seriously, it's all right if you don't agree." Xiao Junyi held the flowers a little closer. "Let's be friends. Go out to dinner with me, and I won't bother you for a week. What do you think?"

That sounded wonderful. Chu Tianqing's dark eyes darted around, and she added another condition. "You can't send flowers either."

"Sure, whatever you say." Xiao Junyi spoke with delight. "Nothing's even happened between us yet, and you're already saving me money. I have to thank you."

Chu Tianqing couldn't stand it. He really had a silver tongue.

Chu Tianqing carried the roses back inside and handed them to Jiang Lean on her way to change in the staff break room at the back.

Jiang Lean gave the roses to another waitress and told her to unwrap them and hand them out to the customers. Then she followed Chu Tianqing to the break room and asked, eager for gossip, "What are you going to do?"

"Go wait on his lordship." Chu Tianqing took off her apron and uniform, removed her beret, and let down her hair, tidying it up. "After dinner tonight, I'll have a week of peace and quiet."

"Tricks. It's all tricks," Jiang Lean warned her. "Shen Xixi, you're done for. You can't outplay that womanizing young master."

Chu Tianqing started pulling on a sweater and said resignedly, "I'll take it one step at a time. It's not like I can fall out with him. He's one of the four young masters of Jincheng. Who would dare offend him on Jincheng's turf? I'm not the Shen family's eldest young lady anymore."

There was helplessness in that last sentence. Something stirred in Jiang Lean's heart, and she silently lowered her eyes, saying nothing more.

After changing, Chu Tianqing went out and got into Xiao Junyi's sports car. He stepped on the accelerator and sped away with a roar.

Chu Tianqing clutched her seat belt, her face pale. "Where are we going?"

Xiao Junyi said happily, "I'm taking you somewhere wonderful. How about clay pot tofu?"

Huh? Clay pot tofu? Chu Tianqing couldn't believe it. So a young master ate ordinary people's food like that too?

Half an hour later, seated at a small table laden with steaming food, Xiao Junyi defended himself. "You're judging me by appearances, aren't you? Shen Xixi, you're prejudiced against me."

Chu Tianqing took a sip of soup. It was so savory she nearly swallowed her tongue.

She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. The delicious food lifted her spirits, and she grew more talkative.

"It's not that I'm prejudiced against you. You really do play around," Chu Tianqing retorted. "You change girlfriends every other day, and they're always either starlets or top models. Can you say all those stories are false? I've caught you myself several times."

"They weren't girlfriends, just female companions to make me look good. I have to bring someone along when I'm drinking and entertaining clients, or how am I supposed to talk business?" Xiao Junyi suddenly chuckled twice, for who knew what reason.

"What are you laughing at?" Chu Tianqing asked.

"Your brother, the Shen family's eldest son." Xiao Junyi took a bite and said with great enthusiasm, "Once, a business partner sent him a woman, right into his room. When he got back, he was so startled he nearly called the police. Everyone was terribly embarrassed. After word got out, people said the crown prince was pure as ice and clean as jade, and they shouldn't try those tricks and sully his body."

Chu Tianqing was furious and hurried to defend her dear older brother. "What's wrong with that? My brother keeps himself clean. He's a real man. How do you playboys have the nerve to laugh at him?"

At the same time, she understood why her dear older brother had been so out of sorts for a while. It was probably because of things like that.

Even among the wealthy, fitting in was difficult when their social circles were different.

"Hey, don't be angry. Let's not talk about it anymore." Xiao Junyi put a spinach ball in her bowl. "Eat up, or it won't taste as good once it gets cold."

Chu Tianqing wrinkled her nose and huffed at him, making Xiao Junyi laugh with delight.

After they finished the clay pot meal and came out, Chu Tianqing felt comfortable all over and thanked him sincerely. "Thank you for treating me to a late-night meal. It was really delicious."

"You're welcome. It's what I should do." Xiao Junyi spoke of the past. "I've eaten here since I was a kid. Can you believe the taste hasn't changed a bit in more than twenty years? That's the rarest thing. What you're tasting is genuine care."

The clay pot restaurant was in the old part of town, where the alleys were too narrow for a car to enter. The two chatted as they walked out.

After they rounded a bend, a clamor came from ahead.

Chu Tianqing looked up and saw about eight or nine young people, both men and women, coming toward them, chasing and hitting one another. The men had dyed yellow hair and wore leather jackets; the women wore high heels and tight skirts. One look was enough to tell they were street toughs.

Xiao Junyi frowned and stepped in front of Chu Tianqing, intending to pass them by.

It wasn't that he was afraid of them. He had finally gotten to go on a date, and he couldn't be bothered with them. Back when he was raising hell, this bunch had still been playing with their own pee.

Just as they were about to pass, someone in the group suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Xiao Junyi glanced back and put an arm around Chu Tianqing's shoulders, showing no intention of stopping.

"Hey, I told you to wait!" The man flew into a rage, turned and chased after them. The moment he saw Chu Tianqing's face, he said excitedly, "It really is you. I knew I wasn't mistaken."

Chu Tianqing looked bewildered. Who is this? Another debt Shen Xixi left behind?

The man took off his hat and tilted his head toward her. "Quit playing dumb. Look here. Remember now? This is the scar you left when you cracked my skull open!"

Chu Tianqing remembered. This was Brother Bao, the man she had hit with a mop while working in the restroom.

Enemies really did meet on a narrow road. She hadn't expected to run into him here.

Before Chu Tianqing could speak, Xiao Junyi laughed. "Shen Xixi, you're something else. I never expected you knew how to crack a skull open."

Brother Bao flew into a rage when he heard that. Pointing at Xiao Junyi's nose, he cursed, "What's that supposed to mean? Who are you laughing at? Are you looking for trouble?"

Xiao Junyi slapped Brother Bao's hand away. "What are you pointing at? Do you know who I am? Do you know who she is? I'm telling you, she's my girlfriend. So what if she cracked your skull open? What if she broke your legs?"

Chu Tianqing was stunned and hurried to stop him. "Xiao Junyi, don't start trouble. Let's talk this out!"

"Fuck your uncle!" Brother Bao cursed, swinging a fist as he charged at them.