"What have you been eating lately? You've gained two pounds," An Wuyang asked curiously.
Xia Yuqing replied sheepishly, "I just, um... ate a little."
"My constitution is special. I gain weight as soon as I eat a bit more than usual!" Xia Yuqing's tone carried a hint of coquettishness.
"An, how about we go eat fish?" Xia Yuqing suggested.
"I know a steamed fish restaurant that's really delicious, and their prices are very affordable too," Xia Yuqing added.
An Wuyang asked, "Which one?"
"Zhulin Pier Steamed Fish Restaurant." Xia Yuqing replied, "It's right at Zhulin Pier. It only takes a little over ten minutes to get there from my house."
"Sure," An Wuyang agreed.
"I'll send you the location in a bit. We can meet directly at Zhulin Pier," Xia Yuqing suggested.
An Wuyang refused, "No need. I'll come pick you up. I'll arrive in about ten minutes."
"Huh?" Xia Yuqing was a little stunned. "Really?"
"..." An Wuyang felt a little numb.
It was just picking her up. What was there to question?
What was up with Xia Yuqing?
"Actually, you don't need to pick me up. It's convenient for me to go there myself, so you don't have to trouble yourself by making a trip, An," Xia Yuqing quickly added.
An Wuyang was speechless. Wasn't Xia Yuqing sounding a little too much like a White Lotus?
But An Wuyang knew very well that Xia Yuqing was no White Lotus.
From a psychological perspective, Xia Yuqing's response was more like the people-pleasing personality formed by growing up without receiving enough affection. As a result, she instinctively rejected other people's kindness.
That was also why Xia Yuqing liked asking whether things were real or not. She was afraid that others were merely saying things without meaning them.
"I'm already on the way. I'll arrive in ten minutes at most," An Wuyang explained again.
Xia Yuqing said anxiously, "That fast?"
"I still need to get ready. Ten minutes... Oh, no!" Xia Yuqing panicked. She was still barefaced, and how could ten minutes possibly be enough?
"You don't need to get ready. We're just going out for a meal," An Wuyang replied.
"Is that really okay?" Xia Yuqing asked hesitantly.
"Why wouldn't it be?" An Wuyang asked back.
"My mother says that if a girl goes to meet someone without putting on makeup, it's disrespectful to that person," Xia Yuqing said, repeating her mother's theory.
An Wuyang complained, "Then you must be disrespecting a lot of people!"
"I don't!" Xia Yuqing said, confused.
"Do you wear makeup to school?" An Wuyang asked.
"The school doesn't allow it," Xia Yuqing replied.
What a convenient excuse—the school doesn't allow it!
"..." An Wuyang was speechless once again.
"Enough, enough. I said you don't need makeup. Hurry up and get yourself ready," An Wuyang reminded her.
"Okay, then. I'll wash up first, change my clothes, and come out," Xia Yuqing said, indicating that An Wuyang had convinced her.
In less than ten minutes, a brand-new Bixihui BMW M3 with its big kidney grilles pulled up at the entrance of Zhuyu Garden.
Zhuyu Garden was a resettlement housing complex. When the Bixihui BMW M3 stopped at the entrance, it attracted countless gazes.
After all, the New Generation BMW M3 had two iconic huge kidney grilles that made it look full of fighting spirit. Combined with its upscale Bixihui color, it gave people the impression that this was no ordinary car.
An Wuyang had barely parked for two minutes when Xia Yuqing, wearing a floral dress, came running out. She ran straight to the roadside and looked around, obviously searching for An Wuyang. She clearly had no idea that he might have driven there.
After all, in Xia Yuqing's mind, An Wuyang was just like her—nothing more than a high school senior who had just graduated.
Even though she knew that An Wuyang's family was wealthy, hadn't the recent rumors all been saying that his family had gone bankrupt?
An Wuyang sat in the car and watched Xia Yuqing's somewhat silly appearance. He shook his head slightly, then got out and walked toward her.
"Xia Yuqing!" An Wuyang called out loudly.
Xia Yuqing, who was standing at the bus stop, looked over at the sound of his voice. She immediately came running over and quickly asked, "Where were you just now? Why didn't I see you?"
An Wuyang did not answer. "Come with me."
"Oh!" Xia Yuqing followed him, then realized that An Wuyang was walking toward a gray sedan.
An Wuyang walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and gestured. "Get in."
"Huh?" Xia Yuqing hesitated. "Do you have a driver's license?"
"..." An Wuyang stared at her speechlessly.
What kind of question was that?
Could he possibly not have a driver's license?
Driving without a license was illegal!
"I do!" An Wuyang replied.
"Oh, oh." Xia Yuqing obediently sat in the passenger seat.
An Wuyang walked around the rear of the car to the driver's seat, then paused before realizing that he was no longer taking the Subject Three exam.
An Wuyang opened the door and sat in the driver's seat. He then noticed that Xia Yuqing had shrunk into the passenger seat like a little quail, as if she were terrified of accidentally damaging something.
"Seat belt," An Wuyang reminded her.
Xia Yuqing hurriedly reached out and pulled at the seat belt, but she used slightly too much force and pulled too quickly, triggering the seat belt's locking mechanism. The belt locked in place, and no matter how hard Xia Yuqing tugged, it would not move.
"An, I can't pull this seat belt," Xia Yuqing said somewhat shyly.
An Wuyang noticed that Xia Yuqing often wore an embarrassed, bashful expression. He had no idea what she was so shy about.
Could it be because of him?
Did she like him, and that was why she was shy?
After all, that was the only explanation for why Xia Yuqing became so easily embarrassed around him and kept acting bashful.
An Wuyang leaned over and took the seat belt from her.
As An Wuyang leaned closer, Xia Yuqing's face immediately flushed. Even her breathing became somewhat hurried. When An Wuyang took the seat belt, their fingers brushed for an instant, making Xia Yuqing feel as if she had been shocked by electricity.
An Wuyang did not notice anything unusual about Xia Yuqing. He loosened the belt to release the lock, then pulled it out smoothly at an appropriate speed.
The so-called appropriate force was simply the amount of force one normally used to pull a seat belt. The key was not to pull too quickly, or the locking mechanism would easily be triggered.
An Wuyang fastened the seat belt for Xia Yuqing, finally noticing that her face was bright red.
Although Xia Yuqing was not wearing makeup today, an eighteen-year-old girl was naturally beautiful. Her skin was fair and smooth as jade, without the slightest blemish.
Was this the invincible youth of an eighteen-year-old girl?
Facing Xia Yuqing's flushed face, An Wuyang felt like teasing her a little, but he also felt that they were not actually familiar enough yet, so he abandoned the flirtatious impulse.
When two people were close, teasing was just teasing.
When they were not close, it was simply frivolous.
An Wuyang silently fastened his own seat belt, then used the navigation app to locate 'Zhulin Pier Steamed Fish Restaurant.'
As the engine started, the BMW M3 let out a deep roar. Xia Yuqing asked curiously, "An, is this car of yours called a BMW?"
Before you continue