Chapter 166

Before, it only lasted two days in reality... "Rent a girlfriend??" Hua Xin murmured to herself softly, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes. Life always seems to have such coincidences. After the girl took care of her normal physiological needs, she flushed very politely. After walking out of the stall, she looked at the scene in front of her in a daze. There was no row of things that boys need. Instead, there was another row of stalls. Hua Xin vaguely remembered. Not long after starting university, she and Xia Yan stood in a stall in the men's restroom just like this. He gently knocked on the door. At the same time, he knocked on her long-closed heart. 130. A little sweet, but not meat. Following the seven-up-eight-down principle, the girl solemnly put the tripe she had cooked in the bubbling red hot pot into a bowl, and with a slight force from her chopsticks, the tripe was instantly covered with dipping sauce. Just one bite and she couldn't forget this strange food. At this moment, she felt even more exhilarated than when she was playing games at home, winning by clinging to a powerful player, and then arrogantly sending a message to everyone saying "Forward to human assistance. [No apprenticeships]" while pushing the crystal. Food was Hua Xin's motivation to live! "Ouch, so spicy..." Hua Xin's face flushed slightly, and she stuck out her tongue, a little annoyed by the spiciness. The numbing and spicy sensation filled her mouth, but she loved it. Although the tripe itself was crisp and tasteless, combined with the spiciness of the hot pot broth and the dipping sauce in the bowl, it was so delicious that even washing shoe soles would be a good thing! "Eat slowly, be careful." "Drink some water." "Nobody's going to take it from you," Xia Yan said softly, opening a bottle of mineral water and handing it to her. Hua Xin hesitated slightly, then took the water from him. Their fingers accidentally touched as they exchanged the water. Hua Xin recoiled as if electrocuted, then casually gulped down water. The cool water washed away the spiciness and burning sensation from the hot pot, calming her down slightly. After all, they had already held hands for so long, and now it was just a brief touch... Ugh! So annoying! The girl didn't say anything, just gave Xia Yan a slightly annoyed glare. Xia Yan: "?" Xia Yan helplessly continued cooking the hot pot ingredients, not knowing what he had done wrong again. Well, girls' emotions are indeed often inexplicable. There were other ingredients on the table. Besides some meat and vegetables, the rest of the delicious food were things the girl had only ever seen on video apps. For example, tripe, beef aorta, duck intestines, duck blood, and even bullfrog and ice cream!!! Thankfully, her period was over, so she could enjoy this feast without worrying about stomach aches or discomfort. "Please enjoy your meal." The waiter hurriedly brought over two plates of meat and then quickly left again. It was clear that this restaurant's popularity was well-deserved. Even with the restaurant being so busy and crowded, the waiters' attitude remained excellent. She felt the service was half as good as the perfect employee she worked at the cat cafe. After a slight sigh, the girl once again picked up the fragrant, tender, spicy meat that kept being added to her plate and put it in her mouth. Delicious! Having a servant... uh, a good friend, was definitely a good thing. Hua Xin couldn't help but feel a little smug. Xia Yan, whom everyone adored, was actually working tirelessly to get her hot pot, and providing perfect service willingly. The girls at the next table seemed to be staring longingly at him. If those wicked women like Lin Qingyu or Liu Ruoyun saw this, wouldn't they be green with envy? They'd probably immediately unleash a barrage of 762 or 556. Uh... The girl fell silent for a moment. The thought of Lin Qingyu made her uneasy. The video of Lin Qingyu shooting that Lin Qingyu had posted on social media was still fresh in her mind, and school was about to start. After the New Year, she would be starting her freshman year with Xia Yan. The excuse of "family matters preventing me from hanging out with Xia Yan" wouldn't hold Lin Qingyu back for long; it would eventually be exposed. What could she use to stop Lin Qingyu from revealing her secret then? Whether she continued as a spy or took the opportunity to tell Lin Qingyu the truth—that she intended to leave the alliance that Lin Qingyu believed she also liked Xia Yan —if she said she didn't want to continue pursuing him because Xia Yan had a girlfriend... Lin Qingyu probably couldn't say anything, right? Thinking this, the girl felt a sense of relief. At least after she left Xia Yan's side, there was still a solution. Hua Xin knew Xia Yan quite well. Xia Yan probably wouldn't say anything about their breakup on social media, nor would he tell those bad women. After all, he wanted to completely sever ties with them. This was information only "Hua Xin" knew. "Want more meat?" "I'll take these two plates of meat too?" Xia Yan's gentle voice brought Hua Xin back from her quiet eating. He and the girl weren't sitting opposite each other, but to one side. Sitting with her made Xia Yan feel a long-lost sense of peace. This feeling was even as relaxing as when he was with "Hua Xin." Xia Yan had a vague sense of familiarity and premonition. He had noticed the girl's fragrance especially at the movie theater. Because they were so close, and also... Xia Yan's hand, which was holding long chopsticks to blanch vegetables, paused, and a rare embarrassment and shyness appeared in his eyes. It was hard to imagine that the always sunny, gentle, and generous Xia Yan would feel shy one day. After all, in his fear, he had subconsciously touched that part of the girl's body. Although it wasn't with his hand, his head seemed even more inappropriate than his hand... But even in a daze, he still noticed it in that instant of intimate contact with the girl. Xia Yan hadn't had any contact with other girls; if he had to pinpoint it, it was probably just living with Xia Fen. But no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't pinpoint where that memory was hidden deep in his mind. "Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat!!!" Hua Xin turned around, her eyes shining, looking at Xia Yan. Her lips, glistening from the hot pot and seasonings, weren't as pale as they had been during the day. Wait a minute... a few slices of meat? Hua Xin stared blankly at the plate Xia Yan held in his hand—a plate filled with crushed ice and thin slices of meat haphazardly garnished with useless decorations. She didn't know what to say. Could this be the legendary 5A-grade Wagyu beef? But this was a hot pot restaurant... how could they have meat for steak and sukiyaki? Anyway, it's all going to be deep-fried, so the taste is pretty much the same. Hua Xin lowered her head expectantly and continued to devour her ice cream. Xia Yan looked away, his throat slightly moving. Okay. The aroma of the hot pot seemed rather bland in this setting, and his initially hungry stomach grew full after just a few slices of meat. Perhaps if he ate any more, would the girl think he was stealing her food? Watching the girl eat so happily, Xia Yan's eyes couldn't help but...