"Jiang, you keep finding new ways to surprise me."
Su Muzhi studied Jiang Zhiyao, who was clinging to Jiang Linyuan, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
"That just means you don't know him well enough."
Before Jiang Linyuan could say anything, Jiang Zhiyao turned to Su Muzhi and bared her teeth.
Food-guarding mode: activated!
"Your friend?"
She leaned against Jiang Linyuan and asked quietly.
"More or less."
Jiang Linyuan nodded reluctantly, then looked at Su Muzhi.
"I asked you to buy some water. Was it storming or something? What took you so long?"
"Hm?"
Su Muzhi raised an eyebrow, still smiling.
"I just work at my own pace."
Oh, spare me.
If you didn't take so long on purpose, I'd eat twenty little cakes in one sitting.
Jiang Linyuan figured the shameless woman had probably bought the water ages ago and was hiding somewhere, secretly watching him.
Jiang Zhiyao glanced at her useless older brother's disdainful expression, then at the smiling girl across from them. She seemed thoughtful as she leaned closer and asked:
"How close are you two?"
Her warm breath brushed against Jiang Linyuan's ear, making it itch.
"Just regular friends."
Jiang Linyuan answered.
So she was just a random passerby, then.
Hearing how readily Jiang Linyuan answered, Jiang Zhiyao's initial hostility toward Su Muzhi—"What kind of monster thinks she can get her claws into my brother?"—faded into disinterest: "What's this stray dog doing here?"
Watching Jiang Zhiyao's expression change, Su Muzhi's smile gradually disappeared.
That jerk must be badmouthing me again. But what's with this girl? She trusts him way too much.
Let's test her.
"Oh, I didn't realize Jiang already had a girlfriend. I'm so jealous."
Su Muzhi's gaze shifted, and her voice turned sickly sweet. Jiang Linyuan got goosebumps all over.
"Whether he has a girlfriend or not is none of your business."
Jiang Zhiyao couldn't stand that affected, Little Green Tea voice. Instead of answering, she shot back with a direct question:
"Are you into him?"
She hadn't openly claimed him, so she probably wasn't his girlfriend.
Yet she was still hostile toward me. That meant she and Jiang Linyuan were close friends.
Childhood friends? Or maybe they were like sisters?
Su Muzhi lowered her eyes and smiled.
"Of course I'm interested in someone as fascinating as Jiang."
Jiang Zhiyao's gaze sharpened. She was about to say outright:
"A green tea like you thinks she's good enough to pursue my brother?"
But she worried about messing up her brother's relationships, so she turned to Jiang Linyuan and asked:
"What do you think?"
"She thinks she's good enough to pursue me?"
Jiang Linyuan said disdainfully.
That's my brother.
Jiang Zhiyao nodded with satisfaction, then lifted her chin and looked at Su Muzhi.
"Got that?"
Su Muzhi studied Jiang Zhiyao and thought she looked more and more like Jiang Linyuan. They had the exact same shameless air about them.
"Are you Jiang's younger sister?"
She asked again.
"Whether I'm his sister or not is none of your business."
Jiang Zhiyao replied at once.
That was the second time.
Su Muzhi's gaze tightened, then she smiled.
"No, I just think you two are really close."
Jiang Zhiyao looked confused.
"We're obviously close, and you still came over to bother us on purpose? Is your emotional intelligence really that low?"
That settled it. They were either siblings or somehow related like a brother and sister.
Su Muzhi's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Hahaha, that's my little sister!
Jiang Linyuan looked at Su Muzhi's smileless face, delighted, and waved her off.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Su Muzhi fell silent for a moment, then gave him a pitiful smile.
"Forget it. I brought this on myself."
She glanced at the two bottles of water in her hand, shook her head, and turned to leave. She looked so miserable that Jiang Zhiyao felt a little bad for her.
"She came to bring you water, right? Was I a little too harsh just now?"
"Not at all. You don't understand women, sis. And you definitely don't understand Su Muzhi."
Jiang Linyuan shook his head.
"That's crocodile tears."
Hearing that, Jiang Zhiyao lightly kicked him and said crossly:
"Quit messing around and go comfort her."
"If she thinks I was too harsh, she can tell me. I'll apologize next time I see her."
Jiang Linyuan was about to argue, but then he realized that if he stayed here, his little sister would keep grilling him about his WeChat.
"Fine. Whatever you say, sis."
Watching Jiang Linyuan disappear, Jiang Zhiyao sighed.
Why were all the girls her brother spent time with so weird?
"Your family really does have excellent manners."
When she saw Jiang Linyuan approach, Su Muzhi gave him a pointed, coolly sarcastic remark.
"It depends on the person."
Jiang Linyuan grinned.
"Then I suppose I'm the one at fault."
Su Muzhi replied sarcastically.
"Come on, my sister's just blunt. She can be a little aggressive. If she made you uncomfortable, I'll apologize for her. You can ask me for whatever you want."
Jiang Linyuan said.
"She did something wrong, and you're apologizing?"
Su Muzhi looked at Jiang Linyuan in surprise.
"Why not?"
Jiang Linyuan asked in return.
Su Muzhi was quiet for a moment, then said:
"You two are really close."
"We're definitely on the same side when it comes to outsiders. But if it's just the two of us... heh, that's another story."
Jiang Linyuan shook his head, unwilling to say more. He looked at Su Muzhi.
"Anyway, you helped a lot with Liu Tingting's situation. Pick a time, and I'll treat you to dinner."
Su Muzhi paused, then covered her mouth and laughed.
"What, am I your next target?"
"I considered it at first, but now... forget it."
Jiang Linyuan said casually.
Su Muzhi might be an A-Rank Card, but she was far too difficult to pursue.
If Shen Wanyu was an iceberg you could slowly chip away at, Su Muzhi was the deep sea. You could only see the surface; most of her was hidden far below.
The deeper you went, the greater the pressure, and the harder it was to get back out.
She'd make a fine friend, but anything romantic was out of the question.
Hearing how frankly Jiang Linyuan spoke, Su Muzhi asked with a grin:
"What about Shen Wanyu? You've been pursuing her this whole time. Have you never thought about giving up?"
"As for her..."
Jiang Linyuan lowered his head and smiled.
"I'll leave it to fate."
There's a story between those two.
In an instant, countless theories flashed through Su Muzhi's mind, but she didn't ask about them. Instead, she posed a completely unrelated question:
"When you confessed to Liu Tingting, did you think there was any chance she'd say yes?"
"If she had agreed, what would you have done? Would you really have dated her?"
Jiang Linyuan said:
"What else?"
Su Muzhi said meaningfully:
"But you don't like her."
"Haha, does that matter? If she agreed, it would mean she was willing to give something up too. That's fair."
Jiang Linyuan said.
Looking at his calm face, Su Muzhi finally realized that in some ways, Jiang Linyuan was deeply twisted.
Just like her.
"By the way, where's the water you bought?"
Jiang Linyuan asked.
"Here."
Su Muzhi handed it over.
"I want the one in your hand."
"Oh, I've already drunk from this one."
"That's exactly why I'll feel safe drinking it."
"Ew, you're such a pervert."
Su Muzhi reluctantly handed him the other bottle.
Jiang Linyuan took it and drank.
A rich, sour-sweet taste shot straight to his brain!
I fell into her trap! What on earth did she put in this?
"Is it good?"
Su Muzhi asked with a smile.
Jiang Linyuan didn't let his expression change. He forced a smile.
"Very good."
Damn it, did she predict that I'd predict her prediction?
Su Muzhi grinned even more broadly.
"Going to all that trouble to set myself up as bait was worth it. Seeing how happy you are, Jiang, makes me happy too."
"You're too kind. Thank you."
Jiang Linyuan gritted out.
That Downer Girl!
Before you continue