"Senior! No matter what, joking about someone else's physical flaws is going too far!"
Lin Yilin said angrily.
Haha, I knew this junior had no sense of danger.
"See? Even she thinks it's a physical flaw."
Jiang Linyuan raised his brows at Su Muzhi, looking utterly confident.
Lin Yilin immediately panicked. She looked at Su Muzhi and hurried to explain,
"That's not what I meant! Senior Sister, I just—I was trying to say..."
"Hehe, I know Xiao Yilin's a good girl. You don't have to explain."
Su Muzhi smiled softly, then glanced sideways at Jiang Linyuan.
"I know what's right and wrong."
"Muzhi, honest advice may grate on the ears, but it helps you improve. I may have put it harshly, but it's the truth."
Jiang Linyuan shook his head, then looked at Lin Yilin and tutted.
"Unlike certain people, who look pure and adorable but suck up to those in power."
Heaven above, distinguish the loyal from the treacherous!
Who was it that put on a whole show of changing faces in front of the Department Head earlier?
Lin Yilin couldn't take it anymore. She reached out and secretly pinched Jiang Linyuan's hand.
What was that, a kitten hissing?
Jiang Linyuan looked at Lin Yilin in puzzlement.
With that little strength, I can't tell if you're flirting or pinching me.
Lin Yilin noticed Jiang Linyuan looking at her. She forced herself not to turn away and stared at him with wide eyes, though her cheeks were bright red.
That jerk of a senior pinched my hand just now. I can pinch his too!
Thinking that, she felt more emboldened. She lifted her little chin and huffed,
"W-what are you looking at?"
"An adorable junior."
"You're not allowed to look!"
Hearing that made Lin Yilin feel all warm in the face. She turned away, unwilling to look at Jiang Linyuan.
This is so fun, like teasing a kid.
"Hehe, Jiang, you didn't call us here just to flirt, did you?"
Su Muzhi tapped the table, reminding him with a smile.
Jiang Linyuan sighed.
"Muzhi, you've grown up. Taking the initiative to handle things for the team leader—I'm very gratified."
"Considering how useless you are, it's only natural for me to think ahead."
Su Muzhi smiled sweetly.
Jiang Linyuan snorted, too lazy to argue with her, and turned to the matter at hand.
"There's no need to rush with Yu Songsong. This isn't something we can get done in a day or two. We need to take it one step at a time."
"Eh, but you and Liu Tingting made such quick progress last time. You move fast, Jiang."
Su Muzhi's expression was teasing.
Jiang Linyuan understood her innuendo perfectly and shot back,
"Wasn't that because you rushed off so quickly? This time, take it slow. Lay the groundwork before you make a move."
"You two! What are you talking about?"
Hearing them start making dirty jokes, Lin Yilin's face turned even redder. She shouted,
"Get back to talking about Yu Songsong! No changing the subject!"
"Fine."
Jiang Linyuan nodded and said,
"Yu Songsong. A first-year student, female, unmarried..."
"Wait, what do you mean, 'unmarried'?! You should at least say whether she has a boyfriend!"
Lin Yilin loudly objected.
"Maybe whether she has a boyfriend doesn't matter to Jiang."
Su Muzhi said with a smile.
"No way! I can't do something that ruins someone else's relationship! If she has a boyfriend, I'm not helping!"
Lin Yilin had principles, huh? A true champion of pure love.
"Relax, she doesn't have a boyfriend. She's gloriously single."
You're single, I'm single, you're a woman and I'm a man—we're practically made for each other!
Jiang Linyuan said confidently,
"I'll leave the detailed research to the two of you."
"Xiao Yilin, I remember the Academic Department is holding a study-experience exchange soon. Come help me out, and we can meet Yu Songsong."
Then he turned to Su Muzhi.
"Muzhi, your task is more difficult. Check Yu Songsong's Little Red Book account, and remember to look through her posts."
Su Muzhi understood now. No wonder Jiang Linyuan didn't dare approach her by himself.
So that was what he was afraid of.
"Sure, leave it to me."
She smiled as she agreed.
As the three of them talked, the sky outside gradually darkened with clouds, and rain began to fall.
"Ah, I didn't bring an umbrella."
Lin Yilin looked at the heavy rain outside, worried.
"Neither did I."
Su Muzhi said.
Jiang Linyuan furrowed his brows and felt around in his bag.
"Neither of you brought an umbrella? That's a bit of a problem."
From his tone, Su Muzhi thought he sounded as if he had brought one. She deliberately teased him.
"Is Jiang wondering whether to walk me back to the dorm first or Xiao Yilin?"
"Why can't we all go together?"
Jiang Linyuan asked.
"That'd be kind of embarrassing."
Lin Yilin said. She imagined how ridiculous the three of them would look squeezed under one umbrella.
And they'd definitely be pressed up close.
The thought made her blush a little more.
"I don't mind."
Su Muzhi said with a smile.
"Th-then Senior should take Senior Sister Su back first. I'll wait here."
In the end, Lin Yilin couldn't compete with shameless Su Muzhi, so she said quietly.
Why did she sound a little reluctant?
"Wait for what?"
Jiang Linyuan frowned.
"What's the difference between two people getting soaked and three people getting soaked?"
"You didn't bring an umbrella?"
Su Muzhi's smile twitched.
"Why did you think I brought one? Making assumptions about men again, huh? You creep!"
Jiang Linyuan retorted, adding the classic put-down at the end.
"Then why did you feel around in your bag?!"
Lin Yilin was about to lose it.
So feeling around in your bag means you've got an umbrella? Does feeling your thigh mean you'll accuse me of something too?!
You binary little sister, you're getting more and more of a creep!
"I just did it without thinking."
Jiang Linyuan replied.
Lin Yilin sighed and slumped over the table.
"Forget it. I'll ask my roommate to bring one."
Then she looked at Su Muzhi and Jiang Linyuan.
"Senior and Senior Sister, ask your roommates to bring umbrellas too."
"They're in class."
Su Muzhi said with a smile.
Wow, so you really did skip class to come out here?
"But it's fine, Xiao Yilin. I have Jiang with me, don't I? He definitely won't leave me behind, right?"
She looked at Jiang Linyuan with a faint smile.
Hard to say.
Jiang Linyuan smiled without answering.
"Of course Senior won't leave Senior Sister Su behind, right?"
Lin Yilin said.
Jiang Linyuan was still smiling.
"Right?"
Lin Yilin sounded uncertain.
Jiang Linyuan stopped looking at her.
"Senior! If you do that, Senior Sister Su will be upset!"
Lin Yilin said angrily, puffing up her cheeks. Then she sighed helplessly.
"Forget it. I'll ask my roommate to bring an extra umbrella."
"For me?"
Jiang Linyuan turned to look at her.
"Dream on! Ask your own roommate, Senior! This one's for Senior Sister Su!"
Lin Yilin replied irritably. She tapped at her phone as if messaging her roommate.
Girls help girls. I'm moved to tears.
Not long after, a petite figure walked through the curtain of rain and into the milk tea shop, holding an umbrella.
"Thanks, Juntang. Sorry for the trouble. It's pouring out there, so have some milk tea to warm you up."
When Lin Yilin saw her, she carried over a cup of milk tea.
Huh? Wasn't she that shy junior?
So she and the binary little sister were roommates?
Jiang Linyuan recognized the girl who'd brought the umbrella as the one whose luggage he had helped carry. He was a little surprised.
"No need... I'm just bringing you an umbrella."
Zhang Juntang said shyly. She spoke quietly, didn't take the milk tea, and handed over the umbrella.
Then she took another umbrella out of her bag, glanced furtively at Jiang Linyuan beside Lin Yilin, and held it out to him.
Lin Yilin was surprised. Jiang Linyuan was surprised too.
Su Muzhi, meanwhile, stared at Zhang Juntang as if she'd just spotted something entertaining.
"W-what is it?"
With everyone staring at her, Zhang Juntang slowly lowered her head like a startled little animal and asked timidly.
"You've gone after Xiao Yilin's roommate too?"
Su Muzhi asked.
Gone after her, my ass! What does that have to do with me?!
"Juntang, you brought the wrong umbrella. Senior Jiang already has someone bringing him one."
Lin Yilin whispered in Zhang Juntang's ear.
"Mm..."
Only then did Zhang Juntang notice that a pretty short-haired girl stood beside Jiang Linyuan, smiling.
Embarrassed, she held out the umbrella again, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's.
"S-sorry."
So... so timid. She'd come to deliver an umbrella—why was she apologizing?
Before you continue