Sometimes, People Who Are Easy to Read Act That Way on Purpose

The volunteer event soon came to an end.

Jiang Linyuan shed his disguise and felt a little tired.

[Renewed] activated! Ah, that felt great. He could go another three hundred rounds!

Now he could get down to business tonight.

Footsteps sounded nearby.

"What are you thinking about, Senior?"

Lin Yilin, who had also finished her work, brought Zhang Juntang over to Jiang Linyuan and asked him.

"What to eat tonight."

Jiang Linyuan answered directly.

It was a good chance to invite Yu Songsong and earn a few more affection points.

"Oh..."

Lin Yilin tilted her head slightly and asked Jiang Linyuan:

"Are you going alone, Senior?"

"Does Xiao Yilin really want to come with me?"

Jiang Linyuan asked with a smile.

Lin Yilin felt a little embarrassed. Naturally, she wouldn't admit she wanted to go. Girls had to be a little coy, so she instinctively denied it:

"Not really."

Ha, a platypus—quacking away and stubborn as ever.

"Oh, is that so?"

Jiang Linyuan drew out the words, teasing her on purpose:

"I was actually planning to bring you along, Xiao Yilin."

Lin Yilin could tell he was teasing her again. She bared her teeth and claws at him:

"You jerk, Senior!"

Wasn't Xiao Yilin getting more and more out of hand? What happened to that sweet, innocent junior?

Who'd corrupted her?

"Come along if you want. I'm inviting Yu Songsong too, so make sure you give me a hand when we're there."

Jiang Linyuan said casually.

Lin Yilin wasn't happy about it.

Senior and that Yu Songsong were flirting back and forth. What was she supposed to do there?

Thinking this, she asked:

"Can Juntang come too?"

Zhang Juntang, standing beside her, looked a little surprised but said nothing. She secretly glanced up at Jiang Linyuan, apparently waiting for his answer.

Those two were pretty close—closer than Yu Songsong and her roommates, anyway.

Jiang Linyuan knew Lin Yilin just thought it'd be awkward to be a third wheel.

Besides, Zhang Juntang was a gentle, quiet girl. There was no harm in bringing her along.

"Sure. Four of us. Haidilao sound good?"

"Mm, whatever you say, Senior."

Lin Yilin nodded obediently.

Zhang Juntang had no objections either.

As he spoke, Jiang Linyuan started messaging Yu Songsong:

"Junior, want to go for Haidilao tonight? Four of us—one guy and three girls."

"Sure, sure! You haven't gone far, have you, Senior? I'll come find you right away."

Yu Songsong replied very quickly.

She showed up soon after, her chest bouncing with every step.

"Senior, something really disgusting happened to me today."

As soon as she arrived, she started venting:

"A cleaning lady was trying to slack off, so she went around grabbing volunteers to do her work. Someone actually listened to her and almost went off to do it!"

That sounded strangely familiar.

"Did you run into her too, Junior?"

Jiang Linyuan asked in surprise.

"Huh? Did she come looking for you too, Senior?"

Yu Songsong was just as surprised.

That lady knew how to cast a wide net.

Jiang Linyuan turned to Lin Yilin and Zhang Juntang:

"You two ran into her too?"

"No."

Lin Yilin answered quickly, then said indignantly:

"That kind of person is awful. It's bad enough that she's slacking off, but she wants someone else to do her work for her too!"

Yu Songsong's gaze wandered. Feeling awkward, she pretended not to hear.

She'd been slacking off as a volunteer herself, and at first she'd wanted Jiang Linyuan to do her work for her.

Then she noticed Zhang Juntang standing beside Lin Yilin, her face flushed red. Ah, that timid little thing.

Jiang Linyuan had noticed Zhang Juntang acting strangely too, and asked:

"Could you be the person Yu Songsong said was almost dragged off to do the work?"

Zhang Juntang didn't say a word. She nodded with her face red and her head lowered, pretending to be an ostrich.

Where'd the courage you had when you tugged on my sleeve go? You only go crazy at me, Little Madwoman?

"Huh?"

Lin Yilin was surprised too, knitting her brows:

"Juntang, why didn't you tell me?"

Zhang Juntang stammered, unable to get a word out. She gave off the impression that if anyone asked another question, she'd kill herself.

Yu Songsong couldn't stand seeing her like that. She said sarcastically:

"You get pushed around and don't even know enough to call for help. I don't know what to say to you."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

Lin Yilin spoke up for Zhang Juntang, but Yu Songsong ignored her completely and asked with a smile:

"Am I wrong, though? You don't even want to fight back. Next time something like this happens, are you just going to stand there waiting for someone to save you?"

Yu Songsong wasn't really trying to put Zhang Juntang down. She was mostly frustrated that she wouldn't stand up for herself.

Still, her words had quite an edge.

Lin Yilin knew Yu Songsong had a point, so she didn't say anything else. She leaned close to Zhang Juntang's ear and whispered:

"Juntang, tell me next time something like this happens!"

Zhang Juntang pressed her lips together and nodded.

The four of them walked together. Jiang Linyuan and Yu Songsong walked side by side, while Lin Yilin pulled Zhang Juntang along behind them.

It was completely dark outside. The streetlights came on, and neon signs of every color flickered along both sides of the road.

As they walked, Lin Yilin watched Jiang Linyuan and Yu Songsong chatting and laughing ahead of her. She felt utterly miserable.

Senior hadn't even looked at me once! And he'd said he'd take me to enjoy some time alone together after the volunteer event!

Lin Yilin was troubled and didn't feel like speaking. As for Zhang Juntang, the quiet little oil bottle, there was even less to say.

The two of them barely spoke the whole way, and the mood around them was gloomy.

Jiang Linyuan felt a chill down his back and turned around.

Where'd that vengeful spirit come from?

Lin Yilin walked with her head down, mentally dismembering Jiang Linyuan. She didn't notice when he suddenly stopped and walked straight into him.

"Ah..."

Lin Yilin covered her forehead and looked up, dazed.

"Xiao Yilin, you hurt me."

Jiang Linyuan pointed pitifully at his chest.

Seeing him speak to her first made Lin Yilin happy, but she pursed her lips, ready to say something.

At that moment, Yu Songsong leaned over with a smile and looked at Jiang Linyuan:

"Where does it hurt, Senior?"

Why don't you just get hit hard enough to die?

Lin Yilin got even angrier. She turned away, grabbed Zhang Juntang, and hurried off with quick, thudding steps.

"Is she okay?"

Does she have a problem with me?

Watching Lin Yilin, Yu Songsong raised an eyebrow and asked Jiang Linyuan.

"Girls have a few days when they're in a bad mood."

Jiang Linyuan strolled along behind them.

Lin Yilin stomped along in a huff, but she started to worry. Would Senior think she was throwing a tantrum and deliberately causing trouble?

As she thought about it, she slowed down and secretly glanced behind her to see if Jiang Linyuan was following.

When she saw him still smiling, she finally relaxed.

"Ah, I'm going to the restroom. Go on ahead."

Halfway there, Jiang Linyuan suddenly said.

Lin Yilin pretended not to care, but secretly kept an eye on him.

She saw that Jiang Linyuan didn't go to the restroom. Instead, he turned and went into a gift shop.

Was he buying Yu Songsong a present?

Her heart grew sour with emotion, the ache rising from her chest and welling up inside her.

I'm not looking anymore!

Lin Yilin pressed her lips together and forced herself to look away.

A little while later, Jiang Linyuan came back, smiling.

They soon arrived at the Haidilao restaurant and headed up to the second floor, climbing the stairs one by one.

Just then, Lin Yilin suddenly felt something soft and fuzzy touch her hand. She looked down. It was Jiang Linyuan's hand, and it seemed he was holding something.

"For Xiao Yilin."

Jiang Linyuan smiled and whispered as he let go.

It was a little Harry Potter figurine.

In that instant, all the bitterness in her heart disappeared, and her lips curled up without her meaning to.

But Lin Yilin tried to stay coy. She figured Senior must've thought she was throwing a tantrum, so he'd bought her a toy.

"Thank you, Senior. I... I'll treat you to a meal next time!"

Afraid Yu Songsong would see, she quickly took the figurine and whispered.

After a moment, she worked up the courage to ask:

"Aren't you getting one for Yu Songsong?"

"Ha."

Jiang Linyuan smiled as he looked at Lin Yilin:

"Does Xiao Yilin want me to get her one?"

"No, no!"

Lin Yilin blushed and hurriedly waved her hands, muttering:

"It's just... aren't you trying to pursue her? You should get her a little present."

"That's true."

Jiang Linyuan nodded and held out his hand:

"Then give me the figurine, Xiao Yilin. I'll give it to Yu Songsong."

Oh, come on, Senior!

Lin Yilin hurriedly put the figurine in her bag and puffed out her cheeks:

"I'll buy you another one. She might not like this kind."

"No need. She doesn't care about things like that."

Jiang Linyuan waved his hand.

"That's not necessarily true. You're not a girl, Senior. You don't understand girls."

Lin Yilin pouted as she retorted.

Jiang Linyuan stopped and glanced at her:

"I may not understand girls, but some people are easy to read."

Lin Yilin met his gaze, and her face immediately turned red again, as if rouge had been applied again and again and could never fade.

"Is that so?"

"Mm."

Bathed in the lights, Lin Yilin lifted her little face, her eyes curving into crescent moons:

"Actually, sometimes people who are easy to read act that way on purpose. You just haven't noticed, Senior."

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