The visitor caught Su Ling by surprise.
It was Meng Hongchen.
"Miss Meng? What brings you here? Shouldn't Sun Moon Royal Academy be preparing for the semifinals right now?" Su Ling frowned.
Meng Hongchen waved a hand. "Hehe, I don't need to compete against Di'ao Academy."
"Brother Ling, I saw you leave the arena and guessed you'd come back to the hotel, so I came looking for you."
Su Ling looked at her beaming face, pulled the door fully open, and turned around. "What can I do for you, Miss Meng?"
Delight flashed in Meng Hongchen's eyes. She followed him into the room. "Well... are you free tonight? I heard there's a restaurant in Star Luo City with amazing food..."
"You want to treat me to dinner?"
"Mm-hmm!" Meng Hongchen nodded, the little white tuft of hair on her head bouncing. Her eyes shone with anticipation. "I felt the thank-you gift I gave you last time was too hasty, so I wanted to treat you to something delicious. And, well... it would be just the two of us."
Before Su Ling could answer, Jiang Nannan shot up from the bed, her brows drawn tight.
"No! Su Ling has to... he has to take care of me tonight! He can't go to dinner alone with you!"
The sudden outburst startled Meng Hongchen. Her eyes had been fixed on Su Ling's back, and only then did she realize someone else was in the room.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were here too, Sister Jiang!" Meng Hongchen apologized repeatedly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
After days of watching and asking around, Meng Hongchen had pieced together the nature of Su Ling and Jiang Nannan's delicate relationship.
Inviting someone's "boyfriend" out to dinner—on a date, no less—right in front of her was