Are You Two Dating?

Not long after that topic came to an end, the waiter brought their food over.

There were not many dishes—three courses and a soup—but each one was exquisitely prepared and delicious.

The braised pork ribs gleamed red, the sweet-and-sour fish was crisp outside and tender within, the stir-fried vegetables were emerald green and crunchy, and there was a steaming bowl of mushroom chicken soup. The sight alone was enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Though this restaurant was somewhat expensive compared to prices in other cities, it was still affordable for the two of them.

Li Changqing was never short on money.

The savings stored in the storage soul tools of the evil soul masters he had slain had all become his spoils of war.

Ye Guyi, on the other hand, was short of funds, but with Li Changqing, this "sucker," around, she naturally had no intention of being polite.

The two picked up their chopsticks and were about to start eating when a gentle, pleasant voice suddenly sounded beside their table.

"Big Sister Guyi? You're eating here too? What a coincidence."

Both of them froze and looked up.

A young girl stood before the table, around ten years old and roughly Li Changqing's age.

She had soft golden hair that draped loosely over her shoulders, gleaming gently beneath the lights.

Her features were delicate and stunning, her skin fair as snow, and her clear, bright eyes seemed to hold a pool of spring water.

She wore a short white dress, with a pale blue ribbon tied around her waist that outlined her slender figure.

Her two fair, long legs were exposed, straight and well-proportioned.

She looked fresh and unworldly, like a white lily just beginning to bloom.

Seeing who it was, Ye Guyi paused in surprise before breaking into a delighted smile. "What a coincidence, Nannan. You're eating here too?"

Jiang Nannan nodded with a smile. Her gaze swept over Li Changqing with a hint of curiosity. "Yes. I heard the food here is quite good, and it's relatively cheaper than other places, so I wanted to come try it."

Li Changqing looked at Jiang Nannan, then at Ye Guyi, and could not help asking, "Didn't you just enroll today? How did you make a friend so quickly?"

Ye Guyi rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "Nannan and I are roommates. We were assigned to the same dorm, so of course we know each other."

Li Changqing suddenly understood. So they were roommates. No wonder they had become familiar so quickly.

He set down his chopsticks, politely nodded to Jiang Nannan, and said, "In that case, sit down and eat with us. We've only just started anyway. It's just another pair of chopsticks."

Jiang Nannan hurriedly waved her hands, looking a little embarrassed. "No, no. I only came over to say hello. You two eat. I'll just buy something for myself."

With that, she turned to leave.

Yet she had only taken one step when a hand caught her wrist.

Ye Guyi stood up and, without giving her a chance to refuse, pulled her to the empty seat beside them and pressed her down. "Oh, come on. We're classmates and roommates. What's there to be shy about? Sit down, sit down. It's only another pair of chopsticks."

Pressed into the seat by her, Jiang Nannan looked helpless, then glanced at Li Changqing with some embarrassment. "This... isn't that inappropriate?"

Li Changqing shrugged, indicating that he did not mind.

But the next second, he turned to Ye Guyi and asked a very practical question. "Who's paying?"

Ye Guyi was pouring tea for Jiang Nannan.

Hearing that, her hand paused. Then she looked up at him with an expression that plainly said, Are you kidding me? "Isn't that obvious? If you're not paying, do you seriously expect Nannan and me to pay?"

Li Changqing nodded with complete confidence. "I'd be embarrassed to make Sister Nannan pay. But you... I wouldn't."

The moment he said that, Jiang Nannan could not help covering her mouth and laughing softly, her lovely eyes curving into crescents.

Ye Guyi's face, on the other hand, instantly darkened.

Damn it, was that blatant favoritism?

Was he really treating them differently?

She gritted her teeth and glared at Li Changqing, wanting nothing more than to dump the teacup in her hand over his head. "Li Changqing, what do you mean by that? So I'm worse than Nannan?"

"Good that you know."

Without changing expression, Li Changqing picked up a rib and put it in his mouth. After chewing twice, he nodded in satisfaction. "Mm, tastes good."

Ye Guyi's teeth itched with anger, but she could not make a scene in front of Jiang Nannan. She could only shoot him a vicious glare.

Then she poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks as though it were Li Changqing's head.

Watching their interaction, curiosity flickered in Jiang Nannan's eyes.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly, "Big Sister Guyi, are you and this little brother... a couple?"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Ye Guyi had been drinking soup and nearly choked to death at those words.

She hurriedly set down the bowl, wiped the corner of her mouth, and her pretty face instantly turned bright red. She hastily protested, "Of course not! How could I possibly like him? He's so stingy that he even argues with me over the cost of a meal!"

Li Changqing was not about to be outdone. Setting down his chopsticks, he said solemnly, "Exactly. Sister Nannan, what kind of judgment is that? Would I ever like a woman as stupid as her? She keeps trying to blow herself up at the drop of a hat!"

"Who are you calling stupid?" Ye Guyi slammed her hand on the table and glared at him furiously.

"Whoever answers."

"You!"

"Alright, alright..."

Jiang Nannan hurriedly tried to smooth things over, smiling as she placed a piece of food into each of their bowls. "Stop arguing, you two. The food's going to get cold. It was my fault. I shouldn't have said that."

Ye Guyi snorted and viciously bit into a rib, as if she were biting into Li Changqing's flesh.

Li Changqing, however, did not care in the slightest and continued eating at an unhurried pace.

Watching the lively pair, Jiang Nannan could not keep the smile from her lips.

After dinner, the three set down their bowls and chopsticks, leaving the table littered with dirty dishes.

Jiang Nannan reached for the purse at her waist and offered, "Let me treat this meal. Consider it..."

Before she could finish, a hand reached over and hooked around her arm.

Without another word, Ye Guyi pulled her to her feet and headed straight for the restaurant exit, muttering, "Treat us for what? Let him pay! He's loaded, so don't be polite with him!"

"Huh? But..." Dragged toward the door, Jiang Nannan looked back at Li Changqing with some embarrassment.

Li Changqing remained seated. Meeting her slightly apologetic gaze, he merely smiled and waved, signaling that it was fine and she should go have fun.

Only then did Jiang Nannan relax, allowing Ye Guyi to pull her into the crowd outside the restaurant.

Li Changqing watched the two leave, then withdrew his gaze and called the waiter over to settle the bill.

As he stepped out of the restaurant, the night breeze blew against his face, carrying the lively, smoky scent unique to the snack street.

He followed the path he had taken earlier, walking back at an unhurried pace. After passing through several bustling streets, he turned onto a tree-lined path leading toward the academy dormitories.

Compared to the noise outside, the dormitory area was much quieter.

The streetlights were dim, tree shadows swayed in the breeze, and from time to time, a few students could be seen walking together and chatting quietly.

Li Changqing climbed the stairs of the dormitory building and arrived at his room. He reached out and pushed the door open.

It was a standard double room. Two beds stood against opposite walls, with a desk between them that already held the textbooks and daily necessities issued by the academy.

The window was open, and the night breeze drifted in, gently stirring the curtains.

At that moment, someone was sitting on the bed by the window.