War Declaration

"This girl..." Xiao He shot Ye Wanqing a suspicious sidelong glance. Her reaction was a little strange—probably the same kind of reaction she would have had if he had accidentally glimpsed her chest.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously looked down at his own collar. There was nothing much to see, so he added, "The floral water is on the nightstand in my room."

Ye Wanqing turned around, took the floral water, and strode back to her room.

Even after returning to her room, the heat had yet to leave Ye Wanqing's face.

"How annoying. What am I even thinking? It's just the smell of floral water..." Ye Wanqing lightly patted her cheeks. "Calm down. Anyone can use floral water."

After comforting herself for a while, Ye Wanqing sprayed some floral water onto her hands, then hugged her arms and carefully sniffed them. She immediately frowned. The scent was different. The scent on Xiao He was gentler, and...

"Ah..." Ye Wanqing buried her face in her pillow and let out a low growl.

While watching a show in his room, Xiao He chatted with Huang Ling on WeChat. Although he and Ye Wanqing had left midway through, Huang Ling and the others from their department were still there. In fact, Xiao He wished he were still there right now.

Because everyone was gathered around the bonfire, eating steaming curry rice and talking freely.

"It's not that interesting at all," Huang Ling replied. "A bunch of guys are just talking about games among themselves, and I don't understand any of it. I really dislike people who only talk about things they're interested in without considering how others feel. They're so self-centered."

Xiao He thought about it and felt that she seemed to be hinting at how he had brought up Tokyo Ghoul after seeing her phone wallpaper that day. Was that supposed to be a compliment?

"But you'll be back tomorrow morning anyway. You should get some sleep early tonight," Xiao He comforted her.

"What did you leave in the middle of it for? I heard from the homeroom teacher that you two had something urgent to do," Huang Ling replied.

"Yeah... responsibilities we had to fulfill under the contract," Xiao He sighed. "Basically, I solved an especially difficult math problem. It was such a pain."

"I see," Huang Ling replied, then immediately added, "After you get back, you have to treat me to dinner, okay? Hush money."

"No problem," Xiao He readily replied. "Then how about after you get back tomorrow? But do you mind if I bring my girlfriend? It's required by the contract—I have to take her with me whenever I go out..."

"Your fake girlfriend? Sure, I don't mind," Huang Ling agreed just as readily.

After settling everything, Xiao He reported the matter to Ye Wanqing in advance. At first, Ye Wanqing seemed a little reluctant, but since it was only going out for a meal, she agreed. As it happened, the next morning, the Special Response Department rewarded them, and the first installment of their payment arrived. Two million yuan in bonuses—one million for handling the Typhoon, and another million for solving the Millennium Problem.

People overseas got a million dollars for solving a Millennium Problem. So stingy. Xiao He grumbled inwardly.

Still, he did not complain too much. After all, this was serving his own country. It was more reassuring for such terrifying knowledge to remain in his homeland than to fall into foreign hands.

Going from an ordinary person to a millionaire in one stroke, Xiao He was thrilled at first. But that excitement did not last long, because once he realized that two million yuan was not even enough to buy an apartment in a prime area of Beichang City, there was not much to be excited about.

Two million yuan was not enough to let him live without worries, but it would certainly make the next few years much easier. Now, he could buy things he liked. He had always wanted a PlayStation 5 and a Nintendo Switch. And from today on, he would eat whatever he wanted. He would never again give up McDonald's because of the price and settle for Wallace instead!

"Two million..." Ye Wanqing also seemed very happy about the money.

It was not that Xiao He was being petty, but he did feel a little unbalanced. Ye Wanqing had earned this money far more easily than he had, but what could he do? Without her ability, he could not have accomplished anything.

"Tuantuan, now I can buy you tasty food." Ye Wanqing reached out and stroked the back of the silver shaded cat beside her, but Tuantuan swatted her with a paw before hiding on Xiao He's side.

"How are you planning to spend the money?" Xiao He asked curiously, pinching Tuantuan by the scruff of his neck and placing him on the sofa armrest.

"I'll buy my mom lots of pretty clothes and delicious desserts. She's scrimped and saved for years to pay off the family loan, and she can't even bear to buy herself a new outfit." Ye Wanqing counted on her fingers. "Then I'll get my dad's teeth fixed. He knocked out a tooth last year and still hasn't had it replaced because getting a tooth fixed costs too much. Then I plan to buy a decent car so my dad can take my mom traveling."

Not a single thing was for herself. Xiao He could not help thinking, feeling a little ashamed as well. When he got the money, all he had thought about was himself.

It seemed he and Ye Wanqing really were complete opposites. This time, though, he had lost.

"I should buy something for my parents too..." Xiao He silently made up his mind.

Ye Wanqing could not bear to spend money on herself, so Xiao He would treat her to a good meal.

The next day was Sunday, a rare day off. Even the Special Response Department would have been embarrassed to disturb them at a time like this, so they could relax properly today. Xiao He brought Ye Wanqing and Huang Ling to a Western restaurant near the school.

The restaurant was called Red Elegance Pavilion. It was considered a fairly famous Western restaurant in Beichang City, with several branches. The atmosphere was nice and quiet, but an average bill of more than two hundred yuan per person was a little steep for students.

"My treat today. Order whatever you want," Xiao He said with a cheerful smile. Afraid that Ye Wanqing would be reluctant to spend money, he added, "Wanqing, eat more too. Get whatever you want. Make me pay through the nose."

"Idiot, what are you saying? We're boyfriend and girlfriend. Do you really have to call it making you pay through the nose?" Ye Wanqing said with a faint smile.

"You two are pretending, right? I already know." Holding her glass of water, Huang Ling suddenly asked.

Ye Wanqing jolted, then hurriedly wrapped her arms around Xiao He's and smiled. "How could that be? We have a great relationship. It's just that we had just finished arguing last time, so..."

"You can't fake it," Huang Ling said, pointing at each of them in turn with her index finger. "I've seen couples deeply in love. When they look at each other, their eyes are full of affection. But you two... all you have is hostility."

"..." The smile vanished from Ye Wanqing's face. She shook off Xiao He's hand and snapped irritably, "This is all your fault."

"You say that like it's only my fault," Xiao He muttered with a curl of his lip. "Isn't that just how fake couples are?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Huang Ling smiled faintly. "There's nothing in it for me if I tell people. But I should give you a heads-up first. Since you two are only pretending to be a couple, then my interactions with Xiao He are none of your business, right?"

"Of course it's my business," Ye Wanqing said indignantly. "We have a contract, okay? If you and he get together, both of us will be in trouble."

Xiao He could only remain silent. Huang Ling asked with a smile, "So as long as we don't get together, it doesn't matter?"

"Uh..." Ye Wanqing was immediately at a loss for words. She muttered softly, "More or less."

"Then that's fine." Huang Ling smiled in satisfaction. "I wasn't planning to date him right now anyway. We haven't reached that point yet."

Ye Wanqing knew perfectly well that this woman had not come here for dinner today. She had come to declare war.