If you're going to be nice, see it through

He now knew that Yu Xinyan had once known about those secret "thoughts" of his, so he no longer needed to pretend on the surface that he and Yu Xinyan didn't get along.

Besides, he could now pinpoint Yu Xinyan's likes and dislikes. This was the perfect chance to make Yu Xinyan like him!

[Aaah, Yuan Man spoiling him like this feels so good!!]

[Who said Yuan Man had no game? This Yuan Man has serious game!!!]

[Why do I keep feeling like I've got their roles backward? Is it not "Taro Balls" but "Spreading"?]

As the comments chattered away, Chen Mingyi's eyes lit up as though inspiration had struck.

"Yu Xinyan told Yuan Man not to message him if he had the guts, but Yuan Man said he didn't. Tsk, no matter how you listen to that, doesn't it sound like Yu Xinyan is taking advantage of being spoiled, and Yuan Man knows it but still wants to spoil him? Yuesi, what do you think?"

Du Yuesi gave a meaningful "Mm," nodding in agreement with her again. "I think you're really smart!"

Seeing their teasing expressions, Yu Xinyan immediately bristled. "What's so smart about her that you're praising her? You're the one spoiling Chen Mingyi, Du Yuesi! I think your A Little Interesting pairing is the one that's actually interesting! Who's taking advantage of being spoiled? And who's spoiling whom? Wait, Chen Mingyi, weren't you interested in Yuan Man? Is it right for you to think of me and him that way?"

Du Yuesi's expression cooled almost imperceptibly.

Only after hearing him say that did Chen Mingyi give an "Oh," as though she had belatedly come to her senses. Then, after casting a slightly embarrassed glance at Yuan Man, she clicked her tongue at Yu Xinyan. "Watch what you say, too. Aren't you... aren't you interested in Du Yuesi? Yet you still brought up that A Little Interesting thing of ours. Is it right for you to think of me and her that way?"

Listening to their back-and-forth and taking in all four of their expressions, Song Nianxing's eyes widened uncontrollably.

Beside him, Yuan Man's brows quietly furrowed.

After hearing Chen Mingyi's words, Yu Xinyan also glanced at Du Yuesi.

But Du Yuesi eased the somewhat sour expression she had worn a moment ago, raising a brow with a smile. "Yu Xinyan is interested in me? Really? But on that second-day date we spent together last time, he talked about Yuan Man the whole time~"

As she spoke, she began recalling it. "When we had Western food, he said Yuan Man had taken him out for Western food the day before, too. When we ordered steak, he said it wasn't as good as the one Yuan Man had ordered for him. After we finished eating, he even had to say he wondered what Yuan Man had eaten that day, whether it was good, and whether he'd secretly eaten something delicious behind his back~ Anyway, I think it's when someone comes to mind without you even thinking that you're interested in them~"

Yu Xinyan immediately jolted, constantly watching Yuan Man's expression out of the corner of his eye with a guilty conscience.

Damn it, I can't hear Yuan Man's thoughts now!! I have no idea what he's thinking. What if he thinks I'm too clingy, always thinking about him all day? If I'm too clingy, there's no mystery. Without mystery, there's no novelty. Without novelty, he could easily stop liking me, aaah!

A subtle curve rose uncontrollably at the corners of Yuan Man's lips. Only with considerable effort did he suppress it a little before speaking:

"Chen Mingyi was pretty much the same. I don't believe she really likes me, either. After all, on our date, she talked about what she'd done with you, Du Yuesi, the day before. Halfway through painting a porcelain doll, she started sighing and saying that without your help, Du Yuesi, what she made really did turn out ugly. After finishing one, she was ready to paint another, saying she absolutely had to make a pretty one to bring back for you, Du Yuesi~ I also think that mentioning someone all the time means you like her~"

As Song Nianxing listened to what the two of them said, a little more confusion entered his eyes.

Did thinking of someone without meaning to and mentioning them all the time mean you liked them?

He thought back over how he had been lately, and someone's figure gradually emerged in his mind.

Shen Siyi.

He thought of him when he was scared, and the people around him often mentioned their names together. Even Jiang Jingzhe had said that he treated Shen Siyi differently...

So, did he like Shen Siyi?

While Song Nianxing was immersed in his thoughts, Chen Mingyi and Yu Xinyan had both grown a little flustered by what Du Yuesi and Yuan Man had just said.

The next second, their eyes met, and they both turned to Song Nianxing.

"How did this turn into talking about us? Weren't we just talking about Song Nianxing being a little kitten?"

"Exactly! Song Nianxing was the one who changed the subject. He just wants to avoid the fact that he's Shen Siyi's little cutie!"

With the two of them getting right in his face for a second round, Song Nianxing abruptly snapped out of his thoughts. But before he could speak, that familiar voice reached everyone's ears.

"I think I heard someone saying something about Song Nianxing being mine? What are you all doing?"

Almost everyone turned toward the source of the voice at the same time.

Wearing a black knit turtleneck, Shen Siyi walked toward them with the orange-red dusk behind him draped over his figure, that same serene, gentle smile still on his face.

The comments immediately erupted again.

[Yu Xinyan and Chen Mingyi, those two goofballs, are going to make me laugh to death. My toes say they're really tired of curling]

[Shen Siyi really knows how to catch the key point, hahaha. "Song Nianxing is mine." Oh my, it's so sweet my teeth hurt]

[Fuck, what's the deal with Shen Siyi being this ridiculously good-looking!]

[Tsk, tsk, tsk, feels like the atmosphere is a lot more harmonious without that one pair. I'll gladly take this Song Nianxing, and Shen Siyi, too. Yu Xinyan, Yuan Man, Du Yuesi, Chen Mingyi, I'll gladly take them all (giddy grin)]

"Huh? Senior Shen? Didn't Nianxing say you'd be coming later?"

As she spoke, Chen Mingyi pushed Song Nianxing forward to meet Shen Siyi.

At the sight, Shen Siyi actually stopped, then waved the phone he had yet to hand in. "I was watching your livestream on the way here. I was afraid that if I came any later, a certain little liar might tell who knows how many more lies."

Song Nianxing froze slightly for a moment.

When he remembered telling Chen Mingyi and the others just now that they hadn't slept together, his ears instantly reddened.

And just then, Chen Mingyi had already pushed him to within half an arm's length of Shen Siyi, while continuing to tease from beside him. "Oh~ a little liar. Oh~ what did he lie about~ Surely not about not sleeping together~"

"I heard you had a fever last night, Senior Shen?" Du Yuesi also came forward to ask after him.

"A fever?" Hearing that, Yu Xinyan came over as well. "Why did you have a fever? Did you catch a chill from sleeping without clothes? Do you like sleeping naked, Senior Shen?"

Shen Siyi smiled. Instead of looking at him, he tilted his head to meet Song Nianxing's gaze. "Does Nianxing think I like it?"

Song Nianxing felt his throat suddenly tighten, unable to get a single word out. "I, I don't know."

He avoided Shen Siyi's gaze and tried to change the subject. "Has your fever gone down, Senior Shen?"

But as it turned out, he hadn't chosen a good subject.

Because less than half a second after he finished speaking, Shen Siyi leaned slightly closer to him, his eyes and brows filled with a teasing smile as he said in a thoroughly alluring tone:

"I don't know. Feel for yourself. Weren't you in charge last night? If you're going to be nice, see it through~"