On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Su Yuqing's phone screen lit up with Chen Mo's reply: [Received. Huang Mao is doing much better; he called Yueyue out for a late-night snack.]

She put down her phone, looked at Zhao Yueyue who had her head buried in her knees but her shoulders were slightly relaxed, and said softly, "Yueyue, the late-night snack is almost ready. Shall we... go out and get something to eat? Everyone's outside."

Zhao Yueyue's body stiffened again, and a muffled voice came through: "...Is Huang Mao here too?"

“Yes, he’s here.” Su Yuqing didn’t shy away. “Don’t be afraid of feeling awkward. He’s here, so you should go even more. Like I just said, you just need to convey one message: you still value him as a friend, you just need time. If you hide and don’t come out, he’ll start overthinking and think you hate him.”

There was silence in the room for a few seconds, with only the soft sound of the waves outside.

Finally, Zhao Yueyue took a deep breath and raised her head.

Although her eyes were still a little red, the panic and self-blame that had almost overwhelmed her had faded considerably, replaced by an expression that was both timid and trying to remain calm.

"I...I'll try," she said softly, her voice nasal but no longer trembling.

Su Yuqing smiled encouragingly, "Your face still has tear stains. If Huang Mao sees them, he'll think he's the one who made you cry. Go wash your face first, then we'll go out. Remember, just be yourself."

The aroma of late-night snacks had already filled the living room.

Chen Mo was placing the last piece of barbecue on the coffee table when Huang Mao sat somewhat awkwardly in a corner of the sofa, his eyes occasionally glancing in the direction Zhao Yueyue might be coming from.

Zhou Hao, Qu Danwan, Lin Yu'an, and Zhao Yuanyuan were also sitting on the sofa. In order not to make Huang Mao too embarrassed, everyone tried their best to liven up the atmosphere.

The group was playing a game of catching the Joker with playing cards.

Soon, Su Yuqing arrived with Zhao Yueyue. Upon hearing their footsteps, everyone's eyes instinctively turned to them.

Zhao Yueyue followed Su Yuqing out, her steps hesitant.

She spotted Huang Mao in the corner of the sofa at a glance, and immediately looked away like a startled deer, a blush rising on her cheeks, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Huang Mao's heart jumped into his throat, and his palms sweated with nervousness.

He recalled Chen Mo's words: "Just like always! The more you try to be deliberate, the more awkward it will be!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress the pounding emotions and disappointment in his heart, and tried to force out his usual slightly roguish smile—although the smile seemed a bit stiff and deliberate in his current state.

"Oh, Miss Zhao, you've finally come out of your cave? If you hadn't come soon, I would have snatched all your favorite roasted chicken wings!" Huang Mao deliberately raised his voice and even reached out as if to grab the golden chicken wings from the plate.

This familiar "provocation," this specific target (her favorite chicken wings), was like a key that clicked open Zhao Yueyue's "instinctive reaction zone," which had been temporarily sealed off by the huge impact.

Almost the instant Huang Mao finished speaking, she suddenly raised her head, her almond-shaped eyes wide open. The shyness and confusion she had just felt were replaced by a familiar, fierce look that carried a sense of "protecting her food."

"You dare, blondie!" Her voice still had a slight nasal tone, but it was full of force. "That's mine!"

Her offhand rebuttal was a phrase she often used when arguing with Huang Mao, carrying her usual blustering and "fierce" tone.

The sound was like a small pebble thrown into stagnant air; though tiny, it strangely created ripples that eased the suffocating awkwardness.

The heavy weight in Huang Mao's heart was slightly lifted by her familiar "counterattack," allowing him to catch his breath. Although his smile remained stiff and his limbs were somewhat unresponsive, he seemed to be regaining a bit of his "normal" rhythm.

He stubbornly continued playing the "annoying" role: "Tch, is it in your name? Whoever grabs it keeps it!"

This time the movement was more exaggerated; the body leaned forward, and the hand reached directly towards the plate of chicken wings, as if it was about to succeed in the next second.

“You—!” Zhao Yueyue’s “battle” mode was fully activated.

Su Yuqing's previous comforting words, her inner confusion, and her apologies to Huang Mao were temporarily pushed to the back of her mind at this moment by the "urgent mission" of "protecting the chicken wings".

Almost instinctively, with a somewhat aggressive air, she rushed out from behind Su Yuqing, her target Huang Mao's outstretched "claws" and the tempting plate of chicken wings.

However, just as she rushed to the coffee table and reached out to slap Huang Mao's hand away, she paused for a moment, her movements extremely unnatural.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch Huang Mao's hand, she flinched slightly as if electrocuted, and a fleeting crack appeared on her "fierce" expression, revealing a hint of genuine panic and helplessness.

But the pause was fleeting; she immediately covered it up with an even bigger movement, snatching the entire plate of chicken wings and clutching them tightly to her chest as if they were some priceless treasure. At the same time, she didn't forget to glare fiercely at Huang Mao with her big eyes, as if to say, "Look! Mine!"

Huang Mao's hand hovered in mid-air. Seeing her familiar "food-protecting" posture, coupled with the deliberately "fierce" expression on her face, he immediately felt much more relaxed.

He cooperated by making a sullen "tch, you win" expression, withdrew his hand, and even deliberately pursed his lips. But deep in his eyes, the faint light that rose because of her "normal reaction" was a little brighter than before.

Soon, the two were spending time together as usual.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

However, everyone knows that they obviously can't recover so quickly; their current performance is just a facade in front of everyone.

However, they clearly needed time to change things slowly, so everyone tacitly agreed and didn't say much.

Chen Mo also joined in, cracking jokes and making light of the situation.

For a while, the atmosphere was quite good.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they gathered together and played cards for a while!
This time, it was Chen Mo who deliberately suggested playing Truth or Dare, intending to create an opportunity for the two of them to be alone together.

The first player to play all their cards can command any target to play Truth or Dare.

Chen Mo "inadvertently" arranged Zhao Yueyue and Huang Mao's seats to be diagonally opposite each other, avoiding them being directly face-to-face.

While playing cards, both of them seemed a little distracted.

Zhao Yueyue tried her best to immerse herself in the game, but when she caught a glimpse of Huang Mao across from her, her smile would instantly vanish, replaced by a deliberately serious expression.

Huang Mao's movements while playing cards were much stiffer than usual. He rarely looked at others when playing cards, his gaze mostly fixed on his own cards, or pretending to be focused on the food on the coffee table. (End of Chapter)