The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Qin Lili leaned back on the sofa, tilted her head back, and looked at the chandelier above her.

Then she raised the half-full can of beer in her hand and casually held it up to Xia Qing.

Xia Qing glanced at her, pursed her lips, but her body betrayed her. Holding a beer can, she gently touched Qin Lili's beer can.

Neither of them spoke; the only sound was the clinking of aluminum cans together. They each tilted their heads back and took a sip.

Qin Lili still didn't look at Xia Qing, as if she were chatting with the chandelier:

"Tell me, how did you meet?"

Xia Qing's fingers traced back and forth on the beer can, her eyes fixed on a corner of the coffee table, and she pursed her lips:

"Well... I shared an apartment, and then..."

"So you're together now?"

Qin Lili took over the conversation, turning her head to look at Xia Qing.

"Um……"

Qin Lili didn't ask for any more details or offer any comment; she just stared at her.

This gaze was extremely noticeable and penetrating.

Xia Qing felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze; she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, like thorns were pricking her back, like a fishbone was stuck in her throat, like… if only she weren't being stared at like that…

She pretended not to care, trying hard to control her expression, pretending to seriously savor the beer in her hand, and even took another small sip, but her face was turning red at a visible speed.

Qin Lili looked at Xia Qing's increasingly red face and her forced composure, and suddenly chuckled softly.

Instead of exposing Xia Qing's true colors, she asked in a different direction:

"And... what did the others say?"

She didn't need to explicitly say who this "other person" referred to; who else could it be? Zhi Qiu, Xiao Nuan, Xiao Xue.

Xia Qing squeezed the beer can tightly, then tilted her head back and took a big gulp of beer. Because she drank it so fast, it seemed to have chilled her.

"They...they all agreed..."

"They all agreed?"

Qin Lili leaned forward slightly, resting her arm on the back of the sofa, and asked with a subtle expression:

"Does it mean they agreed, or... they accepted it all?"

Seeing that Xia Qing didn't answer the question but kept drinking, Qin Lili grinned and smiled:

"Well, all wiped out. That kid's got some skills."

Xia Qing couldn't hold back any longer. She turned her head sharply, met Qin Lili's eyes, and, looking somewhat embarrassed and angry, changed the subject:

"You... why did you suddenly come back? Didn't you say you were going to go on a trip... and that you'd be gone for several months? It hasn't been that long!"

Seeing her abrupt change of topic, Qin Lili didn't press the matter. She finished the last sip of beer in the can, casually crushed the empty can, and then threw a three-pointer into the trash can.

She leaned back on the sofa, put her arms behind her head, and smiled.

I miss you, my little sister.

Although she said it casually, it's very likely she traveled thousands of kilometers back to say it:

"I just came back to see how you're doing, and whether you've been bullied by any idiots."

This statement cannot be said to be half true and half false, because Qin Lili really cares about her special little sister.

"By the way..."

She changed the subject, her tone still casual, but her eyes seemed to sharpen slightly:

"I have another friend who recently got a boyfriend, and her taste... well, it's hard to describe. I was thinking of helping her check him out and sharpening her judgment. Well, it just so happens that you also have a new guy, so why don't we go together and I'll help you two... check him out too."

When Xia Qing heard Qin Lili say "give it a shot," her heart tightened inexplicably, and she subconsciously blurted out:

"I don't need to oversee it."

Qin Lili blinked, and a smile played on her lips:

"So protective of her?"

Before Xia Qing could speak, Qin Lili nodded again and said:

"That's true. As for you... let's not talk about you for now. But Zhi Qiu shouldn't be a love-struck person, right? She's always had a good eye for people. If even she agrees, then at least it means that this person doesn't seem to have any major flaws on the surface."

At first glance, this statement seems to affirm Ye Shu, but upon closer examination, the words "on the surface" and "fatal flaws" leave room for interpretation.

The subtext is: Zhi Qiu may be able to see through part of the inner workings, but she still needs to personally verify the goods.

Of course, Xia Qing had no idea what the subtext was, because from the moment Qin Lili said "You're not going to say it anymore," Xia Qing immediately sat up straight and glared at her.

"I won't say what you mean by 'I'll leave it at that for now!' I'm not love-struck, okay?! I'm pretty good at judging people!"

Qin Lili didn't respond to her comment, and didn't even give her a second glance.

She suddenly frowned, turned to look at the door, and casually said:

"This kid...why are you so slow? It's just buying some snacks to go with the drinks, and you're dawdling like this. Can't you even do something this simple?"

The critical tone in those words couldn't be clearer.

Without even thinking, Xia Qing reacted instinctively and retorted with a conditioned reflex:

"You have to queue to buy things! The store is packed at this time. If you think it's too slow, why don't you just buy it yourself?"

After he finished speaking, the living room fell silent.

Xia Qing realized after she finished speaking that her reaction seemed...too...excessive.

She looked up and met Qin Lili's gaze.

Qin Lili was smiling at him without saying a word, her eyes saying, "See, I told you so."

Xia Qing's face flushed red again. Her unwavering defense of Ye Shu just now clearly showed that she cared about him and was on his side. Her claim of "not being love-struck" was no longer convincing at all.

"You...! I...I'm just love-struck, I just like him, so what?!"

In a fit of anger, Xia Qing grabbed an orange from the fruit plate on the coffee table and threw it at Qin Lili without even looking at her.

Qin Lili reacted quickly, raising her hand to grab the orange and starting to peel it.

Cut the peeled orange in half and hand one half to Xia Qing, who was still angry.

"Come on, calm down."

Qin Lili casually put the other half into her mouth, chewing as she asked:

"Tell me, what is it about him that you like?"

What do you like about Ye Shu?

It seems she hasn't seriously considered this question in depth.

Is it a habitual dependence? Is it his meticulous care and indulgence? Is it the sense of security that comes from his ability to always catch all her emotions perfectly? Or is it those moments in their daily interactions that make her feel at ease?

Xia Qing picked up a segment of orange and put it in her mouth, but she couldn't taste it.

She remained silent, as if organizing her thoughts, or perhaps lost in memories.

Qin Lili didn't urge her. She just leaned back on the sofa, picked up an orange and started peeling it, waiting for Xia Qing to speak first.