It wasn't until the deal fell through that I discovered all the young ladies were yanderes.

If you were to ask how Lin Qingmeng managed to buy milk tea when there were so many people at the time, it would probably be because she skipped class.

Su Yu sat down in front of Lin Qingmeng. Lin Qingmeng glanced at Su Yu. In Su Yu's opinion, she must have already noticed that he had come. The reason she didn't talk to him was probably because of her spoiled princess attitude.

You're late, so I'm not going to talk to you first.

It was beyond Su Yu's expectations that Lin Qingmeng would take the initiative to look at him now. In the past, when they were dating, if he was late, he could basically forget about seeing Lin Qingmeng's nice face all day.

You're late.

Lin Qingmeng took another big sip of milk tea, her alluring and delicate face showing a hint of dissatisfaction, to the point that she sipped the tea with a bit too much force.

Su Yu nodded, a hint of guilt appearing on his face: "I went to the infirmary, but found that the teacher there wasn't there, so I went to look for her."

Lin Qingmeng gently tightened her grip on the milk tea, but fortunately the cup was sturdy enough that the pressure wasn't too noticeable.

He lied.

Lin Qingmeng also realized it.

There was no reason why, no way of knowing, and no surveillance.

If you just feel that he lied, then he must have lied.

Su Yu did lie; he didn't go to the teacher at the infirmary, but instead stayed there with An Ningying while they waited.

It was just a casual lie. If he told Lin Qingmeng that he was waiting with An Ningying, it might cause some trouble.

To avoid trouble.

Especially trouble that can be avoided with a simple lie should be avoided even more, since she doesn't know anyway, right?

Lin Qingmeng said "oh" and then fell silent, creating an awkward atmosphere between them, which was exactly what Su Yu wanted.

Lin Qingmeng wasn't good at starting conversations; she used to initiate topics herself, so this silent atmosphere was quite nice.

What is love?

Simply put, it's a sudden, fleeting moment of intense, ambiguous attraction.

How does ambiguity arise?

Atmosphere, words, actions.

The most important atmosphere was shattered by Su Yu's punch. How can you possibly have any romantic feelings for me now?

Half a minute later, Lin Qingmeng finally awkwardly found a topic: "An Ningying? How is she? Is something serious? She doesn't need to go to the hospital, does she? She doesn't need you to take care of her, does she?"

Su Yu avoided Lin Qingmeng's last question and answered her earlier one: "It's nothing serious, I'll be fine in a day."

Lin Qingmeng seemed not to have noticed Su Yu's evasiveness. After sighing, she pushed the lunchbox in front of Su Yu.

"Eat up, it's all your favorites, I specially asked the kitchen at home to make it."

Su Yu didn't stand on ceremony with Lin Qingmeng and started eating right away. After all, if he had been polite, Lin Qingmeng would have gotten a little angry.

Lin Qing's desire to talk was actually just a way to prolong the time before finishing her meal. Her bet with An Ningying was just a meal, and once they finished eating, the meal would naturally be over.

As for why Su Yu didn't participate in the bet, he was the one who suffered in the end.

Su Yu could actually understand it.

He was very clear about one thing.

The weak can only become bargaining chips at the negotiating table.

There's nothing to be angry about; this is reality.

Su Yu ate his meal bite by bite, while Lin Qingmeng drank her milk tea and ate small bites of the food in her lunchbox, her eyes fixed on Su Yu.

Although she still maintained her pampered young lady demeanor on the surface, there was a hint of joy in her eyes.

Eat, the more the better. The more you eat, the more medicine you're taking.

I'm sorry, Xiaoyu. Even though I made you take the medicine without telling you, I'm sure you won't blame me, right? After all, I love you, and I did it for your own good.

If your illness doesn't get better, you won't be able to fall in love with me...

and so…

I'm really doing this for your own good.

You'd better just fall in love with me...

"Are you free tonight? If not, I have something to do."

Su Yu frowned, but before he could speak, Lin Qingmeng continued, "I have a friend's gathering tonight, the same ones you've met before. You'll have to come with me."

Su Yu thought about it and decided it was better not to go to the friend's gathering. What if things really rekindled if she went? She was already planning ahead and didn't want any unexpected complications.

Just as Su Yu was about to refuse, he saw Lin Qingmeng's somewhat angry expression.

"Don't tell me you don't have time tonight. What am I supposed to do if you don't come tonight?"

“In the past, whenever you missed a friend’s gathering, you would always make time to be with me, no matter how important it was. Now you suddenly stop coming. How am I supposed to explain this?”

"You said you had something to do and couldn't come to be with me? What about all the things you did before? What will they think of me?"

"I can't exactly say we broke up, can I? How can I say it—that I dumped you, or you dumped me?"

"Would they believe me if I said I dumped you...?"

Su Yu remained silent. What Lin Qingmeng said was true. Although she was torturing herself a bit, it was indeed obvious that she loved him.

If you said she dumped him, it seems like nobody would believe it...

While Su Yu was still hesitating, Lin Qingmeng continued to speak.

"I've already thought it through for this trip. We'll just pretend to have a fight once, so I can tell them normally that we've broken up."

As for getting back together in the future…

"Besides, it's just a meal. You can leave after you finish eating. You can't possibly not even give me the time it takes to eat a meal."

What Lin Qingmeng said seemed to make sense; he could just pretend to argue with her.

Her intentions were quite clear: if they broke up because of an argument, it would be easy to get back together, and that way it would be easier to explain if they did get back together later.

But would I give her that chance?

Pretending to argue? If it becomes real, it will hurt feelings.

After thinking for a moment, Su Yu said "okay".

As Su Yu finished speaking, Lin Qingmeng smiled.

Laughing very happily...

72. As expected

Su Yu didn't think too much about Lin Qingmeng's smile, just felt that she was probably too happy. After finishing his own portion, Su Yu looked at Lin Qingmeng across from him.

She put the milk tea aside and ate her food in small sips, occasionally taking a sip of the milk tea. She didn't talk to Su Yu anymore.

Perhaps Su Yu was overthinking things, or perhaps his opinion of Lin Qingmeng had changed. He inexplicably felt that Lin Qingmeng was silent because it was no longer necessary.

Su Yu's expression shifted; Lin Qingmeng seemed to be...

Noticing this anomaly, she pretended to hesitate for a moment before saying, "I only learned to play ball later on."

"After I taught you that time, I couldn't beat you anymore, and I felt embarrassed, so I found a professional to teach me. After I learned it, I felt it was unnecessary."

Su Yu knew what Lin Qingmeng meant by "no need"—she probably meant that he didn't need to beat him anymore.

It seems that the benefits of not having beaten him outweigh the benefits he receives, which allows him to get Su Yu's perks and occasionally even pretend to be a glutton and act cute.

This explanation does seem to fit the character's persona quite well.

And so do their behaviors.

but…

Su Yu nodded, only believing one point: Lin Qingmeng's explanation seemed to have no problems, and he couldn't find any problems, because at the beginning, Lin Qingmeng's dishes did seem to be genuine.

but…

Isn't that under normal circumstances?

Su Yu still kept a watchful eye.

Rich people are all bad people, and young ladies are even worse. Although Lin Qingmeng is not as old as that bad woman, she still needs to be wary.

Before Su Yu could think too much about it, Lin Qingmeng started talking while eating, and the way she did so had a unique charm.

That was clearly an impolite gesture for the young lady.

"Is 7 pm tonight okay?"

Although it was phrased as a suggestion, Su Yu could detect a hint of undeniable authority in it.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. How could a young lady's party wait for an ordinary person like me? But even a salted fish has to turn over, so Su Yu still put up a little resistance.

"So late?"

Lin Qingmeng nodded: "It seems a bit late, but it's okay. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be over after one meal. We can go home around 9 o'clock."

Su Yu nodded and silently calculated the time in his mind.

An Ningying has classes in the afternoon. She should go to class after the ointment wears off. Classes will last until 4 o'clock. I will pick her up, take her home, cook her dinner, and then leave. The timing seems to be just right.

I still need to take An Ningying home, otherwise that little girl might explode...

As for accompanying Bai Xiaoxiao to stroll around the school in the afternoon, how long will that take? I estimate we'll leave at 1 pm and finish at 2 pm at the latest. After that, I can go grocery shopping first, which will save me time.

perfect!

After calculating the time, Su Yu nodded to Lin Qingmeng: "Okay, then let's go at seven o'clock. How do I get there?"

Lin Qingmeng thought for a moment and said, "Just go to the entrance of the community and wait for me. I'll send a driver to pick you up."

Su Yu nodded, and Lin Qingmeng finished her last bite of food at the same time. She glanced at Su Yu, a slightly troubled expression on her face.

But her predicament didn't last long. She pursed her lips and asked Su Yu, "Aren't you going to accompany that junior this afternoon?"

What do you mean by "accompanying"? It's like you have some kind of special profession.