They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

"You're not being honest, An'an!" "Yeah, yeah, a cute girl like An'an must have been very popular with boys since she was little. There must have been some heart-fluttering moments, right?" "Unless all those boys are 'Ning Ruoyu'." "Hahaha, help me, I hate you!"

"Girls this age should all have someone they're interested in, right? An Yu, you should have one too, right?"

Hu Dan looked at An Yu, and for some reason, her tone revealed a sense of tension and unease.

An Yu unconsciously uttered a "Huh?", then gently lowered his head and glanced at the scallions floating in the noodle soup in the bowl.

"Ah, yes, yes," she said guiltily.

"I, I'm sure I have some too!"

As she said this, she caught a glimpse of Chen Di walking into the cafeteria at that very moment.

[Next chapter preview: "I have no morals, so don't try to morally blackmail me."]

What do I care about their true nature? I'm not their parent, and I have no interest in knowing that much.

"I don't know what you've misunderstood, but you should keep those words to yourself."

"...I didn't intend to take her home; I needed to get back early to do laundry."

Let go of the urge to help others and respect their fate. This was the first lesson I learned when I entered this profession.

Chapter 8: Helping Others? I have no motivation for that.

"I thought you genuinely invited me to go home with you. This ulterior motive is really hurtful."

The one sporting that bright, cheerful smile was the handsome guy from Class F, known far and wide. And at this moment, his tone was slightly teasing.

"I have no morals, so don't try to morally blackmail me." I rolled my eyes at him as we walked side by side.

"Besides, you know what would happen if people actually saw us acting together."

"I'm not worried. After all, we're friends, aren't we?" Chen Di raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"My friend, could you please edit your lifestyle habits, hobbies, and daily routine and send me a Word document? I would be very grateful."

"You should still speak. Thinking about it, I was actually quite busy after school today."

"Aren't we friends?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"...I really admire Ning Ruoyu; you always manage to shamelessly find a way to benefit yourself." Chen Di sighed. "Didn't you say you'd treat me to dinner?"

"I was thinking of saving the cost of this meal if you could tell me some relevant information, but it seems we should split the bill." I stroked my chin.

"If bookstores ever stock your art of speaking, I will definitely read it."

A cunning guy.

I stood at the school gate and looked around.

"Western restaurant or family restaurant? It's almost the end of the month, and I personally recommend a family restaurant."

"If you're treating, I'll choose a Western restaurant."

"Got it, family restaurant, let's go!"

Adhering to the principle of saving money wherever possible, I stepped into the shop that had cast a shadow over me yesterday.

Then I quickly realized that, as the old saying goes, those who are greedy for small gains are destined to suffer big losses.

"Is that Ge Lanlan sitting at that table?"

I followed Chen Di's gaze and looked in that direction.

I have some recollection of her from the conflict that happened a month ago; she seems to be one of the girls who also hangs out in An Yu's small group.

"If you want to say hello, go say it yourself. I'll pretend I didn't see it."

“…Never mind, the guy sitting opposite her seems to be from another school,” Chen Di said with a wry smile. “It doesn’t feel right to greet him in this situation.”

"The table diagonally behind her," I casually remarked while ordering, "that blond-haired boy, isn't he in our class?"

"Where?" Chen Di narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh, Xu Xingxin, huh. He's an active member of the class, and a pretty good guy."

"Not bad enough to casually read other people's diaries?" I let out a cold laugh.

“…He does like to show off and be a bit of a attention-seeker,” Chen Di added. “But he’s not a bad person at heart.”

I didn't say anything more. Anyway, these people weren't on my list of acquaintances, and commenting too much would only make me look like I was talking badly about them behind their backs.

What do I care about their true nature? I'm not their parent, and I have no interest in knowing that much.

For me, judging a person is based solely on what they have done.

"I've ordered. What would you like to eat?"

I handed the menu to Chen Di, as if the conversation had never happened.

Chen Di also smiled as he accepted the menu and casually marked it up.

"...Let me make this clear first, if you can't finish what you ordered, I'm going to have to force it into your mouth." I couldn't help but remind you.

"Wasting food is shameful."

"Why does this sound so much like something An Yu would say?"

"She genuinely cares about the food, while I care about the money... Hmm, please choose a dessert here as well."

"If that's the case, why did you specifically make me choose? After all, you're treating, aren't you?"

Because an idiot assigned a stupid task, forcing a moron to carry it out.

"Actually, I was being blackmailed with videos."

"You took out a student loan?" Chen Di asked in surprise.

"That's it..."

"Ah, Ning Ruoyu, class monitor, what a coincidence!"

—The one who stiffly and directly appeared in front of us, greeting us in the tone of an insurance salesman, was that idiot.

Chen Di gave me a meaningful look, and I looked up at the ceiling.

“What a coincidence, An Yu,” Chen Di replied with a smile.

"Yes!" An Yu nodded vigorously, looking at me expectantly.

"...?" I blinked.

"I also want?"

"Aren't you going to say hello to me?" An Yu looked a little sad.

...I don't want to play along with this stupid act.

"video."

I waved enthusiastically, "Oh hi~ Good afternoon, An Yu!"

This guy's cute and innocent demeanor at school is definitely a facade.

"Yay! Good afternoon!" She gave me a high five with a cheerful smile.

Chen Di glanced at her, then at me, and gently curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“Well, since…” An Yu was about to continue with the lines I had prepared for her when Chen Di interrupted her.

"Since we've bumped into each other so coincidentally, if you haven't had dinner yet, would you like to eat with us?"

"Is it okay!?"

An Yu looked incredulous. To be honest, I didn't expect it to go so smoothly.

"I have absolutely no problem with it, after all, it's Boss Ning who's treating this time."

"Ning Ruoyu! Is it okay?!"

"...Let's make it clear first, you can sit anywhere, but you can't treat others."

Hey, why do you look so disappointed? What are you doing here, strategist?!

"Could I share some of my food with you from a small bowl?"

"An Yu, do you really understand why we met at a family restaurant?"

I couldn't bear it any longer and reminded him.

When I agreed to help An Yu become good friends with the class monitor, I was once overconfident in my own abilities.

Although I would humbly refer to myself as an ordinary male escort with some fame in the alley, the area where I worked was a world-class concentration of gray industries, a chaotic place on par with Kabukicho.

What's so difficult about helping a high school girl fulfill her pink wish? Especially since this high school girl is a beautiful girl herself.

But when I encountered this guy who couldn't resist the sight of dinner, I had the urge to "go home early."

"An'an? You're here!"

The beautiful girl's reluctance to sit down finally attracted the attention of the other side.

"And the class monitor! ...and, uh, Ning Ruoyu?"

I'm really sorry to have made you aware of my existence.

I watched as the girl, who had walked up to our table with a look of surprise and delight, then revealed obvious disgust and astonishment, and glanced at the restaurant entrance.

I want to leave.

"Ge Lanlan, you're here too?"

"Hello."

Unlike my silence, An Yu and Chen Di both responded politely to each other.

"Yeah! My childhood friend and I are eating over there! Want to come and eat with us?"

"This one……"

An Yu and Chen Di both turned their gazes to me, as if seeking my opinion. This clearly surprised Ge Lanlan.

"I'm shy."

I smiled at her, then glanced back at the doorway.

"...Then forget it."

Perhaps displeased with my attitude, Ge Lanlan frowned and, with an attitude completely opposite to her previous enthusiasm, turned and walked back to her seat.

"Ning, Ning Ruoyu?" An Yu glanced at Ge Lanlan who had left, then looked at me with a questioning gaze, somewhat at a loss.

"Are you friends with her? I mean, the really genuine kind."

"Why do you say that? Because we're friends, of course!"

"Oh, I see. Then I suggest you go and accept her invitation." I glanced at my watch. "I'll save the food here for you."

"Eh?"

"Not going?"

"Go!" An Yu said quickly. "Um, could you please save me a piece of sweet and sour pork?"

……

After taking a bite of the food that was served, Chen Di looked up at me.

Why was An Yu sent over?

"Your reaction just now clearly showed that you also found it strange, didn't it?"

I took a bite of the sweet and sour pork that An Yu had been craving. Apart from the fact that this family restaurant is prone to accidents, the food is indeed impeccable.

“If you’re having dinner with your childhood friend and you’re inviting unrelated people, it would be awkward for both of you,” Chen Di said without hiding anything. “But maybe Ge Lanlan is just being overly enthusiastic, so it’s not really strange.”

"Is that her personality?"

"...No, she should be more delicate and sentimental than an ordinary girl."

"You're a artsy girl, huh?" I smiled wryly, then looked up at the situation and gave a complicated expression.

"What's wrong?" Chen Di also looked over, and his mouth opened slightly in a similarly flustered manner.

The boy named Xu Xingxin, along with his friends, seemed to have also sat down at Ge Lanlan's table.

Suddenly, the ordinary four-person table seemed so cramped.