Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Qiao Xiang arrived at the barbecue place before I did.

The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up.

No.

More accurately, they lit up when she saw Li Shuyu behind me.

With a very restrained expression, Qiao Xiang said, “Jiang Jiang, I already ordered for the two of us. See what your boyfriend likes and add a few more things.”

I was just about to tell her not to talk nonsense.

What boyfriend?

There wasn’t even a single stroke of that character yet!

But Li Shuyu had already answered first. “I’m not picky. Anything is fine.”

Qiao Xiang dragged me over to the drinks fridge.

Lowering her voice, she said excitedly, “Hot, hot, hot! This one is seriously the real deal!”

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“If you like him so much, I’ll give him to you!”

“Nope, nope, nope! If Qi Yu finds out, my life is over!”

Qiao Xiang and Qi Yu had been high school classmates.

They’d had nothing to do with each other back then.

But after they started working, they somehow ended up together.

An office romance, no less.

Qi Yu was Qiao Xiang’s superior. We’d eaten together a few times, and he was way too possessive. He even got jealous when Qiao Xiang and I hugged each other.

Aside from his decent face, I had no idea what was good about him.

When we came back with six bottles of beer, Li Shuyu was still sitting perfectly upright.

It seemed like this man didn’t know how to slouch.

Nor did he know how to cross his legs.

His cool, detached air was completely out of place amid the noisy, laid-back bustle around us.

I casually handed him a glass and asked politely, “Want some?”

Li Shuyu waved it off.

“I still have to drive later. You two drink.”

As he spoke, he took the beer bottle from my hand and opened it for me.

While we waited for the skewers, Qiao Xiang and I chatted away.

From the SSR card she’d pulled after spending money on the game this week, to the Thirteen Orphans hand she’d won in mahjong last night.

The more Qiao Xiang talked, the more fired up she got.

Because all the good luck had happened to her.

Li Shuyu sat beside us and listened without saying a word.

I admit it.

I was deliberately trying to leave him hanging.

But he didn’t seem the least bit unhappy.

Even when I bit viciously into a silkworm pupa skewer and swore I would win my money back, he handed me a plate of peeled crawfish.

Then he silently opened another bottle of beer for us.

While he went to the restroom, Qiao Xiang nudged my arm.

“Jiang Jiang, this little brother is pretty well-behaved. Why don’t you two try dating first? If he doesn’t fit, just move on to the next one.”

I answered vaguely.

I didn’t give her a direct response.

She knew very well that I was the type who responded better to softness than pressure.

If Li Shuyu had met me today and immediately launched into a long explanation about why he hadn’t contacted me these past few days, I might very well have gotten angry and thought he was being long-winded and making excuses.

But without a word, he had simply followed me to our girls’ night.

Even though I barely acknowledged him.

He still patiently peeled shrimp for me and poured my drinks.

This humble, accommodating attitude…

Emmm… I had to admit, it kind of worked on me.

After we finished the six bottles of beer, it was almost Qiao Xiang’s curfew.

I went with her to the counter to pay, only to be told our table had already been paid for.

I turned around.

Li Shuyu had already stood up and walked over to us.

“Are you going back now? I’ll drive you.”

Qiao Xiang hurriedly refused. “No need, no need. My boyfriend is coming to pick me up. You take Jiang Jiang home.”

Li Shuyu glanced sideways at me.

As if waiting for me to say yes.