“…”
Lin Xichi paused for a moment, wanting to argue with him but suddenly feeling something was amiss. She furrowed her brows and asked, “Again?”
Without responding, Xu Fang continued to flex his left hand, squeezing and releasing it. His skin was fair, and the veins on the back of his hand were visible, with well-defined joints connecting his fingers, giving the impression of strength and agility.
Just then, a waiter arrived with several dishes, all of them vibrant and spicy, with chili oil sizzling on top, emitting an enticing aroma.
Lin Xichi’s attention was momentarily diverted by the delicious smell. She looked back at Xu Fang, and her expression turned solemn, resembling that of a pet owner whose pet had been taken away.
Sitting across from her, Xu Fang had not noticed her distracted state. He adjusted the position of the plates on the table and then picked up his chopsticks, his voice low and indifferent.
“Let’s eat first.”
Lin Xichi, ignoring his words, asked, “Who was the previous ‘fool’ then?”
Xu Fang didn’t respond immediately. He was flexing his left hand, and the veins on his fair skin were visible. He seemed to be preparing himself for the upcoming competition.
At this moment, a waiter approached with a plate of dishes, red and spicy, with chili oil steaming on top. It looked delicious.
Lin Xichi was drawn in by the aroma, and her attention was momentarily distracted. However, she quickly refocused on Xu Fang. Her expression was solemn, as if she had just lost her pet.
Sitting across from her, Xu Fang didn’t pay her much attention. He adjusted the position of the dishes on the table, creating space.
When he looked up again, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“Let’s continue after eating.”
Lin Xichi pretended not to hear him, and instead, she asked, “Who was the previous ‘fool’?”
Xu Fang paused, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her. He seemed to understand and gave her a meaningful glance, which clearly conveyed that he was looking at a fool.
Xu Fang: “Are you going out without your brain today?”
Lin Xichi: “Yes, to prevent you from feeling inferior. I put it away.”
Xu Fang: “Inferior my ass.”
Lin Xichi shook her head, correcting him, “Inferior my ass.”
Xu Fang was taken aback by her words, and his expression turned dark, like someone had just thrown ink on his face.
“Get lost.”
Lin Xichi: “How can I? If I leave now, your living expenses for this month will be transferred to me, and you’ll have to eat for free.”
Hearing this, Xu Fang narrowed his eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. His jawline was sharp and clean, from his chin to his neck. He leaned forward, exuding a sense of calm confidence, and moved the dishes to one side of the table, clearing a large space.
When he raised his head again, a hint of mischief sparkled in his eyes.
“Let’s continue after the competition.”
Lin Xichi had a disappointed expression on her face. She was about to say something more but stopped herself, realizing that it was probably futile.
Xu Fang: “What’s wrong?”
Lin Xichi: “It’s just that, earlier, when you left your friends to have a meal with me…”
Xu Fang: “Yes?”
Lin Xichi hesitated for a moment and then continued, “It felt like you left the meeting early and went out to play.”
Xu Fang: “I left the meeting early.”
Lin Xichi: “But didn’t your teacher talk to you guys about a senior who missed the exam because of gaming?”
Xu Fang: “I don’t know.”
Lin Xichi was about to say something more but stopped herself, changing her question, “Why didn’t you bring up what happened earlier?”
Xu Fang: “What happened?”
Lin Xichi: “Well…” Lin Xichi blinked and shook her head, “It’s nothing.”
She had forgotten about it already.
Although it was a bit surprising, she felt like she had taken advantage of him.
Lin Xichi sighed and slumped back into her chair. She tried to forget about the bet, but her mind kept returning to it.
Her friends noticed her dejected expression and asked, “Xichi, do you know that guy? The one you had dinner with?”
Lin Xichi, still feeling down, replied, “Yes, he’s a friend of mine.”
“Did you go to the same high school?” asked one of her friends.
Lin Xichi nodded, “Yes, we’ve known each other since we were kids.”
“Childhood friends?” asked another friend.
“I’m so jealous! I want childhood friends too!” exclaimed one of them.
The conversation continued, and they asked about his major and noted that he and his friends looked quite impressive, like they could be models.
One of her friends asked, “Isn’t the school offering a…”
Lin Xichi thought for a moment and said, “I think it’s civil engineering. Oh, and he’s a military student.”
Her friend jokingly said, “Great, my goal for four years of college is to find a military boyfriend.”
However, Lin Xichi’s mood remained gloomy. Her friends noticed and asked, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you having dinner with your childhood friend?”
Lin Xichi sighed, “Yeah, but we made a bet, and I lost.”
Her friends were curious, “A bet? What did you bet on?”
“Arm wrestling,” Lin Xichi replied. “We bet for a month’s living expenses.”
Her friends were surprised. “You gave him your entire monthly allowance?”
Lin Xichi frowned, “Yes, and now I have to ask him for money every day, like a beggar.”
Her friends couldn’t help but laugh.
Since middle school, she would often bet with Xu Fang.
The number of times she won could be counted on one hand.
But just now, she had gone into the battlefield with unwavering confidence. Xu Fang easily defeated her with one hand, which truly crushed her self-esteem, catching her off guard.
Later on…
In order not to lose, Lin Xichi tried all sorts of methods, but none worked.
In the end, she could only pretend to be pitiful: ‘Pipi, I’m not feeling well today.’
At that moment, Xu Fang loosened his grip on her hands considerably.
Lin Xichi thought she had finally found a way to win and couldn’t help but smile triumphantly. However, Xu Fang suddenly chuckled, applying all his strength to bring her hands down, rendering her efforts useless.
Pipi eased his grip, raised an eyebrow, and casually leaned back in his chair.
‘Not feeling well?’ He mockingly inquired. ‘For your sake, I could only win, you know.’
He was starting to show off after winning.
Lin Xichi really didn’t want to deal with him, but when she thought about the upcoming month, she reluctantly held back her frustration and forced a smile.
‘How is that for me?’ she retorted.
He replied in a matter-of-fact manner, ‘It gives you an excuse to cry your heart out.’
Lin Xichi felt utterly defeated.
‘Oh,’ Xu Fang added, ‘You can start now.’
…
…
Lin Xichi thought to herself that after this month, she would never contact this guy again.
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