Zero kept feeling like Jingliu's attitude wasn't right, but he figured he had to help Baiheng solve her problem first.
"…It's just an excuse. The second method, you say I didn't bring my jade messenger, so she can write her contact info down on paper and give it to me."
After hearing this, Baiheng thought things had taken a turn for the better. Completely forgetting what Zero had just said, she said with delight, "You agreed?"
Zero fell silent for a moment. He suspected Baiheng wasn't a fox, but a fish.
One of those fish with only seven seconds of memory.
He had just said one thing, and she'd forgotten it the next moment.
Zero had to add, "If she gives me her contact info, then I can avoid adding her as a friend, and you don't have to feel awkward."
Baiheng felt like she had opened the door to a whole new world, utterly incredulous, "It can be done like that?"
Zero decisively tossed this hot potato back to Baiheng.
"I don't know your friend, and I can't think of a better solution. So you'll have to decide."
He believed that as a "Sea King," Baiheng would definitely be able to choose the best answer.
Baiheng struggled for a while. "The second way is more polite, but it also gives people hope and then disappointment… forget it, I'll pick the first."
Zero grilled some more meat and, out of habit, divided it between Jingliu and Baiheng.
"Eat first. Fill up before we talk more. Also, best to drink something first, eating oily food on an empty stomach can be uncomfortable."
He blurted it out, and only after saying it did he fall into thought.
In his past life, even though he was a General, he was awfully practiced at looking after people…
"I'll check with Jing Yuan, see if he's still coming."
One sip of milk tea, one bite of barbecue, Zero, a little absent-minded, pulled out his jade to message Jing Yuan.
[Zero: You coming? What are you eating?]
[Jing Yuan: Not eating. Tell me, do you think it's possible someone could kill and cut down endlessly, yet refuse to step on an ant?]
[Zero: Sounds so abstract, so dumb. What are you even saying? Some new character from a storybook?]
[Jing Yuan: I'm talking about the former Arbiter-General]
[Zero: Huh?]
[Jing Yuan: After all, he was the very first Arbiter personally chosen by "Emperor-Bow Siming"!]
[Jing Yuan: He was the omniscient, omnipotent being of the universe, leading the Xianzhou for nearly five thousand years. Even after falling into demonic corruption, he could still make decisions most beneficial for the Xianzhou.]
[Jing Yuan: Just saying "Help me, Emperor-Bow Siming" could summon a star god!]
[Zero: Huh??]
Zero's mouth twitched.
[Jing Yuan: Even though the former Arbiter balabala… anyway, he was a genuine good boy!]
[Zero: Huh???]
When he saw the words "good boy," Zero felt a chill down his spine.
From start to finish, Jing Yuan's stickers radiated nothing but cheer.
'You brat, you get traumatized reading your storybooks, and you just have to drag someone else down with you!'
Zero didn't even need to think. Jing Yuan was probably grinning from ear to ear right now, already scrolling through his jade looking for the next victim.
'Wait. Jing Yuan had time to read storybooks, but couldn't make it to their meetup.'
Link that with Jingliu's tone earlier…
Zero suddenly lifted his head, just in time to meet a pair of dazzling red eyes, faintly smiling.
Jingliu didn't avoid his gaze. She even revealed a nearly imperceptible smile.
Zero blinked slowly, then looked down at his chat with Jing Yuan, arriving at a guess that felt utterly absurd, 'Could it be, Jing Yuan was trying to set me up with Jingliu?'
Jingliu likes him?
No, surely just his imagination?
After all, one of life's great illusions was, "someone likes you."
Zero sucked hard on his milk tea, straightened his posture, clutched his jade messenger, and typed furiously at Jing Yuan.
[Zero: You brat, sneaking in storybooks while at the General's mansion]
[Jing Yuan: I wasn't slacking! The General forced me to read them!]
[Zero: Who'd believe that]
Jing Yuan seemed to grow frantic, spamming several cat-swatting stickers in a row.
[Jing Yuan: It's true! I'm still at the General's mansion right now… The General said this storybook's about to be published, so he dragged me here to edit it. He wants the protagonist to be ridiculously overpowered and edgy without batting an eye, but also kind with principles, and the whole thing can't have any logical flaws…]
Even through the screen, Zero could feel Jing Yuan's resentment.
[Jing Yuan: Damn it all, this protagonist makes no sense! He's even got a bunch of hacks, resurrection sword Heaven's Fang, hypnosis illusion Mirror Flower, Water Moon, and even a big ultimate that can wipe out an entire galaxy instantly…]
[Jing Yuan: What kind of logic is that?! How is it any different from clients asking for "colorful black"? When I find out who made me work overtime, I'm gonna throw a sack over his head and beat him up!]
Zero set down his jade, overturning his earlier suspicion.
Come to think of it, if Jingliu really liked him, Baiheng would definitely know.
A fox would only help a closer friend like Jingliu, never someone else.
This time, Jingliu had simply come to support Baiheng, and happened to invite him along for a meal.
As for romance… that was completely outside his knowledge zone.
Zero could only dig through his memories for similar incidents, comparing them with how he felt just now.
Like with the fox Baizhu, when told someone might like him, Baizhu believed Jing Yuan's judgment and immediately pulled away, making things clear.
He himself was just a shut-in. How could he get along with a social butterfly like Baizhu? They barely interacted, so why would Baizhu be interested in him?
Zero guessed it was probably because Baizhu, being rich, just needed a live-in son-in-law, and had set his eyes on him, the deadbeat.
In any case, the motive wasn't pure.
But if it was Jingliu, he wouldn't treat her the same way.
If you called it resistance, maybe it wasn't even that much resistance.
Maybe it was just because Jingliu was closer to him.
But whatever the case, dating wasn't happening.
After all, Zero had so many mysteries around him. He had already provoked Aha and the Erudition, his conflicts with the star gods weren't sorted out yet. How could he possibly think about love?
What if in his past life he had earned the hatred of some star god, one wave of their hand, and he'd be gone.
If he started dating, he'd just drag someone else down with him. Why bother?
Then… did his not rejecting Jingliu mean he actually liked her?
In this lifetime, Zero had never dated. In his past life too, he might have been single from birth until death. He had zero ability to recognize his own emotions. After thinking for ages, he still couldn't figure it out.
With a "life has no difficulties, as long as you're willing to give up" mentality, he tossed the thought aside. He urged Jingliu and Baiheng to eat, then used the excuse of going to the restroom to head to the counter to pay.
On his way back, he brushed past the woman who'd wanted to hit on him earlier. Without a change in expression, he paid and returned to the table.
Seeing that both Jingliu and Baiheng had set down their chopsticks, Zero asked Jingliu, "Want to head out together?"
Jingliu met his eyes, then shook her head, softly saying, "You go on ahead. I'll leave with Baiheng later."
Baiheng, happily enjoying a paid meal, waved at Zero cheerfully, watching him leave.
The fox quietly whispered to Jingliu, "Who would've thought, that kid Zero's actually pretty popular. Once he hits two hundred years old, he'll probably make a lot of girls swoon."
At that, Jingliu didn't agree. She suddenly stood up.
Baiheng blinked, baffled, "What's wrong?"
The fox felt like Jingliu wanted to say something to her.
But Jingliu only looked conflicted, and in the end spoke just one sentence.
"I'll go pay the bill."
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