Baiheng shook her ear, stood up together with Jingliu, ready to pass on Zero's words through their friend.
When they got to the front desk, the clerk, upon hearing Jingliu was going to pay, said puzzledly, "The gentleman just now already paid."
Jingliu froze on the spot, said nothing.
After hearing that, Baiheng felt a bit guilty, "Uh, it seems like he never gave us a chance to treat him, either it's split the bills or he treats us to drinks and food…"
Jingliu said softly, "Yes, he's always like that."
The more Baiheng thought about it the more ashamed she felt. "How about I pay more attention next month and run into fewer star-rafts… then the two of us will treat him to a meal?"
"Okay."
The foxian looked up and saw Jingliu, who usually wore a cold expression, whether because she'd thought of something or not, her gaze and expression had become extremely… gentle?
Baiheng was momentarily stunned; she didn't know how to describe it.
'Uh, it should be like seeing a long-lost sword technique? Or like getting some divine weapon?'
The foxian blinked in confusion, and before she could probe further, the friend who wanted to flirt with Zero came over.
The friend looked excited, "Well? Did he accept? I'll wait!"
Baiheng shook her head, "He said he has a girlfriend. If we ask for contact info, the girlfriend will get mad."
The friend sneered, "Oh? He has a girlfriend and still eats alone with other women? Isn't that scumbag behavior?"
Before Baiheng could think of how to answer, Jingliu frowned and said coldly, "He's not a scumbag."
Jingliu couldn't bear Zero belittling himself, nor could she bear others misunderstanding Zero.
The friend impatiently narrowed his eyes, "What's the rush? Are you his girlfriend?"
Jingliu fell silent immediately.
Baiheng was dumbfounded, instantly going all ears.
'Huh? What happened?'
'Why did the atmosphere get so weird…'
She looked at the friend, then at Jingliu, had a bright idea, and while the friend wasn't paying attention, she winked at Jingliu, "Yes, she is."
The friend was half-believing, half-doubting, "Oh? You're his girlfriend? But Baiheng just said you two aren't a couple."
Baiheng frantically signaled to Jingliu with her eyes, "Because they're just starting to date, even I'm in the dark haha..."
Jingliu was silent for a moment, then crossed her arms and softly "hm"ed, her expression looking very calm.
Seeing that, Baiheng breathed a sigh of relief; she was afraid her friend with subpar acting would slip up, so she quickly soothed the friend with a few words and then suggested leaving early.
The friend lost interest in continuing to chat with Baiheng, waved a generous goodbye, and said he'd double Baiheng's pay.
The foxian happily went to pull Jingliu, but couldn't budge her.
Baiheng turned around in confusion and saw Jingliu raise a hand to cover her face, only the tips of her ears sticking out red.
Was this because the room temperature was too high?
Seeing this, Baiheng hurriedly pulled her outside; once Jingliu stepped out of the barbecue place, the redness on her ear tips faded quite a bit.
Baiheng relaxed, gave Jingliu a thumbs up, "You cooperated so well, we almost got exposed. By the way, what did you want to tell me just now?"
Jingliu took a deep breath. Facing the foxian's curious gaze, she still couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
What was she supposed to say? That although she was older than him, she, just like Baiheng's friend, had fallen for Zero?
Jingliu shook her head and said softly, "Nothing."
Baiheng looked thoughtful and changed the topic, starting to chat about other things.
As a widely social person, she was very good at getting along with people.
Jingliu didn't want to pour out her feelings now, so Baiheng didn't press; she waited for Jingliu to speak first.
Baiheng and Jingliu walked together for a while, then parted. She hummed a little tune happily, went home, quickly washed up and lay down.
After a busy day, Baiheng tried to sleep.
But her mind felt like a video camera set to loop, replaying today's sights and sounds over and over, forcing her to repeatedly watch and analyze.
Baiheng, 'Why do I feel more and more that something's off…'
The foxian had no sleepiness, tossing on the bed, watching the minute hand make a full circle with wide-open eyes.
Why did she feel Jingliu and Zero's interactions were strange?
Baiheng turned over, picked up the jade device, and temporarily added Jing Yuan, Yingxing and Dan Feng into a group chat.
[Baiheng: Don't you think Jingliu's been acting strange recently?]
Dan Feng felt at ease.
He'd just finished arguing with Dragon Master, anger making the other's beard tremble.
Upon seeing the message, that expressionless cold face immediately cracked; he was startled and found Yingxing.
[Dan Feng: Yingxing, didn't you tell Baiheng?]
Dan Feng regretted sending it right after; he should have asked Jing Yuan.
Yingxing had been obsessed with work lately; he might remember to eat, but don't count on him checking jade device messages.
Dan Feng, 'Heartbroken every day for our friend.'
If it weren't for him and the other two secretly helping, the short-lived kind of life would have been even shorter.
If Jing Yuan hadn't stopped him, he would have already found eight people to take care of Yingxing.
Work-obsessed Yingxing rarely replies instantly.
Usually craftsmen burn the midnight oil and won't leave until the workshop's gatekeeper comes looking, then Yingxing would leave.
This time he could reply instantly, probably because the gatekeeper pushed him hard today.
[Yingxing: Huh? You didn't tell her?]
Dan Feng fell silent; he got it, fully enlightened.
He, Yingxing and Jing Yuan, the three of them, all assumed someone would tell Baiheng, but in the end no one did.
If Baiheng found out…
She was always warm and pleasant, easy to talk to, but if she really got mad…
Dan Feng felt a headache coming on; a bright idea struck him and he decided to pass the blame to Jing Yuan.
[Dan Feng: Why didn't Jing Yuan tell her]
Yingxing caught his drift and immediately aligned with Dan Feng, blaming Jing Yuan.
[Yingxing: Yeah, Jing Yuan, why didn't you say anything]
Although they weren't together, their tacit understanding was perfect; they opened the temporary group Baiheng had created in perfect sync.
[Yingxing: Didn't Jing Yuan tell you?]
[Dan Feng: Right, didn't he tell you?]
Their duet made it sound as if they really had instructed Jing Yuan to tell her.
The receiving Baiheng was full of question marks.
[Baiheng: Where are you! @Jing Yuan]
Baiheng waited and waited, but Jing Yuan didn't reply.
He was probably still working overtime at the General's residence.
The foxian immediately turned the blame toward the deliberately mysterious Dan Feng and Yingxing.
[Baiheng: You two too, don't toy with me, spill it!]
Baiheng waited a while longer, and seeing they still kept silent, snorted coldly.
[Baiheng: Are you going to say it? If not I'll send a star-raft to your doorstep right now]
For someone with a collision-prone physique like Baiheng, that sentence was equivalent to a real threat.
[It'll be at your doorstep soon.]
Dan Feng on the other side of jade device thought about it; a star-raft smashing into someone isn't like an annihilation ship, just crash it, the one who'll suffer is Dragon Master, not him.
As for repair costs… probably not even enough for him to buy a piece of clothing.
Dragon Lord was very stubborn and didn't reply.
[Yingxing: Jingliu likes Zero]
After seeing Yingxing's message, Baiheng's brain went blank.
'What? Who? Jingliu… Jingliu likes who? Zero…'
Countless scenes flashed through her mind, setting Zero up with others in front of Jingliu, helping a friend flirt with Zero…
Especially that line, "When he reaches two hundred years old, he'll probably charm a lot of young girls!"
Baiheng, 'I really deserve to die!'
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