Xie Sheng saw it and scoffed, then repeated it in a syrupy-sweet voice: “Did～you～see～me～wav～ing～at～you?”
Xie Sheng grinned. “Ah, my god. What’s he doing? Hitting on you in front of all these people?”
“Give me back my phone.” Shen Yusi replied to him: [Yeah, I saw. The crowd here is about to riot.]
After waving, Xia Xifan sat back down.
His friend beside him asked, “What was that all of a sudden?”
“A friend came to watch the game.”
The friend asked casually, “A guy or a girl?”
Xia Xifan answered honestly, “A girl.”
His friend jerked his head around. “Holy crap, who? Is she my future sister-in-law?”
“……”
The guy scanned the stands, demanding Xia Xifan point her out.
No matter how much he explained that they were just friends, the other guy wouldn’t believe him.
Up in the stands, Xie Sheng said tsk-tsk. “This kid’s playing it straight.”
“Where?”
Shen Yusi thought about it carefully.
Xia Xifan did have a natural, instinctive boldness about him. But it wasn’t off-putting.
In fact, it made her heart race a little.
“He carried you to the hospital in front of everyone without a second thought. Just now, he waved at you regardless of anyone else. Doesn’t he know how many people are paying attention to him? Doing something this blatant, isn’t he afraid of breaking his fans’ hearts?”
“That’s just how young boys are.”
Shen Yusi had just seen on Baidu that, although Xia Xifan was a year ahead of her, he was actually younger. He was a younger guy.
“A pure-hearted puppy dog.” Xie Sheng leered, bumping Shen Yusi with her shoulder.
Shen Yusi pushed her back between laughs. “Stop it.”
Her phone vibrated. Xia Xifan messaged again: [What made you come to the gym today?]
Island: [My friend dragged me here. I didn’t know you were on one of the teams.]
Fan X: [I managed to get a spot as a substitute.]
Island: [With your skills, being a substitute is a waste of talent.]
Shen Yusi watched the ‘typing…’ status repeatedly appear and disappear at the top of their chat. The temperature in the gym seemed to rise.
After a long moment, Xia Xifan gathered the courage to ask: [Do you want to get dinner together when it’s over?]
Shen Yusi was about to refuse. She didn’t want to stand Xie Sheng up. But then another message popped up: [You can bring your friend too.]
Shen Yusi didn’t reply immediately. She asked Xie Sheng first, “He wants to have dinner together when it’s over. Do you want to go?”
“Sure.” Xie Sheng glanced at the message, her smile widening. “Ha. This kid’s got some sense. He knows he needs to get on my good side.”
After a tense overtime period, the game finally ended. Xia Xifan’s team won.
When the results were announced, Shen Yusi once again heard an explosive scream that was practically deafening.
Shen Yusi got caught up in the excitement and jumped up to cheer too. After shouting, she sat back down, laughing. “Ha! Everyone’s so enthusiastic!”
Xie Sheng just twitched her mouth. This girl was a bit crazy sometimes.
Xia Xifan was nowhere to be seen during the awards ceremony. Shen Yusi found it a little strange.
Could he have been called away for training?
Were they still on for dinner?
After all the formalities were over, the crowd rushed towards the exits like an ebbing tide.
Just as Shen Yusi was about to ask, Xia Xifan messaged her first: [Come to the locker room. I’ll wait for you at the door.]
Xie Sheng said, “I thought he’d be waiting for you at the stairs.”
Shen Yusi rolled her eyes. “That would be way too high-profile.”
They followed Xia Xifan’s instructions and successfully found their way to the corridor outside the backstage locker room.
He was leaning against the fire cabinet, his long legs stretched out. His damp hair hung over his forehead. A plain cotton t-shirt had a few water stains on it. He smelled like citrus shower gel.
When he saw Shen Yusi, Xia Xifan looked up and smiled, revealing a canine tooth. “Hang on. I’ll just go in and say hi. I’ll be right out.”
He turned, bringing along a cool breeze.
He said something inside, and the room erupted in laughter from the crack in the door.
“No wonder you skipped the awards ceremony and insisted on showering. You were going on a date! Was it the girl you were waving at earlier?”
“Didn’t you say she wasn’t my sister-in-law? You lied to me, bro.”
Xia Xifan kicked his stool. “Keep your voice down.”
Three or four boys piled up at the door, sticking their heads out. They greeted Shen Yusi in unison, “Hello, future sister-in-…”
They were about to say more, but Xia Xifan shoved them back inside with a quick hand.
He came out and closed the locker room door. “They might have the wrong idea. Don’t take it too seriously.”
“It’s fine.”
By the time they left the gym, it was dusk. The sky was dyed a bright rouge color.
Xia Xifan asked, “What do you two want to eat?”
“You decide. You know food way better than we do.” Shen Yusi kind of missed those days when she didn’t have to agonize over what to eat every day, yet still got to enjoy a delicious meal.
“Okay. I’ll arrange it.”
In truth, he had already booked her favorite restaurant as soon as she agreed. He only asked again to be safe.
Worried that ignoring Xie Sheng might make her uncomfortable, Xia Xifan asked her as well, “What about you? Any dietary restrictions?”
“Same as Little Island.”
Remembering the long list of dietary restrictions Shen Yusi had given him, Xia Xifan’s voice lilted with amusement. “The same? That might be a little difficult.”
Shen Yusi’s ears burned. She quickly pulled Xie Sheng over. “No restrictions. Just do what’s normal.”
“Okay.” Xia Xifan nodded, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Little Island is your nickname?”
Xie Sheng poked her head out from behind Shen Yusi’s shoulder. “No. Her nickname is Yuanyuan. Little Island is something we came up with.”
Shen Yusi quickly covered her mouth. Why would she say that!
“Got it.” Xia Xifan looked at a slightly ruffled Shen Yusi. His tongue circled half his mouth before he said the name. “Yuanyuan.”
Shen Yusi: “……”
Her phone rang. Xie Sheng picked it up and saw a string of English on the screen. She remembered Shen Yusi had put her phone in her pocket.
Xie Sheng lightly tugged Shen Yusi’s clothes, avoiding Xia Xifan’s eyes, and handed her the phone.
Shen Yusi pursed her lips. “Hang on. I need to take this call.”
She walked over to a nearby plane tree.
Xie Sheng, feeling awkward, was left to make eye contact with Xia Xifan. “Ha. It’s her dad.”
“Oh, okay.”
Xia Xifan didn’t think much of it. He opened his phone to look at the restaurant’s signature dishes.
Only after she was sure she was far enough away that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard did Shen Yusi answer. “Hello?”
A lazy voice came through the phone. “Great artist Shen, do you still remember me?”
Shen Yusi was momentarily at a loss. “Could you tone down the sarcasm?”
His tone remained nonchalant. “You have so many people around you. I was just afraid you might have forgotten about little old me.”
All the fight left her. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Qi Yue chuckled, low and slow. Getting to the point, he asked, “It’s my birthday next month. Any plans for me?”
“What do you want? I’ll buy it for you.” Rich people talked like that. Besides, Shen Yusi knew he was just joking.
“Oh, how generous!” Qi Yue said, “Paint me a picture. I’m going to auction it off for a huge profit. Something I can pass down as a family heirloom, preferably.”
Shen Yusi rolled her eyes. “I might as well go to our dean’s office and steal a painting from his collection for you.”
Of course, he probably had plenty of good stuff at home.
“Fine. If you get caught, just say I ordered you to do it. I’ll take the fall for you.” Qi Yue continued, “I’ll send you the address later. Don’t you dare stand me up.”
“Got it.”
Just as she thought he was about to hang up, Qi Yue wasn’t done. “Are you at school?”
“Yeah.”
“Any plans for later?”
Was this guy trying to ask her out? “Having dinner with Xie Sheng.”
“Just the two of you?”
“What, checking up on me?”
Qi Yue leaned back, his voice a little muffled. “No. Just wondering why Su Ze isn’t with you.”
“He’s busy.”
“Well, I haven’t eaten either. Want to join tables?”
Shen Yusi was speechless. Was this one, two, three of them all in on it?
Dinner with Xia Xifan, then a joined table with Qi Yue. Why not just invite Lin Yingzhou too? The three of them, plus Xie Sheng, could make up a mahjong table. She could sit beside Xie Sheng and coach her on how to win money from all three of them.
Shen Yusi picked at the bark of the plane tree, spinning a lie. “Xie Sheng said she wanted to have a candlelit dinner, just the two of us.”
Qi Yue chuckled. “Alright. Talk later. See you in a few days.”
Shen Yusi breathed a sigh of relief, put her phone away, and went back to them.
Afraid of blowing their cover, Xie Sheng quickly asked, “What did your dad want?”
Shen Yusi took the opening smoothly. “Just asking how things are going at school.”
“Oh.”
The restaurant Xia Xifan chose was the closest Michelin-starred place to the university. It seemed to be newly opened and quite popular. He had already booked a table.
After they sat down, Xia Xifan handed the menu to the two girls.
Shen Yusi, struggling with her choice paralysis, said, “You order. Xie Sheng and I have similar tastes.”
“Okay.” He already knew exactly what Shen Yusi liked to eat.
Considering her recent tattoo required a restricted diet, Xia Xifan skipped the seafood.
The food arrived after half an hour, all of Shen Yusi’s favorites.
Xie Sheng let out a long “Oh,” her tone teasing. “You really know our Little Island’s taste, don’t you?”
“I’m glad you like it.” Xia Xifan coughed lightly, a bit embarrassed.
Shen Yusi was hungry anyway, so she picked up her chopsticks and dug in.
Just as she was enjoying the delicious food, she heard a voice from beside them.
“Xie Sheng?”
Shen Yusi looked up. Her movements froze when she saw who it was. A piece of beef slipped and fell into her plate.
A second later, a teasing voice sounded. “Oh, what a coincidence. You’re here too.”
Qi Yue was standing in the aisle, one hand in his pocket, looking down at her with a faint, amused smile.
He had just been caught red-handed for the lie she’d told an hour ago.
Shen Yusi took a sip of her lemon water.
She didn’t blush. Her voice was as steady as a pressed shirt. “Yeah. What a coincidence.”
Sometimes, in order to keep the peace, you had to lie with a clear conscience.
It was for everyone’s benefit.
Afraid Xia Xifan would get suspicious, Xie Sheng spoke before Qi Yue could. “Long time no see, handsome Qi.”
Qi Yue nodded, then tipped his chin towards Xia Xifan, pretending not to know. “And this is…?”
Of course, Qi Yue knew who this was.
But he wanted to ask anyway. He wanted to hear what Shen Yusi would say.
Before anyone could answer, a girl behind Qi Yue popped her head out. When she saw Xia Xifan, she became incredibly excited.
“Ahhh! Xia Xifan! Oh my god, you’re Xia Xifan!”
Xia Xifan was startled. He quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth before shaking the girl’s hand. “Hello, hello.”
“I’ve been a fan of yours since the last Olympics! I can’t believe I’m meeting you here! Could I get a picture with you?”
The girl was practically sparkling, her eyes full of anticipation.
Xia Xifan nodded. “Sure.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
The girl handed her phone to Xie Sheng, who seemed approachable. “Sister, could you take a picture of us?”
Xie Sheng was reluctant to leave. She hadn’t had her fill of the drama yet, but she couldn’t say no to a cute girl’s request. “Sure.”
Xie Sheng got up and followed them to an open area for the photo. The seat beside Shen Yusi was now empty. Qi Yue sat down, legs apart.
He turned sideways, propped his chin up with one hand, and looked at her with interest. “So, this is the candlelit dinner for two you mentioned?”
Knowing she was in the wrong, Shen Yusi put on a flattering smile. “What if I said we just ran into each other? Would you believe me?”
“Of course, I would. How could I not?” Recalling how she had fooled him in the bar about not seeing his message, he let out a soft laugh. “I’ll believe every word you say, no matter how ridiculous.”
Shen Yusi clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.
She’d given him an off-ramp. Why wasn’t he taking it? She pursed her lips, trying to think of how to retort. “You’re no bett…”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Qi Yue looked up. Her arm was suddenly grabbed, her warm palm pressing against the fabric of his sleeve. She forced his relaxed posture into a more upright position, using his broad shoulders to shield herself.
“Don’t move,” Shen Yusi said in a low voice.
Damn!
She should have thought of this!
Xu Huaichuan had said he and Lin Yingzhou were having dinner with friends that day. This restaurant was close to school and newly opened. It was perfect.
Shen Yusi closed her eyes, hoping Lin Yingzhou was just walking straight and not looking around.
They had just started to warm up to each other. She didn’t want this to cool things down.
Qi Yue’s Adam’s apple was brushed by her ear, leaving a slight, numb tingle. Her breath was hot on his chest.
He looked down. Shen Yusi’s neck was flushed a light red. Their heartbeats were tangled together, and it was impossible to tell whose rhythm was broken.
Shen Yusi’s face was almost buried in his chest. The guilty look on her face was impossible to hide.
Lin Yingzhou quickly passed their table and walked further in. Shen Yusi buried her face even deeper.
Seeing this, Qi Yue couldn’t fail to understand. He chuckled lightly. “Did you run into another love interest?”
“The aloof senior.” Shen Yusi looked up. She wasn’t going to pretend anymore.
They’d known what the other was like for a long time.
Who was better than who, anyway?
Qi Yue let out a long “Oh,” his breath getting closer. His fingers were resting on the back of her neck, gently squeezing. His tone was dangerous.
“You’re something else, you know that? The aloof senior and the pure-hearted college boy. Do I even get a spot with you anymore?”
Shen Yusi shot back, “And what about you? The cute girl you brought to dinner today? And that sexy older woman from your recent photo?”
Qi Yue was amused by her counterattack. But he didn’t explain.
Shen Yusi licked her lips.
Fine. If you’re not going to pretend, neither am I.
Xie Sheng was taking photos at the other end of the table, but her eyes were darting over.
Good, good, good. Three men, one restaurant. What a battleground.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime show. Good thing she came. She wouldn’t have missed this for the world.
But why couldn’t they just run into each other head-on? Let’s see them throw down. The winner would be worthy of Little Island.
Seeing that it was enough, Qi Yue stood up. “Well, I won’t bother you then. Enjoy your meal.” He paused, meaningfully, “All three of you.”
He waved at the girl. “Xiaoqi, let’s go.”
Having gotten her photos and signature, the girl knew when to stop. “Thank you!” she said to Xia Xifan and Xie Sheng.
She trotted after Qi Yue and left the restaurant.
When they were back in their seats, Xia Xifan asked, feigning nonchalance, “Were those friends of yours?”
Shen Yusi nodded. “Yeah. He’s having dinner with his girlfriend.”
Xia Xifan hummed in acknowledgment. He had thought the vibe between that man and Shen Yusi was a little off, but it turned out he had a girlfriend. He must have been overthinking things.
Xie Sheng almost choked on her soup.
Girlfriend?
Did Qi Yue know he was in a relationship?
Xie Sheng glanced at Shen Yusi, who was calmly eating her bird’s nest and coconut pudding.
Yep. The most important qualities for a heartbreaker were mental fortitude and the ability to think on your feet.
She still had a lot to learn.
Having noticed Lin Yingzhou coming in earlier and seeing that he had entered a private room, Shen Yusi had been wanting to leave, afraid they’d run into each other if they stayed.
Seeing that everyone had had enough to eat, she said, “I’m so full. It’s pretty cool out tonight. Want to go for a walk to digest?”
Xie Sheng was immediately perceptive. “I’ll pass. You two go ahead. I still have to go back to the dorm and do my homework. So much homework.”
It was partly true that she didn’t want to interrupt, but she also had unfinished homework. She sighed a long sigh. “The tragic life of a medical student.”
Shen Yusi expressed her sympathy. She was glad she didn’t have any aspirations of being a healer. Otherwise, she would be drowning in books too.
“I need to use the restroom. Wait for me.” After she was done, she reapplied her makeup and spent a good while admiring herself in the mirror before leaving.
As she was walking down the hall, she heard a voice behind her.
“Junior?”
Shen Yusi’s spine went rigid.
Could she still run?