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Join the ServerI was utterly fed up with this so-called ‘unexpected magnet’ (TL Note: A self-deprecating term referring to a predisposition for unexpected or troublesome situations to arise around oneself.) of mine.
Despite my frustration, this predicament was inextricably linked to my blunder: my intention to warn Nina to maintain a slight distance, which I ultimately failed to voice.
After all, throughout our time together, I had never seen Nina hold any other boy’s hand, so, just in case, I had asked her about it.
She had replied: “It’s perfectly normal for good friends to hold hands, you know. But those other guys, they never cared about my feelings; they’d grip and squeeze with ill intentions, and it was truly annoying. You, on the other hand, even if you occasionally hold on a bit tight, I can feel that you’re trying to protect me, so I’m really happy holding your hand~”
Hmm, in short, in Nina’s eyes, where her understanding of such matters differed from the norm, ‘holding hands ≠ dating’.
Therefore, even when she held my hand on campus, others would, at most, think, ‘Ah, that person has such a good relationship with Nina; they’re truly fortunate.’
At best, their jealousy would lead them to try and pierce me with their gazes until I resembled a sieve.
And most of them were girls.
However, those who witnessed Nina and me holding hands right now, and whose reactions extended beyond mere observation, even going so far as to tease and make light of the situation, would, for me, clearly be categorized as ‘unexpected’ (TL Note: referring to unexpected and troublesome people/situations).
The crucial point was, before I could even assess the situation, the current predicament, which was truly too unexpected for both Nina and me, its exact origins remained unknown.
So, let us first recount the preceding events.
An hour earlier, we had arrived at the scheduled clinic.
After a fifteen-minute head massage, I indeed felt considerably more relaxed.
I was, of course, not surprised by the outcome: Nina would certainly not simply go home obediently.
However, she was considerate enough to think of me.
She simply held my hand, and we strolled slowly along the street, chatting.
She recounted amusing anecdotes that had occurred with her other friends on campus when I wasn’t around.
Although she did most of the talking, the feeling was quite pleasant.
I was naturally willing to listen.
Presumably, she found this a bit monotonous.
Just then, she spotted a café whose exterior design greatly intrigued her.
I readily agreed to her suggestion, and we entered the establishment together.
The result—
“Oh!?~ Isn’t this Class Two’s Angel Nina? It seems today is my lucky day! Hmm? I remember you too, also from Class Two… Ahaha, my apologies, truly, my memory isn’t the best. I never imagined you two had such a relationship; it’s really quite enviable, yes, extremely enviable.”
It was precisely because we were so taken aback that Nina and I both froze simultaneously, allowing the other party to finish their overly lengthy and utterly impolite speech.
“Qiuqiu, this is terrible…”
“Yes, truly terrible…”
Actually, on this point, I had a certain unconfirmed suspicion.
However, judging by the current situation, it seemed to have been confirmed.
“Oh!~ A-Qiu~ Nina~ What a coincidence!~ Over here~ Over here~”
Yet, no sooner had our sentiments settled than another unexpected situation arose.
“……Qiuqiu, perhaps we should just go home?”
“No, we can’t. Yuanyi is still here; we need to figure out what’s going on.”
“That’s true; we can’t just leave Yiyi (TL Note: a common diminutive nickname for Yuanyi) to fend for herself.”
“Hey~ You two, you’re deliberately ignoring me, aren’t you!?”
In response, Nina and I simultaneously pressed our hands to our foreheads.
What kind of mess was this?
The first to speak… well, let’s consider them the first group.
Surprisingly, it was Ye Wenxuan and Su Yuanyi.
The second group, the ‘idiot couple’ (TL Note: a playful, often exasperated, term for a couple whose actions are perceived as foolish or overly affectionate), well, let’s tentatively include the two girls at the same table.
Due to the distance, I could only see the girl seated opposite Li Pengcheng, with milk tea-colored shoulder-length hair, wearing a bright yellow off-shoulder top and denim shorts, who was currently turning back to curiously look at us.
Opposite Bai Yingwan (Student Bai), who was seated further inside, I could only vaguely discern a figure wearing a white bow hair accessory through the frosted glass.
Perhaps it was another style; it was hard to tell.
Finally, let’s tentatively designate Nina and me as the third group.
After all, we might need to make a quick escape at any moment.
In any case, we could temporarily disregard Li Pengcheng’s group.
I instinctively pulled out my phone.
[Help me~~~ (crying bear) (crying bear) (crying bear)]
Su Yuanyi’s cry for help had, as expected, popped up.
Evidently, she had considered asking for our help before, but hesitated due to certain concerns.
Now that she had encountered us, she could no longer hold back.
[Speak quickly!]
Given the situation, I had to be concise.
[It’s a long story, just save me first! (bear clutching head, trembling)]
Alright then.
“Nana, I’ll leave the idiot group for you to stall.”
“Understood~”
She already disliked Ye Wenxuan, so I naturally wouldn’t put her in a difficult position.
However, she definitely shared with me what could be called a ‘scumbag detector physique’ (TL Note: a humorous term implying an innate ability to attract or identify problematic men).
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have run into Ye Wenxuan so many times.
Frankly, this was a very troublesome matter, and I would need to spend time formulating a countermeasure later.
“Hello, Student Ye. And, Vice President, have you forgotten that the President instructed you to go to the club office today? Why are you here?”
I walked towards their table, greeting them as if nothing were amiss, and very naturally provided Su Yuanyi with a plausible excuse.
In any case, deceiving Ye Wenxuan carried no psychological burden for me.
“Eh? Yuanyi, do you have club activities today? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Is it still not too late to go now?”
Ye Wenxuan’s face instantly filled with anxiety as he inquired.
“Ah? I… I…”
Su Yuanyi, even more flustered, was momentarily speechless, quickly covering her face with her phone.
Tsk.
As expected of a true scumbag (TL Note: a problematic man, often manipulative or insincere in relationships); he certainly had his tricks.
“Student Ye, you should know that our Vice President isn’t good with words. Your questions will only make her more nervous. Could you please leave her to me for now?”
“But… hmm, alright. Although I know Yuanyi with people she’s not familiar with…”
“So, could you please leave her to me first?”
Just how much did this person enjoy long-winded speeches?
My intuition had just warned me that allowing Ye Wenxuan to continue speaking would only make the situation extremely disadvantageous for us.
“Alright, you certainly are assertive. No wonder you and Angel Nina can…”
“Ahem~!?”
Honestly, if Su Yuanyi hadn’t already cried for help, I would absolutely not want to utter another word to someone like him.
How annoying.
Only then did Ye Wenxuan fall silent.
I inwardly sighed in relief, ascended the small wooden staircase of only three steps, and sat beside Su Yuanyi, who had made room.
[Hurry up]
[Unclear, discussion, outside house last night, same this morning, didn’t win, now (crying bear)]
Hmm, I had to think for a moment before I could truly sort out the situation.
In other words, for some unknown reason, Ye Wenxuan wanted to discuss something with Su Yuanyi.
Consequently, he had waited outside her home both last night and this morning.
She intended to refuse, but ultimately, her typing couldn’t keep up with her verbal attempts, leading to her being misunderstood as agreeing and subsequently brought here.
Therefore, the solution was quite simple—
“Oh!? So Student Su and A-Xuan are here too! Ah, I was just wondering why A-Qiu hadn’t come over.”
I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to curse.
In a team-based combat game, this would be a purebred ‘pig teammate’ (TL Note: Chinese slang for an unhelpful or detrimental teammate), the kind that could never be taught.
“Huh? A-Cheng (TL Note: a common diminutive nickname for Li Pengcheng), you’re here too?”
“Hey, hey, hey, I clearly spoke just now; you’re completely doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Ahahaha, truly worthy of being my best friend; you saw right through me in an instant! Ya~ But I clearly spoke just now too, so?~”
“Hahahaha~ What do you think? Were you fooled by my exquisite acting skills~?”
“There really was, oh, hahahaha~”
“Hahahaha~”
[Aren’t you going to stop them? (flustered bear)]
[This is a faction suppression (idol dejected)]
With two social butterflies (TL Note: a term used to describe someone who is very social and enjoys going out) and party-goers (TL Note: a term used to describe someone who is very social and enjoys going out) clustered together, how could I possibly stop them?
It was completely beyond my scope of operations.
“Excuse me, esteemed guests, please refrain from making such a commotion in the establishment.”
“Ah, indeed, our apologies.”
“Oh, beautiful lady, please understand that our excessive joy has inadvertently caused you trouble.”
“Eh, eh? Is that so? Then please be a bit quieter, alright?”
“Of course. Should we trouble you again, that would surely become a lifelong burden for me.”
“Hmm~ You certainly have a way with words. Then I’ll leave it to you~”
[Such regret]
[Not too late]
[Do you have a plan?]
[Improvise]
“Nana.”
After sending the message, I stood up and waved to Nina.
“…”
“…”
Hmm… yes, I knew it. Things never seemed to be that simple.
But my dear lady, couldn’t you just obediently stay put, wait for me to figure out a way to get all these people out, and then quietly make your escape?
Still, I understood her predicament, especially since Lin Shurou was right beside her.
Also, why was my older sister here? How on earth did I miss her just now? Was I blind?
I must have been!!
The overly complex situation left me with no choice but to cast a resentful gaze toward Nina.
I understood now: it turned out she possessed a ‘good friend detector physique’ (TL Note: a humorous term implying an innate ability to attract or identify people who will become good friends).
In truth, at the root of it all, while there was a mastermind at play, Nina and I had also failed to consider things thoroughly, which was why we had voluntarily walked into their trap.
When we were strolling earlier, we were actually heading towards the train station; it seemed Nina originally intended to move to another district.
This shop wasn’t far from the station, so it wasn’t strange for Lan Xinyue, who merely wanted to pass some time outside, to choose this place.
As for the real reason and how long she had been there, I would ask later.
Why Lin Shurou was here, and why she actively sought out Lan Xinyue, I would set aside for now.
Li Pengcheng’s group of four, considering yesterday’s statements, had likely postponed their group outing.
Adding the current time, they had probably just met up.
Also, realizing that he and the two girls weren’t very familiar with each other, they decided to first have some light refreshments to bridge the gap while planning their subsequent itinerary—a response entirely consistent with his ‘party-goer’ persona.
With a little enticement, they would be four big fish.
Ye Wenxuan’s urgent situation, which he couldn’t resolve alone, was, predictably, related to his childhood friend(s).
After much thought, he could only turn to Su Yuanyi for help.
Although Su Yuanyi had confessed her feelings to him before, she had recently clearly shown an attitude of having given up.
This, ironically, made him believe that they could discuss matters more effectively.
The prerequisite was to first show sincerity, so he subconsciously chose a place he believed could achieve this: a dining establishment near their usual dating spots, with an interior design that was neither ostentatious nor failed to put people at ease.
It was precisely because of this same feeling that Nina had suggested entering the shop.
Given Ye Wenxuan’s almost desperate psychological state, coupled with a slight inducement, choosing this particular shop was practically a foregone conclusion.
As for my older sister, whom I had previously overlooked, her presence was also due to the shop’s decor.
The tables in this shop were all separated by partitions with frosted glass in their upper halves.
To create a dreamy visual style, a noticeable height difference had also been incorporated into the design.
Simply put, guests entering the shop would see tables of slightly varying heights, while people passing by outside would perceive a scene constructed from various colored tiles, resembling the stained-glass windows of a church.
Ye Wenxuan, in an attempt to show sincerity, had chosen the highest and most central table near a floral window.
Li Pengcheng’s group of four, on the other hand, had chosen a higher table located closer to the middle of the shop.
This was why Nina and I were spotted the moment we walked in.
The sequence of the two groups entering the shop must have been Ye Wenxuan first, followed by the group of four.
Neither side had noticed the other because Su Yuanyi did not know the group of four.
However, when Nina and I entered, she immediately cast a hopeful gaze our way, which caused Ye Wenxuan to look towards us.
It was only then, after I stood up, that I discovered Lan Xinyue and Lin Shurou seated at a slightly lower table also inside the shop.
At the same time, I finally understood why I had even overlooked my own older sister.
A triangle.
This table, along with the table where Lan Xinyue and Lin Shurou were seated, and my older sister’s table, clearly formed a distinct triangle around Li Pengcheng’s group’s table.
These were the two tables that were completely hidden from view upon entering the shop.
As for my older sister, whom I was actually most concerned about, well, seated opposite her was also an acquaintance: the proprietress of the Sunday Coffee Shop.
I could then roughly guess the reason for their presence here.
However, I couldn’t jump to conclusions.
Whether it was truly a coincidence or if they were also caught up in this, I needed to go over and ask first.
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