Chapter 8: The Mascot’s Indecision

In the bustling mall, a petite figure, cloaked in a loose hooded sweatshirt, furtively wove through the throng. They were constantly wary of drawing attention, all while searching for a particular individual.

Once again, through the coffee shop’s display window, Ye Qing spotted the familiar purple-haired woman.

“Do you truly enjoy coffee that much? Let me state upfront, I rarely frequent malls, and I’m quite oblivious to prices. You invited me here, so…”

“Feel free to choose whatever you like. Money is no object. Consider it a celebration for your induction into our nefarious organization.”

An Yueying seemed to have anticipated Ye Qing’s words. Before Ye Qing could even finish speaking, she offered a reassuring reply.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing’s delicate brows subtly arched, her tone remaining utterly flat.

“Then why are you alone?”

“Our nefarious organization’s entire roster is already present, you know.”

An Yueying set down her spoon and propped her chin, her gaze fixed on Ye Qing with a knowing, half-smile. She hoped to glimpse even a flicker of surprise on the usually stoic girl’s face.

Unfortunately, Ye Qing saw right through her ploy. He had no intention of letting An Yueying succeed.

“Let’s go, then.”

It was a clever tactic: when someone tried to pique your curiosity in conversation, you feigned indifference and changed the subject.

This would often make the other party anxious for you to ask, sometimes even prompting them to offer the answer themselves.

Of course, this approach is not recommended for everyday life, as it tends to leave one as friendless as Ye Qing.

Observing this, An Yueying showed no hint of urgency. She calmly sipped her coffee, knowing full well that with the wallet clutched in her hand, the young girl wouldn’t dare abandon her.

A kitten merely acts mischievous; it will always return when hunger calls.

As expected, after a short while, Ye Qing dejectedly returned to her seat. He sullenly propped his delicate, pale pink cheek, turning his head away as if a child in a pique.

“As you can see, our entire organization currently comprises only me, the Supreme Commander, and you, our esteemed mascot.

While we do have numerous auxiliary members, they are all ordinary individuals, making it inconvenient to involve them in critical affairs.”

“So, I’ve merely inherited the role of a mascot?”

An Yueying offered a faint, knowing smile.

“With your current abilities, you’re not yet suited to be the Supreme Commander, and your experience is still far too limited. Perhaps we can revisit this conversation once I grow weary of the role.”

Ye Qing once again fell silent, a sullen expression on his face. Yet, An Yueying possessed an uncanny knack for introducing topics Ye Qing simply couldn’t refuse.

“Speaking of which, have you noticed that whenever it’s just the two of us, you become remarkably more talkative, and incredibly perceptive…”

“Thank you for the compliment. Don’t let appearances deceive you; I’m actually a top-tier ‘Galahad’ player, exceptionally skilled at capturing women’s hearts.”

Ye Qing spouted his nonsense without a change in expression, though his lively amber eyes occasionally darted to gauge An Yueying’s reaction.

The ‘Galahad’ remark was, of course, a complete fabrication. He was simply taken aback by An Yueying’s observation.

Indeed, he had never been so remarkably talkative. While much of their interaction involved a subtle sparring of wits, he had to concede that conversing with An Yueying felt remarkably easy, at least for him.

Perhaps it was because nothing he said to this ‘bad woman’ seemed to matter, leading him to unconsciously regard An Yueying as an ideal confidante.

“Is that truly the case? I find myself quite intrigued. For a mascot, this is an exceptionally crucial ability, isn’t it? To attract the perfect executives, to manipulate their desires, to command their unwavering loyalty…”

“Huh? Shouldn’t that be your responsibility? I’m merely here to don a mascot costume and wave a flag during battles. I’m utterly incapable of anything akin to a pyramid scheme.”

Ye Qing turned his head, only to find a piece of cake suddenly offered to his lips.

The rich aroma of baked goods, mingled with the sweet scent of cream, assailed him, making it utterly impossible to resist. He devoured it in one eager bite.

The moment he began to chew, his clear, lake-like amber eyes widened abruptly, reflecting tiny points of light, much like a dusty jewel suddenly brought back to brilliance.

Immediately afterwards, he blissfully narrowed his eyes, his lips curving upwards without conscious thought.

Sweet.

Ye Qing had never before realized he possessed such a profound fondness for sweets. Had they always been this alluring? Or was it merely that a young man’s taste buds were more acutely sensitive to sweetness?

An Yueying quietly tilted her head, her slender purple eyes narrowing as she watched Ye Qing, her smile deepening even further.

“You’re quite adorable, Miss Ye Qing.”

An Yueying’s sudden compliment sent a flush across Ye Qing’s face, instantly rendering his speech sluggish.

“W-why say something like that so suddenly?”

‘I know I’m adorable, but those words shouldn’t be coming from your mouth.’

‘Self-admiration and external recognition are two entirely different matters. The former, at the very least, suggests optimism, while the latter often hints at ulterior motives from the speaker.’

‘The phrase “so cute” is often followed by “vanilla mud”!’

It was precisely because Ye Qing habitually dissected the underlying meanings of such words that social interactions often felt exhausting to him.

Upon detecting the ‘bad woman’s’ suspected ulterior motives, he felt compelled to cautiously re-evaluate every single word An Yueying had uttered.

Yet, the sole outward manifestation of his complex thoughts was the gradual deepening of a blush across his cheeks, coupled with a dreamy, unfocused gaze.

Ye Qing’s level of alert immediately spiked, yet to any observer, he merely appeared to be shy!

“What I mean is, even if you do absolutely nothing, merely sitting there and enjoying the cake I feed you, is enough to make you utterly endearing.”

The ‘bad woman’ continued to utter dangerous words, then promptly forked up a second slice of cake. Ye Qing’s alert level rose once more!

Yet, as the cream-laden fork reached his lips, smudging the corner of his mouth, Ye Qing couldn’t resist. He parted his cherry-red lips, indulging contentedly in the offered treat.

The strawberry cake effectively reset Ye Qing’s alert level to zero. Now, the teasing could continue unabated.

‘Teasing? Ulterior motives? What could An Yueying, a woman, possibly do to me? Will her fingers suddenly harden? What utter nonsense!’

‘It’s nothing more than feeding cake or gently stroking my head, surely.’

Ye Qing, who had spent half his life toiling for a clingy childhood friend and his own younger sister at home, succumbed almost instantly to the sheer pleasure of idleness.

After all, Ye Qing abhorred indecision. Thus, when faced with the choice between constant apprehension and simply allowing himself to be pampered, he decisively chose the latter.

‘If he were treated in a way he truly disliked, he would simply walk away.’

“However, if you were to don a mascot costume, you certainly wouldn’t be quite so endearing. Therefore, even if you’re merely waving flags and cheering, you must still be dressed appropriately.”

‘How appropriate could “appropriate” possibly be… Wait!’

“You brought me out today to buy lingerie… surely it’s not meant to be worn outside?”

Ye Qing nervously fixed his gaze on An Yueying’s smiling purple eyes, desperately hoping for a negative answer. However, the ‘bad woman’ merely met his gaze with a knowing smile, leaving everything unsaid.

“I’m not buying anything! I want to go home!”

Like a startled black cat, Ye Qing sprang from his seat, poised to bolt towards the shop entrance. Yet, a firm grip instantly seized him.

“Already so eager to look at clothes? How unfortunate, you’re heading in the wrong direction.”

Ye Qing’s ankle still throbbed faintly, and his arm felt so slender and weak. How could he possibly resist the tall older sister?

He could only allow An Yueying to drag him in the opposite direction, his cherry lips still adorned with specks of cream. His amber eyes, glistening with tears, made him look utterly pitiful, as though he were fleeing a famine.

“I’m not being a mascot anymore! I want to resign! I want to go home…”