Chapter 5: My Friends Are Few

“How could you possibly not know about the Sephirian Continent?!”

Yeah, how could you not know… Wait, who the h*ll shouted that?

Zhu Lubing seemed startled, her crimson eyes focusing behind me.

I followed her gaze and saw Shen Yingxu not far away, holding a pair of nail clippers, her expression horrified.

“…?”

Zhu Lubing tilted her head, looking at the unexpected visitor.

“Who… are you?”

It was half a question, half a murmur to herself.

Shen Yingxu stepped closer, her guarded demeanor starkly different from Zhu Lubing’s impassive expression.

“I’m Shen Yingxu, technically your classmate.”

She said this, glancing at me with a glare.

“What? Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“I know you’re trying to act all serious and tense,” I pointed at her left hand, “but coming at me with nail clippers is just hilarious.”

“I couldn’t find a kitchen knife,” she said, waving the barely-a-weapon in her hand.
“Plan’s changed from stabbing you to clipping you to death.”

Now I get why her team got wiped out.

Their saintess is an idiot.

Everyone knows a clueless healer is a serious problem.

She’d be laughed at for life.

Ignoring her “clip clip clip” performance, I looked at the still-confused Zhu Lubing.

“You really don’t know anything about the Sephirian Continent?”

“Mm.” Zhu Lubing shook her head, glancing between me and Shen Yingxu.

“But… Shen Yingxu… I’ve heard of her,” she said suddenly, making the “clipping” saintess instantly wary.

“As expected, how could I mistake that white hair and red eyes? You’re clearly the Zero Wi—”

“—My ex-girlfriend?”

Zhu Lubing’s words made both Shen Yingxu and me freeze, like we’d just eaten ice cream left out in the summer heat for three hours.

“Why’s that the thing you heard about?!”

Shen Yingxu let out a piercing wail.

This girl has zero saintess grace.

“Because it’s related to my boyfriend. I looked up everything about it just now.”

“That’s an invasion of privacy! And I’m not your boyfriend!…”

But Zhu Lubing ignored my protests, looking from me to Shen Yingxu.

“Cheating.”

She nodded, reaching her conclusion.

Then, with a slightly hurt expression, she gave her verdict.

“Lame.”

…

“Hahahaha!!”

At the milk tea shop by the school gate after class.

Seeing the guy next to me slapping the table and laughing, I sipped my mint milk tea with a cold expression.

“You’re laughing way too hard. Your cool, aloof guy image is about to crumble.”

“Hahahaha… Sorry, sorry… Hahahaha… It’s just too funny…”

Mu Ziqing.

Completely unlike me, he’s always been the “perfect kid next door.”

If there’s a popularity ranking for guys at school, he’d be in the top three.
Among freshmen? Probably number one, hands down.

He’s so popular, I’ve lost count of how many exes and flings he’s had.
And despite being childhood friends with both me and Ye Qingshu, while she and I barely talked offline in middle school, he’s kept a good relationship with her.

“…I really hate all popular guys. This world’s so unfair—go die already!”

“Says the guy fought over by two gorgeous girls? You’re the most hated guy in school right now.”

Finally done laughing, Mu Ziqing patted his chest, teasing me.

“Others hating me is one thing, but you joining in? Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”
I took another big sip of mint milk tea.

“We grew up together, man. You know me. I’ve got zero game with girls—Ye Qingshu even cold-shouldered me into a silent feud.
You really believe I had some sweet romance with Shen Yingxu or Zhu Lubing? You should see a doctor.”

“I can’t say sweet romance, but there’s definitely something going on, right? Why else would two beauties target you?”

Ugh, this guy’s sharp. Why’s my friend such a clever jerk? I need to rethink my life—too many friends, maybe?

“Normally, you’re either holed up at home or dragging me to movies. You don’t really have a social circle,” Mu Ziqing said, stirring his lemonade with a straw.
“Yeah, you really don’t have many friends. It’s kinda weird you know them.”

“And what are you?”

“Childhood friends aren’t regular friends, right? More like a cursed bond.”
He squinted, smiling.
“But I’d say we’re bros, too.”

Thanks for reminding me how few friends I have, you smug, handsome jerk.

“That’s getting sappy. Act normal.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same. Talking seriously about our relationship feels gross.”

We both took a synchronized sip of our drinks.

“Back to business—forget Shen Yingxu’s ex-boyfriend claim for now. I can tell she said it with some hostility toward you.
But Zhu Lubing? She said boyfriend. Isn’t that weird?”

“Like I said, you knowing Shen Yingxu is already strange enough, let alone Zhu Lubing.
But you don’t seem keen on explaining, so I won’t pry.”

The reason I can stay friends with this inferiority-inducing, playboy jerk is probably his character.
He’s got a sharp tongue and a bad personality when teasing, but when it’s serious, he thinks things through and helps out.

And he knows how to keep the right distance in relationships.

…Damn, a handsome guy with a great personality? I hate that he exists!!

“Have you asked Zhu Lubing why? If you’re not actually dating,” Mu Ziqing asked, hitting the core issue.

“Yeah. She said I brought it up myself.”

“Didn’t know my childhood friend was such a sleazy, deny-everything pervert. I should expose you to the world.”

“Stop messing around! No way I brought it up!!” I punched his shoulder.

“Did you owe her a house or something? Nah, her personal wealth’s probably way more than yours,” Mu Ziqing said seriously.
“And boyfriend-girlfriend stuff doesn’t have legal weight.”

This is getting too real. Scary.

I bit my straw.

“She said when she was asked that question, she wanted to dodge it and just pointed at me.”

“Ye Qingshu and I saw that. Caused quite a stir,” Mu Ziqing nodded.
“Dodging by pointing at someone feels a bit flimsy… but I can buy it.”

“But it started as just a crush. How’d it turn into boyfriend?”

“She said I told her the ex-boyfriend spot was taken, so she just said I’m her current boyfriend.”

“You believe that?” Mu Ziqing stopped sipping his lemonade.
“You think Zhu Lubing, known for being aloof and not caring about relationships, would randomly pick a passerby to dodge a question and then confirm a relationship just because of one comment?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t believe it, but that girl’s got this… vibe, like it’s just how things are…”

“That’s just too…”

He paused, a rare anxious look crossing his face.

“I just remembered something. You head back first, alright?”

“So urgent?! You’re not off to meet that college girlfriend five years older, are you?”

I tilted my head, watching Mu Ziqing leave his half-finished lemonade on the table.

Even if lemonade’s cheap, that’s no way to waste it.

“Haha, we broke up already. Stop guessing—it’s something I just thought of. Sorry, I’ll treat you to fried skewers next time!”

Watching him rush out of the milk tea shop, I shrugged and sipped my tea.

What a clumsy lie. He clearly saw someone outside and ran after them.

But…

I glanced at him chasing Ye Qingshu, who was passing by the window.

It’s got nothing to do with me.

…

“Ta-da~ Guess who~”

My brooding lasted a few seconds.

My vision went dark, followed by a bright, smug voice humming like a song.

And a somewhat cool chuckle, paired with a helpless but indulgent tone.
“Don’t bully the junior like that. Not everyone can handle your weird sense of personal space.”

“…Give me a break already.”

I pulled away the hands covering my eyes.

So soft.

Both the hands and the two round things pressing against my back.

“Senior Liu Senyao, your chest is touching me,” I said, looking at her frozen smile.

“Though I’m enjoying it.”

—Thwack.

I clutched my head.

So harsh, violent senior.

…What’s wrong with guys liking boobs?