When the bell rang and the teacher packed up the lesson plan and left, Chu Xubai turned around from the front row.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to remind her.
“I’ll send you a message to confirm before we set off, make sure you check it.”
“Okay, thanks, class monitor.”
Qiao Liuyue blurted out the words almost instinctively, not even realizing it herself.
After she said it, they both froze for a moment, then laughed in unison.
When Chu Xubai smiled, that sense of distance melted away in an instant. The seriousness in his brows and eyes softened into warmth, dissolved by a thin layer of amusement.
It wasn’t until Chu Xubai left with his classmates that Dong Jiaoyan couldn’t hold back her gossipy curiosity any longer.
She nudged Qiao Liuyue’s arm with her elbow, leaning in so close that her head nearly rested on the other girl’s shoulder.
Her tone carried an eager, sour urgency, as if accusing her of something.
“What’s going on? Is Chu Xubai pursuing you?”
She paused, her lips curling slightly, the curve laced with undisguised envy.
“Not bad, Liuyue. I can’t believe you quietly snatched up our class’s untouchable flower.”
Qiao Liuyue clearly saw the jealousy in her eyes that she couldn’t hide in time.
That look was all too familiar.
Every time she was praised by the teacher in class, every time a boy cast an extra glance her way, that same light would flicker in Dong Jiaoyan’s eyes.
It felt as though, as Dong Jiaoyan’s friend…
Or perhaps sidekick…
She was supposed to stay invisible.
Quietly standing there to highlight Dong Jiaoyan’s dazzling charm, rather than suddenly drawing away any attention that rightfully belonged to her.
She cleared her throat and spoke calmly.
“Don’t talk nonsense. I signed up for a volunteer activity.”
“What kind of volunteer activity?” Dong Jiaoyan’s curiosity was half-lit, her eyes brightening slightly.
“Visiting the elderly at a nursing home.”
“Huh?”
The moment she heard that, Dong Jiaoyan’s expression immediately drooped.
That half-lit spark of enthusiasm seemed doused by a glass of cold water, fizzling out. She pursed her lips, looking thoroughly uninterested.
She grumbled, “What’s so fun about that? Old folks and nursing homes, how boring.”
Since she was acting that way, Qiao Liuyue didn’t say much more. She simply picked up her professional course books and stuffed her phone into the side pocket of her backpack, ready to head to the cafeteria for lunch.
Dong Jiaoyan quickly grabbed her sleeve, tugging hard enough to almost warp the cuff of her white shirt.
“Wait! Don’t go to the cafeteria. Let’s go eat some fancy food?”
“Fancy food?”
Qiao Liuyue paused, giving her a once-over.
Her gaze swept from the delicate makeup on Dong Jiaoyan’s face down to the hand yanking her sleeve, then she asked tentatively,
“With Suifeng again?”
Dong Jiaoyan responded naturally, nodding, her chestnut-colored hair swaying against her shoulders.
“Yeah. Since you ignored me during class this morning, and my boyfriend ignored me too, I was so bored I had no choice but to chat with Suifeng.”
She emphasized the words “no choice” with theatrical grievance.
“Then he said he’d treat me to a meal. This time it’s a new trendy restaurant that’s supposedly really hard to get into. Come with me.”
Qiao Liuyue shook her head, a small but firm movement.
“No, I’ll pass.”
“Why?” Dong Jiaoyan’s brow furrowed.
“Sui Feng only invited you to eat. Bringing me along all the time doesn’t seem right.”
The rest of the sentence went unsaid.
It felt like she was deliberately taking advantage of Suifeng.
Showing up as a third wheel to freeload every time. One or two meals, they wouldn’t say anything, but three or four—even if he didn’t mind the expense—she’d feel embarrassed.
And the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like they were treating him like an endless sucker.
“It’s fine,” Dong Jiaoyan said.
“You’re my best friend. What’s wrong with eating together once in a while? Suifeng’s not that stingy.”
She edged closer, lowering her voice to add,
“Besides… if you don’t come, I’ll have to be alone with Suifeng, and I’m a little scared.”
Then don’t go.
Qiao Liuyue turned those words over in her mind but never spoke them.
She understood Dong Jiaoyan’s logic all too well.
She wanted to take advantage of Suifeng’s generosity to eat those pricey meals costing hundreds per person, but didn’t want to risk any situation where she might “lose out.” So every time, she dragged Qiao Liuyue along as a safety buffer.
Calling her a “best friend” was just a nice way of saying “most useful tool.”
Under Dong Jiaoyan’s persistent coaxing, Qiao Liuyue thought it over and eventually nodded.
She had already turned her down several times today. Refusing again might arouse suspicion from her so-called best friend.
At the school gate, the familiar black Mercedes was still waiting.
Dong Jiaoyan smilingly walked up, greeted Suifeng through the window with practiced ease, then slid into the passenger seat—a smooth, habitual motion.
Qiao Liuyue was about to open the rear door when, as she bent to get in, her gaze casually caught a low-key gray commercial vehicle parked not far away.
It followed the black Mercedes at a leisurely pace.
She paused for a moment.
But it was just a glance; the gray car soon merged into the traffic. She figured she must have imagined it and withdrew her attention, climbing into the car.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Suifeng kept up his impeccable gentlemanly act.
He handed the electronic iPad menu to Dong Jiaoyan with both hands, the gesture smooth and natural.
This trendy restaurant recently became a hot sensation in the city. Scrolling through social media, you’d find check-in posts everywhere. Word was that a normal queue took at least two to three hours; bad luck could waste half a day at the door.
Suifeng casually mentioned he had secured a spot through a scalper, spending several hundred yuan for it.
His expression remained calm, as if a few hundred yuan were no different from a few.
Dong Jiaoyan’s eyes lit up immediately.
She couldn’t help praising him,
“Brother Suifeng, you’re so thoughtful! Good thing you got a number, or we wouldn’t have made it today.”
She deliberately drew out the words “Brother Suifeng,” her voice soft and sweet, stretching the syllables.
In her mind, she silently calculated: Suifeng might be average-looking, but his financial prowess was generous. He could casually spend hundreds on a scalper without blinking.
She couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
Why couldn’t her online boyfriend, with his drop-dead gorgeous face, combine with Brother Suifeng’s solid wealth?
If she had a boyfriend like that—both handsome and rich—wouldn’t her life be perfect?
