“You’re surprisingly popular, little guy.”
Seeing Li Yedao lower his head and focus on eating instead of talking, Jingliu suddenly became interested.
She draped one arm over the back of her chair, her voice carrying obvious amusement.
“Do you have a girlfriend?
Want me to introduce you to someone?”
Li Yedao set down his chopsticks and shook his head.
“Not right now.
But give it a few days and I might.”
Both sides of the dining table went silent at the same time.
The smile on Jingliu’s face froze for half a beat.
Kafka’s hand, which had been reaching for food, stopped in midair.
Jingliu recovered first.
She took a deep breath and forced her voice to remain perfectly even.
“Who?”
“Secret.
Nothing’s happened yet.”
Li Yedao kept his lips sealed.
Kafka said nothing.
She merely stared at the side of Li Yedao’s face for several seconds before withdrawing her gaze thoughtfully.
“Alright.”
Li Yedao put down his bowl and chopsticks.
“I’m going to wash the dishes.
I’m done talking.”
“Don’t rush off~”
Jingliu reached out and pressed him back into his chair.
She didn’t use much strength, but her hand landed in exactly the right place, forcing his half-raised butt straight back down.
“Someone else can wash the dishes.
Let’s keep talking about you.”
“What kind of woman do you like?”
Li Yedao gave her a suspicious look.
“Why are you asking?”
“I know plenty of beautiful women.”
Jingliu’s smile became meaningful.
“Maybe one of them happens to be your type.”
“Seriously?”
Li Yedao looked doubtful.
“Seriously.”
Jingliu smiled brightly.
Li Yedao assumed she was joking, so he started rattling off names while counting them on his fingers.
“I’m not greedy.
Just introduce me to Tingyun, Yukong, Lingsha, and Hanya.”
“Oh, right.
Feixiao too.”
They were all people Jingliu had introduced him to.
After spending time together lately, he had already become friends with all of them.
When he finished counting off the last finger, Li Yedao looked up.
The smile had vanished from Jingliu’s face.
Kafka’s own smile had faded slightly as well.
“Hehe…”
At some point, Jingliu’s hand had slipped beneath the table and landed precisely against his waist.
“I really didn’t expect your appetite to be this big.”
Then she twisted hard.
“GAH!”
Li Yedao practically sprang out of his chair.
Clutching his side, he glared at her furiously.
“What was that for?!”
Jingliu calmly withdrew her hand, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.
“Nothing.”
“Just a friendly reminder.”
“Men who are too greedy with women rarely come to a good end.”
“Not necessarily.”
Kafka suddenly spoke, her tone light and airy.
“If someone is lucky enough, the more he wants, the more he might end up getting.”
“Maybe every woman Yedao just named happens to like him too.”
Jingliu smiled.
“Is that so?”
“Then can his body handle it?”
“That’s not something you need to worry about.”
Kafka smiled right back.
Li Yedao: “…”
He suddenly regretted ever leaving his room for lunch.
“Can you two stop for a second?”
He raised both hands in surrender.
“I was joking just now.
They’re all just friends.”
Neither woman paid him any attention.
Their gazes met across the dining table, and the air seemed to crackle with electricity.
Li Yedao sighed, lowered his head, and started eating faster.
You two keep fighting.
I’m getting out of here.
He pulled out his phone beneath the table and secretly opened his chat with Firefly.
He had only typed two characters when a message arrived from her first.
Firefly: Yedao, I’ve been feeling kind of down lately.
Could you come out and keep me company?
(broken-heart.jpg)
Li Yedao blinked.
That timing was ridiculously perfect.
He had literally just opened their chat when her message arrived.
Probably just a coincidence.
Li Yedao: Sure.
I’ll come find you in a bit.
Firefly: You’re so nice.
(touched.jpg)
He locked his screen.
After glancing up at his two housemates, who were still glaring daggers at each other, he silently picked up his bowl and chopsticks and slipped into the kitchen.
…
…
Li Yedao arrived at the agreed location half an hour early.
Only to discover that someone had gotten there even earlier.
Firefly was sitting on a bench, holding an already empty cup of juice.
The moment she saw him approaching, her eyes lit up.
“You’re here.”
Li Yedao checked the time on his phone, then glanced at the empty cup in her hand.
“How long have you been here?”
“Hehe, I just got here too.”
Firefly cheerfully tossed the empty cup into the nearby trash can.
Then she pulled another drink from her bag and handed it to him.
“Here.
It’s hot today, so you should drink something.”
Li Yedao accepted it and took a sip.
A sweet-and-sour fruit flavor spread across his tongue.
The temperature was perfect—not icy cold, but not warm either.
“This is pretty good.
Where’d you buy it?”
“I made it myself.”
Firefly blushed slightly.
She clasped both hands behind her back and lightly tapped the ground with the tip of one foot.
“If you like it, I can bring you some more often.”
Li Yedao didn’t respond.
That was far too direct.
So direct that he couldn’t even pretend not to understand.
Normally, he probably would have followed up on it.
She had already made her feelings this obvious, after all.
Ignoring them completely would have been unfair.
But for some reason, one particular image refused to leave his mind today.
Acheron’s innocent face.
The way she had tilted her head and said—
“Mine too.”
Li Yedao immediately shook his head hard.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Someone kisses me once and suddenly I feel responsible for her?
What kind of feudal-era thinking is that?
“What’s wrong?”
Firefly noticed him spacing out and looked over worriedly.
“Nothing.”
Li Yedao raised the juice slightly.
“It tastes great.
But you don’t need to keep bringing me some.
That’d be too much trouble for you.”
Firefly’s eyes dimmed for a moment.
But she quickly returned to normal and smiled with a nod, no longer insisting.
They spent the next several hours together.
They visited an aquarium.
They rode the Ferris wheel.
Firefly kept finding opportunities to move closer to him, subtly and not-so-subtly revealing her affection whenever they talked.
And every single time, Li Yedao smoothly redirected the conversation.
Once or twice could have been coincidence.
Three or four times was not.
By the time they stepped off the Ferris wheel, the sky had already darkened.
Streetlights flickered on one after another, bathing the road in warm yellow light.
Firefly walked beside him.
Then, suddenly, her pace slowed.
“Yedao.”
“Is there someone you like?”
Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back.
Her voice was soft, but every word sounded as though she had carefully weighed it countless times before asking.
Li Yedao was silent for two seconds.
“No.”
There was no hesitation this time.
Because it was true.
If there really were someone he liked, he wouldn’t be struggling with all of this in the first place.
Firefly’s eyes brightened.
Even her steps became lighter.
She hurried another step forward and turned her head toward him.
“Then what kind of girl do you like?”
Li Yedao glanced at her.
The streetlight illuminated her face, making the cautious hope in her eyes impossible to miss.
He knew exactly what she was asking.
The problem was that even he didn’t know his own answer.
“I don’t know.”
That was also the truth.
The word love had always felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
“I see…”
Firefly pursed her lips.
Then she stopped walking and turned to face him directly.
The evening breeze tousled the loose strands of hair around her forehead.
She reached up, tucked them behind her ear, and took a deep breath.
“Then…
what do you think of me?”
Her voice was soft.
But this time, she didn’t look away.
The moment their eyes met, words became unnecessary.
She had already laid all of her feelings bare.
Li Yedao remained silent for two seconds.
“You have a great personality.”
“And you’re really cute.”
“And then?”
A hint of shyness entered Firefly’s voice, the end of her sentence lifting ever so slightly.
“That’s it.”
The smile at the corners of Firefly’s lips gradually disappeared.
That’s it.
Those two words completely sealed off the path forward.
In other words—
Li Yedao had rejected her confession.
“…Alright.”
She gave a small sigh.
Then she raised her head again, another smile appearing on her face.
“Then, Yedao…
want to come over to my place for a while?”
“We’ll just have some beer.”
“Silver Wolf will be there too.”
Every escape route had been sealed shut.
If he tried to make another excuse now, he really would be running away from the situation.
Li Yedao nodded.
“Alright.”
If Silver Wolf’s there, it should be fine…
right?
“You’re so nice.”
Firefly’s smile became even brighter than the streetlights.
But what she was thinking inside was something entirely different.
Sorry, Yedao.
I didn’t want things to turn out this way either.
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I’m a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 230)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
Yu-Gi-Oh!
— Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 355 “Is this chat group even serious?” (Completed)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal!
(Completed)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77 From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed)
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 265
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 377
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.)
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 170
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 135
Supernatural Multiverse 210
My Harem Is Indescribable 120
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 120
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 130 Still playing traditional Honk 105 The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120 What Should I Do After Switchi 85 Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80 Transmigrated as Sukuna 165 Checking In in Demon Slayer 105 The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 120 I Refuse to Become a Heroic 115 My Best Friend Into a Slime?
90
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero?
105
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 115
Why did they assign me to Uma 100
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 110
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 160
Honkai’s Otherworld?
Wait—Who Are You People?!
150
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 75 The Uma Musume Who Became 80 I’m Definitely Not the King of 160 After Maxing Out Every Class 170 Honkai: World Modulation Mode 150 I, the Elden Sword Saint 80 Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 115 No One Knows Pokémon Better 75 From Trilobites to Titans 70 Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 130 DanMachi: My Party Members Are 150 An Anime Heroine Darkened 70 Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 100 Honkai: The Fire Devil 145 Honkai Transformation Cards Volume3/15 Age of Heroes, I’m Just a Back 120 Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 100 At age 8, she co-starred with 80 Honkai: Schicksal Media 105 An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 85 Chainsaw Man, but I’m Aatrox 75 Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60 Morgan Shirou’s Journey in Dan 43 DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 95 Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried!
63
Sakiko Togawa: A Blood-Soaked Cards Volume2/32 Detective Conan: My Whole 65 Honkai: Star Rail:Reincarnated 92 In the Nasuverse, but I Practice Scientific Cultivation 53 Honkai: Starting Out as a God of Luoxing 65 Honkai: I Really Never Intended to Start a Harem!
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178) Zenless Zone Zero: I’m a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 230)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 ) Yu-Gi-Oh!
— Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 355 “Is this chat group even serious?” (Completed) I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal!
(Completed) Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77 From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed) Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 265 From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20 Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 377 Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.) I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8 The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135 Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67 Uma Musume: From Beginner 170 Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85 Uma Musume: I Want All 120 I Can Copy Unique Skills 135 Supernatural Multiverse 210 My Harem Is Indescribable 120 Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 120 Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 130 Still playing traditional Honk 105 The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120 What Should I Do After Switchi 85 Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80 Transmigrated as Sukuna 165 Checking In in Demon Slayer 105 The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 120 I Refuse to Become a Heroic 115 My Best Friend Into a Slime?
90 A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed) What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero?
105 Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 115 Why did they assign me to Uma 100 DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 110 The Gacha Merchant Who Started 160 Honkai’s Otherworld?
Wait—Who Are You People?!
150 Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 75 The Uma Musume Who Became 80 I’m Definitely Not the King of 160 After Maxing Out Every Class 170 Honkai: World Modulation Mode 150 I, the Elden Sword Saint 80 Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 115 No One Knows Pokémon Better 75 From Trilobites to Titans 70 Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 130 DanMachi: My Party Members Are 150 An Anime Heroine Darkened 70 Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 100 Honkai: The Fire Devil 145 Honkai Transformation Cards Volume3/15 Age of Heroes, I’m Just a Back 120 Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 100 At age 8, she co-starred with 80 Honkai: Schicksal Media 105 An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 85 Chainsaw Man, but I’m Aatrox 75 Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60 Morgan Shirou’s Journey in Dan 43 DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 95 Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried!
63 Sakiko Togawa: A Blood-Soaked Cards Volume2/32 Detective Conan: My Whole 65 Honkai: Star Rail:Reincarnated 92 In the Nasuverse, but I Practice Scientific Cultivation 53 Honkai: Starting Out as a God of Luoxing 65 Honkai: I Really Never Intended to Start a Harem!