Electronics Street was located near several schools and packed with snack shops, so it had naturally developed into a popular commercial district.
The boy and girl walked side by side.
People nearby repeatedly slowed down and turned to look at them, as though the two possessed some invisible gravitational field.
“Cheng Fei is very popular.
All the girls are staring at you.”
Nagasaki Asuna clasped her hands behind her back and smiled mischievously.
After adapting for a while, she had finally reached the point where she no longer became dazed merely by looking at him.
Cheng Fei shook his head.
“I despise people who judge others by their faces.
Shallow.”
“I’m staring at Cheng Fei too.
Does that mean you despise me?”
Nagasaki Asuna looked directly at him without any attempt to hide it.
Cheng Fei shook his head again.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re prettier than they are.
Pretty people are easier to forgive.”
“So Cheng Fei judges by appearance too.”
The girl laughed happily.
“Doesn’t that mean you should despise yourself?”
“I call that self-reflection.”
“That makes sense.
Hahaha…”
At the Japanese restaurant, Cheng Fei ordered eel rice at Nagasaki Asuna’s recommendation.
She ordered gyudon.
Then Cheng Fei added grilled chicken skewers, thick-cut beef tongue, and drinks.
“How would you rate it?” Cheng Fei asked casually after she ate a few bites.
The girl considered.
“Pretty decent.”
Cheng Fei nodded indifferently and placed a piece of fragrant, sauce-soaked eel into his mouth.
The mission was already complete.
The quality of the food no longer mattered.
Text suddenly refreshed before his eyes.
[Limited-Time Mission Triggered]
[Invite Her into the Fold]
[Requirement: Have Nana s Nana join your club within 3 days.]
[Difficulty: Easy]
[Reward → 1,000 points.]
[Notice: Requirement cannot be completed by directly joining the target’s current club.]
Cheng Fei had no words.
The System was malfunctioning again.
Nagasaki Asuna had clearly fallen out with Shen Xi.
And now the System wanted Cheng Fei to invite her back.
Easy?
There was nothing easy about this.
Cheng Fei thought the mission was hopeless, but still said:
“There’s something I’ve been curious about.”
The girl looked up.
“What?”
“Why did you leave the Corridor Research Club?
You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“So Cheng Fei asked me out because of Shen Xi?”
She blinked.
“Of course I came for Nana.”
Cheng Fei looked perfectly serious.
The corner of Nagasaki Asuna’s mouth rose.
She put down her chopsticks and propped her chin on one hand.
“Ah~ Now I’m wondering exactly how many girls Cheng Fei has said something like that to.”
“That exact sentence?
Only you.”
Cheng Fei put down his chopsticks as well.
“Although I’ve said similar things to Shen Xi.”
“Cheng Fei is surprisingly honest.”
“Honesty is my only virtue.”
“Hahaha…
Fine.
There’s nothing particularly secret about why I left.”
She paused and asked instead:
“Cheng Fei knows what she’s researching, right?”
“A little.”
“Do you think it’s good or bad?”
“If those are my only choices?
Bad.
Classic chuunibyou.”
“But you’re dating her.”
“I’m just being truthful.”
“All right.
Personally, I don’t think it’s that bad.”
The girl rested her chin on one hand and looked at him.
“If you ever get the chance, living with a little imagination isn’t a bad thing.”
“But you shouldn’t hurt the people around you because of it, right?”
“I strongly agree.”
“Mm~ How should I put it…”
Nagasaki Asuna took a sip of her drink.
“Shen Xi wasn’t willing to accept that my ideas differed from hers.”
“She said something like, ‘I don’t need false supporters,’ and told me I might as well quit.”
“So I did.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.
My patience has limits too.
If people don’t get along, separating is better.”
The girl smiled and shook her head.
“I see.”
Cheng Fei nodded.
He suspected the reality had been considerably less casual than she made it sound.
But he didn’t intend to investigate further.
Their conflict was simple.
Precisely because it was simple, it was difficult.
Someone like Shen Xi was obviously stubborn.
She would probably rather die than accept Nagasaki Asuna back into the club.
“Have you considered rejoining?” Cheng Fei asked.
“Cheng Fei wants me back?”
“I’d like that.”
“For Shen Xi?”
“It would be a shame for you two to lose contact over something like this.”
“Why doesn’t Cheng Fei join the gaming club instead?”
“Can’t.
I can’t abandon her there alone.”
The girl laughed.
“So between me and her, Cheng Fei would still choose her?”
“Actually, the gaming club doesn’t let members leave early.
I work part-time, so I genuinely don’t have enough time.”
The girl nodded.
“Normally, no.
There are exceptions.”
“Exceptions?”
“My condition for joining was permission to leave early whenever I wanted.
The president agreed.
But Cheng Fei probably wouldn’t receive that treatment.”
“And that is why I despise people who judge by appearances.”
Cheng Fei looked offended.
“Hahaha…
But even if I wanted to go back, Shen Xi would never agree.”
“Agreed.
I’m willing to try anyway.”
“Sure.”
Nagasaki Asuna looked amused.
…
After lunch, they reached an intersection on Electronics Street.
Nagasaki Asuna stopped and tilted her head.
“This is where we part.
I’m not going back to school this afternoon, so I won’t accompany Cheng Fei.”
Cheng Fei noticed a black car parked nearby.
Probably waiting for her.
“So busy you can’t even attend class?”
“I’m like you.”
She smiled.
“What does that mean?”
“Working to earn money.”
With that, she opened the door and got into the car.
The girl waved through the window.
Then the glass rose.
The car started and merged into traffic.
Working to earn money…
Cheng Fei silently considered those words before turning back toward Sakura High.
Inside the car, Nagasaki Asuna watched the scenery outside for a while before taking out her phone.
She sent a MicroChat message.
[Heard you’re dating someone?]
The recipient’s profile picture was a small white flower bathed in dawn light.
The message had barely been sent when a red symbol appeared beside it.
A gray notification appeared below.
[You are not currently friends with this user.
Please send a friend request first.]
Nagasaki Asuna stared expressionlessly at the screen.
Then the woman in the driver’s seat spoke.
“The client sent a revised script.
It’s in the bag.
Read it first.
You’ll be coordinating with the recording engineer when we arrive.”
“Okay.
Got it.”
The girl silently nodded.
…
Tuesday afternoon of the new week.
As soon as school ended, Cheng Fei headed straight to the clubroom so Shen Xi wouldn’t come personally to retrieve him again.
By the time he climbed panting to the sixth floor, the thought of entering a room that had been roasting beneath the sun all afternoon filled him with dread.
Yet as he approached the open doorway, a strong breeze rushed out and scattered the heat.
Cheng Fei entered.
A new electric fan stood in one corner, oscillating from side to side and circulating air through the room.
Shen Xi sat on a steel chair, concentrating on calculations across a sheet of blank paper.
The breeze stirred her long black hair.
Below her skirt, her long pale legs remained dazzling.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
For a moment, she appeared surprised.
Then she tucked loose hair behind one ear and smiled coldly.
“Well, look who it is.
I was wondering whether I’d need to personally invite you again.”
“Hot weather.
Didn’t want you dying while running up and down the stairs.”
“Or more accurately, dying halfway there.”
Cheng Fei added that part before she could speak.
The girl’s gaze instantly became sharp enough to kill.
[ END 401 Chapter ]
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