Although Gu Hantian’s trust in her came inexplicably, Qiao Man was quite satisfied.
Knowing that the male and female leads still had an argument ahead, and with her own plotline concluded, Qiao Man had no intention of becoming part of the background. She decided to hide in the restaurant restroom and read research papers.
Her phone rang three minutes later—no need to guess it was Jiang Sui.
Sure enough.
Jiang Sui: Did you fall into the toilet?
You followed the female lead without hesitation earlier, and now you remember me?
Qiao Man curled her lips: Shouldn’t you be focusing on the plot? Why bother with me?
Jiang Sui: I don’t have any plot right now.
Really? She thought he’d have scenes to fuel the conflict between the leads.
Although Qiao Man was quite familiar with this book, she couldn’t recite every passage by heart. Hearing this, she didn’t press further.
Jiang Sui: Aren’t you leaving yet?
Qiao Man: …You’re not waiting outside the restroom, are you?
Jiang Sui: I’m not that stupid.
Qiao Man breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Sui: I’m outside the restaurant.
Qiao Man was speechless: With so many eyes watching, can’t you pretend you don’t know me?
Right after sending the message, new plot directions appeared in her mind.
[When leaving the restaurant alone, Qiao Man encountered Jiang Sui. She tried to pretend she didn’t see him, but he suddenly called out to her.]
Qiao Man: “…” Couldn’t the plot have warned her earlier?
Fortunately, she hadn’t returned to her room immediately after eating, otherwise she’d have to come back just for this scene.
She exhaled softly and went out with her phone.
Jiang Sui was indeed outside the restaurant.
It was the National Day holiday. Although the high prices deterred most people, the Manor still had many guests.
As soon as Qiao Man stepped out, she spotted Jiang Sui sitting on a bench across the road, drinking coffee amidst the flowing crowd.
She pursed her lips and walked past him.
No one paid her any attention.
Qiao Man: “?”
She walked past him again. Jiang Sui was still drinking his coffee.
On the third pass, Qiao Man shot him a threatening look.
Jiang Sui bit his straw and met her gaze lazily: “With so many eyes watching, can’t you pretend you don’t know me?”
“Enough already, just move the plot along,” Qiao Man said exasperatedly.
Jiang Sui smirked: “Beg me.”
Qiao Man: “…”
“If you won’t beg, forget it.” Jiang Sui stood up to leave.
Qiao Man pushed him back onto the bench. Noticing someone glancing their way, she lowered her voice and urged, “Hurry up, there are too many people here.”
“Really won’t beg?” Jiang Sui smiled while looking into her eyes.
Qiao Man knew immediately he was determined.
Everyone who knew her and Jiang Sui growing up was aware that Qiao Man had a bad temper while Jiang Sui was good-natured. It was always Jiang Sui who coaxed Qiao Man—even when Qiao Man was wrong, Jiang Sui would take the initiative to offer an olive branch and apologize.
In their eyes, when it came to Qiao Man, Jiang Sui was the most unprincipled person in the world, completely devoted to Qiao Man-ism.
But Qiao Man knew it was because Jiang Sui didn’t bother arguing with her. Once he decided to stand his ground, he could be excessively stubborn.
Just like when she brought up divorce—Jiang Sui refused for a whole year. It wasn’t until she swallowed her pride and begged him properly that he reluctantly agreed.
The current Jiang Sui reminded her of that entangled period.
Qiao Man’s expression cooled: “What are you making a fuss about now?”
“I’m in a bad mood. I want to hear you say something nice. Is that too much to ask?” Jiang Sui leaned back on the bench and asked leisurely.
Qiao Man furrowed her brows, her gaze tinged with a hint of concern as she looked at him.
Before she could ask, Jiang Sui suddenly stood up.
“Forget it if it’s not working, let’s just follow the plot,” he said with a grin.
Qiao Man was taken aback by his attitude, her expression turning sour. “Are you messing with me?”
“Not at all, I really was in a bad mood earlier,” Jiang Sui shrugged.
Qiao Man: “So who bullied you?”
Jiang Sui stared at her intently and suddenly fell silent.
Back when they were very young, to be precise, in third grade of elementary school—
As a handsome, wealthy, yet short-statured perfect man, Jiang Sui often hung out with Qiao Man, so most of his friends were girls. This inevitably drew jealousy from some envious boys.
At the time, a little Huang Mao tried to corner him in secret. When Qiao Man found out, she gathered a group of her girlfriends and beat Huang Mao black and blue, earning herself a punishment: a public self-criticism in front of the entire school during the Monday flag-raising ceremony.
Queen Qiao took things seriously—she wrote three whole pages for her self-criticism. When she finished reading it, she folded the papers neatly, tucked them into her pocket, and lightly tapped the microphone.
The microphone’s screech echoed across the playground through the speakers. Only then did she clear her throat.
“The self-criticism I just read was written out of respect for the teachers and school leaders, but it doesn’t reflect my true feelings. Regarding this fight, I don’t think I did anything wrong, nor do I see any need for self-criticism.”
“Today, I, Qiao Man, solemnly declare here: that short kid Jiang Sui from Class 2, Grade 3—he’s under my protection. If anyone bothers him again, not only will I beat them up, but I’ll also throw stones at their windows and have Qiao Tian shit on their doorstep.”
“You don’t know Qiao Tian? That’s my little sister. She’s three years old and has digestive issues lately—her shit is green…”
The school leaders, their faces already turning green, hurriedly snatched the microphone away.
Qiao Man became famous overnight. The whole school learned that the short-but-perfectly-handsome guy from Class 2, Grade 3 was under her wing.
Thanks to her, Jiang Sui lived peacefully through the latter half of elementary school. But the impression that “he’s short, weak, easily bullied, but always stubbornly refuses to admit it” took root in Qiao Man’s heart like a seed.
For a long time afterward, whenever he seemed even slightly down, Qiao Man would immediately ask this question—until eighth grade, when she saw him, despite his short stature, execute a perfect shoulder throw on someone twice his weight.
Later, he shot up in height as he grew, and as he aged, people no longer saw him as just a flawlessly handsome guy—even in height—but as the young master of the Jiang family. From then on, he faced no more bullying.
After all these years, he never expected she would still look at him with that hidden concern and ask if someone had bullied him.
The raging fire in his heart during dinner was suddenly extinguished by the early autumn breeze.
Jiang Sui took a step back and asked, “You don’t even greet people when you see them?”
Qiao Man: “?”
“I didn’t realize you’ve already broken into Gu Hantian’s social circle. It seems I underestimated you before,” Jiang Sui said meaningfully, glancing at her lips. “Keep it up. I hope to hear good news about you and him soon.”
“…Next time you start following the plot, could you give me a heads-up?”
Jumping into it with zero warning like this—she always needs a moment to catch up.
Jiang Sui urged, “Hurry up.”
Qiao Man rolled her eyes. “None of your business.”
Plot end.
“You should be nervous and scared when you see me, yet still putting on a brave face, but your line delivery is too rigid—like I owe you money.” Actor Jiang expressed his dissatisfaction.
Qiao Man brushed him off: “As long as the plot progresses smoothly, why do you care if I’m nervous or acting like a debt collector?”
It was already completely dark, and the restaurant was getting increasingly crowded. There was no guarantee someone there wouldn’t recognize Gu Hantian or his group.
Not daring to linger too long with Jiang Sui, Qiao Man returned to her residence as soon as the scene ended.
But just ten minutes after getting back, before she could even head for a shower, the plot prompted her to go downstairs.
In the villa’s main hall, Bai Xingyu and Wu Xiaoxiao were seated on the sofa, with Jiang Sui standing beside them. Numbers One, Two, and Three were also there, along with Gu Hantian and Xiao Chen.
No one besides those present knew what had happened earlier outside the restaurant restroom, but that didn’t stop the atmosphere from turning awkward the moment Qiao Man arrived.
“Sister Qiao, the electrical wiring at Bai Xingyu’s place is damaged. They might have to squeeze in with us tonight,” Xiao Chen explained the situation to her.
Number One immediately stepped forward: “There are twelve bedrooms here—it won’t be crowded.”
“Right, it’ll be livelier with everyone staying together,” Number Two chimed in.
Number Three added, “Perfect timing to celebrate Han Tian’s birthday together.”
“Sister Qiao, what do you think?” Xiao Chen felt it was best to ask Qiao Man’s opinion first.
Of course, Qiao Man was about to agree, but before she could speak, Gu Hantian cut in: “No.”
Bai Xingyu snapped her head up, staring at him in disbelief, while Wu Xiaoxiao froze in shock.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Gu Hantian added.
Jiang Sui glanced at Qiao Man, who blinked once.
Understanding that the plot was unfolding as intended, Jiang Sui stopped interfering.
“Why isn’t it appropriate?” Bai Xingyu stood up and confronted him. “Gu Hantian, even if our relationship is strained now, do you have to humiliate me like this?”
Gu Hantian pressed his lips together. “It’s not because of that.”
“Then what is it?” Bai Xingyu pressed.
What should have been resolved in a few lines of dialogue was dragging on with pointless back-and-forth. Watching them exhaustively bicker made Qiao Man mentally weary, so she let her mind drift.
Gu Hantian, too, found the conversation pointless. He pulled out his phone and tossed it to Bai Xingyu. “See for yourself.”
Bai Xingyu instinctively entered her own birthday as the passcode, only realizing after the final digit that they hadn’t been in touch for so long—he might have changed it long ago.
She froze for a moment, but the next second, the screen unlocked.
Bai Xingyu instinctively looked at Gu Hantian, but he averted his gaze.
Her emotions were in turmoil, a mix of indescribable feelings, when her attention was caught by a video on the phone.
It was surveillance footage. Though there was no sound, it clearly showed Wu Xiaoxiao and Qiao Man talking.
The moment Wu Xiaoxiao saw the video, she panicked and tried to snatch the phone from Bai Xingyu’s hands, but it was too late—the clip had already reached the end.
As the video showed Qiao Man doing nothing, yet Wu Xiaoxiao suddenly covered her face, Bai Xingyu looked up, stunned.
Wu Xiaoxiao’s face flushed with shame and panic. “Xingyu, actually, I—”
“If she wants to stay, she should at least apologize to Qiao Man first.”
Gu Hantian usually wore a cold, aloof expression and acted self-important, but surprisingly, he had strong principles.
Hearing this, Jiang Sui gave him a second glance, feeling as if he saw a familiar shadow in him.
Though furious that Wu Xiaoxiao had deceived even her, Bai Xingyu, upon hearing Gu Hantian’s words, felt a surge of anger and prepared to leave.
But before she could move, Wu Xiaoxiao had already stepped in front of Qiao Man.
“Classmate Qiao… I’m sorry, please forgive me.” Wu Xiaoxiao said with humiliation.
Qiao Man was still lost in thought, appearing unapproachable.
Numbers One, Two, and Three exchanged glances, and Xiao Chen also sensed things weren’t simple. No one dared to speak further.
Wu Xiaoxiao frowned and apologized again.
Qiao Man still ignored her.
The atmosphere grew increasingly icy and tense.
Wu Xiaoxiao’s tears were about to fall. Just as she prepared for her third apology, Bai Xingyu could no longer bear watching her friend humble herself and was about to rush forward to take her away when Jiang Sui suddenly pressed down on her shoulder.
“Your shoelace is untied.”
Bai Xingyu froze: “I’m wearing slippers.”
“Slippers have shoelaces? How fancy.” Jiang Sui complimented.
Bai Xingyu: “…” Shouldn’t you listen to what you’re saying, bro?
With Jiang Sui’s interruption, the atmosphere lightened considerably, and Qiao Man finally snapped out of her daze.
Seeing Wu Xiaoxiao standing before her, she paused briefly before quickly picking up the storyline: “It’s fine, I wasn’t really angry to begin with.”
“Really?” Wu Xiaoxiao sniffled.
Qiao Man nodded: “Really.”
Number One immediately chimed in: “What big issues could there be between young girls? Bickering is perfectly normal.”
“Exactly! Tomorrow is Han Tian’s birthday – no one’s allowed to sleep tonight! We’re not going home until we’re drunk!”
Numbers Two and Three also started laughing and joking.
Regardless of what everyone was really thinking, at least the atmosphere had thawed considerably. Xiao Chen was burning with curiosity to ask Qiao Man what had happened, but after being pushed away, he went to prepare things for barbecue.
“…Didn’t we just finish eating?” Qiao Man said speechlessly.
Gu Hantian looked relaxed: “He just loves to have fun.”
Qiao Man smiled, noticing Bai Xingyu carrying her suitcase upstairs.
The villa elevator was under maintenance, and her bedroom was on the third floor.
…Now that she thought about it – restaurant reservation errors, electrical problems in the villa, elevators that broke down easily – although everything served the plot, the quality of the Gu family’s Manor still left something to be desired.
Seeing Bai Xingyu struggling, Gu Hantian immediately stepped forward to help. Though Bai Xingyu looked uncomfortable, she still let him carry it.
Qiao Man was happily sneaking glances at the male and female leads when the next plot point appeared in her mind.
[Gu Hantian goes upstairs to change clothes. Qiao Man follows and waits outside his door. After he comes out, she asks him to wear the cufflinks she gave him.]
Qiao Man: “…”
There’s this plot point too?
She blamed herself for not reading the novel carefully enough, for not memorizing the entire text backwards and forwards.
Remembering the LU she had gifted, Qiao Man felt her vision darken.
After Gu Hantian helped Bai Xingyu bring her luggage to her room, he noticed his clothes were dirty and decided to change his shirt. When he opened the door to leave, he found Qiao Man standing outside.
He paused: “Is something wrong?”
“Nice shirt,” Qiao Man said calmly, “It would look even better with the cufflinks I gave you.”
Gu Hantian: “…”
“Actually, I wanted to ask since I arrived – why aren’t you wearing the cufflinks I gave you? Is it because you don’t like them?” Qiao Man asked.
Gu Hantian: “…No.”
“Then maybe it’s because they’re too cheap,” Qiao Man was grateful for the plot prompts that saved her from having to improvise lines, “I’m sorry, my means are limited. They were the most expensive thing I could afford.”
Gu Hantian’s lips moved slightly, and after a long moment he asked: “Did you buy them through a purchasing agent?”
This wasn’t in the original text.
Qiao Man looked innocent: “Well, the reseller price was a few hundred cheaper than the boutique. That’s enough for a whole month of cafeteria meals, so I didn’t buy from the boutique.”
“I see.” Gu Hantian nodded.
After three seconds of silence, Gu Hantian said: “Delete that reseller contact.”
“Huh?” Qiao Man feigned confusion.
But Gu Hantian said nothing more, turning back to his room. When he reappeared, he was wearing the cufflinks she had given him.
Mission accomplished.
Today had gone surprisingly smoothly. Qiao Man walked away with light steps.
Gu Hantian’s new cufflinks quickly caught others’ attention, with Xiao Chen being the first to notice.
“Wow, new cufflinks! Very stylish,” Xiao Chen leaned in for a closer look, “Eh… LU?”
He paused, looked again, and confirmed it was indeed LU.
Qiao Man sat on the sofa, pretending to be dead.
Jiang Sui, who had been chatting with Bai Xingyu, glanced in her direction.
“What’s this about LU?” Number One came over too, and soon everyone else crowded around.
Gu Hantian was accustomed to being the center of attention, but today felt different.
Today he was sitting on pins and needles.
“Han Tian, you bought fakes,” Xiao Chen laughed heartily, “What’s LU? I’ve never heard of this brand.”
“Fakes? Han Tian would never use fakes,” Number One immediately defended, out of trust for Gu Hantian, “These must be… high-end custom pieces?”
Wu Xiaoxiao peeked over and stated confidently: “I’ve never seen this design before. They must be custom-made.”
“Yes, they look premium at first glance,” Numbers Two and Three chimed in agreement.
Xiao Chen began doubting himself: “Really?”
“Of course it’s real,” Number Three asserted with particular certainty.
Qiao Man silently took a sip of water, while Gu Hantian… was already on his second glass.
The matter of LU was glossed over, thanks to the ironclad rule that “anything worn by the wealthy looks authentic, even if it’s fake.”
Xiao Chen was a social butterfly, and Numbers One, Two, and Three were night owls too. They clamored to drink and play cards, but since there were women present, they settled for grilling and watching TV instead.
“This is too boring. Let’s play a game.”
Number Two finally couldn’t stand the dull atmosphere and took the initiative to liven things up.
The main event had arrived. Both Qiao Man and Jiang Sui perked up simultaneously.
“What game?” Wu Xiaoxiao asked first.
Number Two proposed enthusiastically: “Hide and seek.”
A chorus of dismissive noises followed.
“Wait, it’s not ordinary hide and seek. It’s a game where everyone hides and then everyone seeks together. It’s really fun,” Number Two quickly assured.
Bai Xingyu lifted her chin: “What do you mean?”
“To explain in detail: each of us takes a cup representing ourselves and hides it anywhere in this house. Then we have half an hour to find others’ cups. Each person can only find one cup. If two people happen to find each other’s cups, they get to spend two hours alone together.”
Xiao Chen was unimpressed: “That’s still just hide and seek. What’s so fun about that?”
“The fun part is that not everyone can find a cup within half an hour, and finding one doesn’t guarantee a successful match. Those who fail have to go outside… Not streaking, but how about jumping in the pond?”
Hearing there was a punishment, Xiao Chen became interested: “That works. What if everyone finds someone?”
“We only have three girls. If everyone finds someone, that means two guys would have to spend two hours alone together,” Number Two grinned mischievously, “Maybe even longer.”
Bai Xingyu displeased: “What do you mean ‘only three girls’? Are we just dishes on a menu?”
“Miss, how would I dare,” Number Two pleaded, “it’s just a game. If you take it so seriously, it really can’t be played anymore.”
Bai Xingyu pursed her lips and glanced at Gu Hantian.
Gu Hantian happened to look over at the same time. Both paused momentarily, their thoughts diverging.
[Qiao Man’s eyes flickered slightly as she too began to scheme.]
Qiao Man: “…”
How was she supposed to act out “eyes flickering slightly”? Just as she was feeling speechless, she looked up and saw Jiang Sui deliberately blinking twice.
After three seconds of silence, she blinked twice as well.
Mission accomplished.
Given that everyone in the room had their own hidden agendas, the proposal was quickly agreed upon.
The first ten minutes were for hiding items.
Everyone grabbed numbered cups and scattered in different directions. Qiao Man also returned to her room.
One minute later, Jiang Sui’s door was knocked. When he opened it, he saw Qiao Man standing obediently outside.
“Are you planning to hide something in my room?” Jiang Sui raised an eyebrow.
Qiao Man immediately shook her head, continuing to stare at him with wide eyes.
It had been too long since he’d seen her looking so guilty. Jiang Sui leaned leisurely against the doorframe, curious about what she was up to this time.
“Go on, what do you want?”
Qiao Man cleared her throat softly: “I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Speak.”
Qiao Man: “Once the game starts, everyone will be rummaging through all the rooms. I want to leave something more personal with you.”
Jiang Sui reminded her: “There’s a designated place for intimate items.”
“Not those kinds of things.” Qiao Man shook her head.
Jiang Sui continued watching her.
Running short on time, Qiao Man stopped beating around the bush. She pulled a pair of LV sunglasses from her pocket and shoved them into his hand.
Seeing LV again, Jiang Sui recalled Gu Hantian’s cufflinks and pretended to hesitate.
“You know…”
“The plot required me to buy him LV cufflinks with my hard-earned money. I did go buy them, but after paying, the mission was marked complete. Suddenly I felt reluctant, and the store wouldn’t refund the money. So I exchanged them for sunglasses and bought him a counterfeit pair from a secondhand website instead.”
Knowing what he wanted to ask, Qiao Man confessed directly.
Counterfeit, and secondhand at that.
Jiang Sui stared at her for three seconds before reaching out to pat her head: “Hard-earned money should be spent on yourself. Well done.”
“Then the sunglasses…”
“Of course I’ll keep them for you,” Jiang Sui glanced happily at the sunglasses, “and they’re unisex too. Keeping them with me makes perfect sense.”
She had expected him to tease her for a while before agreeing, so his immediate compliance came as a relief. Qiao Man instantly relaxed.
The ten-minute hiding period passed in a flash, followed by the searching phase.
The three-and-a-half story villa covered over a thousand square meters. With only half an hour to search, time was quite tight.
Driven by their respective motives, everyone searched diligently. Remembering that the female supporting character in the plot failed to find any cups and was later punished, Qiao Man decided not to bother searching at all.
After wandering leisurely for five minutes, another plot prompt appeared.
[As Qiao Man passed by the second-floor storage room, a large hand pulled her inside. Looking up, she saw it was Jiang Sui.]
Here we go.
Qiao Man stretched and walked briskly toward the second floor.
The storage room on the second floor was quite hidden – accessible only after passing through a corridor and several guest rooms, then turning a corner. Probably no one else knew about this place.
Following the plot prompt, Qiao Man quickly reached the door. Seeing that Jiang Sui hadn’t reached out yet, she simply knocked.
The door opened, a hand extended, and she cooperatively slipped inside.
“It’s you?” Qiao Man exclaimed in surprise. “What do you want now?!”
Jiang Sui sighed helplessly. “After returning to reality, you’re not planning to enter the entertainment industry, are you?”
“Cut the nonsense,” Qiao Man urged. “Just tell me the plot.”
Jiang Sui curled his lip slightly. “How about we make a deal?”
“What kind?” Qiao Man immediately asked.
Jiang Sui: “If you find Xing Yu’s cup, give it to me. If I find Gu Hantian’s, I’ll give it to you. Searching together is more efficient than going alone.”
Qiao Man: “Why should I make a deal with you?”
“Because you don’t want them to be alone together either,” Jiang Sui said calmly.
Qiao Man froze.
…It was an exaggerated reaction, but Jiang Sui decided not to comment.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed—they deliberately set up this game to create opportunities for those two,” Jiang Sui sneered. “If either of them finds Xing Yu or Gu Hantian’s cup, they’ll probably hand it over to the other. Our chances of winning by acting alone are slim.”
Qiao Man stared at him for a long moment before suddenly saying, “Your acting skills are indeed better.”
“Of course,” Jiang Sui curled his lips. “I excel at everything I do.”
“What about studying?” Qiao Man retorted.
Jiang Sui looked up at the ceiling: “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”
“What if I refuse?” Qiao Man continued playing along.
Jiang Sui narrowed his eyes: “Then give it a try.”
Qiao Man: “Well acted.”
“Naturally.”
Qiao Man let out a cold laugh and slammed the door as she left.
Ten seconds later, she returned.
“Aren’t you going to search for the cups?” Jiang Sui glanced at her.
Qiao Man: “No need. I remember the Male Supporting Character and Female Supporting Character didn’t find a single cup.”
Hearing this, Jiang Sui stopped worrying and casually found a corner to sit down.
The storage room was filled with cleaning supplies, with only one stool—which Jiang Sui had taken. Qiao Man simply squatted against the door, quietly waiting for time to pass.
The villa had excellent soundproofing, and the storage room was in a corner. Once the door closed, it felt completely isolated, like a separate little world.
With nothing better to do, Qiao Man took out her phone and continued reading a research paper.
Just as she was engrossed, Jiang Sui suddenly spoke: “Are you close with that Xiao Chen?”
“Fairly,” Qiao Man replied offhandedly.
Jiang Sui pressed his thumb against his knee, unconsciously rubbing it: “How fairly is fairly?”
Qiao Man paused and looked up at him.
“If he and I both fell into the water, who would you save?” Jiang Sui asked casually.
Qiao Man: “…Why ask such a stupid question?”
“Just killing time.”
Jiang Sui’s tone was dismissive, but his eyes remained fixed on her, clearly wanting an answer.
Qiao Man shot him a sidelong glance: “You, of course. You’re the most important.”
A faint smile touched Jiang Sui’s lips as he replied insincerely, “Thanks. I think you’re important too.”
Qiao Man looked at him again, feeling the atmosphere was just right. Some things she hadn’t had the chance to say could be brought up now.
“Jiang Sui,” she put away her phone and looked at him seriously, “a marriage that ended in time to minimize losses shouldn’t affect our friendship. You’ll always be my most important friend.”
Minimizing losses. Friends.
The smile on Jiang Sui’s face didn’t falter: “What a coincidence, I’ve been feeling the same way lately.”
Hearing this, Qiao Man suddenly breathed a sigh of relief: “I’m glad you can see it that way.”
Jiang Sui lowered his gaze. The storage room was dimly lit, half of his face submerged in darkness.
“Yeah, I’m glad too.”
“We’ll always be friends, right?” Qiao Man couldn’t help asking.
Her probing was too obvious, her tone overly cautious.
This wouldn’t do. A queen should always be confident, certain that even if she ordered her subordinate to die, they would go without a word.
Jiang Sui lifted his eyes, met her gaze for a moment, and gradually curved his lips into a smile: “Of course.”
Qiao Man felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Setting aside all unnecessary emotions, she felt genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart.
Three seconds later.
[Qiao Man, unable to find Gu Hantian’s cup, grew increasingly anxious. As she unintentionally passed by the Storage Room, Jiang Sui pulled her inside once again.
“Where is Xing Yu’s cup?” he asked coldly.
Qiao Man struggled. “How would I know?!”
“I’ve searched all three floors and asked everyone else. No one has it. It must be with you,” Jiang Sui panted heavily. “Give me her cup.”
“Are you insane?! I told you I haven’t found it.” Qiao Man grew even angrier.
Seeing her stubborn, indignant gaze, Jiang Sui’s mind went blank with loss of reason. He pinned her against the wall and kissed her forcefully.]
A forced kiss.
Another forced kiss.
Silence.
Silence again.
Silence was the bridge tonight.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Sui slowly spoke: “Can friends kiss?”
Qiao Man: “…”