Chapter 415 : Actually, Boys Are Great Too!
“Your almost-boyfriend is a bit slow, isn’t he?”
Ling Ning and Su Ya sat inside a bubble tea shop near the school gate. Ling Ning was idly chewing on her straw, staring out the window. They had been waiting for nearly half an hour, but there was still no sign of Xie Zeyu.
A boy who makes a girl wait isn’t even on par with a salted fish. After all, even a salted fish shows up on time if it makes plans with someone!
“M-Maybe something came up and delayed him?” Su Ya mumbled absentmindedly.
She bit her lip, glancing nervously at Ling Ning, who was sipping her bubble tea. Finally, she summoned the courage to speak. “Um… Ling Ning, can I ask you something?”
“Meow, meow, meow?” Ling Ning responded playfully, tilting her head.
“I just want to know… why are you so nice to me? We’ve only known each other for a few days,” Su Ya said, voicing the question that had been troubling her all afternoon.
“Oh, that?” Ling Ning’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. “Do you really want to know?”
Su Ya nodded seriously.
“Well, it’s because—”
Before Ling Ning could finish her sentence, Xie Zeyu suddenly appeared beside them, scratching his head awkwardly. “Sorry! I went to the wrong shop. I ended up at another one with a similar name.”
For the first time in her life, Su Ya felt the urge to hit someone. Why did he have to show up now of all times?!
Seeing Su Ya’s expressionless face, Xie Zeyu blinked in confusion. Was she mad at him for being late? That would make sense—he was over 30 minutes late, after all. Of course, she’d be upset.
“This one’s on me. I’m really sorry. I swear it won’t happen again. There won’t be a next time, okay?”
“Just sit down.”
Once seated, Xie Zeyu finally noticed the stunning girl sitting next to his girlfriend. He vaguely remembered her from before—her name was Ling Ning, right? Although he didn’t know why she was here, he wisely chose not to ask.
“Zeyu, how’s the esports club? Are you having so much fun playing games with pretty girls that you’ve almost forgotten about your girlfriend?” Su Ya teased, her tone light but pointed.
“Pretty girls? Not a chance! Plenty of dudes, though. But yeah, there are some real pros in the club. I’ve barely lost a match in the past few days!”
Xie Zeyu exclaimed, becoming more animated as he recounted his midday gaming triumphs.
While Su Ya couldn’t make heads or tails of his gaming jargon, Ling Ning understood most of it—though she couldn’t follow the specifics. To her, it sounded more like a one-man show, almost comically out of place.
Realizing he had gotten carried away, Xie Zeyu scratched his head and chuckled nervously.
“Sorry, I tend to get a bit lost in my enthusiasm when talking about games.”
“Are you sure there aren’t any girls playing with you?”
“None at all, I swear! Cross my heart. You know what kind of person I am!”
Xie Zeyu patted his chest emphatically. The truth was, the esports club barely had any girls. Those few who were around were already taken—although that didn’t matter to him, since he had a girlfriend.
He still couldn’t believe Su Ya had accepted his confession. For three years, he had only ever managed casual conversations with her. It was only after learning they were going to the same university that he mustered the courage to confess. To his surprise, it worked.
Even though they hadn’t held hands yet, he figured they’d get there eventually. Relationships were all about taking things one step at a time, right?
“So, who was that girl you were getting cozy with at lunch today? Be honest. If you tell me it was a boy or your roommate, I’m walking out immediately,” Su Ya said flatly.
“Wha—?!”
Xie Zeyu froze. His girlfriend had seen him at the esports club? But where? And why hadn’t he noticed her?
“I…”
He opened his mouth to explain that the “girl” was actually his cross-dressing roommate, but he hesitated. Su Ya had just made it clear that such an excuse wouldn’t fly.
At that moment, the aforementioned roommate appeared nearby. Noticing Xie Zeyu’s dumbfounded expression, the roommate smiled playfully and walked over.
To Xie Zeyu’s horror, his roommate—still in drag—suddenly plopped down onto his lap and, in a coquettish voice, asked, “Zeyu, which one is your girlfriend?”
“Uh, the one on the right.”
Xie Zeyu blurted out reflexively.
“Hmm… She’s cute, but she doesn’t seem as stunning as me,” the roommate remarked, batting their eyelashes at Su Ya.
“That’s it. Let’s go, Ling Ning.”
Su Ya said coldly, grabbing Ling Ning’s hand and pulling her toward the door.
By the time Xie Zeyu disentangled himself and tried to follow, the two girls were long gone. Even his attempts to call Su Ya failed—her phone was turned off.
The roommate blinked in confusion. “Uh… I was just kidding! Zeyu, didn’t you tell her I’m actually a guy?”
“I didn’t get the chance to explain before you pulled that stunt! Anyone would’ve blown up at that!” Xie Zeyu groaned, utterly despairing. How was he supposed to fix this now?
“Did I… mess things up?” the roommate asked, tilting their head.
“Ugh…” Xie Zeyu let out a deep sigh. “Never mind. I’ll just have to find her and explain everything.”
“Well, do you want me to help? You know, boys can be pretty great too~” the roommate teased, lifting their skirt slightly in a suggestive manner. The dramatic gesture turned several heads in the bubble tea shop.
Forcing his gaze away, Xie Zeyu snapped, “I’m not dealing with you right now. I’m going to find her.”
“Let me help, then!”
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Author’s Note:
I swear, my chapter titles are getting gayer and gayer.