Chapter 535 : Immediately, Right Now!
“Li Si, I’ve noticed you seem a little distracted lately~”
At the café, Chu Mengyao gave Li Si a curious glance. Normally, this quiet girl was quick and efficient at her tasks, but something seemed to have changed recently.
Li Si had been making frequent mistakes, and Chu Mengyao couldn’t help but wonder if Jiang Xue had somehow possessed her.
Nearby, Jiang Xue, who was cleaning a table, suddenly sneezed. She instinctively looked around but found nothing unusual. Why did it feel like someone was bad-mouthing her?
“Li Si! Earth to Li Si!”
Hearing Chu Mengyao’s voice, Li Si snapped out of her daze and turned to look at her boss. Suddenly realizing something, her face flushed with panic.
“Sister Mengyao, I wasn’t slacking off on purpose!”
Seeing her reaction, Chu Mengyao shook her head lightly. It was obvious that Li Si had been lost in thought, or she wouldn’t have reacted this way.
Sighing, Chu Mengyao sat down beside her and said, “I’m not accusing you of slacking. I’m asking if something’s been bothering you lately. You’ve been acting like you’ve lost your mind.”
“N-No, not at all.”
Li Si blinked as a certain scene replayed in her mind—the time she had seen Xia You sneaking a kiss on Ling Ning’s cheek. She had already decided not to harbor any feelings for Ling Ning, so why did it still hurt so much?
Her chest felt heavy, and she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for anything.
“Tsk tsk, come on now, do you really think you can hide it from me? Let me tell you, I’ve been your age before, you know. Isn’t it obvious that this is about a love problem~?”
Chu Mengyao teased with a knowing look.
“Huh?! N-No way, I—”
Li Si’s flustered reaction only made Chu Mengyao’s smile grow wider, though she quickly masked it to avoid making Li Si even more guarded.
Clearing her throat, Chu Mengyao switched to her “big sister” mode and said softly, “If something’s bothering you, just tell me. Keeping it bottled up will only make you feel worse. Look at you—you can’t even focus on work.”
“I...”
Li Si opened her mouth as if to speak but ultimately gave in under Chu Mengyao’s gentle yet probing gaze.
“It’s really nothing serious... It’s just that, when I went out the other day, I saw the person I like... already has a girlfriend. So I’ve been wondering if I should just give up.” Li Si lowered her head, her voice tinged with melancholy.
Hearing this, Chu Mengyao raised an eyebrow and asked, “Has the person you like gotten married yet?”
“Married? She’s about my age. There’s no way she’s married.”
“Then what’s the problem~?” Chu Mengyao smiled. “As long as they’re not married, you still have a chance! By the way, what’s your current relationship with this person like?”
Li Si thought for a moment before replying, “We’re pretty close. We talk on the phone often, and I share everything with her.”
“So you’re basically like a male best friend, right?”
Chu Mengyao rubbed her smooth chin. This situation was even better than she had expected. She had assumed Li Si and the person she liked were mere acquaintances, which would have been more challenging to navigate. But this? This was perfect.
“A male best friend?” Li Si tilted her head. That wasn’t entirely accurate, but it felt close enough, so she didn’t bother correcting it.
“In that case, it’s simple! All you need to do is show off your charm and make her realize there’s a beautiful girl like you right by her side. Once her heart wavers, your opportunity will come!”
“There’s an old saying, you know: ‘If you swing the hoe well enough, no wall is unbreachable.’ I know how charming you are, Li Si. Whatever stands in your way, just use your... assets to knock it down. You’ve got a natural talent others don’t!”
As she spoke, Chu Mengyao’s eyes drifted to Li Si’s impressive bust before glancing down at her own. Hmph! Breasts? Who needed them anyway? They only got in the way.
Still, why did her heart feel a faint sadness? Why were her eyes inexplicably watery?
“My charm, huh...”
Li Si laughed awkwardly. Sure, when she was just sitting there, she might seem like the epitome of feminine charm. But the moment she moved, her every action was filled with a confident masculinity. It wasn’t like she could help it! She was just naturally clueless about feminine allure.
Chu Mengyao seemed to realize this too. Li Si was beautiful, had a great figure, and a pleasant personality. The only problem was her overly boyish demeanor. Even now, her sitting posture was so bold that Chu Mengyao half expected her underwear to be visible.
Thankfully, both Chu Mengyao and Ling Ning had worked hard to correct her posture, making it more subdued. Even so, Li Si still exuded a kind of dashing charisma that was quite trendy these days.
Calculating in her head, Chu Mengyao realized that the weekend was approaching, followed by New Year’s. There wasn’t much time left, but it might just be enough to train Li Si a little.
“Li Si, do you trust me?”
“Of course. Why?”
“Does your school give you time off for New Year’s?”
Li Si looked at Chu Mengyao curiously. She didn’t know why she was asking but nodded.
“Then, during the New Year break, can you ask the person you like to meet up?”
“That? I’m not sure if she’ll be free. I guess I could call her tonight and check.”
“Don’t wait until tonight. Call her now—immediately, right now!”
“Huh?!”
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Author’s Note:
This salted fish just wants a win! All I ever do is deliver packages to others...