WE’RE IN THE CANTEEN. I’m treating Xiao Gui because I didn’t get to do it in the amusement park. It’s not that we fought about who’s paying, but I was pretty much a zombie last night. He didn’t have to do anything and he would get to be the one paying already.

“Since we’ve visited your fancy restaurant and your mall.” I rest my chin on my hand. “It’s fine that I’m now treating you at the something, right?”

I look up to him and he’s pouting. He’s sitting beside me and his thick lips look like a certain horse meme from this side. I can’t help but bursting into laughter. “Why are you making that face?”

“You brought me here before.” He groans. “My personality loves new things! Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to go somewhere? I could’ve drove us there.”

“Come on, there’s a lot of things we haven’t tried in here.”

“Then I’ll check on them.” He gets up and walks to the queue in front of the cashier. I chase him so I get to stand right behind him—I’m afraid he’ll pay for everything.

“Hey Xiao Xin!” A random guy behind me blurts that.

Someone calls me that but he’s not the passionate girl?

I turn around, widening my eyes, because, “Yanjun! How are you doing?”

“I’m good! You?”

“Quite good, haha.”

“So you’re from the Music Department, too?” I ask.

“No. I’m in the Foreign Language Department. I just happened to pass yours.”

“Yoo Lin Yanjun!” That’s Xiao Gui. “What’s up man?” He gets out of the queue just to flings his arm around Yanjun’s shoulder.

I walk a step backwards to fill in his queue space.

“You know each other?” I ask.

“Of course, we’re xiong di!” He says. “How did you know her, though?” He turns to Yanjun.

“We met at the field sometime ago, I guess.” Yanjun adds, “How about you? How did you know Xiao Xin?”

“Xiao Xin?” Xiao Gui giggles then goes “BWHAHAHAHA!”

“She’s older, really. Totally not xiao.”

“By the way, you two should sit now. I’ll order for you guys.” Yanjun says. He doesn’t give a to Xiao Gui’s dumb bait. I love him.

“No, I’ll do that. You two sit.” I mutter, while gesturing them to leave.

“She’s paying today, ge. It’s not good if we don’t let her.” Xiao Gui whispers, “She would literally haunt you, just because you paid for her anything!” He holds Yanjun’s arm, dragging him to our table.

---

I place the tray of our foods on the table. “Look, I don’t know what you guys want, but since I was lazy to leave the queue, let’s enjoy this.”

I ordered 3 sets of sweet and sour pork, because I believe they’re affordable but quite satisfying to the mouth. Right?

“Waah, I love this! Thanks a lot!!” Yanjun squeals.

“I’m going to check that first.” Xiao Gui groans.

Two kinds of people.

“Just put that aside if you don’t want that. I’ll make that my takeaway.” I grumble.

“So, how’s the girl in the hospital before?” Yanjun asks him.

I choke on my food.

“You went around telling people that? Geez.” I glare at Xiao Gui.

Xiao Gui is sitting beside me, while Yanjun is in front of us.

“I didn’t though.”

“So the girl was Xiao Xin?” Yanjun looks at me. “He was really worried that he asked me to deliver your bag. He didn’t want to leave you, he said.”

I turn to the other side, to stick my tongue out to that. I mumble, “Of course. Since he’s the one to blame.”

“So, are you ok now?” Yanjun asks.

I turn back to him and nod. “Yeah, totally. Thanks for the bag, though.” I smile to him.

“Are you two a thing?”

“A thing... like what?” I furrow my eyebrows.

Are we actually friends? We’re just a customer and a seller—I mean, creditor and debtor. Nothing much.

But thinking about the swan ride.....

“NO!” I yell. Then I cough, because I’m choking on my own yelling, if that’s possible. “No, if that is what you’re thinking.” I add.

“We’re duet partners for a performance class.” Xiao Gui blurts. “—and somehow, our circles collide often.” He turns to me. “Right, Xiao Xiin?” In a mocking tone.

I puff my cheeks in annoyance.

“Just how old are you, actually?” Yanjun asks, while giggling for some unknown reasons.

“I’m a 96 liner.”

He widens his eyes, those beautiful almond-shaped ones. Just saying.

Please don’t say you’re also younger.

Let’s see if I’m shocked to that.

“That’s refreshing!” He smiles. “I was born in the 95, by the way. But everyone in my class is mostly like you.”

“We should hang out sometimes!” He says.

“Like... only two of us?”

“Of course!”

“Cool!” I squeal.

Xiao Gui mutters, “Okay...” He pauses. “You both click so much and it’s scary."

"Oldies.” He says that in a mocking tone. I glare at him. “Why, you’re jealous?” I snicker. “Are you jealous with him or with me?”

“That’s a good one.” Yanjun chuckles.

“Ah, by the way, I should really go now. Class starts in 5 minutes.” He’s looking at his phone.

He turns to me, “Xiao Xin, I guess, I’ll see you soon?” He blinks to me—I think he attempts to wink, but he can’t. Lol.

As he begins to leave, I also stand up from my chair just to say, “Jia you with your class!” I wave to him.

I start walking to the canteen’s door, with Xiao Gui chasing me from behind. “You actually fell for that?” He asks me. He’s quick that he’s already walking beside me now.

"Fell for what?" I furrow my eyebrows to think, then turn to him. “You don’t have to be that jealous. Poor you. He seems to be 100% straight.” I pat him.

“It’s not that I’m not straight.” He rolls his eyes. “Are you even straight? You keep staring at some fashionista girls at the amusement park, I recall.”

“You’re doubting me? I have a boyfriend though.” I clear my throat. “—had.”

“Wait, you’re a

bi then!” He halts.

I clench my teeth then hit his forehead.

“Then how about you? Your eyes look very bright when you saw Yanjun.” I mutter, “—and you’re saying I’m not straight.”

“Of course, because we’re xiongdi! That’s what I said!”

“Yea yea. It’s always how it starts from. Denial.” The corners of my mouth move downwards.

I’m rolling my eyes when he suddenly grabs my neck and slams his lips on mine. I widen my eyes in shock. I feel like my blood starts rushing to my head, causing me to feel hot and short of breath.

He starts pressing his eyes, then uses his free hand to pull my waist to him, closing the gap between our bodies. I can feel that he slightly smirks in the middle of that. you.

I put my palm on his shoulder, then push him away in instant.

He’s still with an annoying kissy face and closed eyes. But as he realizes that he’s parted from my lips already, he slowly opens his eyes.

He tilts his head, grinning, in a mocking way to me. “So, am I still not straight?”

“You better be. Or I'll just change your mind.” I hit his forehead with mine, then just walk out of there. I’m leaving him over the forehead.

. Ugh.I’m over my forehead too