Chapter 7 - [Liu SiYu's proposal]
Ling Fan was being pulled forward by Liu Siyu, who navigated the turns with swift, uninterrupted steps.
“It seems you’re quite familiar with this place,” Ling Fan remarked, noticing that he had never been to this area before.
“Yeah, I usually hang out here with friends to grab a bite. Oops, my bad…” Liu SiYu suddenly realised that she had been holding onto Ling Fan’s hand and quickly released it, flashing a smile as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.
“It’s alright… Huh?!” Ling Fan waved his hand to indicate that he didn’t mind.
Ling Fan gazed upon the steakhouse before him. Based on the extravagant entrance, it appeared to be a luxury and high-end place.
“Huh? The Golden Bull Steakhouse? Isn’t this the famous steakhouse in JinYun City? Don’t tell me you eat here every time,” Ling Fan asked in astonishment, tilting his head towards Liu SiYu.
“With your figure, eating here every day shouldn’t just result in this little growth, right?” Ling Fan examined Liu SiYu once more, briefly pausing at her 158 cm height and slightly disappointing chest before nonchalantly looking away.
However, Liu SiYu caught his glace.
Ling Fan immediately regretted his words, sensing a powerful wave of hostility coming from Liu SiYu. Upon recognising the situation, he immediately felt the need to create some distance in order to ensure his safety.
But it was too late.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Please spare me! It’s going to fall off, really!” Ling Fan soon paid a painful price for his careless remark.
“It’s because you said you were treating me today, so I wanted to come and try.” Liu SiYu said with a smile, pinching Ling Fan’s ear.
“If you think it’s too expensive, we can go to another place.” Liu SiYu added, extending her other hand.
“No, this place is fine. No problem. Just order whatever you like. Eat well and enjoy!” When Ling Fan noticed Liu SiYu’s other hand reaching out, his survival instinct kicked in, and he grabbed Liu SiYu’s hand, giving his answer.
Ling Fan reassured himself that he had saved a little over the past year so he wouldn’t be bankrupted by one meal.
“I knew you were the best, LingFan,” Liu SiYu said, allowing Ling Fan to go free.
Damn, this girl is really rough. As the saying goes, a woman’s mood changes faster than flipping a book; the ancients were not wrong. Ling Fan quickly rubbed his ear.
“Let’s go. I’ve never been here before. I’m really starving,” Ling Fan said, anxious to avoid any further delay at the door. His stomach had been growling for quite some time.
With that, Ling Fan led the way into the restaurant, with Liu SiYu following behind.
The receptionist at the door had long observed the pair’s flirtatious banter, or at least that’s how it seemed to her. As soon as they approached, she rushed over to greet them.
Soon after the receptionist’s introduction, Ling Fan and Liu SiYu were seated at a table.
“This is my first time here, so I’m not familiar. Liu SiYu, you can order,” Ling Fan said, handing the ordering tablet to Liu SiYu after briefly flipping through it.
His tastes were quite flexible; if there was something he wasn’t fond of, he could make adjustments after Liu SiYu had placed the order.
“Then I’ll order for you, Ling Fan?”
“Yeah,” Ling Fan responded. Liu SiYu appeared to be at ease with the ordering process, displaying her familiarity.
“Excuse me, we have a newly launched couples’ set menu, which is only available to couples like you. It’s reasonably priced, and the dishes are among our specialties. Would you like to take a look?” The receptionist, who had seen them teasing each other outside, approached.
“No, that’s okay. We’re not a couple, just classmates,” Ling Fan clarified, hoping to avoid any confusion and respect the girl’s feelings.
But just as Ling Fan finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his foot from being stepped on.
“Ouch…,” Ling Fan’s voice quickly dropped.
“Could you please tell me what’s included in the couples’ set menu?” Liu SiYu asked the receptionist with an air of indifference.
The receptionist, with a hint of amusement in her eyes, glanced at Ling Fan, who was lying on the table pretending to be dead. However, she quickly composed herself and began her introduction with utmost professionalism.
Upon hearing the details, Liu SiYu found the set menu quite good value for money.
“Then we’ll go with this couples’ set, along with these snacks,” Liu SiYu decided quickly.
“Ling Fan, check if there is anything you want to add,” Liu SiYu said, handing the tablet back to the now feigning-dead Ling Fan.
“No problem, let’s go with this. Please hurry. I’m starving,” Ling Fan said weakly, glancing at the dishes Liu SiYu had chosen.
“Alright, please wait a moment,” the receptionist said, taking the tablet and leaving.
“Liu SiYu, could you be a little gentler? We, gentlemen, use words rather than actions. Who would want to marry you if you continued to act like this?” Ling Fan rubbed his still-painful ear, retorting the violent girl before him.
How could he not have noticed this after being in the same class for so long?
You can know a person’s face but not their heart!
“I’m a girl, not a gentleman. If I can’t get married, I’ll just hang around with our boss Ling and mooch off him! Besides, I did so to help you save money,” Liu SiYu said with a righteous expression.
“……You win, class monitor,” Ling Fan was at a loss for words.
“Alright, there’s one more thing I need to tell you. We have two credit points that we need to earn before graduating from middle school: one for club activities and one for group activities. You lack both of these credits, and you are the only person in the class who does not possess them.”
Ling Fan’s posture straightened upon hearing this.
Seeing Ling Fan’s serious demeanour, Liu SiYu knew he was paying attention.
“I had intended to discuss this with you next Monday, but since we happened to meet tonight, I’ll bring it up now. Do you have any plans for these two credits?”
“To be honest, I don’t have any plans. Now that you mention it, I suppose I should be more mindful of this in the coming week,” Ling Fan admitted, rubbing his nose.
Ling Fan had a sense of unease, as if Liu SiYu was on the verge of making some unexpected plans for him.
“Hm, let me think…”
“I have a club under my name that you can become a part of. I can easily provide you with a club credit. Regarding the group activity, I can arrange one for you. However, please note that there will be another group activity prior to graduation. I can’t say what it will be, but you must attend it,” Liu SiYu said after some thought, then lapsed into silence. Her gaze, filled with anticipation, remained fixed on Ling Fan as if awaiting his reply.
Liu SiYu had noticed Ling Fan since his first year of middle school. Ling Fan never participated in group activities and was almost invisible in class. Initially, she had a lot of trouble organising the group activities. She suspected Ling Fan might be someone with social issues.
However, as she got to know Ling Fan better, by the second year, Liu SiYu had a different perspective. After Ling Fan aced DeYu’s test and emerged as the sole student in the middle school with the qualification to tutor other classes, Liu SiYu couldn’t help but acknowledge that she had underestimated him.
Coming from a privileged background, Liu SiYu never lacked financial resources, and her academic performance consistently placed her among the top three students in the class.
She saw this test as a personal challenge. However, she only managed to scrape by on the written test, while Ling Fan excelled in both the written and interview tests, leaving the second-place candidate far behind.
Liu SiYu was taken aback.
Ling Fan’s grades were only around 20th in the class. Liu SiYu wasn’t dumb; as one of the top students in the advanced class, she was very smart. But even so, she couldn’t understand Ling Fan.
Ling Fan’s behaviour appeared unusual for someone his age, and from what she observed, he had a limited social circle and minimal interaction with girls. Teenage boys usually didn’t exhibit such behaviour, which intrigued her about Ling Fan. However, his behavioural patterns made him difficult to approach.
Liu SiYu’s beautiful eyes were fixed on Ling Fan, her mind racing with thoughts.
By inviting Ling Fan this way, Liu SiYu felt she was lacking in propriety and might easily lead to misunderstandings.
But if there were any misunderstandings, then so be it. Despite her usual concern for her image, Liu SiYu didn’t think it was a big deal this time.
This was a decision she had been planning for some time. Since the beginning of the second year, the homeroom teacher has been requesting that she remind Ling Fan about these two points. However, Liu SiYu had her plans.
She intentionally delayed it until the third year because the clubs in the third year were less inclined to welcome new members.
Solving these two credit points would be challenging for Ling Fan, and he would most likely agree to her proposal.