Chapter 119: You Just Deserve It!
The midday sun at the end of October wasn’t very hot.
On a commercial street one bus stop away from the school, a tall man and woman walked side by side. Both deep in their own thoughts and silent.
An Han kept glancing at Su Peng beside him, then looked away toward the snack stalls along the street. The burning feeling on his face wouldn’t go away, and his heartbeat was speeding up for no reason.
Was this a date? No, probably not. Just… shopping together.
The more he thought about it, the more nervous and secretly happy he felt. His cheeks were red, his heart was racing, and he bit his lip, unsure what to do next while trying hard to suppress his growing excitement.
This system is evil, it actually changed my sexual orientation!
Clearly, I don’t even like Su Peng! I’m into pretty girls! But now, I’m acting all flustered over a guy!
This is horrible! It feels like I’ve lost control of myself, like everything is being arranged by the system.
An Han narrowed his eyes and suddenly stretched out his leg, trying to trip Su Peng.
But Su Peng quickly noticed the little trick, lifted his foot, and easily stepped over it, laughing as he said, “You’re messing with me even though I’m buying you a phone?”
“I’m not buying it! I was just kidding!” An Han snapped back fiercely.
Su Peng didn’t take it seriously, he knew An Han always talked tough. Obviously, he wanted the phone but was too embarrassed to admit it. The joke about taking out a loan with his ID was just talk, but the desire to buy the phone seemed real.
The two fell silent again. Su Peng realized that spending time together had become more awkward than before. They used to talk about games or girls, but now he didn’t even know what topic to start with.
He sneaked a glance at An Han. To be honest, An Han’s looks right now would only count as above average for a girl, but if he put on some makeup, he could look stunning. Somehow, this male friend of his tugged at his heart in a way he couldn’t resist.
He used to worry about the fact that they were both men, but now, maybe love that goes beyond gender isn’t impossible.
That was the result of his deep reflection, though his family would definitely never accept it.
If An Han knew what Su Peng was thinking, he would just sneer. “Deep reflection”? Yeah rightl it’s just because the favorability score hit 100!
Su Peng stopped walking and looked at An Han, who was heading toward a milk tea shop. After waiting a moment, he saw An Han return with a cup in his hand.
“You didn’t buy one for me?”
“You didn’t say you wanted one.” An Han tried hard to keep his blushing face straight as he stuck the straw in and took a big sip.
“You—”
“Pfft!”
An Han suddenly spat out all the milk tea in his mouth, right onto Su Peng.
He looked up in panic to see Su Peng frozen in place, the words he had been about to say stuck in his throat.
“Oh no~ I’m so sorry! Really sorry!”
An Han quickly started patting the milk tea and tapioca pearls off Su Peng’s clothes, but his eyes were filled with a sneaky kind of delight.
Ha! Bet you’re mad now! Even if it’s just a little prank, I’ll annoy you to death!
Do this a few more times, and your favorability will definitely drop! No one can stand being messed with every few minutes!
Su Peng looked down at him expressionlessly and brushed off a pearl that had landed on his shoulder.
“Don’t be mad, don’t be mad! I’ll go buy some tissues!”
Seeing Su Peng’s slightly angry face, An Han almost burst out laughing.
Too bad, the system still didn’t show any drop in favorability.
He went to a nearby shop, bought a pack of tissues, and carefully wiped the stains off Su Peng’s clothes. But no matter how much he wiped, the light-colored fabric was still clearly marked.
“I think you did that on purpose,” Su Peng said, his voice a little hoarse, as if he was holding back his temper.
“Nonsense!” An Han refused to admit it. “I just suddenly felt my throat itch and coughed!”
Seeing how confidently he said that, Su Peng turned his head away and didn’t bother to argue further.
The favorability still hasn’t gone down…
An Han took a sip of milk tea and looked up. “Do you want the rest?”
Let’s see if you’ll drink what I’ve already had.
Although that’s something only couples usually do, someone as rich as Su Peng might just find it disgusting, right?
“Sure.”
Then Su Peng watched as An Han gulped down half the cup of milk tea, then spat it all back into the cup. He looked at Su Peng again with a sly, mischievous smile.
You still want to drink it now?
“......” Su Peng was silent for a moment, then pointed toward a trash can nearby. “Better throw it away.”
He realized that today, An Han was practically dancing on the edge of danger.
“Fine, then don’t drink it~”
Su Peng took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
It’s okay, this side of An Han is cute too. That playful, mischievous attitude is another kind of charm.
Still no drop in favorability…
An Han pouted in disappointment. This guy’s tolerance is way too high. But fine, that was expected. Maybe if he keeps at it a few more times, he’ll finally succeed. His eyes started scanning around, looking for anything nearby he could use for his next plan.
Without noticing, he had grown a bit used to the nervous feeling of “dating” Su Peng. After all the chaos, he actually felt... comfortable and happy deep down.
Wait, no! This isn’t even a real date!
An Han quickly argued with himself in his mind, then suddenly heard Su Peng ask, “Wanna grab something to eat inside?”
“I already had lunch.”
He followed Su Peng’s gaze toward a nearby American-style barbecue restaurant. The smell of smoked meat and grilled beef reached his nose, making him swallow his saliva.
“...Fine, I guess.”
Even if he was full, he couldn’t resist good food.
The place wasn’t crowded. They found a corner to sit in. Su Peng easily ordered from the owner, then turned to explain, “This place has great barbecue. I usually come here on weekends if I have nothing to do.”
“It’s just kind of pricey, over a hundred yuan for half a pound of meat.” Su Peng closed the menu and set it aside.
An Han puffed up his cheeks slightly, speaking in a jealous tone. “Wow, so you do think something’s expensive… Just so you know, you’re paying.”
“Well, my Alipay has a spending limit, so I can’t spend too much.”
Can’t spend too much because of the limit…
That made An Han even more jealous. His eyes burned with envy as he glared at Su Peng, but Su Peng didn’t mind at all, he just smiled calmly at him.
What are you smiling for?!
An Han turned away, face red again. Just as the waiter brought over two plates of barbecue, grilled beef brisket and grilled short ribs.
The outer layer of the meat was a dark, smoky red. The smell of smoke and roasted beef filled the air. When he gently poked it with a finger, juices and oil oozed out. The soft, tender texture under his fingertips made his appetite grow.
He couldn’t stop his mouth from watering.
But he remembered his mission. He lifted his greasy hand and casually wiped it on Su Peng’s shoulder.
Su Peng turned in surprise, then looked down at the bright stains on his light-colored shirt. Most of it was from the milk tea earlier, and the new yellowish marks were from the grease he’d just smeared.
Su Peng took a deep breath. “I swear, you’re just begging—”
He stopped halfway, holding back his words so he wouldn’t ruin his image.
That’s right! I am begging for it!
Come on, hit me! If you do, your favorability score will definitely drop below eighty!
An Han lifted his chin and looked up at him, his face full of hopeful anticipation.