"I'll add it to your tab."
That one sentence nipped all the emotions Lin Xi had been brewing in the bud.
I really, really want to bite him!
The Gu Ming milk tea shop was famous on this university street. Its milk tea was creamy and smooth, with a fragrant, non-astringent tea base and no dregs. Many students would line up for half an hour just to get a sip.
Ever since enrolling at Yanbei University, this was where Xue Yang had always bought milk tea for Chen Ying. Each cup cost sixteen yuan, which wasn't cheap for a student, but he had never uttered a single word of complaint.
The young woman at the counter smiled and said, "Are you two a couple? We have a half-price offer on two cups for couples today."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xi's face instantly turned bright red, though thankfully her mask hid it.
In contrast, Xue Yang's expression was much calmer. If it's two cups for sixteen yuan, pretending to be a couple with Lin Xi isn't a big deal.
Lin Xi, however, was already waving her hands in denial. "No, we're not a couple."
"If you're not, then you can't enjoy the half-price discount," the server said with a hint of regret.
Xue Yang quickly slung his arm over Lin Xi's shoulder and said with a smile, "Miss, we are a couple. My girlfriend is just sulking."
The sudden scent of an unfamiliar man so close made Lin Xi's brain short-circuit for a moment.
"Xue Yang, you..."
He really is after my body. The internet is right, all men are pigs!
"Babe, don't be mad. We'll have our milk tea in a minute. There are a lot of people waiting behind us. Sorry for the trouble, Miss."
At that moment, the people in line behind them started to get restless. "Are you buying or not? If not, step aside, please! Can't you see how many people are waiting?"
The server, clearly charmed to be called 'miss' by the handsome young man, quickly placed their order. "Alright, that will be sixteen yuan in total."
After paying, Xue Yang pulled Lin Xi aside to wait.
Lin Xi's mind was a complete blank. How could someone treat admitting to being a couple so casually? In her mind, love was a sacred thing. At the very least, there should be some sort of process, not something so... careless.
Taking the milk tea Xue Yang handed her, Lin Xi stomped hard on his foot. "Xue Yang, why did you tell her we're a couple?"
It was clear that Lin Xi was very bothered by this. If she weren't currently dependent on him, she would have definitely thrown a fit.
"Don't you think half-price milk tea tastes exceptionally good?" Xue Yang took an unconcerned sip. Just as people said, the taste was excellent—milky, flavorful, and with plenty of toppings. No wonder girls loved this stuff.
It was almost laughable. He had bought Gu Ming milk tea for Chen Ying so many times, yet he had never tasted it himself, let alone enjoyed a discount on it.
Xue Yang let out a self-deprecating laugh. Even the milk tea was telling him that he and Chen Ying weren't right for each other. How had he never realized it before?
"Even if it is half-price, you can't just do that! Don't you know love is a sacred thing? You've ruined my first love! And for a sixteen-yuan milk tea, no less. If I'd known, I wouldn't have even ordered it!"
"What's this? Don't tell me you're actually taking it seriously?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, there you go. Just drink your tea. Half-price milk tea isn't bad at all."
Xue Yang was completely oblivious to how much trouble his thoughtless actions had caused Lin Xi.
Lin Xi glared at the cup in her hand. This was the cup of milk tea that had destroyed her first love. She had to drink it with all her might.
Channeling her grief and indignation into her appetite, Lin Xi furiously sucked down the milk tea. In no time, the cup was empty, with only a few stubborn boba pearls stuck to the bottom. Unwilling to give up, she tore the plastic cup open, dug out the remaining pearls, and devoured them all, making her look like an adorable little hamster guarding its food.
"Let's just grab a bite here tonight," Xue Yang said. "Tomorrow, I'll buy some groceries. The kitchen at home should be usable after a good cleaning."
Lin Xi looked up and saw a sign with the large words "ZB Barbecue." With its round tables, bright red stools, and questionable sanitation, it was a typical street food stall setup. Her little face immediately scrunched up in distaste.
"Xue Yang, can we really eat at a place like this?"
"Why not?"
"I've never eaten at a street stall. I heard the food at these places isn't clean."
Who hasn't eaten at a street stall in this day and age? "Well, Princess, what would you like to eat then?" he asked, trying to remain patient. I'm the one who brought her home, so I can't just let her starve.
"You... you called me Princess?" Could it be that he knows my identity? Maybe he brought me out because he actually wants to send me home! The more Lin Xi thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. "I'm not eating! Let's go back!"
Xue Yang's gaze landed on a poster for half-price steak. It advertised a couple's meal for fifty-nine yuan. That was within his budget; a barbecue dinner for two would cost about the same.
"Let's go get some steak."
Lin Xi was on the verge of tears. "Xue Yang, I said I'm not eating! I want to go back to the house! Don't send me home!"
"Who said anything about sending you home? You may be full, but I'm still hungry."
"Then why did you call me Princess?"
"If you've never eaten from a street stall, what else would you be but a princess?"
"..."
So that was why.
"Welcome to Beloved Steaks, how many in your party?"
"Two."
The waiter greeted them enthusiastically. "You two are a couple, right? Today, any couple dining at our Old Forest Steakhouse can enjoy a half-price meal."
Another couple's discount? What is with today? Everywhere has a discount for couples! It's like the universe is conspiring against me!
Lin Xi said sullenly, "We are not a couple."
The waiter froze for a second, wondering if he had said something wrong.
As the saying goes, if a trick works, use it again. Xue Yang put his arm around Lin Xi's shoulder again and looked at the waiter. "Do we not look like a couple to you?"
The waiter glanced between Xue Yang and Lin Xi. They were wearing matching shirts and holding half-price couple's milk tea. If they weren't a couple, what could they be? Siblings? His gaze shifted back to Lin Xi, as if seeking confirmation. Are you really a couple?
What is with today and all these couple's discounts? It's like they're doing it on purpose just to mess with me!
Lin Xi insisted, "Don't listen to his nonsense. We are really not a couple."
There was no way she was going to sell herself out again for just fifty-nine yuan. She was determined to hold the line for her 'second love.'
"Babe, don't be difficult. I know I made you angry, but look, I brought you to get your favorite steak, didn't I? Waiter, we really are a couple. You can't seriously expect me to prove it by kissing her in front of everyone, can you?"
What? A kiss?! Lin Xi immediately shot a wary look at Xue Yang. If he dared to try anything, she would make him regret it. I'll just smash a stool over his head. I'm such a genius.