[Cloud Nine Café — September 16, 02:09 PM]
The café door swung open, and Zhang Yuting walked in with the energy of someone who owned every room she entered.
She wore a fitted cream blouse tucked into a dark pleated skirt, with small gold earrings catching the light.
Her posture was perfect, her chin held high. Zhang Yuting carried herself like a woman who had never been second place in anything.
Her eyes found Long Tian immediately.
A smile spread across her face as she spotted him at the central table—that golden hair catching the afternoon light, that warm expression waiting just for her. Her breath caught, and she started toward him without hesitation.
She took three steps before she froze mid-stride.
Su Qingxue was sitting at Long Tian's table, right across from him, holding a cup of jasmine tea like she belonged there.
Zhang Yuting's smile vanished. Her eyes went wide, and her feet planted themselves to the floor.
Su Qingxue turned her head at that exact moment, and their eyes met across the café.
Both women went still.
Zhang Yuting's gaze snapped from the stranger to Long Tian—sitting there, smiling, with two cups on the table—and back again. Her stomach dropped.
Who the hell is this woman?
Su Qingxue rose from her chair slowly. Her fingers stayed on the rim of her jasmine tea, claiming it, claiming the table, claiming him. She studied this newcomer head to toe without blinking.
Who the hell is SHE?
"You came here for Long Tian?" Zhang Yuting's voice came out flat. Her eyes had already found the two cups on the table, the pulled-out chair, the way this woman's hand rested near his side of the table like she'd been sitting there for a while.
Her feet started moving again, heels clicking against the café tile as she closed the distance.
Su Qingxue straightened to her full height. Her fingers curled around the handle of her jasmine tea, and her chin lifted just enough to look down at the approaching woman.
"I'm here with Tian'er. Is there a problem?"
The pet name landed like a slap.
For a split second, something flickered at the edge of Zhang Yuting's mind. Something she should remember. Someone she should call.
The thought dissolved before it finished forming, drifting out of her mind like smoke in still air.
Across the table, the same flicker passed through Su Qingxue. Just as brief. Just as gone.
Because Long Tian was right there.
And only Long Tian seemed to matter right now.
Zhang Yuting's head snapped toward him, and her brows drew together.
"Long Tian—why is she here?"
Su Qingxue's spine straightened. "Excuse me? I was about to ask you the same thing."
Both women were glaring now—at each other, then at Long Tian, then back at each other again.
Long Tian's smile flickered. His jaw shifted as he leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Ladies, please—" He tilted his head, both hands raised. "Let me explain."
"You told me to meet you here at two!" Zhang Yuting stepped closer, her voice climbing. "You said you wanted to spend time with me!"
"What?" Su Qingxue's head whipped toward Long Tian. "But—he—he asked me out yesterday. He said he wanted to have coffee with me."
Their voices rose together, and a few heads turned from nearby tables. The barista paused mid-pour to glance their way.
Neither woman looked at the other now. Both had their eyes locked on Long Tian.
"Are you seriously seeing both of us?" Zhang Yuting's hands curled into fists at her sides.
"You've been playing us this whole time?" Su Qingxue folded her arms across her chest.
------------------------
[⚠️MISSION COMPLICATION ⚠️]
[Targets aware of each other]
├─ Su Qingxue: 62 (stable but alert)
└─ Zhang Yuting: 70 (alert, jealousy detected)
------------------------
Long Tian's gaze went distant for a moment—checking something only he could see—but his smile never dropped. His grip on the coffee cup tightened.
Damnit! I knew it would happen like this. Stupid system! Stupid double date quest! Fuck! Fuck!
------------------------
[Observer Room — 2:10 PM]
Zhang Tingting watched her best friend and her cousin on the surveillance screens. Her hands gripped the armrests of her chair so hard her knuckles went white.
But when she saw their anger—their accusations directed squarely at Long Tian—her shoulders dropped and she let out a breath.
"Good!" She leaned forward in her seat. "They should be angry at him!"
"Come on, Qingxue. Come on, Yuting. Trust your instincts."
"Tell her to leave! Stand up for yourself!" She was almost talking to the screen now. "Don't let him explain his way out of this!"
Lin Feng leaned forward slightly beside her, his eyes never leaving the monitors.
"Here it comes," he said quietly.
Zhang Tingting glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"Tingting." His voice was calm, almost clinical. "Watch carefully. You're about to witness something very illogical."
Lin Weiwei pressed against his right side, her eyes on the screen but her lips pressed thin. Xiao Yue pressed against his left side, arms folded. On the screen, her gaze found Long Tian—then cut away. Found him again. Cut away.
------------------------
[2:11 PM]
Zhang Yuting didn't wait for an invitation.
She pulled out the chair next to Long Tian—the legs scraped against the floor—and sat down hard. Her bag landed on the table with a thunk that made the tea cups rattle.
Su Qingxue's eyes tracked every movement, but she didn't budge from her seat. Her fingers stayed wrapped around her jasmine tea, knuckles pale.
The café's ambient music played on overhead. A love ballad, ironically. Somewhere behind them, a barista called out an order number.
Neither woman spoke for a long moment.
Then Su Qingxue reached across and took Long Tian's hand. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed—not gently.
"We were having a conversation." Her voice stayed even, but her grip said something else entirely. "A private one."
Zhang Yuting's eyes lingered on their interlocked fingers. She blinked twice, fast—then her expression shuttered.
She grabbed his other hand.
"He invited me too." She pulled it toward her side of the table. "Right, Long Tian?"
Long Tian sat perfectly still, arms stretched in opposite directions.
Okay. Okay. This is fine. I can manage this.
"Ladies—"
"Well?" Zhang Yuting's grip on his hand tightened. "Are you going to explain this?"
Su Qingxue's fingers tightened around Long Tian's other hand. She leaned forward, her voice dropping low.
"I was here first." Her eyes didn't leave his face. "You asked me to come. So why is she here?"
"I invited him yesterday." Zhang Yuting's chin lifted. "Right after he walked me to my dorm. Face to face. And he said yes."
Su Qingxue paused. Then her lips curved slightly.
"Oh? You invited him?" She almost laughed. "I didn't have to ask. He came to ME."
Zhang Yuting's jaw tightened. "When?"
"Yesterday afternoon." Su Qingxue's voice softened with satisfaction. "He reached out first. I didn't do anything."
"Oh please—he walked me to my dorm, spent the whole afternoon with me, AND we had a date across campus yesterday!" Zhang Yuting's nails dug into her palms. "That's more than some text message."
"But you still had to ask." Su Qingxue tilted her head. "I didn't."
The tension stretched between them, sharp and brittle. Long Tian opened his mouth to intervene, but the words died when both women tightened their grips simultaneously.
For a moment, it looked like the situation might explode. Two women, one man, a public café—the classic recipe for someone storming out, maybe throwing a drink, definitely demanding answers.
That would have been normal.
But then something shifted.
Zhang Yuting opened her mouth—probably to deliver another accusation—but what came out was different.
"Tian-er said I was elegant, you know." Zhang Yuting glanced at Su Qingxue sideways. "He even sent me a good morning message today."
Su Qingxue blinked. The hostility on her face flickered, replaced by something almost competitive.
"Oh really? Then you should know that Tian-er told me I looked beautiful." Her chin lifted. "Yesterday! In person."
"He remembered my class schedule and planned his whole day around it."
"Oh yeah?" Su Qingxue leaned back and picked up the jasmine cup, holding it up like evidence. "But look at this! He ordered my favorite tea before I even arrived. I didn't even have to ask."
Zhang Yuting paused. Her brows drew together.
"...He remembered your tea order?"
"Mhm."
"That's—" She stopped herself. Shook her head slightly, then rallied. "Well, he called me last night. We talked for over an hour. He said my voice was soothing."
"He complimented my dress yesterday."
"He complimented my earrings this morning."
"He carried my books across campus."
"He pulled out my chair when I sat down."
Zhang Yuting and Su Qingxue continued to trade back and forth, voices starting to overlap.
They were both leaning forward now, rattling off Long Tian's affections like comparing birthday presents.
Somewhere along the way, the accusations had stopped entirely, and neither of them seemed to notice when it happened.
A customer walked past their table with a fresh coffee in hand. He slowed, staring at the scene in front of him—two beautiful women pressed against a golden-haired man from either side, both holding his hands, both laughing between competitive jabs. The afternoon light from the café windows caught all three of them like some kind of magazine shoot.
The customer blinked twice, then made for the exit without looking back.
Sometime later, both chairs had crept closer to Long Tian's.
Su Qingxue was pressed against his right side now, her shoulder touching his arm whenever she shifted. Zhang Yuting had claimed his left, her knee brushing his under the table. The space that had existed between them fifteen minutes ago had completely vanished.
The jasmine tea had gone cold. The pastries sat untouched. The ambient café music played on—some soft piano piece that felt absurdly romantic for the situation.
Su Qingxue's fingers found his watch, turning it gently so the face sat straight on his wrist. "This was tilted."
She glanced at Zhang Yuting with a small, satisfied smile.
Zhang Yuting's hand moved immediately. She brushed at his other shoulder with delicate strokes.
"You had some lint."
He didn't have lint. They both knew it.
Long Tian cleared his throat and tried his warmest smile.
"Qingxue, I keep thinking about yesterday." He turned to her fully. "The way you talked about your music—your eyes lit up like nothing else mattered. I've never seen anyone so passionate."
Su Qingxue's whole demeanor shifted. Her shoulders dropped, her eyes went soft, and her lips curved into something almost shy.
He remembered. He actually remembered what I told him.
Then Long Tian turned toward Zhang Yuting.
"And Yuting—I still can't stop thinking about that moment under the willow tree." His voice dropped slightly. "Before that frisbee ruined everything."
Su Qingxue's fingers tightened around his hand. Her jaw clenched, just barely.
Willow tree? What willow tree? What happened between them?
But Zhang Yuting's face had already lit up. She leaned in closer, her cheeks flushing pink.
He's been thinking about it too. The almost-kiss. He wanted it just as much as I did.
"Really?" Her voice came out breathless. "You think about that?"
"How could I not?" Long Tian squeezed her hand gently, then turned back to Su Qingxue. "And Qingxue—I meant what I said yesterday. You should chase your dream. Your father doesn't understand, but I do."
Zhang Yuting's smile stayed fixed in place, but her grip on his other hand tightened.
Dream? Her father? How much did she tell him? When did they get so close?
Su Qingxue's eyes glistened.
"You... you really believe in me?"
"More than anyone." Long Tian's voice was warm, sincere. "Your music is a part of who you are. That makes it important to me."
Oh my God. He actually understands. No one has ever understood.
"Also, Qingxue, your hair looks different today. Did you do something new?"
Su Qingxue touched her hair, smiling. "You noticed?"
"Yuting, that earring—is that new? It really suits you."
Zhang Yuting's hand flew to her ear. "I wore it just for today."
Back to Su Qingxue. A warm look. A gentle squeeze of her hand.
Back to Zhang Yuting. A soft laugh at something she said. His thumb brushing her knuckles.
Neither woman seemed to notice the pattern. Neither seemed to care that his attention kept sliding away from them. They just waited for it to return—patient, eager, hungry.
The café hummed softly around them. A customer at a nearby table turned a page of his newspaper without reading it. The barista wiped the same spot on the counter for the third time. Steam rose from coffees that no one was actually drinking.
Everyone was watching. No one let it show.
Neither Su Qingxue nor Zhang Yuting stood up.
Neither walked out.
Neither seemed to remember that fifteen minutes ago, they had both wanted answers.
------------------------
[AFFECTION UPDATES]
[Su Qingxue: 62 → 63 (+1)]
[Cause: Attention, compliments, jealous competition dynamic]
[Zhang Yuting: 70 → 71 (+1)]
[Cause: Maintained attention, intimate gestures exchanged]
------------------------
[Observer Room — 2:20 PM]
Lin Feng leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the monitors.
"Tingting." He didn't look away from the screen. "What do you see?"
Zhang Tingting blinked. She glanced at the footage, then back at him.
"They're... not fighting anymore?"
"What else?"
She studied the screen. Su Qingxue and Zhang Yuting were pressed against Long Tian from either side, holding his hands, smiling at each other between competitive remarks. No screaming. No accusations. No demands.
"They look like they are competing," Zhang Tingting said slowly. "But they also look like they are… cooperating? Sharing?"
"Keep going."
Zhang Tingting's brows furrowed. On the screen, Su Qingxue said something and gestured at her tea cup. Zhang Yuting countered by touching her earring. Both women laughed.
Minutes ago, they were ready to tear each other apart. Now they were giggling like old friends comparing notes on a shared crush.
"They should be asking 'why are you dating both of us,'" Zhang Tingting said quietly. "They should be demanding he choose."
Lin Feng finally turned to look at her. "But?"
"But they're asking..." She swallowed. "Who's his favorite."
The words hung in the air between them.
On the screen, Su Qingxue reached for Long Tian's wrist, adjusting his watch with careful fingers. Zhang Yuting immediately brushed invisible lint off his shoulder. Both women shot smug glances at each other—not hostile, just competitive.
"That was ten minutes ago." Zhang Tingting's voice dropped. "They were furious. Both of them. And now they're..."
"They're?"
"Now they're fighting over who gets to groom him. Like they're happy to receive whatever attention he gives to them." Her voice came out hollow. "Like he's a prize they're both willing to share."
Lin Feng nodded once and said nothing.
The silence stretched.
Why isn't Big Brother looking at me anymore?
Lin Weiwei's fingers had started tapping against her thigh. Her eyes kept flicking between the screen and the back of Lin Feng's head—the head that was currently angled toward Zhang Tingting.
He's been talking to her for five minutes. Five whole minutes. Why does she get five minutes?
On the screen, Su Qingxue grabbed Long Tian's hand again, threading her fingers through his possessively. She leaned her whole body against his arm, staking her claim.
Lin Weiwei's eyes narrowed.
Without warning, she grabbed Lin Feng's hand.
"Big Brother! See?" She held their interlocked fingers up, turning to stare directly at Xiao Yue. "I'm holding your hand!"
Xiao Yue's head snapped toward them.
Her response was instantaneous—she grabbed his OTHER hand with equal force.
"And I'm holding his hand too."
Lin Feng went very still.
On the screen, Su Qingxue and Zhang Yuting leaned into Long Tian from either side, both smiling, both giggling at something he said. The afternoon light caught them like a magazine cover. Peaceful. Harmonious. Two women perfectly content to share.
In the observation room, Lin Weiwei and Xiao Yue crushed Lin Feng between them. Neither was smiling. Neither was giggling. The temperature had dropped several degrees, and the only harmony was their synchronized hostility.
"Big Brother clearly prefers ME." Lin Weiwei pressed her entire body weight against his right side.
Xiao Yue matched the pressure from his left, her grip tightening. "Proximity means nothing for preference."
She leaned forward to stare directly into Lin Feng's eyes.
"You prefer me more, right?" Her voice was ice. "You definitely prefer me over her."
Lin Feng's ribs creaked under the combined assault.
"This is actually quite painful," he managed.
Neither woman loosened her grip.
"You know what, Xiao Yue?" Lin Weiwei's voice went syrupy sweet—the kind of sweet that preceded violence. "You should introduce yourself to that Long Tian. He'd absolutely LOVE someone as devoted as you."
"What a thoughtful suggestion." Xiao Yue's tone could have frozen the Yellow River solid. "But YOU should go first. Long Tian would definitely appreciate your level of enthusiasm."
Go to Long Tian.
The ultimate insult. The worst dismissal either could imagine. They hurled it at each other like a curse.
Lin Feng's eyes found Zhang Tingting across the cramped room.
Help me.
Zhang Tingting started to rise from her chair. "Maybe you two could—"
Both women's heads snapped toward her in perfect synchronization. Two pairs of eyes locked onto her face with identical murderous intent.
Zhang Tingting sat back down immediately.
Her hands rose in surrender.
"Never mind." She looked at Lin Feng with something between sympathy and relief that she wasn't him. "You're on your own."
------------------------
[02:32 PM]
The waiter approached the table and set down a tray of desserts. Chocolate cake. Strawberry tart. Macarons in pastel rows.
Long Tian reached for a strawberry.
Su Qingxue's fingers closed around his wrist.
"Ah-ah." Her smile was playful. "Let me do it, Tian-er."
She picked up a fork, speared a piece of chocolate cake, and held it toward his mouth.
"Say 'ahh.'"
Long Tian's hand hovered in the air. He glanced at Zhang Yuting.
Zhang Yuting sat with her hands folded in her lap. Her head was tilted slightly. Her lips were curved in a small, patient smile.
She wasn't reaching for a fork.
She wasn't glaring.
Rather, it looked like she was…
Waiting.
Long Tian opened his mouth.
Su Qingxue slid the fork in, her eyes bright. He chewed. Swallowed.
"Good?" Her voice was soft, eager.
"It's delicious."
"Okay." Zhang Yuting unfolded her hands. "My turn now."
Her fork was already loaded—strawberry tart, balanced perfectly on the tines. She held it toward his mouth with the same easy confidence.
"Open up."
Long Tian opened his mouth.
She fed him. Watched him chew. Watched him swallow. Her smile didn't waver.
"Well?"
"Also delicious."
"Good." She set down her fork. Folded her hands. Waited.
Then Su Qingxue's fork appeared.
Long Tian ate.
And then Zhang Yuting's fork appeared.
Long Tian ate.
The café's ambient music drifted overhead—something soft and romantic. Steam curled from untouched coffees at nearby tables. The afternoon light through the windows had started to go golden.
Su Qingxue. Zhang Yuting. Su Qingxue. Zhang Yuting.
Long Tian stopped reaching for anything. He just sat there, opening his mouth when a fork appeared, chewing when food arrived, swallowing when expected.
Neither woman looked at the other.
But they never collided. Never reached at the same time. Never fought for the same bite.
When did they agree on this?
Su Qingxue wiped a crumb from the corner of his mouth. Her thumb lingered against his skin.
"You had a little something."
Zhang Yuting's napkin appeared immediately, dabbing his other cheek.
"Here too."
Her touch lasted longer.
Su Qingxue smoothed down his collar.
"This was crooked."
Zhang Yuting adjusted his sleeve.
"This one too."
Su Qingxue brushed some invisible dust from his shoulder.
Zhang Yuting meanwhile tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear.
Touch for touch. Care for care. Back and forth in perfect rhythm.
The jasmine tea sat between them, long gone cold.
They were yelling at me twenty minutes ago.
Long Tian sat very still.
Now they're taking turns grooming me?
He picked up a strawberry.
Both women went still.
Long Tian turned toward Zhang Yuting. He brushed the hair from her face. Let his fingers trail down her cheek. Fed her slowly, his thumb grazing her lower lip.
Zhang Yuting's breath caught. Her eyes fluttered.
"Mmm..."
"Tian-er."
Su Qingxue's voice was light. Casual.
Long Tian turned.
Her smile hadn't changed. Her posture hadn't shifted. But something behind her eyes had gone quiet.
"That was sweet." She tilted her head. "The way you touched her face just now."
Long Tian waited.
"You took your time with it, didn't you?" Her finger traced a slow circle on the tablecloth. "You really savored the moment, didn't you?"
Her voice stayed pleasant. Her expression stayed warm.
"Qingxue—"
"Do that for me now."
She picked up a piece of chocolate. Placed it in his palm. Curled his fingers around it.
"Slower than you did for her." Her hand found his jaw and turned his face toward hers. "Touch my face first. Look at me the whole time."
Her smile widened.
"And don't blink."
What?
Long Tian touched her face. Fed her slowly. Kept his eyes on hers.
Su Qingxue chewed with her eyes half-closed. Swallowed. Sighed.
"Better." She patted his cheek. "Much better."
"That was thirty-four seconds."
Zhang Yuting's voice came from his right.
Long Tian turned.
She was holding a macaron between two fingers, examining it thoughtfully.
"I counted." Her smile was bright, friendly. "Thirty-four seconds for her."
She was counting?
"I think I deserve more than that." She placed the macaron against his lips. "Forty-five. And tell me I'm beautiful while you do it."
"How many times?"
She laughed. "A few times. Beginning, middle, end." She leaned closer. "Make me believe it."
Long Tian fed her the macaron.
"You're beautiful."
He brushed her cheek.
"You're so beautiful, Yuting."
He traced her jawline.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
Zhang Yuting's cheeks went pink. She pressed a hand to her chest.
"Okay." She fanned her face, laughing breathlessly. "Wow. That was really good."
Su Qingxue clapped. Two slow claps.
"Not bad." She was smiling at Zhang Yuting now. "He's pretty good at this, right?"
"Right?" Zhang Yuting giggled. "Our Tian-er is soo good. I can't believe we're here with you right now."
They looked at each other.
Both smiling.
Both nodding.
Did they just compliment each other and me at the same time?
"Okay, my turn again." Su Qingxue grabbed another piece of cake. "Fifty seconds. Five compliments."
"Wait—" Zhang Yuting sat up. "That's not fair."
"You set the rules. I'm raising the stakes."
"Fine." Zhang Yuting crossed her arms, but she was smiling. "After you, I want a full minute. And he has to hold my hand the whole time."
"We're adding hand-holding now?"
"I'm innovating."
They both dissolved into giggles, leaning toward each other. Su Qingxue's shoulder bumped Long Tian's arm. Zhang Yuting's knee pressed against his under the table.
What is happening right now?
"Your turn, Tian-er." Su Qingxue placed the cake in his palm. "Fifty seconds. Five compliments."
Long Tian complied.
"Your smile lights up every room. Your laugh makes my heart skip. Your voice is the most beautiful sound I've heard. Everything about you is elegant. I could look at you forever."
Su Qingxue buried her face in her hands.
"Oh my god." Her voice came out muffled. "That was a lot."
"Me next!" Zhang Yuting tugged his sleeve. "Full minute. Hand-holding. Go!"
Long Tian took her hand. Fed her with his free hand.
"You're radiant. You're captivating. Every time I see you, my heart races."
Zhang Yuting's grip tightened until her knuckles went white.
"Okay." She was breathing fast. "Wow."
Su Qingxue leaned forward. "My turn. Ninety seconds. Eyes closed."
"Eyes closed?" Zhang Yuting laughed. "How's he supposed to find your mouth?"
"He'll figure it out."
"Fine, but when it's my turn—"
"Make your own rules—"
"I'm just saying—"
They shoved each other playfully, giggling and arguing.
The afternoon light had shifted across the floor. The tea had gone cold. The macarons were nearly gone.
A customer at a nearby table turned a page of his newspaper. The same page. The barista wiped the counter in slow circles. The same spot.
Su Qingxue fed Long Tian another bite. Her smile was warm.
Zhang Yuting fed him the next. Her smile was identical.
They didn't glare at each other.
They didn't demand explanations.
They didn't seem to notice anything strange about what they were doing.
They just kept smiling.
And feeding.
And waiting for their turn.
------------------------
[DING!]
[Su Qingxue: 63 → 66 (+3)]
[Zhang Yuting: 71 → 72 (+1)]
[Time Elapsed: 45 minutes / 120 required]
------------------------
[Observer Room — 2:46 PM]
On the screen, Su Qingxue held a piece of cake to Long Tian's lips.
Zhang Yuting sat beside him, hands folded, waiting patiently for her turn.
Both women were smiling.
Lin Weiwei's jaw tightened.
She reached down beside her chair and pulled out a convenience store bag. The plastic crinkled loudly in the small room.
"Big Brother hasn't eaten anything all afternoon."
She set the bag on her lap and pulled out container after container. Rice, still warm. Stir-fried greens. Braised meat.
And then, with visible pride, she lifted the final container.
Braised pork kidneys. The lid came off, and the rich, savory aroma filled the cramped observation room immediately.
"I got these especially for you, Big Brother." Lin Weiwei held up the container with both hands, beaming. "It's very nourishing. You've been working so hard."
Xiao Yue's head turned sharply.
Her eyes dropped to the kidney dish. Then back to Lin Weiwei's face.
Then, without a word, she reached down beside her own chair.
Another convenience store bag.
She set the bag on her lap and pulled out container after container, revealing rice—still warm from the store, steamed vegetables, and tofu in ginger sauce.
And a thermos of vegetable tonic soup, still hot enough that steam escaped when she unscrewed the lid.
"I brought food as well." Xiao Yue didn't look at Lin Weiwei. "It's better for you. No organ meat, and it's more nutritious."
Both women stared at each other's spread.
Neither had mentioned bringing food. Neither had coordinated. Neither had known.
They'd both just shown up with lunch for Lin Feng.
The silence stretched for three long seconds.
Lin Weiwei broke it first.
"Big Brother!" She loaded her chopsticks with a piece of kidney—perfectly braised, glistening with dark sauce—and thrust it toward his mouth. "Try this. It'll give you energy."
Her shoulder shifted, angling her body to cut off Xiao Yue's access.
Xiao Yue's spoon was already moving.
"Lin Feng." She extended a spoonful of vegetable tonic toward him from the other side. "Drink this first. It's better to start with something light."
Her elbow pressed against Lin Weiwei's arm, pushing it aside.
Lin Feng opened his mouth to speak.
The kidney hit his lips from the left.
The soup hit from the right.
He got both at once.
"See?" Lin Weiwei was already loading another piece. "He's eating the kidneys. He likes them."
"He's choking." Xiao Yue shoved the spoon closer. "Here, wash it down."
"He's not choking—"
"His face is turning red—"
"That's enjoyment—"
"That's oxygen deprivation—"
Lin Feng chewed as fast as he could. Kidney and vegetables mixing together in his mouth. The flavors clashing horribly.
He swallowed. Gasped.
"Maybe I could—"
Lin Weiwei's chopsticks appeared again. "One more bite, Big Brother. You need the protein."
Xiao Yue's spoon cut across. "No, eat the vegetables next. Too much protein causes inflammation."
"Inflammation? He's a healthy young man, not an elderly patient—"
"Healthy young men still have digestive systems—"
"His digestive system is FINE—"
Both utensils hit his mouth simultaneously.
Lin Feng choked.
He grabbed the edge of the desk, trying to steady himself. His eyes watered. His throat burned.
On the screen, Long Tian sat peacefully between Su Qingxue and Zhang Yuting. One woman fed him a bite. Then the other. Back and forth. No collision. No conflict. Both smiling.
In the observation room, Lin Feng was being assaulted from both directions at once. Food flying at him faster than he could swallow. Neither woman yielding. Neither woman waiting.
They're going to kill me.
"Please—" He managed between bites. "Can we—"
"Just one more!" Both women said it at the same time.
Two more portions hit his mouth.
He choked again.
Lin Weiwei glared at Xiao Yue over his head, chopsticks still extended.
"You know what, Xiao Yue?" Her voice had gone dangerously sweet. "That Long Tian on the screen is quite handsome. Golden hair. Nice smile. Very popular with the ladies."
She tilted her head.
"Why don't you go introduce yourself? I'm sure he'd love someone as… affectionate as you."
Xiao Yue's eyes narrowed to slits.
"What a thoughtful suggestion." Her voice could have frozen the soup solid. "But I think YOU should go first. Long Tian seems to prefer women who are... how should I put this... desperate for attention."
"Desperate?"
"If the shoe fits."
"I'M desperate? You're the one who brought SOUP—"
"At least my soup won't give him gout—"
"GOUT? He's eighteen years old—"
"Kidney consumption is directly linked to elevated uric acid levels—"
"Oh, NOW you're a nutritionist—"
Their voices overlapped, rising in volume, filling the cramped room with hostile noise.
And through it all, neither stopped feeding him.
Chopsticks jabbing. Spoon shoving. Insults flying. Food disappearing into Lin Feng's mouth whether he was ready or not.
Zhang Tingting pressed herself into the corner of the room, as far from the chaos as she could get.
This is insane.
She looked at the screen.
Su Qingxue fed Long Tian a macaron. Zhang Yuting waited, smiling, until it was her turn. Then she fed him a piece of cake. Both women giggled at something he said.
She looked at the room.
Lin Weiwei was trying to shove Lin Feng's face toward her kidney dish while simultaneously blocking Xiao Yue's spoon with her elbow. Xiao Yue was attempting to pour soup directly into his mouth while pushing Lin Weiwei's chopsticks away with her free hand.
Lin Feng looked at Zhang Tingting. His jaw was still moving mechanically. His eyes were red and watering, but his gaze locked onto hers—tears streaming down his face.
Save me.
Zhang Tingting looked away.
I'm sorry Lin Feng, I really can't help you...
But even as she looked away, the question surfaced again.
Lin Weiwei and Xiao Yue with Lin Feng—hostile, chaotic, fighting over every bite.
Su Qingxue and Zhang Yuting with Long Tian—harmonious, cooperative, taking perfect turns.
Which one is normal?
The question lodged in her chest like a splinter.
The screen looked peaceful. Harmonious. Pleasant.
The room looked like a warzone.
But watching the two women on the screen smile identical smiles and take perfect turns and giggle like old friends...
Zhang Tingting shivered.
The screen is the one that's wrong.
Lin Feng finally managed to swallow everything in his mouth. He held up both hands.
"Stop."
His voice was hoarse but firm.
Both women paused, utensils hovering in mid-air.
"I appreciate the food." He looked at Lin Weiwei. "The kidneys are delicious."
Lin Weiwei's expression softened slightly.
He turned to Xiao Yue. "And the soup is very good."
Xiao Yue's grip on her spoon loosened.
"But I need to focus on the screen right now." He lowered his hands slowly. "I'll eat both. Just... one at a time. And I'll feed myself."
He picked up his own chopsticks.
Took a piece of kidney from Lin Weiwei's container. Ate it.
Took a spoonful of vegetables from Xiao Yue's container. Ate it.
Kidney. Vegetables. Kidney. Vegetables.
Alternating between them. Creating balance. Imposing order on chaos.
Neither woman looked satisfied. But neither attacked him again.
Lin Weiwei settled back slightly, still glaring at Xiao Yue.
Xiao Yue maintained her position, still radiating cold hostility toward Lin Weiwei.
They weren't cooperating. They weren't taking turns. They weren't smiling at each other or complimenting each other's demands.
They were rivals. They hated each other. And they weren't hiding it.
On the screen, Su Qingxue and Zhang Yuting continued their perfect rotation. Feeding Long Tian. Smiling. Giggling. Waiting patiently.
In the observation room, Lin Weiwei and Xiao Yue continued their silent war. Glaring. Seething. Ready to attack the moment Lin Feng's guard dropped.
Zhang Tingting curled up in her chair and turned away from the screen.
Her eyes found Lin Feng.
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[Zhang Tingting] ★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (1-Star Heroine)
├─ Previous Affection: 40
└─ Current Affection: 37 (-3)
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[END OF CHAPTER 27]