Jiang Xiaosi rushed into the library and, as expected, found Zhang Qi staring blankly out the window.
She pounced on him like a cat, startling him.
“Sorry, I’m late! Let’s go eat outside!”
Zhang Qi followed Jiang Xiaosi to a bench by the lake. The view was beautiful, but the cold wind gave him goosebumps. When he opened the bento box and saw the slightly burnt, blackened egg, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Bracing himself, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. His face turned yellow, then red, then green—like a traffic light. Forcing it down felt like a near-death experience.
Jiang Xiaosi, sensing something was wrong, quickly noticed the situation. She had tasted the food herself and thought it was okay, even better than last time when she’d added too much MSG. Professor Shen had said it was fine too…
She snatched the bento box from Zhang Qi. “I just microwaved it in the cafeteria, and it’s already cold again. It doesn’t taste good anymore. Let’s go have hotpot instead!”
Zhang Qi eagerly nodded, and they went to the hotpot restaurant on campus. Coincidentally, some of Zhang Qi’s classmates were there and invited them to join.
“Zhang Qi, is that your sister? Come over and eat with us! The dry pot beef here is great!”
Jiang Xiaosi greeted them warmly. “I’m Zhang Qi’s girlfriend. I’m from the Archaeology Department. My name is Jiang Xiaosi.”
Zhang Qi kept his head down, blushing so much that he could barely speak.
Everyone was stunned.
“So you’re the genius middle schooler who skipped grades to get into T University? Zhang Qi, you lucky guy, getting such a cute girlfriend and not even telling us!”
Jiang Xiaosi smiled and nodded repeatedly.
“I’ve got to go; you guys enjoy.” A girl with an unusually large frame stood up, grabbed her bag, and left without looking back. Zhang Qi’s face turned pale as a sheet.
Throughout the meal, Zhang Qi hardly spoke, while Jiang Xiaosi chatted happily with the others.
On the way back, their conversation was sparse, mostly consisting of Jiang Xiaosi asking questions and Zhang Qi giving brief answers. However, when the topic turned to his major, Zhang Qi finally opened up, talking extensively about molecular and cellular biology. Jiang Xiaosi listened with a dazed expression, her jaw nearly dropping.
Back at home, Jiang Xiaosi puzzled over a recipe book. She had measured every ingredient carefully this time, so where did she go wrong?
“Xiaosi, how was your first date?” Jiang Liu asked.
Jiang Xiaosi shook her head. “We just had lunch together.”
Jiang Liu glanced at the recipe book in her hand. “You didn’t cook it yourself, did you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Did you find a second person who can actually eat your cooking?”
Jiang Xiaosi closed the recipe book and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that, Dad?”
Jiang Liu laughed. “I can’t believe there’s someone else in the world besides me who can eat your cooking. Don’t you realize how bad you are at it?”
Jiang Xiaosi grabbed a cushion and threw it at Jiang Liu. “That’s not true! The professor said my cooking was delicious!”
“Delicious?”
“He ate everything!”
Jiang Liu frowned in deep thought, looking surprised. “So there really is a second person…”
Jiang Xiaosi felt deflated and pouted. “Is it really that bad?”
“It’s not bad, just… strange. Don’t you taste it yourself?”
Jiang Xiaosi shook her head, looking pitifully at Jiang Liu. “Do you think I scared him off?”
“Probably not. Why don’t you invite him over for dinner tomorrow? I’ll cook and help you make a good impression. I’d also like to meet him.” Jiang Liu patted her head.
“That’s a good idea! I’ll tell him tomorrow.”
The next day, Zhang Qi was clearly shocked by Jiang Xiaosi’s suggestion. They had only been dating for a day, barely knew each other, and she was already asking him to meet her parents? He was terrified but couldn’t refuse, so he reluctantly followed her home. When they entered 脱骨香, Zhang Qi was once again overwhelmed by the sight of the adult toys displayed in the shop window.
What kind of family did his little girlfriend come from?
“Li Yueyi! What are you doing here?” Jiang Xiaosi asked, surprised to see a pink figure behind the counter, boredly counting money.
“You mentioned on the phone that you were inviting your boyfriend over for dinner. You made him sound so handsome that I had to see for myself. I couldn’t visit you at school during the day, but since you brought him home, I had to come over.” Li Yueyi craned her neck to get a better look at the tall, shy boy standing behind Jiang Xiaosi, his head down so she couldn’t see his face.
Jiang Liu came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron and waving a spatula in one hand.
“Welcome back. Hello, Zhang Qi, I’m Xiaosi’s father.”
Zhang Qi finally looked up and timidly said, “Hello, Uncle.”
Both Jiang Liu and Li Yueyi seemed to be struck by lightning, stepping back in disbelief as they looked at Jiang Xiaosi, who seemed completely unaware as she led Zhang Qi to the back room.
“Sit here for a bit. I’ll make you some milk tea.”
Jiang Liu and Li Yueyi squeezed into the kitchen together. Li Yueyi stammered, “Xiaosi… is this the super-handsome guy you were talking about?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Even if we have different tastes, isn’t the first requirement of being handsome having a well-proportioned face?”
Jiang Xiaosi shrugged. “Are you talking about his teeth?”
Li Yueyi nodded vigorously. Not only did he have a pronounced overbite, but also tetracycline-stained teeth. It was a tragic sight.
“I think he’s handsome! Don’t focus on his teeth. Look at his deep, soulful eyes! Look at his perfectly shaped nose! Smell his scent—it’s so alluring! And his demeanor, his grace—it’s just amazing!”
Li Yueyi was speechless. The nose and eyes were one thing, but what was with the scent?
“But… won’t you feel awkward when you… um… kiss him?”
Jiang Xiaosi seriously pondered the question. “Kissing? I don’t know yet. I’ll try it next time and let you know.”
Jiang Liu, standing nearby, couldn’t stop laughing. His daughter was clearly attracted to Zhang Qi’s RH blood scent and the purity of his soul, mistaking it for romantic feelings. Did she actually plan to eat him someday?
Zhang Qi felt extremely uncomfortable, but to his surprise, the dinner went smoothly. He had assumed that Uncle Jiang had invited him over to scold him for dating his underage daughter and had mentally prepared for it. However, the atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and harmonious. Jiang Xiaosi and Li Yueyi joked and laughed, Jiang Liu was considerate and kind, and they didn’t treat him like an outsider at all. And Jiang Liu’s cooking was superb—Zhang Qi had never tasted anything so delicious. As he gradually became more comfortable, he opened up, and his understanding of Jiang Xiaosi deepened. She really was an adorable little sister. What had he done to deserve such a wonderful girlfriend dropped into his lap by Santa Claus?
After Jiang Liu drove Zhang Qi and Li Yueyi home, he returned to find Jiang Xiaosi sitting in front of the computer, a smile on her face that was both mischievous and eerie.
“What are you up to?”
“Hehe, Dad, look at this. I secretly took pictures of the professor during class.” Jiang Xiaosi said, showing him the screen.
Jiang Liu glanced at it and saw hundreds of photos of Shen Mo, capturing all his different expressions and movements. However, not a single one featured him smiling, which made Jiang Liu feel a twinge of concern.
“Has Shen Mo been giving you a hard time? Are your studies tough? Are you keeping up?”
“Of course! The professor treats me really well. Dad, what do you think of Zhang Qi?”
“He’s quite good, although he’s a bit timid and lacks confidence, he’s a gentle and kind person.”
“I think so too. The first time I noticed him was when two girls were arguing over a seat in the library’s study room, each claiming they got there first. He just quietly stood up and gave them his seat, then borrowed a small stool from the janitor and sat in the corner to read. He’s always alone, and sometimes he goes to the lake to feed the koi fish. I even saw him talking to the fish once. In some ways, he reminds me of you, Dad.”
“Reminds you of me? Do I talk to fish?” Jiang Liu asked, amused.
“Haha, no, I mean you both have that gentle and quiet temperament, and you’re both soft-hearted, not used to refusing others.”
Jiang Liu was about to say something but paused, thinking for a moment. “Then you should give it a try and see how it goes with him.”
The snow had melted, and the sun was shining as Jiang Xiaosi and Zhang Qi took a walk after lunch. Seeing the couples around them holding each other closely, Jiang Xiaosi reached out and linked her arm with Zhang Qi’s. Both of them felt a little shy, looking down at the ground as they walked.
They hadn’t gone far when a cold voice suddenly called out.
“Jiang Xiaosi.”
Jiang Xiaosi looked up and saw Shen Mo. She greeted him with a smile, “Professor!”
“Who is this?” Shen Mo asked, his face dark, as if he was displeased to see them holding hands on campus.
“This is Zhang Qi, my new boyfriend! Thanks to what you said the other day, I didn’t give up.” Jiang Xiaosi explained cheerfully.
Shen Mo’s face twitched with irritation. So it was his fault after all—he had unintentionally encouraged an underage student to start dating! And the one who made Jiang Xiaosi wait for five hours in the snow on Christmas Eve turned out to be this guy. Her taste was indeed different from others.
With a cold snort, he turned to leave, but then remembered the situation with Ye Miao. He turned back to Zhang Qi and said, “Just remember, Jiang Xiaosi is still a minor.”
Zhang Qi was confused for a moment, not quite understanding the significance of Shen Mo’s words, but he nodded repeatedly, wiping cold sweat from his brow. The infamous “cold professor” lived up to his reputation—this first close encounter was nerve-wracking.
Jiang Xiaosi watched Shen Mo’s retreating figure with a puzzled expression. She suddenly tilted her head and asked, “Zhang Qi, do you care a lot about what others think?”
“Not particularly. Why do you ask?”
“Because when you walk with me, you seem too shy to lift your head. Is it because I’m too young, and you’re afraid of what people might say?”
“No, no, it’s just that I feel like I’m not good enough for you.”
“Not good enough? If it’s because of your teeth… Oh, I have a business card here. Go to this person, and they’ll give you new teeth for free. Just say I sent you, and I’ll get a 60% discount in the future.”
“No need, Xiaosi. I’m terrified of doctors, especially dentists.”
“Don’t be afraid; it doesn’t hurt at all, and it’s really quick. You’ll have a brand-new smile in no time. I love eating sweets, and every time I mess up my teeth, I go to him.”
Zhang Qi was taken aback. How many years had it been? How many sets of teeth had she replaced?
“Brother Jiang!”
Jiang Liu had just come out of the hospital’s surgery room when he heard someone call him from behind. Turning around, he saw a high school-aged boy with a pale face, clutching his right shoulder, with a bit of blood seeping through. Jiang Liu was momentarily stunned.
“I’m Shen Koudan.”
“What happened? Are you hurt?” Jiang Liu quickly approached to check on her injuries.
“I caught that ghost infant from last time. I’m sorry for the trouble it caused you.” Shen Koudan handed him an embroidered pouch covered in talismanic symbols.
“Did the ghost infant do this?” Jiang Liu felt a spark of anger. He knew he shouldn’t have shown it mercy. How dare it harm someone again!
“No, the ghost infant is tricky to track, which is why it took so long to capture it. It wasn’t powerful enough to hurt me. This injury… it’s about the Purple Seal Emblem. I’ll explain everything when we get back.”
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