Chapter 128: Are You Two Dating?

"Xinhua! Where have you been these past few days? Tell me! Could it be, just as Teacher Yuan suspected, that you are dating Luo Chen?"

After successfully ambushing Dai Xinhua, Zhao Qianqian wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her face against Xinhua’s back repeatedly before burying her nose into the crook of her neck and taking a deep, intoxicated breath.

"Stop... stop talking nonsense!"

Feeling Zhao Qianqian’s increasingly brazen behavior, Dai Xinhua pushed away the little head that was pressing too close, her expression uneasy.

"Eh? Is that not it? You disappear every day as soon as school ends. Heh, it must be true. Could it be that you fell in love with him while you were drawing your doujinshi?"

Zhao Qianqian had no intention of letting Xinhua off the hook so easily. She teased her with even greater fervor; there had to be something scandalous going on, otherwise, why would her best friend heartlessly cast her aside and vanish for days on end?

"Believe whatever you want!"

Embarrassed and annoyed, Dai Xinhua ignored the gossiping Zhao Qianqian and turned to leave.

"Wait... good Xinhua, I was wrong."

Zhao Qianqian grabbed hold of the departing Xinhua, putting on a pitiful act of apology. Xinhua was becoming increasingly unable to take a joke; could there really be something going on?

"If you do that again, don't come looking for me anymore." Helplessly watching Zhao Qianqian’s pathetic display, Dai Xinhua had no choice but to stay.

"Heehee... there’s a fan meeting for the great Moe God tonight. Will you come with me, please? I hear the great Moe God is super, super handsome!" Zhao Qianqian grasped Xinhua’s arm, shaking it incessantly as she pleaded with an expectant look. She had waited a long time for this opportunity.

"Moe God?" Dai Xinhua looked at Zhao Qianqian with a puzzled expression.

"Huh? Xinhua, you don't even know the Moe God? It’s the great Hong Tian! He’s the king of parody videos on the Star Dust platform. You do know the Star Dust platform, right? Don't tell me you haven't heard of a single big-name creator on there?"

Zhao Qianqian looked at her as if she had just emerged from the wilderness. While she knew her friend didn't pay much attention to such things, surely she shouldn't be ignorant of someone as famous as the great Hong Tian.

Seeing Zhao Qianqian’s look of utter disbelief, Dai Xinhua retorted indignantly, "Of course I know the Star Dust platform. As for the big-name creators... I know Pure Angel."

"Little Angel? Xinhua, you’re a fan of Little Angel too? I thought you didn't pay attention to any of that. So you like that type, huh? That’s fine, I’m a fan of Little Angel too! I never expected you to keep that secret from me for so long."

Zhao Qianqian didn't notice that Xinhua had said she "knows" him, remaining ecstatic at having unearthed a little secret about her friend. Although she was a fan of Ruan Hongyi, she followed more than one content creator. Ever since she saw how cool Luo Chen looked while live-streaming *Assassin's Creed*, she had firmly become one of his die-hard fans.

She would never pass up a creator who was handsome, talented, and humorous, and she had long since collected all of Luo Chen's works.

"I suppose so," Dai Xinhua replied, nodding as Zhao Qianqian clung to her again.

"Then I’ll go with you next time there’s a Little Angel fan meeting, but this time, you have to come with me." Zhao Qianqian gazed at Xinhua with wide, pleading eyes, terrified she might say no.

"This... alright." Faced with her best friend’s repeated begging, Dai Xinhua found it hard to refuse.

"That’s settled then!" Zhao Qianqian gave her a fierce hug, but then, as if remembering something, she stuck out her tongue. Looking at Xinhua with a flattering expression, she pushed her luck: "So, Xinhua, you haven't updated your doujinshi in days. Could you give me one?"

"Hmph, don't even think about it!"

"Do you have any idea that it was you who caused me to be caught red-handed by Luo Chen? We agreed you wouldn't leak the work, and yet look what happened!" Dai Xinhua glared at her. Hearing Zhao Qianqian bring up the subject caused her good mood to vanish; after some investigation, she knew the leak was nine times out of ten related to Zhao Qianqian.

"Caught red-handed? No way! Xinhua, aren't you still here and perfectly fine?" Zhao Qianqian waved her hands awkwardly. It was true that what she did wasn't very honorable, but it was those untrustworthy jerks who caused the problem. If she ever found out which one of them leaked the news, they would be dead.

"What do you mean 'perfectly fine'? Do you have any idea that I've already..." Dai Xinhua was so angry she nearly blurted everything out, but she stopped herself, remembering that mentioning she had been staying at Luo Chen's house to draw would only cause further misunderstandings.

"Already what?" Zhao Qianqian asked suspiciously. If someone was caught by the subject of their doujinshi, wouldn't they be in huge trouble? Then, as if realizing something, she asked in horror: "Xinhua, you haven't been... by Luo Chen?"

Zhao Qianqian looked at her in despair. No wonder Xinhua had been gazing so deeply at Luo Chen during class. Could it be that they had already...?

"What are you thinking, Qianqian!" Dai Xinhua tapped her on the forehead, her face turning crimson. She understood the implication behind Zhao Qianqian’s words all too well, and it was precisely that which made her so angry.

"Hehe... I figured that was impossible. But wouldn't that guy use it to threaten you, hoping to date you?"

Zhao Qianqian knew Xinhua wasn't that kind of person; she had only said it in a moment of excitement. But her gossiping heart was burning brightly—there had to be something she didn't know.

Dai Xinhua looked at the gossiping Zhao Qianqian, lunged forward, and gave her a good thrashing, hissing:

"Mind your own business!"

...

Inside the school gates, Yue Zhenglin walked slowly along the campus path. At her usual pace, she would have already left the school. She wasn't entirely sure why she had deliberately slowed her pace today, just as she wasn't sure why she had proactively stood up for Luo Chen earlier.

She thought of the way Luo Chen had so effortlessly mocked Yuan Kuozhong. Could it be that she had overstepped her bounds again? It seemed Luo Chen hadn't needed any help at all.

Was this just her being self-important?

She had only wanted to help...

Right, it was just to repay the favor for the trouble she had caused him a few times before.

Nothing more than that.

With that thought, she picked up her pace slightly. If he wasn't there to meet her, then so be it.

After all, it didn't count as helping, so there was no need for thanks...

Wasn't that right?