Chapter 134: Dialogue in the Style of Cheng Li

"Hahahaha, you’ve got to be kidding me! He’s really something else!" Back at the dorm, I started venting to Jiang Xiaohan, and she nearly spat out the cola she had just taken a sip of.

"Even though everyone is against the 'involution' culture and overtime work these days... there really aren't many people who would dare to leave early like that, especially when their work isn't even finished. But then again, he’s got family wealth to fall back on; we can't really compare..."

Jiang Xiaohan commented on Zhao Mian's behavior while tucking into the fried chicken that had just arrived. Seeing Lin Luyou sitting cross-legged, hugging a throw pillow, she hurriedly beckoned.

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and eat while it's hot! I didn't eat well or sleep enough during that week-long business trip; honestly, everything was just uncomfortable. By the second day I was there, I started missing the taste of this fried chicken from right next to our school."

"Even if you were craving it... you didn't have to order three whole chickens, did you?" Lin Luyou couldn't help but tease, looking at the takeout covering the entire table.

"That's why I have you! Besides, the shop had a promotion today—buy two, get one free." As she said this, Jiang Xiaohan couldn't help but look satisfied, as if she had gotten the better of the shopkeeper. "Hey, what’s that look for! The ones I picked are great; they aren't huge, but they’re meaty and perfectly sized!"

Lin Luyou knew it. The reason Jiang Xiaohan had been so frantic about telling her to get back to the dorm before she finished work definitely had a "hidden motive." Smelling the room full of fried chicken the moment she walked in, she realized immediately:

Jiang Xiaohan had been eyeing her stomach.

"So, what happened to the work he didn't finish? Surely you guys didn't end up doing it for him?"

"He went to that meeting with our team lead, so the job of cleaning up his mess... naturally fell on our team lead."

No sooner had Lin Luyou finished speaking than Jiang Xiaohan threw a pillow at her.

"Lin Luyou, you did that on purpose! You’re talking about that while I’m trying to gnaw on a chicken leg! You’re just awful!"

Both of them had greasy hands, so a pillow fight was out of the question. They had to settle for an "extra-judicial settlement."

"But don't just talk about others... what about you? It feels like your company has so many interesting things happening every day."

Comparing her own work environment to Lin Luyou’s—with its constant supply of afternoon tea—to her own life, where she spent her days with data and her nights poring over reports and industry trends, Jiang Xiaohan admitted she was a little envious.

"Don't even go there!" Lin Luyou shook her head. "I haven't had it easy these past two days."

Under the gaze of her best friend, whose love for gossip outweighed her concern, Lin Luyou recounted the entire saga of how she and Cheng Li had crossed paths.

"Are you stupid? You couldn't smell the green tea reeking off her?"

After hearing the story, Jiang Xiaohan looked at her with a mix of exasperation and pity.

"Never mind the little stunts she pulled before. Now that you know exactly what kind of person she is, why did you give her an opening? I guarantee you, if you had been there this afternoon, do you think she would have dared to say you weren't suitable for the project team to your face? She wouldn't have dared!"

"That's not necessarily true," Lin Luyou disagreed. "Let me show you."

She gathered her emotions, stepping into character:

"Sister Xiaohan, this project must be in a real rush, right? My SQL is getting pretty good now, why don't you let me join too? After all, having one more person who knows the tech will definitely speed things up."

"Oh? You only need three people? ...Then I should leave the opportunity for Luyou. Her programming foundation is a bit weak, so it would be perfect for her to get some practice. I believe that after this project, her skills will improve by several levels."

Before Lin Luyou could finish her impression, Jiang Xiaohan made a gagging sound.

"Stop it, please. That affected, pretentious tone—I feel like I’m going to throw up my dinner from last night. Don't you feel nauseated having to deal with someone like that every day?"