Chapter 138: Did the Population Decline Because There Were Too Many People?

Jiang Zhiyao followed Su Muzhi off, but Jiang Linyuan wasn't particularly worried.

Haji Yao was his own sister; no matter how bad Xiao Su was, she couldn't really do anything to her. At worst, she'd just bully her with words.

It was for the best too, letting her learn to be a bit smarter in the future.

Just think of Xiao Su as an experience pack! But then there was this headache with the Thief Saint.

Jiang Linyuan had originally planned for the three of them to go to Hongshan Zoo.

But Haji Yao had run off, leaving just him and the Thief Saint. With just the two of them, they might as well just stroll around the commercial street.

Better head back early, avoid getting dragged into a ranked duo session by the Thief Saint tonight.

Maybe it was because Christmas was approaching, but the atmosphere on the streets was getting stronger and stronger, with light decorations even wrapped around the tree trunks.

There weren't many people on the road, and occasionally you'd spot a family of three out playing with their kids.

Yu Songsong watched a little girl run past her and spoke casually.

"Hmm, me? I was wondering if the population declined because there were too many people?"

Jiang Linyuan said.

Population decline because there were too many people?

What did that mean?

People... "ren kou" (population) - "ren" (people) and "kou" (mouths)?

Oh!

Yu Songsong figured it out, her face flushing slightly as she dared not look at Jiang Linyuan.

Was Senior hinting at something to me?

Jiang Linyuan and Yu Songsong walked along the street. When they got tired of walking, they went into a trendy dessert shop.

The atmosphere in the shop was lively, mostly filled with young men and women.

The two found an empty seat and sat down.

"What do you want to eat?"

Jiang Linyuan looked at the menu, ordered a slice of cherry cake, and asked.

"You can order for me, Senior! I'm fine with anything!"

Yu Songsong looked at Jiang Linyuan and said with a smile.

Jiang Linyuan glanced up at her.

"Order what you want to eat yourself. We'll each pay for our own."

"It's fine. You order for me, and I can pay for your bill too."

Yu Songsong said nonchalantly.

"Junior Songsong, I think you need to understand one thing. To love someone, you have to learn to love yourself."

Jiang Linyuan put down the menu he was holding and slid it over to her.

"Constantly pandering and lowering yourself just makes you seem pitiful. You clearly have your own charm, so why pretend to be someone you're not?"

Yu Songsong was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"That's a really unfair thing to say, Senior. For a female Lick Dog, that's practically the greatest form of respect."

"It doesn't matter if I respect you. You need to respect yourself."

Jiang Linyuan said.

"Yeah, but... if I do that, won't you hate me, Senior?"

Yu Songsong ordered a honey cake and a bottle of orange juice.

So expensive. Trendy shop prices were insane!

"Saying hate... this desperate, clingy act of yours is even harder to like."

"How pathetic. Am I experiencing heartbreak now?"

"How can you be heartbroken when it never even started? This is clearly just you deluding yourself!"

"Hehe."

Yu Songsong laughed, showing no shame at being called out.

As they talked, the desserts were brought over.

Yu Songsong took a sip of her orange juice and said, "Senior, teach me, will you? How do I pursue you?"

"I don't know."

Jiang Linyuan picked up his fork, stabbed a piece of cake, and put it in his mouth.

"As for 'moving someone' or whatever, I have no experience in that."

"That's fine."

Yu Songsong smiled, reached out her fair hand, plucked the cherry from the half-eaten cake in front of Jiang Linyuan, and gently shook it.

"These are things we can figure out slowly, right? Senior, you can be pretty dense sometimes."

Under the ceiling light, the cherry gleamed with a glossy, red sheen.

Jiang Linyuan looked at her, wanting to say that he had been saving that cherry for last.

"Why did you steal the cherry off my cake?"

"This is something I've been learning recently. Casually sharing food with a boy can make his heart flutter."

Yu Songsong said with a serious face, then popped the cherry into her mouth.

"But that was something I wanted to eat!"

Jiang Linyuan picked up his fork, speared a small piece of the honey cake in front of Yu Songsong, and put it in his mouth.

"Is that so?"

Yu Songsong thought for a moment, then leaned forward slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Well, you can taste it now too."

The moment she finished speaking, a fragrant breeze and a pretty face were suddenly right in front of Jiang Linyuan's eyes.

Clear pupils reflected each other's cheeks.

Then, his thoughts gradually converged on the bright lip gloss of the girl in front of him.

She kissed him, passionately, recklessly.

Like a moth diving into a flame.

The girl's mouth held the sweetness of the honey cake, the sourness of the orange juice, and a hint of bitterness.

A wave of warmth spread from her lips, followed by a tingling sensation that shot from his toes straight to his forehead.

Not enough. I want more.

Yu Songsong thought, pressing in closer.

Jiang Linyuan only felt a sharp sting on his tongue and reached out to push her away.

The girl was a bit out of breath, her face flushed, and she was grinning happily.

"This is something else I just learned. Kissing can make a boy's heart flutter even more."

She spoke with excitement, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"I'm involved with a lot of girls, you know. Even the dumbest girl wouldn't do something like this."

"I'm not dumb. And I don't care."

"Is that so? Then you're just unbelievably stupid. Even the dumbest butterfly wouldn't fly straight into a spider's web, would it?"

"Butterflies wouldn't, but moths will dive straight into a dangerous flame."

Yu Songsong sat back down, saying it with indifference.

"Is that so."

Jiang Linyuan nodded, but just sighed.

"Senior, do you think of me as a low-rent version of Su Muzhi?"

Yu Songsong asked.

"I used to think that way. But now, you're completely unique. You're just you, the way you are now."

"Hehe, I don't have an expensive sports car to give you a ride, Senior, nor can I invite you to any fancy parties. So, flattering me won't get you anything, you know."

"Is that really so? I thought I'd already gotten the most precious thing."

Jiang Linyuan said with a smile, staring at Yu Songsong.

Yu Songsong didn't look away. She met his gaze seriously.

"Senior, will you come to hate me?"

"Probably not right now."

"Does that mean you will in the future?"

"That's not a question I can answer alone."

Hateful. So hateful.

Why do you have to leave me even a sliver of hope?

I'm a woman who will inflate the tiniest spark of hope into an overwhelming desire.

"Senior, don't regret this."

"Junior, you're the one who shouldn't regret this."

"Senior, from now on, I probably won't come and bother you every day like this. I'm going to study hard and become a great doctor."

"Yeah, that's good. I support you."

"Aren't you going to ask why?"

"A flower wants to bloom for itself just once. Does it need a reason?"

"Senior... this makes it so hard for me to stick to not contacting you! Day one of breaking my vow!"

"Keep it up, Dr. Yu. Your life is just beginning."

"That's not quite right. Actually, it's the beginning of *our* lives."

"Cringe Woman! You're paying the bill this time!"

Yu Songsong laughed, turned her head to look out the window, and saw a grown-up passing by holding a child's hand, their face full of smiles.

The shop was playing "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells" – a very warm Christmas song.

"Junior, let's play a game."

Suddenly, Jiang Linyuan said this.

"What game?"

"I'll confess my feelings to you, and you reject me. How about that?"

"...No way."

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