502. Xiong Da’s Date
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“So, that girl is super cute!”
Lin Nan’s eyes widened as she gazed at the girl sitting across from Xiong Da, her head down, looking shy as a kitten.
The first floor of the cafeteria was mostly fast food joints, but the second floor had slightly fancier spots. The three of them pretended not to see Xiong Da and settled into the dining hall.
Lin Nan had been to that steak restaurant before, tucked away in the corner on the second floor, flanked by walls and glass windows. From their spot in the hall, they could see everything going on in that steak place.
Watching the couple digging into their steaks, Lin Nan couldn’t help but exclaim, “Girls really do look especially cute when they’re on the shorter side!”
Not that she minded being taller herself, of course.
Even though it was hard to see clearly from their position, she estimated the girl was only about five feet two, with a youthful face and a ponytail. She was dressed in what looked like a JK uniform, a short skirt, and a little chubby, giving her an irresistible baby face. If it weren’t for the obvious clues, Lin Nan might have mistaken her for a middle schooler.
“Definitely a two-dimensional girl! Normal girls don’t wear JK uniforms with twin ponytails. If you’re not cute enough, you just look like some country bumpkin,” she thought.
But oh, those curves? Truly majestic.
At that distance, it was hard to tell if her petite frame was making those curves seem larger than life—or if they were just that impressive.
“Tu Tu, stop staring right at them, you’re too noticeable!” Lin Nan pulled on Tu Junhui’s sleeve in annoyance. “Turn around; if they notice, it won’t be so easy to identify you.”
“Relax, if he sees me, he won’t say anything,” Tu Junhui’s eyes were glued to the glass window where Xiong Da sat, grumbling under his breath, “Dammit, beast! He could at least let us know before he went off to flirt with girls!”
“Look at him grinning! It’s lewd! Disgraceful!” His jealousy was practically making his chest explode as he grumbled more, “He usually acts like some cool, icy dude with us, but with girls, he can’t stop smiling!”
Well, duh! Who could crack a smile living with a brutish guy like you every day?
Lin Nan peeked over to get a better look at Xiong Da, and indeed, he was smiling like he was in a romance movie.
After living with him for a year and a half, Lin Nan had only seen that warm smile a couple of times—mostly when he was cleaning his action figure wife.
Looks like Xiong Da was falling in love.
Despite being out on a date, he didn’t forget to wear a hat to cover his baldness. The hat was a quirky straw hat, the same as Luffy’s! Given the girl’s anime-inspired outfit, the hat might even earn him some brownie points and a conversation starter.
Thinking about it, Xiong Da was quite the strategic genius.
With a smile stretching across her face, Lin Nan poked Chen Yao in the arm, and when he looked up, she teased, “What do you think of that girl? Big, huh?”
“Ah?” Chen Yao scratched the back of his head, confused, “Pretty big!”
“Like her?”
Chen Yao froze for a moment, then rapidly shook his head, “No way!”
He sounded so righteous, “I have no interest in other women!”
“Funny how someone seems to like staring at Lilith’s legs,” Lin Nan chuckled softly.
Chen Yao was definitely a leg man. Forget a girl like Lilith; even if a random girl on the street showed off her legs, he’d be sneaking glances.
“I was judging her with my critic’s gaze…” Chen Yao defended himself, clearly feeling guilty.
What’s wrong with a normal guy appreciating a nice pair of legs? Sure, he had a girlfriend, and staring at others wasn’t ideal, but try as he might, his eyes had a will of their own.
Lin Nan could totally relate to Chen Yao, but understanding didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed.
“Let’s go.” She stood up, feigning nonchalance, “We’ll have some steak too and check out that girl up close.”
“What about me?” Tu Junhui asked, wide-eyed.
She pointed towards the steak restaurant, saying, “Look at that place. Who goes there alone?”
Through the glass, it was pretty obvious that almost everyone inside was part of a couple.
Tu Junhui caught on to the trend, his brow furrowing as he pondered, “What if we go for a love triangle?”
“Get lost! You idiot!” Lin Nan and Chen Yao yelled in unison, kicking him.
Maybe after living with Lin Nan for so long, he had picked up her habit of kicking people.
Back in the day, he would have just yelled at him and punched Tu Junhui in the shoulder instead.
Leaving that goofball behind, Lin Nan and Chen Yao marched shoulder-to-shoulder towards the steak restaurant.
Lin Nan recalled coming here with Chen Yao last year; though they were just friends back then, thinking deeper, it could’ve been seen as a date too.
After all, they had shared a kiss as a “magic unlock,” and given how feminine Lin Nan’s appearance was now, who knew what kind of feelings Chen Yao had back then?
They waltzed right into the place, causing Xiong Da to freeze mid-steak, looking incredulously at Lin Nan and Chen Yao.
“Oh, look who’s here, Xiong Da!” Lin Nan feigned surprise as if she had just noticed him, turning to the girl opposite him. “So you’re… on a date?”
“No way, just treating someone to a meal,” Xiong Da quickly denied, looking flustered as if he’d been caught red-handed.
His frantic denial made it clear that, yes, this was indeed a date.
Lin Nan leaned in closer with a grin, studying the girl while joking, “I’m Xiong Da’s girlfriend; who are you?”
“Girlfriend?” the short, busty girl looked utterly bewildered.
“Don’t listen to her nonsense!” Xiong Da was panicking.
Usually the ice prince, Xiong Da’s expression was displayed in full color today, and it thrilled Lin Nan, who chuckled again, “We’ve just been living together for a year and a half.”
“Eh?” The girl’s eyes were bulging in surprise.
Chen Yao finally couldn’t take it anymore and yanked Lin Nan aside, pushing her into an empty corner with a hint of apology, “Don’t mind her; she’s just messing with you.”
“Who is she, anyway?” The girl looked completely lost, staring at Xiong Da.
“Just a… silly classmate, we’re pretty good friends,” Xiong Da sighed heavily, “She wasn’t this ridiculous before; her boyfriend must have infected her witless.”
Chen Yao was about to sit down when he took offense at that remark.
What does he mean, “infected her witless”?
He, of all people, was such a straightforward and friendly guy, where was the silliness? It was clearly Lin Nan who had picked this up all on her own, or maybe it was the mischievous influence of Li Na rubbing off on her!
He shot an annoyed glare at Xiong Da, who didn’t respond, so Chen Yao suddenly yanked off Xiong Da’s hat.
The cap flew off his head, and Xiong Da immediately felt a breeze at the top of his head. He quickly jumped up, worried the girl might catch a glimpse of his thinning hair, looking furious as he shouted at Chen Yao, “Hey! Bring my hat back! I’ll treat you to crawfish tonight!”
“Now we’re talking.” Chen Yao plopped the hat back onto Xiong Da’s head, slightly confused, “But why wear a green hat on a date?”
“She likes Luffy,” Xiong Da murmured, his face turning pink as he explained quietly, sitting back down again.
What kind of girl had a thing for the art style of One Piece?
Honestly, if Chen Yao hadn’t been heavily persuaded at first, he might not have ever become interested in One Piece either. Just like Lin Nan, that unique style could totally turn anyone off.
