Chapter 14, exclusively released...

One more person joined the group going to the Chinese restaurant for dinner that evening. Jiang Yalin wasn't surprised; after all, she was the second female lead and needed to spend a lot of time with the male lead.

However, the second female lead's frequent glances at her were quite annoying to Jiang Yalin.

Please, she's not her rival in love. There's no need to create another imaginary enemy for yourself, because she'll have many, many more rivals in the future. She really doesn't need to add another one.

Even though she was unhappy inside, she didn't say much. She was very tolerant of girls, especially pretty ones who didn't mean her any harm. Even if the other girl was a love-obsessed person that she looked down on, she could still tolerate the suspicious look she occasionally gave her because of the constant stream of gossip she received from the other girl.

Moreover, Jiang Yalin is currently in a state of excitement because soon the male lead will meet the third female lead, the second female lead will meet the third female lead, and the male lead will meet the second and third female leads together in a famous scene. Just thinking about it makes her a little excited.

"Wow, there really is a Chinese restaurant here! How come I've never seen it when I pass by here every day?"

Li Yanzhen curiously looked around the Chinese restaurant. Because she was Japanese in her previous life, she actually preferred Japanese food to Chinese food. However, she was with others this time, so she was embarrassed to object when they had already decided to eat Chinese food.

"Welcome..."

Hearing the noise at the door, Fang Zhixia came out from the kitchen, greeted them politely with a smile, and then his gaze was fixed on Quan Zhilong, who still stood out from the crowd.

Jiang Yalin:..?

It's not that you're praising him, but why do you have to call them chickens? It's one thing to talk about them, but she's so beautiful, how could she be a chicken to highlight the crane?

If she had known that coming with this guy would lead to her being looked down upon, she would have...

"Boss, I've brought some people over for dinner."

Fang Zhixia finally turned her attention to Jiang Yalin. Although she was a little puzzled as to why Jiang Yalin knew Quan Zhilong and was able to come and eat with them, she was grateful to her at the moment. If it weren't for the person in front of her, Quan Zhilong might not have patronized her small shop for a long time.

[She's beautiful inside and out, thank you so much, sob sob... I've been here so long, and I'm finally seeing Ji-ryong oppa! If I'd known he was coming tonight, I would have dressed up nicely. I wonder if I look a mess like this. Fang Zhixia touched her apron uncomfortably, especially with two beautiful women around, making her feel self-conscious about the smell of cooking oil on her.]

Hearing herself being praised in the plot for the first time, Jiang Yalin was extremely satisfied. She decided that she would ship the male lead and the third female lead, and no one could stop her.

After all, what bad intentions could a girl who cooks so well have? She just wants to be Kwon Ji-yong's personal cook. As his staff member, I'm sure I'll get some perks too.

The moment Li Yanzhen saw Fang Zhixia, alarm bells went off. She was all too familiar with the way Fang Zhixia looked at Quan Zhilong; it was no different from how she looked at him.

[Another one? Although she knew Kwon Ji-yong was very charming, Lee Yeon-jin was getting annoyed by the endless stream of beautiful women around him. Kwon Ji-yong wasn't as charming back then, and his style wasn't as fashionable as it would be later, so why were there so many women around him now? Lee Yeon-jin was anxious. She wasn't sure how competitive she was, but she was unwilling to give up, especially since her strongest rival, Kim Jin-ah, was currently unbeatable.]

This is Lee Yeon-jin's inner monologue at this moment, while Kwon Ji-yong is also not quiet. It's fortunate that he reads it in segments, otherwise her brain would definitely explode if he read it all at once.

Kwon Ji-yong was somewhat surprised by the young and beautiful owner of the Chinese restaurant, but that was all. He wondered if all the beautiful women he'd seen lately had improved his composure in front of them, preventing him from staring blankly. He was, however, a little curious whether her cooking skills matched her beauty.

Kwon Ji-yong's reaction disappointed Kang Ya-rin, since she was ready to support this couple, but his reaction was completely unexpected.

We found a large round table and sat down. Everyone had a menu in their hand. Because it was a Korean menu with pictures, it was easy to understand at a glance.

Because she had stir-fried pork with chili peppers for lunch, Jiang Yalin didn't plan to eat it again tonight. She first ordered a single serving of sweet and sour pork ribs, which was not much, only about a dozen pieces. Then she ordered a small portion of hot and sour shredded potatoes, a balanced meal with meat and vegetables. Finally, she finished her meal with a small portion of sweet fermented rice balls.

After Jiang Yalin quickly ordered the food, she looked up and saw everyone's conflicted expressions. She understood perfectly, because she had also been conflicted at noon that day.

However, they didn't hesitate for long and quickly ordered the dishes they wanted. When the dishes were served, a small incident occurred. Fang Zhixia filled Quan Zhilong's plate to the brim, enough for two people, and even gave him extra sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine, which he hadn't ordered.

Looking at the sweet fermented rice balls that looked like a single serving but were actually for two, and much more than her own serving, Jiang Yalin was speechless. Oh well, what can she do when the boss gave her a cup of hawthorn water to aid digestion at noon?

She should have some tolerance for the couples she ships; she should just treat this behavior as a form of "sweetness."

Jiang Yalin remained calm, but Li Yanzhen, sitting next to her, could not.

[This woman definitely has a crush on Oppa, right?! The moment Fang Zhixia brought the dishes over, Li Yanzhen immediately realized that the other woman was her love rival. At that moment, she felt very uncomfortable, but unfortunately, she had no grounds to be angry. Although the owner's food was really delicious, she wouldn't give her any kind of attitude just because the food was good....]

Jiang Yalin took a bite of pork rib and squinted happily, but her mind was filled with Li Yanzhen's resentment. She turned her head and glanced at Quan Zhilong, who was also eating with his head down and not looking up. He was obviously being fed like a pig by Fang Zhixia.

[It's really delicious! The assistant wasn't lying! Great, I'll definitely come back to this place often!!!]

Jiang Yalin felt a smile creeping onto her face after recommending a restaurant that received positive reviews. Besides, coming here often meant she would see Fang Zhixia more often, and they would gradually become familiar with each other.

Perhaps only Li Yanzhen was unhappy about this meal. Had everyone else almost finished eating while she still had half a bowl left?

"Is it not to your liking, Lee Yeon-jin?"

She thought that Li Yanzhen would definitely not come to this store with them again.

"No, I'm just not too hungry. I'll pack these dishes up and take them home later."

[I'll pack it up and throw it away; I absolutely refuse to eat another bite of food cooked by my love rival.]

Those present nodded in agreement with her words. Whether they truly believed her or not, only they themselves knew. After all, apart from a few minors, everyone present was an adult, which was the dignity of adults.

Jiang Yalin, who just turned 18 this year, thought to herself.

Even after stepping outside the store, Jiang Yalin could still hear the content of the story being transmitted, and Fang Zhixia's excitement could be felt between the lines.

Jiang Yalin was puzzled. She couldn't understand why one or two of them were so deeply in love with Quan Zhilong and so persistent. They were already in so much pain and knew what kind of person he would become, but even under those circumstances, they were still like moths to a flame. She didn't understand why love was so important.

She turned to look at the man walking beside her, her eyes filled with confusion and curiosity. She really couldn't believe that this ordinary man would become a shining superstar, an idol to everyone in the industry, just like in the novels.

Even if he truly became everyone's idol, she didn't think it would be worth so many outstanding girls giving up themselves and becoming love-obsessed just to be with him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you suddenly think Oppa is really handsome?"

[What's wrong with the assistant? Kwon Ji-yong was puzzled. The way the assistant was looking at him made him suddenly feel uncomfortable. And when people are uncomfortable, they often talk nonsense. Realizing what he had said, Kwon Ji-yong felt a little annoyed and wanted to slap his mouth.]

Don't think, just do it!!!

"...Do you want to hear the truth, or a lie?"

Jiang Yalin smiled slightly, feeling that as an adult, she needed to always be mindful of her dignity as an adult and the straightforward persona she had created for herself.

Is there any difference between telling the truth and telling a lie?

"The difference is that if I tell you the truth, you might feel a little sad, but if I tell you a lie, you'll feel happy. What I'm saying will make you feel disgusted."

"Pfft, hahahahahaha..."

As soon as Jiang Yalin finished speaking, bursts of laughter erupted from the other side. The four of them were laughing wildly and without any regard for their image.

Kwon Ji-yong gave one person a look that silenced them, but he couldn't stop the other three.

"I can't stand lies. I can withstand the truth."

"To be honest, I'm thinking about how to get closer to you so I can make a request and ask you to take me to meet Seven oppa."

"I didn't expect this," Kwon Ji-yong said with a smile.

"What if I want to hear a lie?"

Hearing his words, Jiang Yalin's smile deepened.

"Kwon Ji-yong is really charming; it's impossible not to fall for him."

A note from the author:

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