He's my boyfriend!
Tang Qi spoke these words with conviction, decisiveness, and unquestionable certainty. However, there was one problem: the occasion.
This is a bookstore.
The shop was quiet, with a few customers engrossed in their books. But the girl's loud declaration drew everyone's attention. And then, there were two pretty girls and a boy! This immediately sparked speculation. Some students with vivid imaginations had even conjured up a whole love triangle drama in their minds.
However, what happened next wasn't so dramatic, since Lin Ruoyao had only met them today.
She paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Oh, I see. Xiaoqi, you didn't explain it clearly, which made me misunderstand."
Lu Zhe said calmly, "Aren't you guys having a party? Keep going, don't worry about me."
Tang Qi: "Are you just reading here?"
Lu Zhe: "That's right."
At this moment, Lin Ruoyao suddenly pointed to the book in his hand and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Graphic Algorithms...Are you a programmer?"
"Strictly speaking, no, but it's related to programming."
After saying this, Lu Zhe lowered his head and continued reading.
He certainly noticed that the girl was quite pretty, but he really couldn't muster any interest. Just trying to navigate between Xue Xiaodie, Tang Qi, and Xia Xiaobing had already exhausted him. So, he didn't even want to know the girl's name.
The less contact I have with other girls, the less likely my three family members will misunderstand, thus avoiding the danger of escalating conflict.
However, Lin Ruoyao said, "By the way, Xiao Qi, I still don't know your boyfriend's name."
Tang Qi: "Oh, his name is Lu Zhe."
Lin Ruoyao smiled and nodded, looking at Lu Zhe, waiting for him to ask her name. However, Lu Zhe didn't react at all, just looking down at his book, as if he hadn't heard what the two girls had been saying.
So she could only say helplessly, "You two really do look like a married couple... Well then, let's not disturb Lu Zhe's reading any longer, Xiao Qi, shall we go back?"
Tang Qi nodded.
The two girls walked out of the bookstore, and Lu Zhe only glanced at their backs before continuing to read his book.
He wasn't just pretending to read "Illustrated Algorithms"; he was genuinely studying it seriously. Finding a book he could understand and that was useful for his work in a small bookstore was a pleasant surprise for him.
Compared to the troublesome things girls cause him, books make him feel much more at ease.
————
After the afternoon gathering ended, it was dinner time, and everyone agreed to explore the school cafeteria together.
Tang Qi finally found an opportunity to say goodbye, leaving her classmates' sight and quickly extricating herself with Lu Zhe.
On the way home, however, Miss Tang seemed hesitant to speak.
Halfway through the journey, Lu Zhe noticed her unusual behavior and sent her a message on WeChat: 【Is there a problem?】
Tang Qi quickly replied: 【It's nothing.】
Lu Zhe: [You seemed to be spacing out the whole time.]
Tang Qi looked down at her phone, lost in thought again.
After a while, she typed a somewhat disjointed message: "The female classmate you met today is named Lin Ruoyao."
Lu Zhe: [So, what's next?]
Tang Qi: [Never mind, it's nothing, it's alright.]
When Lu Zhe saw the message, he also noticed the hesitation in the girl's eyes. He didn't press further, but simply opened the Minesweeper game on his phone and started playing.
Despite considering himself a straight man, Lu Zhe could still guess a little of what the young lady was thinking at this moment.
He felt that the innocent had nothing to hide and there was no need to say more. Moreover, the more he emphasized it, the more it seemed like he was trying to cover something up, which was pointless.
Since that's the case, it's better to play dumb for a bit.
————
Back home, Lu Zhe went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Tang Qi, however, pulled Xue Xiaodie into her bedroom and then said in a very serious tone:
"Today, I discovered a female classmate who might also be a reincarnated person."
Xue Xiaodie, who had been somewhat nonchalant, was stunned upon hearing this.
She quickly asked, "What do you mean?"
Tang Qi: "She's a girl in our class, quite pretty, and her attitude towards Lu Zhe is a bit... a bit ambiguous."
Xue Xiaodie frowned: "So ambiguous on the first meeting?"
Tang Qi nodded: "Yes, that's why I find it very suspicious."
Xue Xiaodie: "What was Lu Zhe's reaction?"
Tang Qi recalled what had happened not long ago and summarized it as: "A typical straight man's reaction. And Lu Zhe even told that girl that we were boyfriend and girlfriend..."
Xue Xiaodie laughed: "You did a great job! In that case, keep a close eye on her. If this girl clearly knows Lu Zhe is your boyfriend and still has ulterior motives, then she's the real suspect."
Tang Qi: "But I just feel like she's suspicious. Why would she actively try to talk to a guy on our first meeting?"
Xue Xiaodie: "That's normal. Lu Zhe is quite an attractive guy. Otherwise, why would you like him?"
Tang Qi: "Well, it wasn't like I liked him the first time we met."
Xue Xiaodie teased, "What was your reaction when you first met Lu Zhe before you were reborn?"
Tang Qi: "It's a real pity to see such a promising young man about to fall into my father's clutches."
Xue Xiaodie: "Nothing else?"
"At first, I really felt sorry for him!" Tang Qi emphasized, then asked in return, "And what about you? What did you feel when you first saw him before you were reborn?"
However, Xue Xiaodie sighed, "I don't want to recall those things..."
Hearing her desolate tone, Tang Qi suddenly realized. Unlike herself, Sister Xiaodie must have already given up on Lu Zhe, and naturally she wanted to seal away those beautiful memories to avoid getting hurt again. Her questioning was truly reopening old wounds.
So the young lady quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, Sister Xiaodie, let's not talk about this anymore."
Xue Xiaodie smiled wryly and said, "Alright, let's talk about that girl again. What's her name?"
"Her name is Lin Ruoyao..." Tang Qi couldn't help but ask halfway through her sentence, "Since you don't want to talk about sad things, why are you still concerned about Lu Zhe's affairs?"
Xue Xiaodie reached out and flicked Xiao Caitang's forehead without any politeness: "Didn't you ask me to come over? I was just trying to give you advice, what are you thinking?"
Tang Qi shrank her neck, covered her head with her hands, and looked aggrieved: "It hurts..."
Xue Xiaodie snorted and pouted, "Even if your head hurts more, can it be as painful as my heart? I came here out of kindness to help you think things through, and what do you do? Trying to destroy my spirit?"
Tang Qi said weakly, "I'm sorry, Sister Xiaodie..."
Xue Xiaodie: "It's good that you know you were wrong! Alright, continue. What kind of person is Lin Ruoyao?"
Tang Qi held her head and thought for a while before finally managing to say, "Someone who is somewhat suspicious."
Xue Xiaodie was both amused and exasperated: "Isn't that obvious?!"
————
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