149: Will Chapter 148 work or not?

Mu Qing lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curling up. She wanted to laugh but felt embarrassed, trying to hold it in, yet she couldn't.

She pulled her fingers out of Su Bai's hand and lowered her head, pretending to read a book. The book was upside down.

"Alright then."

Su Bai turned back, took out his physics problems, and started working on them.

Mu Qing sat beside him, head lowered, the corners of her mouth still curled up, the book still upside down; she hadn't taken in a single word.

Li Longyu sat on the other side of Su Bai, watching the two of them.

Her gaze shifted from Su Bai to Mu Qing, and then back from Mu Qing to Su Bai.

Her face flushed slightly.

She remembered what she had seen in the small grove that day.

That image seemed to be imprinted in her mind, impossible to erase.

Now seeing Su Bai and Mu Qing sitting together, that scene emerged again, like bubbles at the bottom of the water—unstoppable, rising one after another.

She lowered her head and stared at her textbook, her fingers gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Li Longyu finished two physics problems, put down her pen, and turned her head to look at Su Bai.

"Tomorrow is the weekend, and I'm going to start my part-time job at the entertainment company."

Su Bai looked up at her and nodded. "That's fine. I've already spoken with them."

Li Longyu bit her lip and lowered her head, looking at her fingers. Her fingers wound around the pen, spinning it once, then again. "Um... could I ask you to take me there?"

"I... I'm a little scared."

Su Bai paused for a moment. Then he understood.

Previously, when Li Longyu was working part-time at the Xunxiang Banquet, she had almost been bullied. If he hadn't happened to be there, he didn't know what might have happened.

Since then, she hadn't gone to places like that. It was normal for her to be afraid about working part-time in an unfamiliar place now. She had been traumatized.

Su Bai nodded. "Alright, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

Li Longyu looked up at him. "Thank you."

The day's classes ended quickly. When the bell rang for dismissal, Su Bai packed his bag, and Mu Qing did the same.

The two walked out of the classroom one after the other, went down the stairs, and walked out of the school gate. Su Bai drove, and Mu Qing sat in the passenger seat.

The car drove out of the school gate and merged into the traffic. Mu Qing leaned back against the seat, looking out the window, the corners of her mouth curled up, appearing to be in a very good mood.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the car window, creating a rhythm without any rhythm.

After a while, she lowered her head and saw a strand of hair on the passenger seat. It was long and fine, and it wasn't hers.

She picked up the hair, held it before her eyes, examined it, and then turned to look at Su Bai. "Is this Xin Yaoqiao's?"

Su Bai glanced at it. "I'm not sure, probably."

Mu Qing pouted. She stared at the hair for several seconds, then threw it out the window. The wind blew it away, and it drifted off to who knows where.

She turned her head to look at Su Bai, her face full of resentment. "Did you two do something in the car?"

Su Bai's hand on the steering wheel tightened. His gaze unconsciously shifted downward, glancing at the passenger seat, before moving back to the road.

The movement was quick, so quick that he thought Mu Qing hadn't seen it. But Mu Qing did.

Her eyes widened, her mouth opened, and her face flushed. "You... really did it in the car..."

Su Bai didn't speak. Mu Qing watched him for several seconds, then lowered her head and tied her hair up into a high ponytail, revealing her fair nape and rounded earlobes.

Her face was flushed, her eyes bright, and her lips pursed. She pursed them for a moment, then pouted. "Whatever she can do, I can do too!"

She lowered her head and leaned down. Su Bai's hands tightened on the steering wheel. His breathing grew heavier for a beat, but he didn't speak and continued driving.

"Let's go." Her voice was a bit raspy, but the corners of her mouth were curled up. Su Bai didn't speak; his fingers on the steering wheel loosened, then tightened again.

The car continued driving forward, passing one street, then another. Mu Qing, looking out the window, suddenly called out, "Stop, stop! Go to the vegetable market!"

Su Bai pulled the car over to the side of the road. Mu Qing pushed the door open and ran inside. Su Bai sat in the car waiting for her.

After a while, she came out carrying two large bags. They were very heavy; she was struggling to carry them, her back bent. Su Bai got out of the car, took the bags from her, and put them in the trunk.

"What did you buy? Why so much?" Mu Qing smiled—a smile with a hint of craftiness, a hint of triumph, and something else that was hard to define. "I'll give you a good boost when we get back."

Su Bai glanced at her, said nothing, and continued driving. When they arrived at Mu Qing's place, Su Bai parked the car and carried the bags, with Mu Qing walking in front. The two went upstairs one after the other.

Mu Qing took out her keys, opened the door, and stepped aside to let Su Bai in. Su Bai carried the bags into the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't big, but it was well-equipped. Pots, bowls, and ladles were all there, seasoning bottles were arranged neatly, and the stovetop was wiped clean.

Mu Qing followed him in, tied on her apron, and began taking things out of the bags. Su Bai glanced at them and froze. Oysters. Bullwhip. Soft-shelled turtle. Swamp eel? There were a few other things he didn't recognize, but he knew exactly what they were for just by looking.

Su Bai looked at the pile of items, then at Mu Qing, speechless. "What's the meaning of this? Looking down on me?"

Mu Qing's face flushed red, from her cheeks to her ear tips, and from her ear tips to the base of her neck. She lowered her head, her fingers twisting the apron strings, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. "It's just because you have too many female confidantes, and I'm afraid you won't be up to the task."

Su Bai looked at her. She kept her head down, her face red, her ears red, the apron strings wrapped tightly around her fingers, her knuckles white.

Su Bai reached out, pinched her chin, and lifted her face. Mu Qing's eyes held moisture, the light, and his reflection. Her lips parted slightly, and her breath, warm, brushed against his chin.

"Not up to the task?" Su Bai's voice was very low. "Come, let me let you try and see if I'm up to the task or not!"

Before Mu Qing could react, Su Bai had already lifted her onto the stovetop. The stovetop was marble, cool, and against her skin, causing her to flinch.

Su Bai stood in front of her, resting his hands on the stovetop, boxing her in. Mu Qing's face was beet red, her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling.

"Su Bai..." Her voice was trembling. "The door... the door isn't closed yet..."

Su Bai ignored her. He lowered his head. Mu Qing's hands gripped his school uniform, her knuckles white.

Things on the stovetop were knocked off; oysters rolled everywhere on the floor, the bullwhip fell to the ground with a dull thud. The spatula fell, the spoon fell—clattering and banging.

By the time they ate, it was already nine in the evening. The oysters were grilled, the bullwhip was made into soup, the soft-shelled turtle was braised, and the swamp eel was stir-fried.

A table full of dishes, steaming hot, with the aroma filling the entire living room. Mu Qing sat opposite Su Bai, her face flushed, not daring to look at him.

Her hair was loose again, draped over her shoulders, with a few strands stuck to her face, dampened by sweat. Her clothes were wrinkled, buttons fastened in the wrong places, the neckline crooked, revealing a stretch of her collarbone.

She lowered her head, sipping the soup in small mouthfuls. The soup was very hot; she blew on it, then blew again, and then took a small sip.

Su Bai looked at her. "Is it good?"

Mu Qing nodded, not daring to look at him. "It's good."

"Am I up to the task?"

"Yes, you are, you're definitely up to it!"

Su Bai smiled and picked up a piece of the soft-shelled turtle meat, placing it in her bowl. Mu Qing picked it up, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. Her face was still very red, but the corners of her mouth were curled up in a smile she couldn't hide.