Lin Ze delivered food until one o'clock in the morning last night before finally heading home.
At this moment, he was deep in dreamland, fast asleep.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Lin Ze was jolted awake.
Groggily, he groped around for his phone and pressed the answer button.
………………………………
"Qiu Jiaxue is back from England today, didn't you promise to pick her up?"
"The poor girl has been waiting at the airport for half an hour with two huge suitcases!"
His mother Jiang Wantang's voice poured down like a bucket of cold water.
He rubbed his aching head, his voice still heavy with lingering sleepiness:
"Mom, don't worry, I'll rush right over!"
He threw on his clothes, grabbed his car keys, and drove toward the airport.
When Lin Ze rushed hurriedly into the airport arrivals hall,
he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd at a single glance.
Qiu Jiaxue was wearing a light pink knitted sweater, her slender calves exposed beneath a white pleated skirt.
Her delicate brows were knitted together like a little rabbit's, her eye rims were red, and the tip of her nose had a faint pink tint.
Her little face looked aggrieved.
She was standing on tiptoe, looking around in all directions.
Just as he was about to speak up, the System's voice suddenly sounded in his mind:
[Task unlocked successfully.]
[Your childhood sweetheart Qiu Jiaxue, who grew up with you, is getting prettier and prettier.]
[One afternoon, she was lying on your bed reading comic books in her pleated skirt. The moment you turned your head, you caught sight of the lace undergarment beneath the girl's hem.]
[You couldn't help but fantasize... You are the only man and woman alone in a room together; if something were to happen, she probably wouldn't tell anyone, right?]
[Task: Spend 10 minutes alone in a closed space with Qiu Jiaxue. (Reward: Basic Attribute Point x2).]
Who hasn't had youthful fantasies back in their youth, anyway?
Who wouldn't inevitably fantasize when seeing a pretty girl?
But it was just a fantasy.
In reality, he was pure to a fault!
Besides, he already had Su Qingqing.
Why was the System assigning another one?
What a pain in the neck!
He decisively chose to ignore it!
If he ever trusted this damn System again, he'd be a dog!
Anyway, the tasks issued by this broken System had been delayed by four years, so he didn't need to bother with them at all.
He put on a smile and walked forward. "Qiu Jiaxue, over here!"
Qiu Jiaxue was startled by Lin Ze's voice.
She stumbled, lost her footing in her high heels, and fell backward out of control.
Panic washed over Qiu Jiaxue's face as she closed her eyes.
Just as she resigned herself to her fate, preparing for an ungraceful fall,
a pair of strong arms caught her steadily.
"Five years, and you're"
he chuckled, "still just as clumsy."
Lin Ze's voice rang out above her head with a smile, his warm breath brushing against her hair.
Qiu Jiaxue opened her eyes and found herself gazing straight into that face she had longed for day and night.
She stared blankly at Lin Ze, her lips parting slightly.
Lin Ze raised an eyebrow. "Is there something on my face?"
Only then did she snap out of it like waking from a dream.
She flurriedly broke free from Lin Ze's arms,
turned around, and pretended to fix her hair to hide her burning cheeks. "It's just... long time no see..."
Even after years apart, Brother Lin Ze was still dazzlingly handsome.
"Indeed, long time no see."
Lin Ze looked at the exquisitely made-up doll before him.
She was practically a different person compared to the timid little girl in his memory.........
Especially the curves at her chest, straining the beige shirt to fullness.........
"Let's go. To make up for letting you wait so long, I'll treat you to spicy glass noodles!"
Lin Ze reached out and pulled the suitcase beside her.
Qiu Jiaxue's eyes lit up instantly like stars. "I've been craving this like crazy in England!"
The two walked out of the airport side by side.
...................
At the spicy glass noodle shop.
Lin Ze watched as fine beads of sweat formed on the tip of Qiu Jiaxue's nose,
yet she was still slurping down the noodles in large mouthfuls.
Lin Ze couldn't help laughing. "Slow down, nobody's taking them from you."
Qiu Jiaxue smiled sheepishly.
"So good."
With that, she licked her lips, which had been turned bright red and spicy.
Qiu Jiaxue noticed Lin Ze looking down at his phone,
and a flash of disappointment crossed her pretty eyes.
After finishing her spicy glass noodles, Lin Ze escorted her safely home.
………………………………
Lin Ze briskly slipped into his yellow vest.
Nothing could stop him on his march to make money.
Weekends were meant for delivering food.
"Ding! 4 yuan has been credited."
"Ding! 8 yuan has been credited."
These bouncing numbers got his blood pumping more than any background music ever could.
Sitting on his e-bike, Lin Ze held a skewer of starch sausages,
enjoying every bite.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"Your Uncle Wang brought me to the hotel, you're the only one missing!"
"Mom, orders are booming right now, I really can't get away."
"Don't be so uncooperative."
Lin Ze sighed inwardly.
Accompanying people to dinner didn't pay any money—wasn't this just delaying him from making a fortune?
Jiang Wantang's voice was mixed with the din of the banquet hall. "Don't wear those delivery clothes."
"Alright, alright, alright."
………………………………
Night fell.
The two families gathered at a high-end restaurant.
The revolving doors of the hotel turned slowly as Lin Ze stepped into the lobby
and arrived at the private dining room.
The crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, and the dining table was laden with exquisite dishes.
"Lin Ze, you're here, hurry up and sit down."
However, the relaxed atmosphere was quickly broken by the elders' topic of conversation.
"Qiu Jiaxue isn't getting any younger either. Having studied in England for so many years, it's time she settled down."
Qiu Jiaxue's mother picked up a piece of food and placed it in Lin Ze's bowl, casting a thoughtful gaze toward him.
"Lin Ze, I watched you grow up. Your job is stable and steady, you young people should interact more..."
Lin Ze's hand holding the soup bowl gave a violent jerk, and the scalding broth almost splashed onto his clothes.
He thought of Qiu Jiaxue as a little sister!
He cast a pleading look at his biological mother, only to receive a "figure it out yourself" look in return.
Why didn't they give him a heads-up before bringing up this topic?
It was way too sudden!
He opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't wedge a single word in. "I'm going to the restroom."
Lin Ze practically fled in panic.
There were two stalls in the restroom.
One of them had an "Under Maintenance" warning sign hanging on the doorknob.
Without thinking much, Lin Ze pushed open the other door.
The moment he pushed it open, he saw Qiu Jiaxue sitting on the toilet bowl, about to do her business.
Qiu Jiaxue's pupils dilated abruptly.
She stared in terror at Lin Ze, who had suddenly barged in.
The bodily function that was just about to take place was abruptly forced back.
Her little face turned pale as chalk.
She stared dazedly at Lin Ze standing outside the door.
Lin Ze felt his brain instantly crash.
The scene before him was simply too shocking.
Qiu Jiaxue at this moment
bore not the slightest resemblance to the pure image she had when they first met.
Right now, she looked for all the world like a startled little white rabbit.
Very white.
Her heart was filled entirely with the shame and embarrassment of having her private moment pried into.
Qiu Jiaxue seemed to remember something.
She hurriedly reached out and pulled her shirt down hard.
Blushing furiously, she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth trembling incessantly.
Ah ah ah............
To be seen looking like this by Brother Lin Ze, how utterly humiliating.
She wished she could just vanish on the spot!
…………………