Chapter 302: 6 Times a Week~ (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Facing Quan Baolan's sudden, highly aggressive, and direct question, Lin Xiuyuan first subconsciously covered the phone screen that had just lit up.

Then, a playful expression appeared on his face; he tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Quan Baolan's baby face, which was filled with earnestness and curiosity.

Then, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile tinged with a bit of roguishness and probing, and he followed up by tossing out what could be called a bombshell.

"Why do you think there can only be one, Baolan?" Lin Xiuyuan, who deliberately drew out his tone, had a flicker of inscrutable light in his eyes. "Can't it be both of them together? I have such a good relationship with Zhiyan, and my relationship with Enjing isn't any worse, don't you think? Hmm?"

As expected.

As Lin Xiuyuan's earth-shattering words fell, Quan Baolan, sitting to the side, was so shocked that her little head went "buzz," as if fireworks had exploded inside it.

Her whole body sat bolt upright, the hand that had been holding the teacup froze in mid-air, and those round eyes widened even further, filled with disbelief and information overload.

Her mouth opened subconsciously, as if she wanted to immediately refute or say something.

But her throat felt as if it were blocked, and she could only emit a few meaningless monosyllables, "You————this————

I————"

It wasn't until she caught the hint of a mischievous smile deep in Lin Xiuyuan's eyes that she suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing that the other party was likely teasing her on purpose, and was using this outrageous statement to evade her direct question.

As this thought emerged, Quan Baolan's heartbeat, which had been suspended in mid-air and nearly stalled, finally slowed down.

But her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.

Then, feeling a bit annoyed, she pursed her lips, her tone carrying a touch of shyness after being teased, "Xiuyuan-i, it's fine if you don't want to answer. If this question offended you, I can apologize."

Yet, Lin Xiuyuan seemed determined to carry this game of offense and defense to the end, so he restrained some of his joking expression and emphasized in a tone that was half-true and half-false.

"Baolan-ah, my answer is serious, too."

However, Quan Baolan, who had already decided on her own that Lin Xiuyuan just didn't want to answer directly and was using an exaggerated statement to fob her off, no longer believed him at this moment.

She pursed her lips and looked away as if sulking, no longer meeting his gaze.

Instead, she turned to look at the chef busy at the counter across from them, as well as the ingredients sizzling on the iron plate, and stiffly changed the subject.

"Xiuyuan-i, look, their chicken and scallion skewers use thigh meat and Kyoto Kujo scallions, the heat control is exceptionally good————"

She began trying to chat with Lin Xiuyuan about yakitori and teppanyaki dishes, as if that previous exchange of offense and defense had never happened.

Seeing Quan Baolan take the initiative to retreat and change the subject, Lin Xiuyuan first smiled silently, finding her ostrich-like reaction extremely interesting.

But he clearly didn't intend to let the topic go just like that, or rather, he had his own little agenda, so he took the initiative to continue the suspense triggered by the information from before he went to sleep.

So much so that the next moment, his body leaned slightly toward Quan Baolan, narrowing the distance between them.

He called out to her in an exceptionally formal, even slightly coaxing tone, "Baolan-i~ how about this, shall we exchange answers?"

This sudden use of honorifics, and the unusual sense of seriousness in his tone, made Quan Baolan instinctively sense a signal of danger.

One must know that since the two had met, Lin Xiuyuan had hardly ever used honorifics with her.

This made Quan Baolan turn her head to look at him with vigilance, asking with some uncertainty, "Xiuyuan-i, your tone makes me a little scared. What do you want to exchange?"

"To exchange secrets, of course."

Lin Xiuyuan laughed very joyfully, then extended his index finger and drew a few lines back and forth in the air between them.

"For example, you tell me whether you really don't have a boyfriend, and then, I will answer you whether I truly have the kind of relationship you're curious about with Zhiyan and Enjing in this world. How about that?

That's fair, right?"

Faced with this equivalent exchange proposed by Lin Xiuyuan, Quan Baolan agreed almost in the blink of an eye.

Because she really hadn't lied just now; she truly didn't have a boyfriend, so this secret was no burden to her.

And the relationship between Lin Xiuyuan, Park Jiyeon, and Xian Enjing was something she was more curious about.

Usually, Quan Baolan was not a gossipy woman, but these days, Park Hyomin had complained to her, Li Juli, and Park Soyeon in the Dormitory more than once or twice.

She said that Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing were isolating her in Seoul, running off to hang out with a boy without taking her along, which left Quan Baolan and the others feeling both amused and frustrated.

So, as Quan Baolan nodded readily, a triumphant smile immediately appeared on Lin Xiuyuan's face.

He reached out elegantly to gesture, "OK~ come on, ladies first."

"What do you mean? Is it my turn to answer first?" Quan Baolan was stunned for a moment.

Always feeling that socializing was a bit difficult, she didn't know why, but the naturalness, humor, and that strange affinity of the boy in front of her buffered her social anxiety very well.

It made her not feel much discomfort or resistance even when facing this slightly tricky game.

Instead, she felt it was quite interesting.

So, seeing Lin Xiuyuan nod affirmatively, Quan Baolan immediately answered clearly and quickly, as if finishing a test, "I don't have a boyfriend, really, it's been a long time since I've dated."

After finishing, she immediately looked at Lin Xiuyuan with expectant eyes and urged, "Now it's your turn."

Unfortunately, Lin Xiuyuan deliberately played the rogue, shaking his head with an expression of "lacking sincerity," "Ah, Baolan, just saying it like that is too simple. Empty words carry no weight; at the very least, there should be some proof? Or perhaps, some corroborating evidence would do."

Quan Baolan, who hadn't expected this, was dumbfounded and asked back somewhat innocently, "How do I prove it? I really don't have one. Do you want me to swear to this thundering sky?"

But it was precisely this aggrieved retort of hers that fell squarely into the linguistic trap Lin Xiuyuan had already set.

And so, as her voice trailed off, Lin Xiuyuan's voice, filled with teasing and a certain knowingness, followed immediately.

Like a devil's whisper, it precisely struck her vital point, "For example, those two little boxes from this afternoon."

Once these words were out, it was like throwing a giant rock into a calm lake.

It caused Quan Baolan's face to turn completely red in a "whoosh," blushing all the way to her earlobes, and even her neck was stained with a thin layer of pink.

The shy and annoyed legal loli, after coming to her senses, also turned her head sharply, glaring at the guy beside her who was laughing incomparably happily with a look mixed with feigned anger and disbelief.

She had thought just a moment ago that he was quite interesting to chat with and a pretty good person.

She hadn't expected him to be waiting for her here.

This pit was dug deep and hidden well.

Lin Xiuyuan, meanwhile, made a "Little Bear Hands" gesture at the right moment, his face full of an innocent expression, and emphasized with a helpless tone, "It's mainly because empty words carry no weight, Baolan-i, you have to understand me."

At this moment, Quan Baolan really wanted to give up on this "losing" game.

But when she thought of the carrot Lin Xiuyuan was dangling in front of her: namely, the true situation regarding Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing.

And then thought of Park Hyomin's complaints.

Thinking back that he had already chatted with him so much anyway, and even gone through that awkward topic of "I use it myself," wouldn't giving up now mean all previous efforts were wasted?

Although the sunk cost wasn't huge, the potential reward was truly too tempting.

So, after a few seconds of simple hesitation, even though her heart was filled with a sense of shame, Quan Baolan still bit her lower lip and made a certain determination.

Using an almost inaudible voice, she lowered her head and replied, "Then what kind of evidence do you want————"

In fact, the reason Lin Xiuyuan and Quan Baolan could chat about such deep and even private topics without any obstacles at this moment.

Aside from the trap he had carefully dug, it was even more due to the revolutionary friendship the two had built in the game world over these past few months.

Although they rarely talked about private matters in reality back then, the daily online interactions of teaming up, joking with each other, and sharing interesting stories had long made their conversational tone and small habits incredibly familiar and natural.

It was precisely because of all the habits laid out in the early stages that their relationship could progress so quickly and their dialogue could be so intimate after meeting in reality.

And it was precisely because of this that Quan Baolan was willing to agree to dine out with Lin Xiuyuan.

Aside from wanting to dispel that "unnecessary" impression of a misunderstanding.

Subconsciously, she had already placed Lin Xiuyuan into that circle of people she could trust, in the category of a friend with a good relationship.

Otherwise, if he were truly a complete stranger, a member-friend she had only met a few times.

With Quan Baolan's personality, how could she have so easily agreed to a dinner invitation alone?

The prerequisite for being willing to come out was naturally that she had already subconsciously accepted this relationship.

This is just like Liu Zhimin over in '25; feelings that come from chatting online are still feelings, after all.

Otherwise, where would so many online romances come from?

Lin Xiuyuan, who was questioned by Quan Baolan, saw that the other party had already stepped half a foot into the deepest part of the trap, so he stopped while he was ahead.

He smiled and said, "You know me, I'm really not someone who deliberately looks for trouble, so I just need a small link in the chain of evidence."

"What chain of evidence?"

"Just when the last time you restocked was."

Things having reached this point, although Quan Baolan was so ashamed she wanted to bury her face in the miso soup in front of her, in order to eat better "delicacies," she still endured and took a deep breath.

Throwing caution to the wind, she spat out two words quickly, "Last week."

Lin Xiuyuan, sitting beside her, heard this, and his eyes widened instantly.

His gaze was filled with genuine surprise.

His mind was calculating rapidly.

It was only just past the middle of the month, but it was already the weekend.

According to that fleeting glance he caught of the packaging that afternoon, three in a box, two boxes would be six————

If that were the case————

Consumed within a week????

This frequency of use————

After speaking, Quan Baolan could clearly sense the gaze Lin Xiuyuan cast, mixed with shock and complexity, and she felt both ashamed and annoyed.

First, she gave him a roll of her eyes, but immediately after, her desire for knowledge quickly overcame her sense of shame, and she immediately switched from defense to offense.

She leaned her body slightly forward and lowered her voice to press him.

"Alright, now it's your turn. So, Xiuyuan, do you or do you not have that kind of relationship with Zhiyan and Enjing?

I'm truly seeing them both be this close to a boy for the first time, so close that they're even slightly pushing out Xiaomin; this is too abnormal."

Lin Xiuyuan, whose brain was still rapidly calculating the astonishing consumption rate of "six in a week," was asked this by Quan Baolan.

Without even thinking, he subconsciously played tai chi first and asked back, "Baolan, you have to draw a clear line for this relationship for me to answer you. Otherwise, if it's just friends, acquaintances, or something like that, then I definitely am, there's nothing to say about that."

Upon hearing this, Quan Baolan immediately realized the other party was playing word games.

She immediately and precisely supplemented the definition, her tone carrying an unquestionable firmness, "An intimate relationship, the kind between a man and a woman."

"What kind of intimate relationship? Holding hands? Hugging? Or————" Lin Xiuyuan still wanted to continue blurring the focus.

"You know! Don't ask! Just say it!" Quan Baolan was getting a bit anxious; she used her eyes to stop his attempt to continue breaking it down, staring at him tightly, with the air of 'you're done for if you try to play dumb.'

Just at this moment, the chef and the waiter began to serve the yakitori skewers and rice bowls they had ordered.

The sizzling chicken skewers, the fragrant green onion pork, and Lin Xiuyuan's hearty beef rice bowl were placed on the counter.

But at this moment, Quan Baolan clearly had no intention of picking up her chopsticks; all her attention was focused on the answer Lin Xiuyuan was about to give, her eyes burning.

Seeing that the groundwork was about done and that dragging it out further would make him seem guilty, Lin Xiuyuan stopped beating around the bush.

He picked up a skewer of grilled chicken cartilage and said in a relaxed and certain tone.

"If we go by the intimate relationship between a man and a woman that you just defined————" Lin Xiuyuan paused deliberately, and seeing Quan Baolan holding her breath, he smiled and continued, "Zhiyan, Enjing, and I really don't have one."

After saying this, he noticed a suspicious expression of "you're lying to a ghost" immediately appear on Quan Baolan's face; she clearly didn't believe this answer at all.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan immediately put down the skewer and very seriously raised his right hand to make a swearing gesture.

Looking at Quan Baolan with a frank gaze, he said word by word, "I can really swear to this. I, Lin Xiuyuan, do not have any intimate relationship beyond friendship with Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing in this world."

He just added a tiny, imperceptible emphasis on the words "in this world."

Unfortunately, Quan Baolan failed to grasp the mystery within it at all.

"Not even once?" Unwilling to give up, Quan Baolan pinned her last hope on the possibility of a "one-night stand."

But she still saw Lin Xiuyuan shake his head in firm denial.

Now Quan Baolan was completely bewildered, her brain falling into a brief state of chaos.

If it wasn't this most direct, most intimate relationship between a man and a woman, then were these three people really that innocent?

Could a simple, pure friendship be good enough to make Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing revolve around him almost inseparably, even developing to the point of faintly isolating Park Hyomin?

How deep and special of a friendship must that be?

Quan Baolan expressed that she was completely unable to understand.

And Lin Xiuyuan, sitting next to her, had already begun to focus on dealing with that plate of beef rice.

His mood was very calm, and he even felt a little like laughing.

Outside the window, the rainstorm that had been brewing for a long time seemed to become even more violent; a blinding flash of lightning tore through the night sky, followed immediately by a dull clap of thunder, a "Boom—" that shook the restaurant's glass windows until they trembled slightly.

However, this sudden thunder had absolutely nothing to do with Lin Xiuyuan.

He didn't even lift an eyelid, continuing to enjoy his delicious food.

After all, the oath he had sworn was absolutely true and he had not lied, so there was nothing to feel guilty about.

In this world, he truly had not yet crossed that line with Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing.

As for over in the other connected space-time—

That relationship was far more complex, profound, and intimate.

But that belonged to the story of another world, so naturally, it was not within the scope of the oath he had just made.

This move was a perfect utilization of information asymmetry and the art of language.

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