Chapter 16.3: Quenching Your Thirst With Poison Will Bankrupt You (3)

Bai Zhou took a good look at her and sneered contemptuously. His expression spoke louder than words: You’re a bootlicker.

Then, he lowered his head and turned his attention back to his mobile game. 

Ji Fanyin was just about to walk away when her phone rang―it was Song Shiyu.

She picked up the phone while walking, “Mr Song. Yes… I’m currently heading in your direction. I should reach in ten minutes’ time.”

Bai Zhou heard those words loud and clear, and he raised his head to look at Ji Fanyin’s silhouette.

What’s the use of her feigning composure before Song Shiyu? Everyone knows about her one-sided love for Song Shiyu even though he has never even spared a proper glance at her before.

It was then that Bai Zhou’s buddies finally emerged from the end of the long queue. Holding a cake shaped like a dog’s head in his hand, he introduced it to Bai Zhou, saying, “This is their newest product. It’s called Bootlicker.”

Bai Zhou scoffed in disdain, “What lousy name is that?”

His friend burst into laughter and remarked, “Isn’t it? Hahaha!”

… 

Ji Fanyin’s sense of time was spot-on. She arrived sharply in ten minutes’ time, and by then, she had already gotten into work mode. 

The table Song Shiyu was sitting at had been cleaned, evidenced by the two fresh sets of cutleries sitting on it. 

Before Ji Fanyin could greet him, Song Shiyu asked without raising his head, “Xinxin, you like me too, right?”

Ji Fanyin hung her bag on the rack by the side as she replied in a natural tone, “Are we going to start with a confession every single time we meet from now onward?”

“…” Song Shiyu didn’t respond to her teasing. The atmosphere around him was so heavy that it was hard to bear. 

It was just a pity that the person before him was none other than Ji Fanyin. She had once played a psychopathic serial killer that scared all of the youngsters on the set to the point that they burst into tears. Someone of Song Shiyu’s caliber couldn’t possibly hope to intimidate her. 

She walked up to the table and bent forward to look him in the eye. With a particularly earnest look on her face, she professed her feelings to him, “I like you too.”

The two of them traded gazes for a while before Song Shiyu’s body finally relaxed a little. He gestured her to take a seat. 

Ji Fanyin chuckled a little at his response. 

Instead of sitting down right away, she topped up his half-empty cup with more hot tea and pushed it to him. At the same time, she asked, “You didn’t eat much earlier, right? Let’s order some food. You can tell me frankly if you aren’t in a good mood. I’ll listen to your complaints.”

“Are you willing to marry me?” Song Shiyu asked out of the blue.

Realization struck Ji Fanyin.

The lady he had met earlier was clearly someone from a wealthy household. Most likely, his family was trying to matchmake the two of them.

In other words, Song Shiyu was currently being pressured by his family to get married. 

But there was no way Ji Fanyin could agree to Song Shiyu’s proposal.

She took some time to ponder over the question while walking around the table to get to her seat. After settling down, she directed a smile at Song Shiyu and said, “We haven’t even started dating yet. Are you going to talk that far ahead now?”

“… Then when can we start talking about it?” asked Song Shiyu with a deep voice. “Will that day even come?”

Ji Fanyin shyly fiddled her hands resting on the table and replied, “I-if everything goes well, of course we’ll get m-married.”

Her cheeks started to redden along with the change in the atmosphere, and her eyes began to swim around nervously. It was almost as if she was too embarrassed to look Song Shiyu in the eye.

Song Shiyu sighed deeply and said, “Xinxin, I like you.”

“I like you too,” replied Ji Fanyin with a timid voice.

There was one concern floating in her mind while she was playing the role of a shy young lady.

How can I give out empty cheques during service hours without stirring future conflicts? 

Hmm… I guess it boils down to dragging things out and playing it vague.

“Shiyu, you know that I’m still in school right now. We can sit down together and seriously discuss our future plans after I graduate. What do you think?” she proposed meekly.

Three years would be more than enough for me to earn my keep anyway… unless Ji Xinxin decides to further her studies and not return home. That would be a different story.

At least from the current looks of it, it seems like this stand-in business of mine is going to close down within three years.

Song Shiyu stared at her as his eyes slowly mellowed down tenderly. “… Alright. Let’s continue dating until then.”

The embarrassed Ji Fanyin raised the menu to cover her face before murmuring softly in response, “Mm. Alright.”

In her heart, she held a second of silence for Song Shiyu and his wallet.

Quenching your thirst with poison will only bankrupt you.