Chapter 41: 41 It's not wrong to lick, but it's wrong to teach others to be a bootlicker

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In the shot, both of their hands reached into the sleeve cuff.

The next second, Pei Muchan's eyelids fluttered uncontrollably twice, and a strange sour sensation rushed from her chest to the crown of her head.

Her nose nearly turned sour, almost embarrassingly instinctively making a sound.

Thankfully, she managed to hold it back.

His hand was a bit hot, his palm large. There wasn't much flesh, and his knuckles were distinct. Now, they were almost interlaced with each of her fingers, the gaps fitting perfectly.

She could feel the veins on the back of his hand throbbing, though Pei Muchan knew very well that it was an illusion; the reality was that she was feeling her own fingertip edges pulsating like a heartbeat.

But still, she couldn't help but breathe rapidly, her whole body tensing up as a result.

With the camera rolling, how could he dare... Even though no one but the two of them would notice the racing of their hearts, concealed by the thick fabric of the sleeves.

Her blood surged repeatedly, and the sensation felt somewhat... thrilling?

Pei Muchan's entire body stiffened instantly, and she raised her eyes to glance quickly at Xu Qingyan, only to find him resting his head on his hand, smiling at her.

She felt as though her heart had been probed by a gaze for a moment, causing her an unsettling sense of falling, until she averted her gaze and finally managed to calm down.

They had clearly agreed on squeezing fingers to indicate the number of past romances, but now their fingers were interlocked. What did that mean?

Her heart was in disarray, like a wall covered in ivy in the shade.

After a while, their hands withdrew from the sleeves, and no one spoke. Pei Muchan gently bit her lower lip, her gaze drifting off, while Xu Qingyan kept his head propped on his hand, lazily lost in thought.

Both of them were in no rush, but this was making the online viewers desperate, with the barrage of comments almost spilling off the screen.

"Anxious, anxious! Why aren't they speaking anymore?"

"Pinch, Mommy, good, good, good, is this a cliffhanger? You guys are really something!"

"We still haven't gotten to how many times, I don't care about Xu dog, but has Pei ever been in love? Anxious, anxious, I'm dying here. Speak up!"

The table remained quiet, yet the atmosphere wasn't awkward.

The grill had been cleared of food, and small amounts of peanut oil clung to it, gathering into droplets. Now empty, it emitted white smoke under the light.

"Of course not, I think giving up doesn't mean I don't love her anymore." Bai Jinze coughed twice like he had found his own moral bible and cleared his throat.

"I'll still continue to like her, just not actively pursue her anymore. If half a year of effort didn't succeed, it means I need to improve myself."

"Once I become even better, the first person I'd consider pursuing would still be the girl I once liked, because I'm someone who cherishes the past."

"How faithful, boys like you are really rare these days." Song Enya promptly returned the compliment, never letting the conversation drop.

Xu Qingyan, sitting to the side and mindlessly fiddling with the grilled meat on his plate, grew more and more irritated as he listened.

He thought this bastard, what's his deal? Pretending to be Prince Charming to dupe schoolgirls, he could somehow understand that, since it was like a job to them.

But what's with this nonsense about teaching people to be bootlickers, pandering to a certain segment of his fan base and outright championing utilitarianism?

These days, in the eyes of those youthful girls in their prime, they really think a guy without money who takes initiative is a bootlicker, and one who doesn't is a gloomy otaku.

Dude knows being a bootlicker isn't good, but as the only entry ticket he has, he can only lick with his eyes closed.

How many rich guys are there under the age of twenty? If you're rich, who would be a bootlicker! But isn't this all because they don't have money!

As a result, now you have to give gifts for whatever festival, all in the name of creating a sense of occasion. Xu Qingyan's college roommate was so exhausted from buying gifts for three holidays in a single month, he took up part-time work delivering takeout on his bike.

He got into a car accident on the road, and died.

Really a 'sense of occasion', isn't it? Why don't I see it being reciprocated? Accepting a gift doesn't mean I accept the confession; one inequality and the whole principle gets ground down.

"What's wrong with you?"

Pei Muchan noticed that Xu Qingyan's complexion didn't look good. After hesitating for a second, she still reached out her hand. She gently placed it on his palm and asked.

"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well? Or did you eat something bad?"

"It's nothing."

Xu Qingyan took a deep breath, clasped her hand back, squeezed it and let go. He immediately stood up, turned around, and clapped vigorously towards Bai Jinze.

"Mr. Bai speaks so well, I have the utmost respect for people like Mr. Bai in my life," he said.

"What do you want to say?" Bai Jinze turned his head to look at him, his expression displeased, "Just speak directly, no need to beat around the bush."

"Heh." Xu Qingyan's smile grew even brighter, "Being a bootlicker isn't the problem, who hasn't been humbled in their youth? But preaching to others to be bootlickers should be chopped to pieces, right?"

"Mr. Bai! You agree, don't you?"