“Not bad…”

“You’d better finish all your oysters, okay?”

“Shut up, will you!”

Blushing, the girl grumbled while Chen Yaoyi just chuckled and swept the oysters right off the table in front of her.

“If I don’t go home… you won’t get fired, right?”

“As long as you don’t say we spent the night out,” Chen Yaoyi replied lightly. He wasn’t really worried—he was just a delinquent, after all.

Sipping the seafood congee and sampling the hotel’s dishes, Chen Yaoyi didn’t feel very full, but simply being able to eat felt satisfying enough.

May, after finishing her congee, dove straight into the barbecue.

She later ordered more—naturally, all charged to Chen Yaoyi’s tab.

Watching the tiny table pile higher with colorful dishes, Chen Yaoyi pinched his own cheek and decided to indulge her.

May rarely ate this much. Today was different—teetering on the edge of heartbreak made her crave comfort food.

Guilt about tomorrow’s extra runs flickered in her mind… then vanished under the rich aroma of grilled meat.

“Oh! That thing you said earlier—about helping me—is it still on?”

May swallowed a thick slice of pork belly, then locked eyes with Chen Yaoyi, her gaze sharp with resolve.

Truth was, she’d long realized she didn’t actually hate him as much as she claimed. Pride just kept her from admitting it. Still, at most, they were only teacher and student.

She still liked Zhao Xiaoluo. Even if her crush began over something small, she’d spent a whole semester drawing closer—changing her looks for him. May wouldn’t let that effort go to waste.

At the very least, she wanted *him* to confess to *her*.

“Oho? Back in fighting spirit?”

“I just… don’t want Xiaoluo led astray by some weird, shady girl…”

“So you’re ready for my coaching?”

“Obviously. I always keep my word.”

Mumbling, she seemed to channel her anger toward Su Ziqing into her appetite, then bit fiercely into a Wagyu beef cube.

Honestly, the hotel’s late-night snacks were pretty good.

Though why so many random dishes were on the menu remained a mystery.

“Your looks match Su Ziqing’s. Your figure’s even better. The only gap? Novelty.”

“Should *I* transfer schools too?”

“With your brain? Transferring ten times wouldn’t help. If you’d made *any* progress sitting beside him all semester, we wouldn’t be here.”

“P-people get shy too! I’m not shameless like you!”

May’s face flushed crimson as she ducked her head to sip her congee.

Still—if May tried, winning over Zhao Xiaoluo wasn’t impossible. Su Ziqing hadn’t secured his heart yet. May still had chances.

“Step one: take initiative. Confess directly. Done.”

Chen Yaoyi popped another oyster into his mouth. Slightly cold, but delicious.

“No way… If I *could* do that, how would that ‘bad woman’ have gotten a chance? You’re just teasing me!”

May grumbled. To her, he was mocking her shyness.

But what could she do? What if he didn’t like her back? Now there was another rival—that plain girl from before had already rattled her enough!

“So… you want *Zhao Xiaoluo* to confess to *you*?”

“I guess… He’s already getting cozy with other girls behind my back. If *I* confess first, it’d look like I’m panicking… No thanks.”

To May, a confession should confirm mutual feelings—not stem from jealousy.

“Alright. Then show him, subtly, through every gesture, that he’s special to you.”

As he spoke, Chen Yaoyi lifted his water glass and set it to the right of hers.

Two identical glasses. Only the water levels differed.

His on the right fuller; hers on the left lower—a clear contrast, especially since May was staring right at it.

“What do I do?” She tilted her head.

“Easy. ‘Accidentally’ hand him *your* glass.”

“Have *Xiaoluo* drink it? Not me?”

“Obviously!”

Chen Yaoyi demonstrated again. This time, he placed his glass on the left.

“Now, whether Zhao Xiaoluo notices or not, you react like this—”

He explained with energetic flair, but May’s eyes stayed locked on the rim of *his* glass—the exact spot his lips had just touched.

She wouldn’t have noticed normally. But after his deliberate demo, she couldn’t look away. Her gaze flickered between the glass rim and his lips… then settled firmly on the cup. (Staring at his face would be weird.)

She missed most of what he said next.

Her focus wasn’t on the flirting tips—it was on *him*: his gestures, his tone, the parts that had nothing to do with Zhao Xiaoluo.

Why was he so invested in *her* love life? Did he want something?

May had zero dating experience, but… would a guy who’d hit on *her* really care this much about her crush on someone else?

Probably not. To him, was she just a tool? Lately, he’d seemed to deliberately nudge her and Zhao Xiaoluo closer…

Could it be…

“Hey! Are you even listening?”

“Huh? Ah! I am—wait?”

She jerked her head up—only to find he was no longer across from her.

“Over here!”

Chen Yaoyi reached out and gently turned her face toward him.

He’d already moved to her right, ready to demonstrate physical flirting cues.

May heard none of it.

“Are you serious? If you truly like him, I *will* help you! Don’t worry—I’ve got your back!”

But as those words landed, a hollow ache bloomed quietly in May’s chest.