“Got it…”

Su Tong didn’t really understand why the girl had suddenly told him that, but he still nodded.

He couldn’t quite make sense of it, but it sounded impressive—and seemed to make a lot of sense.

He’d only half-understood.

Some things have such a low learning curve that all it takes is a moment of understanding. But that very ease makes them hard to put into practice for real. So even if you keep saying, “I get it, I understand,” all you’ve really done is understand it in your head…

Everyone knows that hard work pays off. But how many people can actually persevere and work hard through the tough times?

Some pain can only be understood once you’ve bled.

So the girl just narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Don’t rush things.

Raising this little brat wouldn’t happen overnight. She had to treat it as a project that would take up most of her life. It was a long, slow process, and there was no point rushing it.

Take it slow.

…

While the two of them were talking—or rather, while Su Tong was teasing the boy all by herself—the manager of the Japanese restaurant hurried over to their table and bowed respectfully.

“Hello, guests. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Anyone who’d risen to become the manager of such a high-end Japanese restaurant had to have a sharp eye. The middle-aged man immediately saw that the girl was the one he ought to be currying favor with.

Su Tong smiled with practiced poise.

“Well… this is my first time dining at your restaurant, and I’m not familiar with your signature dishes. Would you recommend a few things for the two of us?”

The manager immediately understood.

He casually took in the girl’s outfit, then silently estimated how much it must have cost. He couldn’t help wondering why a girl who looked so obviously wealthy would bring a poor boy out to eat.

Rich people really do whatever they want.

Having figured that out, he put on a professionally deferential smile and said,

“Miss, all our ingredients are flown in from around the world to ensure the utmost freshness and quality. Our seafood and eel rice are especially popular, so I’d recommend the eel rice, along with our signature crispy cream snow crab and sashimi platter.”

“Then we’ll have two eel rice bowls, one crispy cream snow crab, and one sashimi platter.”

Su Tong asked the boy.

Except she wasn’t asking in the slightest. It was a statement, through and through.

There was no room for refusal.

Su Tong had already planned to throw in the towel and mooch a meal, so he didn’t object. He easily gave in to the girl’s queenly authority.

So this is what it feels like to be kept… For some reason, that thought crossed his mind.

It’s not so bad?

That only made the boy’s feelings more complicated.

The manager, though, wasn’t thinking nearly as much as he was. He simply pulled a business card from the breast pocket of his neatly pressed uniform and presented it with a respectful bow.

“This is my card. If you visit us again, you can contact me directly in advance, and I’ll personally look after you.”

Only then did Su Tong take her eyes off the boy. She nodded meaningfully, accepted the card, and said,

“Mm-hmm. That depends on whether I’m satisfied with the food.”

The manager gave an awkward smile.

Under normal circumstances, a remark like that would’ve been rather rude. But the aura around the girl was impossible to miss. Her queenly dominance and authority made the manager feel that it was only natural for her to say such a thing.

So all he could do was take his leave in a hurry.

“Please wait just a moment. Your meal will be served shortly.”

“Mm. You may go.”

The girl waved him away.

At last, the manager breathed a sigh of relief, turned, and left.

…

Su Tong suddenly felt as if he didn’t know the girl in front of him at all.

When they’d first met, she’d seemed like the girl next door: fresh and easygoing, with her hair tied in a side ponytail, like a lily or a morning glory.

Later, when he learned she was The Young Lady, she seemed to grow more refined and elegant, like a tulip.

And now she seemed more like a queen—stern and inscrutable, with a way of speaking that made her words sound like law. She practically radiated authority. She’d become a peony.

She switched between those three personalities so smoothly that it was impossible to get a read on her… So what was she really like?

Su Tong suddenly found himself curious.

But he wasn’t Tang Yanhua, that little bundle of curiosity who’d keep asking “Why? Why? Why?” about everything.

He simply kept his questions to himself and stayed quiet.

Only then did Su Tong turn to look at him and ask,

“What’s with that curious look? Got something to say?”

“…No.”

Did he really look that curious? He’d been trying so hard to hide what he was feeling. Even if he wasn’t very good at it, he shouldn’t have been that easy to read.

Su Tong couldn’t figure it out, of course.

Because the girl understood exactly what every tiny change in his expression meant—perhaps even better than he did.

In front of Su Tong…

He had no secrets at all.

So the girl deliberately kept that little fact to herself, just to tease him, and changed the subject.

“You know, Su Tong, you’re not bad-looking. Sure, you wear those old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses and have that dated, over-styled haircut, but if I take a closer look, you might actually be handsome if you made an effort with your appearance… So why let yourself go like this?”

As she spoke, she blinked.

But Su Tong’s mood sank.

“I wouldn’t say I’m letting myself go,” he said quietly. “Some people get to take the easy road, while others have to walk a tightrope. It’s a big world, and everyone has their own way of living. I have… well, I have my own way of life too, so I’m not letting myself go. This is just how I choose to live.”

“Really?”

“…Really.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Su Tong didn’t press him.

She just rested her chin in her hand and smiled at the boy.

The loose sleeve of her sweater slipped down, revealing her slender, pale forearm, smooth as soft jade. Her fingers were pale and delicate, too, charmingly fine-boned.

Their owner, however, wasn’t quite so charming.

Su Tong was wearing an expression that said, “Go on, I’m listening,” but though she was all smiles, she wasn’t paying attention at all.

This woman was just teasing Su Tong for her own amusement.

The boy couldn’t take it, so he turned away, pressed his lips together, and fell silent.

He wasn’t saying another word. Having someone watch him with that kind of look was irritating.

“Why’d you stop?”

But the girl wasn’t done yet.

“Go on. I’m really interested.”

…

Who’d want to open up to you when you act like that?!

Su Tong sighed.

He was suddenly starting to wonder if mooching this meal had been a good idea after all.

…

Su Tong didn’t say another word until the server brought the food. He seemed to be sulking, while Su Tong shamelessly stared at him, looking him up and down over and over as if she wanted to strip him bare with her eyes.

The boy shivered and could only bury his head in his food.

It really was a top-tier Japanese restaurant. The eel rice was sweet and savory, the crab meat tender, and even the sashimi—which Su Tong had been reluctant to try—was so delicious with Tosa soy sauce and wasabi that it made his heart tremble.

But as he ate, the girl suddenly said out of nowhere,

“How about I take you to get a haircut after we eat?”

Su Tong looked up…

The girl was smiling brightly at him.

[To be continued]