Gan Lan wasn’t the type to be won over by a little sweetness.

After she’d firmly turned him down again and again, Ye Yubai sighed and gave up.

“All right, then. If we’re not playing basketball, let’s go play claw machines instead.”

Gan Lan said seriously, “You promised a girl, so of course you have to follow through. Hurry up and go.”

Ye Yubai spread his hands. “Yes, yes, yes. As you command!”

So the four of them headed together toward the claw machines in the back.

There were still quite a few people playing claw machines at this hour.

Most of them were couples out on dates.

After a lot of effort, Ye Yubai managed to snag a claw machine nobody else was using. He dropped in a coin, ready to show off his skills.

Gan Lan stood beside him, watching him play.

The two girls on either side of them were also watching Ye Yubai with eager anticipation.

Ye Yubai turned to Gan Lan and asked, “Which one do you want? I’ll get it for you.”

Gan Lan said, “I don’t mind.”

How interested could a twenty-five-year-old soul be in something for little kids?

She was just keeping Ye Yubai company.

Ye Yubai said, “Oh,” and started working the joystick.

After a beep sounded.

The claw dropped onto a plush garlic bulb.

Ye Yubai waited for the right moment, then hit the button.

With a “pew!”

The garlic plush was dropped into the chute and fell down.

Ye Yubai reached into the prize slot, pulled out the adorably ugly plush, and handed it to Gan Lan.

Gan Lan gave its face a little squeeze.

It looked pretty ugly at first glance, but the longer you looked, the more it seemed kind of okay.

Both girls stared longingly at the plush in Gan Lan’s hands. They were practically ready to snatch it from her.

It was a prize won by their dream guy, Ye Yubai!

Ye Yubai dropped in another coin, ready to win two more plushies.

At last, he glanced at the girls. “What do you two want?”

His tone was about the same as a restaurant server asking customers what they’d like to order.

Meimei smiled. “Anything’s fine! I’m not picky.”

Tiantian tried to contain her excitement. “Same here! I’m fine with anything.”

Ye Yubai said, “Oh.”

He casually picked the two ugliest plushies, won them, and handed them to the two adorable girls, each as pretty as a flower.

Meimei looked at the green frog plush with its crooked features, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

It was so ugly!

But this was the first gift Ye Yubai had ever given her. How could she call it ugly?

“It’s so cute! Look at those big eyes, hehe…” Meimei forced herself to praise it.

Tiantian’s frog looked much the same, except hers was pink.

Her taste was perfectly normal, so of course she thought the thing was hideously ugly too.

But it was a plush Ye Yubai had given her!

Even if it were a plush turd, she’d have to lie through her teeth and say it looked nice!

“I absolutely love this color! Thank you, Ye.” Tiantian’s flawless smile even earned Ye Yubai’s admiration.

They could look at something that ugly and still call it cute?

Was their sense of taste all the way across the Atlantic or what?

Gan Lan shook her head helplessly.

She could tell Ye Yubai, that shameless schemer, had done it on purpose.

…

By the time they left the arcade, it was dinner time.

Neither girl showed any sign of wanting to leave.

In fact, they figured that with their looks, Ye Yubai would at least treat them to a casual meal.

But Ye Yubai said, “I’ve pretty much spent all my allowance for this month, so I’ll have to treat you next month.”

Gan Lan gave him a look.

This guy could lie without even blinking.

He’d literally just gotten his allowance.

Tiantian and Meimei exchanged another glance.

Tiantian hurriedly said, “Good thing I just got my allowance! I’ll treat everyone!”

Meimei shot her a murderous glare, then turned to Ye Yubai with a bright smile. “I just got my allowance too. Let me treat you!”

The two girls kept insisting that they’d pay.

Ye Yubai said, “Thanks, but my buddy’s feeling really dizzy. I should take him home to rest early. Sorry!”

As he spoke, he draped an arm over Gan Lan’s shoulders and led her back the way they’d come.

“See you at school tomorrow, ladies~”

He waved without looking back.

…

They crossed the pedestrian walkway and turned a corner.

The girls were completely out of sight now, but Ye Yubai still hadn’t taken his arm off her shoulders.

Gan Lan had no choice but to remove his arm from her shoulders herself.

Ye Yubai looked at her with obvious reluctance.

But by the time Gan Lan turned to look at him, he’d already composed himself and looked away as if nothing had happened.

“I’m telling you, those girls are such a pain.”

Ye Yubai grumbled.

“I didn’t think they’d hang around this long before finally leaving.”

Gan Lan thought, You’ve really gone and messed this up.

One of those girls is going to be your girlfriend in a few months.

And you just missed your chance to share a table with her for the first time.

You’d better not regret it later.

Ye Yubai pointed toward the snack street not far away.

“Come on, let’s go grab some skewers.”

Gan Lan shook her head, turned the corner, and headed home.

Ye Yubai caught up and casually put his arm around her shoulders again.

“How are you supposed to get better if you don’t eat?” Ye Yubai sounded a little reproachful.

“It’s fine. I’ll make noodles when I get home.” Gan Lan replied calmly, “Street food isn’t hygienic, and it costs more. I’d rather make something myself.”

Without meaning to, that twenty-five-year-old’s outlook had surfaced again.

Gan Lan sighed inwardly.

She really was getting old. She was always nagging like a parent.

“Hehe!” Ye Yubai rubbed his cheek against hers. “Noodles sound good. Make me some too!”

Gan Lan: “…”

What kind of dirty talk was that?!

She swung her head sideways and knocked him away with a headbutt.

Ye Yubai rubbed his slightly sore cheek. He wasn’t angry—in fact, he felt a little flustered and restless.

Gan Lan always used that floral-scented shampoo, and she washed her hair often. Her hair was soft, and it always carried a scent that was intoxicating.

After smelling it so often, he was starting to get hooked.

But he couldn’t keep holding her in his arms.

Gan Lan clearly didn’t like physical contact with other people.

Ye Yubai scratched his head, feeling a pang of frustration.

Gan Lan had gotten weird, and so had he.

Like right now—he didn’t even know why he felt so restless, as if he might lose something.

“If we just go straight home, it feels like we’re leaving the day unfinished…” Ye Yubai muttered, looking around.

Then he spotted his target: one of the internet cafés he often went to!

“Gan Lan, have you finished your homework?”

Ye Yubai suddenly asked.

Gan Lan turned to look at him.

Then she shifted her gaze slightly toward the internet café by the roadside.

Minors weren’t allowed in internet cafés, but Ye Yubai could get in.

He was handsome, and he had a nice way of speaking. The female attendants at the café usually let him get away with it.

So by asking that, Ye Yubai was obviously planning to drag Gan Lan to the internet café.

Gan Lan clicked her tongue.

She immediately said sternly,

“Even if you’ve finished your homework, you should still behave and go home early! Otherwise, your parents will worry.”