NOVEL WEB chapter 136
Chapter 61, Each with Their Own Thoughts
“Mu En classmate!”
On the quiet, secluded street, the girl’s surprised voice, accompanied by the swaying wind chimes at the door, finally made Mu En feel the chill of this late autumn season.
“Sha… Sha Li classmate?”
Mu En turned his head stiffly, even as he chanted in his mind countless times that this was an auditory hallucination, that this was an auditory hallucination, yet that familiar pretty face behind the large black-framed glasses still inevitably came into view.
“You… how come you’re here?”
“Why am I here?”
Sha Li showed a hint of peculiarity: “This is my home, you know.”
What?
Home?
Mu En’s mind went blank for a moment, then he turned his head at a speed that almost made his cervical spine scream, looking at the doorplate of the restaurant.
Dulank Street—No. 15!
Damn!
No wonder this address felt so familiar, why it stood out to me amidst the sea of information.
It’s the address that Sha Li gave herself!
In other words, this is her family’s restaurant!
“How strange, did soaking in the Mercury Well for thirty hours make my brain go fuzzy? How could I forget something so important?”
“Mu En classmate, what are you mumbling about?”
Sha Li leaned closer, her slightly flushed cheeks revealing pure delight:
“Alright, it’s cold outside, don’t linger, come inside with me. I knew Mu En classmate would come, so I had my dad temporarily close the restaurant to wait for you.”
So that’s why your family’s restaurant is closed on a big weekend!
“No, never mind, I have other things to do, so I won’t go in…”
“Eh? Mu En classmate, didn’t you come because of my invitation?”
The excitement in Sha Li’s eyes suddenly vanished, and though she was empty-handed, Mu En suddenly felt as if she was standing in front of him with a hatchet.
Mu En couldn’t help but shiver.
Is this little girl really that frightening?
And haven’t we only met two or three times? Is she really this fixated on me?
Could it be that…
She is coveting my beauty?
“Um, Shali, actually today…”
But even so, Mu En still insisted on rejecting Shali’s invitation.
Because compared to the minor issue of being stabbed by a machete, he was even less willing to let this date encounter any more complications.
Having a second woman appear on a date was a major taboo!
“Oh my, junior, aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely classmate?” At that moment, Anna suddenly touched her cheek and smiled.
Mu En immediately felt a chill run down his back, a shiver coursing through him.
Senior, please don’t add to the chaos right now!
Sure enough, as soon as the senior spoke, Shali instantly shifted her attention.
It was as if she had just noticed that a stunning beauty was standing here, her expression immediately turning defensive, as if entering a battle mode:
“Who are you?”
“She is Senior Anna, a senior in my club.”
Mu En quickly stepped between the two, forcing himself to introduce them:
“This is Shali, a classmate from my year.”
“Hello, Shali, I’m Anna Carlin.”
The senior gracefully extended her hand, acting like a broad-minded upperclassman, seemingly unfazed by Shali’s sudden appearance.
“Hello, I’m Shali Fland.”
Shali reached out her hand, and they exchanged a light handshake.
But in that moment of contact, Shali’s body paused slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her eyes.
She quickly returned to normal.
“Senior Anna… are you on a date with Mu En?”
Shali’s gaze, behind her black-framed glasses, swept over the two, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes.
Here it comes!
Mu En felt a jolt.
Based on his extensive experience from reading countless romance comics in his past life, he knew that at this moment, the response had to be subtle, avoiding any escalation of conflict.
Otherwise, a girl like Shali, who seemed soft and weak but was actually prone to overthinking, could easily turn dark!
Subtlety,
It had to be subtle.
“Yes, it seems like the junior wants to pursue me~” Anna said bluntly.
Ah, ah, ah!
Senior, what on earth are you talking about?
You clearly denied that this was a date before, warning me not to have any other thoughts, right?
Why did you suddenly change your tune?
“Is it… like this? Haha, is it really like this?”
As expected, the glimmer in Shali’s eyes, which had been so hard to accumulate, faded once again.
Looking at her, it felt as if she might pull out a hatchet at any moment, shouting, “How about we split him in half?” and rush over to slash at Mu’en with one blow to the head and another to the belly.
Thinking of that terrifying image, Mu’en couldn’t help but shrink back.
But unexpectedly, Shali quickly regained her composure, and it seemed her fighting spirit had been ignited even more.
“I… I won’t give up!”
She clenched her fists, as if to encourage herself: “That’s right, I won’t give up so easily!”
Saying this, she once again extended an invitation to Mu’en:
“Look at the time, Mu’en, you must be hungry, right? Since you’re here, why not come in and sit for a while, and try my dad’s cooking?”
“N-no… I think I’ll pass.” Mu’en shook her head vigorously.
What a joke, going in under these circumstances would be like jumping into a fire pit!
No way, absolutely not!
“Sure!”
But Anna smiled and replied:
“Just in time, I’m hungry too. Shali, you don’t mind having one more person, do you?”
So, Senior, what are you doing?
Mu’en’s face was filled with terror, but Anna seemed to be oblivious, still wearing her charming smile.
She stared at Shali, as if confirming something, or perhaps pondering over something.
Seeing Anna agree first, Shali, though unhappy, knew that this was the only way to persuade Mu’en.
So she cast a pitiful glance at Mu’en once more:
“Since it’s come to this, Mu’en… you wouldn’t refuse, would you?”
“……”
……
Entering the restaurant.
Just like the pictures and descriptions in the guide, this small private restaurant had an elegant atmosphere, with exquisite decor, making it a perfect setting for a date.
“Let me introduce you, this is my dad.”
After taking a seat, Shali first dragged over a middle-aged man who looked serious and unsmiling.
“Hello, Uncle.”
“Hello.”
Mu En and Anna greeted politely, but the middle-aged man merely nodded silently and walked back into the innermost room.
Before long, rhythmic chopping sounds came from inside.
“I’m sorry, my dad isn’t very good at communicating with people,” Shali scratched her head and said apologetically.
Mu En and Anna naturally didn’t mind.
“Then you two sit for a while; I’ll go help in the kitchen. This time, I must impress Mu En with my cooking skills!”
Shali entered the kitchen with determination.
Thus, in the pleasantly atmospheric small dining room, only Mu En and his senior sister remained.
“So, what exactly do you want to do, Senior Sister?”
After a brief silence, Mu En, with a sense of helplessness, looked at the senior sister whose thoughts he couldn’t discern until now:
“Are you just here to watch me make a fool of myself?”
“How could that be? Am I really such a bad senior sister?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Hehe… then let’s say I am.”
Anna chuckled lightly, then changed the subject:
“Junior, that girl named Shali seems to like you.”
“But I don’t like her.”
Mu En stared into the senior sister’s eyes and said seriously:
“Although she is indeed a pretty nice girl, in reality, we only know each other a little.
I don’t like her, Senior Sister.”
“I see, then can you do me a favor, Junior?”
“What favor?”
“Help me…”
Anna looked at Mu En, suddenly revealing a mischievous smile like a little devil:
“Make her cry.”