Chapter 110: The Shura Field (I)

Lin Yue nearly burst into laughter watching the group. Bai Chenxi was there, oblivious and carefree, while Chu Muyun was quietly asserting his territory. Xia Yan just sat there, making his presence felt. It was all too boring, and Lin Yue didn't mind stirring the pot a little.

Lin Yue walked over, holding an apple. "Here, Chenxi, have an apple after your meal." With that, he tossed the apple into Bai Chenxi's lap.

Bai Chenxi barked, "Big brother, are you trying to feed me or knock me out?"

Chu Muyun naturally took the apple and picked up a fruit knife to peel it. Although... well... how should one put it? Chu Muyun, in certain aspects—especially when it came to eating—was not exactly a refined man. What kind of grown man peels an apple just to eat it? Just as Chu Muyun was struggling with the apple skin, a perfectly peeled apple slid into view from before his eyes.

"Here." Xia Yan had somehow already finished peeling one.

Bai Chenxi took the apple and said, "Thanks! You're really good at peeling apples!"

"It's nothing. I had to learn it for a persona the company wanted me to adopt. It's nice to be able to put it to use now." Xia Yan spoke with such ease, not feeling the need to hide anything at all. The more candidly he spoke, the more authentic Bai Chenxi found him to be.

Chu Muyun let out a disgruntled huff to remind everyone of his presence. Bai Chenxi glanced at the apple in her hand and felt a headache coming on; how could she have forgotten about this ancestor?

"Brother Chu, no rush, take your time peeling. It just so happens I want to eat two."

Chu Muyun didn't even look up. "Who said this was for you? I'm peeling it for myself."

Xia Yan chimed in, "It's fine, I'll peel another one for you."

Bai Chenxi twitched her lips into a stiff smile: honestly, she didn't want to eat two at all.

Chu Muyun looked up at Xia Yan: *What business is this of yours?*

Xia Yan raised an eyebrow back at him: *If you won't give her one, can't I peel one for her?*

Their gazes clashed in the air for several hundred rounds, neither willing to yield.

Lin Yue, having seen enough of the show, spoke up: "Why don't you peel a few more so I can have one too?"

Chu Muyun and Xia Yan turned away in perfect synchronization, each returning to their own task.

Lin Yue sighed with feigned disappointment: "Sigh! It seems I'm not welcome here." He stood up and looked at Bai Chenxi: "I'm off. Don't miss me too much! If I have time before you're discharged, I'll come see you again."

Contrary to her usual self, Bai Chenxi tried to keep him there, looking at Lin Yue with feigned enthusiasm: "You're leaving already? Why not stay for a bit longer?" She kept winking at Lin Yue, but he played dumb: "What's wrong with your eyes? Are you uncomfortable?"

Bai Chenxi knew full well that Lin Yue was doing this on purpose. She glared at him fiercely and gave in: "The door is over there. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"

No matter how slow she was, Bai Chenxi could sense that Chu Muyun and Xia Yan were at odds. How was she supposed to handle this alone? She held the apple in her hands, unsure whether to eat it or not. Just as she was about to take a bite, she was scared off by Chu Muyun's glare.

"I suddenly feel so full, I don't think I can eat the apple."

Xia Yan looked at her with doting eyes: "It's alright, I'll peel another one for you when you're ready to eat."

Bai Chenxi nodded awkwardly. What was wrong with Xia Yan today? He was being so abnormal. She glanced at the slightly irritated Chu Muyun next to her and fell into deep thought. *As the saying goes, colleagues are enemies. How true. But what did I do to deserve being forced into the role of a tool?*

Bai Chenxi looked from one to the other. A plan formed in her mind, and she yawned as if she were exhausted: "I'm so full, I really want to sleep. Why don't you two head back?"

Xia Yan looked at the man sitting there as steady as a mountain and gritted his teeth, saying, "Aren't you leaving too, Heavenly King Chu?"

Chu Muyun ignored Xia Yan and looked at Bai Chenxi: "I came in a rush and have nowhere else to go. You don't mind if I rest here for a while, do you? Just go to sleep."

Did Bai Chenxi dare say she minded?

Xia Yan gritted his teeth again: "If the Heavenly King has nowhere to go, you can come with me. Chenxi needs to rest, so let's not disturb her."

Bai Chenxi, who had been pretending to be oblivious while eavesdropping, felt her eyes light up.

Chu Muyun glared at her impatiently before saying, "No need for the trouble. Chenxi and I are not strangers; there's no such thing as 'disturbing'." He looked at Bai Chenxi: "Isn't that right?"

Bai Chenxi looked at Xia Yan and nodded vigorously: "Right, right, it's not a disturbance at all."

"Very well then. Get some rest, I'll come see you again." As he said this, he cast a glance at Chu Muyun, as if to warn him.

Bai Chenxi muttered to herself: *Who exactly are you coming to see?*

Seeing Xia Yan leave, Bai Chenxi exhaled: *It's good that one is gone; one less is better than none.*

Chu Muyun saw her reaction and assumed she was unhappy with the other man. The smile in his eyes deepened. He stuffed the apple he had finally finished peeling into Bai Chenxi's hand. Looking at the rather mangled apple in her palm, she stared at him, confused.

"Didn't you want to eat?"

Bai Chenxi looked at the one he had pushed aside, then back at the one in her hand. *Can I switch?*

Chu Muyun followed her gaze, his expression sharpening. He picked up the apple Xia Yan had peeled, took a bite, and said nonchalantly, "Are you not going to eat?"

"I am." Bai Chenxi clutched the apple and began to gnaw on it with extreme resentment.

*You see that his is peeled better, and you want it, so just say so! Why must you force me to eat yours? It's been so long, and his 'tsundere' nature has really reached a new level.*

***

"Little Ling'er, you've changed." Zhang Kai looked at Wang Ling across from him, looking deep in thought.

Wang Ling was already used to his erratic nature. Without moving her eyes from the menu, she asked, "Oh? How have I changed?"

Hearing this made Zhang Kai feel as though he had done something wrong, as if Wang Ling hadn't asked how she had changed, but rather what he had done wrong. He coughed lightly and reined in his wandering thoughts: "You used to only go to barbecue stalls, spicy hot pot, and street food joints. You even said Western restaurants were too stuffy."

Zhang Kai glanced around the elegant restaurant: "I didn't expect you to enjoy coming to Western restaurants now."

Zhang Kai spoke half in jest and half with a sense of sentiment. Unexpectedly, Wang Ling closed the menu: "Are you implying that I only belong at street food stalls and don't belong here?"

Zhang Kai feigned indignation: "Who said that? We'll go wherever our Little Ling'er wants to eat."

Who wouldn't like a romantic candlelight dinner in a restaurant? But she didn't want to be like his previous girlfriends. She feared that after a while, she would lose sight of herself. Besides, she had been here before; she just hadn't waited for him.

Back then, she had won an award in a debate competition and invited him to celebrate. Zhang Kai had agreed without hesitation, even promising to give her a big gift.

It was indeed a "big" gift. She waited for a long time, but Zhang Kai never showed up. She had originally intended to confess her feelings. The next day, he brought a girl to meet her, claiming it was his new girlfriend whom he had just started dating yesterday. To make up for missing their date the previous night, he insisted on bringing her along to eat.

To this day, Wang Ling didn't know how she had managed to swallow that meal. Zhang Kai had brought the gift, too—the necklace she had wanted for so long. If it had been the day before, she probably would have been too excited to sleep. But now, she couldn't even force a smile.

Zhang Kai, caught up in his new relationship, was blind to all of this. It was his new girlfriend who gave her a look.

Not long after, he broke up again. But Wang Ling felt nothing anymore. Now, placing herself in the role of a friend, drinking beer and eating skewers, wasn't bad at all.

Wang Ling said softly, "Have you ever seen anyone discuss serious business on the street while eating barbecue?" At least, she wouldn't.

After ordering, Wang Ling slammed the menu down on the table. Zhang Kai's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose. Why did he always feel like the menu being slapped was actually himself?

"We should talk about what's going on with Chu Muyun and Bai Chenxi now, don't you think?"

As expected, the moment had finally arrived.