Chapter 20 Chapter 20: Flirting Tips for Girls? Part 2
Xu Yecheng turned his head and saw He Xiaohan standing beside him. Instinctively, he tucked his phone away, his expression instantly turning awkward.
He Xiaohan set down his tray and slid into the seat next to Xu Yecheng. “Mind if I join you?” he said—though he was already sitting down before finishing the sentence. “This seat’s not taken, right?”
Xu Yecheng let out a soft “Mm,” then chuckled, “You’re already sitting. What’s the point of asking now?”
He Xiaohan cleared his throat lightly. “Just didn’t want to interrupt if you were meeting someone.”
As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of rice.
Xu Yecheng’s eyes flickered over He Xiaohan’s face—still feeling a bit uneasy.
*He couldn’t have seen me browsing women’s clothes just now… right?*
Outwardly, though, he remained perfectly composed.
“How come you’re not with Ji Qingying?” Xu Yecheng teased with a smile. “Did your girlfriend ditch you?”
He Xiaohan seemed slightly surprised that Xu Yecheng had brought it up so casually. He looked up, caught the playful glint in Xu Yecheng’s eyes, and replied easily, “She’s on her period—didn’t feel well, so she went back to the dorm to rest. Left me to eat alone.”
Xu Yecheng listened to He Xiaohan’s carefree tone, trying to catch any hint of hidden disappointment—but there was none. In fact, He Xiaohan’s eyes held a quiet amusement, as if he were genuinely relaxed, even content.
“Honestly,” He Xiaohan added, “some girls can be a handful. Hanging out with the guys is way more fun.”
Xu Yecheng let out an exaggerated “Hah!”
“Then why do you keep chasing after girls?”
He Xiaohan shrugged, a touch of helpless amusement on his face. “Can’t flirt with the guys, can I? Unless *you* want to give me a shy little pout?”
Xu Yecheng nearly spat out his mouthful of rice.
“Can you be normal for once? I didn’t know you were such a simp,” he said, rolling his eyes.
He Xiaohan gave him an innocent, wide-eyed look—the picture of harmlessness.
“Your reactions are pretty entertaining, Cheng,” he said.
A familiar chill ran down Xu Yecheng’s spine.
“Don’t joke about me like that—it’s gross.”
“If you know it’s just a joke, then what’s gross about it?” He Xiaohan countered.
Xu Yecheng wasn’t actually the type who couldn’t take a joke. Back in the dorm, he and Liu Xianlin or Zheng Wenxuan often traded raunchy banter without a second thought.
But in Xu Yecheng’s mind, He Xiaohan had always seemed… respectable. Serious, even. He’d never teased Xu Yecheng like this before.
Lately, though, He Xiaohan had been acting strangely friendly—almost like he was trying to get closer.
Their relationship had never been bad, but ever since Xu Yecheng found out He Xiaohan was dating Ji Qingying, he’d started feeling a vague sense of resentment toward him.
“Anything on your mind, Cheng?” He Xiaohan asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
Xu Yecheng *was* in a bad mood—about a lot of things.
But who could he talk to? Zheng Wenxuan was too oblivious to help, and Liu Xianlin was even more thickheaded.
Xu Yecheng knew he was sensitive—always overthinking things.
Take his breakup with Ji Qingying, for example. If only he could bounce back in three days like Zheng Wenxuan did.
“My phone broke,” Xu Yecheng said with a sigh. “Fell off the bed this afternoon and shattered into pieces.”
“Oh? So this one’s Zheng Wenxuan’s spare?” He Xiaohan asked.
“Yeah. No choice but to borrow his for now.”
He Xiaohan took another bite of rice, then said casually, “Planning to buy a new one? Want to borrow some money from me?”
Xu Yecheng felt a flicker of temptation—but quickly shook his head.
He didn’t want to owe He Xiaohan anything right now.
“No, thanks,” he said firmly. “I’ll just work a few extra shifts and save up. It’s fine—don’t wanna trouble you.”
He Xiaohan gave a quiet “Mm,” then smiled again—soft, unreadable.
“You could get it on installment,” he suggested. “Pay a little each month. That way, the pressure’s lighter.”
Xu Yecheng’s eyes lit up—he hadn’t even thought of that.
“Damn, I totally forgot installment plans existed,” he muttered, picking up the phone to browse new models.
But the moment the screen lit up, he froze.
His browsing history was still open—right on the women’s clothing page.
His hand stiffened for a split second—then, with practiced calm, he swiped away the tab.
He Xiaohan blinked, then teased with a smirk, “Didn’t know you were into that stuff, Cheng.”
Xu Yecheng didn’t look up, but his voice stayed steady:
“A friend’s birthday is coming up. Not sure what to get her.”
He sounded convincing—except his eyes had darted away just a little too quickly.
He Xiaohan noticed. And the corner of his lips twitched upward.
He found Xu Yecheng oddly simple—refreshingly so. Actually… kind of cute.
“How about a lip tint?” he offered. “The Hello Kitty one’s on sale—79 yuan for a whole set. Not expensive, and she’ll definitely like it.”
“Huh,” Xu Yecheng grunted. “Since when did you become an expert on girly stuff?”
He Xiaohan popped a piece of meat into his mouth. “If you don’t pay attention to these things, how are you supposed to win girls over?”
Xu Yecheng almost laughed.
*“Girls”—plural, no less.*
“You really do know your stuff,” he said, half-joking.
“Anyone can learn,” He Xiaohan replied easily. “Nowadays, most girls think they’re precious treasures. You’ve got to cater to them a little if you want a shot.”
Xu Yecheng studied He Xiaohan with a complicated expression—part admiration, part weary resignation.
Girls *were* hard to figure out.
But He Xiaohan? He was even more enigmatic.
Xu Yecheng honestly couldn’t read him at all.
Though, in the end, it didn’t really matter. They were just friends—and He Xiaohan *had* helped him before.
His gaze dropped back to his phone.
He decided on a Redmi—12-month installment plan. High性价比 (cost-performance ratio), after all.
Pathetic as it was to buy a budget phone on credit… well, that was his life.
Suddenly, he remembered—Zheng Wenxuan’s birthday was coming up in a couple of days, and he hadn’t gotten a gift yet.
He looked up at He Xiaohan. “Zheng Wenxuan’s birthday’s in a few days—what are you getting him?”
He Xiaohan exhaled slowly, finishing his last bite of rice.
“An electric… toothbrush,” he said.
Xu Yecheng had to admit—his mind was filthier than it should be.
Because during that tiny pause, he’d absolutely imagined something *very* different.
---
*Found an image that matches my mental image of the female lead—take a look if you’re curious:*
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!