Green Tea? She's Clearly a Hidden Gem!

After saying all that, Su Muzhi’s face still carried a smile, even a little smug.

Jiang Linyuan didn’t know what to say, so he just took the bottle of water from her hand and took a small sip.

“Candied hawthorn.”

Shen Wanyu walked back from the snack stall holding two sticks of candied hawthorn, handing them to the two.

“Hehe, there’s actually one for me?”

Su Muzhi took it, her smile showing her white teeth.

“Buy one get one free, you got lucky.”

Shen Wanyu sat down beside them.

Shen Guoguo, who had sugar crumbs stuck to the corner of her mouth, looked up at her after hearing this, but said nothing and kept eating her own candied hawthorn.

“Is that so? Buy one get one free, huh.”

Su Muzhi shook the candied hawthorn in her hand, the bright red hawthorn berries coated in a layer of glossy sugar glaze, shimmering as brightly as the laughter in her eyes.

Jiang Linyuan didn’t keep staring at her, crunching into his own candied hawthorn. It wasn’t particularly sweet.

Shen Wanyu’s gaze flickered between the two for a moment, then she asked:

“What were you two talking about?”

“Hehe, that’s a secret.”

Su Muzhi took a bite of her candied hawthorn, answering vaguely.

“Don’t badmouth the Department Head again.”

Jiang Linyuan said.

Shen Wanyu looked at Jiang Linyuan, speaking coolly:

“You’d better watch yourself.”

No idea what that meant.

Jiang Linyuan thought.

After resting a bit, they continued following the crowd forward.

Su Muzhi leaned close to Jiang Linyuan’s ear, chuckling softly as she looked toward Shen Wanyu ahead:

“Go and hold her hand.”

She was pressed very close, her red sleeves billowing, the phoenix coronet and bridal gown wrapping around Jiang Linyuan inexorably, pushing him toward the other girl.

“Won’t you get jealous?” Jiang Linyuan asked.

“I will. Of course I will.”

Su Muzhi nodded, laughing gently:

“But it’s precisely like this that I can figure out how I really feel.”

“Just think of it as doing it for me. Go hold her hand.”

Jiang Linyuan didn’t know what to say anymore.

This felt way too much like that helpless husband whose sex life with his wife wasn’t going well, only to stumble upon her being intimate with someone else by chance, and that’s the only time he got turned on.

Wuwuwu, Xiao Su, I’ll be really good to you from now on.

“Need me to give you a push?”

Su Muzhi grinned happily and shoved Jiang Linyuan hard.

It was quite strong. There was definitely a bit of personal grudge mixed in there.

He chose to go with the flow, leaning forward with his body, stumbling as if he were about to fall. Then, a hand caught his.

It was ice cold, smooth as ice cream.

“What are you two up to?”

Shen Wanyu held Jiang Linyuan’s hand, steadying him, then glanced at Su Muzhi, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Hehe, classified.”

Su Muzhi covered her mouth with a laugh.

Yeah, it was infuriating. Why did something that belonged to her have to be held by this person?

But she couldn’t bring herself to hate Jiang Linyuan.

It was like having a toy taken away by someone else—would you hate the toy?

Tch…

Shen Wanyu looked at Su Muzhi, then suddenly broke into a smile:

“All that effort for nothing. You’ll regret it sooner or later.”

With that, she gently pulled her hand away and continued walking ahead.

“Why didn’t you hold on a little tighter?”

Su Muzhi sidled up to Jiang Linyuan and asked.

“Doing that would only backfire.”

Jiang Linyuan replied.

“That’s true.”

Su Muzhi rubbed her chin, thinking:

“Let me ask you—if I were to push you into the river right in front of her, would she jump in to save you?”

“…I can swim.”

“Then what about pushing you off a mountain?”

“…Murder is against the law.”

“Accidental falls don’t count, right?”

?

“Hehe, just kidding.”

Looking at the smile on Su Muzhi’s face, Jiang Linyuan felt the sincerity in those words far outweighed the joke.

Xiao Su’s danger level was getting higher and higher. He needed to seek the Department Head’s protection.

Jiang Linyuan silently edged closer to Shen Wanyu, while Su Muzhi still wore her amused smile.

They continued their sightseeing.

The entire tour route had been meticulously planned by the Culture and Tourism Bureau. The streets were lined with styling shops, photographers crouching at every doorway. A few steps further, and there were shops selling palace lanterns and other souvenirs.

Ah, you get tired of walking, and then you discover stalls selling blown sugar figures, milk tea shops, and all kinds of classic old Beijing snacks.

Consumption was everywhere.

“Um, could I take a picture of you? Sorry, I don’t mean anything by it, it’s just that you guys are way too good-looking! Could I take a picture to post online?”

A soft voice sounded in their ears. Jiang Linyuan stopped and saw a girl holding a camera standing prettily in front of him.

A little check-in fan.

Jiang Linyuan was about to politely decline when another male voice cut in urgently:

“Xia Tao! Why are you running so fast?”

He looked over and saw a boy with a fairly clean-cut face, and following behind him was someone he recognized.

“Wanyu and Miss Su?”

Zhao Qiulu slowed her pace, looking very surprised to see the three of them.

“Eh, are they your friends, Senior Zhao?”

The girl called Xia Tao’s eyes instantly lit up when she heard that.

“You run way too fast! There are so many people here. What if you fall and get hurt?”

The boy, ignoring Jiang Linyuan and the others, grabbed Xia Tao by the wrist, his tone full of concern.

“Ah… it’s just that they’re so good-looking. I wanted to take a picture.”

Xia Tao pulled her hand back a little awkwardly, not daring to look at the boy.

“This is my boyfriend, Li Wang. And this is my junior, Xia Tao. She’s our photographer for today.”

Zhao Qiulu stepped forward and made the introductions to Jiang Linyuan and the others.

Jiang Linyuan sized up the three of them. Something felt off.

Hmm, still under investigation. Can’t just think with the lower half of the body.

Don’t slander their friendship. What if it’s nothing?

They just had a very deep bond. It wasn’t like they were glued together.

“Um, can I tag along with you guys? More people make it more fun, right?”

Xia Tao, probably thinking the group were Zhao Qiulu’s friends, naturally made the request.

She was a girl who warmed up to people quickly.

Li Wang looked at her, opened his mouth to say something, but Zhao Qiulu spoke first with a gentle smile:

“Xia Tao is a really good photographer. It doesn’t look like you have one with you either? Let her walk with you for a while.”

Shen Wanyu glanced at her:

“I don’t have a problem with it.”

Su Muzhi watched Zhao Qiulu for a moment, then looked at Xia Tao, letting out a chuckle:

“Fine.”

“Then Xia Tao will stick with you guys. We’ll see you later.”

Zhao Qiulu grabbed Li Wang, who was about to say something more, and walked away directly.

“Phew, thanks, you guys.”

Watching the two leave, Xia Tao breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Jiang Linyuan and the others, and scratched her head apologetically:

“I just really didn’t want to be the third wheel. So I was looking for an excuse to slip away. I’ll just find a place to sit by myself later. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Third wheel?”

Shen Wanyu repeated the word with confusion, then shook her head:

“Do whatever you want.”

“Hehe. You think you’re a third wheel, but that guy definitely doesn’t see it that way.”

Su Muzhi chuckled.

Xia Tao scratched her face awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

“Forget it. You don’t have to find a place to sit. Just take some pictures for us.”

Su Muzhi saw her expression and felt that something even more interesting was bound to happen later.

“Yeah, my photography skills are amazing! The photos will definitely come out great!”

Xia Tao said with renewed energy. Rather than sitting around miserably by herself, she’d much rather take pictures of a few handsome guys and beautiful girls.

She’d finally escaped. Being stuck between those two was way too uncomfortable.

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