Soon the car pulled up at the Cantonese restaurant Wang Jian had sent, called Lu Yuan.
It was peak dining hour; the entrance was packed with cars, showing the place was pretty popular.
After parking, Jiang Cheng headed straight for the door.
Half-way there he saw a woman hurrying toward him, looking flustered.
One glance and Jiang Cheng unconsciously stopped in his tracks.
The approaching beauty was so striking he knew, even without activating the Character Scanning System, her looks had to rate above 90.
She walked with a frown, glancing over her shoulder as if something frightening tailed her.
The instant their eyes met, the Girl's gaze brightened.
Her expression mirrored the one he'd worn moments earlier—pure admiration at first sight.
And indeed, while Jiang Cheng found her gorgeous, she found him exceptionally handsome.
As they brushed past, the woman suddenly halted and announced loudly, "You're finally here—I've waited so long."
Then, more quietly, "Hi, Handsome Guy, could you help me? Someone's following me; please pretend you're my friend."
When she finished, Jiang Cheng peered past her.
Sure enough, a mild-looking guy in glasses trailed not far behind.
Spotting Jiang Cheng, the stalker's face showed regret and frustration.
Jiang Cheng understood instantly.
He shot the guy a warning glare, then looked toward Wang Sheng a short distance away.
Catching Wang Sheng's eye, he signaled.
After Wang Sheng nodded, Jiang Cheng took her hand and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting—let's go inside."
Startled by the sudden hand-hold, the Girl blushed crimson.
Yet she didn't pull away; instead she followed him obediently into the restaurant.
Seeing Jiang Cheng and Si Nian enter, a Waitress quickly approached.
"Welcome, you two. Do you have a reservation?"
Jiang Cheng nodded and gave the table Wang Jian had booked to the Female Waitress.
Smiling, the Waitress led them straight to a private booth.
There Jiang Cheng voluntarily released Si Nian's hand.
After all, they'd just met; a brief clasp to cement the act was enough.
Holding on longer would just seem greasy.
Sure enough, when he let go, Si Nian's favorability value toward him ticked upward.
Glancing at the elegant décor, she said, "Thanks so much for the help. My name's Si Nian."
Jiang Cheng responded by activating the Interpersonal Scanning System on her.
"System booting… retrieving target data."
[Name: Si Nian]
[Age: 19]
[Height: 168 cm]
[Looks: 90]
[Figure: 92]
[Privacy: 0]
[favorability value: 60]
After skimming the panel, Jiang Cheng said, "I'm Jiang Cheng. Why was someone following you?"
Still shaken, Si Nian answered, "I was at the Bookstore when that guy asked for my wechat. I refused, but he kept pestering me. I got annoyed and left, yet he followed me, saying creepy things that scared me."
Jiang Cheng nodded sympathetically.
Such incidents were common; news stories of men retaliating after wechat rejections popped up all the time.
The perils of being a beautiful Girl.
"To be safe, why not stick with me a while? It's my roommate's birthday lunch—join us?"
"Is… is that okay? I could just wait here and leave once he's gone—he probably won't linger by the door."
Seeing her hesitate, Jiang Cheng added, "Not at all. They all promised to bring their girlfriends; only I showed up single, so I'm doomed to be force-fed dog-food. If you're there, I might actually manage to eat properly."
His remark made Si Nian cover her mouth and laugh.
The laughter instantly dissolved any awkwardness between them.
His earlier decision to release her hand had already scored points in her book.
"All right then, I won't stand on ceremony. I haven't had lunch either."
"What a coincidence—neither have I~"
Si Nian burst into giggles again at Jiang Cheng's lame joke.
"That pun was ice-cold."
While they bantered, the Waitress led them to a private room deeper inside.
The door stood ajar; Jiang Cheng ushered Si Nian in.
His three roommates were already inside chatting.
Wu Kun was waving a big, crusty foreign loaf at them. "Well? Big enough?? Hard enough??"
Lu Chuan quickly covered his girlfriend's ears and barked, "Control yourself, you perv! No wonder you can't get a girlfriend."
"Hey, hey, don't blame me for your dirty mind. I'm just describing its properties—what were you thinking?"
Wang Jian grinned at Wu Kun's loser antics. "Enough, Old Wu, put your Hard Stick away and gnaw it in the corner. Stop spraying us—how are we supposed to eat?"
Lu Chuan laughed and scolded Wang Jian, "Boss Wang, I'm fed up with you two. We haven't even touched the booze, and there are two Girls present."
Jiang Cheng, embarrassed by their raunchy banter, glanced at Si Nian.
Seeing her shocked expression, he gave a helpless cough.
The room fell silent at the sound.
Spotting Jiang Cheng, birthday-boy Wang Jian jumped up and greeted warmly, "Bro Cheng, you're here—sit, sit!"