Jiang Churan glanced at Shen Shuang and Xu Yan, then muttered, "Alright, I know what you two are dying to hear. I'll tell you when we get back."
Shen Shuang angled her phone for a better shot and whispered back, "No way, spill it now. Are you two together??"
Jiang Churan shook her head, shot Jiang Cheng a sideways look, and denied it. "Not yet..."
Shen Shuang and Xu Yan stared in unison at her wrist.
Jiang Churan quietly recounted how Jiang Cheng had just bought her a bunch of things.
The two girls' eyes went wide.
"That's crazy-rich level..."
"Ranran, I'm seriously jealous..."
Jiang Cheng paid no attention to the girls' whispering.
The place was buzzing. While someone sang on stage, Jiang Cheng pulled out his phone and idly scrolled through moments.
The private-jet boarding photo he'd posted this morning had already racked up nearly a hundred likes.
Pretty much half his contacts had hit the button.
Old high-school buddies, plus some teachers he'd added back in middle school, had all given it a thumbs-up.
After a quick glance he closed the notification.
He kept scrolling.
Zhou Ying: "Just got home, eating Mom's specialty—cup noodles~~"
Zhou Ying: [photo]
Jiang Cheng liked it and commented: "Looks like Auntie's got skills—mind if I come for dinner sometime??"
Further down he hit Wang Congcong and the guys' posts.
They were either flexing dogs or super-cars.
Past those, he spotted Zhou Zhiyun's update.
Zhou Zhiyun: "Say nothing and someone still gets you—that kind of understanding is next-level."
Zhou Zhiyun: [photo]
It was a gym mirror selfie of him perched on a machine.
Jiang Cheng quietly tapped like.
Finally, a post that wasn't some emo gloom.
Jiang Cheng: "Nice, little bro's learned to fish—Dad's proud."
Right after he sent that, Zhou Zhiyun replied under Jiang Cheng's comment on Zhou Ying's post.
Jiang Cheng: "Looks like Auntie's got skills—mind if I come for dinner sometime??"
Zhou Zhiyun replied: "Next time Auntie will soak the noodles just for you."
Zhong Chuxi replied: "Probably the most low-maintenance son-in-law ever~~"
Jiang Yun replied: "Cup noodles require skill? Guess the saying's true—love the house and its crow."
Jiang Yun really was a little witch, hitting the nail on the head.
Love the crow too—seriously??
Remembering Mother-in-law Fang Yuan, who looked barely older than Zhou Ying, Jiang Cheng felt slightly overwhelmed.
He ignored the thread and kept scrolling.
He came to Reba's wrap-shot posted two hours earlier.
She'd even tagged her location.
Instead of liking it, Jiang Cheng tapped her avatar and messaged: "You're in Kyoto??"
Before he could exit, Reba replied instantly.
Reba: "?"
Reba: "You finally saw my post??"
What did that mean?
Had she posted the location just for him??
Jiang Cheng: "I'm at the Rear Sea area villa tonight—come over for a drink?"
Reba: "You never like my posts, and now you just summon me? I'd lose face..."
Jiang Cheng: "If you show up, I'll personally give your little button a big-thumb salute—how's that?"
Reba: "..."
Reba: "No idea what you're talking about."
Jiang Cheng: "Doesn't matter. I'm outside; if you're busy I can find someone else to like..."
Ten-plus seconds later Reba wrote back.
Reba: "Think I'm scared? Like button it is—I'm heading out right now..."
Jiang Cheng chuckled and closed the chat.
The moment he did, a red dot appeared at his lips—Xu Yan was holding out a huge strawberry.
Xu Yan said casually, "Ranran says you haven't eaten tonight. Have some fruit; I'll whip up noodles for you, okay?"
Jiang Cheng kept his guard up when his girl's best friend suddenly tried to feed him.
If Jiang Churan weren't here he might have taken the bite.
But in this setting?
Feeding like that was already borderline intimate between normal friends—let alone between besties.