When The Harem Novel’s Heroine Meets The Tragic Heroine - Chapter 18

Bei Qiuqiu drove the sports car at a snail’s pace, glancing at Yu Qingling from time to time. “Sister, I’ve been meaning to ask—what do you do for a job?”

“Martial arts coach.” After speaking, Yu Qingling sized up Bei Qiuqiu. The girl’s arms were slender, and she looked soft and weak; she seemed like the type of delicate young lady who was impossible to develop into a student.

Bei Qiuqiu kept her eyes on the road ahead. “I’m a sophomore this year. I study jewelry design at the provincial university. My course load is very light this semester.”

Yu Qingling gave a cold, indifferent “oh” in response.

Bei Qiuqiu bit her lip, turned on the car radio, and asked, “What do you want to listen to, Sister?”

Yu Qingling looked down and glanced at it. It was full of characters she didn’t understand, so she silently withdrew her gaze. “Whatever.”

Bei Qiuqiu selected a piece of light music. She wondered to herself: How can someone dislike making choices so much that they always have the word “whatever” on their lips?

The sports car reached a bustling downtown area. After finding a place to park, Bei Qiuqiu pulled Yu Qingling straight into a packed, popular food stall. After waiting in the clamor for a while, they finally got a table.

The overhead fans whirred, sending waves of warm air circulating around them.

Feeling a bit hot, Bei Qiuqiu took off her jacket, revealing a tight-fitting, sequined camisole underneath that looked sexy and enchanting.

Yu Qingling’s gaze paused for a moment. Her eyes lingered on the girl’s slender waist—one that could seemingly be held in a single hand—before she looked around at their surroundings.

Likely because she was so eye-catching, Bei Qiuqiu attracted many stares.

Unaware, Bei Qiuqiu looked at the menu in her hand while using her other hand to fan her small face. She complained, “It’s so hot. I don’t know when the owner will finally be willing to install air conditioning.”

Yu Qingling hesitated for a moment, dismissing the urge to tell the girl to put her jacket back on. Instead, she swept a cold, stern gaze across the room.

Perhaps because the murderous aura she radiated was too intense, those who sought to pry felt a chill in their hearts the moment their eyes met hers. In a space where the temperature exceeded 30°C, their hair stood on end instantly.

By the time Bei Qiuqiu looked up again, no one around dared to glance their way anymore. She asked, “Sister, is it still up to me to decide?”

Yu Qingling nodded.

Bei Qiuqiu called the proprietress over and ordered several dishes. She tucked a strand of her slightly curly long hair behind her ear, then rested her chin on her hand and smiled at Yu Qingling. Her movements appeared languid and casual, yet her back remained perfectly straight.

Yu Qingling was unable to realize that she was currently experiencing a seduction from the girl; she only felt that the person opposite her was very charming and bright. She pursed her lips, feeling somewhat bewildered.

To Bei Qiuqiu, this looked like total indifference.

Bei Qiuqiu asked, “Sister, do you find it a bit annoying that I’m always asking you out?”

Yu Qingling was surprised. Why would she be annoyed? She actually looked forward to the girl finding her and leading her to understand this world.

“No. Come find me often when you’re free.”

As for why she looked forward to it so much, Yu Qingling figured it must be because she was so desperate to understand this world full of unknowns. She urgently needed a “native” to lead her into integration.

Bei Qiuqiu hadn’t expected Yu Qingling to say that. Her mood at that moment could be described as ecstatic.

She said excitedly, “Sister, I’m really fast at peeling crawfish! I’ll peel them for you in a bit!”

Just as she wanted to say more, a person stood by the table.

Bei Qiuqiu looked up. The newcomer seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him for a moment.

Xiao Qingtian panted, “Qingling, so you’re here.”

Yu Qingling’s face went cold. “What are you doing here?”

Xiao Qingtian couldn’t very well say he had followed her all this way because he thought she was on a date with a boyfriend. He looked at Bei Qiuqiu, and the heart he had been holding in his throat settled down. It turned out she was just hanging out with a female friend.

Xiao Qingtian dragged a chair over to sit between the two of them, flashing a socialite-style smile. “Qingling, what a coincidence. You’re here for a midnight snack, too.”

Yu Qingling found him incredibly annoying. There was no mission active—why was he running out here to make his presence known? Also, hadn’t she just beaten this “radish” until he couldn’t get up? Was he faking it?

Seeing that Yu Qingling ignored him completely, he wasn’t embarrassed. He said shamelessly, “I heard the crawfish here are famously delicious. I’ve wanted to try them for a long time, but there are always too many people and no seats. I’ll just have to squeeze in with you two. How about I treat you to this meal?”

As he spoke, he looked at Bei Qiuqiu. Upon closer inspection, Xiao Qingtian’s eyes lit up, and a desire for a new conquest surged in his chest.

However, Xiao Qingtian was a “harem protagonist” who was very good at faking devotion. While pursuing Yu Qingling, he wouldn’t provoke the best friend at her side. At most, he would put his targets in a queue—once he got Yu Qingling, he would then conquer Bei Qiuqiu.

He nodded very politely to Bei Qiuqiu. “We meet again. Hello.” After that, he didn’t let his gaze linger on her anymore.

A perfectly good date had been interrupted by a “lightbulb” (third wheel). Bei Qiuqiu curled her lips slightly. With her experience, she could tell at a glance that this was a philandering love rival. She hid her inner hostility well, feigning a harmless appearance as she replied politely, “Hello.”

Yu Qingling was very alert, her eyes cold and fierce. Seeing that Xiao “Radish’s” eyes weren’t lingering on Bei Qiuqiu, she felt slightly relieved.

She called out to 99 in her mind, “What’s going on? Did I hit him too lightly? How is he jumping around again?”

99 was both annoyed and amused. “He is the male lead, Host. Don’t you know the male lead possesses ‘protagonist armor’?”

Yu Qingling fell silent.

The dishes they ordered began to arrive one after another. A large bowl of steaming crawfish was placed in the center of the table. Seeing an extra person, the proprietress quickly provided Xiao Qingtian with a set of utensils.

Bei Qiuqiu put on disposable gloves, took a crawfish into her bowl, and her fingers flew as she quickly shelled the meat and placed it into Yu Qingling’s bowl.

“Sister, try it. The flavor is great.”

Yu Qingling picked up her chopsticks, lifted the translucent shrimp meat—a mix of red and white—and put it in her mouth. It was spicy, delicious, and had a lingering aftertaste.

Just as she finished one piece, another piece of shrimp meat dipped in sauce arrived in her bowl.

Bei Qiuqiu was right; she really was fast at peeling shrimp, and she did it well.

After being fed several pieces in a row, Yu Qingling noticed that Bei Qiuqiu hadn’t eaten anything herself yet.

In the spirit of reciprocity, she put on gloves and followed the peeling steps she had just learned from Bei Qiuqiu. She picked it up quickly and placed a peeled shrimp into Bei Qiuqiu’s bowl. “You eat, too.”

By the time Xiao Qingtian realized he was like an outsider, the two women had already gone back and forth, peeling through half the bowl for each other.

The crawfish, recognized by the whole city as having the best flavor, tasted like nothing but bitterness in his mouth.

He spoke with a sourness he himself didn’t even notice: “You two really have a great relationship.”