The Senior’s Love-Testing Pawn (41)

Xie An indeed had her own plans.
That day, she had intentionally let Shen Qingchen see the message Kang Cheng sent her, and she knew clearly that Shen Qingchen had been particularly desperate to kiss her because he lacked a sense of security.
However, she didn't mind, because Shen Qingchen would soon know that those messages were only the beginning.
The other party didn't reply very quickly. Xiao Hei stared at that single word 【Okay】 for a long time, truly not understanding why Kang Cheng had hesitated so long over such a simple word.
Just as it was about to relay these words to Xie An, another message came from the other side.
【Has An An had dinner? If not, do you want to go eat together?】
Under Xie An’s direction, Xiao Hei sent the final sentence.
【I've eaten. If A Cheng hasn't, come over after you finish. No rush, we have plenty of time.】
The three of them had arrived at Zhao Yan’s small stall. The person looking after the stall was a male student with short hair and an upright appearance, currently looking down and tidying up the slightly messy tabletop.
"Li Wei?" Zhao Yan was a bit surprised. "Why are you here?"
Hearing Zhao Yan’s voice, Li Wei looked up and smiled at her. "It's the weekend. I specifically came from the neighboring city to find you."
He walked around from behind the stall and patted Zhao Yan’s round head, saying seriously, "After all, it's a long-distance relationship. If I'm not proactive, I'm worried you'll have too much fun and forget about this official boyfriend of yours."
Zhao Yan slapped his hand away and rolled her eyes. "Stop talking nonsense. Remember to notify me next time."
"Wasn't I trying to give you a surprise?" Li Wei grinned and leaned close to her. "Did you miss your dear boyfriend?"
Zhao Yan’s face flushed. A bit frustrated, she reached out to block his face. "I did, okay? If you keep being so glib, I'll hit you."
Li Wei wanted to say more, but Zhao Yan had already turned around, pointing to a space nearby and saying to Shen Qingchen, who was carrying two cardboard boxes, "Putting them here is fine. I've really troubled Senior Shen this time."
Shen Qingchen nodded slightly, set the boxes down, and then smiled warmly at her. "It was on the way."
Looking at the man with the straight posture and outstanding aura before him, Li Wei instantly felt a sense of crisis. Just as he was about to casually ask about the man's identity, Xie An, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke.
"Excuse me, are there any wet wipes here?"
He followed the clear, clean female voice. It was a girl wearing a pink padded coat, her posture quiet and serene. Li Wei stared at her blankly for a long time—so long that even though Shen Qingchen was smiling faintly, he had already unobtrusively moved to shield Xie An, yet Li Wei still hadn't looked away.
Noticing something was wrong, Zhao Yan secretly pinched his arm a few times, smiling but not quite smiling. "Why are you staring at someone else's girlfriend? Don't you know it's very impolite?"
Li Wei was brought back by her words, wincing in pain as he rubbed his numb arm. With a hint of self-consciousness on his face, he quietly leaned toward Zhao Yan and whispered, "I... I just felt she looked a bit familiar."
Zhao Yan looked as if she had expected this. Her eyes flickered slightly as she also whispered in his ear, "Actually, the first time I saw her, I had that feeling too. Like... old friends at first sight?"
Li Wei and Zhao Yan looked at each other and then simultaneously looked toward Xie An, but Shen Qingchen was shielding the girl completely, so they could only awkwardly look away.
Only then did Zhao Yan remember Xie An’s request. She went behind the stall, rummaged around, and found a small pack of wet wipes. She ran back to Xie An and said with a beaming smile, "Yes, I just bought them last week."
Xie An took them, thanked her, and then pulled out a few sheets. She took Shen Qingchen’s hand and helped him wipe them clean.
Shen Qingchen’s hands were very beautiful—long fingers, distinct joints, and fine, fair skin. Because they looked like works of art, the thin layer of dust on them was particularly noticeable.
These hands were destined for a life of luxury, yet for her sake, they had become a "pawn" time and time again.
What a waste of God's gift.
Shen Qingchen lowered his eyes to look at her, sparks of light rising in the depths of his eyes. His brows and eyes curved slightly, containing boundless tenderness.
He really liked Xie An’s occasional proactiveness.
It made him feel that he was also being cherished.
Xie An meticulously wiped his hands clean, threw the used wipes into a nearby trash can, and then smiled at Shen Qingchen. "Qingqing, you've worked hard."
Shen Qingchen couldn't help but ruffle her hair, his eyes and brows filled with a doting smile, making his whole aura even more soft and warm.
For some reason, Li Wei couldn't stand this mushy display between the two. He always felt it was strange, so he proactively took Zhao Yan’s hand and reminded her, "Yan Yan, who are these two?"
Only then did Zhao Yan pat her head and quickly introduce them to each other, briefly recounting their meeting and explaining why she had invited them.
Hearing that Zhao Yan had moved two boxes by herself earlier, Li Wei’s expression turned a bit sour. "Couldn't you find a few people to help? You make so many friends normally; couldn't you find anyone now?"
Zhao Yan felt a bit guilty. She secretly hooked one of Li Wei’s fingers. "Oh, didn't I think I could do it? The things inside really aren't heavy; they just block the view a bit."
She was about to make a few more excuses, but seeing Li Wei’s face full of disapproval, she very sensibly shut her mouth.
Fine, she'd let him have his way this once.
"At least nothing happened this time. Don't take such risks next time," Li Wei said, holding her hand and advising her earnestly. "Understand?"
Zhao Yan felt Li Wei was making a mountain out of a molehill, but she also felt sweet because of his concern. She replied coquettishly, "I know, I know."
Only then did Li Wei look toward Shen Qingchen and Xie An. "Thank you both for helping Yan Yan. Yan Yan invited you here because she wanted to thank you. If you see anything you like here, you must tell us. Please don't be polite."
"Think of it as making friends."
Zhao Yan also excitedly stepped forward a few paces, pointing to the two sealed cardboard boxes. "There's more here. You guys look at the stall first; we'll have these organized very quickly."
Since the two had put it that way, it would be a lack of social intelligence for Xie An and Shen Qingchen to refuse again.
"Then I won't be polite." Xie An winked slightly, rarely making a witty remark.
Zhao Yan was overwhelmed by her cuteness, her eyes lighting up. She used to scoff at the idea of love at first sight, but after meeting Xie An, she felt that one shouldn't be too shallow.
Why did she like Xie An so much?
Zhao Yan tossed Li Wei’s hand aside and said to him, "A Wei, you go organize the boxes yourself. I'll stay here to host An An and the others."
The corner of Li Wei’s mouth twitched.
Wait, it's just browsing a small stall—what's there to host?
Although he felt sour inside, he knew he couldn't spoil his girlfriend's mood, so he made a mock-solemn bow to Zhao Yan before resignedly going to be a "little pawn."