Book 3 Chapter 7 – Jealousy

　　'Wow, what a beauty.' Guo Xiang thought. But his surprise quickly turned to scorn. 'I knew he wasn't gonna be able to afford eating here without having someone else paying for him.'

　　Li Yiming nodded courteously in Qing Linglong's direction: paying for a meal was a small favor after what they had gone through together.

　　Qing Linglong had the same thought as Li Yiming. After braving through the domain back in Hangzhou together, and given his display of a strong familiarity with Li Huaibei, Qing Linglong thought that it was best to stay on good terms with the mysterious young man. If she was ever to encounter any kind of danger in this domain, perhaps he would be able to help him. Qing Linglong was a little surprised when she saw Guo Xiang, however. 'An NPC appearing twice in a domain that knows Li Yiming?'

　　Guo Xiang had turned his head back and was searching through his mind for another way to embarra.s.s Li Yiming when he noticed the young girl who came close from behind him. She wore a dark marine casual outfit with a white s.h.i.+rt tucked underneath. Her trousers were wrapped tightly around her slender legs: just thin enough at the calves and gaining a pleasant, attractive curvature at her thighs. Her hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head that swung left and right as she walked and brought with it fresh winds of youthful energy. And then, her face, the rosy cheeks that were colored the same as peach blossoms in a warm spring, the bright eyes watered by kindness and innocence, the slightly shy smile that carried the beauty of one's first love.

　　'Wow, how can such a beauty exist?' Guo Xiang was just thinking about how to start a conversation with this beautiful stranger when she sat down right next to Li Yiming. She dropped one of her arms onto Li Yiming's shoulders and stared at him with her big, radiant eyes.

　　"I knew that you were going to come. I wanted to say h.e.l.lo to you earlier, but sis didn't let me." It was Qing Qiaoqiao. She was pa.s.sing by from a trip to the bathroom, and the good impression she had of Li Yiming after eavesdropping on his monologue to Ji Xiaoqin compelled her to approach him. Her age predisposed her to be easily moved by such tragic tales of love, especially when it was one that happened so close to her.

　　Guo Xiang gulped down a full throatful of bitterness as he looked at the two. Ji Xiaoqin, who was not so surprised by Li Yiming's intimacy with Liu Meng, given that they had also been friends for so many years, was very surprised by Qing Qiaoqiao. 'Who is she? I wasn't aware that Li Yiming knew someone like that. Judging by the looks of it, they aren't just normal friends.'

　　Liu Meng looked at Qing Qiaoqiao, and an impulse of alertness suddenly sprung up in her heart. She had heard about these "friends" of Li Yiming's when he talked with Li Huaibei. 'So she's one of them? How long have they known each other to be this intimate?' Liu Meng slowly put down her tablet and faked a light cough.

　　"Are these your friend? Why don't you introduce me to them?" Qing Qiaoqiao answered to the coughing and her eyes collided with Liu Meng's provocative stare.

　　"This is my friend from college, Liu Meng. Liu Meng, this is Qing Qiaoqiao. We've worked together and…" Li Yiming could not say anything more, given the lack of privacy.

　　Li Yiming wanted to introduce Guo Xiang and Ji Xiaoqin as well since the "domain version" of them had yet to meet her. However, Qing Qiaoqiao ignored them completely and interrupted him by extending her hand in Liu Meng's direction. "Very happy to meet you, you're so pretty!"

　　"You're beautiful too. I like your hair cord." A terse compliment from Liu Meng. The two shook hands. Li Yiming could have sworn to have seen a spark emerge out of each's palm as their hands touched.

　　"Oh, really? I used to keep my hair loose. It's just that Yiming told me last time that it would look better if I tied it up, so I wanted to try it." Qing Qiaoqiao brought her hand back to her head and flicked her ponytail up into the air.

　　'Did I say something like that?' Li Yiming kept his head lowered and took a long sip of water from his cup: it somehow brought a feeling of sourness to the roots of his teeth.

　　"Oh? I thought he preferred short hair?" Liu Meng crossed her fingers on the table and smiled menacingly at Li Yiming.

　　"Both, both look good." Li Yiming equivocated between two sips of water.

　　"Haha, enjoy your meal, I'll go to my sister." Qing Qiaoqiao caught the warning glance her sister had thrown at her and knew that she had done something she was not supposed to do. She quickly stood up, but, before walking away, she lowered her head and whispered into Li Yiming's ears, "Remember to save me when I'm in danger!" She smiled, waved goodbye to Liu Meng and made for her sister's table.

　　This was adding fuel to the fire that burned within Guo Xiang's heart. From where he sat, it seems as if Qing Qiaoqiao was kissing Li Yiming on his cheek.

　　"Miss Qiaoqiao." Guo Xiang suppressed his irritation and stood up with a smile. 'I can't give up just yet, I can take one from you and so I can take another one.' However, before he could even open his mouth, Qing Qiaoqiao condemned him back into an awkward silence with a contemptuous and abhorring glance.

　　"Do you know each other well?" Liu Meng did not spare even a sliver of her attention for Guo Xiang. Of course, the same was true for Ji Xiaoqin, since she had sworn to not talk to her for five years.