Lin Xi pressed her hand against Song Xu’s chest, offering a quiet defense. “You’re overthinking it. I’m just not used to the title yet.”

“Then they just need to say it more often. You’ll get used to it eventually.” Song Xu didn’t budge. He stayed close, his warm breath ghosting against her ear.

Shen Yan and Xiao Heng couldn’t hear what they were whispering, but from their perspective, the two were practically glued together in a public display of affection. Seeing Lin Xi’s cheeks flush pink was a dagger to the hearts of the two single bachelors.

“Xu Ge, Sister-in-law, could you save the romance for when you get home?” Shen Yan sighed, sliding a menu across the table. “Let’s order first.”

Song Xu finally let go of Lin Xi and pulled the menu toward them. “Order whatever you like.”

Lin Xi glanced at a few dishes. The names were creative, but she had no idea what the actual food was. What really caught her off guard, however, were the prices.

A simple dish started at five hundred yuan, while the pricier ones climbed into the thousands. A meal for four people here could easily top a hundred thousand yuan.

“You order. I’m not a picky eater,” Lin Xi said, pushing the menu back toward him.

Song Xu patted her head, his tone almost paternal. “How low-maintenance of you.”

Shen Yan and Xiao Heng both squeezed their eyes shut. The scene was far too saccharine for them to handle. Lin Xi bit her lip, forcing herself to endure Song Xu’s “affectionate” gestures.

The three men handled the ordering and requested two bottles of Moutai.

“Is military training over today?” Lin Xi asked, noticing that Shen Yan and Xiao Heng were significantly tanner than before.

“God, we finally survived it,” Shen Yan groaned, looking like he might cry at the memory. “Sister-in-law, you were right to skip it. Several girls in our department fainted.”

“Sister-in-law, we haven’t had a chance to thank you properly yet,” Xiao Heng added with a grin. “We didn’t expect you to actually sell those things for us.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Shen Yan piped up. “We’ll send some more stuff over in a few days for you to sell.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you sell things anymore,” Lin Xi said apologetically. “But I’ll keep working on the items I already have.”

“Why not?” Xiao Heng asked, confused. He had been planning to give her some higher-end items to flip so he could supplement his monthly allowance.

Lin Xi stole a glance at Song Xu. “Xu Ge won’t let me.”

“Xu Ge, that’s not right,” Shen Yan protested. “You’ve already won her over. What’s the harm in her helping us sell a few things?”

Song Xu cracked open a bottle of Moutai and poured a small glass for Lin Xi. “Winning Xixi over was due to my own merit.”

He knew better than anyone that money alone couldn’t buy her. Even someone as exceptional as himself hadn’t fully conquered her heart yet.

“Xixi is about to start classes. She’ll have a heavy workload and has to take care of things at home. She doesn’t have time to sell your junk.”

Lin Xi wanted to argue that she did have time—for money, she could always squeeze out a few extra hours.

As if reading the longing in her eyes, Song Xu continued, “If you really want her to keep selling your junk, we need to renegotiate the profit split.”

“A fifty-fifty split,” Song Xu said, turning to catch Lin Xi’s stunned expression. He smiled. “Does that sound okay to you, Xixi?”

“Fifty-fifty?” That was incredibly generous. She was more than okay with it, but would Shen Yan and Xiao Heng agree?

The two didn’t even hesitate. “Fifty-fifty it is.”

Just like that? Lin Xi looked at Song Xu in surprise. Why was he being so helpful all of a sudden? Not only was he not stopping her from making money, but he was also securing the best possible deal for her.

“Are you that happy?” Song Xu teased, pinching her cheek. “Try not to fall too hard for me.”

Lin Xi swatted his hand away, the tiny spark of goodwill she’d felt moments ago vanishing instantly.

Thinking about the end of military training, she realized there might be news from the university. She checked her phone and, sure enough, found a notification in her class group.

Tomorrow, all students and faculty were to attend the military training report performance and the opening ceremony. A new chapter of her life was about to begin.

“What are you looking at?” Song Xu leaned over to peek at her screen. Seeing it was the Jiang University group, he sat back up. “Want a drink?”

Lin Xi had never touched alcohol and had no idea what her tolerance was. She shook her head. “I don’t know how to drink.”

Song Xu raised his glass. “I just negotiated a great deal for you. Aren’t you going to toast me?”

“Yeah, Sister-in-law, just a little. This stuff doesn’t go to your head,” Shen Yan and Xiao Heng chimed in. “A drink now won’t affect your classes tomorrow.”

Under the combined pressure of the three of them, Lin Xi felt too awkward to refuse. She picked up the small glass. “Just a tiny bit, then.”

She took a cautious sniff. She’d heard of Moutai but had never seen it in person. There was no harsh, stinging scent, only a deep, rich aroma.

She took a small sip. The liquid was surprisingly smooth, lacking the sharp bite she expected. As she swallowed, a pleasant warmth spread from her throat to her stomach.

It wasn’t bad, though she still didn’t quite understand why people became addicted to it.

“How is it?” Song Xu asked.

“It’s not harsh,” Lin Xi answered honestly. “But I don’t really see the appeal.”

Song Xu chuckled. “You will once you’ve had a bit more.”

For the rest of the meal, Lin Xi focused on the food, staying out of the boys’ conversation. With every bite, she mentally deconstructed the seasonings and cooking techniques.

Glancing at the glass beside her, she took another sip. She actually quite enjoyed the fiery sensation traveling through her body. Without realizing it, she finished the entire glass.

Song Xu quietly refilled it.

Feeling perfectly fine, Lin Xi took a couple more sips.

“Xu Ge, are you going to the opening ceremony tomorrow?” Shen Yan suddenly asked.

Song Xu usually found such events a colossal waste of time. Then he remembered that Lin Xi was supposed to give a speech as the freshman representative. He could make an exception. “The company isn’t too busy tomorrow. I might stop by.”

Lin Xi was no longer listening. She was busy concentrating on controlling her own body.

She blinked hard and gripped the glass tightly. Stay still, she thought, wondering why it was trying to move on its own.

Her chopsticks were also being rebellious. She tried to pick up a peanut, but after seven or eight attempts, she was still coming up empty.

Another pair of chopsticks reached out, grabbed the peanut, and placed it in her bowl.

“Xixi, are you okay?” Song Xu asked with concern. He reached out to touch her face; it was burning hot and flushed deep red.

Her guard was completely down. She looked up at Song Xu and reached out a finger, tracing his nose down to his lips. “You’re actually… pretty handsome.”

Across the table, Shen Yan and Xiao Heng sat with their mouths agape. This was too much—they were being brutally targeted by this public display of affection.

Song Xu caught her hand, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Xixi, you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk. I’m just… a little dizzy.” Lin Xi began swaying rhythmically in her seat.

Song Xu couldn’t stay any longer. He pulled Lin Xi to her feet and looked at his friends. “We’re heading out. You guys pick up the tab.”