Chapter 042: The Double-Standard Dog

“Huh? You’re asking me? If you ask me, who can I ask?” Lin Luyu was utterly bewildered, unable to guess what her friend was up to. Today was her first time ever seeing Wang Xiao, and they hadn’t even spoken a word. How was she supposed to have any opinion?

“Um… well, you just keep an eye out for me, I need to run to the restroom! And if anyone comes looking for me, just cover for me!”

Before Lin Luyu could react, Jiang Xiaohan hurried away.

But barely a moment after Jiang Xiaohan left, the referee blew the whistle and announced the end of the game. While waiting for her friend to return, Lin Luyu, bored, started scrolling through her phone.

“Excuse me… hello?”

Lin Luyu looked up to see a massive number 15 badge filling her vision. Her gaze drifted higher, and there stood a boy, his cheeks still flushed from exercise, sweat beads glistening in his hair.

“Um, have you seen Jiang Xiaohan?”

So Jiang Xiaohan had predicted this perfectly… Could Wang Xiao be the “someone” she’d mentioned?

As this thought flashed through her mind, she replied, “You’re looking for Xiaohan? You might have to wait a bit, she’ll be back soon.”

Wang Xiao nodded obediently and sat down two seats away.

After a while, Jiang Xiaohan returned from the restroom and, from a distance, spotted Wang Xiao still in his jersey, sitting in the stands.

Oh my god! Didn’t I ask Luyu to cover for me?

Jiang Xiaohan couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead.

She instinctively reached into her pocket for her phone, intending to message Lin Luyu to make a quick escape. Only then did she remember she’d handed both her phone and her bag to Lin Luyu earlier.

Resigned, she had no choice but to crouch and sneak over from the side where Lin Luyu was sitting, hoping not to be seen by Wang Xiao. But sometimes, the more you want to avoid something, the more likely it is to happen.

Just as Jiang Xiaohan slipped behind Lin Luyu, Wang Xiao seemed to sense her presence and turned his head. Their eyes met.

“Senior, fancy seeing you again.”

“Heh, yes… what a coincidence.” Jiang Xiaohan replied awkwardly and, at the same time, tried to signal Lin Luyu to come up with an excuse and get her out of there.

But for some reason, their usual tacit understanding seemed to have vanished this afternoon, and Lin Luyu misread her cue for the second time.

“Oh, you two know each other?” Lin Luyu asked, already preparing to make room for them.

“Luyu, didn’t you say we were going out for dinner soon? It’s almost time!” Jiang Xiaohan interjected, grabbing her bag with one hand and pulling Lin Luyu away with the other, despite the puzzled look on her friend’s face. “Let’s catch up another time!”

With that, the two of them quickly disappeared from Wang Xiao’s line of sight.

**

“So, what exactly is going on between you two?” Lin Luyu asked.

Jiang Xiaohan ignored her question and threw one back, “Didn’t I ask you to cover for me? Why did you let him sit right next to you?”

“What??” Lin Luyu was startled, her eyes darting as she pursed her lips. “I thought you wanted him to wait for you there.”

“How could that be? He and I just don’t get along!”

There’s a story here! Lin Luyu’s gossip senses tingled.

“Is there something going on between you two?”

“Going on? Not at all!” Jiang Xiaohan couldn’t help cursing. “Where there’s him, there’s no me; where there’s me, there’s no him! Got it?”

“And another thing! Don’t mention him to me! Just hearing his name pisses me off!”

But… weren’t you the one who dragged me here for the game, and brought him up in the first place?

Double standards, muttered Lin Luyu inwardly.