Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot

Chapter 1397: Chapter 801: Building a Relationship with an Underage Girl? (Part 2)

Inside the restaurant’s private room

Since Zhou Zhongqing had a surgery in the afternoon, no one drank alcohol, and the overall dining time wasn’t long. Lin Luyou took the opportunity of going to the restroom to settle the bill. She felt that today’s situation had troubled Tang Wan, and even among close friends, it’s best to have clear accounts, so she didn’t want to owe Tang Wan anything.

"Is it Room 105?" The cashier just fetched the bill, "Will you be paying by card, cash, or mobile payment?"

"Mobile, please."

"Then I’ll scan yours." The cashier gave a smile.

But before Lin Luyou could bring up her payment code, another phone had already been placed at the payment scanning area. The machine beeped, showing payment successful. She turned her head slightly and saw Jiang Shiyi standing beside her.

"Are you two together?" The cashier was momentarily stunned; after all, if a payment mistake happened, a refund could be troublesome for them.

"Yes." Jiang Shiyi nodded.

"What brought you out here?" Lin Luyou frowned. She intended to repay Tang Wan’s favor by treating them, what was he interfering for?

"Does it matter who pays?"

The cashier operated the machine while sizing up the two, guessing their relationship.

When the two returned to the private room, Lin Luyou stopped in a secluded area, "Let’s have a word."

"Go ahead." Jiang Shiyi looked at her, his expression unfazed as if nothing could shake him.

"I’ll just stay in the dorm; I wouldn’t joke around with my health."

"I’ve already taken leave for you with the Director, telling him you won’t be returning soon. Your current work has also been put on hold by him."

"You took leave for me?" Lin Luyou took a deep breath.

"Later we’ll go to the supermarket to buy some daily items. If you’re not feeling well, I can take you back home to rest first. If you need anything, let me know, I can help you get it."

"You’ve arranged everything for me?"

"Taking care of a patient, it’s only natural."

"..."

Lin Luyou realized she could never outplay Jiang Shiyi. Ever since she knew him, she’s been on the passive side. Originally, she thought returning home while he stayed abroad would mean she escaped from him. Unexpectedly...

"Let’s head back." Jiang Shiyi saw her gloomy face, feeling both heartbroken and amused. He walked towards her with a smile, and almost instinctively, Lin Luyou took a step back, pressing her back against the wall.

Yet Jiang Shiyi moved faster, directly reaching out to support her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

"You..."

"Not feeling well, don’t lean against the wall, it’s cold." Jiang Shiyi drew closer, his voice growing softer.

"I know." Lin Luyou pressed her lips tightly.

"You barely ate earlier, is your stomach still hurting?"

"It’s okay, just no appetite."

"Hmm." Jiang Shiyi looked at her with a smile, just about to say more, when footsteps sounded in the distance. He turned his head to see Jiang Jinsang approaching with a child in his arms.

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Jinsang should’ve turned and walked away, but Jiang Xiaowai, lying in his arms, started waving his arms at Jiang Shiyi, cooing. He smiled at the two, "I’m taking the kid to the bathroom, you two continue."

Just like that, he passed right by them with his carefree manner.

Lin Luyou took a deep breath, pushed Jiang Shiyi aside, then entered the private room.

Tang Wan and Jiang Jinsang also planned to make a trip to the mall, not that they were trying to be third wheels, but they genuinely had some things to buy.

Apart from getting stuff for the child, they also intended to buy some daily items for Zhou Zhongqing.

Originally, when Tang Wan ran into Lin Luyou at the hospital, she had intended to buy things for Zhou Zhongqing but got delayed. However, going together as a family made the atmosphere less awkward.

Jiang Xiaowai also had a pram, so an hour later, the scene turned into...

Tang Wan and Lin Luyou chatting, Jiang Jinsang pushing the pram, and Jiang Shiyi pushing the shopping cart, with the two big guys doing the shopping.

"You knew Third Brother when you were abroad, so you’ve known each other for a long time, huh?" Tang Wan casually tried to inquire about their relationship.

"Yes, quite long."

"How old were you back then?"

"Teenager, not yet adult. Met him during the postgraduate retest, he always gave me a hard time. At that age, not knowing answers to questions was really distressing."

"Didn’t expect to choose the same professor later."

"You must’ve spent a lot of time together, huh?"

"Not that much, different grades. Newcomers like us weren’t eligible for lab work at first, mostly helping with chores like washing equipment and cleaning machines."

"Helping with chores..."

"Then, somehow, I got assigned to him." Lin Luyou figured it strange, "My retest scores weren’t great, and he was top of the class, I shouldn’t have been his responsibility."

"But the professor called it a supporting policy, similar to one-on-one assistance for poverty alleviation."

Lin Luyou let out a deep sigh when sharing this story.

"What’s wrong? Stomach discomfort again?"

"Just recalling school days, gives me a stomachache."

"..."

Tang Wan reckoned, Lin Luyou seemed like a proud person, came from the gifted youth class, probably was always the kid others’ parents compared theirs to. Yet, she fell into the hands of her Third Brother, got nearly pushed to tears during her retest, likely under immense pressure, and ended up learning under the Demon King. It’s easy to imagine how harsh her academic environment must have been.

Even her Fourth Brother, who had an easygoing nature, eventually couldn’t stand the Third Brother and moved out, let alone a young girl.

Not surprising she fled to return home after graduation.

**

Tang Wan liked Lin Luyou from the start. It was she who delivered the test results to her when she was most helpless. When they parted ways at the supermarket, she even suggested keeping in touch whenever possible, to which Lin Luyou nodded in agreement.

One went back to the old residence, the other went to Hexi, heading different directions, they parted ways after exiting the supermarket.

Jiang Shiyi couldn’t stop thinking about the girl’s stomach problem, it began during her school years, and he held a sense of responsibility, which explained his strong reaction.

Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at the person in the passenger seat. Perhaps exhausted from a sleepless night, she leaned back on the seat, already asleep, her eyelashes fluttering, the sleep was restless.

Jiang Shiyi still remembered the first time he saw her.

At that time, during her postgraduate retest, he hadn’t met Lin Luyou yet already knew of her because he helped the teacher grade the test papers. Her handwriting was beautiful, she was young, a girl, rare in their field, and if she was a bit more attractive, she’d be the "group pet" of the specialty.

Everyone thought she was sure to get admitted.

"In our field, as long as a female makes it to the retest, she’s almost guaranteed admission. Professors naturally favor young girls."

"Definitely, we might finally have a junior sister, no longer like a monastery."

"Junior Sister’s name sounds nice, Youyou the deer calling..."

The boys in the program were excited early on.

At that moment, he did carry some bias, thinking this little girl might be all style over substance, unable to endure hardships, so during her retest, he deliberately made things difficult for her.

In the end, Lin Luyou was indeed outstanding. Considering her age, her performance was commendable, especially those eyes, incredibly beautiful, knowing full well Jiang Shiyi was making it hard, yet she kept looking at him.

Ordinary people would probably avoid facing him; even the males in the program didn’t dare to stare him down like that.

Jiang Shiyi thought, this little girl...

Interesting.

When the retest scores released, Lin Luyou naturally got admitted.

For Jiang Shiyi, it meant an extra person around the lab for odd jobs, which he didn’t mind, and since there were 4-5 months between the retest and official start of the semester, he only remembered her for those eyes.

With the professor being busy, there was little time to guide each new student individually, often needing senior students’ assistance. And Lin Luyou, the solitary flower in a field of monks, became a hot commodity.

Not that everyone had intentions, but tutoring a junior gave more agreeable moments than roughhousing with a group of guys.

Many wanted her, yet Jiang Shiyi was uninterested, wholly focused on his studies.

Unexpectedly the professor stated:

"Shiyi, I’ll assign Lin Luyou to you."

Jiang Shiyi was preoccupied with a recent project when suddenly named, he frowned, "Professor?"

"Any issue?"

"I’m usually busy, can’t oversee her."

"She’s not a three-year-old, doesn’t need constant watching. Just guide her. You made it difficult for her during the retest, now as fellow disciples, can’t act as foes. You’ll collaborate in experiments later, start fostering rapport."

Jiang Shiyi frowned?

What feelings needed fostering with some girl?

Especially with a minor girl.