Go through the process once.

The meaning was, since he had once gone through the process of receiving her, she also had to go through it once.

At that time, Yan Luqing was shocked by his operation, almost forgetting that Gu Ci had indeed covered the full set of services—not only finding the right classroom, grasping the exact time, but also, upon seeing her, taking her schoolbag and carrying it in his hand.

“……”

Yan Luqing lowered her eyes, looking at Gu Ci’s hand in front of her.

In stark contrast against the black strap, it was fair and slender, even the joints between his fingers were beautifully formed.

After all, since the classroom was mistaken, and the receiver had instead become the one received, having someone carry a bag should not be much of a loss. Thinking this, she reached out and accepted his bag.

The three people at the side had not understood Gu Ci’s bag-taking operation at first, but after he spoke, and after the pretty younger sister before him accepted his bag, the few of them instantly understood. They began shouting noisily, raising an even bigger uproar than before—

“Is it because my experiment wasn’t done well, so I’m punished to watch this?”

“Although I’ve read many books, I still really doubt, can you really find a girlfriend just by having someone carry your bag?”

“You are you, Gu Ci is Gu Ci.”

“Damn! I’m convinced!”

Yan Luqing: “……”

Fortunately, although those three had loose mouths, they were very adept at reading the situation. Shouting as they went, they walked farther and farther, finally disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

The corridor once again had only the two of them left, and Yan Luqing instantly relaxed much more.

Just right, since she had not brought her own little schoolbag when she got off the car, after a moment’s thought, she directly lifted Gu Ci’s bag and carried it on her back.

Meeting Gu Ci’s gaze, she calmly looked back: “What? The driver is still waiting at the school gate.”

The underlying meaning was, hurry up and take me out of the school.

Gu Ci smiled: “Nothing.”

Then Yan Luqing saw him suddenly stretch out his hand toward her—

She had no time to react, and could only watch with wide eyes as he pulled the adjustment buckle on the strap across her chest tight, adjusting the bag straps to a length suitable for her to carry. Then, like straightening a child’s clothes, he set the straps in place before letting go.

“Let’s go.”

“……”

When entering T University just now, her mind had been full of asking for directions. Now that she had “received” the person, Yan Luqing finally had the leisure to look around and admire T University’s campus.

Gu Ci also acted the part of a qualified T University student, occasionally giving her slight explanations.

The two of them here were similar to the situation back when they went to Yan Luqing’s school; in places with many people, there were always gazes cast their way. Yan Luqing could not be bothered to probe into what meanings were hidden in those gazes—anyway, wherever Gu Ci went, he was an eye-catching body, and she was already used to it.

Walking and walking, Yan Luqing habitually touched the strap of the bag on her shoulder, and only then belatedly realized that this bag was astonishingly light, carrying it was no different from not carrying it.

“You this…” Yan Luqing lifted his bag and turned to ask Gu Ci, “You really come to school carrying such a light bag? Besides air, what else is inside?”

“……”

That tone, as if her own pretty little bag was filled with heavy books.

Gu Ci glanced at her, and said casually: “It should be pretty light, since it doesn’t have jelly lip balm in it.”

Yan Luqing: “……”

You really can make use of any gag!!!

“If you really dislike it being so light,” his tone still leisurely, “then I can go find a brick to put inside, that works too.”

Yan Luqing: …That is entirely unnecessary.

Because this provocation she had initiated ended in failure, Yan Luqing quickened her pace and walked forward. Just as they were about to reach the school gate, the strap of her backpack was suddenly tugged—

As though a horse being reined in, she was pulled back by him, forced to slow down, and turned to meet Gu Ci’s pitch-black eyes.

He still had that same smiling expression as before, his eyes slightly curved, as if in very good spirits.

“Why are you walking so fast.”

Yan Luqing said crossly: “With legs that long, do you really think you can’t keep up with me?”

Whether it was because her words included praise about his long legs or not, Gu Ci did not argue with the latter half of her sentence. Instead, he asked: “What are we eating later?”

Yan Luqing was puzzled: “…Aren’t we going home to eat?”

“The so-called process of receiving after school,” he supplemented once more, “of course also includes the two following items.”

“……”

The two items, that was referring to taking her out to eat and to see a movie after receiving her.

“Picking up after school and eating were indeed arranged by you,” Yan Luqing stated the facts, “but the movie was requested by me.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Gu Ci smiled, “this time it’s my turn to request.”

“……”

Yan Luqing felt that she ought to find herself speechless, yet she was uncontrollably finding Gu Ci today extremely… adorable.

Or rather, exceedingly princess-like.

First having her carry his bag, then having her take him to eat, and now actively requesting to watch a movie.

Although there was not the slightest sign of it on his appearance, this kind of behavior inexplicably gave Yan Luqing the illusion of him acting spoiled toward her.

While speaking, they had already walked out the school gate. At the car, the driver opened the door for the two of them.

After getting in first, Yan Luqing looked at the one who followed in after her, unable to keep from commenting: “Gu Ci, you really can embody the identity of ‘the little kid being picked up after school.’”

“That’s right.” Gu Ci pulled the car door shut, turned his head and looked at her with a half-smile, his pupils pitch-black and pure. “I can embody it every day—can you come pick me up every day?”

——?

These words stunned Yan Luqing for two full seconds.

She looked at this dazzling face, while the roots of her ears hidden beneath her long hair silently grew warm and hot. At the same time, an inexplicable thought rose in her mind.

This—this is what they call a princess acting spoiled.

The foolish monarch truly cannot endure it ah ah ah——!

Yan Luqing barely maintained her surface calm, staring wide-eyed at him, and with immense willpower rejected the princess Ci’s act of acting spoiled: “…Of course not.”

After a pause, she added softly, with very little persuasiveness: “I’m very busy.”

As for the place to eat, Yan Luqing had originally planned to take him to that restaurant where she had gotten drunk yesterday. But after calling to ask, the seats had long been fully booked. No wonder that senior with the wine bottle said it was extremely hard to reserve.

So she simply proposed: “Let’s just go to that fried chicken shop from last time.”

Gu Ci, however, did not particularly mind, and casually asked: “Have you grown fond of the feeling of eating stewed chicken while smelling fried chicken?”

“…The stewed chicken there really is delicious.” Yan Luqing thought for a moment. “And besides, what if there are still those 9.9 yuan movie tickets?”

“……”

At once, Gu Ci recalled that one week after she had watched the movie.

Nightmares, dark circles, sleepwalking. Only after much difficulty did she return to normal.

She was tired; he seemed even more tired.

Gu Ci had no choice but to offer a tactful reminder: “If there isn’t a suitable movie, then there’s no need to force it.”

Yan Luqing gave him a strange look: “Oh, got it.”

Everything about the process was nearly the same as last time. While sitting down waiting for the meal, Yan Luqing pulled out her phone, only to find a flood of WeChat messages from Little Mahua.

Only then did she remember, she was supposed to inform Little Mahua once she met the person, but the moment she saw Gu Ci, she completely forgot the plan.

Yan Luqing quickly opened WeChat.

【Little Mahua】: How’s it going, Your Majesty?

【Little Mahua】: ??? Don’t tell me you didn’t manage to receive the person smoothly?

【Little Mahua】: Or did you perhaps forget your subject the moment you received the great beauty??

Yan Majesty: “……” The Majesty truly did forget.

Those were sent fifteen minutes ago.

There were also two more from five minutes ago.

【Little Mahua】: Good heavens, even though you didn’t send it to me, and I didn’t send it to the group, but worthy of being a gossip group of over a hundred people, they discovered it themselves.

【Little Mahua】: [image][image][image]

Hm? Discovered what?

Puzzled, Yan Luqing opened the three images, finding that all three were screenshots of a group chat interface.