novelraw Chapter 177 : Treating Guests
Chapter 177 : Treating Guests
Volume 4: High School Arc - “I” Come to Find You~
I didn’t know how long I had slept, only that this time I had truly relaxed.
Regardless of what the System might become after its upgrade, at least for now, I was genuinely safe.
Maybe... a lot of players felt the same way I did.
“Mm~”
When I opened my eyes, the orange sunset filled my vision, with burning clouds at the horizon painting the entire sky, and the occasional sound of a honking horn from afar told me I was already home.
“You’re awake?”
The moment I opened my eyes, a familiar voice came to my ears.
Following the sound, I turned my head and saw Shao He sitting in the front seat, looking back at me.
“How... long did I sleep?”
I rubbed my eyes and looked down at the blanket that had somehow been draped over me.
Then, as I lowered my head again, I noticed a pillow on the seat—it must have been Reina who brought it.
“It’s already past six.”
“Six... already?”
Had I slept the entire day?
I nodded in a daze and looked around.
It was indeed home, no doubt about it.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
I pulled off the blanket and opened the car door.
When my feet touched the ground, they still felt a bit weak.
Seemed I really had slept myself silly.
“You looked so comfortable, I didn’t want to disturb you.”
While speaking, Shao He got out of the car too.
After casually closing the door, she turned and asked me:
“Is your headache any better?”
“Yeah.”
Although it still hurt a little, after such a long sleep, it had eased somewhat.
I hadn’t had dinner, so I said I was meeting a friend for some barbecue.
Shao He looked suspicious but didn’t ask much, and instead immediately got the car ready.
I mentioned it to Reina.
Seeing that hint of loneliness in her eyes because she wasn’t joining us for the meal, I didn’t know what to say.
I just got in the car and headed to the barbecue place.
When we arrived, Shao He, as usual, didn’t come in, choosing to stay in the car and wait.
Seeing her like that, I had to beg and plead until she finally agreed to come inside the restaurant.
It was still better than having her sit outside looking pitiful.
I told her to sit on the first floor and find any spot, then asked the server to bring her some snacks.
Since she came out with me, she should at least eat something.
As a bodyguard, Shao He was a bit rigid.
Even if I told her to come upstairs, she wouldn’t do it.
I had already tried that once before.
Maybe it was her professional code as a bodyguard?
Honestly, everyone had their own rigid habits—it’s just that some people were better at hiding them.
It was the same private room, the same corner.
The place had already been prepared, and aside from me, everyone else was already there.
School let out around 3:30 to 4:00 p.m., and Jiang Yulong and Xu Han had both gotten off work a bit after 5.
As for Shan Xuelin, there was no need to even mention—he was the restaurant owner, always here.
When I went upstairs and opened the door, the others had already started eating.
“Yunyan’s here? Congrats on surviving again!”
As soon as Xu Han saw me enter, she rushed over to hug me.
That really caught me off guard.
She looked like her compassion was overflowing or something.
“Sister Xu Han, I’m fine.”
Seeing her so emotional, I couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless.
After spending this much time with her, I had a pretty good grasp of her personality.
She was basically one of those people who were cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Though not exactly the typical kind.
She was calm and logical with outsiders—that was the “cold” part.
As for being “warm,” it only showed when she acted a bit girlish around people close to her.
“All right, all right, stop hugging her already.”
Jiang Yulong, that guy, even got jealous over a girl.
I had no idea what Xu Han saw in this insanely jealous man.
Hearing Jiang Yulong's words, Xu Han turned around and rolled her eyes at him, then seemed to realize she was being a bit inappropriate, so she let go of me and casually pulled me to sit beside her, pushing Jiang Yulong to the other side.
In an instant, there were two girls on this side, and three guys on the other.
Fortunately, this wasn’t a car, but a dinner table, so the seating arrangement actually worked better.
At least they believed “men have men’s topics, women have women’s topics,” so splitting up like this felt more natural.
As soon as I sat down, I felt the warmth coming from the floor heater.
I had to admit, during this late autumn season, this kind of heater was incredibly comfortable.
Xu Han eagerly handed me a plate and chopsticks, while Jiang Yulong on the opposite side raised his hand and asked:
“Hey, Sister Liu, that’s not cool of you, is it? You said you were treating us tonight, so why did we guests arrive before you?”
Lu Haochen and Shan Xuelin both chuckled along.
These three guys did seem to have some common interests.
As for me, I honestly didn’t know who to talk to.
“My bad. Something came up today and delayed me a bit.”
“What happened?”
The moment I said “something came up,” the lively atmosphere in the room instantly cooled down.
Don’t forget, all four of them here were game players.
In this game, no matter how cheerful the mood, it could turn cold and stiff in an instant.
“It's nothing, really. Just a migraine, so I went to the hospital. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Didn’t you all get the message?”
Seeing the serious expressions on their faces, I couldn’t help but feel helpless about my choice of words.
Only after hearing this did the four of them breathe a sigh of relief.
After they all exhaled, Jiang Yulong complained:
“Phew... Going to the hospital is no big deal, so why all the secrecy? You almost scared me to death.”
“Ugh! What kind of thing is that to say!”
Xu Han couldn’t stand the way Jiang Yulong spoke.
She immediately gave him a playful glare, then turned back to me with concern.
“Yunyan, are you all right? Was the migraine really bad?”
“No, it’s okay. Much better now. I took a nap at noon and recovered a lot.”
I smiled and waved my hand, then turned my head to look at the iron grill glowing red and said:
“Let’s eat, it’s on me today. Order whatever you like!”
“Ohohoho! Our little rich lady’s treating? Hey Old Shan, don’t be stingy now, okay? I remember you’ve been hiding a jar of aged Earth-Sealed Aged Cellar, right? Bring it out, let’s have a drink! It’s rare for us to relax like this!”
“Haha... sure!”
Shan Xuelin laughed heartily and agreed without hesitation, then pressed the intercom button.
“Hey, Xiao Zhang, bring out that jar of liquor I locked in the storeroom!”
“Got it, Brother Shan.”
A female server’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.
Then Shan Xuelin turned back and continued eating, while Jiang Yulong beamed and said to me and Lu Haochen:
“You guys don’t know, this old fellow has been hiding a twenty-year aged Earth-Sealed Aged Cellar. I’ve asked for it so many times, and he always refused to give it to me. Tsk tsk tsk, it’s all thanks to you, Sister Liu. As soon as you show up... boom! The old guy brings out the wine right away.”
While speaking, he shook his head and clicked his tongue dramatically. His whole act made Shan Xuelin point at him and smile wryly.
＿（：з」∠）＿Migraines are so painful.