"Welcome back, Master!!"
Amidst the lively voices of the maids, Ye Shuang and the others finally finished their omelet rice and left the classroom—though the rice was a bit undercooked, and the Sprite had gone flat.
But at a maid café, where service is the main selling point, you couldn’t expect too much from these students. After all, many of the boys were already lost in a daze from being called "Master" over and over.
"Hmm… what else is fun or tasty around here?" Chen Qin glanced around, clearly intrigued by these class-themed activities. Back when she was in school, they never had anything like this.
"You didn’t eat?" Ye Shuang asked.
"I had a little, but I could still eat more."
"Then why didn’t you grab something from the food stalls downstairs?"
"Nothing caught my eye."
Ye Shuang didn’t press further. He simply focused on accompanying Chen Qin as they explored the various class themes. With so many grades participating, they eventually wandered into an area even Ye Shuang hadn’t seen before.
"Oi—'Lin Daiyu Raises Hell at Black Wind Ridge,' a stage play! Wanna check it out?"
"Muscle Hunk Café, oh yeah~♂"
"Steamed buns, four for a buck!"
"High-quality animated short: 'Furong King vs. Rick Five—My Lungs Are Itching Right Now' now screening!"
This section seemed even livelier. Walking side by side with Chen Qin, Ye Shuang found the casual stroll rather enjoyable.
"Hey, are you two a couple? We’ve got an event going on here!"
Just then, a student popped out from a nearby classroom, grinning as they asked.
"We’re not—"
"How could you tell?" Chen Qin suddenly wrapped her arms around Ye Shuang’s, pressing her softness against him. "Hehe."
Ye Shuang glanced at her, only for her to tighten her grip. The sheer force of those colossal slimes trapped his arm, their warmth palpable as a sweet floral scent from her hair drifted into his nose.
"Because you two just look perfect together," the student said with a smile.
"Such a sweet talker. Here, have a red envelope." Delighted, Chen Qin’s pretty face lit up as she pulled out a red envelope and handed it to the student.
The student reflexively took it, their expression turning puzzled. "Huh?"
It felt like there were several bills inside.
Wow, rich people.
"Uh… so, wanna join our event?" The student snapped back to attention and quickly explained, "It’s a couples’ challenge—the guy has to carry the girl princess-style for at least a minute to win a prize."
"Princess carry…" Chen Qin’s eyes sparkled as she immediately turned to Ye Shuang.
The sheer intensity of her pleading gaze made Ye Shuang feel like he couldn’t even open his eyes. "I’m just a skinny guy. I can’t carry you."
"Where are your muscles?" Chen Qin poked Ye Shuang’s stomach with her slender, fair fingers. "You used to hit the gym all the time in high school, didn’t you?"
"They’ve retired."
"Didn’t you promise to grant me one request earlier?" Chen Qin’s eyes gleamed mischievously.
Ye Shuang nodded. "Yeah, I did."
"Then, then, then—carry me for a minute."
"Plus, delete one blackmail-worthy memory," Ye Shuang countered.
"No way. At most, I’ll delete one."
One…
Fine.
Ye Shuang glanced at the timer nearby, then at the prizes. "Why are there so many prizes?"
"Because the longer you hold out, the better the rewards get at each stage."
"Got it."
Before reaching out, Ye Shuang smirked and asked, "You haven’t gained weight recently, right?"
Chen Qin blinked. "Even if I did, you’d better hold me tight."
Ye Shuang scooped her up in a princess carry—Chen Qin’s head now rested against his chest, where she could clearly hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
She wished time would freeze right there.
"You’re being so well-behaved?" Chen Qin wasn’t heavy at all, but once in his arms, she stayed unusually still, even looping her arms around his shoulders for support.
A small crowd of students had started gathering to watch. Noticing this, Ye Shuang subtly adjusted his stance to angle her skirt toward the wall.
"Hehe, am I heavy?"
A classic trap question. Ye Shuang replied, "Lighter than a macaque."
"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Chen Qin huffed, her cheeks flushing despite herself.
Soon, a minute passed. The student manning the timer grinned. "You’ve hit the one-minute mark!"
Chen Qin expected Ye Shuang to set her down, but he kept holding her.
"Huh?" She tilted her head. "You can keep going?"
"A man never admits defeat." Ye Shuang held her steady while eyeing the prizes—the top reward required ten minutes.
"Really?" Thrilled, Chen Qin shyly tightened her arms around his neck.
Another five minutes flew by.
The crowd had grown, and even Chen Qin was surprised Ye Shuang could last this long.
"Shuang, you can put me down now. I don’t want your arms to go numb. You’ve already done amazing." Though she adored being held like this, Chen Qin’s tender heart couldn’t bear seeing the strain in his tensed muscles.
"I’m fine," Ye Shuang said. Truthfully, he felt he could keep going a while longer.
"Oh…" Chen Qin blinked, then smiled and didn’t press further.
But with the growing audience, her ears burned as she buried her face against him.
Finally, the student announced, "You’ve hit ten minutes! That’s the top prize!"
Only then did Ye Shuang gently lower Chen Qin to her feet.
Rolling his shoulders, a series of pops echoed. He plucked a stuffed bear from the prize shelf. "This one, okay?"
"Yep, all yours!" the student said.
"Here. Don’t forget to delete one blackmail file." Ye Shuang shoved the bear into Chen Qin’s arms. "You like teddy bears, right?"
Chen Qin froze, staring at him blankly. "So that’s why you held out so long?"
She did adore cartoon bears—especially the one from Mr. Bean.
Watching Chen Qin hug the bear with pure delight, Ye Shuang averted his gaze and scratched his nose.
"Yeah… something like that. Hope I remembered right."
"I love you so much!" Chen Qin lunged at him.
"Hey, hey—don’t just jump at me like that! Your skirt’s gonna flip!"