Licking Dog 06

He recounted the misadventures of the two—how helping an old lady cross the street turned into "riding" the old lady across the street, only to get beaten up by a righteous young woman.

Their faces turned pale, then flushed with embarrassment, while Liu Shishi covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Well? Isn’t it hilarious?" Fang Zhiyi burst into laughter, only to pause mid-laugh when he noticed their expressions. "No? Not funny?" He feigned ignorance, as if he didn’t realize the protagonists of the story were standing right in front of him.

"Very funny," Gu Shaoting gritted his teeth, forcing a smile, especially under the gaze of the delicate young woman beside him.

Lin Xue suddenly stood up. "Shaoting, let’s go. Didn’t you say you were taking me to a movie?"

Gu Shaoting blinked in confusion. "A movie? Tickets are expensive, aren’t they? And weren’t you supposed to help me look for a job this afternoon?"

"Let’s. Go."

Lin Xue dragged him away. She knew full well that Fang Zhiyi was fully aware of their identities and was deliberately humiliating them. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction!

Meanwhile, outside, a girl with heavy bangs was peeking in. When her eyes landed on Fang Zhiyi, they narrowed. "This guy deserves a taste of his own medicine."

Her style had always been multi-pronged warfare—after all, with the system in her hands, she was invincible.

"Last time’s misfortune talisman didn’t work. Let’s try this today." Jiang Ran bared her little fangs as a pitch-black pill materialized in her palm—a laxative pill she’d exchanged from the system, said to be ten times stronger than the usual stuff.

All she had to do now was slip it into Fang Zhiyi’s drink.

At the same time, Xiao Hei whispered to Fang Zhiyi, "Looks like she’s coming for you again."

"I know." Though Fang Zhiyi’s eyes were fixed on Liu Shishi, his peripheral vision tracked the petite figure lurking nearby.

Jiang Ran entered the restaurant, pretending to look for someone as she glanced around, then casually approached their table. "Excuse me, have you seen my friends?"

Liu Shishi took a sip of her drink. "Oh, they just left. Said they were going to a movie."

"A movie?" Jiang Ran’s grip on the pill tightened—she should’ve made her move harsher. But she quickly refocused on Fang Zhiyi. "Oh no… They promised to wait for me for lunch." As she spoke, she subtly inched closer to him.

Fang Zhiyi gave her a sidelong glance. Though he didn’t know her exact plan, the way she clenched her right hand suggested she was hiding something. Suddenly, he stood up, startling her.

"If you’re their friend, then you’re mine too. Why don’t you join us?" Fang Zhiyi smiled.

Liu Shishi frowned slightly but, after a glance at Jiang Ran, forced a polite smile. "Yes, please join us. Zhiyi ordered way too much food anyway."

Jiang Ran watched as Fang Zhiyi moved his cup aside and slid into the seat next to Liu Shishi. Irritation flared—this annoying side character was such a nuisance!

But she kept her composure. Not wanting to waste the pill, she sat down, biding her time.

The system chimed in helpfully: "This pill dissolves instantly in water. Very effective."

Yet, as Jiang Ran listened to Fang Zhiyi and Liu Shishi flirt, she began to doubt the plot.

"System, what’s going on?"

The system hesitated. "Perhaps the butterfly effect? Your transmigration might have accelerated the romance between the female lead and male lead, altering the side characters’ roles too."

"Whatever. Better safe than sorry." Jiang Ran’s eyes gleamed with determination.

Fang Zhiyi whispered something to Liu Shishi, who soon stood up. "I’ll be right back—restroom."

Jiang Ran smiled as she left, leaving just her and Fang Zhiyi at the table.

Then, Fang Zhiyi’s phone rang. He answered eagerly. "Hello? Xue'er? Yeah, yeah, got it." He stood, gesturing that he needed to take the call. Jiang Ran nodded, sensing her chance.

True to the system’s word, the pill vanished the moment it hit the water.

"Some butterfly effect. Look how he scrambles at Lin Xue’s call," Jiang Ran muttered in satisfaction.

The system chuckled. "As expected of the host."

But as minutes passed, neither Fang Zhiyi nor Liu Shishi returned. A bad feeling crept up on Jiang Ran. She stood abruptly just as a voice called from outside: "Xue'er needs me! We’re leaving!"

Her eyes bulged as she saw Fang Zhiyi sprinting away—with two bottles of red wine in hand.

"What…?" Before she could process it, a waiter approached with the bill.

"Miss, your friends left with two bottles of our finest. Would you like to settle the tab?"

Staring at the five-figure sum, Jiang Ran’s heart clenched. Her hard-earned savings—gone!

"I don’t even know them—"

The waiter smiled sweetly. "I saw you dining together. Strangers don’t do that, do they? Or should I call the police?"

Jiang Ran took a deep breath. "I’ll pay."

At that moment, Fang Zhiyi’s fate was sealed in her mind. If she’d once wanted his family ruined, now she wanted him dead.

But when she returned home, she spotted a familiar-looking gift box hanging at Gu Shaoting’s door.

"Host, that’s the wine Fang Zhiyi took from the restaurant," the system confirmed.

"What?!"

Just then, Gu Shaoting and Lin Xue arrived. Lin Xue’s face darkened at the sight of Jiang Ran, while Gu Shaoting merely nodded awkwardly.

Lin Xue eyed the wine. "I knew he had ulterior motives…"

Noticing Gu Shaoting’s sour expression, she quickly added, "But he can dream on." They disappeared inside, leaving Jiang Ran seething. Her hatred for Fang Zhiyi now shifted toward the "couple"—that spineless fool wouldn’t have pulled this off without Lin Xue’s scheming!

Meanwhile, Fang Zhiyi strolled away, a bottle of wine in each pocket.

Liu Shishi was puzzled. "Why did you swap the wines and send them to Gu Shaoting?"

Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Basic courtesy. Their friend paid the bill, so I shared the spoils. Call it… social etiquette."

Liu Shishi knew he was talking nonsense but laughed anyway. "Sure, whatever you say."