Fake Cigarettes, Fake Alcohol, Fake Loli

The dinner gathering soon came to an end.

Lu Qing had finished explaining everything that needed to be addressed and once again asked Bai Xing if she wanted to head back with him.

Bai Xing, still stubborn, turned her head away and insisted that she could go home on her own, refusing to leave with her senior.

Before Lu Qing could say anything, Tang Hua couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Boss, if she’s not going back, I’ll go with you! Hehehe… Boss, take me with you? Let’s walk to the mall entrance together.”

“Ah…”

Lu Qing thought for a moment and then nodded. “That’s fine too.”

Bai Xing: “No, you—!”

The young girl’s face nearly turned red with frustration as she glared at Tang Hua, feeling both indignant and helpless.

Indeed, every time she took a step back, Tang Hua would take a step forward.

Every time she yielded an inch, Tang Hua would instinctively push ahead.

And the scariest part was that Tang Hua wasn’t acting—she was genuinely following her instincts.

She just wanted to be with Lu Qing.

She didn’t consider anything else.

“…”

Fine.

Bai Xing gave up.

But only for tonight.

“I wasn’t in my best form today,” she said as she stood up, tidying her coat and trying to convince herself:

“It’s not that I wasn’t prepared—I clearly was. It’s just that the opponent was too strong, and I underestimated her abilities. I didn’t expect her to be the stalker from before, so I completely misjudged her.”

The girl, who had been completely overwhelmed, seemed a bit deflated. She didn’t even say a proper goodbye to Lu Qing, simply muttering, “I’m leaving first,” before turning and walking out of the steakhouse under their gazes.

Tang Hua, unfazed, casually picked up the last potato wedge from her plate and popped it into her mouth, completely oblivious as she asked, “Boss, is she mad?”

“No.”

Lu Qing shook his head.

“Then why did she leave in such a hurry? It’s only a little past nine,” Tang Hua wondered.

“She needs to cool off. After all, she’s a bottle spirit—easy to break.”

“Huh? A bottle spirit…? What kind of bottle? Like a vase?”

“No, she’s definitely not a vase.”

Lu Qing chuckled, watching Bai Xing’s figure disappear around the corner outside. He didn’t say more, just went to the front desk to settle the bill before returning to Tang Hua’s side. He watched as she clumsily put on her jacket, even managing to put it on inside out…

So he helped her.

“Hehe, thanks, Boss. My body’s a bit bulky, so I always struggle with clothes.”

Tang Hua self-deprecatingly said.

“…That’s not called bulky. It’s called talent.”

Lu Qing knew that Tang Hua’s extraordinary figure made dressing up a challenge, especially when cosplaying, where she had to be careful to avoid accidental exposure.

The fact that she had recently taken hundreds of “slightly daring” exclusive photos for him, instead of the usual “fully covered” versions, made Lu Qing feel that she truly took his “punishment” seriously.

Though whether she still saw it as a “punishment”…

was another question entirely.

“Hehe, Boss, you’re the best. You’re the only one who doesn’t look down on me and even treats me to meat.”

“Next time, I’ll treat you again. Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”

“Huh?”

Seeing her confused expression, Lu Qing didn’t explain further.

He just picked up a fresh wet wipe from the table, folded it in his hand, and gently wiped away the remaining oil stains from the corner of her mouth. Then he took her wrist and led her out of the shop.

“Boss, aren’t you going straight home?”

Tang Hua’s face was flushed, her body temperature rising, but she couldn’t care less—she was completely overwhelmed by his words and actions.

“Yeah, I’m worried you’ll get lost again, so I’ll take you to Dongyang Residence before heading back. It’s not far anyway.”

Lu Qing didn’t look back, speaking in the most casual tone as if escorting her home was the most natural thing.

To Tang Hua, it felt like both an order and a blessing.

“Ah… That’s… That’s amazing! Boss… why are you so good to me? I… I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Tang Hua stammered, her body becoming even more sensitive.

She followed him like a kitten,

going wherever he went, not needing to look at the road ahead or worry about her least favorite thing—figuring out directions.

Lu Qing said:

“What do you mean you won’t sleep? That’s enough. I can’t stay with you all night, and staying over is out of the question, got it?”

“!”

Noticing Tang Hua’s almost heart-eyed, overexcited state, he switched to his no-nonsense mode, successfully cooling her down.

“Ugh… How could you…! Fine, I get it. Next time, I’ll invite you out during the day.”

Tang Hua obediently said.

“Mm.”

Lu Qing nodded.

A few seconds later—

“Huh??”

……

At the same time.

Chengkai Plaza, 3rd floor, women’s restroom.

Bai Xing was removing her makeup in front of the smooth, reflective mirror.

She could have waited until she got home to do it,

that way she could stay pretty for the whole journey, ensuring no beauty anxiety during the trip—a more cost-effective approach.

But—

…

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Right?”

The girl rubbed cleansing water onto her palms.

She vigorously scrubbed her face,

then reached her hands under the automatic faucet, cupping a handful of warm water to rinse her face.

“Ah… What a disaster today.”

She washed her face repeatedly, pulling a facial towel from her bag and setting it aside.

“How did this happen?”

She wanted to analyze the situation strategically.

But after much thought, she felt it wasn’t her fault.

“I was clearly well-prepared.”

She looked at the girl in the mirror,

at her slightly disheveled face.

She pursed her lips,

unwilling to admit defeat.

“That’s it.”

“I didn’t study enough.”

“There’s something I didn’t grasp properly.”

Bai Xing narrowed her beautiful eyes.

Muttering:

“If I were Su Ling, then Tang Hua would be the one standing here right now, wouldn’t she?”

She pondered whether she had made a mistake somewhere.

Carelessness?

Unlikely.

If she were careless, she wouldn’t have given it her all.

Then what was it?

Was the opponent too strong?

“Hmm. Hard to say.”

Bai Xing dried the water droplets.

She reapplied her lipstick in front of the mirror.

【Lipstick is the final touch.】

No matter how tired or worn out she was, she couldn’t skip this step.

At that moment, footsteps echoed outside the restroom.

Tap, tap, tap…

It sounded like the familiar rhythm of JK uniform shoes.

Bai Xing didn’t turn around, just tossed the facial towel into the trash and observed the girl entering through the mirror.

At this hour, most of the mall was about to close. Only places like internet cafes and KTVs, representing the start of “nightlife,” were still open, completely separate from the indoor shopping street stores that closed on time.

“Huh?! Senior?!”

Suddenly, she heard the person behind her call out.

Bai Xing was slightly startled and turned around,

examining the young girl under the light, who was wearing a low-cut, off-shoulder knit top paired with a black pleated skirt, gray-black knee-high socks, and a loose white hoodie. Her hair was styled in golden twin tails with black ribbons, and her face exuded a fox-like charm.

Her features were delicate, but clearly enhanced by makeup, relying heavily on concealer;

Her skin was fair, but it was obvious that her neck had been dusted with setting powder, showing room for improvement in her makeup skills;

Her chest wasn’t that big, probably only a B+, but she used padding hidden in her knit top to push it up to a C—something men might not notice, but women could spot instantly.

“Uh…”

The girl’s familiarity made Bai Xing feel a bit lost.

“Who are you? Do we know each other?”

She asked bluntly.

The girl didn’t seem bothered or embarrassed, just extended her hand with a flattering smile. “It’s me! Senior, you came by a few days ago! I’m Liu Yi from Yin Bear, your fan! Don’t you remember?”

“…”

Bai Xing didn’t shake her hand, just racked her brain, letting out a soft hiss as she vaguely recalled something.

“Oh, when I went with my senior to do homework, you introduced yourself, right?”

“Oh, right, right! Senior, what a coincidence!! I wanted to ask you about the Vtuber community back then, but you ignored me the whole time because you were busy with your boyfriend, hehe. Why isn’t he here today?”

“…”

She really knew how to hit a sore spot.

Bai Xing was speechless and turned to leave. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going. I need to catch a cab.”

“Wait, wait, wait!!! Don’t go, Senior! Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Um… uh…”

Liu Yi panicked, her eyes darting around before she had a sudden idea.

She grabbed Bai Xing’s sleeve and tried to persuade her:

“Oh, right, Senior! Our studio booked a KTV room upstairs tonight for a voice actor gathering. We’re singing karaoke. Do you want to join? Teacher Huang is there too!”

She paused, then added, “I’ve heard for a long time that you’re the best singer in Yinxiong. Before your debut, you even took on quite a few online singing gigs, though you gradually stopped later. I wonder why. Hehe, I asked around, and everyone said you’re more suited to be a singer…”

“Enough. You all can sing as much as you want. I don’t do crowded gatherings. I’m not interested.”

Bai Xing frowned and quickened her steps out of the restroom.

“No, no, wait for me, Senior! How about this? I’ll book a private room for just the two of us. I’ll treat you to some singing, and I can ask you a few questions while we’re at it. How about it? Just two hours! Two hours is all I need! Is that okay?”

“Are you out of your mind? Why should I keep you company? I have my own things to do. People like you who always ask for favors are the most…”

Before she could finish, Liu Yi quickly pulled out her wallet and, to Bai Xing’s surprise, grabbed a thick stack of cash, holding it out with both hands as she pleaded:

“What if I give you 3,000 yuan?”

…

…