Chapter 27 Jealousy Dinner

Chapter 27 Jealousy Dinner

Xie Lin escorted Lin Mianmian to the girls' dormitory before leisurely taking out his phone.

He pulled out a photo he had secretly taken of Lin Mianmian's profile in the ancient temple corridor when she was fixing her hair. The setting sun cast a soft golden glow on the top of her head.

While editing the copy, he paused for a moment, then typed a line: Lost and found again, my little girl.

The post with the picture went viral in less than half a minute, and the comments section exploded.

Liang Cheng's comment came the fastest, his nonchalant tone practically screaming "Holy crap! Brother Lin, you finally got her!"

"When are you bringing Mianmian out for a get-together? It has to be a three-day, three-night extravaganza, we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"

A string of fireworks and cheering emojis followed.

Xie Lin curled his lips into a "Get lost" and scrolled down with his finger. His gaze fell on Bai Xiulin's comment, and his eyes darkened slightly.

Bai Xiulin's comment was polite and respectful: Congratulations. You've finally gotten what you wanted. Treat her well.

What's wrong, bro? This comment style isn't like him.

Xie Lin didn't think much of it, assuming he was just in a bad mood lately, and casually replied with "OK".

He and Liang Cheng exchanged a few more words in the comments section.

Unbeknownst to him, Bai Xiulin was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his fingertips resting on the photo of the girl Xie Lin had sent.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he read the phrase "treat her well" over and over again, feeling a tightness in his chest, as if something was blocking his heart.

He couldn't resist in the end. He opened the chat box with Lin Mianmian, typed and then deleted, finally leaving only one sentence: Mianmian, take care of yourself.

When the notification popped up that the message had been successfully sent, he closed his eyes, concealing all the emotions churning within them.

He truly wishes them happiness, but it's also true that he still thinks about Lin Mianmian.

To celebrate their reunion, Xie Lin chose the most popular private restaurant in the city.

When the door to the private room was pushed open, Liang Cheng was teasing Bai Xiulin while smoking a cigarette. When he saw Xie Lin leading Lin Mianmian in, he immediately whistled and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray: "Hey, the main character is here! Brother Lin, you're really something, acting like you're afraid someone will kidnap your little girl."

Lin Mianmian blushed at his words and backed away.

Xie Lin chuckled softly, put his arm around her waist and led her to the main seat. He gently pinched her waist with his fingertips, his tone both roguish and doting: "What are you afraid of? I'm here."

Bai Xiulin stood up, reached out and hooked his arm around Xie Lin's neck, the force neither too light nor too heavy, and pulled it away in front of Lin Mianmian: "Well done, Xie Lin, you kept it well hidden. You only brought it out after you got it. That's not very nice of you."

He said this to Xie Lin, but his eyes swept over Lin Mianmian, with a hint of familiar teasing: "Mianmian, you've finally decided to talk to him. If you keep dragging this on, this guy will have to kneel in a temple forever."

Lin Mianmian paused for a moment before nodding with a smile, "Brother Xiulin, it's been a long time."

Xie Lin raised an eyebrow at the address "Brother Xiulin," then whispered through gritted teeth in her ear, "You call me that pretty affectionately? Hmm?"

The warm breath brushed against her earlobe, and Lin Mianmian trembled all over. She reached out and pinched his side, glaring at him.

Xie Lin winced in pain, but laughed even harder, his eyes filled with an intense, unyielding possessiveness.

Halfway through the dinner, Liang Cheng egged Xie Lin on to share his secrets to winning over a wife.

Xie Lin hooked his finger around Lin Mianmian's and said casually, "There's no secret to it, it's just about being persistent and clingy. I shamelessly stick to my wife."

Everyone burst into laughter, and Bai Xiulin laughed along, though the laughter didn't reach his eyes.

He raised his glass and bumped it against Xie Lin's glass, raising an eyebrow and teasing, "With your tricks, you're only soft-hearted. Anyone else would have kicked you eight hundred times over."

Xie Lin raised an eyebrow and retorted, "It's also because I have good taste and chose a soft-hearted young lady."

Midway through, Lin Mianmian went to the restroom, and Bai Xiulin followed her out, making an excuse to get some fresh air.

At the end of the corridor, he called out to her, his nonchalant expression fading slightly, replaced by a gentle and polite demeanor.

With a serious expression, he asked, "Mianmian, are you really willing to be with him?"

Lin Mianmian nodded, a faint smile in her eyes: "Brother Xiulin, I'm willing."

Bai Xiulin's Adam's apple bobbed, and just as he was about to say something, Xie Lin's voice came from behind him.

With a hint of nonchalant laziness, yet concealing a subtle scrutiny: "What are you talking about? You seem to be getting along very well."

Lin Mianmian turned around abruptly and saw Xie Lin leaning against the door frame, his dark eyes staring intently at the two of them, a lighter twirling between his fingers.

Bai Xiulin turned around and immediately resumed his carefree demeanor.

He raised his hand and patted Xie Lin on the shoulder: "What else can we talk about? I'll keep an eye on things for you, make sure you don't bully that girl."

Xie Lin twitched his lips, stepped forward and pulled Lin Mianmian into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his sharp gaze sweeping over Bai Xiulin.

His tone carried an undisguised assertion of sovereignty: "My people are not for others to supervise."

The dim lighting in the corridor created an awkward atmosphere among the three of them.

Bai Xiulin raised an eyebrow at Xie Lin's words, showing no fear whatsoever. Instead, he chuckled and reached out to tug at Lin Mianmian's hair.

"Tsk, so possessive of her food? I just thought Mianmian looked nice today and wanted to compliment her."

Before his fingertips could even touch Lin Mianmian's hair, Xie Lin raised his hand and slapped it away. The force was neither too light nor too heavy, but it carried a strong warning.

Xie Lin pulled Lin Mianmian closer to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head.

He glanced coldly at Bai Xiulin and said, "My girlfriend is beautiful; she doesn't need anyone else to praise her."

Lin Mianmian felt a little awkward from the tense atmosphere between the two. She reached out and tugged at Xie Lin's sleeve, whispering, "Don't be like this, we're friends."

Xie Lin looked down at her, and the coldness in his eyes instantly faded, leaving only an intense and unyielding doting affection.

He pinched her cheek and softened his voice: "Whatever you say."

Bai Xiulin watched the two of them interact sweetly, and a bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart.

He withdrew his hand, put his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the wall of the corridor: "Fine, you win."

"But Xie Lin, if you dare to bully Mianmian, even if we're brothers, I'll still beat you up."

These candid words only made Xie Lin frown even more.

Just as he was about to retort, Liang Cheng leaned out of the private room and called out, "What kind of spy movie are you three acting out here? The food's getting cold!"

Bai Xiulin turned around first, and as he passed Xie Lin, he said in a low voice as if it were nothing, "I'm serious."

Xie Lin's expression darkened. He ignored him and led Lin Mianmian towards the private room.

Lin Mianmian could feel the frightening heat of his palm, and his fingertips were still slightly clenched. She couldn't help but ask softly, "Are you angry?"

"No," Xie Lin said, but his steps became heavier.

He turned to look at her, his dark eyes swirling with emotions she couldn't understand. "I just don't like people staring at my things."

Lin Mianmian's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she didn't say anything more, but simply gripped his hand tightly.

Back in the private room, the atmosphere was even more lively than before.

Liang Cheng, always eager for a good show, raised his glass and egged them on: "Brother Lin, what were you two talking about in the hallway just now? You seemed to be having such a good time, your faces were practically touching."

Xie Lin lifted his eyelids, picked up the wine glass on the table and clinked it with his, his tone nonchalant: "Let's talk about how to make you crawl to school tomorrow."

Liang Cheng immediately backed down, raising his hands in surrender: "Fine, I admit I was too talkative."

Everyone burst into laughter, and Bai Xiulin laughed along, but the smile remained on his face.

He picked up the serving chopsticks, casually placed a piece of shrimp paste on Lin Mianmian's plate, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Mianmian, this place makes pretty good shrimp paste, have a taste."

Lin Mianmian was stunned for a moment, and was about to say thank you.

Xie Lin took the spoon first and scooped a large spoonful of shrimp paste into her bowl.

With a hint of deliberate emphasis in her tone, she said, "She loves to eat it, so I'll pick some for her."

Bai Xiulin's hand, which was holding a piece of food, froze in mid-air before he casually withdrew it.

She put the shrimp paste into her own bowl and said slowly, "That's true, after all, she's your person, so it's only right that I take good care of her."

There's nothing wrong with what he said, but it reveals an inexplicable competitive spirit.

Towards the end of the dinner, someone suggested playing Truth or Dare. When the bottle was turned to Xie Lin, Liang Cheng asked with a mischievous grin, "Brother Lin, you've been pursuing your girlfriend for so long, haven't you ever thought about giving up?"

Xie Lin's gaze fell on Lin Mianmian's face, his eyes almost overflowing with tenderness. He slowly said, "I never thought of that."

The bottle was then turned to Bai Xiulin, and Liang Cheng's question became even more provocative: "Xiulin, do you have someone you like?"

Bai Xiulin's gaze swept over Lin Mianmian subconsciously, then quickly looked away.

He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and smiled wryly: "Yes, but unfortunately she's already taken."

The room fell silent for a moment after those words were spoken.

Xie Lin tightened his grip on the wine glass, his knuckles turning white. He looked up at Bai Xiulin, the warmth in his dark eyes fading little by little, the tension in the air almost exploding.