After much thought, he decided to sneak a photo later and send it to his sister; that was all he would do and nothing more.

Han Lie is too dangerous, emotions too complex, I can't figure it out!

...

During the ordering, both Fang Feifei and Yu Yun were very excited.

"Finally got the chance to rip you off!"

"Right! You'll have to pay us back double for what you ate of ours!"

Han Lie offered encouragement, "Then go for it. Aim for a 5,000 yuan bill."

The two of them chirped away while ordering, with Xi Luting not taking part.

She glanced around the private room and asked, seemingly casually, "Why did you book such a big room? Are you really just inviting the few of us?"

"Otherwise?" Han Lie retorted. "Who else do you hope would come?"

"It's not about who I hope would come."

Xi Luting's expression turned serious and earnest.

"Fei Fei accidentally let Lu Yao and Hong Li see your message, and Lu Yao has already blabbed in the class group. Inviting only the three of us... actually, many classmates have opinions."

Han Lie, of course, knew that some people would feel uncomfortable, but he didn't care.

After a moment's thought, he casually replied, "So what? I won't be staying at Renwen much longer."

BOOM! Xi Luting's mind felt as if it had been struck by thunder.

He's leaving? Where to? When? What… what should I do?

Her thoughts were a chaotic mess. Idea after idea surfaced like water hyacinths; if one was pushed down, another would pop up, until they all floated on the surface—a dense, countless mass, each one tinged with sorrow.

Her expression changed again and again. Finally, forcing a straight face, she bluntly asked, "Abroad?"

Han Lie chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Transferring schools."

"Oh."

Xi Luting bit her lip, then asked, "Have you decided where to transfer to?"

"Shanghai International Studies University, the main campus."

"That's quite good..."

Xi Luting's expression dimmed, losing her usual coolness and sharpness.

"You and Chen Yanfei make a good match... Ding Xiang is great as well... So who do you actually like?"

"I like them all."

The scoundrel threw out another cheeky line, but she didn't have the energy to be angry anymore.

Xi Luting's mind was a tangled mess.

Waves of indignation welled up inside her, yet she could do nothing about them, only forcefully suppress them to maintain her last shred of dignity.

This version of her didn't look like Queen Ting Ting; she seemed like a pitiful little thing.

Han Lie not only felt no pity for her, but he even laughed.

Damn you! You're not human!

She gradually recovered from the shock, suddenly realizing something seemed amiss.

Seeing the growing smile on Han Lie's face, identical to every time he had tricked her, a flash of insight sparked in Xi Luting's mind.

That's not right!

Shanghai International Studies University isn't even one of the twelve schools that accept transfer students!

"Damn it! You're playing me again?! How the hell do you plan to get into Shanghai International Studies University?"

"Hahaha... you're so slow to catch on!"

Han Lie was about to double over with laughter, slapping his thigh hard.

A pain shot through Xi Luting's leg. Combined with her wounded pride, she exploded on the spot.

"Go to hell!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Queen's Thumping Fists!

Five punches in one second, she hammered Han Lie for a full five seconds.

If not for his high resilience, he would have been beaten to death on the spot.

Fang Feifei and Yu Yun, who were still ordering, turned back in astonishment, feeling this shameless pair was just too much.

Of course, Fang Feifei thought Han Lie was the jerk, and Yu Yun thought Xi Luting was the bitch.

Their positions were very firm.

"Han Lie, can you not pick on Ting Ting all the time?" Fang Feifei complained. "Go tease Naiyun, she'll be thrilled."

"Monitor, why are you so fierce?" Yu Yun chimed in. "Girls should be obedient, sensible, and gentle..."

Han Lie had his laugh and nodded.

But Xi Luting was far from done venting. She glared at Yu Yun. "Get lost! None of your business!"

Yu Yun slammed the menu onto the table with a smack.

Then, instead of arguing with Xi Luting, she looked at Han Lie with a pitiful expression.

"Han Lie~~~ Look at her! She's being utterly unreasonable!"

Good heavens, they were united against a common enemy just two days ago... Han Lie thought.

Han Lie ignored them, taking the menu himself and handing it to Little Northeast and Ding Ding.

"See if there's anything else you want. If we're good, tell the kitchen to start preparing the food."

Little Northeast and Ding Ding looked at each other. Ding Ding flinched, and Little Northeast gritted his teeth.

"Big Brother, it's enough, really!" Little Northeast declared. "Ladies, would you like some milk tea? I'll go buy it!"

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

Ding Ding's eyes widened as he looked at his good buddy, his face full of disbelief.

You're really going all out...

Xi Luting was flabbergasted, Yu Yun was ecstatic, and Fang Feifei was utterly astounded.

"He's really something, that friend of yours!" Fang Feifei said to Han Lie with a thumbs-up.

Yu Yun bashfully shook her head. "Don't just call anyone that. I'm just his little sister~"

"Alright, Sister-in-law!" Little Northeast continued to nod and bow. "What flavor of milk tea would you like?"

Han Lie was amused; this guy was alright.

Yu Yun also chuckled, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and said coquettishly, "Then I'll have an original flavor."

"Coming right up!"

Little Northeast immediately turned to Xi Luting. "And for you, Eldest Sister-in-Law?"

"I'm not your Eldest Sister-in-Law!"

Han Lie hurriedly reminded him, "Third Sister-in-Law."

Little Northeast slapped his forehead, full of apologies, and turned to leave.

"I'm off to buy the milk teas!"

After he had slipped away, Ding Ding suddenly realized something was off.

Why the hell did I fall into the battlefield again?!

He was utterly conflicted, torn between wanting to leave and not wanting to miss the excitement.

Xi Luting was incensed by the scoundrel. Clenching her teeth, she furiously pulled out her phone.

You don't want me to be comfortable, huh? Fine, then none of us will be!

Han Lie, sharp-eyed, saw that she was actually dialing Pan Ge's number and quickly snatched the phone away to hang up.

"Stop messing around," Han Lie said. "My time is limited; I have to go work out later. From now until the holiday, I won't have much free time. Can't we just have a nice meal together?"

Pfft! A nice meal, and you pat my thigh?! A nice meal, and you let them call me Third Sister-in-Law?!

Xi Luting huffed coldly, crossed her arms, and glanced sideways at the scoundrel.

Clearly, she was still angry.

Han Lie gave a slight smile, stopped teasing her, and started to coax them.

Moreover, he wasn't just coaxing her alone...

"Everyone here is my good friend, people who care for me, help me, and look after me," Han Lie began. "I've been wanting to invite everyone out for a gathering for a while now, but I lacked a good reason.

"Today, I received the first bonus of my life. It's not much, but it means a lot.

"So I want to share this joy with my best friends.

"Ting Ting asked me earlier why I only invited so few people, and if I was worried about what other classmates might think.

"I want to tell everyone that friends are valued for their quality, not quantity. I only care about those I acknowledge. As for what others think—whether they praise me or condemn me—I don't give a damn.

"But not you all. You can only praise me, not criticize me.

"Come, let's all raise a glass to that!"

The group was deeply touched, raising their drink cups in unison.

Ding Ding felt honored, Fang Feifei thought she hadn't misjudged Han Lie, and Yu Yun was secretly thrilled, feeling her efforts with Han Lie were not in vain.

Only Xi Luting was not easily coaxed. She looked at the scoundrel with suspicion, feeling that he was putting on an act again.

Having been taken advantage of so many times, she had naturally become wiser.

She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but something was definitely off when his words were this sweet.

The next second, Han Lie reached under the table and grabbed her hand.

Xi Luting's cheeks flushed red. She struggled briefly but failed to pull away.

She didn't dare to use too much force, for fear that Yu Yun and Fang Feifei would catch them in the act, so she pinched Han Lie's fingers hard.

HISS...

Han Lie winced, his eyes narrowing in pain. Then, steeling himself, he pressed his hand on her thigh.

Immediately, his eyes bulged.

Wait a minute... It's November; doesn't she wear thermal leggings under her stockings? Hmm, but it feels better without...

Xi Luting shuddered, quickly grabbed that dog's paw, and dug her nails into it.

Damn!

This Little Cucumber has such a fiery temper, she's so damn hard to deal with!

Han Lie hurriedly let go, barely managing to keep his expression in check.

Overall, he had come out on the losing side.

What kind of leg, even through stockings, is worth three fingernail marks and four welts?!

Han Lie was wallowing in his annoyance when Xi Luting's phone rang.

It was Pan Ge calling back.

Xi Luting glared fiercely at Han Lie, then picked up the phone.

"I'm fine. I dialed the wrong number just now."

Pan Ge, as expected, didn't believe her. "Really?"

Xi Luting continued to fib without a change in expression. "Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

"Then who are you with?"

"Myself!"

"Oh."

The door to the private room was suddenly pushed open, and Little Northeast stood at the entrance, awkwardly holding several cups of milk tea.

Behind him, Pan Ge lowered his phone with a cold laugh.

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