Chapter 46: You Don’t Really Think I Have No Taste, Do You?

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The luxurious Rolls-Royce cruised smoothly along the highway. The bustling city noise was considerable, yet the car’s excellent sound insulation completely shut out those sounds. Chu Sijin and Chu Liunian sat side by side, the spacious rear seat allowing them to move freely. Directly in front of them was a sleek LCD screen with a partition in the middle, fully isolating the rear passengers from the driver up front.

“Did you have fun today, Liunian?” Chu Sijin asked suddenly.

Liunian pinched her chin thoughtfully, then smiled. “Yeah, it was pretty fun. He seemed to cooperate on purpose later and even gave me a gift.”

As she spoke, she pulled out an exquisitely crafted Qiongmei figurine, waving it teasingly in front of Chu Sijin.

Chu Sijin wasn’t interested in figurines, but hearing Liunian was happy, she felt happy too. She grabbed a handful of chips, popping some into her mouth as she asked, “Did you ask him that question?”

“Of course, why else would I have come back to change clothes?” Liunian replied, pulling out her phone and dialing Xu Ke.

“Xu Ke, I asked Qin Luo, but he didn’t answer—just shook his head and stayed silent.”

“Yeah, that’s right, he just shook his head; I don’t know what he meant either.”

“Okay, see you Monday... hmm? What’s wrong?”

Seeing Liunian’s puzzled expression, Chu Sijin looked over as well. She barely caught Xu Ke’s hesitant voice through the phone.

“You don’t think I have no eye for this, do you?”

Liunian was momentarily stunned by the question, then laughed. “I wasn’t going to say this, but since you asked... I do think you’re quite lacking in discernment.”

Xu Ke didn’t reply for a few seconds before the call abruptly ended.

“Why did Xu Ke suddenly ask you that?” Chu Sijin asked, curious.

Liunian thought for a moment. “Probably because all three of you said the same thing. If I didn’t say it, the picture wouldn’t be complete. After all, family means staying united.”

Chu Sijin nodded in agreement, finding the explanation reasonable.

Then Liunian suddenly seemed to recall something and asked, puzzled, “By the way, why did I run into Qin Luo today?”

Chu Sijin’s expression stiffened for a moment. She slowly turned her head away, no longer looking at Liunian, and calmly said, “It’s probably just a coincidence. After all, it was a comic convention—normal for him to go there.”

“But there’s a comic convention every weekend, and I go often. I’ve never seen him there. I have, however, met his roommate named Wang a few times.”

“I don’t know then. Anyway, it has to be a coincidence. You see, Tang Yu and I met him before by coincidence too, didn’t we?”

Liunian nodded, thinking her sister made sense but still feeling something was off.

At that moment, Chu Sijin’s phone suddenly rang. The little foodie picked it up and was surprised to see it was a voice call from Qin Luo.

“Huh? Why is he suddenly calling you?” Liunian leaned in to look, frowning. “Could he be wanting to ask about me? After spending time with me today, he should have figured something out.”

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Hearing this, Chu Sijin hesitated and asked, “Should I answer? If he asks, should I tell him?”

“Sure,” Liunian replied casually. “But if he asks that question, don’t say anything. I’ll talk to him when I get the chance.”

“Alright,” Chu Sijin nodded and pressed to answer.

The next second, Qin Luo’s hearty laughter filled their ears.

“Chu Sijin, is your sister next to you?”

“Uh... yeah, what’s up?”

“Oh, nothing much, just wanted to say thanks.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“For helping me pass on Liunian’s invitation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known there’s someone so interesting in this world. Thanks, bye!”

Then Qin Luo’s voice abruptly stopped.

Chu Sijin looked at her phone and then at Liunian. Their eyes met: the elder sister’s expression stiffened, while the younger’s gaze sharpened.

“My dear Onai-chan, what exactly do you mean by ‘help me pass on the invitation’?”

“I-I don’t know either! I didn’t understand what he meant, hahaha...”

“Really? Then why are you sweating so much all of a sudden?”

“Am I? Must be an illusion.”

“I told you, why do you think you ran into me by such coincidence today? Get ready! The car door is welded shut. Whatever you say, you’re not getting out today!”

“Ahhh! I’m sorry, I was wrong! Don’t steal my chips, ahhh!”

...

In dorm 606, Xu Ke put down her phone. Though her face was expressionless, her eyes betrayed her embarrassment and annoyance.

She truly regretted asking that extra question—it was like shooting herself in the foot.

What surprised her even more was how strikingly consistent her four roommates were. After each had an in-depth encounter with Qin Luo, they all shared the same thought—that she lacked discernment.

Xu Ke was quite indignant. She admitted Qin Luo was somewhat exceptional, unlike others who were ordinary. But he not pursuing her wasn’t because she stopped him; it was his own decision to give up. So how could it be that she had no eye for it?

And was he really that great? Was he worth all of them thinking she was blind?

Xu Ke brooded in shame for a moment, then muttered to herself, half questioning, “He shook his head and didn’t say anything. What does that mean?”

Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu were also present. Since Xu Ke had her phone on speaker earlier, they had heard the message Chu Liunian sent and were now deep in thought.

It was Friday evening, school was out. Chu Liunian and Chu Sijin, both locals from the magical city, would go back home for the weekend. Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu, both from the imperial city, rarely returned except during long holidays.

As for Xu Ke, she was also local and usually went home on weekends, but today she was reluctant to leave, waiting for the latest news from Liunian.

Of course, since it was a phone call, she could receive updates at home too. But she deliberately wanted to “share” this news with Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu in real time, hoping to let them know immediately that Qin Luo still liked her, to get back at the two for the grudge they had caused her earlier.

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Unfortunately, the message from Chu Liunian was ambiguous, much like when Qin Luo told Chu Sijin “It’s not important” last time. He neither confirmed nor denied still liking her.

This time was even stranger—he simply said nothing. This left Xu Ke puzzled and somewhat irritated.

She even asked Yao Yanyan, “What does Qin Luo mean?”

Yao Yanyan chuckled, “You’re asking me?”

Xu Ke replied with a blank face, “You’ve been close to him lately, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah, he often goes to class with me. But what does that have to do with you?”

“I don’t believe he never mentioned me once in front of you. Did you ask him that question? How did he answer?”

“Unfortunately, he never mentioned you once. And I didn’t ask that question either, since he already said he doesn’t like you. I don’t know why you’re still hung up on it.”

“That’s nonsense! He can’t not like me!”

Back and forth, their conversation was heating up quickly.

Tang Yu shook her head and had to intervene, saying to Xu Ke, “Don’t you get it yet?”

Xu Ke frowned. “Get what? He never gave a clear answer. How am I supposed to understand?”

Tang Yu opened her mouth but hesitated, seeming unsure how to phrase it.

Yao Yanyan snorted coldly and bluntly said, “Calling you stupid wouldn’t make you happy, huh? At this point, whether he likes you or not doesn’t even matter. What matters is whether you still like him.”

Xu Ke raised an eyebrow, about to snap back, but Yao Yanyan’s last words left her utterly bewildered.

“What do you mean?”

She looked like a mortal trying to decipher a divine text, utterly incapable of grasping their meaning.

Yao Yanyan rolled her eyes in exasperation and said nothing further.

Tang Yu sighed deeply and explained, “Let me be straightforward, Xu Ke. Qin Luo may still have feelings for you. After all, everyone saw how serious and affectionate he was when he pursued you.”

“Human emotions are complex. His feelings for you don’t just vanish overnight. But because of your coldness and disdain towards him, those feelings have been gradually fading, until recently, they dwindled to the point where he had no choice but to give up.”

“You must understand, things are different now. Even if Qin Luo still likes you, he won’t chase you like before. That’s why he told Sijin it’s not important, and why he just shook his head when facing Liunian.”

“Because he knows he still likes you, but won’t take the initiative anymore. If you want to change that, make him like you again, you have to be the one to take the initiative. So…”

Tang Yu paused, then continued, “There’s no point in you obsessing over whether he likes you now. What matters is whether you like him, whether you’re willing to make the first move.”

Xu Ke listened quietly. Her expression shifted from confusion to sudden realization, then to feigned disdain.

“Me, take the initiative?” she said, unable to accept the idea, her tone resentful. “I’ve never made the first move with any man. If he still likes me, he should be the one pursuing me. How can it be right for a girl to take the lead?”

Tang Yu narrowed her eyes; a sharp glint flickered in her gaze. “So you’re not denying that you like him?”