Chapter 9: You Have a Home in Jiangzhou?

She shook her head, tossing out those messy thoughts, then pulled her phone from her pocket.

"Take a photo for me, I want to post it on my Moments." She handed the phone to Gao Ruoxi.

Gao Ruoxi took it and immediately got into character, squinting as she framed the shot. "Miantang, that dress looks great on you today. Stand over there—better light."

Ke Miantang stood up and walked to the window.

The Japanese restaurant's lighting was warm yellow, spilling down through the wooden lattice overhead and gilding her face with a soft glow.

She turned slightly, one hand hanging naturally at her side, the other tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear.

The pale pink hem sat above her knees, the line of her legs smooth and soft.

She hadn't posed deliberately, but her curves fell just right—the fitted waist making her look slender enough to span with one hand, her legs beneath the hem slim and straight.

Gao Ruoxi fired off several shots, unable to bring herself to delete a single one. After agonizing over the selection, she handed the phone back. "Look at these. Stunning. If you post this, the likes won't stop till they break a hundred."

Ke Miantang scrolled through, picked the best one, logged into her social account, added a sushi emoji, and posted it.

Less than a minute later, her phone started buzzing—likes and comments refreshing nonstop.

"Sister Miantang is gorgeous!"

"Which restaurant is this?"

"Wow, that dress is lovely, what brand?"

Ke Miantang stared at the unfamiliar names, feeling a little dazed.

The original host's friend list held more than half of Lingzhou City's tycoon circle—surnames that rang like thunder.

She didn't know a single one of them, yet they were all expressing their attention toward "Ke Miantang" in their various ways.

She was about to put the phone down when the screen lit up again.

A text from Rong She: "You ungrateful little thing. A whole day and not a single message."

Ke Miantang's mouth curved before she could stop it. The moment she noticed, she pressed her lips together.

She pouted and typed quickly: "You didn't contact me either."

She sent it and stared at the screen, waiting.

*Typing…*

Then it stopped.

Her phone buzzed.

Incoming Call: Rong She.

Ke Miantang looked at the name flashing on the screen, the tips of her ears growing warm.

Her two roommates looked over at the sound.

"Answer it," Gao Ruoxi said, waggling her eyebrows.

Ke Miantang cleared her throat. She was just about to stand and step outside to take the call when Gao Ruoxi and Cui Lina simultaneously spun around, backs to her.

Perfectly synchronized, like two penguins sitting in a row—they even dutifully covered their ears.

Ke Miantang snorted with laughter, then pressed answer and held the phone to her ear. "Hello."

Rong She's low, husky voice came through. "Is the Japanese food good?"

"It's okay." Ke Miantang considered for a moment, then decided not to say *"Not as good as when you take me."* That would sound too much like fishing for affection.

But the man on the other end had already read something else into her single "okay" and let out a low chuckle.

Pink crept up Ke Miantang's cheeks. Her lips pursed as she scolded him in a sweet, petulant tone, "What are you laughing at?"

Rong She's laughter stopped. "My girlfriend is too cute."

Ke Miantang bit her lip, her heart hammering against her ribs, her lashes fluttering with frustration.

How had she been played again with a single sentence?

"Come over tonight?" he asked, casual.

Ke Miantang thought of tomorrow's competition. "There's an equestrian event tomorrow."

"Mm."

"I have to get up early."

"Forget it, then." His tone was deliberately flat, but Ke Miantang somehow heard a hint of reluctance.

Before she could dwell on it, voices filtered through from his end—muffled, indistinct, someone reminding him of the next meeting.

"Go do your thing," Ke Miantang said quickly.

"Mm." Rong She didn't hang up.

Neither did Ke Miantang.

The two of them stayed silent, separated only by the receiver.

"Rong She, don't… stay up too late." The words slipped out before she could stop them, and she didn't want to sound like she cared too much.

"Okay." The call ended with a beep.

Ke Miantang lowered the phone. The screen was still lit.

A new deposit notification: 52,000 yuan. The note was a single character: *Good girl.*

She stared at it for a moment, the corner of her mouth curling up before she quickly pressed it flat.

"Miantang~" Gao Ruoxi's voice came from behind, dripping with an exaggerated Taiwanese accent. "Can we turn back now? My neck is killing me~"

Ke Miantang hurriedly tapped the screen off. The flush hadn't faded from her face—even her chin glowed faint pink.

"You can turn back," she said, deadpan.

Her two roommates turned to look at her flushed cheeks and simultaneously curved their mouths into knowing smiles.

"Wow," Cui Lina said, covering her mouth. "Miantang, your face is so red."

"It's the lighting."

"Your ears are red too."

"It's hot."

"You said one 'hello' and your ears get this hot?"

Besieged from both sides, Ke Miantang's face burned crimson. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "I'm done eating. Back to school."

Behind her, a peal of bright laughter rang out.

As she stepped out of the restaurant, the night wind hit her face, carrying the faint chill and damp of early autumn.

It was late August. Lingzhou City's daytime heat could still melt a person, but once evening fell, the temperature dropped.

Ke Miantang looked up at the sky. Light pollution in the city center was severe—neon lights dyed the clouds a hazy orange-red, and only a few stars were visible.

But today, for some reason, she felt inexplicably good.

The route back to the dorm passed the Equestrian Hall. Ke Miantang's steps paused.

There was a competition tomorrow. Should she go in and warm up tonight?

Team event. She was one of the members.

She was different from the original host. The original host's equestrian grades were average—not dragging the team down, but not standing out either.

But in the real world, she'd studied equestrianism for twelve years—from elementary through high school, three lessons a week, rain or shine.

It was one of the few things she could genuinely claim to be good at.

A familiar figure stood at the entrance of the Equestrian Hall.

He Yayin leaned against the doorframe, an Americano in hand. Seeing Ke Miantang stop at the entrance, the corner of her mouth curled. "Miss Ke. What a coincidence. Good luck tomorrow."

Ke Miantang stopped and looked at her.

He Yayin took another sip of coffee. The cup hid the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible—and they held no smile.

"I hope tomorrow," her muffled voice came from behind the cup, "you don't drag us down."

Ke Miantang smiled back. "Thank you for your concern, Miss He. But my skills…"

She paused deliberately. "…don't need your worry."

He Yayin's hand stilled. Then she slowly lowered the cup, revealing her full face. She hadn't expected Ke Miantang to keep her composure.

Ke Miantang didn't spare her another glance. She turned and walked away.

Back at the dorm, before she could even push the door open, her phone screen lit up again.

A message from Rong She: "I'm downstairs."

She checked the time. Nine-thirty. Curfew was ten-thirty.

Without a second thought, she turned and headed back down.

Rong She's car was parked in the lot beside the dormitory building.

The Maybach was nearly invisible in the dark, only the star emblem on the hood catching a brief glint under the streetlamp.