Shi Momo turned her head to look at Yan Shan as well, following Mu Anxiao's gaze. She frowned and gently tapped on the glass with her hand, mouthing, "You're following me."
Yan Shan's gaze didn't linger on Shi Momo's face. Instead, he took out his phone and directly took pictures of Mu Anxiao and them together. Zhang Yan saw trouble brewing, so he quickly got up, walked past Yan Ruoruo and the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down to see Yan Shan sending the photos to Feng Qishi.
"Is this guy crazy?" he said in surprise.
Mu Anxiao looked at Zhang Yan, who was acting nervously by the window, and then at Yan Shan's face filled with disgust. She was suddenly reminded of Shen Yan's expression when she misunderstood her, but thinking of the important matter at hand, she let go of the urge to explain.
"Your coffee," the server's voice pulled Shi Momo's angry gaze away from Yan Shan.
"Thank you," Mu Anxiao said faintly.
The server smiled and turned to leave.
Yan Shan also left.
Zhang Yan returned to his seat and looked at Mu Anxiao opposite him, saying, "That guy sent photos of you and them drinking coffee to Feng Qishi."
Mu Anxiao sighed, picked up her coffee cup, and sniffed it. "Is it very bitter?"
"If it's bitter, add sugar," Yan Ruoruo said, adding milk and sugar to her own coffee. "Why are you asking such a stupid question?"
Mu Anxiao didn't say anything. She imitated Yan Ruoruo, adding those two items to her coffee, stirring it twice with a spoon, picking up the cup, taking a small sip, and pursing her lips.
"Is it delicious?" Shi Momo asked with a smile.
Mu Anxiao, with a pained expression, turned to Shi Momo and reluctantly said, "Delicious."
"If it's delicious, drink more," Yan Ruoruo said, pushing her coffee cup towards Mu Anxiao. "Take mine too."
"Uh." Mu Anxiao was surprised and reached out to grab the coffee cup, saying, "Then I'll drink it."
"Why aren't you drinking it?" Shi Momo asked Yan Ruoruo impolitely.
Yan Ruoruo grinned, "Sister, I don't like it."
"Stop acting cute with me," Shi Momo said, reaching out to snatch the coffee cup from Mu Anxiao's hand and pushing it towards Yan Ruoruo. "Drink it."
"Sister." Yan Ruoruo pouted.
"Drink it," Shi Momo emphasized.
"Alright." Yan Ruoruo conceded.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Shi Momo shot Yan Ruoruo a fierce glare, then looked at Mu Anxiao. "That guy Yan Shan must have misunderstood you. But, he's just like that. Anyway, you and I are friends, and he wouldn't dare do anything to you."
Mu Anxiao picked up her coffee cup, glanced cautiously at Shi Momo, and then drank the coffee in one go.
"Coffee is meant to be savored, drinking it like that..."
Shi Momo's words were cut short as Yan Ruoruo opposite her also finished her coffee in one gulp, just like Mu Anxiao.
"Sis," Yan Ruoruo said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "What's your taste? You drink such bitter coffee, even a packet of sugar doesn't help."
Shi Momo swallowed the words that had reached her throat and stared speechlessly at Yan Ruoruo, asking, "What exactly do you want to do by skipping school?"
"I..." Yan Ruoruo smiled and held her phone up in front of Shi Momo. "Look at him, isn't he handsome?"
Shi Momo frowned, took Yan Ruoruo's phone, and looked at the man on the screen. "Who is this?"
"My boyfriend. Today," Yan Ruoruo said shyly, "is our first official meeting."
"So you were talking nonsense yesterday after all," Shi Momo said, placing the phone back on the table and pushing it towards Yan Ruoruo.
"I just wanted to vent. Yesterday," Yan Ruoruo said, then looked at Mu Anxiao. "What did you mean yesterday?"
"What about me?" Mu Anxiao asked coldly.
"It's not that I'm saying this about you, but you really are unusually nosy. I really..." Because Yan Ruoruo wasn't familiar with Mu Anxiao, she found it difficult to say some things and turned her face slightly, continuing, "Forget it. Anyway, you've already been hit. I won't bring up what happened yesterday. I'm leaving now."
"Is this an online friend?" Shi Momo asked, looking up at Yan Ruoruo, who had stood up.
"No, he's my boyfriend. Although we met online, we get along very well. Besides, many people find their husbands online these days, so he's not just an online friend," Yan Ruoruo said, trying hard to hide the fact that she was in an online relationship.
Mu Anxiao didn't understand what they were talking about and lowered her head.
"You're not allowed to go," Shi Momo said sternly.
"Why?"
"There are many scammers online, especially targeting young girls like you. Not to mention anything else, but if something happens to you, your parents will surely blame me. I'm not taking this blame," Shi Momo said, looking up.
Yan Ruoruo pointed at Mu Anxiao. "She's the one who picked me up, so this blame doesn't fall on you."
"What does it have to do with me?" Mu Anxiao asked dismissively.
Shi Momo glanced at Mu Anxiao, then looked at Yan Ruoruo and said, "I told her to go. You're my sister, and she's just an outsider. If something happens to you, I'll still feel bad about it, so you can't go."
"Sis." Yan Ruoruo pouted.
Zhang Yan looked up at Yan Ruoruo's unhappy expression and coughed pointedly at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao immediately understood Zhang Yan's intention and volunteered, "I'll go with her."
"What does it matter if you go?" Yan Ruoruo said angrily.
Mu Anxiao looked at Yan Ruoruo and said, "As you said, I'm the one who got you out of there, so your safety is my responsibility. Besides, you wouldn't want to see your sister upset, would you?"
"Then it's decided," Shi Momo said happily.
"Yes." Mu Anxiao nodded, making the decision for them.
"Sis, I paid for the car ride here. Why do you want me to bring this third wheel?" Yan Ruoruo said in a spoiled tone.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Yan Ruoruo and turned her face away.
"You're asking us for help, and not offering to pay for the transportation. Isn't that unreasonable?" Shi Momo said, completely siding with Mu Anxiao.
Zhang Yan looked at Shi Momo, whose demeanor had changed after Mu Anxiao's praise, and smiled. "I didn't expect this. You're quite good at sweet-talking people, especially women."
This isn't sweet-talking. If she were truly appeased, she wouldn't be using me. Mu Anxiao thought to herself.
"Alright, I can't understand this anymore," Zhang Yan said, shrugging.
Yan Ruoruo pouted, "Sis, you're treating me like this."
"I'm doing this for your own good," Shi Momo said firmly, then turned to Mu Anxiao. "Then I'll leave it to you."
"Okay," Mu Anxiao nodded.
Yan Ruoruo, understanding Shi Momo's personality, finally compromised.
"You can come with me, but stay far away from me. It's best if you pretend not to know me," she said to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao replied, "Okay, no problem."
"Remember your words," Yan Ruoruo said, and then her phone vibrated twice.
Mu Anxiao shifted her gaze away from Yan Ruoruo's face.