Chapter 20

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Chapter 20: Advantages Are Built Little By Little!

“Mmm~ This tastes amazing!”

Su Li spoke through a mouthful of grilled skewers, savoring each bite. It had been ages since she’d last eaten at this particular barbecue stand. If she recalled correctly, three years from now this place would shut down due to some unspecified reason.

So to be able to enjoy this flavor again brought her real comfort—especially when paired with a cold beer. Perfection.

“Didn’t expect it. With such a petite appearance, you actually hold your liquor pretty well~” Li Yitong glanced at the several empty cans in front of Su Li with amusement. So, even in this world, Su Li’s alcohol tolerance was just as good. If she ever wanted to get Su Li drunk, she’d have to try a little harder.

Puffed up with pride, Su Li nodded. “Don’t judge by appearances—my drinking capacity’s actually pretty solid!”

Truth be told, she hadn’t been entirely sure before taking the first sip. But remembering her past self’s tolerance, she figured her current body couldn’t be too far off.

And she was right.

After devouring the last chicken drumstick in her hand, Su Li rubbed her belly in satisfaction. “I’m full.”

“Sure you don’t want to order more? Don’t be polite—I’m treating.”

“No, it’s better not to eat too much for a midnight snack,” Su Li replied seriously. “Gotta watch the figure.”

After paying the bill, Li Yitong turned to her and asked, “Want me to walk you home? It’s a bit far from here, isn’t it?”

“No need, I’ll walk. A bit of a stroll will help with digestion anyway.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll head back first. Don’t be late tomorrow~”

Watching Li Yitong walk off into the distance, Su Li let out a breath of relief. It didn’t seem like Li Yitong was testing her tonight. Still… even if she wasn’t being interrogated, Su Li couldn’t shake the feeling that Li Yitong was trying to romance her or something.

Shaking her head to clear the thought, Su Li muttered to herself. She was probably going to need a second shower when she got home. The spicy skewers had made her sweat like crazy.

She strolled along the road under the dim glow of streetlights. It was nearly 11 p.m. now, and aside from the occasional passing car, the streets were eerily quiet.

For some reason, her thoughts drifted to a study material she’d once read before rebirth—a scene where the heroine, walking alone late at night, was suddenly kidnapped. The rest of the story? Not exactly wholesome.

Suddenly on edge, Su Li picked up her pace. At this rate, she’d be home in about ten more minutes.

But then—she heard quick, hurried footsteps behind her.

She turned around instinctively and saw a shadowy figure following her at a distance. Because the streetlight above had long since broken, she couldn’t make out the person’s face.

But the figure seemed to be coming right for her.

What the hell? Was this some kind of real-life hentai plot!?

Just as she was about to bolt, a familiar voice called out—

“Miss Su! Wait up!”

That voice—Su Li recognized it immediately. Shen Qingxia?

But… why was she here? Hadn’t she gone home after evening study?

As Su Li stood there dumbfounded, Shen Qingxia caught up to her, her usual intense gaze fixed firmly on Su Li. “I almost thought I had the wrong person. Didn’t expect it to actually be you, Miss Su.”

“Ohh… so it’s Shen Qingxia. I thought you were some kind of creep~” Su Li patted her chest, feigning a relieved sigh.

Not that she was entirely wrong. On some level, Shen Qingxia could definitely qualify as a different kind of predator.

They walked together for a bit before Su Li asked, curiosity getting the better of her, “Hey, Shen Qingxia… you weren’t originally attending school here, right? Why’d you transfer in?”

“Just… some personal reasons.”

Su Li didn’t need to ask further—she already had a pretty good idea of what those “reasons” were. And yes, that pressure was definitely mounting…

Lost in thought, Su Li suddenly tripped—her left foot catching on her right.

Crap, she was going down!

But in a swift motion, Shen Qingxia grabbed her hand and steadied her before she could hit the ground.

“Miss Su, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m fine.”

Su Li blinked in confusion. What the heck? She could trip on flat pavement now? Was her coordination really that bad?

Thank god Shen Qingxia was here. If she’d landed on this rough concrete, her delicate skin would’ve definitely gotten scraped.

It wasn’t until they walked some distance further that Su Li noticed—Shen Qingxia was still holding her hand.

And… didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go.

“Uh, Shen Qingxia, I can walk on my own, really. That was just a fluke just now.”

“Oh? I’d already forgotten, if you hadn’t reminded me.”

Su Li internally rolled her eyes. Yeah right. She had used this exact move on girls before—was this karma coming full circle?

After finally letting go, Shen Qingxia looked visibly disappointed. Was she actually sad, Su Li had caught on so quickly?

The rest of the walk passed without incident. Thankfully, there were no more unexpected stumbles, or Su Li’s teacherly dignity would’ve been obliterated.

“Well, I’ll head back now. See you tomorrow, Miss Su.”

“Mhm.”

With a soft reply, Shen Qingxia stepped into her building. Su Li headed for her own.

Just as she was climbing the stairs, before she could even reach for her key, her neighbor—Ling Luo, one of her ex-girlfriends from before the rebirth—opened her door and stepped out.

She had a trash bag in her hand. It looked like she was on her way to take out the garbage. Seeing Su Li, she blinked in mild surprise and said, “Whoa, you’re only getting back now?”

“Yeah, I should’ve been home earlier, but I ended up grabbing a late-night bite with a senior.”

“I see. Well, you’d better get to bed soon. You’ve got work tomorrow. I’m tossing out the trash and turning in too—yawn.”

“Alright.”

Only after Su Li entered her apartment did Ling Luo finally head downstairs.

She’d waited nearly an hour just for this—only to exchange a few words. But that was okay. Over time, as these brief encounters built up, the conversations would naturally get longer.

Advantages are accumulated little by little!

—

Author’s Note: “Votes… must also be gathered little by little!”