Originally, Li Chang'an just wanted to take a small advantage of Qian Renxue and leave it at that. But who would've thought—when he pretended to be weak and collapsed into her arms, Qian Renxue didn't push him away.
Although she wore a look of utter coldness, seeing Li Chang'an in that state—she ultimately gave up on the idea of leaving him by the roadside.
After helping Li Chang'an to a quiet and secluded spot, Qian Renxue gave a small huff and let him lean against her shoulder. Still, her pretty face was puffed up with anger—she hadn't expected this man to take advantage of her even when he is exhausted.
But then again, seeing how weak and helpless he looked, and thinking it wasn't intentional, Qian Renxue's irritation eased somewhat. If she knew that Li Chang'an could actually walk just fine and wasn't all that weak… she might've flipped the table right then and there.
After enjoying the moment of acting weak and leaning on her, Li Chang'an slowly "regained consciousness." He quickly sat up, putting on a guilty and apologetic expression as he bowed slightly toward Qian Renxue.
"I'm so sorry, Senior Sister. I didn't mean to do that. That last move drained too much of my soul power, so…"
Qian Renxue shot him a cold look, her beautiful eyes sharp enough to kill.
"Don't let me see you again!"
With that, she stood up and turned to leave. She had to begin her infiltration mission soon, and there was still a lot to learn. She didn't have time to waste with Li Chang'an's nonsense.
"Wait, Senior Sister!"
Li Chang'an reacted quickly and grabbed her hand with a natural ease. "You helped me—at least let me treat you to a meal. That way, we'll be even. I won't bother you again after that, how's that sound?"
Qian Renxue flung his hand away. She was about to instinctively refuse, but after mulling over his words, she rubbed her delicate wrist and asked,
"Are you sure we'll be even?"
Li Chang'an nodded solemnly. "Of course!"
'There were many tricks to treating a girl to a meal—this was just one of them,' Li Chang'an mused inwardly.
"…Fine, let's go." Qian Renxue finally agreed, her face frosty as she walked ahead of Li Chang'an, treating him like a complete stranger.
But Li Chang'an didn't mind at all. Girls with this type of personality were just naturally cold on the outside and warm on the inside. As long as you could win their heart, they'd stick with you no matter what.
How did he know this?
Well, because one of his exes in his previous life had been exactly like that…
Since he'd promised her a meal, the cafeteria was obviously off the table. Most of the food there was free, after all. So, Li Chang'an took Qian Renxue to a nearby street outside the academy and ordered a couple of decent dishes.
Qian Renxue wasn't the shy or picky type. Whatever Li Chang'an ordered, she ate without complaint. However, throughout the meal, she didn't say a word—maintaining that icy, aloof demeanor of hers.
"Senior Sister, I've noticed you always sit in the corner of the classroom. And even after class, you don't leave right away. Why is that?"
Li Chang'an wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste, so he naturally struck up a conversation.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't. That's classified academy information." Qian Renxue shot him a glance and replied coolly.
"You don't have to say it. I've already figured some of it out," Li Chang'an said, lowering his voice just in case. "My teacher mentioned that there's a plan to infiltrate the upper ranks of the two great empires, and the academy is offering specialized training courses for it. If I'm not wrong, you're one of the selected candidates, aren't you?"
As someone who knew the plot, the details didn't matter—as long as he guessed the outcome right.
Qian Renxue immediately set her chopsticks down and stared at Li Chang'an in disbelief. "How did you figure that out?"
Li Chang'an calmly tapped his temple. "As an undercover agent, Senior Sister, you really shouldn't be showing such obvious emotional reactions. Everything should be kept hidden in your heart. You're still a bit immature."
"And from my perspective, the most important part of infiltration isn't just playing the role—it's becoming the role."
Qian Renxue's eyes softened slightly as she listened, supporting her chin with both hands and signaling for him to continue.
"To become the role, first you need to understand who the person you're playing is. For instance, if you're portraying a noble, then your gestures, speech, and bearing should…"
Li Chang'an might never have taken an espionage course, but coming from the information explosion era, he could easily spout off all sorts of theoretical knowledge. Showing off a little in front of Qian Renxue was no problem.
But Li Chang'an wasn't stupid. He wasn't about to give everything away in one go. With women, you had to let them get a taste this time, so they'd want more the next.
Just as he was getting to the good part, he abruptly stopped.
"Oh no, sorry, Senior Sister, I've got something else I have to take care of. I'll be going now. We'll part ways here—till we meet again!"
Qian Renxue was just getting into it. Hearing that, she frowned. "What kind of person says half and then stops? You're just leaving me hanging!"
Li Chang'an shrugged helplessly, not denying it.
"Well, how about this, Senior Sister. Let's talk again another time. Don't worry, strictly academic discussion. But next time, you treat me to dinner."
Qian Renxue thought about it for a moment, then agreed. After all, what Li Chang'an had said did make some sense, and he'd definitely piqued her curiosity. She was itching to hear more.
"Alright then. Same place, tomorrow. My treat."
Li Chang'an shook his head. "No can do. I'm busy the next few days. Make it three days from now."
His time was precious—how could he spend it all on just one person?
He still planned to have lunch with his teacher later, and he wanted to arrange a few more meals with Hu Liena and Mu Xi too.
Qian Renxue wanted to argue, but remembering that she still had use for him, she bit back her words and nodded in agreement.
Only then did Li Chang'an get up to leave. But before that, he persuaded Qian Renxue to buy him another set of food—claiming he hadn't eaten enough and wanted a second round before class started.
With the meal Qian Renxue bought for him in hand, Li Chang'an hurried back to the cafeteria. It was just about lunchtime now—if things went as planned, he should be able to find Mu Xi, that beauty-in-the-making.
Sure enough, after scanning the dining hall, he spotted Mu Xi quietly eating in a corner.
Striding over with a grin, Li Chang'an set the food down in front of her.
"These are all high-nutrition dishes I picked out just for you. I'll eat yours instead!"
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