Flirting Under Favor (GL) - Chapter 5

The group arrived at the entrance of a teaching building. Fan Beibei arrived first, hopping around a row of cars, wondering which one was Wang Lin’s.

“That one,” Wang Lin pointed to a red Mercedes not far away.

Fan Beibei’s eyes immediately lit up, and she ran over.

“Wow, I’ve wanted this car for a long time, but my dad absolutely refuses to buy it for me,” Fan Beibei said with an envious look and a tone full of grievance, inadvertently revealing that her family background was also very well-off. It was unclear if this was intentional or unintentional, but of course, no one paid attention to that detail.

Wang Lin pulled the car key out of her bag, subtly pushing her all-in-one transportation card deeper inside. She opened the car door. Fan Beibei rolled her eyes, first let Huang Xi get into the back seat, and then quickly sat down in the middle.

“Yu Sheng, you sit in the front,” she said. This way, Mu Fan would have to sit next to her. How clever I am, she thought proudly.

But Yu Sheng smiled, contrary to her wish, and sat down next to her: “Ugh, I don’t like sitting in the front, I have to wear a seatbelt, it’s such a hassle.”

“Aiya~ Get out, get out,” Fan Beibei pushed her.

Yu Sheng closed the car door, folded her arms, and remained completely still no matter how much Fan Beibei pushed: “I won’t.”

Seeing that she couldn’t move Yu Sheng, Fan Beibei turned to Huang Xi.

“I don’t like sitting in the front either,” Huang Xi wiggled her butt, found a comfortable position, and clearly had no intention of moving.

With two unhelpful teammates, the plan was ruined. Fan Beibei slumped her head, extremely depressed, like a deflated balloon.

Mu Fan, watching from the side, had a smile in her eyes.

Wang Lin got into the driver’s seat, feeling a little smug inside. Now Mu Fan can only sit in the front with me. Sure enough, Mu Fan quickly opened the front passenger door and got in, fastened her seatbelt, shook her hair, and sat properly.

“Rich lady, how are your driving skills?” Fan Beibei leaned her head over and asked.

“Don’t worry, I’m an old driver,” Wang Lin said.

“Oh~ Old driver,” Huang Xi teased from the back.

“That’s right, an old driver,” Wang Lin was speaking the truth; she knew how to drive since junior high school. Counting her driving experience, it was four or five years, which should qualify her as an old driver. But she clearly didn’t know the other layer of meaning behind Huang Xi’s “old driver” comment.

Fan Beibei also didn’t expect Wang Lin to be unaware of such a common meme as “old driver” and burst out laughing in the back.

“Alright, don’t corrupt the child,” Yu Sheng rolled her eyes, regretting a bit that she had let Wang Lin come along. Huang Xi was the true old driver; she was improper all the time and had already led Fan Beibei astray.

Wang Lin was utterly confused, looking at Mu Fan with large eyes full of even greater bewilderment.

Mu Fan also suppressed a smile and simply said, “Let’s drive.”

“Where to?”

“Oh right,” Fan Beibei suddenly remembered, leaned her small body forward again, and quickly tapped her phone a couple of times. “Come on, add me on WeChat, and I’ll send you the address.”

Wang Lin took out her phone to scan the QR code and added her on WeChat. Fan Beibei immediately sent the address.

It’s quite far.

Wang Lin started the car and followed the navigation, driving steadily without rushing or competing. In the back, Fan Beibei and Huang Xi were already deep in conversation. Wang Lin focused her attention on the road, but couldn’t help smiling and occasionally chiming in when she heard something funny.

Wang Lin spoke very little; her mother described her as a little silent oil bottle (a Chinese colloquialism for a quiet, reserved person), which was a bit of an exaggeration but sufficient to describe the issue. Raising a child, a hyperactive and naughty one causes headaches, but one that is too quiet and well-behaved also causes worry. Lin Jia had wrestled with this, wondering why the difference was so great between daughters of similar wealth. She thought it might be due to her single-parent upbringing. Thinking of this, Lin Jia could only sigh softly and double her care for her, ensuring she never endured the slightest hardship. Wang Lin was quiet and sensible from a young age, and she grew up without ever causing any trouble, living a peaceful and calm life.

Wang Lin heard a “shua shua shua” sound from the back. Soon, the car was filled with a strong spicy and numbing aroma.

Fan Beibei in the back was the first to discover the source of the smell, which was coming from Huang Xi, who was sitting next to her.

“Ah, ah, ah, dried fish! I want some!” She lunged at Huang Xi, frantically trying to snatch the snacks from her arms.

“Robbery, it’s robbery!” Huang Xi, unable to withstand the assault, cried out repeatedly.

“Well, well, well, Huang Xi, you actually planned to eat alone!” Fan Beibei sat up, holding a pile of spicy dried fish. She had scored a bountiful haul in this snatching session.

“I wasn’t! I was just about to take them out and share them with you all!”

“Then why did you start eating first?”

“I was testing the flavor first.”

“You’ve been eating it for a whole semester, how much more do you need to test?”

“The taste is different because the production dates are different.”

The two of them argued back and forth. Yu Sheng’s ears were going numb; she was truly fed up with these two.

“If you eat now, you won’t be able to eat anything later,” Yu Sheng said.

“Just to work up an appetite,” Fan Beibei tossed a packet to Yu Sheng, tore open one for herself and stuffed it into her mouth. Suddenly, she remembered something and gave a packet to Mu Fan. Mu Fan accepted it but didn’t plan to eat it.

“Come on, old driver, let me feed you.” Of course, Wang Lin couldn’t be left out. Fan Beibei tore open another packet, stood up, and held it to Wang Lin’s mouth.

“No, no need.” Wang Lin politely refused, but since Fan Beibei had held it to her mouth, she could only open her mouth and take a bite.

An unfamiliar level of spiciness spread across her tongue. Instantly, fine beads of sweat broke out on Wang Lin’s temples. She had only one thought: spit it out. But she was driving, so where could she spit it? Besides, Fan Beibei was kindly feeding her, and spitting it out would be very rude. Helplessly, Wang Lin was like someone who had eaten a bitter herb with no way to complain; she didn’t dare chew much and swallowed the dried fish whole. Her entire face turned red, even redder than when it was exposed to the wind outside the car.

“Is it tasty?” Fan Beibei asked from behind, unaware that the driving Wang Lin’s face was flushed.

Wang Lin barely managed to say, “Mmm, it’s alright.”

“I’ll tear open another packet for you.”

“No, no. I need to save room for the food later.” Hearing that Fan Beibei wanted to give her more, Wang Lin was terrified and quickly made an excuse to refuse. Fortunately, Fan Beibei didn’t insist and continued to enjoy eating by herself.

“Some people eat a lot, but they just don’t grow taller,” Huang Xi looked at Fan Beibei eating the snack she had stolen and couldn’t bear it anymore, unleashing a spiteful comment.

When Fan Beibei heard this, her two ponytails seemed ready to stand up: “Some people don’t eat much, but they sure gain a lot of fat.”

The one thing girls can’t stand is being called fat. Huang Xi couldn’t contain her anger after hearing that: “I’m just slightly chubby, slightly chubby, okay?”

“Slightly chubby is still chubby. Is a stinky egg no longer an egg?” Fan Beibei was sharp-tongued and immediately shot back.

“Chubby people can get thin. Your height is beyond saving.”

“Others might get thin from being chubby, but you’re not a certainty.”

…

And so, the two of them started bickering again, one word after another. Yu Sheng, sitting nearby, took out her earphones and plugged them in to listen to music. Ah, the world instantly became quiet.

Mu Fan noticed Wang Lin’s reaction after eating the spicy dried fish but remained silent. She turned her head to look at Wang Lin, who was focused on the road ahead. Her delicate profile was beautiful, her high ponytail swinging. Sunlight shone on her neck, making it dazzlingly white.

/

The car drove for over half an hour, during which Wang Lin listened to the two people in the back bicker and argue for half an hour.

These two are really interesting.

Upon arriving at the destination, they found a parking space and parked the car. Fan Beibei was the first to jump out, leading the others skillfully to a popular hotpot restaurant famous online. The place was already packed, but that didn’t matter to them; Fan Beibei had reserved a VIP room.

“Number 28,” Fan Beibei showed her phone to a staff member. After a simple confirmation, the group happily went upstairs.

Wang Lin felt a growing sense of dread along the way. It seemed like this group couldn’t live without spicy food, but she couldn’t handle anything too spicy. That one packet of dried fish was already unbearable for her.

I should have known not to come. Why did it have to be hotpot? Wang Lin regretted it, but since she was already here… she could only brace herself. The worst-case scenario was that she just wouldn’t eat.

The group sat down around the round table. Huang Xi immediately noticed something was wrong and glared at Fan Beibei.

“A Yin-Yang pot! That’s an insult to me! Fan Beibei, are you doing this on purpose?” As an authentic Sichuan person who grew up eating all kinds of intensely spicy hotpot, Huang Xi always looked down on the Yin-Yang pot (a pot split into spicy and non-spicy broth). Moreover, all the people in their dorm were able to eat spicy food, and they had never ordered a Yin-Yang pot when going out together, so she suspected Fan Beibei was being deliberate.

Fan Beibei looked innocent, her legs swinging on the chair: “You deserve to be a single dog for so long. Wang Lin can’t eat spicy food; you’re not considerate at all.”

Huang Xi glanced at Wang Lin and understood, but Fan Beibei called her a single dog, which she couldn’t tolerate. The two started arguing again: “Says the person who has supposedly found someone.”

“I’m not in a hurry. When I feel like it, I’ll just keep a lover (a euphemism for finding a partner in this context).”

Huang Xi had nothing to say. Fine, you’re rich, you win.

Wang Lin gave Fan Beibei a grateful look. It’s actually a Yin-Yang pot. Her heart relaxed.

“Hehe, don’t thank me. Mu Fan asked me to change it to a Yin-Yang pot,” Fan Beibei said truthfully.

Wang Lin hadn’t expected it to be Mu Fan’s idea. It made sense; only Mu Fan had noticed her reaction after eating the dried fish. But instead of saying it directly, she quietly told Fan Beibei and had her change the pot.

Being taken care of so silently warmed Wang Lin’s heart.

Mu Fan prepared a bowl of dipping sauce on the side. She placed it in front of Wang Lin and said, “Add the chili yourself.”

“Thank you,” Wang Lin carefully accepted it.

“I want one too, I want one too.” Fan Beibei handed her small bowl over.

“Can’t you make your own?” Huang Xi retorted.

Seeing Mu Fan accept her bowl, Fan Beibei said smugly, “I’m a child.”

“You’re just a small person, not a child.”

“You shut up!”

“Alright, alright, both of you are children,” Yu Sheng said resignedly, putting various ingredients into the boiling pot. The broth on one side was almost entirely chili, churning and bubbling, which made Wang Lin feel fearful.

Duck bl00d doesn’t need to be cooked for too long. Mu Fan picked up a piece and placed it in Wang Lin’s bowl: “Eat.”

“I want one too, I want one too.” Fan Beibei extended her bowl eagerly again. Mu Fan smiled and also put a piece in her bowl.

Huang Xi didn’t miss any chance to provoke Fan Beibei: “Short in height and short in reach, too, huh?”

“Huang Xi, that’s enough!”

Fan Beibei was focused on eating for now and didn’t plan to argue with Huang Xi.

“You’re still the same,” Yu Sheng said while tending to the food in the pot.

Mu Fan knew the comment was directed at her, so she smiled: “How so?”

“Taking care of people, of course.”

“Aren’t you too?”

Yu Sheng put a string of potatoes in Huang Xi’s bowl and said, “I’m forced to.”

“Pffft!” Wang Lin couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Yu Sheng’s miserable-sounding tone.

“Sigh, I spend all my time waiting on these two masters,” Yu Sheng shook her head.

The hotpot meal was cheerful, at least Fan Beibei thought so, as she was able to eat her fill without lifting a finger.

So was Wang Lin. The entire meal was essentially feeding by Mu Fan. She didn’t have to worry about whether the food was too hot or fully cooked, nor did she have to worry about not getting what she wanted to eat. The experience was excellent, and her favorable impression of Mu Fan skyrocketed. However, based on what Yu Sheng had said earlier, Mu Fan just had a habit of taking care of people; she treated everyone the same. She had also fed Fan Beibei a lot; she really just liked taking care of people.

After the hotpot, Fan Beibei was not done yet and wanted to go karaoke. Yu Sheng and Huang Xi just went along with her. It was clear that the whole dorm was quite protective and doting on Fan Beibei.

Wang Lin’s family also doted on her immensely, but that was family. Compared to the kind of relationship Fan Beibei had, the difference was naturally great. Wang Lin felt a bit envious of Fan Beibei. Apart from kinship, people also need friendship and love. She had more than enough kinship, but her personality was solitary and quiet, with a slight social phobia and shyness. She didn’t have many friends in total, and as for love, well, that was out of the question.

Actually, there was a time when she had a lot of friends. When she was little, her classmates knew her family was rich, so they were very willing to play with her, share her snacks, and play with her toys. When children’s understanding grew and they realized the underlying reason, little Wang Lin seemed to have seen through human nature all at once and began to interact less deeply with people.

They arrived at a KTV. Fan Beibei chugged a bottle of alcohol, grabbed the microphone, and started singing, hysterical and wailing at one point. She was soon shoved off the stage by Huang Xi.

Huang Xi’s singing was about as good as Fan Beibei’s. Fan Beibei couldn’t stand it and shoved her off again.

So, the two took turns, subjecting the eardrums of the three people on the sofa to successive blasts of noise.

Finally, Yu Sheng couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Fan Beibei from the stage and tossed her aside, cleared her throat, and sang a soothing love song. Wang Lin’s ears finally received some healing.

After the song ended, Fan Beibei wanted to go up again but was pushed away by Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng handed the microphone to Mu Fan. Fan Beibei initially wanted to snatch the microphone back, but seeing that Yu Sheng was handing it to Mu Fan, she seemed to remember something.

Ah, ah, ah, her idol was present. Quickly let the idol sing a couple of songs.

So she started wailing, her eyes turning into stars: “Sing one, sing one!” She was already a little drunk.

Mu Fan didn’t refuse. She took the microphone and sang a song Wang Lin hadn’t heard before.

“Once confined to a small space, not knowing where to go home. Since the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, I’ve proudly trekked across… Even if fate is the most gentle sorrow. Time and dreams, both unattainable… Halfway through the storm, a warm lamp guided me. You are the forgiveness granted by fate… The reunion of all stories begins with a freeze-frame. Knowing you as I know myself, there’s no need to say a word.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, and her singing was excellent, very pleasant to listen to, but the lyrics and music carried a faint sense of sadness and melancholy.

“Clap, clap, clap.”

“That was so good!” Fan Beibei clapped with particular enthusiasm. “Sing another one!”

But Mu Fan disappointed her. After singing, Mu Fan came down and sat on the sofa. She turned to Wang Lin and asked, “Do you want to sing?”

Wang Lin shook her head, thinking it was better not to. She was shy; being an audience member was perfectly fine.

On the other side, Yu Sheng couldn’t resist Fan Beibei, who snatched the microphone back and continued the “magic sound” bombing session.

Mu Fan sat quietly, undisturbed by Fan Beibei’s singing. The light in the room was dim, highlighting the distinct silhouette of her profile. She had just drunk juice, and there were still some traces of moisture on her lips, glistening in the soft light. Wang Lin unconsciously pursed her own lips.

As if sensing Wang Lin was looking at her, she turned her head, directly meeting Wang Lin’s gaze. For a second, Wang Lin’s eyes darted away, and she turned her head.

“Something you want to say?”

“No.”

She didn’t press the matter.

Wang Lin breathed a sigh of relief. To be caught peeking was so embarrassing.

Later, Mu Fan sang another English song.

“When I was young. I’d listen to the radio. Waiting for my favorite songs…”

The classic “Yesterday Once More,” still carrying a faint sadness and melancholy. Wang Lin secretly looked at Mu Fan again, trying to understand Mu Fan’s feelings, her sadness, and her melancholy. Wang Lin closed her eyes, her long eyelashes lightly fluttering.

Mu Fan, what other stories do you have besides your mother passing away?

By the time Fan Beibei and Huang Xi were finally tired of singing, it was 9:30 PM. It was time to go back.

Fan Beibei was already lying down. Yu Sheng was holding her up. Fortunately, Huang Xi could still walk on her own.

“You guys go back. I’ll take a taxi home myself,” Mu Fan said, standing on the steps by the car with her hands in her pockets.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Wang Lin asked.

“I don’t live at the school,” Mu Fan said. “It’s quite far.”

A gust of cold wind blew, and Wang Lin shivered.

“Get into the car quickly, don’t catch a cold. Wear more clothes next time,” Mu Fan said with a very ordinary instruction.

“Let’s go together. I’ll drive you back. It’s not safe to take a taxi this late,” Wang Lin said. Her voice was not loud but was extremely firm, making it impossible to refuse.

Without much hesitation, Mu Fan said, “Alright,” and got into the car.