With My Ability To Swap, I Will Never End Up In A Love Triangle Mess - Chapter 73

“This… gentleman, is he your boyfriend, little sister?”

Luo Xinyu maintained her gentle smile as she watched Xia Xi walk away to fetch drinks, then turned to Lin Xuenin with a quiet question.

Lin Xuenin’s mind was in chaos.

What boyfriend?! That jerk… I… I’d never want to be his girlfriend! Of course… if he were the one to ask, maybe I’d consider it properly…

“No, we’re just regular classmates.”

Seeing Lin Xuenin wave her hands in flustered denial, Luo Xinyu covered her mouth and giggled.

“Someone you like doesn’t come along easily. If you have the chance, it’s best to hold onto them sooner rather than later.”

Having reviewed Xia Xi’s various identity records, she was well aware of the things this class president had done in college.

Targeting one specific person like that—it’s either hatred or affection, right?

“That kind of thing… I’m still young, I don’t want to think about it!”

Tch, you’re already 20 years old and still using “I’m too young” as an excuse? What a dishonest girl.

“What are you talking about? You two seem to be getting along well.”

Xia Xi handed a glass of milk to Luo Xinyu before taking his seat, deftly picking up a slice of beef with his chopsticks.

“Mm, this little sister is very sweet and has such a charming personality.”

Luo Xinyu nodded, her words making Lin Xuenin blush slightly.

She hadn’t even done anything, yet somehow she’d become the “sweet, charming girl” in this woman’s eyes.

“I haven’t asked for your names yet. I’m Luo Xinyu, from the capital.”

Luo Xinyu glanced at her bodyguard.

The suited giant immediately understood, stepping forward to pick up slices of beef with large tongs, carefully laying them flat on the grill before brushing them with sesame oil and sprinkling on some seasoning.

So this is how the rich live? Not even needing to grill their own meat—truly being served on a silver platter.

“Uh, we’re both locals. As for names… I’m Xia Xi. And her… just call her Xiao Xue.”

Introducing himself to strangers always gave Xia Xi an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.

It was like back in school, when the teacher would call each student to the front for self-introductions—that first “My name is…” always felt unbearably awkward.

Weird.

Since he already knew Luo Xinyu, he had no issue stating his own name. But Lin Xuenin’s full name didn’t need to be shared.

After all, to her, Luo Xinyu was a complete stranger. And with strangers, it was best to stay cautious—full names shouldn’t be given out unless necessary, even if the person seemed harmless.

Besides, her presence here didn’t seem like a casual trip. It felt more like she had some kind of agenda.

The Luo Xinyu I remember hasn’t left her house in years. There’s no way she’d suddenly decide to go on a trip.

Xia Xi was overthinking things, but Lin Xuenin wasn’t.

Right now, she just wanted to ask Xia Xi: “Why won’t you introduce me with my full name? Is it because it sounds bad? You awful jerk!”

“Got it~”

Luo Xinyu nodded obediently, as if filing the information away.

“Xia Xi… that’s a lovely name. It reminds me of a friend of mine.”

Midway through eating, she dropped this bombshell, making Xia Xi’s chewing slow almost imperceptibly.

“Haha, really…?”

He laughed it off, trying to brush past the topic. But who could’ve guessed Lin Xuenin would choose this moment to be chatty?

“Oh? What’s your friend’s name?”

Pure curiosity drove her question. From the way this young miss spoke, it sounded like there was some kind of story between her and this friend.

Hearing the question, Luo Xinyu’s lips curled slightly—as if she’d been waiting for it.

“His name is Chenxi. It’s an online alias. We used to draw together a lot, and we even made a new friend. He’s someone very important to me~”

Xia Xi’s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, Luo Xinyu’s gaze felt… off.

Did she figure something out? But I never gave any personal details…

Must be overthinking it. She probably just misses me since I haven’t been around lately.

“Chenxi? It does sound like Xia Xi. But one’s a screen name, the other’s real—pretty different.”

Lin Xuenin placed a grilled slice of luncheon meat into Xia Xi’s bowl.

When he shot her a puzzled look, she averted her eyes and mumbled an explanation.

“What? I just wanted you to check if it’s done.”

Xia Xi stared at her blankly.

Seriously? It’s luncheon meat. It’s pre-cooked—you just heat it up. There’s no “done” or “not done.”

But since it was already in his bowl, no point wasting it.

“Actually, I can help check if it’s done. I quite like luncheon meat.”

Luo Xinyu suddenly spoke up, plucking the meat from Xia Xi’s bowl and taking small, delicate bites.

…Seriously? It was already in my bowl. And isn’t it rude to take food from someone else’s dish?

Clearly, Luo Xinyu didn’t think so.

Truth be told, she’d never really shared a meal with others before. Normally, her maids served her first, and even when her father or brother came home, they never stayed to eat—always in a hurry.

“It’s perfectly cooked. Tastes wonderful—Xiao Xue has great skills.”

Maybe say that after hiding the half-chewed meat you discreetly spat into a napkin?

Of course, with Lin Xuenin’s culinary talent, even something as simple as grilling luncheon meat could end up tasting nothing like luncheon meat.

“Hey, have either of you ever had a dream where you became someone else?”

Realizing her grilling skills were just as lacking, Lin Xuenin finally relinquished her tongs, settling for just eating while the bodyguard handled the cooking. The three of them chatted idly between bites.

“Yes! I once dreamed I turned into a cat at school~”

For some reason, Lin Xuenin felt this older sister seemed gentle and approachable, yet carried an inexplicable… hostility?

Not exactly hostility, but something close.

“Being a cat sounds lovely. You could wander freely, and you’d be so cute that everyone adores you.”

Luo Xinyu seemed to be imagining herself as a cat, her expression tinged with longing.

“It’s not all great. In my dream, some jerk caught me and… well, let’s just say he didn’t go easy on me.”

Lin Xuenin sneaked a glance at Xia Xi, her fair cheeks flushing again.

Her easily reddening complexion was something she didn’t know how to fix. She hated it—blushing mid-conversation was so embarrassing! It was like announcing to the world, “I’m thinking indecent thoughts!”