Timing it with the barbershop's opening hours, Lin Li set out right on schedule.

Wash and blow-dry.

Still nothing too fancy, just blow-dried to create some layers and texture.

When he checked out and paid by phone, Lin Li saw a message Chen Yu Ying had sent a minute ago.

"Chen Yu Ying: I'm downstairs at your place."

That fast.

To keep the freshly done hair from being messed up by the wind, Lin Li had walked there, so he also walked back, which gave him time to reply.

"Lin Li: Have you maybe checked what time it is right now?"

"Chen Yu Ying: Eight thirteen."

"Lin Li: And what time did we agree to get 'angry'?"

"Chen Yu Ying: Eight thirty."

"Lin Li: So you do know it's eight thirty, huh? Then how are you still not being punctual? Do you have no sense of time at all? You're already -17 minutes late! *angry* *angry* *angry*"

"Chen Yu Ying: If you keep scolding me I'm gonna cry."

"Lin Li: Pardon my French, Yingying-chan, look at the mess this turned into. My second personality just awakened and hijacked my body, that's why the tone got a teensy bit loud. I'm apologizing to you now, squish squish."

"Chen Yu Ying: If you're not done, just take your time, no need to rush."

"Lin Li: I'll be done in a minute."

"Lin Li: Oh right, there's no one at my place right now. Will you be cold waiting at the door? How about coming to my place and do it do it?"

Wait a sec!

For fuck's sake! This damn input method!

"Lin Li recalled a message."

"Lin Li: Oh right, there's no one at my place right now. Will you be cold waiting at the door? How about coming to my place and sit for a bit?"

"Chen Yu Ying: Pervert."

"Chen Yu Ying: No way, if I go I'll be done for!"

Dammit, she actually saw it!

Though this really was kind of unjust.

"Lin Li: Typo! This time it was a real typo! The input method put it as the first option, I just tapped it! Trust me! Yu Ying, you should know, whenever it's actually my own pervy behavior, I never deny it!"

"Lin Li: The pervert is the input method, not me!"

"Lin Li: Heaven above, distinguish loyal from traitor!"

"Chen Yu Ying: So what you mean is, when you downloaded this input method, it was already this pervy?"

"Lin Li: ..."

"Lin Li: Yes. *appraising stare* *utter certainty*"

"Chen Yu Ying: Mhm mhm, okay."

Fuck.

She despises me.

But Lin Li immediately burst out laughing too. He couldn't deny it—this input method really does follow its owner's habits. Since he was always in the gaming group talking about "coming over to do it do it" with the guys, it was kinda reasonable for it to suggest "do do" as well.

It's all Wang Ze's fault.

"Chen Yu Ying: You finish up, we'll talk when you come down~"

"Lin Li: Okay, go sit in the security booth and wait a bit. Just open the door and go in, no one will care."

Lin Li hadn't told Chen Yu Ying that he was actually walking back from outside.

Because that way, as long as he was careful enough, while Chen Yu Ying's line of sight was fixed on the inside of the complex, he could pull a dishonorable sneak attack like some young punk with no martial ethics.

The plan was viable!

So, once he got close to the entrance of the complex, Lin Li started sneaking around, even poking his head around the corner to check first.

Luckily there weren't many people on the street this early, otherwise some well-meaning passerby would definitely have questioned him.

He didn't see Chen Yu Ying in the area by the main gate, so she must've done as he said and gone to sit in the security booth. Lin Li continued creeping closer, ready to spring—

"Boo— where'd you go?"

The scare attack ended prematurely and died mid-air, because when Lin Li crept up to the security booth and leapt, he found it empty.

He looked around but still didn't see any sign of Chen Yu Ying. Just as he pulled out his phone to ask where she was, her call came in.

"Where are you?" As soon as the call connected, he heard Chen Yu Ying's confused question.

Lin Li blinked. Hearing this, he immediately understood, and asked in a cool tone:

"Yu Ying, where are you right now?"

"At your place, duh. Why aren't you home? I checked the bathroom and the balcony, you're nowhere."

The key Wu Min had given Chen Yu Ying had long since been returned, but Lin Li had told her before that he was a "wily rabbit with three burrows," and that he kept spare keys on him, at school, and by his front door. So it wasn't strange that she could just unlock the door and walk in.

Lin Li: "Didn't I tell you? There's no one at my place right now."

Chen Yu Ying: "?"

Chen Yu Ying fell silent. She even double-checked their chat history in disbelief—and sure enough, Lin Li had said it.

But… but…

When a normal person says that, doesn't it usually mean "no one else is home besides me"?

Who knew you meant literally no one at home!

On the other end of the line, a certain someone's suppressed little chuckles started to surface.

Chen Yu Ying: "(•́へ•́╬)!!"

She'd been played! And on purpose!

Chen Yu Ying ground her teeth, though not too hard—she was mostly just embarrassed, because it made her look so dumb.

"So where are you now?"

Because she was all puffed up, Chen Yu Ying's voice came out very clipped, word by word.

Lin Li finally laughed out loud.

When the "hmph" noises from the other side got louder and louder, he held back and explained:

"I'm at the entrance of the complex. I just came out of the barbershop and was planning to scare you. Sigh, didn't expect you to outplay me. Ying Bao, hiss— I get it now. The reason you went to my place was because you saw right through my sinister scheme and did it on purpose, right?

Dammit, I thought you were on the first level, but turns out you were already on the third…"

Chen Yu Ying: "..."

"..."

"I'm giving you a ladder to climb down, why won't you use it?" Seeing that Chen Yu Ying stayed silent for a long time, Lin Li lowered his voice and asked with concern.

"How is that a ladder, that's a slide! How am I supposed to step on a slide! Hmph! Wait for me, I'm coming!"