Chapter 41: Deception.

The taxi took the two of them to the entrance of the residential area.

"See, everything is normal." After paying the fare and watching the taxi drive away, Cheng Jinyang said with a smile.

Wang Wanrou didn't respond.

By the time they got home, it was already 7 PM.

"What do you want for dinner?" Cheng Jinyang asked.

"Anything," Wang Wanrou replied.

"How about instant noodles?" Cheng Jinyang thought to himself that if she wanted anything, he would just take it easy.

"Mushroom chicken flavor," Wang Wanrou said. "Not with boiling water, use a pot to cook it."

Hey, this young lady is actually willing to eat this stuff.

If it were Ah Zhi and Miss Qingqing here, they definitely wouldn't eat this "junk food." Ah Zhi would avoid it because fried instant noodles make you gain weight, and Miss Qingqing would think it lacks nutrition without meat. Now that Wang Wanrou was willing to eat it, Cheng Jinyang was a bit surprised.

"Then let me show you my 20 years of instant noodle cooking skills!" He rolled up his sleeves excitedly.

"You're only 18," Wang Wanrou looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Ahem, Miss Wang doesn't know," Cheng Jinyang started to make things up. "Some people are naturally gifted, one day of learning is like a month for others. Sorry, but when it comes to cooking instant noodles, I just happen to be one of those prodigies."

"A useless talent," Wang Wanrou said disdainfully, urging him, "Hurry up and cook."

About ten minutes later, Cheng Jinyang brought out two bowls of noodles.

"Enjoy, Miss," he joked, bowing.

Wang Wanrou didn't respond. She didn't recognize this Western-style etiquette, so she just picked up her chopsticks calmly.

She ate the noodles without a word.

She finished the noodles in just a dozen bites and then drank all the soup... by this time, Cheng Jinyang had only eaten half of his noodles.

He watched in shock as she put down the bowl. He thought to himself, this young lady usually seems normal, but why does she devour instant noodles like this?

Hey, could it be the trope of the noble young lady having a secret love for commoner food? Miss Wang, you really know how to add to your character setting.

After finishing the noodles, Wang Wanrou went to the bathroom to take a shower. Cheng Jinyang stayed outside to clean up the dishes.

Hmm, it feels a bit strange to suddenly have so few people at home.

Just as he was thinking this, someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" He left the kitchen.

"It's me!" A clear, pleasant female voice came from outside.

The voice sounded familiar, but Cheng Jinyang couldn't recall immediately, so he looked through the peephole for a moment.

Oh, it turned out to be Miss Wang's fibbing best friend, and there was a new girl he didn't recognize with her.

Wait, why did I say "new girl"? I should say an unfamiliar girl.

Cheng Jinyang opened the door and greeted Cui Jinqi.

"Have you had dinner?" Cui Jinqi asked with a cheerful smile, lifting a small box. "I brought cake, if you don't mind…"

"I've already eaten, thank you." Cheng Jinyang declined and didn't step aside to let them in.

He remembered the last time she suddenly visited when they were having grilled fish, he let her in because he softened. But this little demon kept asking questions that almost created a Shura field, so this time he was determined not to let her in…

Oh, Ah Zhi and Qingqing don't seem to be here? Then it's fine, Miss Wang can definitely handle her.

"Come in first." Cheng Jinyang stepped aside.

"Sorry to intrude." Cui Jinqi and the girl next to her walked in and changed their shoes.

"And this is?" Cheng Jinyang's gaze fell on the girl beside her.

The girl had a short, fresh haircut just reaching her shoulders, wearing a sports crop top and shorts, showing off her beautifully toned and fair arms and legs. She looked like the type who jogs along the Qinhuai River every night.

"Li Qingwan." She nodded slightly, her eyes calm and serene, clearly the opposite of Cui Jinqi's extroverted nature.

"Qingwan hasn't seen Wanrou for a long time, and heard she's staying with you now, so she asked me to bring her over to visit," Cui Jinqi explained.

"You dragged me here," Li Qingwan said softly.

"Nonsense," Cui Jinqi pretended to be angry. "You begged me to bring you, and now you're blaming me? Cheng family little brother, don't believe her lies, I won't bring her next time."

"I believe Qingwan," Cheng Jinyang said seriously.

"Oh wow, you'd rather believe a girl you just met than me?" Cui Jinqi got a bit angry. "And you called her by her name right away! How inappropriate!"

"It's not that I don't believe you," Cheng Jinyang looked at her with a 'don't you know yourself' expression, and said slowly, "But you should be aware of your own credibility, right?"

"Haha, that's embarrassing," Li Qingwan covered her mouth and laughed.

"What credibility? I don't know what you're talking about," Cui Jinqi's eyes sparkled mischievously, then she sighed, "Actually, I'm not an evil person by nature, but I have a disease where if I don't lie, I'll die. I must successfully deceive a certain number of people every day to stay alive."

"Talking nonsense again," Li Qingwan shook her head.

A disease where you die if you don't lie? Cheng Jinyang pondered.

Like Qingqing's violence, Miss Wang's narcissism, and Ah Zhi's cleanliness? That's understandable.

"What, you believe me?" Seeing his lack of doubt, Cui Jinqi asked in shock.

Wait, hold on, this disease where you die if you don't lie is obviously a terribly clumsy lie! Why would you believe this of all things?!

For a moment, her emotions were extremely complex. It wasn't that no one had ever been fooled by her before, but those who were either avoided her like the plague afterward or pretended to get along with her but didn't believe a word she said.

But Cui Jinqi, who was good at reading people, could tell that Cheng Jinyang genuinely believed her words.

So what's with this Cheng family boy?

Could it be...

Could it be that he's attracted to my beauty?! And has thus lost the ability to distinguish lies?!!

Cui Jinqi suspiciously touched her pretty face, just as Li Qingwan softly said:

"I don't think so."

"What don't you think?" Wang Wanrou, having finished her shower and wearing her pajamas, walked out of the bathroom and looked indifferently at the two in the living room.

"…It's true," Li Qingwan looked at her in surprise.

Miss Wang… she's really living with this man?

"You see, I didn't lie to you this time, did I?" Seeing her shocked expression, Cui Jinqi smiled joyfully.

When you haven't lied but make others think you're lying, it's also a successful deception!