“Bai Lan.” Gu Mengmeng called out. She let go of Snakel and trotted over to hold onto Bai Lan’s arm with an obliging smile.
“Tell me, which one is he.” Bai Lan rudely pointed at the basketball team members who were now all standing in a row.
Gu Mengmeng knew Bai Lan was asking which one was her boyfriend. She blushed and pulled Bai Lan back a couple of steps before turning around to look at Snakel. “This is my boyfriend Ah Kel. This is my bosom friend Bai Lan.”
Bai Lan was momentarily stunned by the sight of Snakel. She then pulled Gu Mengmeng to the side. “Girl, apart from his looks, everything about him is wrong. How did you fall for the likes of him?”
The veins on Snakel’s forehead jumped. He had lived two lifetimes and this was the first time he had heard himself criticized in this manner.
Gu Mengmeng broke out in a nervous sweat at Bai Lan’s words. She shook her head. “No, Ah Kel is a very good person. He treats me very well.”
“Good my ass!” Bai Lan retorted. “The whole school knows what a girl magnet he is. Getting together with him is like stirring up a hornet’s nest! The school forum incident two days ago was caused by Mo Beibei because she was jealous of you two, right? Let me tell you, you are such a timid girl—those crazy lascivious girls will gobble you up when they see you with him. Further, who doesn’t know he is just a block of ancient ice. Boring and unromantic, he’s so prim and proper that he could be a monk if he just shaved his head. You are not some White Bone Demon, why must you get involved with a Tang Sanzhang?”
Bai Lan pulled Gu Mengmeng back to stand before the basketball team members. “Let me tell you, girl. If it was him, I rather you choose a first love from this bunch of fellows. At least if they dare to bully you, I can still help you break their legs.”
Snakel snatched over Gu Mengmeng from Bai Lan in a flash. His eyes shot venom as he glared at Bai Lan with such malevolence that the sky was in danger of being swallowed.
Gu Mengmeng was placed in a terribly awkward position. She gave Snakel a gentle shove. “Don’t be like that. Bai Lan is saying such things because she doesn’t know you. I will talk to her nicely. Ah, don’t be angry.”
Bai Lan pointed out. “See, you have just started a relationship with him and you already need to coax him. Will you let him to treat you like garbage in future?”
Gu Mengmeng’s face flinched in exasperation as she tugged at Bai Lan’s hand. She shot a look at Snakel. “Ah Kel, our hostel rules are that the boyfriend must treat everyone to drinks on the first meeting. Can you go and get some, please?”
Snakel was unwilling to leave Gu Mengmeng’s side for even one second. But he knew this rule was not something she had just conjured up at the spur of the moment. He wished to gain the approval of the people around her. Although this Bai Lan had badmouthed him so badly, she was still someone Gu Mengmeng cared about. And so he was willing to endure.
Nodding, Snakel shot Zhan Jin Cheng a look, who automatically herded the entire team over to the Starbucks opposite the amusement park. They bought caramel macchiatos for everyone before heading back—to see the bunch of girls now chatting and giggling. The atmosphere had relaxed and become much more amiable.
Snakel handed a caramel macchiato over to Gu Mengmeng. “Here, you have this cup. I had them add extra caramel for you.”
Gu Mengmeng shot Bai Lan a “see?” look. Bai Lan nodded reluctantly and raised her own caramel macchiato to clink it against Gu Mengmeng’s cup. Bai Lan then glanced at Snakel before clinking her own cup against his—indicating her approval of Snakel being Gu Mengmeng’s boyfriend.