"Senpai~ I'm ready! We can go now~"
Miss Tong's voice came from outside the door. It sounded lively and clearly very happy.
Jiang You could only bid farewell to the excited Baldy Zhang. He wondered if Zhang's wife would drag him out of his dive pod and beat him up if he went home, skipped his "public grain" duty, and jumped straight into a stealth game.
"By the way, you're calling me 'Senpai'?"
Jiang You mused that this wasn't a common way to address senior employees in China. Usually, it was something like "-ge" or "-jie." The experience felt quite novel, almost like the dynamic between Sakura Matou and Mash. He took another careful look at Miss Tong. Her face shape did bear a slight resemblance to Sakura Matou's, though a bit rounder—more like that B.B cosplayer's. Speaking of whom, she had said she'd come see him in a month. Half a month had already passed; he wondered if she was just joking.
"What, does it feel strange?"
Miss Tong quickened her pace to get ahead, then turned back, tilting her head to look directly into Jiang You's eyes. "I'll only call you that, you know. Senpai, are you getting a little excited because a pretty junior is calling you that?"
"It's just a bit too formal. I'm not used to it."
Jiang You averted his gaze, feeling a little awkward. He almost thought he was still in the game. Jokes that were fine in-game were definitely not okay in reality, and this woman could even affect his career. Still, he thought, no need to worry too much. At my age, if things go south, I can just quit and run.
"Oh? Getting shy, Senpai~ Senpai~?"
Miss Tong's forwardness was almost absurd. "Zako-senpai~ getting owned by your junior on the very first day~"
"Don't do that."
Jiang You never expected to meet a girl with this kind of personality in real life. Whether she was doing it intentionally or not, it was dangerously tempting—especially since she was so beautiful.
"Eh? Just adding 'Zako' makes Zako-senpai react like this? That won't do at all! You'll easily get led astray by a bad woman like this, and I can't allow that!"
Miss Tong suddenly perked up, grabbing Jiang You's arm and pulling him into a brisk walk.
"For Zako-senpai's future, we need to start desensitization training! So, let's go on a date!"
"Wait, aren't we just supposed to be familiarizing ourselves with the area?"
Jiang You already wanted to bolt. This woman was completely out of his league. Talk about being led astray by a bad woman—isn't she the bad woman here?
"Let's talk about this later," he said.
Once we officially start work, he reasoned, she'll definitely be the center of attention, surrounded by admirers. She won't have the energy to focus on me then, and we'll rarely be alone. I can easily slip away at that point.
"Senpai, are you a little slow?"
Miss Tong pulled out her phone and shook it. "In this modern age, maps are incredibly detailed. We're not in Chongqing, you know. We can just look at the map. And Senpai, you're not allowed to run away! I've been planning this date itinerary for a long time. Are you really cruel enough to stand me up? Just so you know, I'm not letting go from now on."
Before she even finished speaking, Miss Tong pressed herself against Jiang You's arm, her ample chest completely enveloping it. Jiang You was surprised to find that a certain Yu-Gi-Oh! collaboration had significantly boosted his resistance to beautiful women. In the past, such intimate contact and the resulting sensation would have definitely triggered a reaction.
In any case, he thought, thank you, Yu-Gi-Oh!
But just as Miss Tong had said, Jiang You was trapped. There was no escape now.
His only option was to forcefully shove her off, but given the strength in her arms, he'd probably have to send her flying to break free—and his arm strength wasn't quite at that level yet. He could only conclude that shameless people were truly difficult to handle.
"Hmph, your composure is pretty good. I was worried you'd be too flustered to walk."
Clearly, she knew exactly what her actions implied. This woman was terrifyingly deliberate; she wanted this exact effect. "You've passed this test. Now, let's start with our first stop... Hmm, it's about time we ate. When you're on a date with a girl, the choice of restaurant is a crucial part. I've marked all the recommended places. Senpai, just pick one. But if you choose randomly or deliberately try to upset me, I'll just have to hug you even tighter."
As she spoke, Miss Tong rose onto her tiptoes, bringing her lips close to Jiang You's ear. Her warm, gentle breath tickled his earlobe.
"Or perhaps... Senpai wants me to hold on tighter~?"
I won't be able to get away today unless I satisfy this young lady, Jiang You thought. He really didn't know how to handle her type.
He glanced at the phone Miss Tong handed him. She had clearly done her homework. Several famous nearby restaurants were marked, complete with star ratings and detailed categories for ambiance and cuisine. He had no idea where she'd found such comprehensive data.
Some trendy, internet-famous eateries were also marked, but Jiang You immediately dismissed them. In his experience, taking a girl to such places—regardless of her background—was a surefire way to lose points unless they were already in an established relationship.
If Miss Tong hadn't made her earlier threat, Jiang You might have actually chosen one of those places. Now, he had to think carefully.
Unsure of her tastes and preferences, Jiang You settled on a French restaurant. It was a rather high-end establishment; with their combined recent salaries, they could just about afford a meal there once in a while. If Miss Tong's goal was simply to make him spend money, she had succeeded.
"A French restaurant? The food aside, the ambiance is certainly nice. And when you think of France, you think of romance, right?" Miss Tong said with a smile, though her expression wasn't entirely satisfied.
"Overall, it's acceptable. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it... a six. It's the standard answer, but it's so cliché, Senpai! Girls these days aren't so easily impressed. Still, you did put some serious thought into it, and that makes me happy. So... you pass."
"You want to know what would have gotten a perfect score, don't you?"
"No, I don't."
Actually, I really do, Jiang You thought. But her advances are so aggressive, it's a little scary.
"Eh? You're lying! That look on your face says you're dying of curiosity." Miss Tong poked his cheek. "Such a dishonest guy. Let me reveal the answer for you. The answer is... BZZT! All wrong!"
Mimicking a wrong-answer buzzer, Miss Tong yanked Jiang You back toward her just as he was trying to create some distance.
"The correct answer is: your favorite place. Sharing your own preferences with a girl is the right move. Let's go, Senpai. Take me to the place you go to most often. Let me get to know you better~"
"Alright, Miss Tong." Jiang You didn't think that was the right answer at all, but he simply nodded as if she were correct.
"That's too formal. But I suppose it's my fault for not telling you my real name." Miss Tong finally revealed it. "Tong Jianying. Just call me Xiao Ying~"
"Understood, Miss Tong."
"Call me Xiao Ying."
"No problem, Miss Tong."
"If you keep this up, I'm going to start shouting. And as for what I'll be shouting... do you really want to find out, Senpai?"
Miss Tong shot him a dangerously alluring look.
Not yet ready to depart this mortal coil, Jiang You caved. "Xiao Ying."
"That's a good boy, Senpai~"