Seeing that Ling Qing didn't change his expression as he ate the cookie.
Yubihama's eyes lit up with excitement.
She asked expectantly: "Ling Qing-kun, is it good?"
Even Yukinoshita cast a questioning glance.
Was he going to lie?
She didn't like lies.
But...
Because she understood that Yubihama Yui had put a lot of effort into this cookie.
And also understood that the truth might severely impact her current anticipation.
So, for the first time, she hoped Ling Qing would tell a little lie.
However...
Ling Qing shook his head calmly.
"It's not good."
"I would even say that I have never tasted such a terrible cookie."
"!!!"
Yubihama Yui was instantly struck by lightning and froze in place.
“……”
Yukinoshita was also dumbfounded.
This person... is so honest.
Even she thought that saying it like that was a bit untimely.
Perhaps he could be a little more tactful.
Seeing Yubihama Yui lower her head in disappointment.
"Sigh..."
Yukinoshita let out a sigh.
This was her fault.
If she had secretly put her own cookies in, perhaps things would have turned out much differently.
But Ling Qing's next sentence changed everything.
"Although it's hard to eat, I quite like it, thank you, Yubihama-san."
He was completely off script.
"Is that a consolation?"
Both Yubihama Yui and Yukinoshita Yukino thought the same thing.
Yubihama Yui wiped away the tears that welled up after being hit by the blow.
Forcing herself to swallow the lump in her throat, she said: "Ling Qing-kun, don't try to comfort me."
"Such a terrible thing to give you... I'm really sorry!"
She wanted to bow and apologize.
But Ling Qing grabbed her right shoulder.
"No need to apologize, I'm not lying to comfort you."
“……”
Yubihama Yui had a bitter taste in her mouth.
She didn't believe him.
However, Ling Qing placed her right hand in front of her.
And said: "My five senses are very sensitive, including my tongue."
"So I immediately tasted a faint hint of blood in the cookie."
Then he traced his finger across Yubihama Yui's right index finger, which was covered with a band-aid.
"This finger must have been injured while making this cookie for me."
"???"
Yukinoshita looked suspicious.
Tasting blood in a baked cookie?
That doesn't make sense no matter how you think about it.
But if it's a guess, he did guess right.
That finger was Yubihama Yui's, who accidentally cut herself.
Yukinoshita thought this might really be a consolation after he guessed, and he happened to guess right.
But that wasn't the case.
As he grew stronger.
His five senses truly became stronger.
His tongue's sense of taste, borrowing a setting from some cooking anime where they used poison, was at least a Divine Tongue.
He could even taste the sweetness in Mai's juice in detail.
Even the slightest trace of blood he could feel.
As for whether Yubihama herself believes it?
She didn't have the time to think about it right now.
Because she saw Ling Qing's hand caress her own.
Plus, the gentle words in her ears.
For a moment, her body felt numb as if ants were crawling over it.
"Is your wound still hurting?"
Seeing Ling Qing's tendency to peel off the bandage to look at the wound.
Yubihama actually had a strange sense of being about to have her underwear taken off.
She quickly withdrew her hand with a blushing face.
She stammered.
"Ugh! Th-Thank you for your concern, Ling Qing-kun, I-I'm fine."
"But this gift doesn't count, next- next time I will definitely satisfy you!"
From beginning to end, she didn't dare to look at Ling Qing even once.
She ran out of the classroom as if fleeing.
“……”
The two people who were not familiar with each other accidentally met each other's gaze.
Yukinoshita naturally withdrew her gaze.
She took the initiative to speak.
"Ling Qing-kun, how did you know about the Servant Club's philosophy?"
Ling Qing didn't say anything like understanding or making big words to attract the beautiful girl in front of him, whom he had taken a liking to at first sight.
He knew that Yukinoshita wouldn't believe any of that.
So he casually brought up the banner of Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Hiratsuka-sensei introduced it to me before."
"Shizuka-sensei?"
Yukinoshita suddenly remembered the name Ling Qing.
"So it's you..."
"Does Yukinoshita-san know me?"
She put down the book, picked up the red tea, and took a sip.
"Shizuka-sensei told me about your academic performance before, and said that she would recommend you to come here."
Hiratsuka Shizuka and her sister were not only former teacher and student, but also current friends.
So Yukinoshita also knew Hiratsuka Shizuka.
When Hiratsuka Shizuka mentioned this, she didn't pay much attention.
But after seeing Ling Qing's ranking consistently around 100, from his first year to now.
The highest he had ever been was less than ten places.
Which, in a way, is also pretty impressive.
So Yukinoshita was curious.
And she also accepted Hiratsuka Shizuka's request.
……
PS: This is Yukinoshita Yukino!
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