The moment Lin Jing blurted out those words, she realized the person who had just spoken them was Sheng Kuang.
He Lin said, "Maybe there was a short circuit, and you accidentally touched it."
Wang Qingqing: "Or maybe when I grabbed your arm, I squeezed too hard and pinched a nerve."
Lin Jing: "..."
Sheng Kuang listened to their analyses and let out a soft chuckle.
Lin Jing's ears felt a little warm from his laugh.
She really didn't know how to react. Her face remained blank, stiff for about ten seconds. She pursed her lips and asked, "Should we go out now?"
By the time they left the escape room, it was already dinnertime. He Lin suggested, "There are a lot of good restaurants nearby. Since we're all together, let's have dinner."
Lin Jing didn't want to leave Sheng Kuang alone, so she was about to say she wouldn't eat.
However, before she could speak, He Lin turned to Sheng Kuang and asked, "Friend, do you mind? If not, would you like to join us?"
Lin Jing hadn't expected He Lin to invite Sheng Kuang.
She wasn't extremely close to Sheng Kuang, but having lived together for so long, she understood him to some extent.
He wasn't someone who easily made friends. He seemed amiable but maintained a certain distance.
It had already surprised her that he would join their escape room group, let alone dinner.
Lin Jing thought Sheng Kuang would most likely decline.
To her surprise, after a few seconds of silent eye contact with He Lin, Sheng Kuang nodded and said, "Sure."
"What do you guys want to eat?" He Lin pulled out his phone to search for nearby restaurants. "Lin Jing, don't you like that Hunan restaurant nearby? Should we go there?"
The others agreed.
He Lin didn't make a reservation but asked Sheng Kuang again, "It's a bit spicy. Friend, are you okay with that?"
Sheng Kuang slightly raised an eyebrow, appearing very relaxed. "No problem."
Lin Jing looked at Sheng Kuang, then at He Lin, and felt like there was something going on between the two of them.
It was as if they were subtly competing, or perhaps genuinely trying to become friends.
The restaurant was quite close, only about nine hundred meters away, so they decided to walk.
During the escape room game, Lin Jing hadn't thought about any future interactions between Sheng Kuang and the others, so she hadn't bothered with introductions. Now, on the way to the restaurant, He Lin, acting like a host, introduced everyone to Sheng Kuang: "My name is He Lin, I'm in the same class as Lin Jing, and I'm honored to be your class monitor. This is Wang Qingqing, this is my high school classmate, and this is my current roommate."
The game "Honor of Kings" was truly a popular game. Even those who didn't play it daily would occasionally log in.
While not everyone followed the professional matches of "Honor of Kings," many did, including He Lin's roommates.
"Sheng Kuang? Miracle? The professional player?"
"Yes." Sheng Kuang usually wasn't one to engage in conversations with just anyone, but today he seemed quite respectful of her classmates. He responded to their questions.
Lin Jing thought to herself that her idol was giving her quite a bit of face.
Wang Qingqing exclaimed, "So you're the legendary professional player? I'm seeing one in real life for the first time! How did you guys meet?"
Sheng Kuang replied naturally, "She's my junior roommate."
Lin Jing stumbled slightly, suddenly wishing Sheng Kuang hadn't given her this particular piece of face.
Wang Qingqing: "Room... roommate?"
He Lin, equally shocked as Wang Qingqing, asked, "You live together?"
Lin Jing quickly explained, "It's not what you're thinking. His mother and my mother are good friends. I didn't go home during the summer break, so I'm temporarily staying at his place."
Wang Qingqing made an "oh oh" sound, understanding.
He Lin, however, seemed more relieved than Wang Qingqing: "So you're just staying over."
...
When they arrived at the restaurant, there was a table available.
As soon as they sat down at the large table, He Lin held up his phone and scanned the QR code. "Is there anything specific you guys want to eat?"
Everyone agreed on "whatever," so He Lin looked at the menu and ordered. Before finalizing the order, he also added a few bottles of beer.
The cold appetizers were served quickly, along with several cans of beer.
He Lin casually picked up a bottle, pulled open the ring pull, and placed it naturally in front of Lin Jing before taking the other beers and handing one to each person.
When he reached Sheng Kuang, Sheng Kuang raised his long fingers to block it.
He Lin looked surprised. "You're not drinking?"
Sheng Kuang reached out, took the beer in front of Lin Jing, and said, "I'll drink this one."
"Then Lin Jing..."
Before He Lin could finish his sentence, Sheng Kuang grabbed another bottle of beer from the side, pulled it open, and pushed it towards Lin Jing. "She'll drink this one."