Thump, thump, thump, thump, her heart raced wildly.
At this moment, Yu Weiwan’s senses were extraordinarily sharp.
She could hear the loud surge of blood accelerating through her body, alongside the increasingly violent thumping of her heart.
The seed long buried in her heart was eagerly striving to grow upward, seeking more nourishment to become stronger.
Yuyu, what are you lost in thought about?
A fair finger fluttering in front of her eyes pulled her thoughts back. Only then did Yu Weiwan realize that Qi Chi had released her hand at some point.
She subconsciously reached up to push her glasses, only to hit empty air.
She finally remembered that for convenience, she had put on contact lenses today.
Yu Weiwan tried her best to ignore her burning ears and said offhandedly, Nothing, just thinking about where to go eat later.
Hearing this topic, Qi Chi’s eyes lit up: Cafeteria No. 2! Let’s go eat on the third floor. I heard a new chef arrived recently whose hands-on skill with Spicy Diced Chicken and Poached Sliced Pork in Hot Chili Oil is an absolute masterpiece. I’ve been craving it for so long.
The university had four cafeterias in total, evenly distributed in four directions.
Cafeteria No. 1 focused on self-serve meals; during peak hours, the tide of people surged so intensely that without real physical strength, it was hard to even get inside. Cafeteria No. 3 was obsessed with wrapping leftover breakfast steamed buns around everything, claiming there was nothing in the world that couldn’t be wrapped in a bun. Cafeteria No. 4 was dedicated to autonomous culinary innovation, boasting famous, terror-inducing signature dishes like dragon fruit and kiwi stir-fried rice cakes, mandarin orange and pineapple stir-fried pork, and strawberry stir-fried celery.
Cafeteria No. 2 covered the largest area, offered the richest variety of dishes, and most importantly, had no cursed culinary creations. Apart from being expensive, it had no other flaws, making it historically the most popular spot.
Going to Cafeteria No. 2 wasn’t out of the question, except,
Yu Weiwan hesitated: If you eat too much spicy food, your stomach will hurt…
I’ll just eat a little bit! Seeing Yu Weiwan stay silent, Qi Chi stepped closer and leaned in.
Her upper body pressed tightly against Yu Weiwan with a fragrant warmth, soft, elastic, and resilient.
A numbing electric current coursed through Yu Weiwan’s entire body from the point of contact, leaving her virtually immobilized.
Qi Chi pouted piteously: I kept my diet strictly restricted for the competition for so long. Today, after so much effort, I finally got unbanned, so I really, really want to eat spicy food.
I… I swear on my credit that I definitely won’t overeat. She raised her hand to make a vow.
Her wrist was gently caught by slender fingers, swaying back and forth with a slight weight.
In a daze, Yu Weiwan felt as though a little cat swinging on a swing was standing on her hand.
Unable to resist, she rubbed Qi Chi’s head, it was very soft and smooth. I thought you knew that your credit with me was wiped out long ago.
Dammit, how dare she say that about her! That’s way too much!
Qi Chi puffed out her cheeks, starting to get angry.
Yu Weiwan: Hmm?
Fine. Qi Chi deflated like a popped balloon. Then I’ll change the terms. If I break my promise, I’ll… I’ll…
Yu Weiwan picked up the sentence: You’ll handwrite a one-thousand-word self-criticism letter and read it aloud three times via voice recording to keep as evidence.
What?! Qi Chi widened her eyes, completely unable to believe what she was hearing.
I’m not joking. Yu Weiwan met her gaze seriously, showing her firm stance.
With Qi Chi’s personality of doing things without considering the consequences, she needed to be properly disciplined so she would learn where it hurt.
Qi Chi grumbled aggrievedly: Alright.
Cafeteria No. 2, Third Floor.
It wasn’t peak mealtime yet, and combined with the fact that the third floor had the most expensive dishes, there were only a few scattered students within sight.
However, Qi Chi’s words were not exaggerations. The new chef’s Spicy Diced Chicken and Poached Sliced Pork were genuinely hugely popular; by this hour, more than half was gone, and they barely caught the last few portions. validation: The skin of the Spicy Diced Chicken was golden brown and crispy, while the inside was tender and juicy. With one bite, it was fresh, fragrant, and tender, mixed with the numbing, spicy lingering note of Sichuan peppercorns and the slight sting of chili peppers, numbing yet fragrant, spicy yet utterly satisfying. validation: The Poached Sliced Pork was cut as thin as a cicada’s wing, smooth and delicate. The bean sprouts were crisp and bursting with juice, the green vegetables were fresh and sweet, and the tofu was thoroughly soaked in the fiery, rich flavor of the broth. Combined with the fiery red oil and emerald green scallions, it was a complete mastery of color, aroma, and taste.
Qi Chi ate without even lifting her head.
She couldn’t handle spicy food very well, so while she stuffed food into her mouth with her chopsticks, tearful water welled up in her eyes.
Yu Weiwan had no choice but to place a bowl of clear water next to her so she could dip the food in the water before eating.
Holding her sleeves up, Yu Weiwan used serving chopsticks to rinse the food in the water before placing it into Qi Chi’s bowl: Don’t forget what you promised me.
Hiss, hiss, hiss… I remember… Phew, phew, phew… After finishing these… I won’t eat any more, Qi Chi said vaguely.
Probably because it was too spicy, Qi Chi occasionally panted with her mouth open, revealing her bright crimson tongue off and on. Her lips were vivid red, her already well-defined lip contour appearing fuller and plumper, glistening enticingly.
Her eyes were also flushed red from the spice, her dense eyelashes drenched with moisture like a fallen butterfly in water. Clear watery mist flooded her eyes, making it look as though tears would fall at any given blink.
Yu Weiwan did not dare look any longer. Shifting her gaze away, she handed over a tissue: Wipe your tears. If you can’t eat it, just forget it. Don’t force yourself.
Qi Chi took it and said stubbonly: I can finish it.
You,
Her words were interrupted: Hello, classmate. I’ve been noticing you for a long time. I’d like to make friends with you. Can I add your WeChat?
Looking toward the sound, two tall, lean young men were standing close together right beside them.
One of the guys had a face flushed bright red, his whole body tense, practically radiating I want to escape. The other guy who spoke was tugging on him, offering a smile in their direction.
Quite clearly, a young heart was fluttering.
Yu Weiwan looked toward Qi Chi.
Because they had come straight to the cafeteria right out of the grand auditorium, Qi Chi was still wearing her competition attire. Her back was straight, her features exquisite, and the hem of her skirt flared like a prairie fire.
It was more than normal for someone to fall in love with her at first sight.
Clenching her chopsticks tightly, Yu Weiwan said softly: I’ll leave first,
She was interrupted again.
Sorry, I didn’t bring my phone. A smile full of sincerity covered Qi Chi’s face.
A lie.
Her phone was right inside her bag on the seat next to her.
The guy obviously didn’t believe it either, but he didn’t call it out. Instead, he went along with it: Then classmate, do you remember your WeChat ID?
He thumped the chest of the guy beside him with a loud thwack: He has a crazy good memory. Say it once and he’s guaranteed to remember it.
After a moment of silence, Qi Chi sighed.
Do I really have to spell it out for you?
Qi Chi suddenly pulled Yu Weiwan over. Before Yu Weiwan could even react, Qi Chi planted a smack on her cheek: I’m a lesbian, and this is my girlfriend.
Yu Weiwan: ???
The two guys: ???
Everyone present was dumbfounded by her unpredictable move.
The guy even stammered his apologies incoherently: I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend. Uh, I mean, I wish you two a happy hundred-year union and an early birth of a… no, a long and lasting relationship.
The red-faced guy dragged him into a bow: We’re very sorry about today. We were too impulsive. Um, we have something to do, so we’ll leave first.
The two of them fled in panic, yet they failed to catch even a fraction of Yu Weiwan’s attention.
The warm, humid sensation still lingered on her cheek. The spot that had been kissed was burning hot, a flush spreading outward with that spot as the center.
Yu Weiwan only heard a violent roaring in her brain, along with the screeching sound of her internal system coming to a halt.
She hadn’t expected Qi Chi’s kiss to possess such immense power, turning her directly into a robot on the verge of being scrapped.
She forgot how she exited the cafeteria. By the time she snapped back to reality, she was already on the path back to the dormitory.
Above her head was a clear, bright blue sky; by the side of the road were royal poinciana trees blooming like clustered evening clouds; by her side,
Glancing out of the corner of her eye, by her side was her sweetheart, walking with light steps, her skirt fluttering like a fluttering butterfly.
Yu Weiwan did a long period of psychological preparation before she could maintain her usual tone: You didn’t even tell me when you turned gay. You scared me.
Qi Chi stopped, turned around, and looked solemnly into Yu Weiwan’s eyes.
Yu Weiwan returned her gaze in silence.
The muscles in her body tightened unconsciously, sweat seeped out of her tightly clenched palms, and the sound of her heartbeat was deafeningly loud.
After a long while.
Qi Chi knitted her slender eyebrows, her expression troubled: I don’t know how I ended up liking girls either. It was completely out of nowhere, and by the time I realized it, it was already too late.
She raised her eyes timidly, a sparkling pool of spring water glistening in her eyes. After sweeping a fleeting glance over, she immediately lowered her eyes, looking like a startled fawn wanting to seek help yet terrified of being hurt.
Yuyu, can you accept it?
Having been parched for years, searching and waiting for years, she had now stumbled upon a spring. Happiness came so easily that it felt unreal instead.
Just like in a dream.
Yu Weiwan couldn’t formulate a proper reaction, only nodding dumbly: I can, I can.
Seeing that she had successfully tricked her, Qi Chi burst out laughing with a pfft, the outer corners of her eyes curving upward.
Just kidding! Did you really believe it?
Just kidding? Yu Weiwan repeated in a strained, difficult tone.
Of course. Qi Chi’s tone remained sweet and cheerful. They weren’t my type anyway, so I just randomly found a excuse to brush them off.
Yu Weiwan’s heart felt as if it had been ripped out of her chest, casually kneaded a few times, and then thrown onto the ground to become a bloody, blurry mess.
Yu Weiwan tried several times before barely managing to lift the corners of her mouth: There are plenty of excuses, how did you think of this one?
Because this reason is the most definitive and the most understandable. Besides, you were right there at the time, Yuyu, a ready-made girlfriend candidate.
Speaking up to this point, Qi Chi raised her eyebrows triumphantly: Just looking at the way those two guys left, you can tell I was right.
She bounced up in front of her, holding her head high with pride: Brilliant as I am.
Yu Weiwan: …
Yes, brilliant indeed.
Without spending an ounce of effort, she had fooled everyone completely.
Maintaining silence, they arrived at the dormitory. Their roommates were all there, not a single one missing.
Dorm 504 was ordered by age: the eldest was Rao Shi, the third was Wu Tao, and the fourth was Ji Qing.
The three of them looked over with dark circles under their eyes, their faces haggard and their eyes devoid of light.
Rao Shi greeted: You’re back.
Yu Weiwan: Yeah.
Wu Tao said enviously: I heard experts gathered like clouds at this competition. It must have been super exciting, right?
Yu Weiwan: Yeah.
Ji Qing took a deep breath: I can smell the aroma of food on you. This flavor… is it the craftsmanship of Cafeteria No. 2?
Yu Weiwan: Yeah.
Ji Qing: ?
She perked up, rushing over to circle around Yu Weiwan: Your reaction isn’t right. You’re completely listless. Are you in a bad mood?
Yu Weiwan: Yeah.
Out of nowhere, Rao Shi spoke up: Heartbroken?
Yu Weiwan: Yeah… huh?
No, just purely in a bad mood.
After all, unrequited love didn’t count as being in a relationship.
At most, it was merely her own solitary secret crush.
Repeated endlessly, alternating between hope and fear, long-lasting, and never seeing the light of day.
Rao Shi patted her shoulder: Be strong, sister. Life still has to go on.
Look on the bright side. Although you’re very sad right now, the midterm exam for Civil Law is coming up real soon, so you won’t even have time to be sad. Isn’t that a surprise?
Yu Weiwan: …
You sure know what a surprise is.