The hands of the classroom clock slowly crawled past 12:30—lunch break was already half over.
Lin Jinhuan sat by the window, her knuckles lightly tapping the desk in a slow, dull rhythm.
The sunlight outside was just right, shining on the stray hairs at her brow, yet it couldn’t dispel the cold, low-pressure aura surrounding her.
Xue Xiaomin stood nearby, not daring to breathe too loudly.
“…You didn’t give her the cake?” Lin Jinhuan finally spoke, her voice faint, betraying no emotion.
“I did!” Xue Xiaomin hurriedly explained. “The young miss was sleeping at the time, so I quietly placed it in her desk compartment…”
Lin Jinhuan didn’t respond, merely lowering her gaze as a cold smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
—Even if she was asleep, waking up to see the cake should have made it clear who sent it.
—Yet until now, there wasn’t even a trace of her.
She tilted her head to look out the window—the hallway was empty, not even the sound of footsteps.
Hah.
She let out a self-mocking laugh, her knuckles tapping twice on the windowsill, faint blue veins appearing on the back of her cold, pale hand.
—She actually expected a pampered young miss to remember her?
—How laughable.
“I’m leaving.”
With that, she picked up her uniform jacket, grabbed the car keys from the table, the metal glinting in a graceful arc between her fingers.
She walked out the door without looking back.
Xue Xiaomin opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she only sighed.
Lin Jinhuan’s back was straight and cold, like an unsheathed sword—sharp and imposing, yet utterly lonely.
—She thought a single cake could make the young miss remember her.
—She had even thought that if the young miss took the initiative to come find her just once, just that once…
Then she would willingly be this delicate girl’s bodyguard…
She might even waive the extra fees from her overprotective older brother.
But now… hah.
Lin Jinhuan thought she should have focused on more important matters long ago.
The car door slammed shut with a “thud,” the engine roared, and she sped away.
~
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the restaurant, falling on the snow-white tablecloth.
Only a few tables were occupied in the restaurant, the air filled with the sweet aroma of caramel and vanilla intertwined.
Soft piano music flowed faintly in the background.
Jing Nian’an sat by the window, her slender fingers holding a silver dessert fork as she gently poked the delicate peach mousse in front of her.
The mousse was topped with gold leaf and drizzled with amber caramel sauce, shimmering temptingly in the sunlight.
Hmm…
She carefully scooped a spoonful and brought it to her mouth.
The moment the dessert touched her tongue, her beautiful glass-like eyes suddenly lit up.
“Is it good?”
Ming Jiahe rested her chin on one hand, pretending to ask casually, but her other hand under the table secretly clenched the napkin.
As for how Jing Nian’an ended up having a meal with her other rival, Ming Jiahe…
The story goes back to the beginning of lunch break:
When the girl groggily opened her eyes, her porcelain-like cheeks still bore faint red marks from the textbook.
“I heard the new Japanese food window has excellent A5 Wagyu beef…”
“How about trying Mexican food instead…”
A few girls leaned casually against the neighboring seats, chattering away as they listed off dishes.
Their sidelong glances kept drifting toward Jing Nian’an, every syllable seemingly tailored to appeal to someone’s preferences.
Seeing the girl finally rub her eyes and sit up straight, one of them immediately raised her voice:
“I heard their new cherry pork dish is really delicious!”The girl was indeed drawn in.
The stray hair atop her head swayed gently as she turned, her glass-like eyes still misty with sleep but already sparkling as they looked over.
Before she could speak, a slender figure crouched down in front of her desk.
It was a girl with a simple ponytail, holding a minimalist glass lunchbox.
The lunchbox was large, and through the lid, one could see the vibrant dishes inside:
glistening cherry pork coated in a bright, translucent sauce, golden and glossy crab roe lion’s head meatballs, and in the center, delicate and exquisite crystal shrimp dumplings.
“Jing… Jing Nian’an,” the girl nervously swallowed, but her voice was firm. “This is a dish my dad made. Would you… like to try it?”
The classroom suddenly fell silent for a moment.
Jing Nian’an blinked, finally getting a clear look at the person in front of her. She didn’t recognize her.
Seeing that Jing Nian’an didn’t respond immediately, Song Shishi hurriedly added, “It’s really delicious. My dad works in the Sheng family’s kitchen. The food he makes—”
Before she could finish, the two girls beside her impatiently interrupted, “Tsk, where did you come from?”
“Yeah, first come, first served, don’t you know that!”
They had worked so hard to almost reel her in, but this scholarship student had to barge in and ruin things.
Jing Nian’an’s dark, bright eyes shifted between Song Shishi and the two girls, her slender fingers unconsciously twirling the ends of her hair.
She was a bit conflicted…
A chef from the Sheng family…
It had been a long time since Mrs. Sheng invited her to dinner at the Sheng family’s home. The food was delicious.
But that was a long time ago.
Song Shishi’s fingers tightened around the edge of the lunchbox, her knuckles turning white as she stubbornly pushed it forward again.
“Tch, how unsophisticated.”
A haughty voice suddenly broke the brief silence.
Ming Jiahe stood at the front of the classroom, examining her newly done manicure as she spoke nonchalantly.
She deliberately drew out her tone, her eyes sweeping disdainfully over Song Shishi’s glass lunchbox. “Whatever. I’m going to try the new desserts at the newly opened French restaurant in the academy. I heard they’re limited edition.”
With that, she deliberately slowed her steps as she walked toward the classroom door in her limited-edition leather shoes.
One step, two steps, three steps…
Wait, Ming Jiahe, stop right there!
Just as she expected, the young lady’s soft yet domineering voice rang out behind her.
With her back to everyone, Ming Jiahe’s eyes instantly lit up, and a wide grin spread across her face, full of triumph.
Yes, she knew it!
For a certain sweet-toothed baby, limited-edition desserts were always the most effective bait!
But the next moment, as she turned around, Ming Jiahe had already put on her haughty expression again, though her voice couldn’t hide its excitement: “Oh? Does Miss Jing want to go too? I happen to have two spots. I’ll give you one!”
After saying this, she quickly walked back to Jing Nian’an’s side and, without waiting for a response, linked arms with the slender girl, as if afraid she might change her mind.
Hmph, these copycats, always trying to imitate her methods to get close to the baby.
Luckily, she was prepared!
She had pestered her father for a whole month to open a high-end dessert restaurant in the academy, even hiring a French Le Cordon Bleu pastry chef to oversee it.
But…
Ming Jiahe glanced sideways at the unremarkable scholarship student.
She really hadn’t expected this Song Shishi to make a direct move while the baby was just waking up—and she almost succeeded!You know… the baby is usually the most rebellious…
Enthusiastic invitations from others often only lead to one outcome…
That is, the girl proudly lifts her little head and says no!
Ming Jiahe secretly gritted her teeth, glaring at Song Shishi with the most critical look.
“Wait.”
Jing Nian’an suddenly withdrew her arm from Ming Jiahe’s grasp and turned to look at Song Shishi.
“When did your father start working at the Sheng family’s place?”
Song Shishi’s eyes instantly lit up, like stars suddenly brightening in the night sky:
“It’s been about six or seven years! You’ve eaten there before, Jing, and said it was delicious!”
The girl blinked. Oh… then the food she brought must be quite fragrant…
Seeing the girl’s visibly wavering expression, alarm bells rang in Ming Jiahe’s heart.
She never expected this seemingly rustic special admission student to actually have such skills!
If she hadn’t been here today, Jing Nian’an would definitely have been lured away.
“Hmph,” Ming Jiahe lifted her chin, using her most cutting tone, “It’s packed in a lunchbox. How can you eat it when it’s already cold?”
“You can heat it up in the cafeteria,” Song Shishi immediately replied, nervously twisting her fingers together.
Ming Jiahe choked, then quickly found a new point of attack: “That would take so much time! Besides,”
She deliberately examined the lunchbox with a critical gaze, “Has this lunchbox even been washed? Is your father really a chef at the Sheng family’s? How can you prove it?”
After saying this, she turned to Jing Nian’an, hinting meaningfully, “It doesn’t look clean at all. A certain baby… someone might get a stomachache after eating it.”
Song Shishi flushed red with anger at her words: “You!”
She wanted to retort but couldn’t find the right words for a moment.
Ming Jiahe ignored her, carefully observing Jing Nian’an instead.
But the person in front of her was staring at the lunchbox, lost in thought.
Not clean?
But online it says…
Food like this, with zero natural additives and pure uncleanliness, tastes the best!
Seeing her actually hesitate, Ming Jiahe was almost driven mad with anger!
But she didn’t dare to use a forceful tone again, afraid she might really leave with someone else.
Before, she couldn’t win against Lin Jinhuan either…
The next second, Ming Jiahe’s expression turned resentful, her voice tinged with a hint of gritted teeth:
“That French restaurant is only open for one day! It won’t be open tomorrow or the day after!”
This sentence successfully pulled Jing Nian’an’s attention back.
“How do you know?” The girl tilted her head, looking puzzled.
Ming Jiahe was speechless, her cheeks slightly flushed: “I just know…”
It was her family’s restaurant—they could open or close it as they pleased…
If her father found out the restaurant she had begged to open for days was only operating for one day…
And Ming Jiashu would definitely add fuel to the fire…
Never mind! Luring her over comes first!