At the school convenience store, Bai Shinan and Li Pengfei stood in front of the freezer, picking out ice cream. Old Ice Stick, Little Pudding… all snacks that would disappear from shelves a few years later.
Although Li Pengfei claimed he was going to make Bai Shinan treat him to something nice, he still picked a Little Pudding—priced at just fifty cents, even cheaper than a bottle of water.
“I rarely treat you, and this is what you go for? Can’t you show some ambition?” Bai Shinan said, laughing as he scolded him.
“I just like this, what’s wrong with that? Hurry up and pay.” Li Pengfei ripped open the wrapper and bit into it.
Bai Shinan’s family wasn’t wealthy. He could still afford to buy ice cream, but chasing after girls was expensive. Most of his allowance had gone to Mu Yuwei, and he even took part-time delivery jobs on weekends.
He sighed inwardly. Back then, his eyes were only on Mu Yuwei. He had completely ignored the family and friends around him. That really shouldn’t have happened.
After paying, Bai Shinan and Li Pengfei found a step to sit on, eating their ice cream while enjoying the mildly boozy evening breeze.
“Bai, so what’s your plan now?” Li Pengfei asked. He knew how much Bai Shinan had liked Mu Yuwei—it wasn’t something he could just get over.
“What else can I do? Of course I’ll study hard, aim to become the top scorer in the college entrance exam, then pick a major full of girls, and experience what it’s like to have a harem of three thousand beauties like an ancient emperor.” Bai Shinan munched on the empty stick and boldly fantasized about a beautiful future.
“Can you be serious for once? I’m asking you seriously.” Li Pengfei was speechless. It wasn’t even nighttime yet, and the guy was already talking nonsense like he was dreaming.
“I’m seriously answering you.” Bai Shinan shrugged helplessly. Honestly, no one would believe him even if he told the truth.
“I’m talking about Mu Yuwei. Are you really giving up on her?” Li Pengfei had to be direct.
“Yeah, I’m done. If anyone wants to chase her, go ahead. Women just slow me down when I’m solving problems. Or are you afraid I won’t find anyone in the future?” Bai Shinan said casually. In his last life, he had risked his life for Mu Yuwei.
Cherish your life, stay away from Mu Yuwei.
“That’s probably for the best. Three months until the college entrance exam—you give it your all, Bai, and I bet you can make it back to the top ten in the school.” Li Pengfei felt genuinely happy for his friend’s newfound clarity.
“Top ten in school? I’m aiming for first in the entire province.” Bai Shinan declared confidently.
“Sure, sure, future top scorer. But should we go eat now? If we wait any longer, the cafeteria’s only going to have leftovers.” Li Pengfei didn’t argue. When someone’s heartbroken, they’re the boss.
“You should’ve said that earlier!” Bai Shinan slapped his thigh hard.
Only then did Bai Shinan remember that their high school was a boarding school. They only went home on weekends, and normally all meals and lodging were at school.
The cafeteria’s food was already bad, and whatever was left at this hour was the worst of it.
“I thought you’d lost your appetite from heartbreak. And could you slap your own thigh next time?” Li Pengfei grumbled.
“Are you kidding? My appetite’s never been better. Let’s go!” Bai Shinan retracted his hand and urged Li Pengfei toward the cafeteria.
By then, the cafeteria was almost empty. Only one food counter remained open, and there were barely enough dishes to count on one hand.
“I’ll take this one, and this one.” Bai Shinan casually pointed to one meat and two vegetables—not that it mattered since everything was equally hard to swallow.
With trays in hand, the two of them searched for seats. The cafeteria was nearly deserted, with only a couple of scattered students sitting around. One hunched-over figure caught Bai Shinan’s attention.
It was a girl with waist-length hair. Her long bangs covered her forehead, and she wore clunky black-rimmed glasses. Her school uniform sleeves were pilled, and the collar was faded white from washing. She looked just like a country girl from the 1970s.
Zhu Yuyou was quietly chewing on her white rice, believing it helped with digestion and even brought out a hint of malt sugar sweetness. Suddenly, a tray landed on the table across from her, breaking the peace.
A handsome boy with a roguish smile sat down across from her, showing off his pearly whites. With one hand supporting his cheek, he grinned and said, “Class Rep, may we sit here?”
Zhu Yuyou was startled. When she looked up and saw who it was, a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
“You can sit, but… could you not call me Class Rep…” Zhu Yuyou spoke softly. It was unclear whether it was her personality or because Bai Shinan was sitting across from her.
“No problem, but I still need something to call you. If I can’t say Class Rep, then I’ll call you little Yuyou, how about that?” Bai Shinan leaned on his hand, gazing at the plainly dressed girl in front of him, a trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.
His grades had fallen from the top ten in the year to barely top hundred. Recently, after focusing so much on confessing to Mu Yuwei, he had dropped out of the top two hundred in the monthly exam.
Besides his parents and teachers, the one who had worried the most was this plain and awkward class representative.
Zhu Yuyou had repeatedly urged him to focus on his studies. When that didn’t work, she quietly compiled a notebook of all his mistakes. After each exam, she would ask for his test papers and create targeted exercises based on his errors.
But back then, he had been obsessed with winning over Mu Yuwei, dreaming of getting a kiss from her. Even after the college entrance exam was over, he had never opened the notebook that she had poured her heart into.
Li…little Yuyou? The skin behind Zhu Yuyou’s ears turned bright red. How could Bai Shinan say such an embarrassing nickname so casually?
“Can’t you just call me like the other classmates do?” Zhu Yuyou’s eyes behind her glasses misted up, like she could cry at any moment.
“Like the other classmates? Alright then, I’ll just call you Yuyou from now on.” Bai Shinan knew he shouldn’t tease her anymore—he had already gotten what he wanted.
“Mm.” Zhu Yuyou responded like a mosquito buzzing. In truth, she’d wanted Bai Shinan to call her ‘Classmate Yuyou’ or ‘Miss Zhu,’ but she was too afraid he’d say something even more embarrassing.
Li Pengfei watched in confusion from the side. Since when were Bai Shinan and the class rep this close? Ever since Bai Shinan started chasing Mu Yuwei, he’d kept his distance from other girls—never mind sitting directly across from Zhu Yuyou when there were plenty of empty seats.
“Yuyou, could you do me a favor?” Bai Shinan said as he picked at the greasy slab of fat on his tray.
“What…what kind of favor?” Zhu Yuyou breathed a sigh of relief. So that’s why Bai Shinan sat across from her—he had a request.
“This meat’s too fatty, and I don’t want to eat it. Can I give it to you? You wouldn’t want me to become some food-wasting parasite, right?” Bai Shinan glanced at her tray, which held nothing but plain rice without a hint of oil.
Though the food at their school cafeteria was terrible, there was one good policy: after 1:30 PM for lunch and 6:30 PM for dinner, white rice was served for free. Of course, side dishes still cost money.
This policy was meant to support students from struggling families while preserving their dignity.
Bai Shinan and Li Pengfei had only arrived this late because they were held up. But Zhu Yuyou came at this time every day, gratefully accepting her portion of white rice and pairing it with homemade pickled vegetables from her grandmother in the countryside to get through each meal.
“Ah… this…” Zhu Yuyou instinctively wanted to refuse. But not wanting to see Bai Shinan waste food, she hesitated. While she was still processing it, Bai Shinan swiftly dumped the fatty meat onto her rice.
“Thanks a lot, Yuyou. You just saved a student from straying off the path.” Bai Shinan acted like he was genuinely relieved.
“Don’t… don’t make this a habit.” Zhu Yuyou didn’t know what else to say. She couldn’t just pick the meat off and return it to him—she had already used her chopsticks. Wouldn’t that count as… an indirect kiss?
“Of course.” Bai Shinan flashed a smug smile. Once you get started on some things, there’s no turning back.
Little did they know, this scene had just been witnessed by the late-arriving Mu Yuwei and Liu Tiantian.