Facing her bestie's inquiry, Zhuo Jiangyue introduced with feigned calmness, "Gao Yan, this is Song Yufei, my bestie and classmate. Yufei, this is Gao Yan, my high school classmate and deskmate."
"Just deskmates, not childhood sweethearts or anything?" Song Yufei teased mischievously.
At Song Yufei's teasing, a faint blush appeared on Zhuo Jiangyue's pretty face. Observing her expression, Song Yufei became even more certain that there was something between her bestie and Gao Yan!
Zhuo Jiangyue quickly regained her composure, "Don't talk nonsense, we really are just classmates, otherwise we wouldn't have gone two years without contact!"
On the word "two years," Zhuo Jiangyue emphasized heavily, with a hint of grievance in her tone.
Gao Yan also picked up on it, feeling a pang of guilt. Truth be told, he had deliberately avoided Zhuo Jiangyue, thinking that after two years, the naive feelings from back then would have dissipated.
He hadn't expected Zhuo Jiangyue to still hold onto him.
For a moment, he felt a bit proud and happy inside.
"Isn't it about lunchtime now? Would you two lovely ladies care to join me for lunch?" Gao Yan deliberately changed the subject.
"Sure, but there are plenty of people in school wanting to treat our Jiangyue to a meal, we won't settle for just any ordinary restaurant!" Song Yufei quickly chimed in.
In fact, Song Yufei was also quite a beauty, though not as stunning as Zhuo Jiangyue, she still scored above 90 points.
"Don't listen to her nonsense, anything simple will do!" Zhuo Jiangyue quickly interjected, knowing Gao Yan's family situation and not wanting him to waste money.
"Still claiming there's nothing between you two, yet you're quick to defend him!" Song Yufei whispered teasingly in Zhuo Jiangyue's ear.
Zhuo Jiangyue blushed once more.
At this moment, Gao Yan spoke up, "It's no problem, treating two beautiful ladies to a meal is my pleasure. You can choose any restaurant upstairs, I can afford it."
He knew Zhuo Jiangyue was trying to save him money, which warmed his heart.
In the past, he felt unworthy of Zhuo Jiangyue.
But now, with the system, he was no longer the poor boy he once was. A good girl like Zhuo Jiangyue was worth pursuing.
Hearing this, Zhuo Jiangyue looked at Gao Yan with some suspicion. As far as she knew, Gao Yan wasn't the type to pretend to be wealthy.
"Don't worry, Miss, feeding him won't bankrupt him. Just look at his outfit, it's worth over ten thousand!" Song Yufei laughed, her sharp eyes noticing that Gao Yan was dressed in LV. Even if he wasn't rich, he certainly wasn't short on cash.
So the three of them headed to the fourth floor of the mall.
"This Sichuan Restaurant looks nice, how about we eat here? Jiangyue, Song, what do you think?" Gao Yan sought the two girls' opinions.
Both Gao Yan and Zhuo Jiangyue were from the Southwest and liked spicy food.
Neither girl objected.
"How many of you, handsome and beautiful?" The server greeted them. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
"Just the three of us."
"This way, please!"
After being seated, the server handed them the menu.
Gao Yan let the two girls order.
"You should do it, since you're treating!" Zhuo Jiangyue smiled.
"Alright!" Gao Yan took the menu and asked Song Yufei, "Can you handle spicy food, Miss Song?"
"She's a Hunan girl, she can handle spicy and numbing flavors!" Zhuo Jiangyue replied.
"That's good!"
Gao Yan nodded and ordered Mapo Tofu, Pan-fried Chicken, Twice-cooked Pork with Black Beans and Garlic Sprouts, Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes, and Meatball Soup.
Hearing the dishes Gao Yan ordered, Zhuo Jiangyue felt a sweetness in her heart, as these were her favorites. She hadn't expected him to remember her preferences after two years.
Similarly, Song Yufei, who knew Zhuo Jiangyue well, showed a knowing smile upon hearing the dish names.
If there was nothing between these two, she'd wash her hair standing on her head.
Gao Yan and Zhuo Jiangyue enjoyed their meal, chatting about their high school days, leaving Song Yufei with no room to join the conversation.
So she quietly ate her food.
Unknowingly, she ate a bit too much.
The meal wasn't expensive, costing around 200 yuan.
"Gao Yan, thank you for the meal. Let me treat you to milk tea!" Zhuo Jiangyue smiled.
"Sure, I won't say no!"
"Do you still like lemon flavor?" Zhuo Jiangyue asked again.
"Yes!"
Gao Yan nodded.
"Alright, I'll go buy it."
Watching Zhuo Jiangyue head to the Milk Tea Shop, Song Yufei quickly called out, "Jiangyue, you didn't ask me!"
"Don't you like taro flavor?" Zhuo Jiangyue retorted.
"Alright then, you two wait here."
"Gao Yan, be honest, what's your relationship with our Jiangyue?" Song Yufei stared at Gao Yan and asked.
"High school classmates and deskmates!"
Gao Yan replied.
"Yeah, right, who are you trying to fool?"
Song Yufei scoffed, "You remember what dishes Jiangyue likes, and she knows your favorite milk tea flavor. How could you just be deskmates and classmates?"
"That's really all there is!" Gao Yan insisted.
"How boring!"
Song Yufei pouted, "But I must warn you, at our school, Jiangyue has many high-quality suitors. Winning her over won't be easy!"
"Thanks for the heads-up, I know!" Gao Yan nodded. In the past, he would have backed down, but now, with the system, he was confident he could outshine the competition.
Moreover, he could sense Zhuo Jiangyue's fondness for him, which already gave him a significant advantage.
"Aren't you curious about Jiangyue's suitors?" Song Yufei teased.
"Then I'd appreciate Miss Song's guidance!" Gao Yan replied earnestly.
"So you really want to pursue Jiangyue, huh?" Song Yufei said smugly.
"Do I look blind to you?" Gao Yan asked with a smile.
Song Yufei was taken aback, "What do you mean?"
Gao Yan explained, "It's simple, I'm not blind. Why wouldn't I pursue an outstanding girl like Jiangyue?"
"Fair enough!"
Song Yufei nodded, "Actually, although Jiangyue has many suitors, you only need to watch out for two. One is the Student Union president, Chen Jian. His family background is unclear, but he's quite capable and handsome, with a gentle and elegant demeanor. He's already been directly admitted to graduate school and is a key talent at the school. He's also been quite attentive to Jiangyue in the Student Union. Feeling the pressure?"
Gao Yan nodded.
Song Yufei continued, "The second person you need to watch out for is Deng Yu. This guy is a spoiled second-generation wealthy, reportedly a major shareholder of Wanlong Group. His personality is extremely arrogant and he has harmed other girls before. The key issue is that he's very petty. Anyone he sees as a threat to his pursuit, he tries to sabotage. If you want to be with Jiangyue, he's your biggest obstacle!"
Hearing this, Gao Yan felt a chill in his heart, "Thanks for the warning, I'll remember. How about we exchange WeChat? If anything happens with Jiangyue, you can contact me!"
"Sure, scan me!"
After exchanging WeChat contacts, Zhuo Jiangyue returned with three cups of milk tea.