To accommodate students from various regions, the university cafeteria offered a wide variety of dishes, including local specialty snacks and delicacies.
There were three cafeterias in total. Jiang Qiao and Ye Qingqing went to the nearest one.
The Omelette Rice was average in taste, but it made up for it with generous portions. The dining environment was clean and hygienic. With many people eating lunch, the two finally managed to find two empty seats in a corner.
Each table had four seats, and two people were already sitting there. When Jiang Qiao saw who they were, she almost wanted to scream at the sky.
How could it be such a coincidence? To run into them here!
The two were none other than Lu Xun and Song Qingying.
Jiang Qiao wasn’t in the mood to put on an act right then. Just as she was about to look for another seat, Ye Qingqing also noticed the two.
“Why are these two…?”
It was over. There was no avoiding it. She had to maintain her persona again, Jiang Qiao thought.
By the time Ye Qingqing turned to her with a worried look, Jiang Qiao had already composed her expression.
She was fuming, glaring with wide eyes, her face full of murderous intent.
Ye Qingqing comforted her, “Qiao’er, don’t be angry. It’s just a meal together—it doesn’t mean anything. Hey, Qiao’er, slow down, wait for me…”
Jiang Qiao wasn’t listening. She was inwardly annoyed by this sudden increase in drama.
What should she say when she got there? Berate Song Qingying? Accuse Lu Xun?
Going over the same old lines, she was sick of it herself. The villainous female supporting character’s dialogue was so pointless.
When she reached the table, she slammed her tray down heavily, making a loud noise. As expected, Song Qingying was startled and instantly turned into a delicate, pitiful flower.
Then Lu Xun frowned and stepped in to defend Song Qingying…
Wait, what kind of expression was Lu Xun making?
Lu Xun’s flustered glance left Jiang Qiao stunned, her prepared lines stuck in her throat.
The two stared at each other blankly, an odd atmosphere forming an invisible barrier between them.
Song Qingying grew anxious and quickly spoke up, “Jiang Qiao, are you here to eat too? There are seats available—please sit down.”
Her considerate and gentle words broke the strange tension.
Jiang Qiao’s eyes flickered as she looked at Song Qingying. She raised her eyebrows and frowned, “I’m not blind. Of course, I can see there are seats. I don’t need you to tell me.”
Song Qingying’s face turned awkward.
Ye Qingqing tugged at Jiang Qiao’s sleeve, making faces to signal her not to act so arrogantly in front of Lu Xun.
No one would like someone so domineering and unreasonable.
Reluctantly, Jiang Qiao sat down.
Lu Xun’s gaze slowly withdrew from her pretty face, seemingly unaware that he was the cause of the situation.
The meal was awkward. Throughout, Jiang Qiao occasionally threw a few sarcastic remarks at Song Qingying. Even the thickest-skinned person would find it hard to bear, let alone someone as proud as the female lead.
Song Qingying quickly made up an excuse, saying she had something to do, and hurried away with reddened eyes. She walked with her head down, flustered, and accidentally bumped into someone coming her way.
“Sorry, sorry…”
The girl’s tearful apology made Jiang Chao’s heart clench. He held Song Qingying’s shoulders and made her look up, revealing her delicate, tear-streaked face. “What’s wrong…?”
Jiang Chao clumsily wiped her tears. When Song Qingying saw it was him, she cried even harder, sobbing pitifully. “N-nothing…”
“Nothing? How could you cry like this? Xiao Ying, do you think Brother Jiang is stupid…”
“No, it’s not,” Song Qingying hurriedly explained, seemingly glancing unintentionally toward a certain direction before biting her lip. “Really, it’s nothing.”
Jiang Chao followed her gaze and happened to see Jiang Qiao tilting her vivid, pretty face as she spoke with a boy.
Everything became clear now.
He had applied to be the accompanying teacher for this university tour specifically to look after Xiao Ying, yet even under his watch, she had still been bullied.
Counting the first time Jiang Qiao went to Xiao Ying’s home, this was already the third incident.
Jiang Chao’s expression darkened as he formed a plan in his heart.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qiao and Lu Xun had already left the cafeteria.
Ye Qingqing, being the ultimate best friend, consciously walked ahead to avoid being a third wheel, leaving the two alone together.
Lu Xun’s gaze from earlier flashed through Jiang Qiao’s mind, making her inexplicably uncomfortable. “I’m going to the restroom.”
There happened to be a restroom nearby. Jiang Qiao quickly walked over.
The water felt cool against her skin this season. Jiang Qiao cupped her hands and splashed water on her face, lowering her head as droplets fell. She stared blankly at the faucet.
“The original Jiang Qiao” liked Lu Xun, but she didn’t. So why should she feel flustered over Lu Xun’s poorly timed glance?
It was like he’d played a pair of threes, and she was responding with a royal flush—completely unreasonable.
Having sorted out her thoughts, she straightened her clothes and walked out. Seeing the tall figure waiting not far away, she only paused for a second before putting on a bright smile and walking over. Lifting her face proudly, she said, “I thought you would’ve left…”
“Why would I leave?” Lu Xun looked down at her.
Jiang Qiao hummed twice but didn’t respond.
Lu Xun, however, didn’t drop the subject. He repeated, “Why did you think I would leave?”
“Haven’t you always been like this with me…” Jiang Qiao’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, unable to hide her grievance. “Always impatient with me, disliking me, not treating me like your girlfriend.”
Not treating her like his girlfriend—she really had self-awareness.
Lu Xun remembered those unanswered calls, the returned call to Ye Qingqing first, and that perfunctory text message. A wave of inexplicable anger rose in him.
Under Jiang Qiao’s adoring gaze, his expression suddenly turned cold. “You’re the same.”
“Ah, what?” Jiang Qiao’s moist eyes filled with confusion.
What did he mean by “the same”?
But Lu Xun fell silent again.
This tight-lipped gourd—would it kill him to say a few more words? Internally, Jiang Qiao was rolling her eyes so hard it was like a money-counting machine.
Look at him—he seemed flustered when he first saw her, and now he’s putting on that stern face again. She must have been too nice to him.
Jiang Qiao pretended to suddenly remember something and asked in an accusatory tone, “Why did you end up meeting with Song Qingying again? I already said I don’t like seeing you with her.”
“You’re my boyfriend. You should stay away from other girls.” Jiang Qiao put on her intensely possessive little act.
“Now you remember…” Lu Xun said inexplicably.
Jiang Qiao didn’t catch it clearly. “What?”
Lu Xun glanced down at her, then looked away. “We didn’t plan to meet. She had something to ask me.”
“What was it?” Jiang Qiao pressed immediately.
Lu Xun remained silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze to her face. After enjoying her anxious and agitated expression fully, he said leisurely, “She asked me which school I want to apply to.”
Why would she ask that? Anyone with normal intelligence could guess—
Song Qingying wanted to attend the same university as Lu Xun.
“Jiang Qiao fumed indignantly: ‘There’s no way she could get in.'”
“‘Jiang Qiao, don’t always comment on others,’ Lu Xun said with a frown.”
“Lu Xun felt that what others were like or where they wanted to apply had nothing to do with him. He didn’t like his own matters being dragged into discussions about others.”
“He especially disliked how Jiang Qiao always inserted irrelevant people between the two of them.”
“In his heart, no matter where his relationship with Jiang Qiao was headed, it was only between the two of them and had nothing to do with anyone else.”