The next day.
School cafeteria.
Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the air with the aroma of food.
Shen Yutang still remembered her promise to treat He Jin to a meal after the volleyball match.
She walked over carrying two trays, both piled high with food.
“Here, all your favorite dishes!”
Every dish on the table had been carefully selected by her for He Jin.
He Jin sat across from her, propping his chin with one hand, his peach blossom eyes slightly curved, his tone lazy. “I’m touched you still remember my preferences.”
Shen Yutang: “Of course I remember! I also remember you don’t like bell peppers, you’re allergic to mangoes, you love spicy food, and you love vinegar…”
“Hmm, all correct.”
He Jin’s voice was casual, the curve of his lips growing wider.
He was secretly pleased.
He said, “I also remember someone’s preferences—doesn’t like cilantro but wants scallions, insists on half-sugar for milk tea, and loves taro boba the most…”
It was at this moment that Zhou He arrived at the cafeteria.
Carrying his tray, he squinted and looked.
Hey, isn’t that his brother Jin!
“What a coincidence! Mind if I join your table?”
Zhou He grinned broadly, revealing a row of neat white teeth, and walked toward the seat next to He Jin with his tray, already preparing to sit down.
The next second, He Jin shot him a faint glance.
That look was like an unsheathed knife, ready to stab him several times at any moment.
Zhou He: ?
His butt hovered mid-air, frozen.
Beside him, Ling Zhibai rubbed his forehead and quickly grabbed Zhou He’s arm, pulling him away with a force as if dragging an unwilling ox.
Zhou He stumbled two steps from the pull. “Hey, what are you doing, Zhibai?”
Ling Zhibai said disdainfully, “They’re childhood friends having a perfectly fine meal. Why are you forcing your way in?”
Zhou He: “More people, more fun! Besides, they don’t get along. I’m worried they might start fighting, and I could mediate.”
Ling Zhibai: “Idiot.”
Zhou He widened his eyes, raising his voice a notch. “Who are you calling an idiot?”
“You.”
The cafeteria wasn’t crowded today.
A few tables were scattered around, mostly occupied by students who had just finished class.
Shen Yutang focused on eating with her head down.
Before long, a sweet, delicate voice suddenly reached her ears.
“Oh! Sister Yutang, what a coincidence!”
Shen Yutang turned her head.
Su Ruanruan stood in front of her, wearing a charmingly naive smile as she greeted her warmly, as if they were the closest of sisters who shared everything.
Fu Hansheng stood beside her, his white shirt impeccably neat, his expression cold.
Two of his male classmates followed behind him.
Shen Yutang was speechless.
Her appetite instantly plummeted.
Did the original female lead have some kind of mental issue? She insisted on sticking close to her every single day, smiling so happily whenever she saw her.
Could she secretly have a crush on her?
Shen Yutang turned her head back, pretending not to see her, and continued eating quietly.
I don’t even give you the time of day.
Ignored, Su Ruanruan silently bit her lip.
After class, she had pestered Fu Hansheng to come to the cafeteria with her, never expecting to run into Shen Yutang.
And Shen Yutang was actually having a meal alone with He Jin!
First, she clung to Fu Hansheng, and now she’s clinging to He Jin. Why is she so obsessed with seducing men?
Su Ruanruan’s fingers tightened silently around the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning white.
Fu Hansheng stood expressionlessly beside her, his sharp gaze lingering on Shen Yutang’s face before casually shifting away.
Two male classmates from the math department behind her also looked at Shen Yutang, a flicker of admiration passing through their eyes.
Today, she was wearing a light blue dress, her dark hair cascading down to her chest. Her eyes held a deep, unfathomable watery glow, and her skin seemed to radiate under the fluorescent lights of the cafeteria, so beautiful it was almost unreal—like a living, breathing oil painting.
Unlike Su Ruanruan, Shen Yutang had exceptional bone structure, with perfectly balanced proportions and features that resembled meticulously crafted works of art.
But her reaction, in their eyes, was clearly one of melancholy.
She must be upset because she wasn’t eating with Fu Hansheng, right?
Usually, Shen Yutang would always stick to Fu Hansheng during meals—and of course, she always paid, treating their whole group along the way.
Su Ruanruan blinked her innocent, wide eyes, offering a “kind” smile as she asked:
“Yutang, why aren’t you paying attention to me…? Aren’t you going to eat with us?”
After speaking, she deliberately glanced at He Jin.
Shen Yutang remained calm, casually picking up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks. “I’d rather not. You have body odor.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Su Ruanruan: “…”
The air fell silent for a moment.
Su Ruanruan’s face first turned pale, then flushed red, and finally took on a sickly greenish-white hue.
She quickly lowered her head to sniff herself—there was only the faint, clean scent of laundry detergent.
Where was the body odor?!
Su Ruanruan’s eyes instantly reddened, looking as though she’d been wronged. “Yutang, how… how could you say that about me?”
A boy beside her stepped in to defend Su Ruanruan, speaking with an air of righteousness. “Shen Yutang, what do you mean by that? Apologize to Ruanruan right now!”
“Exactly what I said,” Shen Yutang replied calmly, without changing her expression. “And you—you have bad breath.”
The boy: “…”
Su Ruanruan gently tugged at Fu Hansheng’s sleeve, looking up at him with a pitiful expression.
But Fu Hansheng’s expression remained unchanged, as cold and detached as ever.
From beginning to end, he didn’t even glance at Shen Yutang, simply turning and walking away.
After all, as long as he ignored Shen Yutang,
she would surely grow anxious.
He didn’t care either way—he’d just see how long Shen Yutang could keep up her tough act!