After Wen Shike finished speaking, she paused, her gaze drifting away with a slight hint of embarrassment.
As a sincere person, she never withheld her praise, but being stared at so earnestly by Lu Jingwei made her feel a bit strange.
“Thank you,” Lu Jingwei smiled again, though this time it was noticeably more restrained. “Few people say that.”
Wen Shike: ?
Wen Shike glanced at Lu Jingwei, thinking this woman was “humble bragging” (Versailles-ing).
However, Lu Jingwei didn’t say anything else after that, and she appeared to be in a bit of a low mood. Wen Shike watched her for a moment but didn’t press further.
Over the next two days, Lu Jingwei seemed to be in poor spirits. Wen Shike couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong with her complimenting Lu Jingwei on having a beautiful smile.
After returning from the practice room, Lu Jingwei shut the bathroom door. She stared at herself in the mirror, touched her face, and forced a smile, trying to make it look radiant.
But no matter how she smiled, something felt off.
Is it beautiful?
Thinking of Wen Shike’s earnest gaze, Lu Jingwei took a deep breath and lowered her head to splash her face with cool water.
“Wei-wei-wei! What are you doing? Can you hurry up a bit? I’m about to have an accident! Help!”
“Okay, I’m almost done.” Lu Jingwei’s thoughts were interrupted by the knocking on the door. She rubbed her temples, haphazardly wiped her face, and opened the door.
“Thanks, sister! You’re a lifesaver.” The person outside rushed in as soon as the door opened.
Lu Jingwei caught a glimpse of a phone corner peeking out of the other girl’s pocket and pursed her lips.
It had been nearly a month since training started. Lu Jingwei felt she still hadn’t integrated into the social atmosphere here. She maintained superficial friendships with most people and it truly was just the surface. She was only slightly closer to Wen Shike.
Lu Jingwei could clearly sense the kindness Wen Shike radiated toward her, even if the other girl never said it explicitly. It was Wen Shike who had encouraged her to compete for the Center position this time.
“Lu Jingwei.”
Lu Jingwei blanked for a second, thinking she had misheard. When the person knocked again, she reacted: “I’m here!”
While responding, she stood up to open the door. “What is it?”
“Come on, let’s eat hot pot,” Wen Shike said in a lowered voice.
Lu Jingwei: ???
“Where are we eating?”
“The rooftop.”
Lu Jingwei was bewildered, thinking she must have heard wrong. When they reached the rooftop entrance, she saw two power strips plugged into outlets inside the building, with the cords trailing all the way outside.
Upon reaching the roof, she discovered twelve or thirteen people already sitting there. Two pots were placed on folding bed tables.
“Where did these come from?”
“The pots are from the kitchen. The power strips were brought by Jin Ling and… Wang Youning. Twenty meters long,” Wen Shike explained.
“And the food?” Lu Jingwei looked at the various ingredients piled on a small cart. The cart looked familiar, it seemed to be the snack cart from one of the dorms.
“The Heiress’s fansites (fansite masters) bought them,” Sun Yuexi said as she passed by. “We paid them.”
Lu Jingwei: …
“We won’t get in trouble if we’re caught, will we?” Although Ming Wangxue said this, she was clutching her bowl tightly, her eyes never leaving the pot.
“No one said hot pot wasn’t allowed,” Wen Shike said, pulling Lu Jingwei down onto a small stool.
“Eat, eat! We all came on our own, but you’re the only one the Heiress went to invite personally. I’m so jealous I could die, boohoo.” Ming Wangxue gestured toward the chopsticks and bowls set aside.
The production crew had discovered they were eating hot pot, but they hadn’t decided how to handle it yet. This was the first time in the history of the show they had encountered such a ridiculous situation.
Looking at the fatty beef in her bowl, Lu Jingwei’s brain still hadn’t quite processed the situation.
“How did you talk to the fansites?” Lu Jingwei remembered everything seemed normal when training ended today, and it was already past midnight.
“Yesterday, someone mentioned hot pot, and then everyone wanted it. Those of us who are close huddled up and decided on a ‘Hot Pot Operation Plan’,” Ming Wangxue explained. “Mainly, since the Heiress is here, everyone’s a lot bolder.”
Hearing the words “Hot Pot Operation,” Wen Shike gave Ming Wangxue a look of slight disdain. What kind of chuunibyou phrasing is that?
“We didn’t tell you because you seemed more… serious,” Ming Wangxue added. “And because the Heiress lost at Rock-Paper-Scissors, she had to figure out how to get the ingredients. In the end, she went to her fansites.”
Wen Shike looked up; she didn’t want to dwell on the awkward memory of finding her fansites yesterday.
Fortunately, she had a photographic memory. Among the crowd of fansites, she accurately identified the ones who specialized in photographing her.
She vaguely recalled the shocked expressions of the other fansites when she called those few aside to talk.
“Could you help us buy some groceries?”
“Huh?” the fansite master stammered, thinking she’d misheard.
“We want to eat hot pot…” Wen Shike said expressionlessly. “It’s not that I want to eat it; the others do.” (Even though she was the one who intentionally brought up the topic).
“Oh, oh, I see! Okay, it’s definitely not because you want to eat it,” the fansite master said with a knowing look. “What do we need to buy?”
Wen Shike: …
“Here is the list, and here is a check,” Wen Shike handed over two slips of paper.
Fansite master: ?
“I have no phone and no cash. This is the only way to pay. Keep whatever change is left as a thank you,” Wen Shike said.
The fansite master looked down at the amount on the check: ??
Good heavens, this was much more than they made from selling a whole set of photo books.
“Since I’m asking you to go to a K-series supermarket chain, which might be far from here, I’m sorry for the trouble.”
“Got it, I understand,” the fansite master whispered. “Where do we meet for the hand-off? Do you need anything else?”
Wen Shike looked at her. “The railing behind the cafeteria at 11:00 PM. Nothing else is needed.”
“Got it. Are you getting off work that early tomorrow?” The fansite master looked at the grocery list and clicked her tongue. “Okay, it’s not you who wants to eat it. I know, I know.”
“A lot of people want to eat,” Wen Shike repeated.
The fansite master looked at Wen Shike with a gaze that clearly shouted “I don’t believe you.”
Wen Shike: My reputation is ruined.
She thought she had been doing a good job maintaining her “cool and aloof” persona.
“When we were getting the food just now, it felt like they were visiting us in prison,” Ming Wangxue remarked again. “But your fansites are so cute.”
“Ha.” Wen Shike took a sip of milk tea.
“See? She’s the only one with milk tea, because her fansite said they wanted her to know what ‘favoritism’ feels like,” Sun Yuexi looked at Wen Shike enviously. “So nice. I want some too, but I gain weight easily.”
“I gain weight easily too,” Wen Shike took another sip. “But with this much daily exercise, a little milk tea is fine.” Most importantly, Sister Qiu wasn’t around to see her.
“Stop thinking about weight. We’re eating hot pot in the middle of the night; just pray we don’t wake up with breakouts tomorrow,” a girl nearby chimed in.
“This is so brave. Truly brave. That’s why I’m eating from the clear broth side. Heiress, you really aren’t afraid of anything.”
“I don’t get acne.” Wen Shike’s skin quality was excellent; she hadn’t known what a pimple felt like since childhood. She tilted her head to look at Lu Jingwei, noticing the red chili oil in her bowl. “You’re eating the spicy side too?”
“Yes,” Lu Jingwei nodded.
“Then eat more. I had them buy a lot of meat,” Wen Shike said. “Anyway, tomorrow morning is for filming the spin-off show. We don’t have dance practice, so it’ll be relaxed.”
Lu Jingwei nodded again, but she still didn’t eat much. Wen Shike frowned.
“Heiress, this stuff wasn’t cheap, right? I thought it was from a wet market, but looking at these boxes… did we give you enough money?” Zhou Yueran picked up a container. “I just noticed.”
“It’s fine,” Wen Shike looked up. “It’s alright, though there really wasn’t any money left over.”
“Let us pay you back for the difference.”
“No need, I don’t even know the total myself,” Wen Shike sipped her tea. “It’s just one meal.”
“This is my first time eating such expensive hot pot. But this fatty beef really does taste better than the usual stuff.”
“Of course, look at the price tag.”
Wen Shike wiped her mouth and looked at Lu Jingwei several times. “Don’t you like it?”
“I like it.”
“But you still look unhappy,” Wen Shike blinked.
Lu Jingwei looked at Wen Shike. The other girl’s eyelids were slightly lowered, her eyelashes fluttering. She didn’t have much of an expression, but somehow she gave off an air of being wronged.
“I’m not unhappy,” Lu Jingwei said. She paused for two seconds before adding, “I’m just… not used to it. I’ve never had a group meal with this many people, except for the cafeteria.”
Wen Shike lowered her voice. “I didn’t want to invite this many people either, but… with more people, the probability of being singled out for trouble if we’re caught is smaller.”
Lu Jingwei froze, staring at Wen Shike and blinking. She wanted to ask something else, but suddenly, the production crew burst in with cameras, looking like they were on a mission.
“Who allowed you to eat hot pot here?”
The rooftop descended into chaos. Wen Shike sat calmly on her small stool, dipped a piece of shrimp paste, and looked at Lu Jingwei. “This shrimp paste is really good.”
Lu Jingwei: …