In Room 320, while the other roommates hadn’t returned yet, Yan took the opportunity to take a shower in the bathroom.
The intense events of the past two days had left her feeling utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Even a deity wouldn’t be able to handle this!
Thinking back, yesterday at the antique street, she had run into her four roommates one after another, bought her own paint and some ancient coins, and hadn’t missed a single event from the stone gambling to the auction.
Today, she had gone to a car show, visited some of Bin City’s most luxurious mansions, enjoyed a meal of divine egg fried rice, and upon returning to school, she had even crossed paths with a martial arts champion. Her outings had truly maxed out her KPI!
Yan felt as if her soul was about to ascend. She lay quietly on her bed, not wanting to say a word.
Tired. So very tired.
Glancing at the time, she realized there were only eight hours left until Monday. Tears of relief nearly welled up in her eyes.
She had never looked forward to a Monday so much in her life. School, classes—she just wanted to return to the normal rhythm of campus life.
That evening, Yan ordered some duck blood vermicelli soup for delivery. Normally, she loved her duck noodles with extra vinegar, numbing spice, and chili, but today, the flavors felt off. Her tongue seemed numb, overpowered by the seasonings, and she found herself without an appetite.
Unconsciously, her mind drifted back to the egg fried rice she had eaten at noon.
Simple ingredients, no complicated seasonings, yet it had been so incredibly delicious!
As the saying goes, it’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go back. Yan now understood how the other patrons at Chu Shen’s little restaurant must have felt.
The egg fried rice was like the purest moonlight in the world of food—utterly unparalleled!
From now on, she probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy ordinary egg fried rice from regular stalls or restaurants anymore. The difference in quality was just too vast.
**[Yan]:** [Wry smile] After tasting Chu Shen’s egg fried rice, nothing else tastes good anymore! [Crying]
**[Zhu Jue]:** I’ll ask him when he’s open. We’ll go again during the holidays.
Yan buried her face in her pillow, sighing deeply. Right now, the chef’s magic was limited to egg fried rice, but if he added new dishes in the future, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist trying them. And with each new dish, another food would become her new “moonlight.”
Wait a minute!
Yan suddenly realized something. Earlier, when she had eaten the duck noodles, they had tasted terrible, but why did the fruit Yi Zhi had brought still taste amazing? And she could still detect the subtle changes in texture.
Could it be… that this wasn’t ordinary fruit either?
Previously, she had dismissed the possibility of Yi Zhi having a healing-type ability, leaning more toward her having a wood-based power.
Yan thought, if this fruit was a product of Yi Zhi’s wood-based ability, then it would indeed be in the realm of the supernatural, rivaling Chu Shen’s egg fried rice!
Moreover, she had never tasted fruit of such exceptional quality before, and the unique sensation it left in her mouth wasn’t an illusion.
If this fruit was nurtured by wood-based abilities, it probably wouldn’t harm the human body, right?
Yan mused that this would be a natural advantage for Yi Zhi, who was studying agriculture.
Not long after, the other roommates returned to the dorm. Yi Zhi urged everyone to finish the fruit quickly. The temperature in Bin City was still quite high, and without a fridge in the room, letting the fruit go to waste would be a shame.
Chu Bingbing, who had just returned, washed her hands and immediately dug into the cherry tomatoes. After swallowing, she exclaimed, “Oh my god, these are amazing. I’ve never had cherry tomatoes this good before!”
“Yi Zhi, where did you get these? They’re not from the campus fruit store, are they?”
“Quick, give me the link. From now on, we’re ordering our fruit from this place.”
Gu Jiasui, who was also eating small bites with a fork, nodded in agreement.
Indeed, the texture of these fruits was top-tier, surpassing even the royal tributes she had tasted in her past life.
Of course, from another perspective, ever since she had arrived in this modern world, the quality of ingredients had improved significantly.
Although many of the ingredients from the imperial palace were now classified as national second-class protected animals—eating them would land you in jail—the development of logistics and global trade had allowed her to taste many things she had never experienced before.
Take citrus fruits, for example. Nowadays, there were hundreds of varieties—big, small, hybrid, sweet-and-sour, purely sweet—compared to the few crates that used to be sent to the palace by boat in the past. Now, they were accessible to everyone.
Not to mention modern techniques like hybridization and genetic modification, which made even ordinary melons and eggplants taste much better than before. Sugar and salt were also much cheaper now.
“Really? That good? These were sent by a relative from their farm. They’re looking for feedback to help set prices for an online store they’re planning to open. They’re not selling them yet.”
Yi Zhi’s heart sank. She hadn’t expected even someone like Chu Bingbing, who came from a wealthy family, to react so strongly to the fruit from her space.
The good news was that, based on her roommates’ reactions, she was confident that the produce from her space would sell like hotcakes.
The bad news was that, although she had prepared an excuse, she had no idea when the online store would actually launch.
“I see,” Chu Bingbing said, deep in thought.
“Anyway, I think your strawberries completely outshine those Japanese white strawberries, or whatever they’re called—Black Beauty, Snow White, Red Beauty. I remember the expensive ones cost 198 yuan per strawberry.”
“How much?” Yi Zhi was shocked.
“Almost 200 yuan per strawberry?”
Although she had recently come into some wealth, the idea of a strawberry costing 200 yuan was hard to fathom. What were these strawberries made of? Did they have some special effect?
Yi Zhi began to wonder if she should buy some of these high-end strawberries to try. What if there was some secret to them?
It seemed she needed to do more market research, not just on strawberries but on other fruits and ingredients as well, comparing them to produce from local farms, ordinary rural areas, and even the fertile black soil of Longjiang.
“Exactly, Yi Zhi. Your relative’s fruit is way better than those Japanese ones. You could totally make this a high-end brand.”
“Honestly, domestic fruit quality has always been top-notch, but we’re just bad at packaging and marketing. We’re too honest. Unlike those Japanese strawberry artisans who jack up the prices and make it all about prestige. Rich people eat that up because it makes them feel special and unique.”
Chu Bingbing continued eating as she spoke.
“Anything good, if you present it right, becomes a symbol of status and exclusivity. Anyway, be confident. When your store opens, I’ll promote it on my social media. Trust me, rich people don’t care about spending a little extra on fruit. If your relative can’t meet the demand, you could even make it a limited edition or pre-order thing. Scarcity makes it even more desirable.”
Chu Bingbing’s business advice was eye-opening for Yi Zhi. It made sense—Chu Bingbing was exactly the kind of customer who would buy high-end fruit.
“Yan, don’t you think so?” Chu Bingbing turned to Yan for her opinion.
She was referring to the general behavior of wealthy people, though she wasn’t sure about families like Yan’s, who came from old money.
“Makes sense. People love limited-edition stuff,” Yan replied from her upper bunk.
“Speaking of high-end fruit, I remember visiting a high school classmate’s house once. They had fruit delivered from a specific eco-farm for their gatherings. Everything was traceable—from the seeds planted to every watering and sunlight record. It was only for a select clientele, not sold to the public. Some families even have their own exclusive farms and ranches for their food and ingredients.”
Yan had gained a lot of insight since starting high school. Although Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao’s father was a wealthy CEO, neither the twins nor their mother acknowledged him, given his notorious playboy reputation. The twins and Yan usually just ate regular fruit from the store.
At home, spending 200 yuan on a single strawberry would probably earn you a scolding from your parents. Kids these days just don’t know the value of money.
Hearing Yan’s words, Chu Bingbing nodded. “Ah, I see. There’s a difference between new money and old money, after all.”
In wealthy households, even the day a fruit blooms is meticulously recorded—it's like treating fruit with the same care as a newborn baby! Yan really knows how to broaden my horizons!
What high school classmate’s house? That’s clearly Yan’s own home.
Gu Jiasui listened in astonishment. Having a dedicated record for fruit care? Times have truly changed—even fruit now has its own chronicle.
The entire Room 320 worked hard to finish all the fruit. Chu Bingbing, who hadn’t eaten dinner, patted her stomach and reassured herself,
“I’ve only been eating fruit, and if you think about it, it’s mostly water. I shouldn’t gain weight, right?”
Yan glanced down at her and said, “You’re so skinny. Even if you gained weight, you’d still look good.”
Chu Bingbing shook her head with a sigh. “No, I can’t gain weight. At least not beyond my current size. Otherwise, all my clothes wouldn’t fit anymore.”
Even though she had plenty of money now, she was still a bit frugal at heart. If she couldn’t wear all the beautiful clothes she’d bought because she gained weight, it would feel like losing a fortune! Her outfits cost tens of thousands each, and with dozens of them, that’s millions!
Just thinking about that possibility made Chu Bingbing feel like she couldn’t breathe.
Yan shook her head. In their dorm, Gu Jiasui and Chu Bingbing were the skinniest. Gu Jiasui, being a celebrity, had to stay camera-ready, while Chu Bingbing, at 163 cm tall, weighed only 88 pounds. Yan herself was two centimeters taller but ten pounds heavier.
Even so, from her parents to her uncles and aunts, everyone thought she was too thin, believing that anything over 100 pounds was considered a healthy weight.
All five girls in Room 320 were busy over the weekend. With Monday morning classes looming, everyone went to bed early.
…
In the boys’ dorm, Room 414.
Zhu Jue sat at his desk, slowly finishing today’s entry in his couple’s diary.
Lin Fan, perhaps because of what had just happened, immediately approached when he saw Zhu Jue put down his pen.
He looked at the drawing, which depicted Zhu Jue and his girlfriend holding hands at a car show.
“That’s really nice, Zhu Jue. I envy your talent and your romantic flair.”
He was a rough-and-tumble guy with no artistic skills whatsoever.
Lin Fan thought about how great it would be if he could capture moments of his wife and daughter like this.
“It’s never too late to learn,” Zhu Jue said, snapping a photo of the drawing and sending it to Yan before posting it on his social media.
Seeing Zhu Jue’s post, Lin Fan grew even more envious.
Being an ordinary person must be nice. When could he ever show off his wife and daughter without a second thought?
Especially in contrast to Zhu Jue and Yan’s relationship, he wanted to flaunt his family even more.
Zhu Jue didn’t ask about Lin Fan’s family situation. If Lin Fan didn’t bring it up, he wouldn’t pry. As a former special forces soldier, Lin Fan’s information was likely classified, and his presence on campus might have a special purpose.
Adhering to the principle that the less you know, the safer you are, Zhu Jue decided it was best not to dig deeper, lest he get caught up in something big.
“Who’s adding me on WeChat?” Lin Fan frowned at the notification on his phone. This account was specifically for school, and he’d already added his classmates, advisor, and roommates.
“Huh? The academic affairs office?” Lin Fan reluctantly accepted the request, worried that some troublemaker had gotten his number through the office. Was a teacher reaching out?
As soon as he accepted, the other person sent a laughing emoji followed by a voice message.
“Lin Fan, didn’t expect it to be me, did you?”
Lin Fan’s face darkened instantly. Zhu Jue looked over, having also recognized the voice of the girl named Feng.
Had she found him again?
Lin Fan was about to block and delete her immediately, but Zhu Jue stopped him.
“Zhu Jue?”
Zhu Jue hadn’t planned to interfere, but based on his observations, Lin Fan, despite being a reincarnated special forces soldier, was a bit too straightforward and might not think through the finer details.
The girl named Feng Yuerou was definitely not the type to give up easily. Since she’d already seen him and Yan today, if she couldn’t get to Lin Fan, she might shift her focus to them.
Both Zhu Jue and Yan hated being dragged into such persistent trouble.
After some thought, Zhu Jue spoke up.
“Bro, from what we’ve seen of this troublemaker today, even if you block her, she’ll just keep coming back with new numbers and accounts. The more you ignore her, the more persistent she’ll get.”
Hearing this, Lin Fan sighed. “Then what should I do? If I don’t respond, she’ll keep bothering me. Now that she’s added me, my peaceful days are over!”
How was he supposed to maintain his low-profile mission on campus now?
He’d never faced such a tricky situation before. He’d rather spend half a month in the jungle.
“Why don’t you do what I do and post a picture of your wife?” Zhu Jue suggested.
Lin Fan was stunned. What? Post a picture of his wife?
But he was living undercover, worried about exposing his identity or putting his family at risk.
Zhu Jue explained tactfully, “Well, at that age, girls like her might be starting to develop crushes. You know what they say—curiosity is the beginning of love. The more you ignore her, the more curious she’ll become.”
“So why not show off your ‘official’ status?”
Lin Fan opened his mouth but hesitated. “That can’t be right. She’s just a kid, probably a bit messed up in the head.”
He was way too old for this—he’d lived two lifetimes and could practically be her father!
Zhu Jue shrugged. “Well, you can ignore my suggestion if you want.”
“But if you don’t make it official, who’s to know if you have a girlfriend or not? I post about my girlfriend every day to keep certain people at bay.” With that, he snorted lightly.
Zhu Jue’s words left Lin Fan deep in thought. He was a bit tangled up in the logic.
First, according to his own thinking, even though he had officially retired from his former unit and joined the national security bureau, since he was in hiding, he should keep his identity as low-key as possible.
That’s why, during the military training at the start of the semester, despite having the skills to impress everyone, Lin Fan chose to blend in with the crowd, delivering a decent but not outstanding performance.
But on the other hand, if he was supposed to blend in, then acting like a normal person would be the best cover. Like his buddy Zhu Jue, who constantly showed off his girlfriend, while he, a married man, didn’t post anything, making it seem like he had something to hide.
Moreover, even though he was part of the national security bureau, he didn’t have a cover job in another department. After all, he was a student at Bin University, and under normal circumstances, he’d graduate, get hired through campus recruitment, and continue his undercover work.
So, on the surface, he’d likely remain an ordinary person for the rest of his life. Lin Fan finally understood.
He switched to his other phone and sent a message to his superior.
【Ordinary Life】: I’m living as an ordinary person now. Can I post about my wife and show off my family?
【Bureau】: Ordinary people don’t need approval to post about their spouses or kids—just make sure your family is okay with it.
Lin Fan finally got it. He’d misunderstood the situation.
In reality, he didn’t have any major tasks at the moment. The national security bureau was just his post-retirement assignment, and his current role was to collect intelligence while studying, keeping an eye out for suspicious activity around campus, like at print shops or small restaurants.
Excited, Lin Fan messaged his wife.
【Fan】: Honey, can I post pictures of you and our daughter on my school social media?
【Wife】: Sure.
Lin Fan was thrilled. He patted Zhu Jue on the shoulder.
“Thanks, buddy.”
He didn’t dare pull photos from his own phone, so he went to his wife’s social media and found a suitable picture to post.
【Lin Fan】: Showing off my amazing wife and adorable daughter. Photo.jpg
Not long after posting, his notifications started blowing up.
Lin Fan eagerly checked for likes and compliments about his wife, but instead, he found a flood of confused and mocking comments.
“Your wife? Dude, are you dreaming? Isn’t that President Lin Lu?”
“Married to President Lin? Step aside, I’ll take my shot first!”
“Never thought you, of all people, would have such fantasies.”
Lin Fan’s face twisted in frustration. What was wrong with these people? That’s clearly my wife! How can they just claim someone else’s wife?
Zhu Jue also saw Lin Fan’s post and was surprised. “Bro, is your wife President Lin Lu of Jiahe?”
Lin Fan was equally stunned. “You know my wife?”
Zhu Jue scratched his head, "I don't know her personally, but I do know that Sister-in-law was once secretly filmed by a company employee, and the video went viral. She was hailed as the most beautiful female CEO, and there were rumors online that she was a single mother. Many people harassed her daily on Weibo."
"What? What's Weibo?" Lin Fan was completely clueless. Could it be that his wife's troubles back then were related to this?
Under Zhu Jue's guidance, Lin Fan downloaded Weibo for the first time and found his wife's account.
He saw countless comments under his wife Lin Lu's posts.
"Thank you all for your blessings for our marriage."
"Lin Lu, believe me, no matter who the father of your daughter is, if you marry me, I will treat her as my own."
"Lin Lu, you're the most beautiful woman in the world. Why don't you follow your husband?"
"President Lin Lu, take a look at my son. Though he's still young, he's a perfect match for your daughter."
Under the birthday wishes from the system on his wife's account, there were tens of thousands of such comments.
Lin Fan's eyes widened in shock. What kind of monsters were these? A bunch of ugly men harassing his wife and daughter.
Lin Fan was overwhelmed with guilt. How could he have been so oblivious to all this? What kind of husband was he?
He immediately registered an account and started defending his family online. "Back off, she's my wife and daughter."
"You're sexually harassing someone, acting like animals in heat."
"Take a good look at yourselves in the mirror, you toads!"
Apart from some clueless lowlifes, Lin Fan also noticed that there were even verified wealthy heirs publicly confessing their love for his wife.
That night, Lin Fan's anger burned fiercely. He felt powerless, realizing that his time in the military had cut him off from the outside world, leaving him completely unaware of all this.
If things were this bad online, how much worse must it be in real life at her company?
Disgusting, despicable!
Who do you think you are? I'm her one and only husband!
Lin Fan spent the entire night battling online trolls. Zhu Jue, lying on the neighboring bed, watched as Lin Fan clung to his phone and power bank, the glow illuminating his face.
On Monday morning, after finishing his daily workout, Lin Fan returned to his desk, furiously typing away on his phone.
Zhu Jue clicked his tongue. Since he had helped Lin Fan download Weibo and set up the account, he hadn't missed the sudden appearance of a lone warrior fighting against thousands on President Lin Lu's Weibo page the previous night.
Though he trusted Lin Fan's physical endurance as a soldier, Zhu Jue couldn't help but ask with concern, "Bro, are you okay? Did you stay up all night?"
Hearing Zhu Jue's voice, Lin Fan finally looked up.
"I'm fine, don't worry, bro."
"Thanks for telling me about Weibo. Otherwise, I would have never known how many people were harassing my wife."
Lin Fan clenched his teeth, feeling a pang of despair.
His wife had endured so much hardship but never told him. Did she see him as someone who only cared about the military, completely neglecting her? Was that why she kept everything to herself, bearing it all alone?
And because he had been in the military all this time, many people assumed his wife was a single mother, leading to endless waves of malicious and vulgar comments.
Lin Fan's heart bled for his wife, his beloved wife!
After washing up, Zhu Jue asked Yuan Ye and Ye Ping'an if they wanted to have lunch together in the cafeteria.
Today, he and Xiao Qingnang had classes from first to fourth period, but Yan had classes in the first two periods and wouldn't be able to join until the third. If they could all have lunch together, they could round up the rest of the roommates in one go.
"Lunch? Sure, is your girlfriend coming? Haha, introduce her to us," Ye Ping'an said with a laugh.
The pale and thin Yuan Ye also nodded, "No problem. I've been wanting to meet Sister-in-law for a while now. You guys are always together, it's so enviable."
"Alright, let's have lunch at Dongyuan Stir-Fry," Zhu Jue said with a smile.
"Agreed," Xiao Qingnang replied succinctly.
"Where's Chu Shen? Isn't he supposed to be back by now? Did he have morning classes, or is he heading straight there?" Yuan Ye glanced at the time. Chu Shen was in the food science program, which was different from theirs.
They weren't even sure which district of Bin City Chu Shen lived in. If it was too far, it would take him a while to get here.
"I sent a message in the group chat, but he hasn't replied. Maybe he overslept."
Speak of the devil, just as Yuan Ye finished speaking, the dorm room door opened, and Chu Shen walked in carrying several lunch boxes.
"Bro Chu Shen, you're back! Did you bring food for us? You're the best! What did you bring? Local Bin City breakfast specialties?" Ye Ping'an eagerly reached out to take them.
"Yeah, I made some fried rice. These are for you guys."
"And this one is for Zhu Jue's girlfriend."
Among the lunch boxes Chu Shen brought, five were ordinary thermal containers, while the sixth was a special three-tiered pink box, clearly standing out from the rest.
His words left the room in stunned silence.
He brought a special lunch box for Zhu Jue's girlfriend?
Why did it feel like an inexplicable tension was about to explode from that box?
"My family owns a restaurant. Zhu Jue texted me last night, asking when we'd be open during the break. His girlfriend wanted to try my fried rice. I figured since I had nothing else to do, I might as well make some this morning. One serving or a whole pot, it's all the same," Chu Shen explained.
To boost Zhu Jue and his girlfriend Yan's favorability, he had overnighted thermal lunch boxes, secretly cooked rice late at night, and sneaked around in the morning to prepare the meal, afraid that nearby customers might catch wind and storm his house. Then he packed everything up and rushed to campus early in the morning. Wasn't he going above and beyond?
And let's not forget, the premium ingredients he used for this were all out of his own pocket! He couldn't just bring food for Zhu Jue and Yan, so he made enough for the whole dorm, along with extra side dishes. This little endeavor cost him nearly 1,800 yuan!
Please, oh please, you two, appreciate my effort. I'm not asking for much, just don't let my favorability drop into the negatives, okay?
His explanation only made things weirder. Even Xiao Qingnang turned to look at him.
You made a special fried rice for Zhu Jue's girlfriend and brought ordinary ones for the rest?
Helping out a friend is one thing, but such a blatantly different lunch box reeks of ulterior motives.
Ye Ping'an, Yuan Ye, and Xiao Qingnang could all sense the dangerous look in Zhu Jue's eyes as he stared at Chu Shen.
At that moment, Lin Fan suddenly stood up from his chair, his tone carrying an indescribable edge, "Bro, a man must have self-respect. Don't do anything immoral!"
Ye Ping'an subtly nodded in agreement, Yuan Ye's ears twitched, and Xiao Qingnang's fingers moved slightly.
Chu Shen was momentarily stunned before realizing what was happening.
Oh, for heaven's sake!
He saw Zhu Jue's favorability drop to -100 in the system, and his vision went dark.
Holy crap! Bro, bro, don't misunderstand!
"It's not like that, I swear! I just helped make some fried rice."
"I've only met his girlfriend once!"
"I just thought it'd be nice to give her a prettier lunch box to differentiate it from ours, you know, since we're just a bunch of guys."
Chu Shen was at a loss for words.
Lin Fan then added coldly, "Zhu Jue's girlfriend is pretty, right?"
Chu Shen hesitated, "Yeah, she's pretty."
Lin Fan let out a sarcastic laugh. Men are all the same—creatures driven by appearances.
"Do you like pretty girls?" he pressed.
"Sure, but that's got nothing to do with this," Chu Shen took a deep breath.
Lin Fan scoffed. His beautiful wife, just from photos and videos, had men online swooning. Zhu Jue's girlfriend was also a stunner, but who would have thought that after just one meeting, Chu Shen would resort to such tactics?
Disgusting! Who would have thought that Chu Shen, with his honest and straightforward appearance, could be this kind of person!
"Wait, I really don't like her. I don't even know her name," Chu Shen was on the verge of a breakdown. His roommates' suspicious looks made him doubt himself.
The moment those words left his mouth, Chu Shen saw Zhu Jue's favorability drop to -200, and the cold glare in his eyes intensified. Chu Shen felt like he was about to faint.
Wait, bro, I don't like your girlfriend. Shouldn't that make you happy? Isn't that a good thing?
What do you want from me?!
Just then, Zhu Jue's low voice broke the silence, "Well, it's good that you have no taste."
Chu Shen was baffled. Wait, what did he mean by "no taste"?
So, does this mean he has no taste if he doesn’t like Zhu Jue’s partner?
Huh? Bro, are you okay? It’s not okay to like them, and it’s not okay to dislike them either?
He took a deep breath. “Guys, we’re going to live together for four years in college. I need to make something clear today.”
“I, Chu Shen, brought the fried rice with eggs just to help Zhu Jue out. I wouldn’t have any thoughts about someone else’s partner. Zhu Jue’s partner is a good person, a really nice one. Honestly, when they came to my shop to eat yesterday, I charged them as usual because the place was full of customers. I felt a bit bad about it, and I was worried that Zhu Jue’s partner might think I’m a stingy, petty roommate with poor character. So, I made another portion today and brought it over. It wouldn’t be fair to just bring it for them, so I brought some for everyone else too.”
Chu Shen finished his explanation in one go, and this time, he finally saw everyone nodding in agreement.
“You should’ve just said that earlier,” Lin Fan remarked.
“You scared me. I thought our dorm was about to break into a fight,” Ye Ping’an said, slapping his thigh.
“It’s good that we’ve cleared the air. Let’s not hurt our friendship,” Yuan Ye sighed in relief.
“We’ve got one hour before class,” Xiao Qingnang said, prompting Zhu Jue to spring into action.
He walked over to Chu Shen and patted him on the shoulder.
“I was too harsh earlier, Shen. Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.”
Seeing Zhu Jue’s favorability meter jump from rock-bottom -200 back to 0, Chu Shen knew he was genuinely no longer angry. He suddenly felt like bursting into tears.
What kind of mess is this?!
“Alright, guys, let’s eat. It’s still warm, and it won’t taste good if it gets cold,” Chu Shen said, handing out the lunch boxes.
Zhu Jue picked up the pink three-tiered lunch box along with his own portion. “Shen, how much is the lunch box? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
“Let me check… 78,” Chu Shen replied without refusing, afraid of causing any more trouble.
Soon after, at the girls’ dormitory, Yan listened as Zhu Jue first summarized the incident involving Lin Fan, the “King of Soldiers,” and then recounted everything that had happened in the dorm that morning.
She burst out laughing. “You scared him, didn’t you? Such a jealous guy. The King of Jealousy.”
Zhu Jue’s gaze turned cool. “You’re worried that I scared him?”
Yan: …
“Oh my, who’s smelling so sour here? How many years of aged vinegar is this?” She waved her hand in front of her nose, watching as Zhu Jue pursed his lips. Glancing around, she pretended to adjust his collar and lightly brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Zhu Jue couldn’t help but smile, his whole face lighting up as if in full bloom. “I just think he’s a bit strange. He’s not particularly friendly to the customers at his shop.”
Yan hummed in thought. “It’s probably because you’re roommates. Customers don’t see each other every day, but college roommates live together daily. It’s not good to have conflicts, so it’s important to maintain a good relationship. If he’s worried about building connections, then you asking him for help is a perfect opportunity for him to show his worth. Besides, he treated us quite specially at the shop yesterday.”
“I’m not Xu Jiaojiao’s type. Aren’t you confident in yourself?” she said with a laugh.
“I get it,” Zhu Jue muttered.
He handed his lunch box to Yan, along with his own portion. “This one’s mine. Share it with your roommates.”
Yan glanced at the time. “Jue, hurry back. I’ll come find you after my third and fourth classes.”
“I like you the most,” he whispered into her ear, his voice low and warm.
Yan’s face instantly turned red from the warmth of his breath.
“I like you the most too. Now go, go to class before you’re late.”
She nudged Zhu Jue’s arm, and he smiled, watching her go upstairs before turning to run back.
Of course, he knew Chu Shen didn’t mean anything by it. But he wanted Yan to know just how much he cared.
Because those standout individuals inevitably draw everyone’s attention.
Just like how Yan would unexpectedly run into them somewhere.
He didn’t mind Yan’s female roommates, but his own roommates—these exceptionally talented, good-looking, and extraordinary guys—were a different story.
He absolutely, absolutely wouldn’t allow any of them to steal Yan’s attention.
Yan only liked him. The person she liked the most could only be him.
