Chance Encounter in the Cafeteria

Back in the classroom, Ling Yun found that the slightly unfamiliar, restrained atmosphere from earlier had completely vanished. The students were chatting animatedly in small groups.

Jiang Yingqing, who had been too shy to lift her head from the desk earlier, had regained her energy as well. She was enthusiastically talking to the girl beside her, her expressions lively, with a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.

When she saw Ling Yun and Zhou Da enter through the back door, Jiang Yingqing's gaze naturally met Ling Yun's.

She lifted her chin slightly, putting on a hint of mock anger as she quickly made a "fierce" face at him. She even pouted, silently accusing him: You jerk.

Meeting her gaze, Ling Yun broke into an open, slightly teasing smile and looked right back at her without the slightest hesitation.

Jiang Yingqing found herself a little unable to withstand his stare. Her eyes flickered as if she wanted to look away, yet she could not help lingering for another moment.

In that instant, Ling Yun clearly caught the glimmer that flashed through her eyes, as though something had momentarily shaken her heart.

Then, as if burned by her own reaction, she abruptly turned away and threw herself back into her conversation with the girl at her desk. Yet the tips of her fair ears had clearly been quietly dyed with another thin layer of red.

Zhou Da, standing beside him, took in the entire scene. An exaggerated expression of envy, jealousy, and hatred immediately filled his face.

"Tut, tut, tut, it's gotta be Brother Yun! That charm stat is off the charts! It's only been a little while, and Beauty Jiang's heart is probably already... hehehe!"

He sidled up to Ling Yun, bumped him with his shoulder, and lowered his voice as he spoke in his uniquely sleazy tone.

Ling Yun shot him a sideways glance and mercilessly cut him down. "Da Zi, are you never going to fix that habit of forgetting the pain as soon as the wound heals? Did you already forget how everyone ganged up on you in class just now? Good thing you kept your voice down this time. If you shouted it out again, do you believe the girls' brigade in this class would carry you straight out of here?"

Zhou Da's face instantly fell, and he put on an aggrieved, weak, pitiful, and helpless look as he sighed. "Sigh, Brother Yun is right! Your little brother admits defeat! How can an ordinary commoner like me possibly compete with a walking arsonist of maiden hearts like you? I'll behave now, completely behave!" The speed at which he changed expressions was simply unparalleled.

Ling Yun could not help laughing at his antics.

Time quietly slipped away amid their idle chatter.

When the bell announcing lunchtime suddenly rang, the entire school building seemed as though an energy bomb had been dropped into it.

For high school students, eating was absolutely one of the most sacred and joyous rituals of campus life.

Ling Yun, who sat in the prime "goalkeeper" position by the front door, and Zhou Da, who sat behind him, made use of their unparalleled geographical advantage. Before the bell's echoes had even faded, they shot out of the classroom like arrows released from a bow.

The stairwell on the second floor happened to lie between Class Two and Class Three.

Ling Yun and Zhou Da seized the advantage at a hundred-meter sprint, becoming, without question, the first batch of dining pioneers to charge out of the school building.

"Phew... phew... Brother Yun, our spots... are perfect!"

Zhou Da panted heavily, one hand braced on his knees as he ran, while sighing in relief.

"Second floor! And so close to the stairs! If we'd been assigned to the top floor or a classroom at the end of the corridor, then ran into couples walking hand in hand all lovey-dovey or groups chatting side by side and blocking the stairs, we'd just have to cry!"

Ling Yun wholeheartedly agreed.

On the race-against-time road to food, those two kinds of "roadblocks" were every runner's nightmare. No matter how urgent things were, they could only follow behind them in frustration, inching forward at a snail's pace.

Since most of the new students were boarders, they were already familiar with the campus layout. The location of the cafeteria—right next to the dormitory buildings—was no secret to them.

Not to mention that Ling Yun was a reincarnator. In his previous life, he could have walked this route to the cafeteria and back with his eyes closed.

As they spoke, the two had already rushed to the cafeteria entrance.

However, Zhou Da's stamina had clearly begun failing during the latter half of the run, slowing them down. By the time they entered the cafeteria, a group of exceptionally gifted "outer sect prodigies" had already claimed seats and begun wolfing down their meals.

Ling Yun and Zhou Da quickly joined the line in front of the serving window.

The cafeteria had quite a variety of dishes, but the flavor was truly nothing to praise. As for the hygiene... recalling the painful memories of getting stomachaches every time he ate at the cafeteria in his previous life, Ling Yun had a huge question mark in his heart.

The prices were cheap, though. One meat dish, two vegetable dishes, and rice cost only ten yuan. If the rice and vegetable dishes were not enough, students could get free refills.

Ling Yun ordered the standard set meal.

Zhou Da only ordered the ten-yuan portion as well. Ling Yun gestured for him to get more, since he had promised that he could eat whatever he wanted.

Zhou Da waved his hand, looking like a man carefully calculating every expense. "Enough, enough, Brother Yun! Ordering too much would be wasteful. The cafeteria would love for you to spend more money! If we're not full, we can just refill the rice and vegetables. Only an idiot would let them earn more! If you feel bad about it—"

He abruptly changed his tone and chuckled. "Just treat me to a bottle of ice-cold Happy Bubble Water at the supermarket later! That stuff really hits the spot!"

"Sure." Ling Yun readily agreed.

Just as the two carried their trays around in search of seats, a familiar figure entered the cafeteria carrying an exquisite multi-tiered lunchbox.

It was Jiang Yingqing.

She looked around the noisy cafeteria hall, where nearly every seat was occupied. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she clearly searched for somewhere to sit.

The few remaining empty seats were all beside unfamiliar faces from other classes.

Her gaze swept across the room before quickly settling on Ling Yun and Zhou Da.

Her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over. Stopping beside the empty seat next to Ling Yun, she asked him softly, with a touch of hesitation and embarrassment, "Student Ling Yun, is this seat... taken? Can I sit here?"

Before Ling Yun could speak, Zhou Da beat him to it.

His face was filled with a knowing smile, and though his voice was not loud, it was more than clear enough. "No one, no one! Beauty Jiang, please sit! This seat was saved just for you! Brother Yun must be secretly thrilled inside!"

As he spoke, he winked at Ling Yun.

After Zhou Da said that, the blush that had just faded from Jiang Yingqing's face rose again. She softly said, "Thank you," then sat down beside Ling Yun.

Seeing this, Zhou Da immediately picked up his tray, which still held less than half his meal, and stood up with unbelievable speed. "Oh! I happen to be almost done eating too! I just remembered I've got something to do. Brother Yun, you two take your time eating and chatting!"

He gave Ling Yun a look that said, Brothers can only help you this much, then quickly added to Jiang Yingqing, "Enjoy your meal, Beauty Jiang!"

Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, he had already slipped away with his tray, leaving behind only his round yet nimble back.

Ling Yun watched Zhou Da pull off a textbook-level "assist" followed by a "retreat," then shook his head with a helpless smile.

This guy had maxed out his living-treasure stats. He turned to meet Jiang Yingqing's slightly questioning gaze and explained, "That's just how he is. Don't mind him."

"I don't mind at all."

Jiang Yingqing lifted her chin slightly, trying her best to look like she "couldn't care less," but the amusement in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"Besides, what he said... wasn't entirely wrong, was it? If I'm sitting next to you, shouldn't you be secretly delighted?"

Her expression carried a hint of smugness and provocation, as though Ling Yun had truly gotten the bargain of a lifetime.

Any trace of awkwardness that might have arisen from Zhou Da's sudden departure vanished amid their playful exchange.

"By the way," Ling Yun said, naturally changing the subject as he glanced at the exquisite lunchbox she had brought, "why did you come so late?"

"Oh, I went to the school gate to pick up the food my family sent over."

As Jiang Yingqing answered, she opened the lunchbox. Once the lid was lifted, the delicacy of its contents stood in stark contrast to the cafeteria food.

Appetizing pan-seared salmon, tender chunks of beef, vibrant green broccoli, and a small serving of white rice made for a balanced, pleasing meal. It was clearly a carefully prepared healthy lunch.

Ling Yun wasn't surprised. In his previous life, he had already known that Jiang Yingqing came from a wealthy family.

After all, Rock Climbing was an expensive sport that required specialized equipment and facilities. Children from ordinary families could hardly afford it.

"Your meals... are way too healthy."

Ling Yun sighed sincerely.

"Can't be helped."

Jiang Yingqing sighed as well and picked up her chopsticks.

"Rock Climbing has pretty high requirements for both body fat and strength, so I can't eat anything too greasy. If the school cafeteria's food weren't so alarmingly oily, I wouldn't want to trouble Auntie into making a special trip to bring me food."

There was a touch of helplessness in her tone.

"You're really disciplined."

Ling Yun praised her.

"Disciplined, my foot!"

Jiang Yingqing wrinkled her nose.

"Who doesn't want to eat whatever delicious food they like? But for the sport you love, you have to sacrifice something."

She picked up a piece of salmon and was just about to put it in her mouth when she noticed that Ling Yun's gaze seemed to be fixed on her lunchbox.

Her movements paused. A faint, barely noticeable blush rose to her face. After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked softly, "Do... you want to try some?" Her voice carried a trace of tentative embarrassment.

Seeing her slightly flustered look, a teasing smile flashed in Ling Yun's eyes. He deliberately put on a serious face. "No, thank you. I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I'm not used to sharing food with other people."

He shook his head as though he meant every word.

The smile on Jiang Yingqing's face instantly froze. Her hand, holding the chopsticks, stopped in midair. Then she shot him an embarrassed, irritated glare. "Then what were you staring at it for?! Trying to pick a fight? Get lost!"

Seeing her puffed-up expression, Ling Yun couldn't keep it up any longer. The corner of his mouth curled into a sly grin as he lowered his voice, amusement lacing his tone. "Just kidding. Beauty Jiang's lovingly prepared lunch looks so delicious it's making my mouth water. Of course I want to try it."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the refined meal. "If you went out of your way to bring it, it must be good."

That sounded much better than what he had said before.

The irritation on Jiang Yingqing's face eased somewhat, though she still rolled her eyes at him in feigned disdain. "Hmph, at least you know what's good for you! But... you think you can mooch off me for free? No way!"

Even so, she used a clean spoon to carefully place a small piece of salmon into an empty spot on Ling Yun's tray.

Ling Yun smiled and thanked her, then picked up the salmon and tasted it. The fish was fresh and tender, cooked to perfection. It really was far more delicious than the cafeteria food.

"Mmm, it's good!" he said honestly.

At his approval, the corners of Jiang Yingqing's lips unconsciously curved into a small smile. She lowered her head and began eating her own lunch in small bites, though the blush at the tips of her ears seemed to deepen.

Lunch ended in a relaxed atmosphere between the two of them, occasionally punctuated by one or two of Ling Yun's deliberately outrageous remarks and Jiang Yingqing's coquettish cries of "Pervert."

Before leaving the cafeteria, Ling Yun didn't forget to fulfill his promise at the convenience store, buying an ice-cold bottle of Happy Bubble Water for Zhou Da, that master assister who had retired after completing his mission.

The two returned to the classroom together, their shadows stretched long by the afternoon sun.