Chapter 9

Now they felt it was just as well they had not gone, lest they accidentally offend a major client and end up making no money while losing everything instead.

Of course, some believed that with their personality and abilities, they would never end up in that situation. But Zhou Xiaoting had put it so harshly that they knew better than to step forward and make fools of themselves.

Gu Chen knew that Zhou Xiaoting's warning was not really about the matter at hand. He did not care, merely nodding. "I understand."

Seeing that Gu Chen did not, as she had expected, make sweeping promises to prove himself, Zhou Xiaoting raised a brow. Once again, she marveled at how this freshman was not only good at basketball, but also unexpectedly composed.

After military training ended that day, Gu Chen carried his materials to report to the basketball club. Gu Xiu, meanwhile, was surrounded by a group of classmates as they headed to the cafeteria, asking about the tutoring job along the way. Gu Xiu's soft voice occasionally drifted over. "Don't worry, everyone. I'll prepare my lessons and teaching materials properly... If I don't get hired, I'll share my interview experience with you all... You're all so outstanding, someone will definitely succeed... Senior Zhou is a good person. She only helped me because she knows I come from a difficult background..."

Gu Chen shook his head.

On his first day reporting to the basketball team, they considered that Gu Chen was a freshman and had already been exhausted by a full day of military training, so they did not assign him any training. The coach merely checked that Gu Chen's three-pointers and fadeaway jumpers were indeed accurate, then told him to go back and rest.

After leaving the school team, Gu Chen headed alone to the cafeteria. The dinner rush had already passed, and there was not much food left. He casually ordered a bowl of mala tang without the mala seasoning, along with four liang of rice. This successfully earned him several looks usually reserved for a country bumpkin.

After casually filling his stomach, Gu Chen returned to the dormitory and saw a quilt-wrapped bundle on his desk. Gu Xiu, who was bent over preparing lesson plans, looked at Gu Chen and smiled. "I saw that you didn't eat dinner, so I specifically got you chicken leg rice. I was afraid it would get cold and taste bad, so I wrapped it in a quilt."

Gu Chen unwrapped the quilt and took out the boxed meal. It was still warm to the touch.

Gu Xiu said with a grin, "Brother, hurry up and eat it while it's hot."

"I already ate," Gu Chen said.

Gu Xiu froze. "How? There wasn't anything left in the cafeteria."

"I had mala tang. Without the mala seasoning, with four liang of rice."

Before Gu Xiu could respond, Wang Miao and Xia Tian burst out laughing. "Who orders mala tang without mala seasoning and adds rice? What a bumpkin."

Gu Chen said nothing and placed the chicken leg rice on Gu Xiu's desk.

Gu Xiu looked troubled. "Then what should we do? I can't eat it either. Wouldn't it go to waste?"

Xia Tian said in a sarcastic tone, "I told you long ago that you didn't need to prepare dinner for him. He's a grown man. Does he not know to go to the cafeteria when he's hungry? What a waste of your good intentions. You wouldn't even buy yourself chicken leg rice, only two vegetable dishes, yet he doesn't appreciate it at all!"

Gu Xiu lowered his head, looking upset.

"You shouldn't bring me food anymore," Gu Chen said after a moment's thought.

Gu Xiu looked at Gu Chen eagerly. "Brother, are you angry with me again?"

"No." After saying that, Gu Chen returned to his seat.

Gu Xiu pursed his lips unwillingly and looked at the chicken leg rice on the desk. "Then what about this meal? It's so hot out. If we don't eat it tonight, it'll spoil."

Gu Chen thought for a moment. "Give it to the old man downstairs who watches the door. He probably hasn't had dinner."

"How do you know the old man hasn't eaten?" Xia Tian could not stand Gu Chen's perpetually lifeless, aloof manner and could not help retorting, "What if he has?"

"Gu Xiu spent money to buy you that chicken leg rice. You won't eat it, and now you want to use something he bought to do someone else a favor. Aren't you calculating things a little too precisely?" Wang Miao chimed in. "No wonder Gu Xiu acts so cautiously whenever he's around you. You must have taken advantage of him plenty before, right?"

The moment he finished speaking, the dormitory door was kicked open with a bang. Huo Mingzhang strode in energetically with his two inseparable childhood friends. The two friends set four bags of snacks and drinks on Gu Chen's desk, laughing as they said, "Master, guess what good stuff we brought you?"

As they spoke, they pulled out a tablet and handed it to Gu Chen, wiggling their brows. "We went through a lot to get this intel. The prettiest, hottest, most stunning girls in the sales department of Great Zhou World's new development are all here. What kind do you like, Master?"

Gu Chen was speechless.

Huo Mingzhang, however, noticed the heavy atmosphere in the dormitory and raised a brow at Gu Xiu. "What happened?"

Gu Xiu shook his head gloomily. "Nothing."

Wang Miao and Xia Tian rushed to speak up for Gu Xiu. "Gu Xiu bought Gu Chen chicken leg rice. Gu Chen won't eat it himself, and he even wants to use the boxed meal Gu Xiu bought to do someone else a favor."

"That's not it." Gu Xiu interrupted Wang Miao and Xia Tian, explaining, "I'm not blaming my brother. It's just..."

Gu Xiu hesitated, then finally said dejectedly, "I think my brother is angry with me again."

"It's just a box of chicken leg rice. What's the big deal?" Before Huo Mingzhang could speak, his two friends said carelessly, "We just finished training and haven't had dinner either. Give that chicken leg rice to Young Huo."

Huo Mingzhang glanced at his friends, giving them a look of mutual understanding. Turning back, he said, "If you don't mind, let me have it. Of course, I won't eat it for free. I'll treat you to a meal next time and return the favor."

Gu Xiu hesitated.

Huo Mingzhang raised a brow. "Seriously? I spoke up for you so much in front of Zhou Xiaoting and even helped you secure that part-time job. You can't even bear to give me one box of chicken leg rice?"

"No! No, it's not that I can't bear to." Hearing Huo Mingzhang say that, Gu Xiu hurriedly handed him the chicken leg rice. "I meant that this chicken leg rice is my treat. You don't need to treat me in return. You've already helped me so much. It's only right that I treat you to something."

Seeing Gu Xiu's blushing, bashful expression, Huo Mingzhang deliberately teased him. "Then this treat of yours isn't very sincere. You only gave it to me because your brother didn't want it. Can't you treat me to a meal specifically?"