Fu Xin visibly froze when she saw Yao Tao, as though she hadn't expected a girl to come along with He Zhen and Wei Fang.
"Hello," Yao Tao greeted them first.
You were laughing and chatting a second ago. Did seeing me stun you?
Bet you didn't expect this!
Sure enough, food tastes better when you have to fight over it.
He Zhen glanced at Yao Tao.
"Hello." Fu Xin quickly recovered. "Are you a new junior?"
"Hahaha, nope, she's in our class." Wei Fang put down his tray and sat down without ceremony. "Don't just stand there. You must be starving. Let's eat."
Exactly, food first!
Real friends are the ones who truly care!
"Come sit down." Fu Xin patted the seat beside her, signaling to He Zhen.
"Okay!" Yao Tao plopped down beside Fu Xin.
He Zhen had no choice but to sit beside Wei Fang.
That put Fu Xin directly opposite Wei Fang, and Yao Tao directly opposite He Zhen.
Qin Zhen was left without anyone opposite him.
Damn it, I want one on each arm. In that case, you can hold me.
Fu Xin smiled. "Zhen rarely invites girls to eat with him."
Yao Tao instantly perked up.
She's already testing the waters!
Damn it, what can I do to ruin her appetite?
Unfortunately, her burst of enthusiasm barely lasted a second before it fizzled out.
Forget it, forget it. If I make Fu Xin too angry to eat, won't He Zhen be the one who suffers?
Ah, the things I put my poor little heart through for you.
"I invited her," Wei Fang answered for Yao Tao as he ate.
Thank you, my dear boy.
Watching Yao Tao eat quietly, He Zhen really struggled to reconcile her with all the drama in her head.
Fu Xin's smile became genuine. "Oh, so she's someone Wei Fang likes!"
"I don't!" Wei Fang nearly choked. "She's not my type. Don't go making things up, Fu Xin!"
"Right, Wei Fang isn't my type either," Yao Tao added.
Damn it, sometimes I really can't tell whether Fu Xin does this on purpose.
"Sorry, I misunderstood." Fu Xin took a bite of rice and looked at He Zhen. "It's just that Zhen rarely invites girls when he eats with his friends, so I got a little curious. You don't mind, do you?"
Ha. Ha.
Yao Tao smiled sweetly while inwardly cursing her out. "Then you haven't seen much. He Zhen is very popular. Girls swarm around him after class, asking him all sorts of questions."
"That's true." Instead, Fu Xin smiled even more brightly at that.
Plenty of girls liked He Zhen, whether they were older, younger, or his age, but only Fu Xin stood by his side.
Damn it!
I lost!
Blah blah blah, if Lady Luck isn't on my side, why did she send me here?!
She's only happier because she's sure there's no one else by He Zhen's side!
"Rare doesn't mean never." Qin Zhen's sudden interjection made Fu Xin turn toward him.
"Didn't you meet one today?" Qin Zhen said pointedly.
Male lead, you're awesome!
Come on, keep talking if you're so good at it!
Make me sound super special!
Make me sound like I'm one of a kind in He Zhen's eyes!
Hurry up and get together, you two. Confess tomorrow and have a baby the day after!
Fu Xin was just about to smile when He Zhen reversed his chopsticks and lightly tapped Yao Tao's tray. "Even food can't shut you up. Your food's getting cold."
*!*
Never mind Yao Tao's own reaction-even Fu Xin's surprise was written all over her face.
That was a rather intimate gesture.
Do I talk that much?
I've barely said anything!
How could I possibly talk too much?
I've only said a handful of words!
There's no way I talk too much!
Damn it, he's taking his anger out on me!
He Zhen seriously wondered what was wrong with his brain. It wasn't as though he could tell Yao Tao outright, "Could you stop thinking altogether?"
If he did, there was no telling which of them would think the other was crazy.
"Let's eat," Wei Fang said too. "Look, I'm almost done!"
"Cold food is bad for your stomach." Yao Tao nodded in agreement. "But eating too fast is bad for it too. You can't go wrong with chewing thoroughly and eating slowly."
"Wouldn't have guessed you're so health-conscious." Wei Fang struck up a conversation with Yao Tao.
"Oh, just a little. But when it comes to healthy living, if I ranked second in our school, no one would dare claim first." Yao Tao had done plenty of homework on the subject.
Too bad the one who needs to look after his health the most refuses to do it properly!
She glanced at He Zhen.
"Then shouldn't you follow the rule of not talking while eating or in bed?" He Zhen said casually.
"Bro, that makes things way too boring," Wei Fang said. "Don't take it that seriously!"
Exactly, listen to the big guy more!
Wait, no, you need to be selective about it!
"You haven't touched anything. Not to your taste?" Qin Zhen directed the question at He Zhen. "What would you like? I'll get you another serving. Or would you rather order something?"
"No need." Fu Xin picked up her chopsticks. "These are great. They're all things I like."
"Of course! How could your childhood friend forget what you like to eat?" Wei Fang, that fence-sitter, could chime in on absolutely anything!
I misjudged you!
Is there a swap card available?!
Leave it!
Let Tang Zhao come instead!
"People's tastes change," Qin Zhen said. "What they like now might not be what they like in the future."
Yoooooo!
Qin Zhen, you really know how to strike first!
I approve of your marriage to her!
Hurry it up!
Stop dragging this out for thousands of chapters. Don't make me get on my knees and beg!
Confess right now!
"Huh?" Wei Fang could clearly sense Qin Zhen's hostility.
"Who knows what the future holds?" He Zhen swallowed a mouthful of rice. "But right now, if you don't start eating, all you'll have left really will be cold food."
Qin Zhen raised an eyebrow. He Zhen didn't seem quite as fond of Fu Xin as the rumors claimed.
Were they simply childhood friends?
They finally settled into eating, little by little. Yao Tao's mouth was moving, and her mind didn't stop either.
How can someone look so pleasing even while eating?
How can someone's features hit me right in the heart like this?
I'm watching He Zhen eat from so close up, aaaaaah!
I can even see his eyelashes!
He's so good-looking. When will I get to be this close again?
If I were Fu Xin, I'd confess to him right this second, aaaaaah-
Qin Zhen is great, but his relationships are so complicated they make me want to bang my head against a wall!
Oh, it's because my dear boy isn't the male lead. Boo-hoo.
He Zhen struggled to endure Yao Tao's nonsense. He was beginning to lose track of exactly what he was to her.
"You haven't had much meat today." Fu Xin glanced at the untouched meatballs on her tray. "Why didn't you get any meatballs? Want mine?"
As she spoke, Fu Xin picked up a meatball and moved to put it on He Zhen's tray.
A pair of chopsticks blocked her.
They belonged to Yao Tao, whose thoughts were flying every which way. "It's spicy. He Zhen doesn't eat spicy food."
"How come I don't know that?" Fu Xin pursed her lips in disapproval. "Zhen has activities this afternoon, you know. He's a guy-how can he not eat more?"
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