To eat a meal.

The wind suddenly rustled the leaves, and mottled shadows danced across Ye Mian. She was just about to pull out her phone to ask Qin Feifei and Wang Xiang if they needed her to bring lunch when a lunchbox was suddenly thrust in front of her.

She looked up and saw a delicate-looking boy standing beside her, wearing a pair of clear-framed glasses and smiling gently. There were some acne marks on his cheeks, giving him a youthful awkwardness.

His glasses were quite stylish, and Ye Mian vaguely remembered him. They had just sat in the same row during class, and when she didn’t bring a pen, he kindly lent her one.

“Ye Mian, have you eaten yet?” the boy asked with a smile.

Ye Mian nodded, “I was just about to head to the cafeteria. Why?”

“It’s nothing special,” the boy rubbed the back of his head and raised the lunchbox in his hand. “I just wanted to treat you to lunch. I think you’re really pretty. Can we be friends?”

He glanced at Ye Mian shyly, “I queued at the cafeteria for fried chicken drumsticks just for you. Almost missed it—they’re supposed to be delicious.”

Ye Mian really didn’t want fried chicken drumsticks. Lately, following Qin Feifei’s taste for heavy flavors, she’d felt a bit overheated.

They were classmates, after all; it didn’t feel right to accept his food so casually.

Most importantly, she understood what he meant by “making friends.”

So she had no intention of accepting, hesitated for a moment, and replied, “I haven’t been able to eat fried chicken lately. You should keep it for yourself. Thank you, though.”

“There’s rice underneath, and I got you mapo tofu too—it’s quite tasty. You just need to grab some meat from the cafeteria. Are you going? I can walk with you.”

Ye Mian couldn’t handle this sort of eagerness. She was about to refuse when footsteps sounded beside her.

The steps were familiar.

Ye Mian turned her head toward the basketball court, and met Jiang Chen’s eyes directly.

The leaves rustled in the wind. He wore a gray casual t-shirt, stood tall, and as he looked down at her, his face was bathed in sunlight.

From Ye Mian’s perspective, he looked just like a handsome man stepped out of a painting.

Fragments of light glimmered in his light gray eyes, highlighting his striking features, and the cool tone of his skin made him seem even more otherworldly; if it were night, he would resemble a beautiful vampire.

He was stunningly conspicuous.

The sunlight flashed dazzlingly, yet his gaze remained fixed on Ye Mian.

Instinctively, Ye Mian edged away from the boy.

Jiang Chen glanced at the lunchbox in the boy’s hands, then asked, “You haven’t had lunch yet?”

Ye Mian blinked—wasn’t that obvious? She nodded, “No, I was just about to eat.”

The boy eagerly stepped forward, “Let’s go, I’ll go with you.”

The corners of Jiang Chen’s long eyes lifted slightly, and he turned to Ye Mian, “How about Cantonese food?”

Ye Mian hadn’t even replied yet when the boy’s face flushed. He looked at Ye Mian, “I… Ye Mian, I’ve already bought lunch for you.”

It felt like a moral trap.

Jiang Chen ignored him and looked at Ye Mian again, his cool voice tinged with amusement, “Steamed mandarin fish, shrimp dumplings, steamed ribs, turnip cakes, glutinous rice egg yolk balls—nothing you want? Or something else?”

Ye Mian immediately pictured the taste of steamed ribs. She’d already turned the boy down, and though the weather wasn’t hot, it was far from cool; she’d been stuck here long enough to sweat. So she nodded, “There’s something I’d like.”

Then she told the boy, “Sorry, I’ll be going now.”

Jiang Chen stepped aside to wait for her.

The boy stared, dazed, at their retreating backs. In that moment, he finally understood Ye Mian’s refusal. He clenched his hands, muttering softly, “I’ve already bought lunch for you, please don’t go.”

Ye Mian and Jiang Chen hadn’t gone far, so both heard this.

Jiang Chen halted, turned back, and sized up the boy, his voice laced with a faint laugh, “Classmate, that’s not how you pursue a girl. Know when to stop.”

He reached out, took the lunchbox from the boy, pulled money from his wallet, handed it over, and said nothing more.

At that moment, the boy’s face paled, tinged with green. He lowered his head, gripped the money, and walked toward the dorm.

Ye Mian watched the scene, almost wanting to laugh. Turning, she saw Jiang Chen looking at her helplessly.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s.” Ye Mian’s stomach was already rumbling. The cafeteria was bound to be crowded now—she probably wouldn’t get in line anyway.

The shade from the trees blocked the sunlight. Jiang Chen looked down at Ye Mian with a smile, “So, what would you like to eat?”

Ye Mian gripped the strap of her bag, “Anything’s fine, but I have class this afternoon, so I might need to get back early.”

Jiang Chen nodded and walked beside her, shielding her from the sun.

Only after they left the university gate did Ye Mian realize that Jiang Chen wasn’t alone—his group of friends were waiting outside. Seeing him walk out with Ye Mian, they all seemed to understand instantly.

Their gazes weren’t probing, only politely greeting Ye Mian.

But privately, they fired off WeChat messages in their group.

[Is this Jiang’s goddess?]
[Must be.]
[Definitely has that goddess vibe.]
[She’s beautiful.]

Ye Mian greeted them all in turn.

Jiang Chen hadn’t forgotten she needed lunch, motioned for Ye Mian to get in the car, and opened the passenger door for her.

Ye Mian leaned in and asked quietly, “Aren’t they coming too?”

Guan Yi and the others didn’t follow; they waved slightly and said they were waiting for their girlfriends, so they wouldn’t join.

Jiang Chen slid into the driver’s seat, tossed the lunchbox he’d just bought onto the back seat, and pulled out of the parking spot.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ye Mian suddenly remembered Qin Feifei mentioning a delicious Thai restaurant near campus. She hadn’t forgotten she owed Jiang Chen a meal.

Now was the perfect opportunity.

She wasn’t the type to let debts linger; she’d owed him a meal for ages, and it was finally time to repay it. Ye Mian’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Jiang Chen, her excitement barely contained, “Jiang Chen, let’s go for Thai food.”

The space was quiet.

Jiang Chen’s fingers paused on the steering wheel, his lips curved into a gentle smile. “Alright.”

Ye Mian was delighted. She messaged Qin Feifei in the dorm group for the address, turned on the navigation, and set off for the Thai restaurant.

On the drive, Ye Mian held her phone as messages kept refreshing in the dorm group.

She clicked in—it was Qin Feifei and Wang Xiang interrogating her.

[Feifei: Who are you sneaking off to eat Thai food with?]
[Xiangxiang: Confess, now.]

Ye Mian could almost picture them staring at each other in the dorm, and she smiled, replying seriously.

[Mian: No one special, just a high school classmate.]

After a brief silence, the group exploded.

[Feifei: !!!]
[Feifei: Don’t pretend, girl!]
[Feifei: Just give us Jiang Chen’s ID number!]
[Xiangxiang: Exactly! I wish I had a handsome guy to eat with.]
[Feifei: Just burned my mouth eating noodles—does any kind-hearted hottie have ice-cold abs?]
[Xiangxiang: To be fair, my feet are ice-cold.]
[Feifei: Get lost!!]

(End of chapter)