Xie Xiao's words were somewhat intermittent as they reached Luo Yanran's ears, probably due to a poor network connection.
That's how it is with WeChat calls; a slightly poor network can cause the voice to cut in and out.
But Luo Yanran still heard it, and she felt her ears already starting to heat up.
Seeing Liu Ou walking towards her, she said in a bit of a panic, "The signal is bad here, I'm hanging up."
Then she quickly hung up the call, which had lasted 6 minutes and 18 seconds.
Had it really been over six minutes just for those few words?
She glanced down at the message Xie Xiao had sent, [Wait for me.]
Liu Ou approached and saw Luo Yanran's face flushed red. "Hey? Why are you so red? Is it too hot? But the weather is still cold."
Luo Yanran turned off her phone and looked up at her. "Ah, it's a bit hot."
Liu Ou felt something was off as she looked at her and glanced at the phone in her hand. "Who were you just chatting with? You look like you're in the throes of spring, a little junior, huh?"
After speaking, she even winked and made faces at Luo Yanran.
Luo Yanran wasn't used to lying, so she simply changed the subject. "Do you want anything else to eat?"
"I've bought some already, stinky tofu. This place has the best!" Liu Ou handed it over. "Try it."
Luo Yanran, thinking of how Xie Xiao had just said he was coming over, couldn't help but step back. "I don't eat that."
She wondered if Xie Xiao could stand the smell. What if he couldn't?
Liu Ou sighed. "It's really good, but if you don't want to, forget it. Let's go, let's go find that new rice ball place I heard about, it's amazing!"
About seven or eight minutes later, Xie Xiao stood in front of Lin Yu's snack stall, which had a sign saying "Colorful Rice Balls."
Meanwhile, Luo Yanran and Liu Ou were sitting at a small table behind it.
Lin Yu was speechless as he looked at Xie Xiao in front of him. "Didn't you say you weren't coming out?"
The old lady beside him reached out as if to hit him. "How can you talk to Xiao like that!"
Then she looked at Xie Xiao with a kind smile. "Are you hungry, Xiao? Granny will make you a rice ball. Go sit in the back."
Xie Xiao smiled and said, "Thank you, Granny. Can I help with anything?"
There were still quite a few people in line.
The old lady waved him off. "No need, you wouldn't know how. Just sit down."
Xie Xiao didn't plan to cause a fuss and obediently went to the back, then quite consciously sat down at Luo Yanran's table.
Lin Yu: ...
Liu Ou greeted him with a smile. "What a coincidence, junior!"
Luo Yanran gave him a glance and nodded as a form of greeting.
Xie Xiao said with a smile, "It's not a coincidence, I came because I knew you were here."
His frankness left Liu Ou momentarily lost for words, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two. "So, Luoluo, your face turned red while chatting on WeChat because of him?"
"I didn't blush, it's just too hot." Luo Yanran swiftly denied it, but her tone was a bit rushed, making it hard for anyone to believe her.
Xie Xiao laughed and looked at her. "Your face turned red? I didn't say anything, though."
Liu Ou got excited. "Our Luoluo is just the type who blushes at the slightest tease. Don't be fooled by her usually expressionless and cool exterior, she's actually naïvely cute, ah ah ah, super adorable!"
"Liu Ou!" Luo Yanran reached out to cover her mouth, but since the table and chairs were already quite small, she caused the table to wobble as she stood up quickly. Xie Xiao steadied the table with one hand and reached behind her to prevent her from falling. "Be careful."
Luo Yanran felt a bit childish, and she eventually sat back down with her face still red, just not daring to make eye contact with Xie Xiao.
Fortunately, Xie Xiao did not continue the topic.
After all, some things could be teased about in private, but in public, with so many people around, it wasn't appropriate.
Lin Yu quickly came over with three rice balls, along with three bottles of drink, "Here you go."
Liu Ou ah'd in surprise, "We didn't order this big, did we?"
"They're from my grandma," Lin Yu sighed, "said they were for Xie Xiao's friends, no extra charge."
Liu Ou said with a surprised smile, "Then, thank you."
Xie Xiao glanced at the busy little stall, "What grandma makes must be delicious."
Lin Yu followed his gaze, "It's just a hassle; now she's serving both breakfast and late-night snacks, and her schedule is all messed up."
There was a faint look of heartache in his eyes.
Xie Xiao also looked at the elderly lady, "Grandma wants to save money for your college, right?"
"Yeah, I told her not to bother, I might not even do that well on the exams," Lin Yu's mood seemed low, "I can't go too far."
Grandma was still here.
Luo Yanran and Liu Ou did not interrupt, but when they heard their conversation, they couldn't help but glance at the elderly lady, who was quite old but agile and very hygienic. Her hair was neatly done, she was wearing a small cap, and her hands were in disposable gloves, smiling warmly at everyone.
She was a pleasant old woman to look at.
Liu Ou glanced at the tall Lin Yu, and through his conversation with Xie Xiao, and having seen him dining with Xie Xiao in the cafeteria before, she figured he must be their junior.
"There are many good schools locally too, you don't have to go far, we have both a 211 and a 985 university right here. Junior, keep it up!"
Her delicate face always had a cheerful expression.
Lin Yu looked at her, his expression easing a bit, nodded, "Thank you, enjoy your meal, call me if it's not enough, I've got to get busy."
Having said that, he went back to the elderly lady.
They could still hear the old lady shooing him with a wave of her hand, "Go chat with Xiao Xiao and your classmates, you'll only cause trouble..."
"Give me a break and hurry up to close the stall, what other old lady is like you..."
Xie Xiao's gaze returned, but saw the two girls still watching the pair," Lin Yu is my classmate, it's just him and his grandma at home now."
The two girls withdrew their gaze, and Luo Yanran said, "You seem to always eat together at noon."
"Are you paying that much attention to me?" Xie Xiao said with a smile.
Liu Ou, having taken a few bites of the sticky rice, said leisurely, "Do I seem a bit redundant here? Should I leave first?"
"Liu Ou!" Luo Yanran's tone was a bit urgent.
Liu Ou finally stopped speaking with a cheerful smile.
Xie Xiao laughed along.
Sticky rice is quite filling after a bit, especially since theirs were particularly large.
The two girls probably struggled to finish at the end, but after glancing at the old lady, they forced themselves to eat the rest.
Xie Xiao looked surprised watching them clear their plates, "Actually, you could have given the leftovers to stray dogs."
"Grandma specially prepared these for us, it would be disrespectful not to eat them," Luo Yanran asserted seriously.
Xie Xiao looked at her, nodding slightly, "Thank you."
He was saying it on behalf of grandma and Lin Yu.
Liu Ou had already eaten and struggled to finish the sticky rice; now feeling uncomfortably full, she stood up, "I can't, I'm heading back. My house is just ahead, a five-minute walk."
She looked at Xie Xiao with a smile, "Junior, could you take Luoluo home for me?"
Luo Yanran spoke up, "No need, I can go back by myself."
"But I came out just to walk you home."