"Haha, who would have thought we'd end up at the same school? If I had known on the bus, I could have asked you, and we could have come here together, that way you would've saved on bus fare."
Wang Qingqing said, a hint of regret on her face.
Her uncle had picked her up from the train station and given her a ride here. His van had plenty of room, so an extra passenger wouldn't have mattered at all.
"Haha."
Hearing Wang Qingqing's words, Xiao Yi simply chuckled and said nothing. Even if they had met and talked then, he wouldn't have come with her, as he had to first get the notification letter from Chen Jianguo.
"By the way, have you eaten?"
Wang Qingqing suddenly remembered to ask, looking up at Xiao Yi.
"Not yet."
Xiao Yi shook his head.
"Then that's perfect, I haven't either. I was just about to grab some lunch. Let's go together. I'll treat you this afternoon as thanks for helping me out twice today."
Wang Qingqing said cheerfully.
"Alright."
Xiao Yi, seeing the joy on Wang Qingqing's face, felt somewhat bad about refusing. He hadn't checked in yet, and his meal card wasn't set up. He hadn't planned on eating, as skipping a meal or two really made no difference to him.
"Let's go, we'll eat at the second cafeteria."
Upon Xiao Yi's ready agreement, Wang Qingqing became even happier. She grabbed his hand and started walking forward, but after a brief moment, she realized her impulsivity and quickly let go, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she lowered her head and continued to walk.
Xiao Yi didn't mind when Wang Qingqing suddenly grabbed his hand, but it did surprise him to see her suddenly rush forward with her head down. No wonder she had bumped into him earlier.
With this thought, he took on the role of navigator, stepping ahead to clear any obstacles for Wang Qingqing and ensure she had a safer walk.
In fact, his concern was unnecessary. After a few steps, Wang Qingqing sneaked a glance at Xiao Yi and, noticing that his expression was normal, her mood calmed, and she paid more attention to where she was walking. There wasn't any risk of bumping into someone again like before; her earlier collision had been due to panic.
Nevertheless, feeling Xiao Yi's subtle guidance, a sweet sensation flourished in her heart.
The second cafeteria of Z University was located between the library and the north gate, close to many academic buildings, and it was the most popular cafeteria. Spread over three floors, the first floor was the 'commoners' cafeteria,' offering cheaper dishes, while the third floor was the 'nobility cafeteria,' serving dishes similar to a restaurant where students could order meals to be cooked on the spot. The second floor was an intermediate option, with slightly better offerings that were still cooked in large batches to guarantee that the food would be steaming hot. Wang Qingqing led Xiao Yi to a seat on the second floor of the school cafeteria, told him to wait, and went over to the counter to get a tray and buy their meals.
"Oh, right, what will you eat?"
Almost at the serving window, Wang Qingqing remembered she had forgotten to ask Xiao Yi what he wanted. She quickly turned back toward him to inquire.
"I'm not picky, you can just get anything for me,"
Xiao Yi said offhandedly.
"Okay then, I'll just choose something at random, but don't blame me if you don't like it."
Wang Qingqing didn't say much else, smiled, and turned back toward the window.
Soon, Wang Qingqing brought over a plate full of food, placed it down in front of her seat, and turned to Xiao Yi with a smile, "Take a look, do you like these?"
"That'll do, haha."
Xiao Yi glanced casually at the two portions on the plate and picked up the one with more vegetables, placing it in front of himself.
Compared to the raw meat and blood consumed in the Primitive Jungle of Africa, the food on this plate was already the finest delicacy in the world.
"This plate is actually for you, you're so thin, eat more, I'm dieting right now, sticking to vegetables, so don't fight me for it."
Wang Qingqing didn't expect Xiao Yi to choose the plate with more vegetables and quickly took it back, handing him the other plate that was all meat dishes.
"..."
Xiao Yi looked at Wang Qingqing again and couldn't help but feel speechless; with her current thin figure, she was still dieting.
However, since she had said so, he didn't feel it was appropriate to argue—after all, he wasn't a strict vegetarian.
The nearby students eating in the cafeteria couldn't help but show signs of envy when they saw Xiao Yi sitting with Wang Qingqing, especially the boys close enough to overhear their conversation, their eyes brimming with both admiration and jealousy.
They had already felt a mix of jealousy and resentment when they saw Xiao Yi walk into the cafeteria with the beautiful and tall Wang Qingqing, who, like a budding flower in her shirt and jeans, exuded youthful vibrancy. Now, seeing her tenderly catering to Xiao Yi, serving him like a lord, and considerately getting food for him, they couldn't help but curse inwardly, calling him a despicable pretty boy.
Xiao Yi, aware of the glances cast by the surrounding boys, didn't pay them much heed. From the moment he stepped into the cafeteria, he felt their gaze, viewing these students as mere children.
Picking up his chopsticks and smiling at Wang Qingqing, he bowed his head and slowly began to enjoy his meal with relaxed ease.
"Young Master Jin, look, isn't that Wang Qingqing?"
At the entrance of the cafeteria, a boy in a plaid shirt, looking rather unimpressive, glanced inadvertently towards the second floor and spotted Wang Qingqing and Xiao Yi, pausing momentarily before turning to the handsome-looking young man standing beside him.
"Hm? Where?"
The handsome boy, also known as Young Master Jin, was listlessly walking towards the third floor when he heard the other boy speak and instantly perked up, stopping in his tracks and turning to ask.
"Over there, sitting with that guy, do you see?"
The boy in the plaid shirt quickly pointed towards the direction of Xiao Yi and Wang Qingqing's table.
"Who's that guy sitting opposite Qingqing?"
Young Master Jin followed the direction the boy pointed and his expression immediately darkened.
Wang Qingqing was the girl who haunted his dreams, and he recognized her at first glance. Seeing her, his heart surged with joy, instantly deciding to forsake the third floor to join her for lunch on the second floor instead. But then, why was there another guy sitting opposite her? And why were her eyes looking so tenderly at him?
The joy in his heart vanished in an instant.
In its place surged a towering rage.
Wasn't Wang Qingqing Young Master Jin's prey in this school? Who was this boy that appeared out of nowhere, daring to hit on his girl?
In his heart, he silently vowed to teach this boy a harsh lesson, to let him learn the consequences of competing with Young Master Jin for a woman!