"Minhui, could it be that he just used asking about the course as an excuse to talk to you?"
"I've heard it all, he got dumped by a senior yesterday afternoon, must have been caught fooling around, it's best if you all stay away from him."
Li Zhanpeng sat down next to Fang Minhui, grumbling as he did.
Fang Minhui's brows furrowed slightly, displaying a hint of displeasure.
Li Zhanpeng didn't notice Fang Minhui's expression and continued staring in Shen Yuan's direction, saying dismissively, "And I also heard he turned down the scholarship application, his family is already in that situation, yet he still puts on airs."
"Such a person doesn't understand the concept of sharing the burden with his family at all."
After finishing his rant, Li Zhanpeng realized no one was engaging with him. He then turned around, noticed Fang Minhui's expression seemed off, and let out an awkward chuckle to change the subject, "Hey, you guys started eating already? Didn't I tell you I'd buy breakfast?"
Chen Ling rolled her eyes on the side. They had agreed to meet at the cafeteria at 8 AM, but he dragged it until 8:10 before finally coming down.
Really, it's just a few bucks for breakfast.
She heard it all from Minhui yesterday, the 7:30 movie ticket last night, they could have had dinner outside before watching it.
But Li Zhanpeng said he needed to go back to the dorm to change clothes and didn't come down until 6:30, then shamelessly suggested they just make do with the cafeteria today and go outside next time.
No wonder Minhui came straight back after the movie last night.
Such a person, clearly rich but still so stingy.
Look at Shen Yuan, spending in a top-notch Japanese restaurant, one meal worth twenty of your movie tickets.
Can't even afford one meal, yet still trying to hit on girls!
Fang Minhui also felt slightly annoyed inside. She had thought Li Zhanpeng, coming from a well-off family, would be generous.
Yet on their first date yesterday, Li Zhanpeng still ended up taking her to eat in the cafeteria.
If you're going to be stingy, at least don't act like you're generous.
Meanwhile, Shen Yuan returned to his table, planning to finish the remaining half bowl of noodles, when Huang Haibao couldn't help leaning over and whispered, "Old Third, how did it go?"
Shen Yuan shook his head, "She hasn't agreed yet."
"I just knew it."
Cao Shunjin looked vindicated, "Old Third is no longer the Old Third from before, and Fang Minhui is no longer the Fang Minhui from before."
"Old Third, seeing that even you couldn't manage it, I actually feel quite relieved."
Huang Haibao patted Shen Yuan's shoulder.
"Damn it, you were just supporting me!"
Although Shen Yuan cursed, he still felt fairly confident inside.
Star Sushi, thanks to frequent online promotions, is well-known and many celebrities have been there.
It's hard for any girl to resist such a high-class Japanese meal.
...
By junior year, the course schedule wasn't as packed as in freshman and sophomore years; today being Thursday, there was just one class in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Class time was always boring. Shen Yuan marked attendance and then dozed off at the desk until it was almost time for lunch, when he sent a WeChat to Fang Minhui.
"Tonight at 6:30, I'll wait for you."
He also sent the location of Star Sushi.
Fang Minhui, who had been attentively listening to the lecture, felt her phone vibrate and saw it was Shen Yuan's WeChat.
She turned her head and saw Shen Yuan sitting in the last row, thinking to herself that she hadn't even agreed yet and he was already taking it for granted.
She hesitated a bit, wondering if it made her seem too frivolous to go out with a guy so easily, the first time he asked.
After all, Li Zhanpeng had asked her several times before she reluctantly agreed.
But on the other hand, the chance to check into such a top-tier Japanese restaurant was indeed rare.
Fang Minhui was somewhat torn. Chen Ling, sitting beside her, also saw the WeChat, nudged her softly in the waist, and whispered, "Star Sushi, huh? You should totally go, it's just a meal after all."
After pondering her friend's logical point — that it was just a meal, and besides, Shen Yuan didn't seem to be making any moves on her — Fang Minhui straightened her hair at the forehead, picked up her phone, and replied with an "OK" emoji, adding, "Then take me with you, I'll wait for you at the school gate at 6."
Shen Yuan, having just sent the message, went back to sleeping, only to check his WeChat while queueing for lunch in the cafeteria.
"The fish has finally bitten the hook."
Shen Yuan muttered with a smile, Huang Haibao standing behind him, puzzled, asked, "What hook?"
"It's nothing."
Shen Yuan gave a faint smile, he wasn't ready to tell Old Huang about this yet, fearing his fragile heart couldn't withstand such a blow.
...
At 5:50 PM, Shen Yuan appeared at the entrance of the International campus, having scheduled a ride in advance. The app indicated that the pickup would arrive at 6 PM.
At exactly 6 PM, Fang Minhui arrived, dressed elegantly for the evening's date. She wore a beige fitted long skirt and a light-colored, form-fitting sweater.
Compared to her fiery and unrestrained appearance in the morning, she now looked more ladylike, though her outfit still accentuated her graceful figure.
Especially that waist-to-hip ratio, simply incredible!
Shen Yuan found himself somewhat distracted, thinking, she really must have studied dance, what a figure!
Just then, the ride arrived, and Shen Yuan waved to her, "Get in."
"Okay."
Fang Minhui's cheeks flushed slightly as she followed him into the back seat.
She was feeling a mix of anticipation and nerves. It was partly because it was her first date with Shen Yuan and partly because it was her first time dining at such an upscale restaurant.
Star Sushi was actually quite small and the decor was modest; at first glance, one might think it was just an ordinary sushi bar.
Shen Yuan led Fang Minhui out of the car, and they walked through streets and alleys for ten minutes before arriving at the restaurant.
As they reached the entrance, a waitress in a kimono greeted them warmly, "Hello, do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, the last digits are 4115."
"Mr. Shen, right this way, please."
The waitress gestured for them to follow her.
Shen Yuan was actually a regular here, often bringing Zhou Wanting and sometimes Old Huang and Old Cao to enhance their meals.
This led him to get a membership here.
The restaurant operated on reservation only, serving a limited number of guests each evening, typically requiring a reservation 3-5 days in advance. However, members like Shen Yuan could arrange something on short notice if needed.
"Please take a seat, Mr. Shen."
They entered a cozy private dining room, where the waitress considerately laid the cushions for them before handing an iPad to Shen Yuan.
"Would you like to see the menu or should I make some recommendations?"
"Make some recommendations, it's been a while, and I'm not sure if there have been any changes to the menu."
"Certainly, besides our signature sashimi, we recently introduced a dish featuring long-lived mackerel and goose liver, and also Wagyu fried rice. Would you like to try those?"
"Sure, that sounds good for two people. Also, add a serving of matsutake seafood soup for each."
"Alright."
The waitress crossed her hands respectfully and stepped out, gently sliding the door closed behind her.
"The service here is really top-notch."
Fang Minhui remarked, reflecting on the quality one would expect from a Japanese restaurant with an average spend over a thousand. It truly felt like a home away from home.
It was her first time at such a restaurant, and she felt like it was quite an eye-opener.
"The service is good, and the flavors are excellent. I used to come here often,"
said Shen Yuan, though he was not particularly fond of the Japanese-style dining arrangement in the private room, where guests either sat cross-legged or knelt. He wondered why the Japanese preferred eating this way.
Typically, Shen Yuan enjoyed sitting at the counter, watching the chef work as he ate.
If he hadn't wanted to create a more intimate atmosphere, he wouldn't have booked a private room.
Shen Yuan sat cross-legged, gesturing to the cushion next to him, "Have a seat."
Because she was wearing a long skirt, Fang Minhui couldn't sit cross-legged; she gently lifted her skirt and slowly knelt down.
From Shen Yuan's angle, he could perfectly view Fang Minhui's full hips. The position was really quite provocative...
Shen Yuan found himself swallowing hard. Truth be told, it had been two months since his last poker game,
which was when he was still with Zhou Wanting.
Every man had his physical needs, especially a vigorous young man like himself.
But the timing wasn't right, he needed to stay calm, stay calm...