The note bore the menu items written by Suyun and Hong Jiaxin, with Suyun's handwriting being graceful and slender, while Hong Jiaxin's was forceful and robust. Both of their writing looked quite pleasing to the eye.
Knowing his own handwriting was atrocious, Luo Yang chuckled and said, "Hong Jiaxin, could you please write down 'chive and egg pancake' for me?"
Hong Jiaxin teased, "Can't copy it down yourself? It doesn't matter if it's badly written."
The remark stung a bit, and Luo Yang thought to himself, "Hey, mocking me for my bad handwriting? The characters in the 'Shennong Scripture' are pretty handsome. If I trace them, I should manage, right?"
So, he began to write down the menu item by imitating the font from the 'Shennong Scripture' in his mind. After finishing, he reviewed it and surprisingly found it decent. He couldn't help but laugh.
Luo Yang glanced at Hong Jiaxin, who wore a mocking expression, and slid the note across the table without a sound.
Eager to make fun of Luo Yang's handwriting, Hong Jiaxin snatched the note, only to have her mocking smile freeze at a glimpse, her eyes brimming with admiration. She hadn't expected Luo Yang to produce such lean and strong characters, which was beyond her expectation.
"This handwriting is beautiful!" exclaimed Hong Jiaxin.
"Let me have a look," Suyun said, taking the note.
The menu item "chive and egg pancake" was written in running script on the note, comparable to print. The strokes were slender but powerful, resembling iron wire twisted into shape.
Delighted, Suyun said, "Luo Yang, your academic performance isn't that great, but your handwriting is top-notch. Look at you, one asking for 'xincài' (heart-to-heart), and the other for 'jiǔcài' (chives). Give it here, I'll order two dishes for you."
When a teacher offers to treat students to a meal, naturally the students dare not order indiscriminately.
As Suyun was writing down the dish names, she said, "Let's add stir-fried bell peppers with beef and braised carp."
Both dishes carried a hefty price.
"Teacher Su, no need to order more, three dishes are enough," Luo Yang urged.
"I can afford it, don't be polite. Treating you to a meal, of course, I have a favor to ask of you," Teacher Su said softly, with a smile.
After the dishes were ordered, Luo Yang cleaned three porcelain cups and refilled them with tea.
Sitting outside the establishment, it wasn't as stifling as inside, but the ground was already hot, and waves of heat buffeted them despite the large fans blowing their way it was still scorchingly warm.
At that moment, during the lunch rush, customers were coming and going, and the noise was constant.
"only you, can bring me the 'Journey to the West'..."
The interlude from "A Chinese Odyssey" sung by Luo Jiaying, who played Tang Monk, rang out—it was Luo Yang's message ringtone.
He took out his phone and saw a message from Xiao Daniu that read, "Niu Zai, where are you? Couldn't find you when I went back to the dorm."
Today, Xiao Daniu was in charge of looking after Luo Guoxing.
Luo Yang had thought that Xie Dongyang had come to the school. It wasn't until he called Xiao Daniu that he learned Xiao Daniu had run out of cigarettes and was looking for Luo Yang to bum one.
A short while later, the waiter brought their dishes to the table.
The three of them chatted as they ate, with Suyun asking, "Hong Jiaxin, what does Luo Yang need to do for you to forgive him?"
Upon the question, Hong Jiaxin said, "I want him to join the Sorority and be our exclusive practice partner. As long as he agrees, I'll forgive him."
The Sorority was a club founded by Hong Jiaxin at Dongfeng Middle School, mainly for teaching girls self-defense techniques.
Suyun looked at Luo Yang and said, "Her request isn't unreasonable. You're a man, be straightforward and agree to it."
After finishing a piece of beef, Luo Yang nodded.
Subsequently, Suyun requested Hong Jiaxin to provide one-on-one tutoring for Luo Yang in his studies.
Hong Jiaxin reluctantly agreed, thinking to herself, "Tutoring this guy is really annoying. And it's embarrassing to refuse Teacher Su, so I'd better look for an excuse first."
After thinking, she said, "I have a quick temper. If Luo Yang doesn't meet my standards, I might criticize him. I wonder if he'll get angry."
As she spoke, she glanced at Luo Yang.
"No worries, I trust Luo Yang won't mind such things. Luo Yang, with our grade's top student tutoring you, you should at least achieve a mid-tier score on the midterms—do you dare make a promise on that?" asked Suyun.
"Well...uh, Teacher Su, I can study on my own, I should be able to improve," said Luo Yang.
However, Suyun insisted on having Hong Jiaxin tutor him, and Luo Yang had no choice but to accept.
Luo Yang proposed, "How about this, I just need to avoid the last ten places on the midterm exams, how's that?"
Hearing this, Suyun and Hong Jiaxin shared a chuckle.
Hong Jiaxin laughed and said, "Have some ambition, will you? Let's set a small goal first—rank within the top hundred on the midterms."
Suyun also encouraged him, "Come on, Luo Yang."
After finishing another piece of beef, Luo Yang still just chuckled away without making any commitment.
As a well-known slacker in the whole school, Luo Yang inherently despised studying.
Thinking he wouldn't make the top hundred anyway and that Suyun and Hong Jiaxin couldn't do anything to him, Luo Yang said, "Fine, then within the top hundred."
In order to enjoy the meal without qualms, he had to lie.