“Ha ha ha…”

Ren Jie doubled over with laughter beside him.

Lu Yu thought he’d gone too easy earlier—so he thumped Ren Jie squarely on the back.

“Ow! Ow ow!” Ren Jie yelped.

“Ha ha… ow, that hurts… ha ha ha…”

He winced while still mocking Lu Yu for falling for it.

Ren Jie had tried countless tricks to lure Lu Yu before:

“Hot girl ahead!” “Black stockings!” “Whoa—perfect white thigh-highs!”

Not once had it worked.

He’d almost doubted if his buddy was even into girls.

But now? He finally knew the hook.

“Stop, stop! You’re gonna knock the sense out of me…”

Tears streamed down Ren Jie’s face from laughing.

*The harder Brother Lu hits me, the more flustered he is,* Ren Jie figured.

He’d keep pushing—until this guy admitted his feelings for “Sister-in-Law”!

Ren Jie silently set his goal.

“Hi, stir-fried pork with red peppers and a chicken leg.”

“And the other: braised lion’s head meatballs with boiled cabbage.”

The cafeteria window was low; Lu Yu had to stoop to talk to the auntie inside.

He swiped his own card first, then Lin Beixing’s for her portion.

His: 24 yuan. Hers: 12. The meat difference made the prices worlds apart.

*Beep.*

The bold “999” on the card display froze both Lu Yu and Ren Jie.

Yesterday, they’d bought meals at separate windows—Lu Yu never saw her balance.

That “999” felt fake. Maybe she’d topped up thousands, but the old reader only showed three digits.

“Brother Lu… maybe just live off her? I could bask in the glow too,” Ren Jie mused.

Lu Yu shot him a glare and carried both trays away.

Back at the table, Lin Beixing was buried in her palm-sized notebook—English vocab she needed to review.

Lu Yu gently set the tray down.

Lin Beixing tucked the notebook away, looked up. “Thank you.”

Setting grades aside, her manners were top-tier in school.

Yet her polite tone made Lu Yu uneasy.

An invisible distance stretched between them.

He missed yesterday’s Lin Beixing—the flustered one on the rooftop threatening him not to lift her skirt.

Lu Yu hesitated over the empty seats.

At this hour, every long table was packed.

Lin Beixing sat in the corner; an underclassman faced her. Only two spots left: diagonally front, or right beside her.

Ren Jie, standing behind Lu Yu, panicked. *No way I’m sitting next to the Monitor.*

He plopped into the diagonal seat—strangers on both sides.

Only the spot beside Lin Beixing remained.

Lu Yu steeled himself and sat.

Silence. Three heads bowed over trays.

The chicken leg in his hand suddenly tasted bland.

A faint, clean fragrance from beside him scrambled his thoughts.

“I’m done.”

Lin Beixing set her spoon down. Her tray was still three-quarters full.

“Whoa, Monitor—you’re a cat?” Ren Jie blurted, then backtracked: “…I mean, why so little?”

“It’s fine. She always eats like this.”

Lu Yu froze. *Why did I say that?!*

Ren Jie’s eyes widened. “How would *you* know?!”

“…I guessed.”

Lu Yu bit hard into the chicken leg to hide the awkwardness.

Lin Beixing said nothing. She pulled out her notebook again, reviewing words while waiting.

Ren Jie shot Lu Yu desperate looks. Lu Yu kept eating.

Ren Jie wolfed down his meal, wiped his mouth.

“Um… Mon… Monitor, Brother Lu—I’m full. Gotta go!”

“Hey—”

Lu Yu stood to stop him—but Ren Jie was across the table.

He snatched his tray and darted off.

Lu Yu reached for air. Watched his best friend vanish.

His throat tightened. *She won’t bite me… So why am I running?*

He sank back down, flustered.

All day, his mind had been messy—ever since Lin Beixing asked this morning: *“Were your grades really that good before?”*

Seeing her now? Total chaos.

“I’m finished… Shall we head back?”

After the last bite of chicken leg, Lu Yu had no appetite left.

Lin Beixing gave a slight nod.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait—stay here a sec.”

Lu Yu dashed off and returned under two minutes, cola bottle in hand.

Today’s heat had him craving ice-cold cola for hours.

His one afternoon joy.

“Let’s go.” No reason to linger.

He just wanted the classroom fan.

Lin Beixing followed quietly, glancing at her notebook like nothing was wrong.

The hallway was dim, nearly empty. Floors spotless from duty students’ sweeping.

Lu Yu twisted the cap off, took a sip.

*Yesterday’s me couldn’t even open this…* He sighed inwardly.

*A girl’s body is soft and sweet-smelling… but so fragile.*

“…Hm?”

The uncapped bottle paused mid-air.

Lin Beixing’s eyes—wide, shimmering, locked on the cola like it was treasure.

She could resist fried chicken legs… but cola?

Her lips pressed tight. A visible swallow. She turned her head slightly.

Lu Yu lifted the bottle, voice tentative: “Do… you want a sip…?”

He expected her iron will to refuse.

But after a breath… she slowly nodded.

“If… just a tiny sip…”