"Ah, Qin Shiqing, Tang Yan?"
Lu Haoran was curious.
By all accounts, it's not yet time for them to come to the cafeteria for lunch.
"Dead set on keeping face and suffering!"
Qin Shiqing placed a fifty on the table in front of Su Zelin: "Just this once!"
Su Zelin's eyes lit up, and he eagerly pocketed it.
He didn't want Lu Haoran to starve alongside him.
With this fifty-dollar lifeline, they wouldn't need to scrounge meals anymore; at least this week could be quite comfortable.
"I take back what I said last night; there's still true love in the world!"
Su Zelin instantly changed his tune.
Tang Yan sighed; she had a premonition of this.
Sure enough, Shiqing's heart softened!
After all, they've been friends since childhood, and she couldn't just watch and do nothing.
"Let you gamble, starving serves you right!"
Tang Yan snorted.
She despised gamblers the most.
"Gambling? The lottery is state-issued, a legitimate fortune-making method. Are you questioning the wise policies of our great nation?"
Su Zelin put a big hat on her.
"Your logic is twisted, saying it's for fortune. Don't lose your underwear!"
Tang Yan, seeing Qin Shiqing had no intention of leaving after lending money, sat down directly opposite.
It was a four-person table, with Lu Haoran next to her.
Having never dined with a girl before, "little mouse" felt awkward, as if sitting on thumbtacks, utterly uncomfortable.
Tang Yan quickly noticed their lunch boxes and asked in surprise: "You guys got one meal that's four taels of rice with four meats and three vegetables?"
Last night, she heard about Su Zelin's meal strategy, so she asked.
But that didn't add up; Lu Haoran's family isn't well-off, so such a meal would burden him.
Besides, if their meal card was really that abundant, why not split the big meal box instead of everyone getting two taels of rice and two meats and one vegetable each?
"No, it's two meats and two vegetables, Zelin got it!"
Lu Haoran, being honest, confessed.
"Pfft, that's split from two meats and two vegetables?"
Tang Yan nearly spit out her food: "Su Zelin, if I didn't know what your family does, I'd suspect one of the cafeteria ladies was your mom!"
"What are you talking about, that's the cafeteria aunt!"
Su Zelin was unhappy; he didn't allow anyone to talk about his bread and butter that way.
"You're something else!"
Tang Yan was thoroughly convinced.
Even calling an aunt a sister; no wonder they would willingly give him so much.
Alright, that thick skin is worth two meats and a vegetable.
Little Xiaoyanzi also saw Su Zelin's tactics firsthand.
Su Zelin wolfed down a few bites, and the meat in his lunch box was almost gone; normally, he had a big appetite, and this was surely unsatisfying.
His eyes wandered and quickly found a target. Swiftly, his spoon darted into Qin Shiqing's lunch box, shamelessly scooping up a few pieces of fried pork belly: "Wow, Qin Shiqing, you have so much meat, let me have some!"
Tang Yan was wide-eyed.
This kind of bold move?
Borrowing money was one thing, but grabbing meat from someone's bowl?
This was really taking a mile when given an inch!
Goodness, Shiqing, why not let this shameless guy starve, serving as a public service!
Lu Haoran was equally mortified, feeling his tablemate had crossed a line.
However, Qin Shiqing seemed unfazed, probably long accustomed to the rogue's misdeeds.
"Su Zelin, can you grow a bit of a conscience?"
It was Tang Yan who erupted, her brows furrowed.
"What's the big deal, Qin Shiqing doesn't eat fatty meat. Back in elementary school, I used to help her finish it. Waste not, want not! Besides, she's prone to gain weight, I'm doing her a favor!"
Su Zelin argued confidently.
"Su Zelin, your tongue is unbeatable!"
Tang Yan stared, realizing she might never win a war of words with Su Zelin in her life.
The gap in thickness of skin was a world apart!
Su Zelin stuck out his tongue to lick the grease from the corner of his mouth: "Wanna try?"
"Get lost!"
Tang Yan caught on immediately.
Honest Lu Haoran was utterly clueless.
What was this secret language they were speaking?
Su Zelin's eyes drifted again, locking onto Tang Yan's lunch box this time.
"I eat fatty meat!"
Sensing danger, Tang Yan promptly clutched her bowl in defense.
"Xiaoyanzi, I estimate you're also prone to gain weight, honestly, you can't eat so much fatty meat. You can either share with me or give a bit to the little mouse!"
Su Zelin suggested.
"I don't need it, I don't need it!"
Lu Haoran frantically waved his hands, his face flushed red.
What was this, how did Zelin even say that?
Who makes a girl publicly share food with a guy, only you could pull that off!
Though Xiaoyanzi's meat couldn't be nabbed, it was fine, there was still some in Qin Shiqing's bowl.
Su Zelin shamelessly took all of the remaining fried pork belly from Qin Shiqing's lunch box.
"Shiqing, if you don't eat fatty meat, why'd you get this dish in the first place?"
Tang Yan was perplexed.
"The cafeteria lady misheard, and it couldn't be returned!"
Qin Shiqing calmly responded.
"Misheard? I saw you point at the pork belly platter."
"No, I was pointing at the egg dish beside it."
"Uh, like that..."
Tang Yan thought to herself.
All eyes witnessed the scene, and the guys were jealous.
They wanted to do the same, but it was just wishful thinking because not everyone was Su Zelin.
After all, they weren't childhood friends with Qin Shiqing.
Even being childhood friends didn't guarantee such thick skin.
One pair of eyes was practically shooting flames.
Today Qin Shiqing got lunch early, and the puzzled Zhao Mingxuan tailed along. He usually quietly waited until after Qin Shiqing got her meal, following from behind, but he never dared get too close, usually just sitting far away, having once failed in confessing his feelings, he couldn't make his intentions too obvious.
Now, the goddess he could only admire discreetly from a distance was sitting at the same table with another guy, and that damn Su Zelin was reaching into her lunch box, grabbing meat!
Isn't that indirect 😮 so what?!
In broad daylight, under the sun and moon, how could such a rogue exist!
Is there no justice or law?
Zhao Mingxuan inexplicably felt his head turning green with envy.
If Qin Shiqing showed any hint of anger, he'd immediately dash over and dump the lunch box on Su Zelin's head.
Even if Su Zelin's punches were powerful, he wasn't afraid!
In the name of the class president, representing the senior class two, I would punish this scoundrel, protecting the goddess from desecration is righteous!
However, after observing for so long, Zhao Mingxuan was disappointed to find that Qin Shiqing was unmoved.
As a result, he had no cause for action and could only sulk alone.
...