They're already in university, and the primary school system is only just starting out?

Chen Lin subconsciously raised his head and looked towards the door.

It really was Yun Qing.

Today, she wore a pale yellow spaghetti strap dress with a light white sun-protective cardigan over it. The hem of the dress just reached her knees, revealing a pair of shapely, fair legs.

Sunlight streamed in through the doorway behind her, making her feel cool and radiant.

She stood gracefully at the door, carrying a large bag in each hand, with her signature smile on her face, but her eyes were looking him and Shen Yan back and forth with great interest.

Shen Yan was still a little dazed.

A strong sense of foreboding rose in Chen Lin's heart.

"Junior, what are you daydreaming about?" Seeing that he didn't move, Yun Qing raised her voice a little, her tone carrying a hint of feigned complaint, "How can you bear to watch a weak woman like me carrying so many groceries? Come and help me carry them."

Chen Lin mentally cursed, but his body still stood up.

He strode to the door and took the two heavy bags from Yun Qing.

The bag was quite heavy, and a rich, spicy aroma of food wafted out from the slightly unsealed opening.

He looked down and saw that they were all the kind of takeout boxes that only high-end restaurants would use, two large bags full of them.

What do you want to do here?

Yun Qing ignored Chen Lin's questioning gaze, walked straight past him, and walked towards Shen Yan with a smile.

"I asked some math majors I know, and they all said that Shen Yan is always in this study room whenever she's not in class."

She sat down gracefully in the empty seat opposite Shen Yan, speaking in a friendly tone as if they had known each other for a long time.

Shen Yan was clearly not used to this social rhythm and answered somewhat reservedly, "Senior Yun Qing, we... I don't think we knew each other before?"

"It's alright, junior," Yun Qing smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Look, you know me, don't you? Perfect, I've been wanting to get to know you for a while now."

Chen Lin, listening from behind, rolled his eyes.

Nonsense, whenever there's a big event at school, your band is always there to perform. With a super beautiful and talented female lead singer, who wouldn't know her?

Then Yun Qing said enthusiastically, "Yan Yan, I heard you're from Sichuan Province, right? I also really love spicy food, so I specially found a highly-rated Sichuan restaurant near our school today and ordered a few dishes to go. Shall we try them together?"

Chen Lin listened in awe.

So this is Yan Yan?

I'd only known Shen Yan for less than five minutes.

Shen Yan didn't seem to mind this enthusiastic address; she wasn't used to refusing kindness, especially from someone as popular as Yun Qing. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay then. Chen Lin, would you like to eat with us?"

At least you still remember me. Chen Lin felt a moment of gratitude.

But his first instinct was to run away!

These two women together are never a good thing, though I don't know why.

He quickly placed the two large bags of groceries on an empty table next to him, then turned to leave, saying, "You two ladies can eat as much as you like. I suddenly remembered I have something urgent to attend to, so I'll be going now!"

However, just as he turned halfway around, Yun Qing's soft voice came from behind him.

"Junior Chen Lin is really busy. Looks like you won't have time tonight either?" She deliberately dragged out her words and sighed, "Sigh, someone just promised to help me yesterday. I wonder when they'll be able to fulfill that promise..."

Chen Lin froze instantly.

He slowly turned around, looked at Yun Qing's smug expression that seemed to say, "You dare to try walking away," and gritted his teeth.

"Fine, fine! I'll stay! I'll wait until you're finished eating, okay?" He practically spat out the words. "After you finish eating, I'll come help you tonight. I'll do whatever you want me to do. Are you satisfied now?"

"That's more like it." When Yun Qing heard him say that, her bright eyes immediately narrowed into two crescent moons with happiness, her smile full of pride.

Seeing this, Shen Yan said to Yun Qing, "Senior, let Chen eat with us."

Chen Lin pointed to his stomach and said sincerely, "I'm really not hungry. I just ate at the cafeteria at 1 p.m. Besides, Senior Yunqing said she was treating you to dinner, not me."

"Okay," Yun Qing said without looking up as she deftly opened the takeout box and placed the delicious-looking dishes on the table. "Then you just watch from the side and don't get so drooling."

……

Fifteen minutes later.

"It smells so good!"

Chen Lin happily gnawed a pig's trotter clean, threw the bones into a plastic bag, and let out a heartfelt exclamation.

"Tch," Yun Qing glanced at him sideways, a hint of disdain on her lips, "Weren't you not hungry? How come you ate more than the two of us?"

Chen Lin, with skin as thick as a city wall, completely ignored her comment. Instead, he spoke like a gourmet, commenting on the dishes on the table: "Spicy Beauty Trotters, Delicious Bullfrog, Spicy Rabbit Head... Tsk tsk tsk, Senior, did you really bleed money today?"

Yun Qing ignored him and continued chatting with Shen Yan, with whom she had become quite familiar. She even took the initiative to sit next to Shen Yan, acting like a close best friend.

"Yan Yan, so you really paid him to tutor you in math?" she said, placing a piece of bullfrog on Shen Yan's plate. "Aren't you the famous top student at our school? What can he, a Chinese Language and Literature major, possibly teach you?"

Shen Yan had half a spicy rabbit head stuffed in her mouth, her cheeks bulging, and a bit of glistening oil on her lips. Combined with her serious, thoughtful expression, it made her look rather adorably contrasting.

Before Shen Yan could answer, Chen Lin interrupted, his tone brimming with superiority: "Who says liberal arts students can't study math? I'm exceptionally talented and taught myself later, so what? Besides, you can't explain it to someone like you who's in the arts!"

"Oh?" Yun Qing was amused by him, but not angry. She slowly retorted, "Well, you're still pretty stubborn. But at least someone didn't lie to me; they really didn't come here for a date this afternoon."

"cough!"

"Ahem!"

Chen Lin and Shen Yan choked at the same time, and each hurriedly picked up the succulent green grapes on the table and took several deep breaths.

Yun Qing's gaze swept lightly over the two identical drinks in their hands, and a complex and unfathomable look flashed deep in her eyes.

She then laughed again and continued, "However, it seems that our junior Chen Lin is indeed very talented. Not to mention his good physical fitness, his singing skills are even better than mine, the lead singer of the school band. Now he can even teach our top student math. He's really amazing."

Shen Yan finally recovered, and an unnatural blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

After hearing Yun Qing's words, she turned to Chen Lin and asked curiously, "Chen, can you sing?"

"Haha, I know a little bit, just a little bit. It's all self-taught, KTV level, nothing to brag about, nothing to brag about."

While trying to dodge the topic with a laugh, Chen Lin diligently picked up a spicy rabbit head with serving chopsticks.

He placed the rabbit head into Yun Qing's bowl and enthusiastically recommended, "Senior, don't just chat! Try this rabbit head, it's amazing—spicy, numbing, and fragrant, absolutely authentic!"

Yun Qing glanced at him, a smile playing on her lips.

Instead of immediately touching the rabbit head, she said to Shen Yan, "Yan Yan, look, this is a typical sign of a boy feeling guilty. When asked a question he doesn't want to answer, he especially likes to change the subject in various ways."

After saying that, she leisurely picked up her chopsticks, took the rabbit head that Chen Lin had put in her bowl, and began to eat it in small bites.

However, after only two bites, her smug expression froze, her delicate eyebrows furrowed sharply, her face flushed red, and she began to cough violently uncontrollably.

"Cough cough cough! It's so spicy!"

"Senior, are you alright?" Seeing this, Shen Yan quickly handed her her drink. "Quick, drink something to calm down!"

As if she hadn't seen the cup Shen Yan handed her at all, Yun Qing, amidst the flurry of activity, naturally reached out and snatched the cup of succulent green grapes from Chen Lin's hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, she took a big gulp directly from the straw Chen Lin had just used.

"Glug glug..."

Shen Yan: ?

Chen Lin?