The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

Fu Hua looked at his messy hair, wrinkled clothes, and shoes that were coming unglued, and didn't say anything.

"Let's go."

She glanced at the school cafeteria. "Let's eat first."

Li Yan stood still, watching her.

Fu Hua had already taken a few steps forward when she turned back to look at him.

"What are you standing there for? Follow me."

Li Yan followed.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on the two people.

There were still some time before lunchtime, and the cafeteria wasn't crowded.

Fu Hua found a corner by the window and had Li Yan sit down, while she went to the window to order something.

She didn't ask him what he wanted to eat, but ordered four ounces of rice, a serving of braised pork, a serving of stir-fried vegetables, and a large bowl of tomato and egg soup.

When the food was brought back, Li Yan was still sitting there, staring blankly at the table.

"Eat."

Fu Hua pushed the tray over.

Li Yan glanced at her, said nothing, picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

He ate quickly, but without making any noise, taking one bite after another, as if he hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

He didn't bother to wipe the oil from the braised pork from the corners of his mouth.

I ate more than half a bowl of rice and drank half a bowl of soup before I slowed down.

Fu Hua sat opposite him, not saying a word, just looking at him.

Li Yan finished the last bite of rice, put down his chopsticks, and looked up.

Meeting her gaze, he cut to the chase, his voice calm: "Why did you help me?"

Fu Hua leaned back in her chair and said in a flat tone, "Just happened to run into you."

Li Yan stared at her for a few seconds, as if trying to determine whether what she said was true or false.

Then he took out a few crumpled bills from his pocket, counted them, and pushed them in front of Fu Hua.

"This is all I have; I'll return the rest to you."

Fu Hua glanced at the few small bills but didn't touch them.

"Need not."

She sat up straight, a smile playing on her lips: "We've met twice before, so we're friends. When friends treat each other to dinner, there's no need to be so formal."

Li Yan paused in his movements.

"friend?"

He repeated the two words, his eyes slightly dazed.

Fu Hua looked at him without saying a word.

Li Yan lowered his head and slowly collected the loose change.

He recalled his time in the orphanage, when the children would fight over food and clothes, none of them willing to give in.

When he went to school, he got good grades, but the way others looked at him wasn't with envy, it was with rejection.

Nobody plays with him, nobody talks to him.

Occasionally, someone would approach, but only to copy their homework.

He had heard the word "friend" before.

But I never thought it would have anything to do with me.

Where do you live now?

Fu Hua asked.

Li Yan remained silent for two seconds.

"Bridge arch".

Fu Hua scoffed.

Making a top biology student live under a bridge is truly admirable.

After a while, she asked again,

"What about the dormitories assigned by the school?"

"It's been taken back."

Only students in the experimental group are eligible to live in single dormitories.

He has been dismissed.

"Why not reapply?"

Li Yan looked up at her.

"You have to fill out a form, wait for approval, and explain to the logistics staff why there are no dormitories available."

He shook his head. "That's a waste of time. You'd be better off reading a couple more papers."

Fu Hua nodded after listening.

She took a key out of her pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Li Yan.

"You can stay in this house for now."

She added, "Shichahai is not far from the school, and it has water, electricity, and gas."

Li Yan was stunned.

I don't understand why Fu Hua helped her.

Is it really just because we've met twice?

impossible.

Fu Hua took out a few ten-yuan bills from her pocket and placed them next to the keys.

"Go buy some daily necessities and change your clothes."

She sighed, "Humans are social animals after all. If you don't want to attract gossip, you at least have to pretend to be like them."

Li Yan stared at the key and the stack of money on the table, not moving for a long time.

He looked up at Fu Hua.

"Why did you...?"

Fu Hua interrupted him.

"Don't overthink it."

Her eyes flickered slightly as she looked into the void. "I just felt that there might be a place where I could use you in the future."

Li Yan paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

The smile was faint, but genuine.

He put the keys and money away and nodded.

"it is good."

He stood up, took two steps, and then turned back.

"Anyway, I still want to thank you."

Fu Hua waved her hand.

Li Yan walked out of the cafeteria. Sunlight shone on him.

He glanced down at the keys in his hand and gripped them tightly.

Fu Hua watched Li Yan's retreating figure disappear at the cafeteria entrance.

Then I realized that I hadn't eaten yet.

She stood up and went to the window.

I ordered two ounces of rice and a stir-fried vegetable dish, and carried the tray back home.

As soon as I sat down, another person appeared opposite me.

"Fu Hua!?"

Cheng Yue held the rice tray, her eyes sparkling, her face filled with surprise.

"I didn't expect to run into you again."

He looked excited. "You haven't eaten yet? Perfect, let's eat together..."

Fu Hua looked at him without saying a word.

Cheng Yue paused for a moment, then asked, "What would you like to eat? Shall I go and get it for you?"

"Need not."

Fu Hua picked up her chopsticks. "This is enough for me."

Cheng Yue glanced at her plate; there was only one vegetable dish.

He only recently learned that she seems to have a strained relationship with her family.

Is there not enough money for living expenses?

If he insists, won't it hurt her self-esteem?

Cheng Yue didn't say anything more, sat down opposite him, and started eating.

He took a couple of bites, then looked up at her. He took a couple more bites, then looked at her again.

She has fair skin, pink lips, and a cool, aloof expression.

His eyelashes are all perfectly suited to his aesthetic preferences.

If he could marry Fu Hua, he would do anything for the rest of his life.

Fu Hua ignored him and continued eating with her head down.

The cafeteria gradually filled up with people, and the noise of conversation filled the air.

Fu Hua sensed that many eyes were drifting in their direction.

"Isn't that Fu Hua from the Physics Department?"

"Which one?"

"The pretty one by the window."

"Who is that man over there?"

"I don't know, I've never seen it before."

"The campus belle has a boyfriend? Isn't she at the research station? Does she have time to date?"

Whispers drifted over, and Fu Hua tightened her grip on her chopsticks.

She looked up at Cheng Yue.

"Is there anything else?"

Cheng Yue was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head.

"It's nothing, it's just... I wanted to invite you to a movie to express my apology."

He seemed a little uncomfortable, and said with his head down, "There's a new movie out recently, I heard it's from the Soviet Union, it's pretty good."

Fu Hua put down her chopsticks and looked up: "Cheng, thank you for your kindness, but I don't have time to watch the movie."

……

Cheng Yue nodded, not discouraged at all.

Girls should always be a little reserved.

If he's a little thick-skinned and pursues her a few more times, he'll eventually win her over.

As he was thinking, Fu Hua finished the last bite of her rice, picked up her schoolbag, and stood up.

"Take your time eating, I have to go now."

Cheng Yue quickly stood up as well.

Are you going to the hospital?

He followed, saying, "Perfect timing, I also have something to do there, let's go together."

Fu Hua paused, turning her head to look at him.

Cheng Yue stood there, smiling sincerely.

Fu Hua didn't say anything, and turned to walk out.

Cheng Yue followed behind, keeping a distance of two or three steps.

Fu Hua suddenly stopped and turned to look at Cheng Yue.

"We're not going that way."

Cheng Yue was taken aback: "Aren't you going to the hospital?"

"I'm going to the research station."

Cheng Yue opened his mouth, but hadn't thought of what to say next.

Fu Hua had already turned around and walked in another direction.

He stood there, watching the figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared around the corner.