Oh no, the aloof school beauty has been reborn too!

"..."

Shen Qingyi stood there, staring at Lu Xing for several seconds.

"Land journey".

"Um?"

"You're so silly."

Although her tone was helpless, there was already a smile in her eyes.

Lu Xing raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"But today is Thursday."

"So what?"

"We should eat KFC on Thursdays; it's a tradition that's become a common understanding among young people these days."

Shen Qingyi's eyes crinkled with amusement at his words, and then she pondered for a while.

"Okay~"

She gently shook the two hands that were clasped together.

"I haven't eaten at KFC in ages."

Let's go out for a meal today.

……

There happens to be a KFC nearby.

The two followed the navigation for a few minutes and then saw the familiar red and white sign in the distance.

It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was quite crowded.

There were families of three dining out with their children, and several young people gathered together, their tables piled high with hamburgers and fried chicken.

The air was filled with the unique aroma of fried food, mixed with the laughter of children, making it exceptionally lively.

Lu Xing found a seat by the window, and Shen Qingyi untied her scarf and sat down beside him.

"What would you like to eat?"

Lu Xing took out his phone and scanned the QR code on the corner of the table.

"Today, of course, we'll eat whatever's on sale!"

He opened the menu, found the Crazy Thursday section, and browsed through the various special offers one by one.

Chicken wings, chicken nuggets, egg tarts...

Looking at the golden-yellow pictures on the screen, Lu Xing was really hungry.

"One of these, please."

"This seems like a pretty good deal..."

"Would you like some egg tarts?"

Shen Qingyi rested her chin on her hand as she looked at him, and reminded him:

"You've already ordered a lot."

"rest assured."

Lu Xing added another item to his shopping cart.

"I haven't had fried food like this in a long time, so I'm really looking forward to it."

When he was busy with work, he was never particular about food.

Sometimes when projects are on a tight schedule, instant noodles and takeout are delivered in rotation, and what you eat depends entirely on which delivery is the fastest.

But later on, he rarely touched such high-oil, high-calorie foods.

It's not that I'm particularly health-conscious...

It just seems like no one's with me, and when I eat alone, nothing tastes much different.

Shen Qingyi gazed at him quietly.

Lu Xing was looking down, trying to figure out how much cheaper the package deal would be, while the girl's eyes softened little by little.

He won't be able to stay in Jiangcheng for long.

School hasn't started yet, but he still wants to go back to Nanhe.

Even though it was only for a few days, she was already very happy.

He was willing to take a bus ride of several hours to come back and see her.

For years, even when he was on a business trip, this fool remained the same.

As for where the two of them go next, what they eat, and what they do, none of that really matters.

if only……

It's good that he's here.

Shen Qingyi pursed her lips and gently placed her hand on the back of Lu Xing's hand.

Lu Xing was comparing the prices of the two packages when he suddenly felt something soft on the back of his hand.

His movements paused slightly.

Then, as if by instinct, he turned his hand over and took hers.

Her slender, soft fingers slipped between his fingers and slowly clasped together with his.

Lu Xing raised his head.

The light from the window was reflected in her clear, bright eyes, and a gentle smile graced her face.

She just looked at him like that.

For some reason, Lu Xing suddenly paused for a moment.

At some vague, untraceable point in time, it seems someone else shook his hand like that.

Just watch him quietly.

Lu Xing's breathing became erratic.

A few seconds later, he suddenly came to his senses.

As if to cover something up, Lu Xing hurriedly lowered his head and completed the payment.

"I've ordered it."

He coughed lightly.

"You should be able to pick up your food soon; KFC is always pretty quick to serve."

Shen Qingyi blinked.

She clearly noticed his momentary daze, but didn't point it out.

She only squeezed his fingers lightly before letting go.

"I'll go get the food later."

"it is good."

Lu Xing casually placed his phone on the table.

Shen Qingyi lowered her head and pursed her lips, hiding the smile on her face.

Not long after, a notification popped up on my phone to pick up my food.

Shen Qingyi got up and went to the food counter.

When she returned, she was carrying a full plate of fried food.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xing quickly stood up and took a portion of it.

"Wait, why are there so many?"

Shen Qingyi glanced at him.

"I didn't realize there were so many when I looked at the pictures?"

Lu Xing placed the plate on the table and fell into deep thought.

"It seems the merchants aren't playing the 'images are for reference only' card game this time."

"Do you know a bit more now?"

"It's alright, it's not a big problem."

Lu Xing opened a packet of ketchup, his tone calm.

"Take your time eating. If it doesn't work out, you can always take the leftovers home."

Shen Qingyi sat down beside him and first put on gloves.

He then picked up the fried chicken and took a small bite.

The crispy outer layer made a crackling sound.

Even when eating fried chicken, a food that is by no means elegant, her movements remained refined.

Not a single crumb remained on his lips, and he even seemed remarkably composed when spitting out bones.

Lu Xing munched on a chicken wing, staring at her for a while.

Then he looked down at the chicken wing in his hand, which was now just a bone.

He suddenly sighed.

Shen Qingyi sharply raised her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Xing paused for two seconds, then said truthfully:

"I just suddenly realized that you always seem to eat quite politely."

"Even eating fried chicken looks good..."

Shen Qingyi was stunned for a moment.

"what?"

"Then I thought back to how I ate."

Lu Xing looked down at himself.

"It feels...like a wild boar eating."

"..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Looking at it this way, isn't it a beauty and the beast story?"

Shen Qingyi was stunned for two seconds before she finally reacted.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she reached out and patted his arm.

"What nonsense are you spouting now!"

"I've been eating like this since I was a child, it's become a habit."

"You can praise that?"

Lu Xing immediately stopped smiling and became serious.

"This is not a compliment."

"I'm just stating the facts."

Seeing his serious expression, Shen Qingyi couldn't help but pat him again.

"You're so good at talking."

Lu Xing let her hit him, his smile only growing wider.

The two ate and chatted about their families during the Spring Festival.

Lu Xing recounted how his younger sister stubbornly refused to admit she wanted to learn to paint, but then secretly peeked out from outside the door to ask when the trial class was.

Shen Qingyi chuckled softly upon hearing this.

"Ningning has always been like this."

"Still being stubborn?"

"Um."

Shen Qingyi nodded.

"They won't admit it, but it's all written on their faces."

Lu Xing glanced at her.

"You seem to know her quite well..."

Shen Qingyi paused slightly.

"Of course!"

She quickly smiled.

Do you know anything about something called genetic inheritance?

Lu Xing was stunned for a moment, and then reacted after a few seconds.

He scratched his cheek.

"...Cough, I wasn't being stubborn, was I?"

Shen Qingyi shrugged, her face completely unconcerned.

Who knows?

……

Sure enough, quite a bit of food was left on the table by the end of the meal.

When you're hungry, it's best not to overestimate your appetite...

Not everyone can have a big appetite.

Lu Xing looked at the fried chicken on his plate, then at Shen Qingyi, who had already put her hand down.

"Can you still eat?"

Shen Qingyi shook her head decisively.

Lu Xing sighed regretfully.

Looks like we'll have to pack it up.

He was about to get up and go to the front desk to ask for a takeout bag when a voice suddenly came from the side.

"Excuse me, may I bother you?"

Lu Xing paused in his steps.

A man with a drink sat down next to them.

The man was wearing a black windbreaker, with a camera hanging on his chest and a bulging camera bag slung over his shoulder.

Lu Xing frowned slightly.

"What's up?"

"Let me introduce myself first."

The man gave an apologetic smile.

"My name is Gu Yanchuan, and I'm a street photography blogger."

"The account mainly posts about city life and stories of passersby."

He looked somewhat embarrassed as he said this.

"I'm here to apologize."

"The scene of the two of you holding hands just now was so beautiful."

"This girl is very photogenic, and I couldn't resist taking a quick snapshot of her."

Lu Xing's brows furrowed even deeper.

Filming without permission is not something to be praised.

He was about to speak when he saw Gu Yanchuan take a freshly developed photo out of his camera bag and gently push it in front of the two of them.

"I'm so sorry!"

"But you can look at the photos first."

Shen Qingyi also came over.

Pedestrians come and go outside the glass window, and there are many customers sitting inside the store.

The noisy crowd was slightly blurred by the camera, leaving only a warm, hazy color.

In the center of the picture, the girl rests her chin on her hand, while her other hand gently rests on the back of his hand.

The boy naturally turned his palm over and took her hand in his.

Neither of them looked at the camera.

The afternoon light fell on the table, illuminating the two people's clasped hands.

Lu Xing glanced at the photo on the table.

It must be admitted that the other party is indeed very good at capturing images.

Although there are many unrelated people in the photo, it doesn't look cluttered.

On the contrary, the presence of those people and the bustling atmosphere inside the store made their small patch of quiet all the more apparent.

Gu Yanchuan continued:

"Whether you two like it or not, I'm giving you this photo as an apology for taking it without my consent."

"However, if possible, I would like to include this footage in the video."

"Of course! I will respect your opinions 100%."

He pointed to the plates on the table.

"If you agree, I'll treat you to this meal as part of the filming fee."

Lu Xing did not agree without authorization.

He turned his head and looked at Shen Qingyi.

Shen Qingyi did not answer immediately.

She examined the photo carefully for a while, her fingertips lightly tracing the edges.

A moment later, Shen Qingyi raised her head.

"Can we see your account?"

"Of course!"

Gu Yanchuan slapped his forehead and laughed awkwardly.

"Look at me, I was so busy explaining that I almost forgot about this."

He quickly took out his phone, opened his Douyin profile, and placed it in front of the two of them.

The account is called "Yan Chuan Lens" and has more than 400,000 followers.

The videos on the homepage mostly record ordinary people on the street, including street vendors closing up late at night and elderly couples sharing an umbrella in the snow.

Each video consistently gets over 10,000 views, with some even garnering over a million likes.

Although not a particularly outstanding top-tier account...

But this size is already enough to be seen by many people.

Lu Xing and Shen Qingyi both thought of the same question at the same time.

The families of both sides may also see the video.

Shen Qingyi turned her head to look at him.

There was no trepidation in her expression; instead, there was a hint of eager anticipation in her smile.

Are you scared?

Lu Xing was taken aback, then shook his head and chuckled.

"What am I afraid of?"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

He never intended to hide this relationship.

I just want to wait until I've grown up before I can handle everything properly.

Lu Xing looked at Gu Yanchuan.

"You can send the video."

Gu Yanchuan's eyes lit up.

Lu Xing continued:

"However, there are a few conditions."

"First, when posting, you need to tag both of our Douyin accounts in the text or comments section."

"Secondly, our photos and related materials are only authorized for use in this video, and cannot be edited for use in other videos or provided to third parties."

"Third, this video can only be posted to the account you just showed."

"If there are any other uses in the future, we will need to be granted our consent again."

Gu Yanchuan paused for a moment, then his smile became much more serious.

"Yes, absolutely no problem."

He looked at Lu Xing and said, half-jokingly:

"It's rare to meet such a meticulous young person like you."

"Don't worry, I really think you two are very photogenic, both in terms of appearance and the atmosphere when you're together."

"My professional instincts kicked in, and I just couldn't resist taking a picture."

Gu Yanchuan picked up his phone.

"How about this, let's add each other on WeChat."

"I'll transfer the money for this meal to you first, and I'll also send you the edited video for confirmation in advance."

Lu Xing operated the machine a few times and displayed the QR code.

"No need for money."

"We came out to eat on our own anyway, it has nothing to do with whether you take pictures or not."

"As long as the conditions I just mentioned can be met, that's fine."

Gu Yanchuan opened his mouth, but finally gave a helpless smile.

"Okay, we'll do it your way."