Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

Chapter 146 Even Pumpkins Are Picked?

There were seven people queuing at the steamed dish window on the third floor.

Li Chen stood at the back of the line, his gaze sweeping over the heads in front of him as he looked at the steamer.

A dozen stainless steel basins were stacked on the aluminum shelf, with white steam rising from the rims.

The steamed pumpkin and pork ribs are in the second to last compartment on the left, and there's still more than half left in the bowl.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Qiang followed behind him, standing on tiptoe to look ahead.

"Is there?"

"have."

"I'll have one too—"

"There's not much pork rib left in the middle section." Li Chen's gaze didn't leave the steaming pot. "You can eat something else."

Wang Qiang opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He took a step back.

"OK."

The line moved forward three positions.

Li Chen went to the window, bent down and glanced at the pumpkin in the basin.

Orange-yellow pumpkin chunks are piled on top of the ribs, and they are not all the same size.

The pieces on the left are darker in color, and the edges have collapsed, indicating they were thoroughly steamed.

The one on the right is lighter in color and has a firmer shape.

"Auntie, could you please make me a serving of steamed pork ribs with pumpkin?"

"Okay."

"Use less oil, and use the middle section of the ribs. Choose the softest part of the pumpkin, like the pieces on the left."

The cafeteria worker's spoon stopped in mid-air.

She looked up at Li Chen.

"Young man, are you here to eat or to order?"

"I called for my girlfriend."

The aunt's expression changed.

The spoon precisely scooped up three pieces of pork ribs from the middle section, and then shoved the soft, mushy pumpkin pieces on the left into the lunchbox.

"Is that enough?"

"Add a little more broth. Not too much, just enough to cover the ribs."

The aunt took a deep breath.

"Your girlfriend is so lucky."

Li Chen took the lunchbox and closed the lid.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Wang Qiang watched the entire process from the side.

He held a plate of Kung Pao Chicken that he had just casually ordered, his expression complex.

"You even need to inspect the firmness of the pumpkin on-site?"

She said she wouldn't eat it if it was hard.

"Couldn't you just reply with 'we'll see'?"

"It depends on the situation. If she says she won't eat, then she really won't."

Li Chen carried the lunchbox towards the stairwell. Wang Qiang followed a couple of steps behind.

"Aren't you eating here?"

"Send it over first."

"The architecture department is in the east campus, a ten-minute walk away. If you drop it off and then come back to eat, the food will get cold."

I'll eat over there.

There's no cafeteria over there.

"She will save a seat for me."

Wang Qiang stopped.

He watched Li Chen's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs.

Three seconds later, he took out his phone.

Group 302.

[Wang Qiang: He left. He was carrying a box of steamed pork ribs with pumpkin. The cleaning lady was almost driven to quit her job by him.]

[Zhao Zixuan: Do you even have to pick and choose pumpkins?]

[Wang Qiang: Pick the weak ones. (Original quote.)]

[Chen Mo: Record complete. Li Chen's execution of Yan Xi's dietary preferences has reached industrial-grade precision. Sample number #187.]

[Zhao Zixuan: What does he eat by himself?]

Wang Qiang: I don't know. He said he'd eat over there.

[Zhao Zixuan: That's the architecture department's teaching building. There's no cafeteria there.]

[Wang Qiang: So he'll most likely go hungry. Or his sister-in-law will feed him.]

The group was silent for four seconds.

[Chen Mo: The prediction model leans towards the latter. Probability 87%.]

……

Li Chen crossed the central square and turned into the connecting corridor in the east area.

The lunchbox was wrapped in an insulated bag from the cafeteria and carried in my right hand. My left hand was free to send messages.

[Li Chen: It's done. The pumpkin is soft. The middle section of the ribs. Less oil. On its way.]

Twelve seconds later.

[Yan Xi: How long will it take to get there?]

[Li Chen: Seven minutes.]

[Yan Xi: Six minutes. I'm hungry.]

Li Chen's pace increased from 120 steps per minute to 140 steps per minute.

Six minutes later, he stood at the entrance of the lecture hall on the second floor of Building No. 3 in the architecture department.

The door was open. The room was mostly empty, with only a few students packing up their belongings.

Yan Xi sat in the third row by the window.

He had a copy of "A History of Modern and Contemporary Architecture" open in front of him and was twirling a pencil in his hand.

She looked away from the pages of the book.

It landed on the insulated bag in Li Chen's hand.

"Six minutes and eight seconds."

There's construction at one of the intersections on the road.

"Timeout."

"Eight seconds."

Yan Xi put down the pencil.

Points deducted.

Li Chen walked up to her and placed the insulated bag on the table. He unzipped it, took out the lunchbox, and opened the lid.

Steam rose from the ceiling. The aroma of steamed pumpkin and pork ribs filled the lecture hall.

Yan Xi glanced down.

Her gaze lingered on the pieces of pumpkin for two seconds.

"Have you already chosen one?"

"The ones on the left that are thoroughly steamed."

Yan Xi picked up a spoon, scooped up a small piece of pumpkin, and put it in her mouth.

I chewed it twice.

"Pass."

Li Chen sat down next to her.

"Just passing?"

"The pumpkin fibers are still a bit coarse. The auntie steamed it for three minutes too short."

"I can't control that."

"So I can only pass."

Yan Xi pushed the lunchbox towards Li Chen.

"eat."

"You eat first."

"You didn't eat lunch."

This is not a question.

Li Chen's fingers paused on the table for a moment.

How did you know?

"You got your food from the third floor and left directly. It took you six minutes and eight seconds. If you had eaten on the third floor and then left, based on your eating speed and walking time, it would have taken at least twenty-two minutes."

She scooped up a piece of pork rib and held it to his mouth.

Open your mouth.

Li Chen looked at the ribs on the spoon.

The middle section. The meat is plump, the bones are short, and it's coated with a thin layer of dark brown broth.

He opened his mouth and caught it.

The savory flavor of the ribs melts in your mouth. The meat slides off the bone, so tender that it requires no effort to remove.

"Is it tasty?"

"tasty."

"Then don't come to bring me food on an empty stomach next time." Yan Xi put away her spoon and scooped up a spoonful of pumpkin for herself. "You can finish eating first and then come. I can wait."

"You said you were hungry."

Yan Xi's spoon bumped against the edge of the lunchbox.

"If I say I'm hungry, you're not going to eat?"

"You said six minutes."

"Six minutes was just a joke."

Li Chen looked at her.

Yan Xi lowered her head and ate pumpkin.

"Eat your fill first next time," she said in a low voice. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you."

The two sat in the empty lecture hall, sharing a lunchbox.

Yan Xi was in charge of scooping, and Li Chen was in charge of eating what she handed him.

Occasionally, she would take a bite herself. The distribution ratio was roughly 30/70—30% for her and 70% for him.