Chapter 228: This Is My Seat

“Seriously, everyone is being so mean.”

Yang Shuli couldn’t eat lunch at her usual spot today and had to come out to forage for food.

Xu Nian had things to do this afternoon. After repeatedly apologizing and promising to treat her to a big meal later, he had vanished.

She had then repeatedly asked her dear roommates in their group chat what they were having for lunch, but not a single person had replied to her.

After catching her roommates after class, she had discovered something important.

Little Bird and Gou Yu were leaving right after the lecture. Gou Yu was going to deliver food, and Little Bird was going to work.

Although Ye Qingchang and Liu Xie had no other plans, the two of them had teamed up to order a group-buy meal. For a moment, it made Yang Shuli feel a bit redundant.

Of course, after finally realizing their Dorm Leader had nothing to eat, Ye Qingchang and Liu Xie suggested a three-person group buy, which was much cheaper than the two-person option.

However, as Yang Shuli looked at that one yuan and ninety cents fried rice, she really couldn’t bring herself to buy a portion for herself.

Ye Qingchang and Liu Xie, who were beside her, even said that if a one yuan and ninety cents meal gave you diarrhea, you should still praise it for aiding digestion, but Yang Shuli decided to head out to eat anyway.

She had spent too much time eating with Xu Nian every day, so she suddenly didn’t know what she should eat on her own.

She felt that her roommates probably didn’t trust her enough. When she first sent messages in the group, not a single person believed her.

Although she had previously claimed to have nowhere to eat while actually going out with Xu Nian, she felt that it shouldn’t happen more than three times. Why did her dear roommates stop believing her after only the second time?

Still unsure of what to eat, Yang Shuli looked at the dazzling array of shops outside, feeling a bit lost.

‘Maybe I’ll just buy a bucket of instant noodles and make do back at the dorm,’ Yang Shuli thought as she walked toward the grocery store she remembered.

She wasn’t just walking; she liked to look around, using the various delicacies she saw on the road to enrich her mental menu.

A braised meat sandwich seemed alright. It would be even better if the old man selling them didn’t add chopped chili peppers.

Chili fried pork noodles—she felt a person from Hunan would enjoy them more.

Cream puffs—she bought too many every single time, and the ones she couldn’t finish would turn sour by the next day.

Yang Shuli suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Oh, Western food.

Xu Nian had certainly taken her to eat this before. Her evaluation was that the portions were small and the flavors were bland. If the sauce were replaced with the braised gravy from the Longjiang pig trotter rice next door, it would probably be more fragrant.

Xu Nian had also taken her for Japanese food, which was even harder to describe.

After one look, Yang Shuli intended to leave.

But a glimpse from the corner of her eye made her stop.

Through the restaurant window, she saw a familiar figure.

Xu Nian.

He was sitting straight inside, looking down at his phone. Maybe he was waiting for someone, or maybe he was waiting for his food.

But it was definitely impossible that he was secretly eating behind her back. On the subject of eating, she didn’t even trust her roommates, but she uniquely trusted Xu Nian.

Every time she went out to eat with Xu Nian, she always felt like he was a companion she had hired to watch her eat. Most of the time, he just sat beside her, staring at her while she finished her meal.

But it was fine; she was thick-skinned. Even if someone stared at her, she could still eat.

After confirming it was Xu Nian, she thought for a moment and decided to leave.

Xu Nian had said he had things to do today. Even if she ran into him by chance, she shouldn’t disturb him. Xu Nian would eat his Western food, and she would go buy her instant noodles.

“Darn it, why does it feel like I’m about to drool?”

She turned back for one last look at Xu Nian.

As if by the luck of that final glance, Xu Nian happened to look up at that exact moment, meeting Yang Shuli’s eyes.

Both were stunned for a moment. Then, Yang Shuli quickly feigned the surprise of a chance encounter to prevent him from seeing she had been staring for a long time.

Then she saw Xu Nian wave.

‘Huh? Really? In here?’

Yang Shuli pointed at herself in confusion and looked around. She received a nod from Xu Nian.

Since Xu Nian had said so, she would reluctantly go eat Western food.

Of course, it definitely wasn’t because she was craving it, nor was it because she wanted to have lunch with Xu Nian. It’s just that Xu Nian called for her. ‘He needs me.’

Humming a little tune, Yang Shuli skipped into the restaurant. The staff at the door even thought she was someone’s child and didn’t even greet her.

“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you had things to do today?”

Yang Shuli walked up to Xu Nian, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down.

Then, as if realizing something, she jumped up like a startled fawn.

“Is anyone sitting here?” Yang Shuli asked cautiously.

“It’s fine, just sit there.”

Although it was a table for two, the table was large enough to play mahjong on.

Sitting down, Yang Shuli glanced at Xu Nian, who was staring straight at her, and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

“Uh, I just happened to be passing by and met your eyes. If you hadn’t called me in, I wouldn’t have planned to bother you today,” Yang Shuli said, making the event seem entirely coincidental.

The corners of Xu Nian’s mouth curled up, and that gentle expression reappeared on his face.

He only remembered that when he looked up earlier, he saw someone pressed against the glass, looking like they were about to drool—their image was completely shattered.

“It’s fine, it’s no big deal.”

Then, Xu Nian raised his hand to call a waiter. “Add one more filet to this table. Tomato base, well-done.”

“Sir, we only offer medium-rare, medium, and medium-well here,” the waiter said.

“She has a weak stomach and can’t eat raw food. If your chef can’t make it well-done, tell him to take off his hat and I’ll go in and do it myself.”

Xu Nian still wore that smiling expression, but his tone was anything but friendly.

The waiter apologized and left.

“Hey, Old Xu, can I bring outside food in here? I saw someone selling candied hawthorns outside just now.”

“Of course.”

Yang Shuli rushed out to buy the candied hawthorns.

At that moment, the crisp clicking of high heels sounded as a girl with short black hair rushed back from the restroom.

She seemed to have touched up her makeup, and she smiled sweetly at Xu Nian, who was still in his seat.

“I thought you would take this opportunity to leave without mercy.” Her smile held joy as she sat in the seat opposite Xu Nian.

Xu Nian was about to say something, but then he closed his mouth.

Someone had spoken before him.

“Could you please get lost? This is my seat.”

The voice was cold, and it didn’t match the youthful tone at all.

It was Yang Shuli, who had returned from buying the candied hawthorns.