“What do you want to eat? Order quickly.” Jiang Li handed Tong Yi the menu, who took it with a smile. When he noticed that shrimp was available, but Jiang Xiao Li hadn’t ordered any, he smiled knowingly. He ordered two servings of shrimp, along with some of his favorite dishes, and handed the menu to the waiter. Once the food arrived, Tong Yi expertly cooked them. When the shrimp were ready, he quickly peeled a few and placed them into Jiang Li’s dipping sauce.
Seeing this, Wen Wan couldn’t resist her curiosity, “Jiang Li, do you like shrimp?”
Jiang Li nodded, “Yeah, it’s one of my favorites.”
“Then why didn’t you order any earlier?” Wen Wan looked puzzled.
Tong Yi replied on her behalf, smiling, “She loves eating shrimp but doesn’t like peeling it.”
Wen Wan had a look of “I see” as she glanced at Tong Yi and then at Jiang Li, who was comfortably being taken care of by her ‘nephew.’ She suddenly felt like she had just stumbled upon a great secret!
Even if Jiang Li and Tong Yi weren’t officially dating, it was clear that Tong Yi had feelings for Jiang Li. Anyone could see it, except for Jiang Li herself, who was simply too close to the situation to notice.
‘Should I tell Jiang Li that Tong Yi liked her?’
‘Hmm, maybe not. Every love story is most beautiful in its budding phase, and no one should not spoil that!’
Lin Zhao noticed Wen Wan daydreaming, so he gently placed her favorite dish into her bowl and softly reminded her, “Eat up, or the food’s going to get cold.”
Wen Wan replied with a quick “Oh,” and obediently started eating.
Right—she couldn’t just focus on shipping other people’s relationships and neglect Lin Zhao. After all, they wouldn’t be attending the same school anymore, and she wouldn’t get to see him as often.
‘When would he realize that I have a crush on him?’ Wen Wan wanted to sigh in melancholy.
Four people sat around the table enjoying the hotpot, each with their own thoughts. Although they weren’t very familiar with one another yet, the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
As the meal was wrapping up, Tong Yi used a restroom trip as an excuse to settle the bill. When Wen Wan later tried to pay, the staff informed her that the bill had already been taken care of.
Realizing that Tong Yi had paid, Wen Wan shyly said, “I was supposed to treat everyone.”
Tong Yi responded, half-jokingly and half-seriously, “If I had just eaten for free and not paid after crashing in, do you think Jiang Xiao Li would let me off the hook?”
Wen Wan glanced at Jiang Li and slowly shook her head. “Jiang Li is really nice. She was just joking with you; she’d never actually hit you.”
Tong Yi smiled. “Well then, how about next time you treat us?”
Wen Wan immediately nodded, “Sure! Whenever I go to a new place, I want to try all the local foods. The four of us can meet up often for meals.”
This way, she’d also get to see Lin Zhao more frequently!
Lin Zhao teased her with a smile, “They’re not foodies like you. They might not have time to meet up often. Why don’t you just stick with me?”
Wen Wan thought for a moment and softly replied, “That… that works, too.”
After finishing their meal, it was time for the group to part ways. Jiang Li and Wen Wan had to return to their campus to collect their military training uniforms, and with a class meeting scheduled for the evening, they couldn’t afford to linger outside for too long.
After seeing the girls off at the campus gate, Tong Yi turned to Lin Zhao with a smile, “So, is that little girl just now your girlfriend?”
Lin Zhao was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. “She’s my neighbor, just like a little sister to me. We’re good friends.”
Tong Yi nodded. “So, you only see her as a friend? I think she’s pretty cute. I wonder if she has a boyfriend…”
“She’s only sixteen.” Before Tong Yi could finish, Lin Zhao interrupted him and, after a few seconds, added, “She won’t get into a relationship before she’s of age.”
Tong Yi smirked, his expression teasing, and said, “Well, you’d better keep an eye on her. Who knows, she might get swooped up by some guy from her uni.”
Lin Zhao frowned. Although Wen Wan was sweet and well-behaved, she did secretly read manga and follow idol dramas behind her parents’ backs. If someone started pursuing her, would she be swayed?
No way. He needed to warn her in advance, tell her that many guys weren’t trustworthy, so she wouldn’t be deceived by those with ulterior motives.
Tong Yi noticed Lin Zhao’s furrowed brows and instantly felt much better. During the meal, he had already sensed that Lin Zhao had some interest in Jiang Xiao Li’s new friend, though it seemed the guy hadn’t fully realized it yet.
Seeing Lin Zhao in this state reminded Tong Yi of his own past, so he couldn’t resist teasing him a little. Earlier, when Jiang Xiao Li was on the phone with him, Lin Zhao had said a couple of things that made him mistakenly think Jiang Xiao Li had met a guy she liked. That had sent his emotions into turmoil for a while. Now it was Lin Zhao’s turn to overthink things. As they say, what goes around comes around.
Who knows—when Lin Zhao finally figures out his feelings, maybe he’ll even be grateful for this little push?
Tong Yi felt like he had done a good deed and was in an even better mood.
…
After entering the campus, Jiang Li and Wen Wan headed straight to the dormitory. They had just had a hotpot, so they needed to go back to wash their hair, take a shower, and change clothes.
On the way, Wen Wan felt her phone vibrate. She took it out, and when she saw that it was a text from Lin Zhao, her lips curved up into a small smile.
But after reading the message, she let out a huff and pretended she hadn’t seen it, slipping the phone back into her pocket.
Jiang Li asked curiously, “What are you huffing about?”
Wen Wan huffed again. “It’s just that big idiot Lin Zhao. He’s always making me angry.
“What did he say?” Jiang Li asked, intrigued. Although she wasn’t very familiar with Lin Zhao, she could tell that he was exceptionally caring for Wen Wan.
Wen Wan pursed her lips. “He told me that I should focus on studying and not think about relationships for now! He even said a lot of guys can’t be trusted and warned me not to get tricked.”
Jiang Li was surprised. “He’s not your boyfriend?”
Wen Wan’s cheeks turned red. “Of course not! Well… not yet, at least.”
Jiang Li responded with a simple “Oh,” and then very directly asked, “So, you like Lin Zhao?”
After hesitating for a moment, Wen Wan finally whispered, “I… well… just don’t tell Lin Zhao that I like him, okay?”
Jiang Li hadn’t expected this. It seemed Wen Wan was still in the crush stage. “Alright, I won’t tell him.” Seeing Wen Wan’s embarrassed expression, Jiang Li assured her. “Even if we have another meal together, I promise not to say anything.”
When it came to dating and whatnot, Jiang Li, who didn’t have any experience herself, dared not offer any advice.
…
Jiang Li realized that the process of starting university wasn’t all that different from starting high school. Maybe it was because she had the highest exam score this year and had previous experience as a class committee member, but the advisor actually wanted to appoint her as a temporary class committee member.
Jiang Li knew very well that even if she accepted the role, she wouldn’t be a competent committee member. In high school, she had always had her competent deputy Qin Zheng to back her up. Now, there was no one to help her, so she firmly refused the offer, leaving the advisor both amused and exasperated.
Next came two weeks of military training. Thanks to the thick sunscreen she used, Jiang Li’s skin remained unchanged, which made Wen Wan envious.
After the military training, the students had two days to rest, and then the official start of the semester would begin.
“Jiang Li, didn’t you mention wanting to donate blood? Lin Zhao is going to the blood donation center today. Do you want to go too?” Wen Wan asked, her eyes full of anticipation.
Jiang Li nodded, though she was a bit suspicious. “Why do I get the feeling you’re especially eager for me to go to the blood donation center today?”
Wen Wan immediately replied, “If you go, I can accompany you.”
Jiang Li gave her a knowing smile. “Are you sure you’re accompanying me and not Lin Zhao?”
Wen Wan’s cute face flushed. “Well… it’s all the same,” she whispered awkwardly. “Since both of you are going, I’ll be accompanying you both. I’m still underage, so I can’t donate blood yet, but I can keep you company.”
Jiang Li laughed and patted her head. “Girl, just be honest, alright?”
Over the past few weeks, Jiang Li had gotten used to patting Wen Wan’s head. She was starting to understand why her grandfather and uncle always liked to pat her head, too.
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