It was a rare occasion when the teacher didn't keep them late, and Wang Qiqi managed to exit with the crowd right as the bell rang. "Finally, class let out on time for once." Qiqi hadn't eaten much that morning because her stomach felt a bit off. She’d been dreading a delay like yesterday's—an extra fifteen minutes would have left her barely able to walk to the lunch spot.

Shi Man walked over and hooked her arm through Qiqi’s. “Feeling better in your stomach?” She truly couldn't fathom why Qiqi got stomach aches when she never touched anything cold.

Qiqi also found it odd. Since her rebirth, she'd been meticulous about her health, so this discomfort was strange. "Maybe I caught a chill yesterday."

Shi Man considered this possibility. "Use the lighter quilt tonight, then."

The three of them discussed a math problem the teacher had explained that morning. As they reached the school gate, just as they were about to turn right toward their usual lunch spot, they heard someone calling out. “Qiqi Jie! Qiqi Jie!”

The moment Wang Qiqi heard that voice, she knew she was about to foot the bill today. She looked up and there she was—a certain girl waving enthusiastically. Qiqi’s head immediately started to throb. Suddenly, being let out on time didn't seem like such a good thing. Still, she hadn't expected this kid to be outside eating so quickly. Had the school cafeteria food gotten even worse?

Shi Man saw Wang Rui’s bright smile as she waved continuously towards them and pursed her lips. “What a coincidence. But the current first-year students really do have money; they’ve only been here a few days and they’re already eating out.” She recalled how they had eaten in the cafeteria for several months before even thinking about trying the outside stir-fry places.

“That just proves the cafeteria food is getting worse and worse,” Zhu Lina chimed in. She’d eaten at the cafeteria last semester, and the quality had been dropping steadily. While the price hadn't changed, the quality and portion sizes of the dishes meant it was effectively a price hike. “By the way, Xiaoman, didn’t you mention wanting reforms last time? I think it’d be best to bring in a few more vendors; it would save us from having to go this far.”

There were two senior high schools and two junior high schools nearby, making it a central hub for secondary education. This meant there were plenty of small eateries, but only a few with genuinely good cooking. If you arrived even a little late, you often had to wait for a table. Still, many preferred going out because the food outside was marginally better.

Listening to the other two lament the school cafeteria food, Wang Qiqi slowly walked towards Wang Rui. “Xiaorui, you’re not eating in school today?”

Wang Rui proactively linked arms with Wang Qiqi. “En, the school food isn't great. Jie, what are you guys planning to eat? Can you take a little sister along?” While eating out offered more choices than the cafeteria, it was also more expensive. Even being careful with money, Wang Rui found the allowance her mother gave her didn't stretch far. Seeing Wang Qiqi today was a golden opportunity—if she could get invited, at least this lunch wouldn't cost her anything.

“We’re having fast food,” Zhu Lina stated. They had originally planned to go to a certain good stir-fry place and order two dishes and a soup, but seeing Wang Rui now, Zhu Lina didn't feel like treating her to something nice.

Fast food? “You mean Cai Ji’s?” Wang Rui might have only been eating out for a few days, but she knew Cai Ji’s boxed meals nearby were rumored to be decent. She’d heard their eight-yuan special—two meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, plus a soup—was quite good.

“En.” Although Cai Ji’s boxed meals were decent, Wang Qiqi wasn’t overly fond of them. Could food cooked in a giant wok ever compare to food cooked in a smaller one? Still, their boxed meals were considered top-tier in the vicinity.

The four walked slowly towards Cai Ji’s. Before they even reached the entrance, they saw a crowd already gathered. Seeing so many people, Wang Qiqi felt a sudden urge to retreat. In winter, the crowd might offer some warmth, but in summer, Qiqi felt like she could already smell the heavy scent of sweat.

Wang Rui threw out a declaration. “Jie, I’m going to grab a table!” and dashed inside. She figured no matter what, if she secured a seat, Wang Qiqi would definitely cover the bill—she certainly wouldn't just buy meal vouchers for the other three.

Shi Man could only shake her head. Although Wang Qiqi probably already intended to treat them, Wang Rui’s current attitude clearly signaled she had no intention of paying herself. “Five-yuan meals?” For someone freeloading, why aim for the eight-yuan combo? Giving a freeloader something this good—a three-yuan box lunch would have been enough.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. Saving money was fine, but the five-yuan dishes were a bit lacking. “Let’s get the eight-yuan ones.” Qiqi pulled thirty yuan from her pocket and handed it to the owner. “Boss, four of the eight-yuan fast meals, please.”

The owner quickly handed over four eight-yuan meal vouchers and eight yuan in change, then immediately served the next customer. To streamline operations and prevent losses from people skipping out on payments, they had adopted this voucher system—you paid first, then redeemed the vouchers for your order. Even with the added cost of printing the vouchers, it was better than the money lost previously to customers who dined and dashed.

Wang Qiqi handed two vouchers to Shi Man and Zhu Lina. “We’re eating too, and we might as well eat something decent to last until five this afternoon.”

Wang Rui noticed many patrons who clearly looked like students were eating the five-yuan boxed meals. While those looked fine too, she’d already set her sights on those two meat dishes.

“Xiaorui, why don’t you go get the food first?” Qiqi walked over, handed her the voucher, and then sat down to reserve the seats. Shi Man and Zhu Lina had already gone to pick out their dishes.

Wang Rui took the voucher and saw the '8' marked on it. She knew her sister had bought the eight-yuan meals. She understood Qiqi’s picky palate—there was no way she’d eat the five-yuan version. Filled with quiet satisfaction, she went to select her preferred dishes. Wang Qiqi sat guarding the four empty chairs, realizing she had no choice as the crowd swelled. The room was suffocatingly stuffy. Even with a fan running, Qiqi felt like she was on the verge of suffocating.

While feeling woozy, Wang Qiqi overheard a few girls nearby discussing Gao Kai. She perked up her ears to listen but, after half an hour, hadn't heard a single piece of gossip she was interested in.

What Qiqi really wanted to hear was whether ‘that person’ was facing misfortune, if falling from the gifted class to a regular one had unbalanced him mentally. But all she heard were comments about how handsome he was, how he smiled at them, and how brilliant that smile was.

Shi Man and Zhu Lina returned with their boxed meals. “Qiqi, go pick out your food.”

Qiqi murmured an acknowledgment and went to select her dishes. It seemed that certain scoundrel was living quite comfortably. Sigh, she thought, where is the justice? Why isn’t anyone criticizing him? Wang Qiqi genuinely didn't understand. Were handsome faces really that favored?

Wang Qiqi was busy choosing her food and didn't notice the girls talking about Gao Kai behind her. Upon hearing Wang Qiqi’s name, the girls suddenly paid closer attention. “Is that Gao Kai’s girlfriend?” One girl hadn't expected that their discussion about Gao Kai would be overheard by his supposed girlfriend. Rumor had it that Gao Kai’s girlfriend was quite fierce, which explained why Gao Kai often told various girls how much he liked them but claimed his girlfriend was too harsh.

“No way, your info is totally outdated. Let me tell you, I heard Gao Kai broke up with that Wang Qiqi a long time ago. I think he’s into Wang Qiqi’s cousin, Wang Rui.”

“No kidding? I saw him hanging out with the star student from Grade Two, Class Seven, just yesterday.”

“What are you talking about? I heard the school's reigning beauty from Grade One is totally hooked by Gao Kai!”

“Impossible. I saw him talking to the class beauty today about where they were eating tonight.”

The girls were chatting animatedly, much to the envy of the few boys standing nearby. Class beauty, school beauty—sigh. But if the male lead was Gao Kai, they knew there was no comparison. It couldn't be helped; the guy was tall, handsome, good at academics, great at sports, and came from a good family. But his character was truly hypocritical—two different people in public and private—which made many boys dislike him intensely.

Shi Man almost turned around to tell those gossiping girls, Excuse me, could you please not discuss private matters in public? Discussing Gao Kai’s private life or romantic history was none of her business. But now that Wang Qiqi was implicated, it felt slightly inappropriate. However, she managed to hold back just in time, having heard such explosive news. She was glad she kept quiet.

Zhu Lina, who had been looking down and eating, started with a jolt when she heard the whispers from the front, but then hearing the subsequent gossip, she let out an impish laugh. It was a pity ‘that person’ wasn't there; it would have been amazing if she’d heard this.

People shouldn't dwell on others, and sure enough, just as Zhu Lina was thinking of someone, that person walked over carrying her boxed meal. Wang Rui happened to catch the last few lines about Gao Kai’s new targets. In an instant, the hand gripping her food container tightened so hard that if one looked closely, the veins would be visible.

Zhu Lina and Shi Man exchanged a glance at Wang Rui’s rigid posture. They tacitly agreed to lower their heads and continue eating. While hearing the truth about Gao Kai was somewhat satisfying retribution, they worried about what would happen if Wang Rui was deeply infatuated with him and then discovered her 'Prince Charming' was such a person. Would she lose her mind?

Wang Rui truly didn't know what to do in that moment. She had originally thought her only rival was her older sister. She hadn’t expected Gao Kai to be such a flirt, chasing after both the class beauty and the school beauty. But it didn't matter. She could first stir up Wang Qiqi, have her—the legitimate girlfriend—confront the situation, and then she could comfort her 'future brother-in-law' afterward, letting him see how wonderful she was. Thinking this way, Wang Rui decided it wasn't a big deal; in fact, it might even be beneficial to her.

Shi Man noticed Wang Rui’s expression change strangely the moment she sat down—a look of relief, initially. Shi Man wondered why she would look relieved. Could she have another scheme brewing?