Li Yundong turned his head when he heard the sound, only to see Feng Na standing there, holding a lunchbox and smiling sweetly at him.
“Oh, it’s you!” Li Yundong chuckled.
Feng Na was wearing a white, short-sleeved changshan, and her jeans accentuated her long, straight legs. Her figure was graceful and youthful, brimming with energy, and coupled with her sweet smile, it caused Li Yundong to pause for a beat.
“What? Are you already acting high and mighty now that you’re a rising star?” Feng Na teased, not sitting down immediately, but poking fun at him.
Cheng Cheng, who was inseparable from her, came over at that moment carrying her own plate of food: “Acting high and mighty already? No way, you should at least sign an autograph for us before you start pulling rank!”
Li Yundong forced a laugh, caught between tears and smiles: “You two are ganging up on me too? Seriously? Sit, sit down quickly, or I’ll become a national villain!”
Feng Na chuckled and sat down opposite Li Yundong with Cheng Cheng. She asked with genuine interest, “By the way, was that really you on the forum yesterday?”
The moment Li Yundong thought about that incident, he felt a surge of anger; he still didn’t dare turn on his phone!
“It was me!” Li Yundong replied gruffly.
Feng Na and Cheng Cheng burst out laughing. Feng Na laughed so hard she was bent double: “And that phone number was yours too?”
Li Yundong ate with his head down, mumbling, “Obviously!”
Feng Na laughed, “You’re crazy, actually posting your number online. You’re toast, you better get a new SIM card! Don’t you know how many girls are dying to slip you love letters or ask you out for a private room?”
Li Yundong choked, nearly spraying rice out of his nose: “No way? Are girls this forward these days?”
Feng Na smiled but said nothing. Cheng Cheng beside her chimed in, “Hey, Li Yundong, turn your phone on and see how many missed calls and texts you have!”
Li Yundong couldn’t help his curiosity. He took his phone out of his pocket and pressed the power button. After just a moment, his phone started buzzing frantically with message alerts. Li Yundong mashed the end call button uselessly; messages were pouring in almost every second, continuing non-stop for five full minutes!
Feng Na and Cheng Cheng couldn't help but exclaim: “What do you call a red-hot success? This is it! I’m so jealous!”
In a fit of annoyance, Li Yundong yanked out the battery, threw the phone onto the table, and said testily, “You’re so envious? My phone is unusable, and I wasted a perfectly good SIM card for nothing!”
Feng Na winked suggestively at Li Yundong: “How does it feel to be the moon surrounded by stars? How does it feel to be watched and sought after by everyone?”
Li Yundong rolled his eyes at her: “You want to know? Simple, just become famous yourself, then.”
Feng Na let out a long sigh, looking self-pitying: “I wish I could, but I don’t have the talent or the strength! Not like Sister Su Chan, who becomes the center of attention wherever she goes.”
When Su Chan heard her name mentioned, her ears immediately perked up, and her eyes curved into crescent moons: “Are you praising me? I love hearing compliments! More, more!”
Feng Na and Cheng Cheng hadn't interacted much with Su Chan before, and they were slightly intimidated by how impossibly beautiful the girl was, worried she might be unapproachable. Thus, they had intentionally praised her, but unexpectedly, the girl had an excellent temperament and zero affectation. Her simple remark made both Feng Na and Cheng Cheng erupt in laughter.
Li Yundong also smiled, lightly tapping Su Chan’s nose with his chopsticks: “So vain!”
Su Chan stuck out her tongue at Li Yundong, making a funny face.
Although Feng Na was jealous of Su Chan’s closeness with Li Yundong, Su Chan’s cuteness was universally appealing. A single sentence won Feng Na over, and she couldn't help but defend her: “You’re wrong about that, there’s no one in this world who isn’t vain in some way.”
Li Yundong pointed to his own nose with his chopsticks: “Your humble servant is precisely such a person!”
Having gotten familiar with Li Yundong’s playful, uninhibited nature, Feng Na didn't hold back and retorted sharply: “Don't kid yourself. There is no one who isn't vain even a little bit! So many people like you, and you don’t feel even a tiny bit happy about it? Not even a secret thrill? When girls shout out loud, ‘Li Yundong, I love you,’ don’t you feel satisfied?”
Li Yundong thought seriously for a moment and replied, “I admit the former feeling—I do get that secret thrill. But if a girl confesses to me, I might get a little buzz, but not as exaggerated as you imagine!”
Saying this, Li Yundong gently pinched the small girl’s plump, smooth earlobe beside him and chuckled, “Because your Uncle has his own girl now! Though the river of love flows wide, this master only takes one cup to drink!”
Su Chan giggled, dodged Li Yundong’s hand, and playfully threatened to hit him with her chopsticks: “It tickles, you’re being mean!”
Even though Su Chan said ‘mean,’ she was beaming, her voice thick with delight. Cheng Cheng glanced at Feng Na beside her and sighed inwardly.
Feng Na felt flustered by Cheng Cheng’s look and managed a forced, unnatural smile: “Li Yundong, you are so stingy. You like your girlfriend so much, yet you make her wear boys' clothes. I’ve seen her wear that same outfit for days.”
Li Yundong paused. While he kept himself reasonably clean, he truly paid little attention to his attire or appearance, and he hadn't actually thought about buying the little girl some new clothes.
Of course, more importantly, the little girl had never asked for any.
Li Yundong turned his head to look at the small girl beside him. She was wearing a pair of overalls he had worn before, which hung a bit loose and baggy, and the casual T-shirt underneath made her look even more slender.
Su Chan was diligently attacking the braised pork in her bowl with her spoon, blinking up at Li Yundong who was scrutinizing her: “What are you looking at?”
Li Yundong smiled: “How about we go buy you some new clothes today?”
Su Chan looked completely unconcerned: “Aren’t there clothes at home? Why buy new ones?”
Li Yundong chuckled: “Those are all my clothes. You can’t keep wearing mine forever, can you?”
Upon hearing this, Su Chan immediately put down her spoon and looked at Li Yundong with large, pitiful eyes: “Are you disgusted with me? You won’t buy me clothes anymore?”
Li Yundong burst out laughing and squeezed the little girl’s cheeks: “Silly girl, how can a girl always wear a boy’s clothes!”
Su Chan slapped his hand away and made a face at him: “Why not? Oh, the food here isn't good. It’s not as good as what you make!”
Li Yundong laughed: “Duh. This is mass-produced cafeteria food, how could it compare to food cooked in a small pot just for us?”
Feng Na looked at Li Yundong in surprise: “You can cook?”
Li Yundong puffed out his chest proudly: “Of course, I’m a master chef!” Then he turned to Su Chan and said, “Little one, am I right?”
Su Chan wrinkled her nose at Li Yundong, creating adorable little creases: “It’s not good at all!”
Feng Na and Cheng Cheng immediately burst into laughter: “See? You got called out!”
Li Yundong hadn't expected Su Chan to openly contradict and criticize him in front of everyone. He feigned anger: “You wicked girl, every single time you gobble up all the food! I don't get any left. If it’s so bad, why do you snatch it all away!”
Su Chan puffed out her cheeks and explained: “If I say it’s good, they’ll all want to eat it too! There’s already too little food for two people to share, if four people eat it, it’ll be even less!”
Li Yundong laughed so hard his body swayed, his heart full of love for the little girl. He reached out and squeezed her soft, pink cheek: “Idiot, why wouldn’t I just cook a little more?”
Seeing Li Yundong approaching with his hands ready to pinch her face, Su Chan yelped in fright and jumped backward, covering her face.
With that jump, a sharp cry of alarm came from behind her, immediately followed by the clatter of a metal plate hitting the floor.
Li Yundong turned his head to see Zhuang Hui standing there, holding a plate, with some soup splattered on her. Next to her, another girl’s tray had completely overturned, soaking her dress in liquid.
“Are you blind? Do you not have eyes!” The girl whose plate had spilled cried out shrilly as she looked down at her soiled dress.
Su Chan jumped in fright and quickly apologized: “I’m sorry, I didn’t see…”
Feng Na noticed a little soup had splashed onto Su Chan too, so she pulled a tissue from her purse and handed it to Li Yundong. Li Yundong took it, quickly wiped the soup off Su Chan’s arm and clothes, and apologized as well: “We’re sorry, that wasn’t intentional.”
Zhuang Hui’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted Li Yundong: “Li Yundong!”
Hearing Li Yundong’s name, the angry girl’s temper subsided somewhat. She dabbed at the soup on her clothes with her own handkerchief and carefully scrutinized him: “You are Li Yundong?”
Li Yundong nodded and said, “I’m very sorry we soiled your clothes.”
The girl ignored Li Yundong and leaned close to Zhuang Hui, scrutinizing Su Chan as she whispered, “Is this your rival? Don't worry, Sister will help you take care of her!”
Zhuang Hui had meant to dissuade her, but the moment she saw Su Chan standing there, looking helpless and pitiful, a wave of jealousy washed over her: This girl is so disgusting and theatrical, clearly in the wrong, yet she looks wronged! Li Yundong mustn't be fooled by such an actress!
A mind filled with complex thoughts tends to interpret the entire world with similar complexity; Zhuang Hui’s petty jealousy was something no one else could perceive.
The girl accompanying her shouted at Su Chan: “Do you know how much this dress cost?”
Li Yundong observed that while the girl was attractive and well-figured—clearly a student from the arts department—her sharp-tongued aggression made her seem like a street-side cook, specifically a Szechuan chef.
Li Yundong couldn't bear to see Su Chan wronged in the slightest. He pulled the girl behind him and said sternly, “Miss, we have already apologized for what happened today.”
Su Chan peeked out from behind Li Yundong and said meekly, “I truly didn't mean it. If you like, I can wash it clean for you.”
The girl let out a disdainful laugh: “Wash it clean? Do you know what brand this is? Christian Dior! Dior! Do you think it’s some cheap rag like the clothes you’re wearing?”
Su Chan had no idea what Dior was and said blankly, “Dior? How much is it? I’ll pay you for it!”
The girl sneered: “Pay? Can you afford it? All the clothes you are wearing combined wouldn’t be worth the thread count of this hem!”
Su Chan’s face flushed red at the insult, and Li Yundong became furious. His eyebrows shot up, his eyes glared like lightning: “What did you say?”
Before he became famous at the gala, few dared to meet Li Yundong’s stare. Now that he was a celebrity on campus, that glare carried double the authority.
Not only did the girl’s momentum falter, but even Zhuang Hui, who had been hoping for a spectacle, felt a pang of apprehension and tugged at her companion’s arm: “Okay, okay, forget it, let’s go.”
The girl took the opportunity to make a smooth exit, wiping at the spilled soup with her handkerchief while muttering curses as they left.