"Reluctant?"
"Oh, you scared me to death!" Murong Yanran's sudden appearance startled Li Haochen.
Murong Yanran pouted her lips, gave Li Haochen a sideways glance, and muttered in a low voice, "You're like a whole bull, you could get scared to death?"
"Ex?" Murong Yanran looked at Li Haochen with her big, watery eyes and said with a giggle.
"We never even started, so how can there be an ex?" Li Haochen had no intention of hiding anything from Murong Yanran and told her about their relationship without omitting a single detail.
"And that's how I ended up repeating a year and choosing this school."
"Wow, so you're the full-score top scorer everyone's been buzzing about." Murong Yanran was also a bit surprised.
Li Haochen preened, running a hand through his hair, "Want an autograph?"
"Pfft...!"
Murong Yanran was amused by Li Haochen, turning back with a smile.
Her captivating smile, as charming as peach blossoms in March and as pure as chrysanthemums in September, made Li Haochen stare, involuntarily saying, "So beautiful!"
Li Haochen's direct and unadorned praise brought a touch of shyness to Murong Yanran. A faint blush colored her delicate, fair-skinned face, making her as radiant as a celestial fairy.
Murong Yanran playfully chided, "You dummy, let's go, I'm hungry!"
"Oh, ah, wait for me...!"
"Qinyuan?"
As the most upscale student cafeteria at Binhai University, while the atmosphere and dishes were good, it was still just a cafeteria. Murong Yanran bringing Li Haochen here left him somewhat perplexed.
Murong Yanran's choice of place was partly considerate of Li Haochen, as his attire suggested a modest family background.
"What do you want to eat?"
Li Haochen found the sophisticated art of ordering for a girl rather daunting, hesitating with a hint of helplessness.
Murong Yanran stood up and smiled, "I'll go with you."
Neither of them ordered a lot, but the meal was well-balanced with meat and vegetables, and presented attractively. When it was time to pay, Murong Yanran didn't compete with Li Haochen, gracefully allowing him to display his gentlemanly demeanor.
Beautiful women generally don't eat much, and Murong Yanran stopped eating after only a small portion, quietly watching Li Haochen devour his meal.
"Thank you for what happened last time!"
Li Haochen finished all the food on the table with a hearty appetite, patting his stomach contentedly.
"It was really just a small matter, no need to thank me."
Murong Yanran smiled without speaking, her thoughts drifting to the window.
...
"Holy crap, isn't that Big Sister-in-law? How could she be dining with a guy, chatting and laughing?"
"Where, where? Damn, it really is. Let's go report to Young Master Yang immediately."
...
"Yanran, why are you living in the school dorms?" Li Haochen asked curiously.
Murong Yanran furrowed her brows and smiled, "Do you think I shouldn't be living here? Actually, I've always yearned for this kind of life. I fought hard to get it, but it's only for these four years..."
"You..."
"I'm very happy today!" Murong Yanran stood up, smiled at Li Haochen, and said, "I'm going back. I'll treat you next time!"
...
"Wow, the air here is so sweet."
Li Haochen returned to the dormitory, looking at Chen He and the others with a face full of questions, "The air is sweet?"
"Yeah, so sweet that it makes some people act like clueless idiots. Isn't that right, Second and Fourth? Hehe!"
Li Haochen, just coming to his senses, gave Chen He the middle finger, "Damn, you're the clueless idiot!"
Liang Minfeng jumped off his bed, put his arm around Li Haochen, and said slyly, "Quick, tell us, did you go on a date with a girl?"
Li Haochen's eyes darted around, and he said with a serious expression, "No, no!"
"Really no?" Liang Minfeng squinted at Li Haochen's facial expression.
"No!"
"Guys, bring out the torture!" As soon as Liang Minfeng finished speaking, the three of them divided their tasks clearly, pulling out tickling tools and heading for Li Haochen.
After a bit of roughhousing, they all felt a bit tired and lay down on their beds.
"Boss, can you cover for me in the big class this afternoon?" Liang Minfeng looked unwilling to get out of bed.
"I'm not going either. Second, cover for us."
"Sorry, I'm not going either. Don't think I don't know what you two are up to. I can't fall behind." Zhang Dehui preened, fiddling with his short hair.
"Hehe! Third..."
Li Haochen, who had just lain down on the bed, heard the sly and lewd voices of the three behind him, "Damn it, what are you looking at!"
"You know what, remember to cover for us in the afternoon class~~"
"Hehe, remember ah!"
Just as Li Haochen was about to say something, the synchronized snoring of the three echoed.
"I... cursed Three Musketeers!"
...
"Fourth, how does my hair gel look?" Chen He said as he looked in the mirror.
"Not bad, you can kill quite a few girls. What about me, what do you think of this tracksuit? Just bought it!"
"Not bad either, loose and fitting, and it can hide that belly of yours."
"What about me, what about me...!"
After more than half an hour, the three finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Guys, let's hit the target!"
Chen He and the other two walked in a neat, clumsy gait, their idiotic, punchable looks almost getting them into trouble with the crowd. Li Haochen, covering his face, quickly jumped several meters away, his expression suggesting he didn't know them.
"Boss, process these snails for us later. Also, one plate of garlic butter prawns, two catties of red crabs, a pot of seafood congee, and two portions of noodles. That's all for now, call us!" Chen He skillfully ordered quite a few dishes.
"Alright, boss, have a cup of tea first."
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the food stall welcomed four youthful and attractive figures.
"Huilian, over here!"
Chen He's eyes were sharp; he spotted the girls from afar and excitedly stood up, waving and shouting.
"Welcome, beautiful ladies, please have a seat!" Chen He greeted them warmly, not forgetting to wink at Li Haochen and the other two. Fortunately, the three were smart enough to stand up quickly and pull out chairs for themselves.
"Beautiful ladies, please have a seat!"
The girls didn't seem reserved and gracefully found seats.
"Ladies, let me introduce you to Liu Dehui, tall and strong, who almost became brothers with Andy Lau. He's honest and thoughtful. Beside me is Liang Minfeng; don't be fooled by his slightly plump build, he's very caring. And this one here is the Binhai University version of Louis Koo, Li Haochen...!"
Chen He's witty introduction made the girls laugh repeatedly.
"Handsome gentlemen, let me introduce our beautiful ladies to you. This petite and lovely one is Huang Meijuan, this is Zhang Guifang, and this is Chen Yueyue...!"
Through Chen He and Li Huilan's introductions, everyone got a basic understanding of each other.
"Boss, bring out the dishes!"
"Ladies, meeting is fate, sitting together is destiny. How about we toast to this fate?" Liang Minfeng suggested with a smile.
"Alright, let's toast!"
"Cheers!"
Of course, the girls were only drinking juice. The table full of seafood made the girls very satisfied with the day's arrangement. After several rounds of conversation, they each found their targets. Only Chen Yueyue seemed a bit dejected, as Li Haochen spoke very little, only answering questions and not initiating conversation.
"I had a great time today. Thank you, handsome gentlemen, for inviting us. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye...!"