Returning to the gazebo in the backyard, Xie Shu finally felt cooler.
He placed his phone flat on the table again, leisurely tearing open the wrapper of the disposable chopsticks, his gaze still fixed on Ruan Nianxi on the screen.
She must have propped her phone against something, as the video showed her elegantly picking up food with one hand while the other rested casually on the edge of the table.
With nothing to prop his phone against, Xie Shu held it in his left hand and his chopsticks in his right.
Before he could start eating, the back door of the studio opened, and he looked over upon hearing the noise.
A student approached, carrying a lunchbox.
"Teacher Xie Shu, everyone said you didn't take enough food earlier, so we've brought you another box," the student said, placing the item on the table.
Xie Shu didn't decline: "Thank you, go have your meal. Eat well and rest at noon; we have classes in the afternoon."
Seated sideways to the student, Xie Shu's phone screen was partially visible to them.
Seeing the female figure on Xie Shu's screen and recalling his earlier mention of connecting with his "girlfriend," the student quickly guessed who it was.
Not wanting to intrude, the student bid farewell: "Teacher Xie Shu, enjoy your chat with the missus, I won't disturb you."
With that, the student hurried off.
Xie Shu was unfazed by the student's words, but Ruan Nianxi blushed instantly upon hearing them.
She sat, feigning composure, nibbling her food with her head down, not daring to look up at Xie Shu on the screen, afraid he'd notice her fluster.
But how could Xie Shu not notice?
Ruan Nianxi's fair skin was like cream, and with her head bowed, the redness of her ears was even more apparent.
Yet Xie Shu said nothing, merely pursing his lips in a slight smile.
She was so shy; it was better not to tease her.
So, he naturally shifted the conversation to other topics, and Ruan Nianxi gradually regained her composure, daring to look directly at the screen again.
As they ate and chatted on the phone, Ruan Nianxi's expression suddenly shifted, and she said, "Um, I have something to take care of here, let's talk another time…"
But she didn't know if Xie Shu would call her again.
Sensing her concern, Xie Shu took the initiative: "Alright, go handle your matters. I'll call you again when you're free."
"Mhm."
Ruan Nianxi softly responded, then reluctantly and helplessly ended the video call first.
With the call over, Xie Shu was utterly bored.
Sigh, he had come out to eat alone today just to chat with her, not expecting her to be so busy.
It was lunchtime, just past noon. She wasn't a company employee, just learning to manage the company and handle affairs; she shouldn't be as busy as a regular employee, right?
Or were her parents very strict with her?
But even strictness shouldn't encroach on her mealtime.
Xie Shu wasn't clear on the specifics, shook his head in resignation, set down his phone, and focused on his meal.
He hadn't planned to check his phone again, but it kept lighting up every few seconds, compelling him to pick it up.
His phone was on silent mode, so there were no sound notifications for messages, but the screen would light up.
He unlocked his phone and saw messages from their dorm group, with someone mentioning him.
Xie Shu thought something was up, immediately opened the chat, scrolled to the latest messages, and read on.
Liu Ping: 【@Xie Shu, dude, guess who I just saw downstairs?】
At that time, Xie Shu hadn't seen the message, so the replies came from two others who were also working part-time.
Zhao Lin: 【Who did you see?】
Li Da: 【Why only mention him? Are we not worthy?】
Liu Ping: 【Hey, this is no joke, I'm serious! I just saw Su Qianyi downstairs, guess what she was doing!】
Zhao Lin: 【We all go to the same school, so what's the surprise in seeing her?】
Li Da: 【Yeah, haven't you seen a woman before? Don't they all have one eye, two nostrils, and a mouth?】
Liu Ping: 【…No, that's not it! I'm not talking about seeing her in the cafeteria or somewhere else, but right below our dorm, waiting for Xie Shu!】
Zhao Lin: 【!!!】
Li Da: 【!!!】
Liu Ping: 【When I went downstairs, I actually didn't notice her at first. She called out to me, and that's when I realized she was sitting on a bench there. She asked why Xie Shu hadn't come down yet. I didn't know what she was up to, so I didn't answer. Then she asked if I was bringing food for you guys, and continued to ask what Xie Shu wanted to eat, saying she'd go buy it.】
Zhao Lin: 【!!!】
Li Da: 【!!!】
Liu Ping: 【I was stunned, then I told her that Xie Shu had gone out for a part-time job early in the morning. Guess what she said!】
【She accused me of lying, because she had been waiting downstairs since morning and hadn't seen Xie Shu come out!】
Zhao Lin: 【Wow】
Li Da: 【Wow】
Xie Shu: 【…】
With the person in question present, Liu Ping messaged even faster.
Liu Ping: 【She's right next to me now, insisting she'll buy your lunch and asking me to bring it back for you, wanting to know what you'd like.】
【No matter how I explain that you're not in the dorm, she just won't believe it.】
Zhao Lin: 【Wow, what's she playing at now? When our good brother poured his heart out for her, where was her response? Who is she performing for now?】
Li Da: 【Exactly, now that Xie Shu is ignoring her, she must realize his worth, right? @Liu Ping, tell her to get lost, let her know our brother already has someone he likes, and to stop bothering him!】
Liu Ping: 【…Well, I've already made it clear to her.】
Xie Shu read the group messages with an expressionless face as he ate.
Knowing that Su Qianyi had waited for him all morning, he felt neither joy nor excitement, but rather confusion.
What was she up to?
She didn't like him, so he had distanced himself. Why was she now acting as if she was trying to hold on to him?
Boring.
Forget it.
In the end, Xie Shu didn't express his stance on the matter; it was irrelevant to him anyway.
He continued to watch the group chat, which quickly moved on from Su Qianyi.
Liu Ping was wandering the cafeteria, unsure of what to eat, and asked the group what they had for lunch, seeking suggestions.
Seeing the message, Xie Shu immediately sent him two photos.
Xie Shu: 【How did you know my future wife bought me lunch?】
The three of them: "……"
Is he alright?
Are they attacking a teammate?
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan