The Mortifying Lunch Break

The entire morning flew by.

Throughout the morning, Jiang Lengleng found her thoughts constantly drifting back to Chen Ran, especially during the brief respites of class breaks.

‘[Actually, Mom was the one who brought Xiao Ran home, claiming he looked so pitiful all by himself out there. Isn’t that inherently suspicious?!]’

‘[So… could it be that Mom and Xiao Ran have actually already been… ]’

‘[Hmm, that’s only natural, I suppose. After all, Mom is no longer young. When she was younger, she turned down countless suitors because of me and my sister. Now that we’re grown, it’s perfectly normal for her to pursue her own happiness.]’

‘[But still, how could Mom fall for a boy who’s practically my age?! That’s simply too bizarre!!!]’

Jiang Lengleng’s mind raced, and she couldn’t help but imagine a scenario.

In the not-so-distant future.

She might actually have to call Chen Ran ‘Dad’…

The sheer thought sent the girl’s brain into a complete shutdown; she simply couldn’t fathom such a scene—calling him ‘Dad’ at Mom and Xiao Ran’s wedding.

It would be utterly mortifying!!

What’s more, Xiao Ran still seemed to be engaged in ‘mom work’ (TL Note: A slang term referring to work as a male host or gigolo, often implying serving older women).

A wave of worry washed over Jiang Lengleng as this realization struck her.

While it was possible Xiao Ran was doing it to supplement their household income—given that their family wasn’t exactly well-off—it might also be for other, more pressing matters.

For instance.

Dealing with those yakuza members who had been causing trouble.

After all, Xiao Ran had previously mentioned, “he has a friend who can help.” What other kind of friend could that be, if not someone he’d met through his ‘mom work’…

As Jiang Lengleng sat amidst the classroom desks, a particular image once again materialized vividly in her mind.

Chen Ran, dressed in a sparkling, tight suit akin to a male host, was smiling as he shared a bubble bath with a voluptuous, mature beauty, saying…

“Auntie, I’ve run into a little trouble recently.”

“What kind of trouble?”

The alluring woman winked at Chen Ran, her fingers playfully pinching the young man’s handsome cheek.

“Make Auntie comfortable, and you’ll find all your troubles vanish, darling~”

“Understand?”

……

“……”

“Sister Lengleng?”

“Eh?!”

!!!

The sudden appearance of Chen Ran right before her eyes sent a jolt of surprise through Jiang Lengleng.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“N-No, nothing…”

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

Only then did Jiang Lengleng truly snap back to reality, realizing it was already the lunch break.

The classroom buzzed with a cacophony of voices.

Some students had already departed for the cafeteria, while others, forming small groups, intended to enjoy a “picnic” in the park beneath the academic building or some other spot. A few, like herself, still lingered in the classroom.

But.

“X-Xiao Ran, why are you here?”

Her mind still reeling from her vivid daydream, she felt somewhat disoriented.

Chen Ran, however, simply offered a warm smile and replied.

“I came to eat lunch with you.”

“Ah?”

She watched Chen Ran, still smiling, casually borrow a chair from a nearby female classmate before settling down right beside her.

A chorus of knowing “Oh~s” erupted from the students throughout the classroom.

It was then that Jiang Lengleng finally recalled the crucial detail.

At school, she was currently Chen Ran’s girlfriend.

As Chen Ran retrieved their two lunchboxes from his backpack—two almost identical, lovingly prepared bento boxes, handcrafted by Jiang Zilin herself—and placed them on the desk.

The collective teasing in the classroom swelled to an even greater crescendo.

Evidently.

The other girls in the class all assumed the lunchboxes were Jiang Lengleng’s handiwork, and that she had not only prepared one for her young boyfriend but intended for them to share the meal together.

“Lengleng, when did you finally make your move?!”

“You sneaky, sneaky girl! No wonder you refused to come with us to ogle handsome guys before. So you two were already an item, huh?!”

“Hmph, usually so quiet and proper, who knew she’d move so fast?”

A few of the girls who were usually close to Jiang Lengleng gathered around, whispering their playful accusations.

Meanwhile, the gazes of the other students in the classroom intensified.

It seemed the news had spread like wildfire, drawing a crowd of students to the corridor outside the classroom and peering in through the windows, all eager to witness the spectacle.

Among them.

Some wore impish grins, clearly there for the entertainment.

Others glared fiercely, as if she had just stolen their boyfriend.

Confronted by such an overwhelming throng of onlookers, even the usually composed Jiang Lengleng felt utterly stunned to her core.

A thought simultaneously crossed her mind.

‘[Is this how Xiao Ran spends every day after coming to school?]’

‘[This is truly terrifying!!]’

In stark contrast to Jiang Lengleng’s discomfort, Chen Ran remained remarkably unruffled by the situation.

He even, with an air of complete nonchalance, picked up a small sausage from his bento box and brought it to the girl’s lips.

“Here, Sister Lengleng, let me feed you. Say ‘ah~'”

“!!!”

This was utterly mortifying!

Jiang Lengleng’s usually fair and composed face, a canvas of delicate beauty, now flushed a vibrant crimson, blooming like the most romantic cherry blossoms.

Yet, despite her overwhelming embarrassment, the girl gritted her teeth, parted her lips slightly, and with a faint tremor, accepted the small sausage Chen Ran offered into her mouth.

Her heart hammered in her chest, threatening to burst.

At that moment, Jiang Lengleng cast all concern for her image aside. With a slightly aggrieved expression, she ignored her close friends beside her and the other students who were watching her and Chen Ran, constantly egging them on.

Then, she tugged on Chen Ran’s sleeve and whispered conspiratorially.

“X-Xiao Ran… can we… can we go somewhere else…?”

“Huh?”

He glanced left and right, quickly grasping the situation.

With a continuing smile, Chen Ran replied.

“Alright.”

Following that.

He rose, efficiently repacked their two lunchboxes, stacking them neatly. As he picked them up, he very naturally, almost instinctively, took Jiang Lengleng’s small hand in his.

The girl’s soft palm was now alarmingly hot, slick with a fine sheen of sweat.

Chen Ran could also feel Jiang Lengleng’s body give a distinct tremble.

“Let’s go, Sister Lengleng.”

“Mm…”

She nodded faintly, a barely audible sound escaping her lips.

Thus, Jiang Lengleng was led by Chen Ran, hand in hand, out of the classroom amidst the even more uninhibited jeers of her female classmates, and they hurried all the way to the rooftop of the academic building.

A gentle summer breeze swept past, as the sky, clear and cloudless, allowed the scorching midday sun to bathe the rooftop in vast swathes of golden light.

The brightness was such that it made one squint.

Chen Ran once again noticed the back of a red-haired girl on one side of the rooftop.

She appeared to be the same girl he had encountered during his previous visit to the rooftop.

However, Chen Ran paid her no mind.

Instead, he led Jiang Lengleng by the hand to the opposite corner of the rooftop, where they quickly settled down and began to eat their lunch.

“That was quite the ordeal, Sister Lengleng.”

With no one else around, there was no longer any need to maintain their pretense of being a couple.

Evidently, however.

Jiang Lengleng still hadn’t quite come back to herself.

“N-No, I’m fine.”

‘[She had never imagined that pretending to be a girlfriend could be so utterly exhausting!!!]’

The girl screamed internally.

But there was no turning back now, and besides, Xiao Ran truly did seem to be going through a lot at school.

She watched Chen Ran beside her, who seemed to let out a sigh of relief before beginning to eat his lunch with gusto.

Jiang Lengleng pursed her lips, her mind formulating a question.

So…

“So, why exactly are you doing ‘mom work’, Xiao Ran?”

“Huh?”