She Paid for Lunch—and Everyone Started Noticing

Around eleven o’clock, his family members returned from the company to celebrate Pei Du’s birthday.

They ate the leftover cake, and Pei Du received the gifts his family had prepared.

Finally, they all sang “Happy Birthday” together.

Pei Du didn’t join in—too awkward.

After working on some problems for a while, Pei Du lay in bed and opened the video Zhao Yu had sent him.

It was the latest work by his favorite author, Exprational.

After watching it, Pei Du, still not fully satisfied, opened a certain short video app.

He contentedly scrolled through several videos that perfectly matched his tastes—not only great figures, but also twin tails, and the most beautiful 60D black stockings.

He slept soundly through the night.

In the morning, after washing up and having some homemade breakfast, he took the subway to school.

Pei Du felt more eyes on him than usual.

Was his beauty really improving?

“Young master, good morning!”

Zhao Yu felt something was different about Pei Du today—his facial features seemed more harmonious, his physique more balanced.

Could it be his “young master filter”?

“Do you need the homework today?”

Pei Du took out the completed test papers as usual.

“No need, I buckled down and finished it myself during self-study last night.”

Zhao Yu rubbed his head, a hint of pride in his tone.

Pretty good, making progress for a day.

In Pei Du’s view, even if this kind of diligence was only a once- or twice-a-week occurrence, it was still quite good.

Progress is progress; improving a little bit every day, by age twenty-five, you’d become quite impressive.

Pei Du went to hand in the homework to the class representative himself.

The Chinese class representative was a girl.

When she received Pei Du’s papers, she caught a faint scent from him—not perfume, more like a scent that made you know it belonged to Pei Du, almost a hormonal kind of natural fragrance?

Xu Tong knew Pei Du was handsome, but this was the first time she felt an unconscious urge to get close and hug this male classmate.

Too terrifying.

She quickly collected the homework and focused on organizing it, not daring to think further.

She knew Chen Xintian probably liked Pei Du.

Girls were hesitant to casually talk to boys other girls liked.

Being shy was one thing, but they were even more afraid of being criticized by other girls for “stealing a man,” and afraid of Chen Xintian seeing and confronting them.

Confrontation might not happen, but gossip behind her back was hard to say.

Xu Tong didn’t want trouble.

At noon, Zhao Yu happily dragged Pei Du to Snack Street, saying he’d found a delicious restaurant.

Pei Du didn’t know how to tell him that He Chengxi was waiting for him at the first-floor stairwell—He Chengxi had unilaterally notified Pei Du via phone during the morning exercise break.

Not going wasn’t an option; the path was thoroughly blocked.

He wanted to refuse but couldn’t find a dignified reason.

Should he tell her he already had plans? But she had asked him yesterday.

“Classmate Pei, over here.”

The petite girl waved to Pei Du from a relatively deserted spot near the first-floor entrance.

Now there was really no escape.

“Hey, young master, should I make myself scarce right now?”

Zhao Yu pushed up his glasses, taking a few steps back for effect.

“Someone who hides things even from his bro is terrifying.”

“Just follow, and talk less.”

Pei Du walked towards He Chengxi.

“I heard there’s a super delicious beef noodle place further back.”

“Want to try it?”

The girl’s thick eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, blending with her under-eye shadow.

Her full lip was lightly bitten by her teeth, creating a slight indentation, like a freshly picked strawberry under sweet pressure.

Super delicious beef noodles.

Didn’t someone say the exact same thing yesterday?

Zhao Yu remembered that the “sister duo” had also invited Pei Du to a beef noodle place yesterday.

If Pei Du agreed to this one but not that one, wouldn’t it mean the young master preferred this side?

Hu Zhuyue, following behind He Chengxi, was seeing the girl so full of energy for the first time, taking the initiative like a couple on their honeymoon.

“Then let’s go eat.”

Pei Du compromised.

He decided to go eat with the girl once.

Refusing to avoid temporary trouble might lead to more trouble later.

Better to settle it and be done with it.

It must be mentioned that he was quite satisfied with yesterday’s system reward.

In a way, as the provider of the reward, he felt a bit of gratitude towards the girl.

“Classmate Pei, I’ve heard so many people say it’s good, I’ve always wanted to try it.”

He Chengxi, perhaps afraid of the cold, wore a light blue-white hoodie under her school uniform jacket.

As she walked briskly, the two drawstrings hanging from her chest bounced along.

“Okay, then let’s try it.”

Pei Du wasn’t talkative in crowds, but he would respond appropriately to the girl, providing a little emotional value.

Behind the pair of one tall, one short figures, two people followed, communicating via phone.

Hu Zhuyue and Zhao Yu were friends who had been in the same class before.

Naturally puzzled by their good friends’ abnormal behavior, they exchanged information.

“What’s going on?”
“I was going to ask what’s going on. How is Xi Bao so close with Pei Du?”
“I was going to ask when the young master became so close with the top student in our grade?”
…

In front of Chao Ji Sheng Tang Beef Noodle Shop.

“This is the place,” He Chengxi pointed at the sign, her voice smiling. “I heard the beef is especially, especially good.”
“I’ve heard it’s pretty good too,” Hu Zhuyue chimed in.
“Someone asked the young master if he wanted to come eat here yesterday too.”
Zhao Yu held back his laughter, thinking of sad things to keep from bursting.
“Who?” Hu Zhuyue, being more gossipy, always had to ask.
Even if someone said they’d eaten lunch, she’d ask which place.
“Classmates, classmates from our class.”
Zhao Yu couldn’t go into detail; being specific would ruin the atmosphere.

Pei Du watched with a cold expression the whole time, not speaking.

The four squeezed into the beef noodle shop.

Most seats were already taken, leaving only two connected two-person tables, one in front of the other.

Pei Du walked in first, letting He Chengxi, who followed behind him, take a seat.

When he tried to go sit at the back table, he found Zhao Yu and Hu Zhuyue had already taken it.

Zhao Yu gave Pei Du an “OK” sign.

… What exactly was this guy misunderstanding?

In the end, Pei Du didn’t indicate he wanted to switch seats—not only troublesome, but also pretentious.

“I’ll have this! The Signature Extra Spicy Freshly Scalded Beef Noodles!”

After looking at the menu, He Chengxi told the server beside her.

No wonder this beef noodle shop was famous among students; they even had dedicated servers.

Normally, customers would order and pay at the counter, then wait for their food to be ready and take it themselves.

The service here was much more branded.

“Okay.” The server noted it down.
“What would Classmate Pei like?”
“The same as hers.” Pei Du said this to the server.

He hadn’t looked much at the menu.

What was on his mind was that the girl was more energetic than he’d imagined.

Her politeness, reserve, and the coolness in her speech might just be her “social distance shell.”

At the very least, she seemed quite spirited when it came to food.

“That will be 46 yuan total.”

Two bowls of beef noodles, forty-six yuan—much more expensive than the sixteen-yuan beef noodles at breakfast shops.

Pei Du took out his phone to pay, but the girl beat him to it, settling the bill for both tables.

“This meal is my treat, Classmate Pei.”

He Chengxi leaned closer, her cherry-pink lips looking very pretty.
“Then no need to treat Zhao Yu.”
“Pfft.”

Hu Zhuyue laughed behind them, while Zhao Yu couldn’t hold his expression, giving his black-hearted young master a look.

           When a man and woman are ambiguous, the man treats the woman’s friends to food and drinks.

           When a woman and man are ambiguous, she buys for his good buddy, but the man glares at him fiercely.

Young master, you forsake friendship for beauty, value lust over comrades!
“Yes, Classmate He, I’ll transfer the money to you later.”

Though Zhao Yu also felt awkward accepting free food and drink—he had his own money, and one shouldn’t accept rewards without merit.

Besides, he didn’t want to leave the impression that Pei Du’s friend was someone who took advantage of small favors.
“No need, no need,” He Chengxi took off her school jacket; the shop was very warm. “Just treat me back next time we eat together.”

She didn’t show off that she was actually quite well-off and this amount meant nothing to her.

Young people all had their own sense of dignity; having Classmate Zhao Yu treat her back next time would be fine.

Next time? Probably won’t include me.

Pei Du pretended not to hear the girl’s words.