A Week’s Worth of Laughter

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Jiang Chen watched her blank expression.

He raised a hand and tapped her on the forehead. “Lost in thought? You’re not seriously planning to fob me off with a convenience store rice ball, are you?”

Zhou Yi flinched, forcing a dry laugh.

“H-how could I! A grand meal is definitely on the agenda!” ‘My heart is bleeding already.’ “Please, order whatever you like…”

Ten minutes later, they stopped before an elegantly decorated Jiangnan cuisine restaurant.

One glance was enough for Zhou Yi to realize this was no ordinary place they could casually enter.

The building, with its blue tiles and white walls, exuded the classic charm of Jiangnan.

A hostess, dressed in a simple qipao, stood by the carved wooden entrance, greeting guests.

Upon seeing them approach, she immediately bowed and gestured them inside. “Please, come in, both of you. We happen to have a lovely window seat available.”

Zhou Yi walked in, feigning composure.

The moment she scanned the QR code and saw the menu prices, her forced smile vanished entirely.

What?!

“Stir-fried seasonal vegetables… 38 yuan?!”

For a poor student like her, who always hunted for group discounts on takeout and frequented the special offer window at the cafeteria, this price was utterly insane.

Never in her life could she imagine indulging in such luxury!

With trembling hands, she ordered the most unassuming item hidden in a corner of the menu: the “Scallion Oil Noodles Set” (25 yuan, including a complimentary soup).

Then, with a look of resigned martyrdom, she handed her phone to Jiang Chen:

“You… you can order whatever you want.”

Jiang Chen took the phone.

Seeing her expression, twisted in financial agony, his lips twitched, and he barely suppressed a laugh.

“Are you sure you’re only having this?” He shook the phone, pointing to the meager scallion oil noodles set on the screen.

Zhou Yi’s fake smile blossomed. “Ah, hahaha, I’m on a diet recently. Eating too much makes me gain weight.”

Jiang Chen’s fingertips slowly scrolled across the screen.

Calmly, he added Crab Roe Tofu, Sweet Osmanthus Lotus Root, Longjing Shrimp, and Braised Pork with Bamboo Shoots and Salted Vegetables.

Finally, he even selected the couple’s dessert platter.

Zhou Yi stared at the steadily growing list of dishes. “…?”

‘How can you be so smooth, you jerk! You said to order my own, why are you ordering for two?!’

After the order was sent, Jiang Chen returned the phone to her.

“You mentioned a grand meal,” he said calmly. “I was worried you’d lose face, so I helped you make the occasion more substantial.”

Zhou Yi: “…”

‘Jiang Chen, just you wait! I’ll order a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast someday and make you burst!’

As each expensive dish was placed on the table, her heart ached with every beat.

Since there was no escaping it, she decided to fight!

This table of food *had* to be completely finished today!

Zhou Yi immediately began devouring the food like a whirlwind.

However, her body proved uncooperative; after barely clearing half the dishes, she was utterly stuffed, collapsing motionless in her chair.

She could only watch helplessly as the remaining half of the dishes swayed temptingly before her, yet she could do nothing.

Jiang Chen watched her, pouting with cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

The smile at the corner of his lips deepened.

“Eat slowly, no one’s going to snatch it from you.”

“I’m fighting for my pride!” Zhou Yi declared, rubbing her bulging stomach. “It’s the clean-plate spirit of the working people!”

Jiang Chen finally burst into laughter.

“Who would have thought that our school’s legendary ‘ice queen’ senior would be so… lively and adorable in private.”

Zhou Yi suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

‘Adorable, my foot! If you hadn’t insisted on fleecing me, would I be here performing a ‘storm intake’?’

She had only asked him for a small favor, and offering a grand meal was purely a polite gesture.

Who knew Jiang Chen would be so utterly impolite, dragging her to a restaurant where the average cost per person was half her monthly living expenses, effectively bleeding her dry.

She gritted her teeth inwardly, vowing that this debt was now recorded.

If she ever asked Jiang Chen for help again, she would stop being a Zhou!

Just then, the server brought out the final course: dessert.

Fermented glutinous rice balls were served in a celadon bowl, while Ding Sheng pastries rested on a glass plate.

A white porcelain spoon lay on almond tofu, accompanied by a small cup of lotus root starch balls drizzled with osmanthus honey.

Zhou Yi unconsciously straightened her posture, discreetly unbuttoning her jeans.

The sweet, clear aroma of fermented rice wine wafted to her nose, and she silently assessed her stomach capacity… ‘Could I really go for another round?’

“…These look quite delicious.”

“Didn’t you just say you were stuffed to death?”

“N-none of your business! This is called a dessert stomach, don’t you understand?”

“Alright, alright, a dessert stomach. So, that means you’ll be finishing all of these?”

“Finish them all, then I’ll finish them all…”

Yet, the moment the fermented glutinous rice balls slid into her mouth, a tidal wave of fullness crashed over her.

She froze, spoon in hand, suddenly understanding the meaning of “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jiang Chen watched her tragic expression, suppressing a smile as he asked, “Need some help?”

Zhou Yi closed her eyes in agony.

She called for the server. “…Doggy bag, for everything.”

Yang Ju’s dormmates would be feasting tonight.

She then picked up the bill, resolutely rising to head towards the cashier.

The financial pain was real, but words spoken were like water spilled; she still had that much integrity.

Jiang Chen also rose, following behind her.

However, his phone screen had already discreetly scrolled to the payment QR code page.

Just as they settled in front of the cashier, a couple, intimately close, joined the queue behind them.

Zhou Yi handed over the bill.

“Hello, that will be five hundred and eighty-eight yuan in total,” the cashier smiled, stating the amount.

F-five hundred and eighty-eight?!

Was running a restaurant really so profitable?

Her hourly wage for shaking milk tea was 15 yuan; she would have to shake for 39 hours, until her wrists ached too much to lift, just to cover this one meal?

Zhou Yi felt as though her heart had been brutally stabbed multiple times.

She slowly turned her head, casting an intensely mournful glance at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen’s shoulders subtly shook, amused by her sorrowful gaze.

He watched with interest as she tremblingly tapped open the payment interface.

Her finger hovered over the “Scan to Pay” button, hesitating to press it.

Suppressing his laughter, he quietly hid his phone behind his back.

His aim was to provide a fully immersive experience.

Just then, the girl waiting in line behind them suddenly spoke in a passive-aggressive tone.

“Look, darling~ It seems there are actually guys who let girls pay for their meals these days~”

The girl squinted, scrutinizing Jiang Chen’s back.

“Over five hundred yuan, and some people really have the nerve, huh~”

This precisely aimed venom instantly soured the cashier’s impression of Jiang Chen.

A moment ago, she had found him refined and handsome; now, only contempt remained.

‘Tsk, what a waste of a good face. Turns out he’s just leeching off the young lady’s wallet.’

Several other subtle glances drifted over from their surroundings.

The air filled with the scent of impending drama.

Yet, Jiang Chen acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

He watched with perfect composure as Zhou Yi, her face contorted in pain, raised her phone, preparing to scan the code.

The moment the scanner lit up, he flicked his wrist.

A soft “ding” sounded.

“Payment successful.”

He leaned close to Zhou Yi’s ear, his voice low with amusement.

“Just messing with you. But this meal wasn’t for nothing; that expression of yours just now will keep me laughing for a week.”

Zhou Yi: “???”

The cashier: “!!!”

The girl behind them: “…”

Zhou Yi stood frozen, phone still raised.

It took her a good while to process what had happened. “You played me!”

“What else?” Jiang Chen said, smiling as he put away his phone. “Watching you agonize was quite entertaining.”

Zhou Yi was utterly dumbfounded.

Jiang Chen’s smile faded.

He slowly turned his head to the girl behind them. “My apologies, but it seems I’ve disappointed you.”