Chapter 310 - 307: The Person Who Likes You Isn’t Necessarily a Boy

Chapter 310: Chapter 307: The Person Who Likes You Isn’t Necessarily a Boy

The cold wind whipped across the chilly lotus pond. Under Zhuang Yu’s crestfallen gaze, Si Si took Cui Jiaying’s cold hand and led her away.

"Why did you come here?" Cui Jiaying asked, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"You were acting so suspiciously. I was worried you’d get tricked, so I followed you to see what was going on." Si Si smiled faintly. She was secretly pleased that her dear Yingying had just shut down their classmate’s confession so completely.

"How could I get tricked? He’s not even my type," Cui Jiaying pouted.

"Then what is your type...?" Si Si asked, a wide smile on her face as she looked at her. It was as if those beautiful eyes could see right through her.

Cui Jiaying’s heart began to pound, and she looked away, flustered. A faint blush crept up to the tips of her ears.

"Good-looking, understanding, and someone who’s genuinely good to me."

The corner of Si Si’s mouth tilted up slightly. ’What a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?’

"Looks like our Yingying is quite the charmer. So many people like you."

"Besides Zhuang Yu, what other guys are there?" Cui Jiaying asked, confused.

"I never said they were guys," Si Si chuckled.

Cui Jiaying: "???"

Her heart inexplicably began to beat faster. ’Si Si’s words sound a little strange.’

"Who did you just say I like?"

"Isn’t the best way to reject someone to just say you already like somebody else? Besides... whoever it is that makes your heart race is probably the one."

Si Si gave her small hand a squeeze and asked, as if nonchalantly, "Is there someone like that?"

"N-no... there isn’t." Cui Jiaying stammered, swallowing hard. She raised a hand to tuck the hair at the nape of her neck, trying to hide her panic.

"Is that so? Well, it looks like *she* will have to try harder, then," Si Si said, her expression unreadable.

Cui Jiaying pressed her lips together, her gaze lingering on Si Si’s coolly beautiful face for a few seconds. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and she quickly averted her gaze.

"What are you looking at me for?" Si Si asked with a light laugh.

"N-nothing..."

Cui Jiaying stammered, avoiding eye contact as her heart pounded in her chest.

"Alright, let’s head back to the dorm. Have you figured out where you want to eat tonight?"

At the mention of this, Cui Jiaying perked up. "I know a great all-you-can-eat barbecue place! The atmosphere is really nice, and the ingredients are super fresh! There’s a karaoke bar right nearby, too. We can go sing after we’re stuffed. We can stay out all night!"

◇

In the dorm room, Lin Yanwan was on the balcony, talking to Ji Wanqiu on the phone.

"Yanwan, since winter break has started, when are you and Jiang Xia planning to come home?" Ji Wanqiu asked.

"Mom, probably near the end of the year. We still have some things to take care of at school," Lin Yanwan said after a moment of thought.

"You should try to come back a bit earlier. It’s hard to get tickets during the Spring Festival travel rush, so don’t wait too long. Xiao Man has already asked me so many times when her big sister is coming home." Ji Wanqiu’s light chuckle came through the phone.

"Mm-hm, I know."

A smile bloomed on Lin Yanwan’s face as she thought of her adorable little sister.

"And Jiang Xia? How has he been lately?"

"He’s doing well, just very busy most of the time. But we still get to see each other every day."

"Will you two be coming back together then?"

"Um... yes."

"Okay. Well, give your dad a call before you leave, and he’ll drive to the airport to pick you up."

"Okay."

After she hung up, Si Si and Cui Jiaying returned.

"Let’s go, ladies! We’re getting barbecue tonight! I know this amazing all-you-can-eat place..."

As Cui Jiaying chattered on, Lin Yanwan took out her phone to send Jiang Xia a text.

"I’m going out for barbecue with the girls. Don’t forget to get something to eat yourself."

"Okay, I’ll go in a bit. Just make sure you don’t drink any alcohol."

"Don’t worry. Where are you now?"

"At the office. We had to have an impromptu meeting. There’s something I need to handle."

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to bring you something to eat?"

"No need. You guys go have fun."

After their quick text exchange, the four friends set out from their dorm. It took them over half an hour to reach the Xiwangzhuang Business District near the university’s southeast gate. The area wasn’t far from Tsinghua Science Park, separated only by Dongguan Village Avenue.

The incredibly delicious barbecue place Cui Jiaying had been talking about was located here. After getting off at their stop, it didn’t take long for them to spot an extremely popular all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurant. The customers were almost all students from the several universities in the area.

They even had to wait in line for a bit. Once inside, they saw that the restaurant’s atmosphere was indeed quite pleasant.

The decor was a modern, minimalist style that would become more common in the future. The buffet in the main hall had everything one could want: vegetables and meats, seafood, prepared dishes and snacks, fruits and drinks, and even pastries and desserts. There were Thai, Japanese, and Korean dishes available. The only catch was that it was a little pricey, at 120 yuan per person.

Qiuting felt a pang of guilt with every bite; this amount of money would have been enough to feed her for ten to fifteen days at the school cafeteria.

So, the girl from the mountains ate with gusto from beginning to end, picking out all the most expensive items. She was determined to get her 120 yuan’s worth.

And so, for the first time, the other three witnessed Qiuting’s true appetite—the stack of empty plates next to her grew taller and taller, and she went through plate after plate of prepared dishes and snacks.

"Qiuting, have you ever actually felt full at school?" Lin Yanwan asked, a strange expression on her face.

Qiuting swallowed a piece of black pepper steak, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and said in a small voice, "That’s not it. The cafeteria gives pretty generous portions. At least, I never feel especially hungry."

Having grown up in the mountains, her standards were very low. As long as she had enough to maintain basic vital signs, she was content.

"Then eat up! There’s no limit at a buffet. As long as you can stomach it, you can eat as much as you want—you just can’t take any to go," Cui Jiaying said with a grin.

"Qiuting, do you want some salmon sashimi?" Si Si asked.

Qiuting shook her head emphatically. "Si Si, I’m not used to eating raw food. But if you cook it, I’ll eat it."

"Then I’ll cook it for you," she said with a faint smile.

About half an hour later, the other three were mostly full, but Qiuting was still going strong. She devoured a piece of plump, juicy pork belly in just a few bites, washing it down with fresh-squeezed juice.

"Go, Qiuting, go! There’s no way the rest of us can eat our money’s worth. Our whole dorm is counting on you," Lin Yanwan chuckled.

"How full would you say you are right now?" Si Si asked curiously.

"Seventy percent, maybe?" Qiuting said, swallowing another mouthful of cheese corn.

Hearing this, the others all drew in a sharp breath. Her appetite was simply enormous.

"Qiuting, let me see where you’re hiding all that food." Cui Jiaying went to pat her stomach with a mischievous giggle, only to find it was just barely bulging.

Lin Yanwan even found herself thinking, ’If this were the future, in the age of 4G and the mobile internet, Qiuting could easily make a living from the views she’d get as a mukbang streamer.

’After all, she’s the real deal—not one of those fake streamers who use editing tricks or make themselves throw up. Plus, her petite frame would create a stark contrast with her huge appetite, which would probably attract a huge fanbase.’