Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Ma Chenxuan was devouring his long-awaited braised chicken with rice, looking as happy as a total idiot.
I lifted a forkful of oil-splashed noodles into my mouth. The rich aroma of cumin and Sichuan peppercorns exploded against my taste buds. The tender slices of pork tenderloin were silky and melted in my mouth, while the onions and green peppers were soaked in savory sauce, tasting delightfully sweet. Paired with the chewy, hand-pulled noodles, it was pure bliss.
I took a sip of ice-cold plum juice and let out a satisfied sigh.
The happiest moment of any day is, without a doubt, mealtime.
“Chenxuan-ge, you’re here too!”
A voice filled with pleasant surprise dropped out of thin air, interrupting-no, murdering-the look of pure joy on my face.
The girl was wearing a light-colored dress, tailored perfectly to accentuate her delicate waistline. Her features were elegant, and her makeup was so subtle that you’d have to look closely to notice she’d used two layers of ivory foundation topped with a layer of natural tone. She had even craftily skipped the outer eyeliner to create the image of a “natural beauty” who wasn’t wearing any makeup at all.
She had clearly put a lot of effort into this look.
Jiang Ke’er gazed at Ma Chenxuan with eyes full of affection.
Ma Chenxuan looked up.
Then Ma Chenxuan looked back down.
He nudged me. “Hey, this must be that Zhang Ke’er girl, right?”
Me: “…Who the hell are you asking?”
Seeing that he wasn’t making a move, Jiang Ke’er stood there holding her tray, her expression turning a bit awkward.
In the end, I was the one who couldn’t bear it. I shifted my bowl inward, signaling for her to sit across from me.
Jiang Ke’er placed her tray opposite me, but she sat down on the other side so she was directly facing Ma Chenxuan. “Chenxuan-ge,” she asked sweetly, “did you see my WeChat message? Why didn’t you reply?”
Ma Chenxuan’s tongue was currently struggling with a massive piece of chicken. He mumbled, “I saw it. I looked at it with my girlfriend. We actually had a huge disagreement over it.”
Jiang Ke’er’s eyes lit up, but she instantly replaced the look with one of shock. She slightly covered her mouth, looking troubled.
“H-how could that be? How could she think of you like that… Chenxuan-ge, I really just wanted to thank you. You’re always looking out for me and considering my feelings. I just wanted to treat you to a meal to show my appreciation for your hard work. How could I possibly mean to ruin your relationship?”
She then turned to me, her brow furrowing slightly and tears welling in her eyes. “You must be his girlfriend, right? Gege and I really just have a pure friendship; he just looks after me like a little sister. Even if you don’t like me, how can you not trust him? If I were his partner, I would definitely support and trust him unconditionally. I wouldn’t doubt his decisions so easily…”
A tear trembled on her eyelashes, ready to fall. “Gege, am I right?”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Ma Chenxuan finally swallowed that piece of chicken and looked at Jiang Ke’er with a face full of shock.
“I wanted to reject you directly, but my girlfriend insisted I do it tactfully and gently. She said you’re a girl and probably thin-skinned. I told her that was a gender bias; men aren’t necessarily thick-skinned either. Take me, for example-I’m incredibly sensitive and delicate, an expert at reading the room, and the thing I hate most is rejecting people.”
Ma Chenxuan looked at her and asked earnestly, “So, can you leave quickly? It’s way too cramped with three people eating here.”
I stole a glance at Jiang Ke’er. This time, she really looked like she was about to cry.
However, she quickly composed herself and gave a soft smile. “It’s okay. I don’t eat much; I’ll be done soon.”
She really didn’t have much. On her large tray sat nothing but a small bowl of the cafeteria’s free soup.
Jiang Ke’er brought the spoon to her lips, blew on it gently a few times, and took a tiny sip.
She managed to make a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup look like she was eating top-tier caviar. I clapped my hands in genuine admiration.
Jiang Ke’er glanced at my bowl as if by accident and let out a startled cry. “Sister, what is that in your bowl?”
“What do you mean ‘what is it’?” Ma Chenxuan, having been interrupted several times while trying to eat, was starting to get impatient. “It’s just-”
His gaze landed on Jiang Ke’er’s tray, and his words came to a screeching halt.
“Whoa,” he said blankly, the irritation between his brows vanishing. He waved a hand at Jiang Ke’er, his expression turning to one of pity. “Say no more. I get it.”
I didn’t even get what he got.
But Ma Chenxuan’s next move made me spit out the plum juice I was drinking.
He discreetly pointed Jiang Ke’er in a certain direction and whispered, “The subsidized meals are in that area. Don’t worry, there’s no shame in it. The school will definitely protect the privacy of students in your situation.”
He then pointed at my bowl and explained seriously:
“This is noodles. It’s good.”
Jiang Ke’er’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver. I had to pinch my thigh hard to stop myself from letting out a donkey-like bray of laughter.
“No, I think I misunderstood,” Jiang Ke’er said weakly. “So Sister really is eating a whole bowl of noodles by herself.”
She flashed a smile at Ma Chenxuan. “I thought gege was just being mean and bullying her on purpose. After all, how could any girl eat a whole bowl of noodles alone?”
She took another tiny sip of soup-it looked like she was barely wetting the surface of her lips-and said softly, “Take me for example; I’m completely stuffed after just one small bowl of soup per meal.”
Ma Chenxuan looked at her, seemingly deep in thought. He hesitated for a long time before finally being unable to stop himself from speaking.
As if afraid of hurting her feelings, he chose his words carefully. “I really think… you should go to the hospital for a check-up.”
“My great-granduncle was like this before he passed away. One small bowl a day, and he could only handle liquids…”
Jiang Ke’er reached her limit: “I’m not sick!”
Ma Chenxuan was still hesitant. “But you’re not normal anymore.”
Realizing she had lost her composure, Jiang Ke’er quickly blinked and playfully stuck out her tongue. “I know you’re just worried about me, Senior. But I’m on a diet. After all, as a girl, I have to maintain my figure.”
She shot a meaningful look at me.
“Girls should be beautiful. Being thin is not just good for yourself, it’s also a sign of respect for your future boyfriend. If you can’t even maintain a basic figure and just eat whatever you want, even if you’re lucky enough to get a boyfriend, he’ll definitely dump you. After all, no man likes a woman who doesn’t act like a woman.”
A dead silence fell. While I was still reeling from hearing such a backwards, foot-binding-era speech in a higher education institution, Ma Chenxuan had already spoken up.
He said earnestly, “Then after you get a boyfriend, you must make sure he grows a queue.”
Jiang Ke’er: ?
Ma Chenxuan: “You should also work hard to save money to buy a traditional courtyard house.”
Jiang Ke’er: ?
Ma Chenxuan: “And then find him a few concubines from the Eight Banners.”
With that, Ma Chenxuan cleared both our trays. While carrying them, he asked me, “What should we snack on while we binge-watch shows this afternoon? Braised beef, soy-sauced pig trotter, or popcorn chicken?”
I took his arm. “Let’s change it up today and have something vegetarian.”
Ma Chenxuan understood immediately. “Got it. Let’s go buy some fried fish.”