Chapter 65

Chapter 65

The first floor of the restaurant was the food selection area.

Ning Xi looked at the beef brisket pot and braised pork ribs on the display counter, swallowing hard.

“I think these two look pretty good.”

Ning Xi looked at Fu Zhi with eyes full of expectation.

Fu Zhi gave a dry chuckle. “I also think it’s pretty good.”

Ning Xi tested the waters. “Then should we order these two?”

Fu Zhi continued to chuckle. “I meant that eating smashed cucumber is pretty good.”

He pointed to the smashed cucumber salad tucked away in the far corner of the display counter.

He had spent the entire morning squeezing in tasks to finally earn 350, but he was still a long way off from the first-place holder, Xie Lanchen.

If he spent over a hundred now to treat Ning Xi to a meal, how was he supposed to take first place?

Ning Xi looked at him with utter disdain. Smashed cucumber for lunch?

She silently flipped him the bird, then turned her head back to the display counter, deciding to choose between the braised pork ribs and the beef brisket pot to treat herself to an extra dish.

Seeing Ning Xi ignore him, Fu Zhi felt a slight twinge of unease.

He had just been joking; that brat Ning Xi wouldn’t have taken him seriously, would she?

“I’ll have an order of smashed cucumber and an order of braised pork ri-” Fu Zhi looked at the server.

“I’ll have the beef brisket pot, the braised pork ribs, lotus root slices, blueberry yams, and a pitcher of plum juice.”

At the same time, Xie Lanchen’s moderate voice rang out.

“Alright, that’s 148 yuan in total. I’ll round it down; you can just pay 140,” the server said.

Ning Xi looked at Xie Lanchen in shock. “You’re eating that much by yourself?”

And, truth be told, the dishes Xie Lanchen ordered were all very much to her taste…

Xie Lanchen seemed to realize belatedly that he couldn’t finish it all. He raised an eyebrow slightly, looking a bit troubled.

“It does seem like too much for one person. Would you be willing to help me eat?”

Ning Xi nodded happily and repeatedly. “Sure!”

Then she looked at the server. “I want an order of shredded pork in bean sauce and stir-fried mixed vegetables, plus a bottle of Sprite!”

She didn’t want to take advantage of Xie Lanchen, so she added two more dishes to share with him.

Two people, six dishes-it was plenty.

The server nodded and noted the order, then looked back at Fu Zhi, who hadn’t finished speaking.

“Sir, what was it you wanted to order?”

Fu Zhi watched Ning Xi and Xie Lanchen chatting happily with cold eyes and said, “I want an order of smashed cucumber, sweet and sour pork ribs, and tomato beef brisket.”

So what if it’s ribs and brisket? I can order them too! Hmph!

[That’s what you get for being a tsundere.]

[A public service announcement: people with foul mouths don’t get wives.]

After ordering, the three went up to the second floor to wait.

Ning Mingyue, Wei Xuan, and Shen Yibai had already arrived.

The three were sitting across from each other at a table for four, the atmosphere somewhat quiet.

“Xiao Xi, come sit at the table next to us,” Ning Mingyue said with a smile, beckoning to Ning Xi.

Ning Xi had no objections and found a random seat at the table next to Ning Mingyue’s.

Xie Lanchen and Fu Zhi followed suit and sat down.

However, Fu Zhi was a step faster and snatched the seat right next to Ning Xi.

Even though he was a bit annoyed right now, he still couldn’t let a manipulative guy like Xie Lanchen seize the opportunity to swoop in.

Xie Lanchen, on the other hand, sat across from Ning Xi with total composure.

“How did everyone’s tasks go this morning?”

Ning Mingyue poured a glass of water for Ning Xi, then asked with a gentle smile.

The Program Team had only released the rankings once and hadn’t sent out any updates since.

“It was alright…”

Ning Xi scratched her head.

“I was exhausted this morning! Also, these eyelash extensions are so mediocre!”

Jiang Sheshe’s grumbling complaints drifted up from the stairs.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to her.

After all, this was the ruthless soul who had only earned 150 but was willing to spend 128 of it.

Wei Xuan stood up to take Jiang Sheshe’s bag and asked patiently, “What did you order for lunch?”

Jiang Sheshe couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. “An order of egg fried rice.”

She only had 22 yuan left, and the Program Team wouldn’t let her use her own money to order, so she could only eat fried rice.

Wei Xuan chuckled. “I knew it. That’s why I ordered all the dishes you like.”

Jiang Sheshe looked at the table and saw that it was indeed the case.

Her heart instantly felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring-warm and tinged with a bit of sweetness.
For a moment, Jiang Sheshe’s resentment over Wei Xuan choosing Ning Mingyue earlier faded significantly.

“The math problems in this country are so difficult. A sixth-grader’s work is practically at competition level,” Jiang Sheshe complained to Wei Xuan with a forced, awkward expression.

Wei Xuan knew this was her way of making up. He smiled and said, “But I’m sure you taught them well.”

Jiang Sheshe smoothed her hair and gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

[Good lord, Jiang Sheshe calculated that a 16-yuan pencil case costs forty bucks after a discount, and that an old lady walks home at 15km/h. The Program Team only let her finish the task early to keep her from misleading the youth.]

[To be fair, Wei Xuan’s temperament is quite stable, but this trajectory is confusing me. Does he like Jiang Sheshe or Ning Mingyue?]

[He treated Ning Mingyue to breakfast in the morning and Jiang Sheshe to lunch. A true master of spreading the love.]

[There’s a difference, though. Wei Xuan didn’t plan on treating Ning Mingyue at first. She just happened to be at the breakfast shop and hadn’t finished her task yet, so she had no money. She had to borrow three yuan from the Program Team just to buy soy milk. As a guy, Wei Xuan couldn’t exactly watch Ning Mingyue go hungry.]

[Anyway, I have mixed feelings about Wei Xuan now. If he wants to pursue Ning Mingyue, he should stop being so nice to Jiang Sheshe. Does he really think he’s a human space heater?]

[Especially with someone like Jiang Sheshe, who has such a stubborn case of ‘romance brain.’ She’d just started to give up, but as soon as Wei Xuan is nice to her, she’s grinning like a hooked fish again.]

Ning Xi and her group’s food arrived quickly.

The waiter first placed the shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, cold sliced lotus root, and stir-fried mixed vegetables in front of Ning Xi.

Then, they slowly set down the braised pork ribs, beef brisket pot, and blueberry yams in front of Xie Lanchen.

While talking to Ning Xi, Xie Lanchen discreetly swapped the lotus root and mixed vegetables in front of her with the braised pork ribs and beef brisket.

Ning Xi was tilting her head back to drink her Sprite and didn’t notice this at all.

Only Fu Zhi saw it.

He let out a cold sneer. This Xie Lanchen really knew how to put on an act.

He waited for Xie Lanchen to intentionally bring it up to Ning Xi later.

However, the scatterbrained Ning Xi didn’t notice, and Xie Lanchen didn’t mention it at all.

Fu Zhi was momentarily bewildered.

[Xie Lanchen’s attention to detail is so ship-worthy! (crying emoji)]

[Fu Zhi: Small head, big confusion.]

After a few bites, Ning Xi realized that Xie Lanchen hadn’t really touched the dishes in front of him and was eating very little. She took the initiative to ask:

“Do you want to swap dishes?”

Xie Lanchen shook his head. “I-”

Ning Xi had already pushed the shredded pork and beef brisket over to him. “I haven’t touched these yet. You should try them.”

“He won’t eat that.”

Watching the screen, Luo Ze couldn’t help but shake his head.

Being able to hold hands, eat mangoes on the roadside with Ning Xi, and reluctantly eat food from a restaurant like this was likely already Xie Lanchen’s limit.

When it came to food others had touched, Xie Lanchen would certainly never eat it…

Yet in the next second, Luo Ze watched as Xie Lanchen obediently ate the food Ning Xi had pushed toward him. He even had a trace of a smile on his lips, without a hint of reluctance.

Luo Ze: ?

“Ahem, this tomato beef brisket and sweet and sour ribs are delicious. The brisket is melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the ribs are perfectly sweet and sour. Even the bones smell fragrant.”

Seeing that Ning Xi was ignoring him, Fu Zhi couldn’t help but start acting up.

Ning Xi glanced at him but didn’t say a word.

Fu Zhi continued to sigh with feeling, “These ribs are great braised, and great sweet and sour. As for the brisket, it’s good in a pot, but even better stewed with tomatoes. Plus, the smashed cucumbers are so refreshing. Truly excellent.”

Ning Xi kept her head down and continued eating, acting as if she hadn’t heard a word Fu Zhi said.

Fu Zhi thought: Has this brat changed her nature today?

Even food couldn’t move her.

Just then, Ning Xi finished her meal and prepared to get up and stretch.

“Wait, you’re just leaving like that?”

Fu Zhi suddenly grabbed Ning Xi’s arm.

Ning Xi looked down, her expression a mix of three parts icy elegance, three parts disdain, and three parts indifference:

“Yes. I just want you to feel as if I was never here.”

Fu Zhi’s lip twitched. “You might not have been here, but the dish you’re making off with is mine!”