Chapter 10 Eating lunch at the canteen
After Ji Lianbing left, I sat on the toilet for a while to compose myself before forcing myself to cheer up. If I had a cigarette with me right now, even if I didn’t smoke, I would definitely light one to calm down.
She said she would wait for my answer… but she didn’t give a deadline. Usually, people give three days or a week, but Ji Lianbing didn’t give me any time limit.
Isn’t she afraid I’ll keep dragging it out and not answer her? Or does she think I will definitely answer her?
She’s not going to grab me by the neck and force me to say I like her, is she… Ugh… That’s too scary.
Putting aside whether that title is real or not, Ji Lianbing is undoubtedly a truly dangerous person. The dangerous aura she emitted before touching my cheek was definitely not something an ordinary beautiful girl would possess. Madness, coldness, cruelty, her eyes were like those of a cold-blooded animal, and just being stared at made me feel like I couldn’t move at all.
What was most terrifying was that she could perfectly hide this aura in her daily life. In front of others, Ji Lianbing was just a perfect beautiful girl in every aspect.
So, why did she expose her true self to me?
She had been hiding it all this time, and then suddenly exposed it to me… Isn’t she afraid I’ll reveal it?
Uh, no, I can’t tell anyone anyway… I don’t have any friends to confide in. Should I tell the teacher? Even if I did, no one would believe me; they’d just think I’d gone mad.
Is it precisely because of this that Ji Lianbing can expose her true self to me without any worry?
Hmm… It still feels a bit unreasonable.
But with the current information, I can’t figure out her true intentions.
Another thing is that Ji Lianbing’s title has also turned green… If this color really represents favorability, why is Ji Lianbing’s head also turning green? My words should be very cold, right? Did I hit a nerve somewhere? Or is she really a masochist?
It’s truly baffling…
I stayed in the restroom until the bell rang before returning to the classroom.
Everyone in the classroom was looking at me, even the teacher. It seems the news that Ji Lianbing barged into the boys’ restroom to find me has spread.
It’s always like this at school; big or small matters create a violent reaction, like sodium dropped into water.
I returned to my seat with a blank expression. Ji Lianbing didn’t look at me either, as if she didn’t know me, reverting to her previous demeanor. Does this mean she won’t bother me again until I give her an answer? Thank goodness for that.
I thought she wouldn’t contact me for a while… I thought that…
“Juncheng, let’s have lunch together, okay?”
As a result, as soon as lunchtime arrived, Ji Lianbing, holding a bento box, invited me to have lunch with her!
“Um, I usually eat at the canteen…”
“It’s okay~ I’ll go to the canteen with you then.”
“Uh…”
What does this guy want to do! Enough is enough! I’ve had it!
“The canteen is very crowded, isn’t it? It might not be suitable for you to go…”
Very few people bring their own bento boxes; most people eat at the canteen or buy bread at the convenience store. But I am a traditional rice eater, so I always eat at the canteen, even if it’s packed.
If it were just me, it would be fine, but I’m supposed to take a beautiful girl like her to such a crowded canteen?
Don’t be ridiculous! When those boys see Ji Lianbing, they’ll go crazy and swarm her. Who knows what kind of accident will happen then!
I had already tried my best to subtly hint that the canteen wasn’t a good place, but Ji Lianbing still maintained an indifferent expression and said, “It’s okay~ I haven’t been to the canteen before, so it would be an interesting experience to see it.”
Ah, whatever! Why am I worrying so much about you! If you get groped by some pervert later, it has nothing to do with me. You insisted on going to the canteen yourself!
With a heavy heart, I headed directly to the canteen. Ji Lianbing followed me about two meters behind. It was a subtle distance; it felt too far to say we knew each other, but too close to say we didn’t, given our synchronized steps.
This distance probably represents the current level of familiarity between her and me…
Although I had been sitting in front of her for a semester, I only truly started to know her today.
My perception and understanding of the beautiful girl Ji Lianbing have completely changed 180 degrees, all because of that inexplicable title… My feelings are complicated.
Passing through the first-floor corridor, we arrived at the integrated building to the left of the main teaching building. The first and second floors of the integrated building house the student canteen. By the way, the library, where I often go, is on the third floor of the integrated building.
The canteen tables are set for four people, so when it’s crowded, people often share tables with strangers. This is very common.
But today, it was strange.
No, it wasn’t that there were fewer people; the canteen was as crowded as usual.
But how should I put it? Everyone was avoiding me… or rather, avoiding Ji Lianbing?
People who were eagerly grabbing seats stopped and stared at me, as if they were seeing a rare animal.
Do you have to be so excited even when you see a beautiful girl… Is it that serious?
And why are not only the boys stunned, but the girls too? Is Ji Lianbing’s charm so universally appealing? I remember her relationship with the girls shouldn’t be good. Was that not envy and jealousy, but a lingering resentment from not being able to approach their ideal ‘older sister’?
Affected by the numerous gazes, my thoughts went wild again under the tension.
After forcibly calming myself down, I walked to my usual ordering window and ordered Mapo Tofu, stir-fried green peppers with dried tofu, Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers, and cold noodles.
I always like to try new dishes or buy weird drinks. I’ve basically tried all the dishes in the canteen, so I know which ones are good, although I’ve also eaten a lot of terrible “landmine dishes.”
The canteen auntie, who was rude and always shorted my portions before, seemed different today. Not only did she give me a large bowl of rice, but she also wore an unnatural smile.
Damn it… Has even the canteen auntie been influenced by the ‘Ji Lianbing effect’?
This influence is too terrifying, isn’t it?
I didn’t pay much attention to Ji Lianbing before, so I always thought she was just a popular school beauty, but now… it seems like more than that?
Who on earth is she?
