Xiang Qiu was somewhat surprised by Wang Zhihong's words. She could hear the sincerity in his tone, but she wouldn't be moved to tears by such sweet words. It wasn't just empty talk.

Talk is cheap; action speaks louder than words.

Xiang Qiu didn't want to continue talking about marriage, so she changed the subject and said, "Zhihong, I mentioned to you before that Qingqing's boyfriend is also from your school, do you remember?"

Wang Zhihong sensed her meaning and took the opportunity to laugh and say, "Yes, he's a year ahead of me, but it's a pity we never had a chance to get to know each other at school."

"These are minor issues. Next time, Song Ze will treat you to a meal. Sister Qiu, you can bring Comrade Wang along," Xia Qingqing said with a smile.

"That's great, I can even get a free meal," Wang Zhihong deliberately made a face as if he was getting a great deal.

Liu Huimin laughed extremely happily: "Xiuxiu and I are the ones who are getting a good deal, eating and drinking with you guys. I don't mind doing this kind of good thing a few more times, the more the better."

Chen Xiu, the only one among the four who was still single, gave a shy smile.

The group hadn't been chatting for long when the waiter started serving the dishes, and Wang Zhihong quickly got up to help carry them.

In those days, the status of waiters in state-run restaurants was "higher" than that of customers. When there weren't many customers, the waiters might help serve the dishes if they were in a good mood, but when there were many customers, they had to go to the window to get their own food.

"Let's eat first, and chat while we eat," Wang Zhihong said considerately as he helped the girls set out their bowls and chopsticks.

During the meal, Wang Zhihong ate mostly vegetables and rarely picked up any meat dishes with his chopsticks.

Xiang Qiu quickly noticed his little action and put a big piece of braised fish on his plate, saying, "Eat some yourself, don't just watch us eat."

Wang Zhihong grinned sheepishly and said, "I'm eating. You guys eat more. If you're still hungry, you can order more."

“That’s enough, that’s enough. Ordering too much is a waste, and wasting food is shameful,” Liu Huimin quickly said.

The girls didn't eat much, and after they finished eating, there was still a little bit of food left on the table.

Seeing that everyone had put down their chopsticks, Wang Zhihong began to unleash his true abilities, and in no time at all, the dishes on the table were completely empty.

Liu Huimin joked with a smile: "I knew you were too tall to eat so little. Turns out you were just being considerate of us."

She has a deep understanding of men's appetites, especially her husband Qi Yongkang, who has always had a large appetite since childhood. If it weren't for his family's wealth, they really wouldn't be able to afford to support him.

"Hehe, we can't waste it, wasting is shameful," Wang Zhihong said, touching his nose sheepishly, returning Liu Huimin's words.

After the meal, Wang Zhihong escorted the group back to school, but he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he asked Xiang Qiu to show him around the school.

"Xiao Qiu," Wang Zhihong called out to Xiang Qiu, who was walking very intently.

Xiang Qiu turned around when she heard the sound and saw that Wang Zhihong had fallen far behind her: "Why did you suddenly stop?"

Wang Zhihong smiled and said, "I have something to tell you first."

Xiang Qiu was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but quickly replied with a smile, "Yes, let's find a place to sit down and chat."

The two went to a small park and found a bench. The bench was under the shade of a tree, avoiding direct sunlight, so it wasn't too hot to sit on.

Xiang Qiu shielded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the tree branches, where sunlight dappled the branches, creating patches of light. She was waiting for Wang Zhihong to speak first.

Wang Zhihong didn't keep her waiting long. After taking a deep breath, he finally spoke: "Xiao Qiu, I want to talk to you about our relationship."

"A great man once said that any relationship not aimed at marriage is just playing around. From the very beginning, I've been dating you with marriage in mind."

"My parents couldn't help much with my marriage, but I actually have some savings that only I know about. I'm telling you this now just to let you know that you don't need to worry about having a hard life after marrying me. I hope you can seriously consider our relationship."

Wang Zhihong didn't think he had that much charm to make Xiang Qiu choose to spend her life with him without any advantages. Since he had leverage, he should have presented it from the beginning to increase his advantage.

Xiang Qiu paused for a moment, looking at Wang Zhihong with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

She initially agreed to date Wang Zhihong entirely because of him, and of course, she also thought that the two of them could get married after graduation. However, after being persuaded by her mother and Liu Huimin, Xiang Qiu had to admit that she had indeed hesitated.

The fact that Wang Zhihong could say these words at this moment must mean he noticed her hesitation.

Xiang Qiu didn't feel embarrassed. Humans are realistic creatures, and she believed that Wang Zhihong must have weighed all aspects of her conditions before deciding to be with her.

Xiang Qiu didn't hide anything and told Wang Zhihong everything truthfully.

After hearing this, Wang Zhihong was very glad that he had made the right choice. If he hadn't told Xiang Qiu about his savings, perhaps Xiang Qiu would have really given up on him after a while.

“Xiao Qiu, we’re both college students. After graduation, we’ll have a combined salary of over 100 yuan. With my savings, our lives will definitely be fine. Once we get a company-provided apartment in a few years, things will be even easier,” Wang Zhihong said, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Xiang Qiu, his tone filled with anticipation for the future.

Xiang Qiu's lips unconsciously curled up: "Haven't you ever thought about buying your own house in the future?"

She didn't know exactly how much savings Wang Zhihong had, but given his confident statement, it must be quite a lot. She had also saved some herself, and together they might actually be able to buy a small house.

Wang Zhihong was stunned when she suddenly brought up buying a house: "Buy...buy a house?"

Forgive him for never thinking about buying a house. Nowadays, young people either live with their elders or rely on their work unit to provide housing after marriage. I've never heard of anyone buying a house before getting married. Houses are so expensive; they're not something anyone can afford.

Xiang Qiu also realized that she was probably influenced by Xia Qingqing's ideas. In addition, since there had never been a separate room in her family, she still had a deep-seated desire to own her own house.

She suddenly burst out laughing: "I was just saying it casually, you don't need to take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhihong didn't take it to heart, assuming that Xiang Qiu was just saying it casually.

After the two talked things out, their relationship actually progressed further. Their gazes towards each other were filled with tender affection, and Xiang Qiu felt much more relaxed after she no longer had any worries.