Chapter 52 "Hey classmate, what do you want to eat?"...

"What would you like to eat, student?" the aunt asked as she handed out plates.

Fang Minzhou quickly turned around, and a variety of dishes came into view, but for a moment her mind went blank. Her mouth was open, but she couldn't speak. She looked back again in disbelief.

The noise and crowds of the cafeteria faded away, and Wang Kan was indeed standing behind her.

He was a bit darker but also seemed more muscular. His newly cut short hair looked neat, and he was wearing his usual casual short-sleeved shirt. Although it had only been about a month since they last met, Fang Minzhou felt that he had matured a lot all of a sudden, with a kind of upright and imposing air like a bamboo shoot growing into a mature bamboo. But when he smiled crookedly, that childishness, like the bubbles in a can of soda, inevitably escaped again.

Her gaze was fixed on Wang Kan's wickedly smiling face, but her heart ached terribly. He suddenly raised his chin behind her.

"classmate?"

The aunt urged again, sounding puzzled. Fang Minzhou turned around suddenly, "Excuse me, Auntie, I'd like a serving of shredded pork with garlic sauce..."

The auntie's ladle immediately scraped the bottom of the plate, the students in the next line were complaining about the afternoon classes, and a burly uncle walked by the window carrying a freshly cooked plate of vegetables... In a corner where no one was paying attention, Fang Minzhou felt her hand hanging by her side being touched lightly, intentionally or unintentionally. From her fingers to her palm, Fang Minzhou's face was burning hot. "...Another order of braised beef brisket, please."

A spoonful of rice and a spoonful of vegetables were handed to the two of them. Fang Minzhou glanced at Wang Kan, who suppressed a laugh and pursed her lips before following her.

Fang Minzhou wanted to find an empty seat first and then send a message to her roommate, but unfortunately she saw Jin Ying standing up and waving at her first.

Fang Minzhou was immediately caught in a dilemma, while Jin Ying reacted first, her mouth forming an "o" shape, and then, like a traffic cop, she exaggeratedly gestured for them to go first. Even in the crowded cafeteria, this scene attracted attention, and Meng Yujun and Luo Jia also looked over.

Fang Minzhou really wanted to find a hole and quickly walk inside. She finally found an empty seat for two, sat down first, and then Wang Kan leisurely put down his plate.

Her slight embarrassment paled in comparison to the immense surprise. This scene was too unreal; Fang Minzhou had never dreamed of it. Her whole body was burning up. She picked up her chopsticks, but couldn't taste anything.

Wang Kan had a great appetite. One of his main motivations for this trip was imagining how Fang Minzhou would react, since she was always so calm and collected, but now her face was as red as a tomato. He contentedly placed a piece of beef brisket on Fang Minzhou's plate, ate a piece himself, and said critically, "The taste is alright."

Meng Yujun: "Who was that person just now?"

Jin Ying: "It's definitely Min Zhou's boyfriend."

Luo Jia: "Hey, it seems pretty good."

Fang Minzhou chewed her rice, remaining silent for a long time.

Wang Kan was quite pleased with herself and couldn't help but laugh at her: "Are you that surprised? You're not really moved, are you?"

Normally, Fang Minzhou would have definitely tried to deflate Wang Kan's ego, but at this moment, she looked at him honestly and nodded.

They were in different cafeterias, no longer wearing the blue and white uniforms of No. 1 Middle School. Everything had changed, yet everything seemed the same. Moments of happiness never seemed sharp, but were so tender that they left one at a loss.

He was the one who created surprises, yet his heart was trembling. Wang Kan placed another piece of beef brisket on Fang Minzhou's plate: "Eat first."

Meng Yujun: "Isn't her boyfriend in Jiangcheng?"

Jin Ying: "It seems so."

Meng Yujun: "Is today Minzhou's birthday?"

Luo Jia: "No way, my birthday hasn't even passed yet, and she's younger than me."

Meng Yujun: "Then..."

After a few bites of food, Wang Kan calmed down a bit and looked Fang Minzhou up and down: "Why do I feel like you've lost weight?"

"No," Fang Minzhou said, looking him over. "Did you even apply sunscreen properly?"

"I applied it, but it didn't work."

"Impossible, you must not have applied it carefully."

"Then you can help me apply it next time."

Fang Minzhou: "..."

Wang Kan wanted to laugh to herself. She was like a cactus, prickly, but actually a shy mimosa that would blush at the slightest touch.

Fang Minzhou glared at Wang Kan, "When...did you get here?"

"you guess."

"..."

Wang Kan stopped teasing her. "My flight is this morning."

"You don't have class today?"

Wang Kan glanced at her and casually said, "She's taken leave."

But Fang Minzhou remained silent.

Wang Kan coughed lightly. "I was planning to wait for you at the classroom door after class, but when I heard you and your friend went to the cafeteria, I wanted to see what you usually eat. I was wondering when you would notice me, but you didn't even turn around. By the way, do you eat at the cafeteria every day? When did you start liking rice bowls?"

As he spoke, he added more meat to Fang Minzhou's plate.

How many pieces of meat are there in total?

“Eat it occasionally… I’ve had enough, you can eat it yourself.” Fang Minzhou stopped Wang Kan, steer the conversation back to the topic he was deliberately avoiding, “What did you tell the teacher?”

Wang Kan knew she would mind such a small thing, so she prepared her words in advance: "Didn't you just say you were happy to see me?"

How can these be lumped together? Fang Minzhou had just opened her mouth when Wang Kan interrupted, "Don't worry, I just said I had something to do at home. I didn't have any classes today anyway, and since I'm already here, you're not going to kick me out, are you? I need to eat a few more bites first, or I'll starve to death on the way..."

His acting left Fang Minzhou both amused and exasperated, so she could only concede: "Alright... but you can't do this again next time."

"I promise, but I really think you've lost weight."

"..."

Suddenly noticing the gazes of those around her, Fang Minzhou looked over and saw that her roommates had finished eating and were casually passing by, some winking, others giving meaningful glances. The heat that Fang Minzhou had finally managed to calm down rose again, while Wang Kan greeted them so naturally that it startled them. They waved and pushed each other as they hurried away.

Wang Kan was still laughing when Fang Minzhou told him to shut up, "Hurry up and eat."

The food has gone cold.

After finally finishing their meal, they should have taken a stroll around the campus, but the sun was still very strong, so Fang Minzhou led them into the library.

Wang Kan suspected Fang Minzhou was doing it on purpose, because making noise was prohibited in the library. Fang Minzhou called Wang Kan vulgar, saying, "Have you never even been to your school library?"

Wang Kan followed up, "How did you know?"

Fang Minzhou: "..."

How can someone be so self-righteous about being illiterate?

Fortunately, there was an event in the library screening room in the afternoon. Although it was a documentary, the dim environment and the feeling of sitting shoulder to shoulder reminded Wang Kan of watching movies with Fang Minzhou during the summer vacation. Even if it was a slightly boring movie, he could secretly hold her hand and play with her fingers. Although she repeatedly broke free, he would immediately grab her again, like playing a game of catching goldfish.

After watching the documentary and strolling around the museum, the sun was about to set. Fang Minzhou then led Wang Kan on a tour of the school.

Like her parents, Wang Kan wanted to take photos at every "scenic spot." The difference was that when she was with her parents, Fang Minzhou took more photos for them, but when she was with Wang Kan, Wang Kan always wanted to take photos with her. At the lakeside, he even called out to passing classmates for help. Fang Minzhou hurriedly said no, leaving the classmates unsure whether to stay or leave, saying, "Um, I have something to do later..."

Fang Minzhou quickly apologized to them, just then a voice chimed in from the side: "Let me take the picture for you."

Fang Minzhou was embarrassed: "Senior..."

Senior?

Wang Kan looked at the boy in front of her and greeted him, "Hello, senior."

Zhuo Rui smiled and greeted him.

Thinking about how many times the scene of Wang Kan hugging and taking pictures had been seen by the senior students, Fang Minzhou couldn't help but feel embarrassed and annoyed. She forced herself to introduce the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Wang Kan realized that Fang Minzhou was both a senior from his own department and the president of the debate club, which made it difficult for him to have a good impression. However, he still politely handed over his phone and took Fang Minzhou's hand, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, senior."

"You're welcome," Zhuo Rui said, raising his phone to take a few pictures before handing it back to Wang Kan. "But my photography skills are so-so, do you think this is okay?"

Fang Minzhou's palms were sweaty. "It's okay, thank you, senior."

"Okay, I'll be going now. You guys have a great time."

Fang Minzhou: "Okay, goodbye, senior."

Wang Kan repeated, "Goodbye, senior."

Zhuo Rui waved and said, "Goodbye."

Once Zhuo Rui was out of sight, Fang Minzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked at herself in the photo, her face flushed red. Wang Kan, on the other hand, was smiling happily. Fang Minzhou couldn't help but complain a little, but then heard Wang Kan reply with a half-smile, "Are you afraid of being seen by others when you're with me?"

Fang Minzhou was stunned, unable to tell if he was serious or joking, "No..."

"You and this senior are very close?"

Fang Minzhou's expression froze completely, but she tried to keep a relaxed tone, "It's alright, he takes good care of everyone."

A breeze blew by, and the thin layer of sweat on my body cooled down.

"I see." Wang Kan smiled.

His meaning was direct, but he concealed his suspicions within seemingly casual and calm questions, because this was more dignified and left room for explanation. Fang Minzhou knew that some things didn't need to be explicitly stated; if she simply echoed his sentiments at this moment, the subtle probing from before could be easily dismissed.

But she didn't want it to be like this. Fang Minzhou called him, "Wang Kan."

"Hmm?" Wang Kan's tone was still rising, pretending not to understand Fang Minzhou's deeper meaning, but his eyes revealed nervousness, which Fang Minzhou also noticed.

“You need to understand one thing.” Fang Minzhou looked at him seriously, “We are in a long-distance relationship now and for the next four years.”

Wang Kan's smile faded slightly. "I know."

"So you're here to check up on me today?"

“No, if I were checking up on you, I would…” Wang Kan suddenly stopped because Fang Minzhou’s expression changed, “I came because I missed you… Don’t you miss me?”

He feigned pitifulness and spoke with a hint of grievance, a bit affected, but just right—at least better than his previous veiled criticism. Fang Minzhou softened a little. "You can't just..."

“All guys are like that,” Wang Kan said. His hostility earlier was genuine, and now he also felt that Fang Minzhou was taking this too seriously. “If you saw other girls with me, wouldn’t you mind?”

Fang Minzhou was taken aback by the question. After a while, she said, "...No."

A dull ache settled in her chest, like a fish biting a hook. Wang Kan forced a smile: "...Why?"

Fang Min looked at him with clear, sincere eyes, "Because I believe in you."

The fish broke free of the hook.

"So I hope you can believe me too."

It's always like this.

Wang Kan gently touched Fang Minzhou's hand.

He wouldn't let Fang Minzhou down, and it wasn't that he didn't trust her; he just...

He liked her, so he wanted to see her every day. That's why he got jealous and possessive, and he thought these were normal emotions. But Fang Minzhou thought they were incorrect and needed to be eliminated. Her calmness often made him doubt himself: he liked Fang Minzhou very much, but he wasn't sure how much she liked him.

Although he never expected Fang Minzhou to be 100% complete, this was his rationality and his true self. He hoped that Fang Minzhou would like him as much as he liked, or even love him more. His emotions were uncontrollable, and he was always anxious about this difference in feelings.

Wang Kan sighed. It was still his fault. He took Fang Minzhou's hand and apologized.

Wang Kan was backlit, the lake surface shimmering, his face shrouded in a hazy light. Fang Minzhou thought about how he had flown so far to come here, and realized she shouldn't have argued with him. Feeling a little embarrassed, she slowly took Wang Kan's hand in return. It really wasn't a big deal, was it?

"...Are you angry?" she asked cautiously.

Wang Kan chuckled: "I'm not that petty."

Fang Minzhou thought to himself that he did, but said aloud, "Okay, I'll treat you to dinner."

"Okay, what do you want to eat?"

What would you like to eat?

Guess what I want to eat?

Fang Minzhou: "..."

Wang Kan laughed.

Fish are actually very resilient. There is a high chance that a fish that gets off the hook will survive, with only a small scar around its mouth, but it is also possible that it will die.

So, is it dead or alive?

The fish swam away from the water plants and disappeared from sight.