Consort Zhou returns to the palace after being forbidden from certain foods.

After an autumn rain, fallen leaves covered the ground, and the temperature in Huaicheng had dropped below ten degrees Celsius, with the air damp and chilly.

Lin Shih-jen hates this season the most. He was in such a hurry when he went out that he forgot to bring his scarf. His long hair was blown by the wind, and the cool air crept into his neck. That sentence also crept into his mind.

—Since you want to sit next to me so badly, then I have no choice but to go back.

I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I think about it, it was too ambiguous. A surge of heat rose to my ears.

Students walked towards the school gate in waves, and someone called her name from behind, but Lin Shiren did not turn around.

With the wind whistling in her ears, she walked forward with complete concentration. When they were seven or eight meters apart, Dong Rui called her a second time, raising her voice by seven or eight octaves. Only then did Lin Shiren stop in her tracks.

Turning her head, she saw Dong Rui running over with a bag of books in her arms. When she got to her, she said, "What are you thinking about? I called you but you didn't hear me."

Lin Shiren waited until she caught her breath before taking her arm and continuing to walk: "I was too sleepy and didn't react in time."

"You did well on this monthly exam."

"It's alright, the difficulty level of the questions is suitable for me."

Dong Rui looked miserable: "I'm doomed. I didn't do well on the physics test again. I guess Old Chen will have a talk with me today."

She suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, why did Cai Lun take leave?"

Lin Shiren is a person who can keep things to himself. If he were to say that Cai Shichen was unable to attend class because he was beaten too badly, it would inevitably implicate Zhou Lin. So he avoided the important matter and said, "I don't know, but Teacher Chen has contacted his parents."

Dong Rui still seemed angry, and pouted, "Just suspending him from school and having him stay home to reflect is too lenient on him."

After turning from the chilly outdoor environment into the teaching building, the two chatted about school gossip for a while. As they passed through the corridor, they could hear a loud commotion coming from a classroom. Dong Rui entered the classroom in front of her, and with a "Huh?" she stopped abruptly.

Lin Shiren bumped into him without any warning. Dong Rui nudged her with her elbow and frantically gave her a meaningful look. She took a half step back, and her previously blocked view was finally clear. Then she saw that familiar face.

At this very moment, Zhou Lin is sitting in his seat reading a book.

He stood upright, his eyes lowered, his slender fingers twirling the pen at a steady pace, occasionally writing a couple of lines slowly, calm and focused.

It really is a learning machine passed down from generation to generation.

Lin Shih-ren had always known that Chou Lin was good-looking, and now he suddenly realized it. He just sat there so intently, and the surroundings seemed to brighten up, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

For some reason, she felt inexplicably better. She subconsciously walked past Dong Rui to her seat, seemingly forgetting the rumors between them, and naturally greeted him: "Have you had breakfast?"

"No." Zhou Lin's gaze slowly fell on her.

Lin Shiren took out a sandwich from his bag and put it on his desk: "Here you go, I just happened to buy an extra one today."

Zhou Lin closed the book and calmly took it, saying, "Thank you."

Shao Xiaxuan, sitting in the back seat, saw everything. Although the two were talking very naturally and there was no intimate behavior, there was an overwhelming sense of ambiguity.

She secretly pulled out her phone and started typing furiously: "It seems Zhou Lin and Lin Shiren are really dating."

The person on the other end immediately replied, "What do you mean?"

Shao Xiaxuan: "Zhou Lin hasn't been to school for almost a month. When Lin Shiren saw him this morning, he wasn't surprised at all and even asked him if he had eaten breakfast."

Friend: "Isn't this perfectly normal?"

Shao Xiaxuan: "I saw it with my own eyes. Zhou Lin clearly ate something in the morning, but told Lin Shiren that he didn't. Then Lin Shiren said he bought an extra sandwich, and Zhou Lin ate it."

Friend: "Could it be that Zhou Lin has a big appetite...?"

Shao Xiaxuan: "Beautiful woman speechless.jpg"

Shao Xiaxuan: "You usually go crazy over your brothers just by blinking, but now it's so obvious and you still don't understand. I'm speechless. Go read some BL (Boys' Love) novels; BG (Boys' Love) isn't for you."

Before the morning self-study bell rang, everyone was rushing to finish their homework. Shao Xiaxuan, still not giving up, continued to report the evidence of their "affair" to her best friend: "Zhou Lin has started going over the monthly exam paper with Lin Shiren! My god, that look in his eyes, so full of affection!!!"

Friend: "No picture, no truth.jpg"

Shao Xiaxuan: "No, I'm afraid of being found out..."

Lin Shiren didn't seem to be spoiling him at all. She frowned as she watched Zhou Lin write out the solution steps. After a few seconds of silence, she tapped her finger on the test paper and asked, "How did you come up with this step?"

Her IQ is not low, and her learning ability is not bad either. It's just that her problem-solving approach is too conservative. She inevitably hesitates when faced with challenging questions. Perhaps we should design a systematic plan to improve her grades based on her situation.

Zhou Lin turned the page of the draft paper: "Then let's try a different method."

...

The news of Zhou Lin's return to school spread like wildfire throughout the school, and rumors about the two began to emerge.

Lin Shih-jen's current view on the rumors is: let them say whatever they want. Anyway, the innocent will clear themselves, and she can't control so many mouths.

At noon, she was stared at by many people as soon as she entered the cafeteria. She ordered a bowl of rice noodles at the window without looking at them. When she was looking for a seat with her plate, she met the eyes of Xu Yiqiao, who was wiping the table. The two of them looked away at the same time without exchanging any words.

Across from Xu Yiqiao sat Ruan Ya and Shen Xuqing. They had been getting close lately, but Lin Shiren had stopped paying attention to them. She hadn't even logged into her Weibo side account in a long time.

"Lin Shiren".

Song Ci appeared out of nowhere and walked over quickly. The plate in his hand was still steaming, and Lin Shiren was afraid of spilling it on her.

He gestured with his chin, "We've got our spots taken, let's go together."

My gaze shifted from Song Ci's face to the direction he was pointing to, to the window where Zhou Lin was sitting. He was so tall that he stood out.

“Okay.” Scattered glances swept over him briefly. Lin Shiren took a breath and walked over confidently.

Song Ci naturally sat down next to Zhou Lin, opposite the two of them. Midway through, Li Pengfei, who couldn't find a seat, also came over with his tray.

The four of them ate together. Song Ci was very talkative, and he kept joking that Zhou Lin was "Consort Zhou returning to the palace." Li Pengfei played along, and the atmosphere at the table was very lively.

Lin Shih-ren breathed a slight sigh of relief; he didn't need to socialize and could just focus on his meal.

A spoonful of hot soup made my whole body feel comfortable.

Zhou Lin asked casually, "What are you eating? It looks good."

"Tomato and beef rice noodles".

Lin Shiren then noticed his plate, which was a rice bowl with stir-fried mutton with scallions. She quickly grabbed his hand: "Oh dear, how could you eat mutton?"

Song Ci had just picked up her chopsticks when she suddenly realized something, leaned forward slightly, and asked with an ambiguous expression, "Why can't Zhou Lin eat mutton?"

He suspects it's related to the kidneys. Could it be that his brother didn't perform well yesterday?

Li Pengfei's cheeks twitched slowly, like a broken record: "That's right, why can't we eat mutton?"

Lin Shih-jen frowned, as if looking at three kindergarten children: "Isn't this common sense? Injured people can't eat foods that are considered 'heating' or 'triggering'—seafood, mutton, chili peppers... none of them are allowed."

Zhou Lin was charmed by her nagging manner, his eyes melting as he went along with her words, "Does it have to be so strict?"

Song Ci suppressed a laugh: "His little injury can't be that serious, can it? Is there some other reason?"

Lin Shih-jen's eyes held an undeniable seriousness: "There was a patient in my mother's clinic who had surgery and was almost fully recovered. She was from Inner Mongolia, and she died because she ate a piece of mutton during the Chinese New Year..."

Only Li Pengfei was still completely bewildered, his jaw nearly dropping in shock: "He died from eating a piece of mutton?!"

Three pairs of eyes turned to her, and the scene suddenly became quiet. People passed by one after another, and her hand froze in mid-air. Only then did she realize that she was holding the boy's wrist bone in her palm.

As if electrocuted, Lin Shiren suddenly released his grip, his cheeks immediately turning red, and he wanted to bite off his own tongue.

Who does she think she is!

Why do we need to care what Zhou Lin eats?

Lin Shiren awkwardly adjusted his posture and brushed his hair aside to avoid their gaze: "Anyway, I've reminded you, whether you listen or not is up to you."

Zhou Lin tapped his knuckles slowly on the table twice, as if he had finally made a decision: "I'm afraid of dying. How about we switch our meals? I haven't even touched my chopsticks yet."

Lin Shiren exclaimed "Ah!"

Is that what she meant?

His food was untouched, but hers had already been eaten.

Next to the red soup rice noodles made with tomato and beef, the plate of bland-colored stir-fried mutton with scallions looked really unappetizing.

Lin Shiren reluctantly began, "But I've already eaten..."

“I don’t mind you.” Zhou Lin interrupted her, then obediently picked up the plate and handed it to her, like a good patient who follows the doctor’s orders.

But I dislike your food...

Out of consideration for his injury being related to her, Lin Shiren ultimately didn't say those words aloud, and watched helplessly as her rice noodles went into his stomach.

Zhou Lin followed her actions, first taking a sip of soup, then slowly eating the rice noodles with his chopsticks. Then, looking at her expression, he carefully chose his words: "Until you recover from your injury, you can have lunch with me every day at noon, so that I won't be careless and eat the wrong thing."

Since school started, every time I see her in the cafeteria, the girl is always alone, which is quite pitiful. While other tables are chatting and laughing, she eats quietly by herself, as if she has been abandoned.

"It's not that complicated, just avoid eating foods that may trigger allergies or other allergens."

"I have a bad memory."

That's utterly alarmist!

Lin Shiren secretly rolled his eyes. The top student in the grade said he had a bad memory? Before he could even express his opinion, he heard him continue, "In return, I'll devise a study plan for you to improve your grades."

"..."

What kind of reward is this?

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Author's note: 50 red envelopes~