Chapter 26

In this era, information spreads with lightning speed. The results of the competition that were just announced last night were known to everyone this morning. All the major news websites in Jinshi reported on the matter, and Lin Ting was instantly pushed into the spotlight, becoming the undisputed celebrity of the school. Some media even contacted the school to interview her, but the school brushed them off on the grounds that it needed to communicate with the students.

Since Lin Ting entered the school, boys have expressed their affection for her, but she has ignored them all. Later, everyone knew that she had a cold personality, and the boys who liked her all backed away. But this time, when the news of her winning the competition spread, she had more suitors again, and even people from other schools blocked the school gate hoping to see her.

It has to be said that her cool and aloof first-love face is more attractive to men than her talent.

The dormitory celebration party was scheduled for Saturday noon, and after much urging from my roommates, I invited Chen Zhiyi to join us.

She pretended to save Lin Ting money and thanked everyone with a meal, but her true intentions were obvious to everyone: she just wanted to find an opportunity to meet the handsome guy.

Chen Zhiyi was disappointed. He secretly hoped to have a meal with Lin Ting alone to celebrate, but then he thought that it would be a good thing to learn more about her through her roommates.

To defeat the "enemy," one must penetrate deep into the "enemy's rear."

Saturday arrived quickly, and the dinner was arranged at a sauerkraut fish hot pot restaurant. Like attracts like, and all four of them love sauerkraut fish. It's sour, spicy, and flavorful, and it's their first choice whenever they go out for a treat. This restaurant is near their school, and they've eaten there many times without ever getting tired of it.

Lin Ting was worried that Chen Zhiyi wouldn't be able to find him, so she stood at the main entrance waiting.

Soon, a black Mercedes-Benz stopped across the street, and a young man in white got out of the car carrying a gift bag. He waved to Lin Ting as soon as he saw her, then crossed the street and ran towards her.

Chen Zhiyi wore a white hooded sweatshirt with no fancy patterns, which looked fresh and natural. The sweatshirt collar was slightly open, revealing his delicate collarbone and fair skin. He wore light blue straight-leg jeans and white sneakers with the laces neatly tied, making him look very energetic.

Moreover, her hair was clearly styled, with her bangs combed back, revealing a clean and full forehead. Her clear and bright eyes were looking at Lin Ting, but she couldn't help but glance at the beauty mark under his right eye, which was like a unique pearl, adding an irresistible charm to his handsome face.

"Aren't you cold wearing so little? It's already late autumn, you must be careful to keep warm," Lin said.

"This sweatshirt is lined with fleece, so it's not cold at all."

Lin Ting pointed at the gift bag in Chen Zhiyi's hand and asked curiously, "What are you holding?"

"This is a gift I prepared for my three older sisters. After all, it's our first time meeting, and they are all older sisters, so it wouldn't be appropriate to come empty-handed."

She's quite thoughtful for her young age.

"So what did you prepare?" Lin Ting asked curiously.

Chen Zhiyi opened the gift bag, "I prepared a lipstick for each of the sisters."

"Lipstick?" Lin Ting was surprised that she had misheard and her eyes widened.

Chen Zhiyi noticed the surprise on Lin Ting's face and realized that he might have chosen the wrong gift. He quickly explained, "I didn't know what to buy, so I searched online. Baidu told me that the gift girls like to receive the most is lipstick."

Lin Ting took out the lipstick and examined it closely. "What about the brand and shade selection?"

"It's also from Baidu."

Wow, Baidu is really a great thing.

Lin Ting found it somewhat amusing; this method of choosing a gift was simple and straightforward, but it was also quite difficult for him.

"Alright, let's go in." The two walked into the restaurant side by side.

"Then why didn't you give me lipstick for Teacher's Day? Instead, you gave me a small desk lamp. Lipstick is much more expensive. Why did you look down on me?" Still in the afterglow of winning the championship, Lin Ting rarely joked.

"No, no." Chen Zhiyi didn't expect Lin Ting to bring this up at this time, and he was so anxious that his back was sweating. He had a hard time explaining, "No, I gave you the desk lamp because I knew you needed it. Shouldn't you give someone a gift that they need? I've never met the three sisters before and I don't know them, so I could only choose a common gift. Besides, a small desk lamp is quite expensive."

Chen Zhiyi's last sentence was drowned out by the shouts of serving dishes in the hall, and Lin Ting didn't hear it clearly.

"What did you say, 'and'? I didn't hear you."

"It's nothing, I'll get you a new lipstick next time."

"Just kidding, don't take it seriously. I'll thank you for your kindness on behalf of the three older sisters."

"oh!"

Moreover, the small desk lamp is much more expensive than a lipstick. Chen Zhiyi specially searched online for a long time to find a merchant to customize it. After the express delivery arrived, he assembled it himself. The value it contains is not even worth three hundred lipsticks.

Upon entering the private room, the two pushed open the door, and all three inside turned to look at them.

The three people who met Chen Zhiyi for the first time were thrilled, especially Zhong Xiaoman, who loved chasing stars and talking about handsome guys; her eyes practically sparkled. She was the first to tease, "When I watched the live stream, even with a mask on and only half his face showing, he was already incredibly handsome. I never expected him to be so stunning in person! Little brother, you're so handsome!"

Such a direct and flirtatious compliment made Chen Zhiyi blush on the spot.

Yun Shu: "Xiaoman, be more reserved, don't scare her."

Lin Ting sighed and gestured to the three people sitting around the table in front of her, introducing them as, "This is Yun Shu, Ren Jingjing, and Zhong Xiaoman. They're all older than you, they're all older sisters."

This was the first time Chen Zhiyi had encountered three unfamiliar older sisters outside of a family gathering. Feeling a little reserved, he immediately bowed slightly to show his respect and said, "Hello, sisters!"

That "sister" was really something else; even the usually composed Ren Jingjing got goosebumps. She stood up and pulled out two empty seats. "Hurry up and sit down, let's order."

Chen Zhiyi carefully placed the gift bag in the center of the round table. "This is a small gift for the three older sisters. I hope you will like it."

Zhong Xiaoman was the first to jump up from her seat, pick up the gift bag, and when she took out the contents, all three of them were stunned.

TFXX lipsticks are the Hermes of lipsticks. Even the most beauty-conscious girl would have to grit her teeth to buy just one. But this time, she got three!

Chen Zhiyi noticed that the expressions on the three people's faces were exactly the same as Lin Ting's earlier, which made him realize that buying lipstick was a mistake. He quickly shifted the blame to Baidu, "I didn't know what kind of gift to buy, so I searched online and it said that lipstick is a gift that girls like. But now it seems that's not the case. Or tell me what kind of gift you sisters like, and I'll give it to you instead."

In the past, Chen Zhiyi wouldn't have bothered to search online for gifts, let alone send one. Even if he did send one, it would be something random, or he would have someone else buy it for him. Whether you liked it or not, giving you something was already the greatest respect. But this time was different. He loved the person so much that he valued everyone around her.

Zhong Xiaoman joked, "Little brother, I like houses, can you give one to me as a gift?"

Yun Shu sighed helplessly, "Xiaoman, you're really something." Then she looked at Chen Zhiyi and smiled, "I really like the gift. I'm sorry you had to spend so much. Also, it would be strange to call you 'sister' or 'brother,' so we'll just call you by your name like Lin Ting does. You can call us by our names too, since we're all the same age."

These words made Chen Zhiyi relax a bit, and he nodded.

Ren Jingjing: "Alright, everyone, please take your seats."

And so, in that order, Yun Shu, Ren Jingjing, Chen Zhiyi, Lin Ting, and Zhong Xiaoman sat down around the round table.

Yun Shu laid the menu out in front of Chen Zhiyi and said casually, "Order whatever you want."

Zhong Xiaoman added, "Anyway, since Teacher Lin is treating, we'll just order the most expensive dishes."

Lin Ting: "You're making me sound like a rich guy."

Zhong Xiaoman: "With that 20,000 yuan bonus, you are now a tycoon in my eyes."

Ren Jingjing couldn't stand it anymore. "Keep your voice down, there are people next door." Then she said to Chen Zhiyi, "Don't mind it, we usually talk like this."

Chen Zhiyi immediately shook his head, "No, I think it's fine."

He was genuinely worried before he came because it was their first meeting, and he wasn't the talkative or outgoing type, so he thought he might make things awkward. But he was completely wrong. The atmosphere was great, relaxed and comfortable, and they were able to chat for a bit. Unlike the girls he knew, who would only talk about beauty and handsome guys when they got together, regardless of whether there were other people around.

I'm increasingly able to appreciate the charm of the "older sister" type.

Lin Ting pointed to the menu, "Do you like to order everything? We often come to this restaurant, the food is very good."

Chen Zhiyi understood perfectly. "Then, Teacher Lin, you can choose. I'm fine with anything, I'm not picky."

Lin Ting: "Can you eat spicy food? Are there any dietary restrictions?"

Chen Zhiyi: "I can eat spicy food, I have no dietary restrictions, I can eat anything." In this respect, he is indeed not like the style of a rich kid. He eats whatever is available. He is used to delicacies, but he can also enjoy simple meals.

Last night, Chen Zhiyi even called Du Yuan to ask for some advice on dining out with girls. Du Yuan was used to going out to eat with girls and was quite adept at ordering, while Chen Zhiyi never participated in ordering and just ate whatever was served. However, he knew that when dining out with girls, if the girl declined and said "anything is fine," the guy had to make the decision, which was a skill. Ordering the right thing was great, but ordering the wrong thing could lead to the girl nagging him for a long time.

Then Du Yuan changed the subject, saying that if the restaurant is one that girls frequent, you don't need to worry about it and can give them the initiative; that would solve the problem. If they have a favorite set meal, that's great; you just need to eat it, and even if it's not delicious, you have to pretend it is and swallow it down.

Yun Shu looked at their polite way of exchanging pleasantries and felt conflicted and upset. She closed the menu and called over the waiter, "Same as before, three-compartment hot pot base, one tomato, one mildly spicy, and one extra spicy. Put pickled cabbage in the two spicy pots, and the 5 catties of fish slices must be freshly killed. The other side dishes can be the standard ones."

Now they're combined.

However, this "extremely spicy" startled Chen Zhiyi. He could only handle mild spice, and in his mind, those who could handle extremely spicy spice must be from the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan regions. Lin Ting was from the south, so he assumed that one of the other three was from the south.

Chen Zhiyi got up, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of water for everyone.

Yun Shu, being a shrewd person, noticed Chen Zhiyi's confusion and slowly explained, "This extra spicy one is for your teacher, Lin. It's quite amazing that a girl from Jiangnan like her loves spicy food so much, and she can't eat a meal without it. But you said she's not from the South, yet she loves red bean desserts, and she can eat them even if they're cloyingly sweet, but she almost never touches desserts with other flavors besides red bean. When she's in a bad mood or sick, a bowl of red bean porridge cures all her ailments."

Zhong Xiaoman chimed in, "And she can really handle vinegar; she can drink half a bottle and still finish it, but she can't stand fruit that's even a little sour. She's a complete contradiction."

Chen Zhiyi then realized why Lin Ting rarely touched the snacks he usually prepared for her, and only ate a little bit of sweet fruits such as bananas, peaches, or melons.

Thinking that I had gained a better understanding of her, I couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

Lin Ting: "Is this an attack on me in front of my students, saying I'm picky?" She met Zhong Xiaoman's gaze with a hint of slyness, "I remember that a large part of your graduation project required hand embroidery."

Zhong Xiaoman immediately understood, "Did I just say something? No, right? Sister Ting has always been my goddess."

Yun Shu couldn't take it anymore. "Zhong Xiaoman, can't you be a little more reserved and stop being such a sycophant?"

Zhong Xiaoman didn't care at all. "What's the point of being reserved? When it's time to suck up to someone, you have to be shameless and do it."

Lin Ting poked Zhong Xiaoman's cheek, smiling helplessly yet affectionately. Zhong Xiaoman was the youngest in the dormitory, a chatterbox, and the life of the party. Everyone took good care of her, but she was naturally clumsy with her hands. Since fashion design majors have a lot of handicrafts, Lin Ting had helped her a lot.

Ren Jingjing was worried that Chen Zhiyi wouldn't understand, so she looked at him calmly and said, "Lin Ting is very good at handicrafts. She can do embroidery, knitting, crochet, and everything else."

Chen Zhiyi nodded. "I know. Teacher Lin embroidered an orchid for me before. It was very delicate."

These words stunned the other three, and their eyes immediately turned to look at the two of them. Normally, Lin Ting would find it difficult to even say a word to a boy.

They even claim their relationship is completely open and honest, yet they're doing embroidery and walking the runway together—who are they trying to fool?

Lin Ting knew they had misunderstood. "He gave me a gift on Teacher's Day before, and as a return gift, I embroidered an orchid on his school uniform. He was just a student I tutored, it was just a reciprocal gift, nothing more."

Zhong Xiaoman feigned jealousy, "I've given you gifts before, so why won't you embroider my name on it?"

Lin Ting felt a sudden darkness before her eyes. "That was a craft assignment. Didn't the teacher emphasize that everyone had to embroider it themselves? Was it to test everyone's craft skills? Yun Shu and Jing Jing asked me to help, but I refused, didn't I?"

Zhong Xiaoman pretended to be a rogue, rubbing her face against Lin Ting's elbow, and said in a wronged tone, "I don't care, anyway, this is the first time you've offered to embroider for someone else. I've never received this treatment, and my young heart has been severely damaged. You have to help me perfectly complete the handicraft work for my graduation project so that it can be soothed." After saying that, she buried herself in Lin Ting's elbow and giggled.

Even Ren Jingjing couldn't stand it anymore this time, "Zhong Xiaoman, where's your face?"

Chen Zhiyi sat to one side listening to the four of them teasing him. He was initially taken aback by the remark, "He's just a student I tutor," his brows furrowing slightly, his eyes revealing an unconcealed disappointment. He knew that his relationship with Lin Ting was, in a way, like that of an outsider's younger brother, but realistically, they were just tutors. The difference in their social status was a huge chasm. But when he heard the phrase "the first time I've ever embroidered for someone," he felt a sweet warmth in his heart, comforting himself that perhaps she held a slightly different place in her heart. He looked up and stole a tender glance at her.

That's what it's like to secretly like someone, torn between disappointment and self-consolation, feeling sweet one moment and bittersweet the next.

Yun Shu and Ren Jingjing noticed all of Chen Zhiyi's subtle changes in expression and his occasional glances at Lin Ting.

It turns out that someone had already joined the game.