“That’s his duty,” Jiang Yimei replied dismissively.

Yao Yao pressed further: "Have you ever thought that one day, your first love might secretly watch you and have a crush on you?"

At this point, Jiang Yimei's chopsticks suddenly stopped moving.

This is an unforgettable memory.

Back then, she was so infatuated with Lin Congzhi that she would watch him during class and after class, ignoring his objections. In short, she would secretly watch him and harass him in every way, making her the originator of shamelessness.

Once upon a time, weren't I the same way? Why should I be so fierce to others?

Suddenly, she felt a little sorry for Lin Congzhi, who had been bullied like this by her.

Seeing that Jiang Yimei's mind was wandering, Yaoyao waved her hand in front of her and asked, "Yiyi, what are you thinking about?"

Hearing the voice, Jiang Yimei snapped out of her daze and hurriedly replied, "No, let's eat!"

Yao Yao was speechless: "What? You haven't answered my question yet."

"What's the problem?"

Yao Yao smiled broadly and jokingly asked, "How does it feel to be secretly admired and watched?"

Jiang Yimei replied listlessly, "It's nothing special, and I understand why he lost interest in me back then."

"Yeah?"

Yao Yao was not surprised by her best friend's bland and unhappy appearance.

She thought Jiang Yimei would be very excited, smug, and proud.

Jiang Yimei didn't want to dwell on the issue, because the past was like smoke, and she wanted it to drift away with the wind: "Let's eat, or it will get cold."

Yi Yi didn't want to answer; asking would be pointless. So Yao Yao stopped talking and focused on eating.

Lin Congzhi, who was sitting at the opposite table, noticed this change in Jiang Yimei's mindset.

The girl must have been touched by something, perhaps she was recalling the past.

Yes, it used to be the girl who secretly watched him in the cafeteria. I never thought that now it would be him.

His dish had already been served—a delicious minced meat and eggplant dish—but he didn't touch it because he wanted to admire the girl's beauty, carelessly wasting a delicious meal.

After the meal, when the two women wanted to pay the bill, the restaurant waiter informed them that someone had already paid it.

Jiang Yimei knew who was behind it without even thinking.

She stared intently at Lin Congzhi behind Yaoyao, angrily questioning, "Lin Congzhi, who told you to be so self-righteous?"

Lin Congzhi spoke frankly and confidently: "It is only natural for subordinates to pay for their superiors' meals."

Jiang Yimei retorted, "This is not a company, and what you're saying is simply a fallacy."

Lin Congzhi listened attentively: "Where is it crooked?"

Jiang Yimei argued forcefully: "This is a 21st-century society. Everyone is equal before the law, and these bad habits should no longer exist."

Lin Congzhi said stubbornly, "I don't care, I'm going to pay for it."

"You...you didn't even consider my feelings!"

Pointing at Lin Congzhi's nose, Jiang Yimei's nose tingled, her eyes welled up with tears, and she choked up.

Seeing glistening tears sliding down Jiang Yimei's cheeks, Yaoyao was terrified. She reached out to wipe away the tears on Yimei's face and asked, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

Unbeknownst to her, Lin Congzhi had been excessively domineering during this period, using the pretense of loving Jiang Yimei to bully, oppress, and force her to do things she didn't want to do.