Chen Lu snorted coldly, annoyed, and said, "I knew right away that you hadn't eaten."

"How did you guess?" Liang Zhirou looked up at him, her bright eyes filled with doubt.

"The answer is simple."

Chen Lu's serious expression suddenly disappeared. "Because you're stupid. An idiot would never eat."

"I'm not stupid..."

The girl pursed her lips, looking aggrieved; she had thought it was some kind of brilliant deduction.

In the end, he even said he was stupid.

That's excessive.

I'm so smart, I bought all the things you like to eat. Only an idiot wouldn't remember these things.

Lost in thought, she sat back down in the chair, leaned back, and bumped her head against Chen Lu.

Then he realized there were other people there, and quickly lowered his head.

"Damn, Liang Zhirou, you're really a bull!" Chen Lu said, clutching his chest. He almost got internal injuries from the impact.

"Just wait until I'm done with this, and I'll see how I deal with you."

Liang Zhirou lowered her head even further, gently pinching her left index finger, "I, I was wrong..."

Chen Lu chuckled and said, "Seeing how sincere you are, I'll reluctantly forgive you. Open your mouth and eat the candy."

"Luckily, I have a girlfriend."

Jiang Chao muttered to himself, thinking that if the other two boys in the dormitory were here, they would be so jealous they would die on the spot.

At this moment, Liang Zhirou suddenly remembered something and quickly took out three bottles of soda water from her canvas bag, distributing them to Chen Lu and the others one by one.

"Thank you." Liu Yan and Jiang Chao didn't stand on ceremony, thanked them, and then reached out to take the gifts.

"I asked you to buy me an iced Coke, why did you buy soda water? And so much of it." Chen Lu blinked, completely unaware that Liang Zhirou had bought all of this specifically for him, afraid that he wouldn't have any water to drink in the afternoon.

Liang Zhirou remembered that Chen Lu didn't like bottled mineral water because it had no taste, so she bought him soda water instead.

"Luckily I bought extra, now it's just right." The girl's lips curled slightly, revealing a very satisfied smile, like a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder seeing all the Tetris blocks eliminated.

Liu Yan felt strange and regretted drinking so quickly earlier. "But we still need you, don't we?"

This weather is so hot and humid; you feel like you're going to be dried out after just a few steps outside.

"It's okay if I'm not here," Liang Zhirou said casually, while also helping Chen Lu unscrew the bottle cap.

While Jiang Chao and Liu Yan were still somewhat shocked, the girl said very gently:

"You said you had a stomachache the day before yesterday, so how about you don't drink cola for the next couple of days?"

"I've always only been in pain for a short while, it's really okay."

Chen Lu was halfway through his sentence when he saw the girl's eyes were misty with tears, and she looked like she wanted to get angry but couldn't. His heart melted instantly, and he quickly changed his words: "But soda water is pretty good. I'm just tired of cola. It's just sugary water with bubbles. Who would drink that stuff if they were a decent person?"

"Let's find a place to grab a bite to eat," Liu Yan said sensibly, standing up and patting Jiang Chao on the back.

"They're gone."

Jiang Chao raised his chin at Chen Lu, then turned and followed behind Liu Yan.

Liang Zhirou was staring blankly at the backs of the two people when Chen Lu waved the soda water in front of her.

"Have a drink of water, your lips are so dry."

The girl shook her head. "What will you do if I drink it?"

"I don't mind you," Chen Lu said matter-of-factly. "We're both struggling financially, so let's just share a bottle."

"That won't work either."

"What a stubborn little ox." Chen Lu poked her cheek with his index finger, causing the girl to unconsciously close that eye. "I'll just not touch the bottle opening when I drink it later."

"All right."

Liang Zhirou lasted five seconds in the challenge of not believing Chen Lu's words.

......

Jiang Chao tugged at his collar, trying to fan out a little breeze, and when he saw Liu Yan sigh deeply, he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you sighing?"

Liu Yan rolled her eyes at him. "Why do you think I sighed?"

It's annoying when someone knows everything but still asks questions they already know the answer to.

"Well, I'm not upset at all. I'm happy that my brother is doing well."

Then he added, "He deserves it."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Liu Yan had no reason to beat him up, so she could only clench her fist at Jiang Chao as a warning.

Jiang Chao was startled and quickly moved away, saying, "Don't hit me! I haven't done anything to you lately."

"Mm." Liu Yan nodded.

A while later, just as Jiang Chao was about to light a cigarette, he was suddenly slapped on the head and stood there stunned.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, covering his head.

Liu Yan clapped her hands with satisfaction, "Who told you to light a cigarette with your left hand!"

After laughing, she lowered her eyelids and asked in a deep voice, "Could it be that heartbreak is the beginning of understanding love?"

Jiang Chao rubbed his head, angry but not daring to speak out, "You've never been heartbroken, so don't you understand? You've never been in a relationship before."

“My situation is different.” Liu Yan reached out and gently rubbed Jiang Chao’s head.

But he said, "I haven't broken up with anyone, I'm just widowed."

Despite the sweltering heat, Jiang Chao felt a chill run through his body.

......

On the other side.

Chen Lu was having a meal with Liang Zhirou under a parasol, occasionally feeding the simple-minded girl who was born in the Year of the Ox.

To be honest, being here with Jiang Chao felt like being in prison, and we were also tormented by the sweltering heat. I didn't feel that way with Liang Zhirou.

Can I stay here this afternoon?

Liang Zhirou swallowed the boiled shrimp in her mouth and asked cautiously, wanting to know what Chen Lu was doing today.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!