Chapter 36 contains all of Jiang Sui's favorite foods.
Ji Jingyu's loss of composure was fleeting.
It seems that as long as he is not facing Jiang Sui, he can handle things with ease and composure.
“Jiang Sui and I didn’t have a relationship.” Ji Jingyu’s tone had returned to calm. His long, slender fingers gently stroked the faint crease on his thigh. His voice was cold and hard. “If others heard you say that, it would easily cause misunderstandings and cause unnecessary trouble for Jiang Sui.”
Jiang Deyu, who had initially felt wronged, was speechless.
He almost became a rumor-monger?
What a huge pot that came from the sky!
Jiang Deyu struggled in desperation, “But I clearly heard you call Jiang Sui ‘Sui Sui’.”
"You misheard me." Ji Jingyu said without changing his expression.
Jiang Deyu asked suspiciously, "Did I hear that right?"
"Yes, the store is crowded and noisy, it's normal that you misheard."
With such compelling reasons, Jiang Deyu had no words to refute them.
"Don't say such thoughtless things again." Ji Jingyu's eyes revealed an emotion that Jiang Deyu couldn't understand. "In my heart, Jiang Sui and Xia Fan are the same."
These words were said to Jiang Deyu, but also to himself.
Xia Fan is the girl next door.
Jiang Sui is the same.
Jiang Deyu scratched his head, the stubble of his freshly cut hair making his fingers prickly. "I know."
Seeing that Ji Jingyu was still frowning, he quickly pointed to the sky and swore, "I promise I won't talk nonsense."
—
A busy morning passed quickly.
Jiang Sui and the others are going to eat hot pot.
We already discussed it yesterday.
A new hot pot restaurant has opened in the mall, and they're having a promotion this weekend.
Five people grabbed the store opening benefits on the mini-program right on time.
Jiang Deyu looked at the other four people present, his expression more serious than ever before, "Are you all ready?"
"Um."
A few voices echoed in response.
"You can start tapping the screen after a three-second countdown, the faster the better! Oh, and remember to turn off Wi-Fi and use your own mobile data to grab the screen; apparently, this increases the success rate. Also, like me, warm up your fingers first, so they don't cramp up when you're really doing something..."
"Shut up." Xia Fan glared at him. "I wasn't nervous at all, but you've made me nervous."
The best thing about getting these coupons is that you can grab them if you want, but if you can't, it won't affect your mood for eating hot pot.
Now that Jiang Deyu has said that, it sounds like we're on a mission.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Deyu quickly made a zipping motion over his mouth, saying, "I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore."
After a while.
Jiang Deyu asked, "Did anyone manage to get one?"
No one responded.
"I didn't manage to get one either." He spread his hands, unable to help but laugh at himself, "We're such unlucky bunch."
"You're the unlucky one." Jiang Sui held up her phone and waved it triumphantly. "Look, a half-price coupon."
Clearly, only Jiang Sui among the five successfully grabbed the coupon.
"Ahhh, Sui Sui, you're so amazing!" Xia Fan, who had originally planned to be laid-back, suddenly hugged Jiang Sui and jumped around. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Jiang Sui had won the lottery.
Jiang Deyu excitedly gave Jiang Sui a thumbs up: "Jiang Sui, you're really lucky!"
If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't buy lottery tickets yet, he would have strongly suggested that Jiang Sui buy one.
Even though she didn't manage to snag any coupons, Jiang Sui could afford to treat everyone to hot pot, let alone ten or a hundred meals. But for some reason, she just felt genuinely happy.
This was something she had never experienced before, and the satisfaction it brought her far outweighed the value of the hot pot meal.
Jiang Sui immediately looked at Ji Jingyu, winking at him triumphantly, "Am I amazing?"
Despite receiving so much praise, she still wanted Ji Jingyu the most.
Ji Jingyu sat silently in the chair, staring at his phone screen with an expressionless face. Just when everyone thought he wouldn't say anything, he looked up at Jiang Sui, a smile suddenly appearing in his eyes. "Hmm, very impressive."
Jiang Sui felt completely satisfied.
She sent a screenshot of the winning page to Jiang Yunzhao.
[I went out for hot pot with my friends for lunch today, and this is a half-price coupon I managed to snag! Out of so many people, I was the only one who got it! [Smug cat emoji]]
Jiang Yunzhao immediately praised, "Wow, our Sui Sui is so amazing! Dad will print it out and hang it up at home later."
[...]
[Cat wiping sweat.gif]
That's an exaggeration of Dad, a huge exaggeration.
—
Just before leaving, Jiang Sui was still trying to persuade Grandma Ji to go with them.
"Grandma Ji, why don't you come with us? Hot pot is more fun with lots of people."
Grandma Ji smiled and waved her hand, "Grandma doesn't like hot pot, you kids go eat it."
As she spoke, she looked at her grandson and said, "Grandma is treating you to this hot pot. Thank you for coming and helping me. Order whatever you want to eat, and don't try to save Grandma money."
The children naturally objected.
Jiang Sui pulled up the winning page again. "Grandma Ji, this time it's my treat, so don't try to take it from me."
“Our Sui Sui is so amazing!” Grandma Ji was never one to spoil the fun. She didn’t compete with Jiang Sui to treat everyone anymore, but smiled kindly and said, “Alright, then Grandma will be after Sui Sui next time.”
On the bus.
Jiang Sui peered out the car window, watching the old bookstore's storefront grow smaller and smaller. She couldn't help but say, "The store has been so crowded and noisy these past few days. Why don't we let Grandma Ji close it for a few days?"
Hearing this, Jiang Deyu, who was sitting in the front row, quickly turned around and replied, "Grandma Ji definitely won't rest."
"Why?"
"Grandma Ji still needs to save up for Ji Ge's wife, how could she possibly close the shop to rest?"
Jiang Deyu has a deep understanding of this.
After all, the sentence his father said most often was that he and his father each had their own responsibilities. His father was responsible for working hard to earn money to buy him a house, a car, and save up for his wife, while he was only responsible for improving his grades, getting into a good university, and bringing glory to the family.
Jiang Sui murmured repeatedly, "Wife's dowry?"
The word was somewhat unfamiliar to her.
Jiang Sui subconsciously looked at Ji Jingyu, who was sitting on the other side of the bus aisle.
As soon as he got on the bus, he found a seat by himself.
At this moment, he is resting with one hand on his forehead and his eyes closed.
The sky-blue curtains weren't completely drawn, and a small beam of sunlight pierced through the gap, casting a faint shadow on his high, straight nose, making his profile appear sharp and deep.
Ji Jingyu seemed not to hear Jiang Deyu's teasing, not even blinking.
Xia Fan wrinkled her nose and retorted, "Brother Ji doesn't need Grandma Ji's help to save up for his wife."
Jiang Deyu was shocked: "Why not? He's not going to get married?"
"What I mean is that Brother Ji will save up for his wife on his own; he won't rely on his family."
Jiang Deyu paused for a moment, then turned to ask the other boy sitting next to him, "Gu Ci, what do you think?"
Gu Ci gave him a cool look. "I'll rely on myself."
"Stop, stop. We don't even have a girlfriend yet, so there's no point in discussing this now."
Seeing that Jiang Deyu had quieted down, Gu Cicai spoke up and explained calmly, "Grandma Ji really likes it, it's not all about making money. Haven't you noticed that she's been in a good mood these past few days? Besides, Grandma Ji knows her limits. If she really feels tired, she'll definitely rest. Otherwise, Xiao Jing would have advised her long ago."
—
The hot pot restaurant is very popular after its grand opening.
Luckily they arrived early, otherwise they would have had to wait in line for their number to be called.
Jiang Sui looked around the store with curiosity.
Wooden tables and chairs, distressed lamps, bold graffiti on the walls... a strong retro, run-down, and down-to-earth vibe. The air conditioning was set low, but it still gave off a lively, bustling atmosphere.
This was her first time eating hot pot outside.
Yu Chen and Qin Beibei would never accompany her to places like this.
One thought it was dirty and would lower his status, while the other only wanted to shop at luxury stores and then waited for her to pay the bill as usual.
After setting aside their so-called friendship, Jiang Sui realized that the two of them had been using her to get what they wanted.
Two bastards.
Just thinking about it makes me feel unlucky.
"Sui Sui, what are you daydreaming about?" Xia Fan waved her hand in front of Jiang Sui's eyes. "Come on, let's go get some free desserts. I saw online reviews saying that the shaved ice and mochi ice here are really delicious, but unfortunately they're limited, and they'll be gone if we go too late."
Jiang Sui wasn't really interested in the so-called delicious desserts, but since Xia Fan liked them, she was definitely going to go with her.
"Hey," Jiang Deyu hurriedly called out to the two girls, "you two should choose the dishes you want to eat first."
Xia Fan pointed at Gu Ci and said, "Brother Gu Ci knows what I like to eat, so let him order."
Jiang Sui immediately followed suit, "Then I'll ask Brother Ji to order for me."
Jiang Deyu was speechless. "Are you in charge of selecting soldiers? How would Brother Ji know what you like to eat?"
Xia Fan asked Gu Ci for help because they grew up together, and no one understood Xia Fan's preferences better than Gu Ci.
However, Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu had only known each other for a few days, so it was clearly impossible to let Ji Jingyu make the decision.
“We’ve eaten so many meals together in the cafeteria, Brother Ji must know what I like to eat,” Jiang Sui said confidently.
"Let's go, Sui Sui."
Xia Fan's mind was filled with the desserts she had been longing for, so she took Jiang Sui's arm and walked towards the queue.
“I’m always at the cafeteria, how come I don’t know what Jiang Sui likes to eat?”
A seemingly unintentional remark caused Ji Jingyu's fingers, which were scrolling through her phone, to pause.
Instead, Gu Ci calmly flipped the menu over and said casually, "Your brother Ji is always very observant; of course you can't compare to him."
This explanation made sense, so Jiang Deyu didn't investigate further.
He stared at Jiang Sui's receding figure, a hint of doubt flashing across his face. "Sometimes I really can't understand Jiang Sui."
He didn't care that no one responded, and continued, "She doesn't look like an ordinary child, so why is she so curious about eating hot pot?"
Gu Ci was checking off Xia Fan's favorite ingredients on the menu when he heard this and found it amusing, "Didn't you already give me the answer yourself?"
How could a rich kid possibly eat in a place like this?
However, Jiang Sui is an exception.
Gu Ci watched as Jiang Sui was obediently led by Xia Fan, her face showing no displeasure. His previous wariness of her gradually disappeared in their daily interactions.
Even though he knew Jiang Sui couldn't hear, Jiang Deyu still lowered his voice, "But I guess something must have happened to her family, otherwise she wouldn't have come to Xunning to seek refuge with Teacher Su. We must not mention these things in front of Jiang Sui, lest it remind her of painful memories."
"No one else mentioned it except you."
Jiang Deyu was speechless for a moment.
But Gu Ci was right; among them, he was indeed the one who couldn't control his mouth the most.
"Delete this memory, delete this memory..." Jiang Deyu began to brainwash himself.
Gu Ci ignored his silly look and handed the menu to Ji Jingyu instead, saying, "Fanfan and I have ordered, now it's your turn to order with Jiang Sui."
Ji Jingyu glanced at Gu Ci, who was watching the show with amusement, and said, "I know what you're thinking. It's impossible."
Gu Ci smiled meaningfully: "I didn't think anything of it, I just felt that some people are two-faced."
In fact, Gu Ci also found it strange.
Ji Jingyu gives people a very contradictory feeling.
He doesn't like Jiang Sui, yet he takes better care of her than anyone else, having already crossed the line. But if you say he likes Jiang Sui, he seems to resist this attraction.
Even if Jiang Sui really comes from a prominent family, Ji Jingyu doesn't seem like the kind of person who would feel inferior for that reason.
He is clearly so outstanding.
Ji Jingyu's behavior is more like an escape from self-loathing.
Upon hearing Gu Ci's words, Ji Jingyu composed himself, lowered his deep black eyes, and stopped speaking, focusing solely on the menu.
Soon, several more checkmarks appeared on the menu.
These are all foods that Jiang Sui likes to eat.
—
They were actually sitting in a four-person seat, so the waiter added an extra chair for them.
Fortunately, the seat was in the very corner of the hot pot restaurant, so even sitting in the aisle didn't have much of an impact.
Jiang Deyu then took the seat.
As he cooked the meat, he remarked, "Before Jiang Sui came, the four of us were just right. Now that Brother Gu Ci is leaving, we'll soon be just the four of us again."
What was said unintentionally may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Xia Fan's hand slipped as she picked up some food, and she almost got scalded by the splashing soup.
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