Chapter Nineteen: Love at First Sight
The Cantonese restaurant Zhang Yunzhou chose was located on a commercial street not far from the school. Pushing open the heavy glass door, a cool breeze mixed with a faint scent of perfume wafted out.
Lin Yu looked nervously at the exquisitely decorated hotel lobby. The huge crystal chandelier overhead reflected a diamond-like brilliance on the marble floor, making her feel inexplicably dizzy.
"This way, I've already made a reservation." Zhang Yunzhou followed the waitress in her cheongsam with practiced ease, leading them through the dimly lit corridor.
Compared to Lin Yu, the other three were much more at ease in this environment. Chen Guang noticed her discomfort and deliberately slowed down, following behind her discreetly.
Due to time constraints, they couldn't get a private room. Zhang Yunzhou chose a four-person table with a wide view by the floor-to-ceiling window. The table had already been set up, with the gleaming tableware neatly arranged. Lin Yu glanced at it and then sat down next to Yao Fangfang.
Outside the window, the entire night view of Linjiang City was laid out before them. Through the reflection in the window, Lin Yu noticed Zhang Yunzhou's hand, which was clenched and unclenched on his knees under the table. This subtle movement instantly betrayed the tension that was inconsistent with his outward composure.
“The lion-head goose here is their specialty. I asked the kitchen to keep the part with a good balance of fat and lean meat.” Zhang Yunzhou pushed the menu toward Yao Fangfang and thoughtfully added, “The chef is from Chaozhou, and the seafood hot pot is also made in the local style. You can try it. If you don’t like it, just let me know.”
Yao Fangfang took the menu and put it aside. "Thank you, we'll go with whatever you like, we don't have any dietary restrictions."
As she spoke, the corners of her eyes twitched upwards, and a smile played on her lips. Lin Yu watched as Zhang Yunzhou's earlobes gradually turned red, and suddenly found their interaction quite amusing.
The iced lemon tea was a bit icy, so Lin Yu took a sip and put the cup back on the table. She tried to focus on the cold dishes on the table, but found each one so exquisite that she didn't know where to begin. At that moment, Chen Guang across from her pushed a plate of prepared walnut pastries in front of her.
His seemingly unintentional action conveniently resolved Lin Yu's predicament. She looked at Chen Guang with puzzlement, wondering about his inexplicable gentlemanly manners, but Chen Guang deliberately looked away when Lin Yu looked over.
Lin Yu couldn't help but want to tell Zhang Yunzhou that Yao Fangfang had a boyfriend several times. However, none of the three people at the table brought up the topic of relationships, so it would seem redundant for her to say it.
"When did you meet Chen Guang?" Lin Yu asked while eating. "You don't seem to be from our school."
“Our fathers were comrades-in-arms, and we lived in the same family compound when we were kids, living in the same building. Our two families had a good relationship,” Zhang Yunzhou replied while serving Yao Fangfang vegetables.
"However, I'm a little older than you, and I've been working for half a year. I'm taking advantage of my day off to come to your library to borrow two books. I quite enjoy reading."
The moment Zhang Yunzhou uttered the word "fathers," Chen Guang sensed his deliberate intent. His subsequent words were even more superfluous, clearly intended for Yao Fangfang's benefit. This childish behavior elicited a sneer from Chen Guang.
Zhang Yunzhou glanced at Chen Guang without making a sound, then poked him with the tip of his chopsticks. He looked at Lin Yu and asked with a puzzled expression, "I'm curious how you and Chen Guang got to know each other. After all, he has very few female friends. He spends all his time playing games and basketball."
Upon hearing his childhood friend's rebuttal, Chen Guang reflexively tensed his back muscles, consciously abandoning his playful demeanor, fearing that his friend would soon reveal his secrets.
Just then, a waiter pushed a food cart over and brought out a roast goose with a crispy, golden-brown skin. Lin Yu watched as Zhang Yunzhou picked out the tenderest part of the goose leg and placed it on Yao Fangfang's plate, and unconsciously pursed his lips.
"We're not really that close. We're more like study buddies," she replied truthfully after a moment's thought. As she finished speaking, Lin Yu looked at her reflection in the glass, and her gaze unexpectedly met Chen Guang's.
"Next time you encounter danger, hug a wall or a tree, but don't hug me. After all, we're not close!" Chen Guang picked up a big chunk of yam cake and threw it onto Lin Yu's plate, saying irritably, "You can find a telephone pole to hug. It's much more reliable than me. Use your love to influence it and make it generate electricity for you to kill the thugs."
"Can't you use serving chopsticks? Have some hygiene! I don't want to catch your foul mouth."
Watching their natural interaction, Zhang Yunzhou suddenly realized the subtle understanding between them. He secretly glanced at Yao Fangfang; the steam from the seafood hotpot blurred her delicate profile. Zhang Yunzhou noticed that she was also looking at the two of them with a faint smile on her lips.
"Do they often do this?" Zhang Yunzhou asked Yao Fangfang.
Yao Fangfang lowered her head, took a sip of her juice, and curled one corner of her lips into a smile. "I don't know about that, since they usually act alone."
However, this casual explanation only added to the ambiguity in their relationship. Meanwhile, the one who started it all remained calm, exchanging a glance with Zhang Yunzhou across the distance.
Yao Fangfang seemed to be simply waiting for his feedback, but Zhang Yunzhou blushed again under her calm gaze. The waiter brought over two more dishes, temporarily diverting everyone's attention. Lin Yu took the opportunity to change the subject.
"I'm really sorry about today. Please let me host the next semester, but we might have to go to a different place." Lin Yu counted on his fingers, estimating the cost of the meal, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
Zhang Yunzhou immediately understood and readily agreed, saying, "Logically, I should decline, but I'm really happy to be with you all. So, I'll gladly accept your offer."
Seeing Zhang Yunzhou's affected manner, Chen Guang couldn't help but reach under the table and pinch his thigh hard, adding a small crack to his perfect persona.
As night deepened, Zhang Yunzhou, considering the events of the day, offered to escort the two girls back to their dormitory as they left the restaurant, despite Chen Guang's repeated assurances that he would be going the same way as them.
Due to campus restrictions, his car could only be parked in the parking lot outside the school gate, so the four of them slowly walked back along the tree-lined path.
Zhang Yunzhou and Yao Fangfang walked ahead, and during their conversation, they finally managed to get her contact information. Seeing this, Chen Guang deliberately slowed down and walked behind with Lin Yu, giving his friend a chance to be alone.
Lin Yu glanced at the two people chatting happily not far away and lowered her voice to remind them, "I advise your friend to give up as soon as possible." She paused. "Yao Fangfang has a boyfriend, and they've been together for many years."
"Is that so? What's your background?" Chen Guang didn't seem to care.
"I met him once when school started. I can't quite describe it, but he seemed quite wealthy." Lin Yu tried hard to recall what Qu Lei looked like, but found his mind blank.
"These days, who doesn't have a little money?" Chen Guang laughed noncommittally. "You can't be so mercenary. My brother is the most virtuous among the rich, and the richest among the virtuous."
"So, in other words, he's a rich fool?" Lin Yu thought Chen Guang was probably just bragging, and unconsciously asked, "Explain in detail how he's so good?"
"The kind of person who gets cheated on by their ex-girlfriend and just hides under the covers in bed crying." Lin Yu couldn't tell whether Chen Guang was trying to make Zhang Yunzhou look good or deliberately undermine him.
"This has nothing to do with character. Judging from your description, he's probably a complete scoundrel." Lin Yu exaggeratedly covered her mouth and laughed, completely forgetting that Zhang Yunzhou had just helped her deal with a peeping tom that afternoon.
Chen Guang glanced at Lin Yu. "Tsk, with your brain capacity, don't worry about others. How's the exam?"
"I should be asking you that. If you fail the course, don't ever say that I explained the questions to you."
“I told you, I’ll tell everyone I meet, even dogs.” After finishing his meal, Chen Guang’s shamelessness returned.
Lin Yu really couldn't understand why Chen Guang was picking on a dog. "Fine, you tell, I'll tell too. I'll announce to the world that you're naked. I'll make it into a booklet, print it out, and stand at the twelfth-floor window tilting it down. I'll even know how many moles you have on your butt..."
As Lin Yu spoke, he pointed his finger to the sky, but the next moment Chen Guang suddenly reached out and covered his mouth with his large hand, forcing him to swallow the rest of his sentence.
"Keep your voice down!"
Lin Yu froze, even forgetting to retract his finger pointing to the sky, his arm remaining awkwardly and comically stretched upwards.
Chen Guang's hands were large with long, slender fingers, and his palms were dry and warm. They covered most of Lin Yu's face, leaving only two round, black eyes exposed like glass beads, staring at him intently.
The two were very close at this moment, which reminded Chen Guang of the afternoon study room once again. He could feel Lin Yu's soft lips pressed against his palm, and the warm breath from her small nose tickled his hand.
His other hand was gripping Lin Yu's slender neck with excitement, the stray hairs on the back of his neck brushing against the back of his hand, as if he could break it with the slightest force. At this moment, Lin Yu was unusually obedient, like a toy in his hand.
Only then did he realize the stark difference in their physiques; Lin Yu was, after all, a soft and delicate girl. Her hair was soft, her nose was soft, and her lips were soft, unlike when she usually spoke arrogantly and harshly.
He was awkwardly at a loss for words, his palms sweating nervously and clinging to Lin Yu's cheeks. Just as this moment reached its peak of ambiguity, a furious roar suddenly erupted from nearby.
What are you doing?
Chen Guang released Lin Yu as if he had been electrocuted, taking two steps back. The red marks from Chen Guang's fingers still lingered on Lin Yu's cheek. The two looked away guiltily, their chests heaving violently. It took them several seconds to realize that the roar wasn't directed at them at all.
Lin Yu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dark figure dart out from the shadows below the dormitory building. The man looked like a husband catching his wife cheating on him. He grabbed Yao Fangfang behind him and, with lightning speed, delivered a right hook to Zhang Yunzhou.
"Humor!" Lin Yu pronounced the word with four tones, and she couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.
Zhang Yunzhou was indeed all show and no substance; after taking a punch, he not only didn't retaliate but staggered back two steps. Chen Guang, however, instantly flew into a rage, even more agitated than Zhang Yunzhou himself, rolling up his sleeves and poised to charge forward.
"Damn it! Where did this mad dog come from?"
"Qu Lei!"
Yao Fangfang grabbed the assailant's arm, her voice suddenly rising, "If you move again, get out of here!"
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