The fighting chopsticks stopped.
“Did it splashed your eyes?”
“Are you alright?”
Tao Mo hurriedly flipped through her bag, but couldn’t find a tissue. She turned her head and asked, “Do you have any tissue paper?”
Qi Zheng shook his head. Lin Qingxuan also shook his head.
At this time, Shen Zhan, who was sitting opposite them, put down his chopsticks, got up, and left.
“Shen Zhan?” Lin Qingxuan shouted at him from behind.
Lin Qingxuan thought that Shen Zhan seemed to be angry, but his anger was a little inexplicable. The soup did not splash in his eyes.
“Wretch!” Qi Zheng got up and shouted at Lin Qingxuan, then looked at Lin Jiayin: “Wait, I’ll buy it.”
“I’m sorry.” Lin Qingxuan looked at Lin Jiayin, who was accidentally injured, and the empty seat next to her. He sincerely apologized.
Lin Jiayin closed her eyes and shook her head.
Tao Mo gave him an angry look, then turned to ask Lin Jiayin, “Are you alright?”
“I’m okay.” Lin Jiayin tried to open her eyes.
The auntie who cooks at the small cafeteria especially likes to put Erjingtiao1二荆条 – Erjingtiao = it’s a variety of chili that is most common in Chinese Sichuan cuisine chili on the dishes.
“Close your eyes for a while,” Tao Mo said, “It will be fine if you shed some more tears.”
Lin Jiayin nodded, closed her eyes, and let the tears flow down.
Lin Qingxuan was so guilty. If he had known earlier, he should have stopped playing with his chopsticks immediately
While Lin Qingxuan was reflecting, Shen Zhan came back while holding a paper towel and a bottle of mineral water.
Lin Qingxuan’s eyes stared and Tao Mo was also startled.
Lin Jiayin, whose eyes are closed, knew nothing. She only heard the sound of tearing open a plastic bag.
Then a wet tissue was placed on her eyes.
“Thank you, Qi Zheng.” Lin Jiayin raised her face slightly.
Shen Zhan’s Adam’s apple moved up and down, but he didn’t speak. He moistened another tissue and handed it to her.
Lin Jiayin took it and wiped her eyes.
“The heck, the queue lines in this cafeteria are so long. I’ve been waiting for a long time…” Qi Zheng rushed over with a pack of tissue paper. When he saw Shen Zhan standing next to Lin Jiayin while holding a mineral water bottle, his mouth closed.
Qi Zheng looked at Lin Qingxuan and Tao Mo: “?”
Tao Mo and Lin Qingxuan looked back at Qi Zheng in response: “?”
Lin Jiayin wiped her eyes for a while before slowly trying to open them. The moment light entered her eyes, she could see the face of the person handing her the tissue.
The shape of Shen Zhan’s eyes is originally raised at the ends. They were naturally attractive, but at the moment, they show no expression at all.
Lin Jiayin, who thought the person helping her was Qi Zheng, suffocated.
As soon as the mineral water was placed in front of her by Shen Zhan, he sat down and continued eating without saying anything. It was as if nothing had happened.
“Thanks.” Lin Qingxuan said to Shen Zhan.
Lin Qingxuan assumed that Shen Zhan was helping him clean up his mess. Shen Zhan, who looks indifferent all the time, was in fact very kind. He gave others a gentle but alienated feeling.
When competing in the United States, Zhu Xiaomei felt very homesick and thought of crying. Shen Zhan ran to the convenience store to buy potato chips to comfort her.
Shen Zhan raised his eyelids and asked faintly: “Have you apologized?”
“Yes.” Lin Qingxuan looked at Lin Jiayin and apologized again: “I’m really sorry.”
Lin Jiayin, who was still immersed looking at the tissue handed to her by Shen Zhan in front of everyone, shook her head: “It’s okay.”
Qi Zheng threw the useless pack of tissue paper to Lin Qingxuan: “Idiot!”
After that, the meal was eaten silently. Lin Jiayin stalked Shen Zhan with her peripheral vision while eating. She was caught by him occasionally. When their eyes met each other again, Lin Jiayin hurriedly withdrew her gaze but then, she accidentally met Tao Mo’s stare.
Tao Mo raised an eyebrow.
Lin Jiayin buried her head and continued to eat without saying anything.
Until Shen Zhan and Lin Qingxuan left.
“Do you know Shen Zhan?” Tao Mo asked.
Lin Jiayin didn’t want to lie to Tao Mo. She nodded hesitantly: “It…seems?”
“What does that mean…it seems?” Qi Zheng asked leisurely.
Lin Jiayin: “I know him. He seems to also recognize me?”
“So you also like Shen Zhan?”
Before Lin Jiayin could answer, Tao Mo interrupted: “Sister Lin has a boyfriend.”
Qi Zheng gave an “Oh” and nodded thoughtfully.
After eating, Lin Jiayin and Tao Mo walked to the dormitory. When they’re already nearby, Lin Jiayin’s phone rang.
There was a nice male voice over there.
“Have you finished eating?”
Lin Jiayin clutched the phone and whispered, “It’s finished.”
“Bring the key. I’ll wait for you at the key duplication shop outside the west gate.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up the phone, she turned to Tao Mo’s inquiring gaze.
“Who was it?”
“…Uncle Dahai.”
“Oh, it’s Uncle Dahai.” Tao Mo smiled, “I want to eat lamb skewers grilled by Uncle Dahai.”
Lin Jiayin breathed a sigh of relief: “I’ll take it back tomorrow for you.”
“I love you!”
The sun was shining brightly at noon. Lin Jiayin raised her hand on her forehead to block the sun.
The key duplication shop was located in a small alley straight across the road near the west gate. Lin Jiayin didn’t expect to see Shen Zhan as soon as she exited the school gate.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, the sun shining behind his back. His excessively high-class appearance attracted many passers-by to take a second look.
Lin Jiayin trotted over.
Shen Zhan took his hand out of his pocket and turned around. It happened that the stoplight was red.
Lin Jiayin carefully bowed her head and walked forward. For a short while, it appears like she is standing side by side with him.
She glanced at him. The bright yellow sunlight shines on his face and outlines a tall nose and a sculpted chin. The long and narrow ends of his eyes are slightly raised. Perhaps the sun is too warm and its color made him look more gentle.
Lin Jiayin watched him and unconsciously took a step with the person in front of her who was running to cross the road even when the stoplight was red.
A van suddenly flew past in front of her and she was yanked back by Shen Zhan.
Shen Zhan narrowed his eyebrows, and said angrily, “Lin Jiayin, your eyes are not just for looking at me secretly.”
“…” Lin Jiayin recalled the fast speed of the van and felt a lingering fear. She buried her head in shame.
After a while, her eyes sneaked to look at him again.
“I said–” Shen Zhan’s always lazy voice suddenly rose a little: “Why don’t you just look at me openly?”
Lin Jiayin shook her head. She felt the inexplicable emotion of being caught. She looked up at him, opened her eyes, and said nonsensically: “I didn’t peek.”
“Oh?” Shen Zhan smiled.
“No. You were not looking at me, so how could you know I was looking at you?” Lin Jiayin was rarely smart.
He stared at Lin Jiayin straightly, his eyes gleaming, “Guess.”
“Were you peeking at me?” Lin Jiayin was not aware of the kind of face she was making when she said this.
Hearing these words, Shen Zhan paused for a few seconds. He smiled playfully, turned to face her, and pointed his finger at the corner of her mouth.
“What?” Lin Jiayin was a little embarrassed.
“The corner of your mouth has a rice grain.”
“No way.” Lin Jiayin raised her hand and touched it.
“See it for yourself.” He leaned over slightly, meeting her eyes.
Shen Zhan deliberately raised his peach blossom eyes. They were colored amber, and with the plenty of sunlight, they clearly reflected Lin Jiayin’s face.
“Next time you want to look at me, remember to do it this way,” he curled his lips, his voice softened by the sun.
“Do you understand?”
