He Xiaochen replied with a “Hmm”, but hung up the phone. The smile on her face also faded a little.

Shen Li was a little surprised.

“What happened? Did you have a fight?”

Ren Qian had been courting He Xiaochen for the past half a year, ever since he had confessed his feelings to her after the college entrance examination.

When He Xiaochen fainted during military training, he had not hesitated to disobey the instructor’s orders just to carry her to the infirmary.

When He Xiaochen had gotten sick, he had been the first one to come over to deliver food and medicine.

The two of them sometimes ate together and watched movies together.

They were just one step away from breaking through that last layer between them to becoming more than friends.

Shen Li had always gotten the feeling that the two of them were progressing quite smoothly.

“No.”

He Xiaochen pouted.

It did not seem to be the case here.

Shen Li’s gaze fell on her phone again and saw that Ren Qian did not call again.

He Xiaochen put her phone into her bag and became excited again.

“Forget it, let’s not bother about him! Let’s go eat! Recently, I’ve earned quite a bit of money from my part-time job so I’ll definitely treat you to this meal!”

Shen Li did not ask any more questions and nodded with a smile.

“Okay.”

…

The two of them arrived at a barbecue restaurant just outside the western gate.

The food at this restaurant was very delicious and was very popular among the Xijing University students. When they arrived, many people were already there.

The two of them chose to sit at a table closer to the center.

He Xiaochen handed the menu to Shen Li.

“Order whatever you want!”

Shen Li did not stand on ceremony and ordered the restaurant’s most famous dishes. He Xiaochen added some more with a wave of her hand.

“Ah Li, how did you do in Hong Kong City?”

He Xiaochen asked curiously as she drank some fruit juice.

Shen Li nodded.

“Very good.”

He Xiaochen rested her chin on her hand.

“That’s true. Your grandparents and Teacher Shen treat you well!”

Although she had not gone there, she especially treasured the video of how Tangtang had been welcomed home on New Year’s Day.

Shen Li had also taken photos at the family acknowledgment banquet and sent them to her.

“That’s great!”

He Xiaochen was sincerely happy for her.

The waiter came over to place the roasting tray and served the dishes one after another.

“There’s a lot of delicious food in Hong Kong City. Next time, when you have the time, I’ll take you around there.”

Shen Li picked up a piece of pork belly and placed it on the plate. Sizzling sounds could be heard and the aroma permeated the air.

He Xiaochen’s eyes lit up.

“Okay!”

She also took a clamp and placed a cheese rice ball on the edge of the roasting tray. At the mention of delicious food, she instantly became energized.

“You don’t know how tired and thin I’ve been recently! Those translations are so difficult to do!”

As she mentioned this, her voice filled with bitterness and she pointed at her eyes.

“Look! I have dark circles under my eyes!”

Shen Li glanced at her.

“Aren’t these dark circles under your eyes because you’re staying up late at night to catch up on Tang Wei’s new drama?”

He Xiaochen spluttered before she tried to justify herself, “But, don’t I spend all my time during the day working hard? The only time I can watch the drama is at night.”

Shen Li, “…”

She turned the piece of pork belly over as she roasted it.

“Why have you been taking on so many manuscripts lately? Are you really that short of money?”

He Xiaochen’s family was not very rich, but they were at least middle-class. They were relatively well-off, and she was the only daughter in the family. Logically speaking, she should not have to work so hard just for that small amount of money.

“I am a little short.”

He Xiaochen held up a hand.

“I need to buy my brother’s album and the merchandise, as well as the things that are endorsed by the artistes and so on and so forth! How can I not spend money?”

The living expenses given to her by her family were enough, but to support these expenses, her budget was a little tight.

Moreover, she had never been willing to ask her family for money for these things.

In high school, she had always spent her own pocket money and scholarship money.

After she started attending university, she had started working part-time, hoping to earn more.

Shen Li asked, “Didn’t I advise you before to just live within your means?”

“I know. Actually, I didn’t buy much. It’s just that I thought of saving money.”

He Xiaochen sighed, “But it’s really hard to save money.”

This was her own way of managing her money. Shen Li knew that she knew what to do, so she let her be. She put the first piece of streaky pork into He Xiaochen’s bowl.

He Xiaochen was touched.

“Thank you, Sister! Sister really knows how to take care of people!”

Shen Li said, “Just shut up and eat.”

“Okay.”

He Xiaochen immediately placed the piece of meat into her mouth and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. It was delicious!

She just could not help but give a thumbs-up.

“Ah Li, with your standard of barbecuing meat, Second Brother must really be taking advantage of you!”

Shen Li usually looked cold and indifferent, not someone who was easy to get along with. But in fact, once people got to know her, they would know that she treated the people that she care about extremely well, and could even be said to be protective of their shortcomings.

It was probably because of the special environment in which she had grown up that she had become very independent, and also very good at taking care of others.

Of course, the prerequisite was that she was willing.

Shen Li tilted her head and thought carefully.

“Actually, he barbecues better than me, and… He doesn’t seem to have eaten much of any meat that I’ve barbecued.”

Whenever the two of them ate together, Lu Huaiyu was the one who would do all the cooking, so she was only responsible for eating.

He Xiaochen silently swallowed that mouthful of meat.

“… I feel like I’m being fed.”

Shen Li started to help her roast beef tenderloin again.

He Xiaochen’s skills were not as good as hers, so she only needed to flip the meat a few times and spent most of the time eating.

Shen Li noticed that her eyes occasionally glanced at her phone, and seemed to be a little distracted.

She was obviously waiting for Ren Qian to call.

Shen Li looked at it for a while and said, “Do you want me to call him back on your behalf?”

“Huh?”

He Xiaochen was stunned for a moment before she immediately shook her head while blushing furiously.

“No!”

Shen Li raised her chin.

“Then, what’s going on with you two?”

For a while, He Xiaochen seemed to be conflicted.

“Actually, it’s nothing…”

The two of them had been getting along quite well before.

It was just that Ren Qian still had not officially said anything and she was too embarrassed to take the initiative to say it out loud.

After the final exams, the two of them had returned to Yunzhou together.

Originally, she had thought that it was about time, yet Ren Qian still had not said anything.

Even after they had parted at the train station, the two of them had not met up during the winter vacation.

“And I feel that he seems to have become very busy, and we don’t talk as much as before.”

He Xiaochen bit her chopsticks, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

She had always been a very lively person. Now that she was like this, it could be seen that this matter had affected her greatly.

Shen Li said, “Then, didn’t you look for him to discuss this matter properly?”

He Xiaochen pouted.

How could she do that when she was so embarrassed about it?

Shen Li took a sip of her fruit juice.

“If only you had half the courage you have when chasing after celebrities and fighting against their haters, you wouldn’t be like this now.”

He Xiaochen gave her a pitiful look.

Shen Li said, “Think about it yourself.”

…

After eating this meal, Shen Li and He Xiaochen went back to their respective dorms.

She still had a specialized course and an online exam to sit for in the afternoon.

Four days passed quickly.

After the last day of exams, Shen Li came out of the exam hall and saw that the evening had already fallen.

She carried her backpack and walked to the east gate of the school. A black Bentley was parked outside the gate.

The moment she appeared at the gate, Lu Huaiyu pushed the door open and got out of the car. Then, he walked toward her.

The well-tailored black high-tailored suit enhanced the look of his wide shoulders and narrow waist. His figure was well-proportioned.

As he cast his deep gaze, he looked even colder and more restrained, languid and noble.

Lu Huaiyu came to her and took her backpack.

“Second Brother.”

She raised her face and gently poked his chest.

“What you’re wearing today is so formal.”

Lu Huaiyu raised his eyebrows and grasped her finger.

“To pick up a girlfriend, of course I have to be formal.”