Chapter 78 : Want to Have a Meal Together?
Want to Have a Meal Together?
While Chen Zixuan was observing in secret.
The girl, holding her phone in one hand and takeout in the other, was also looking around for something. Very quickly, she spotted Chen Zixuan not far away.
She anxiously said something to the security guard, then pointed in Chen Zixuan's direction. Only then did the security guard, clearly reluctant, let her pass.
Holding one hand over her chest, the girl jogged over.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Chen, right? Here's your takeout."
Out of breath, the girl handed Chen Zixuan the packed meal as soon as she reached him.
Chen Zixuan took the takeout, stared at the girl's face for several long seconds, and then asked uncertainly, "You... are Lin Wei, right?"
"Huh? How did you know my name?"
The girl looked up at him nervously but, upon seeing Chen Zixuan's face, quickly lowered her head again in embarrassment.
This person looks so much like that person...
But, that person was a bit tanned, and this one seems even more handsome...
No! Lin Wei, you can't change your mind!
"We're classmates, aren't we? I'm Chen Zixuan."
Seeing her odd reaction, Chen Zixuan scratched his head, a bit confused.
Chen Zixuan!
When she heard these three words, the girl was startled. Her head shot up, and she instinctively covered her mouth, "You're kidding! You're Chen Zixuan?!"
Chen Zixuan felt rather awkward and nodded.
No matter who it is, being mistaken as a stranger by one's own classmate is bound to be a little embarrassing.
But, well...
As the saying goes, "fair skin covers three flaws."
Compared to before, his appearance had indeed changed a lot, so he couldn't blame Lin Wei for not recognizing him.
Still, Chen Zixuan was sure—this bespectacled girl with braided hair, right in front of him, was Lin Wei, his classmate for two years in high school.
Lin Wei also seemed to realize her words were a bit inappropriate, and immediately put her palms together apologetically, "Sorry, sorry! You're a lot fairer than before, and the sunspots on your face aren't as obvious. That's why I didn't recognize you right away..."
"Oh, I see, it's fine."
Chen Zixuan nodded and asked, "Are you working a summer job?"
A lot of high school students from less well-off families would take advantage of the summer holiday to do a job or two for experience—Chen Zixuan was used to this sort of thing.
"No."
The girl blushed; fiddling with the loose hair at her temples, she hesitantly said, "It's my family's own shop. We're short-staffed, so I'm just helping out."
Only then did Chen Zixuan notice the words printed on her apron.
"Lin Family Pickled Fish."
"So that's it, my apologies."
Chen Zixuan, not knowing what else to say, gave a small bow with the takeout box in hand.
Running a restaurant was not easy. Many owners had to get up at three or four in the morning and could only relax late into the night. Chen Zixuan had always respected hardworking people like that.
"It's just a small shop..."
Lin Wei's face turned even redder, and her voice grew softer and softer.
To be seen in this outfit by a boy from her class... How embarrassing.
Why did it have to be him...
Even so, as shy as she was, Lin Wei couldn't help but feel a touch of joy in her heart.
She'd never seen him at home before, but unexpectedly, Chen Zixuan actually lived in this community, only a few hundred meters from her family's restaurant.
She also got ahold of his phone number; all in all, this wasn't a loss at all.
"I saw you were in a bit of a hurry just now. Are you very busy?"
Seeing her so anxious earlier, Chen Zixuan asked out of good intentions, but also partly to end the conversation.
He hadn't eaten a thing all morning and was starting to feel the hunger burning in his stomach.
"Not busy... I've been busy all noon... I haven't even eaten yet."
As if noticing that Chen Zixuan wanted to wrap things up, Lin Wei looked up at him, an indescribable grievance in her expression and voice.
"Then... want to eat together?"
Chen Zixuan, somewhat embarrassed, raised the takeout in his hand.
It was just enough for two people, and he wouldn't finish it all in one sitting—he was planning to save the rest for dinner.
This way, he could save a meal's worth of takeout money.
"Where at?"
Joy immediately appeared on Lin Wei's face.
Two seconds later, she realized her reaction was too much and lowered her head to stare at her toes...
What is blocking my eyes?
Well, she couldn't see a thing anyway.
"I'll pay you back half," she said quietly.
Hearing "j〥琉〃坝jiu五b岜灵四〗另呜"—the girl's words—Chen Zixuan was briefly at a loss for words.
Like most people in China who often ask "Have you eaten?" out of politeness, he had just said it as a casual courtesy, but Lin Wei actually agreed.
With no other choice, Chen Zixuan sighed inwardly and said, "Let's go home."
Go... go, go, go, go home?!
Did things escalate this fast? Lin Wei's face instantly turned as red as a cooked crab.
"We've been classmates for two years, and I've never had you guys over to my place. Since we're close and it's not far, let's go upstairs and have a seat."
Chen Zixuan pointed at the apartment building behind him, explaining.
In fact, besides Gu Yanxi and Aunt Yao the landlord, there was truly no one else who had ever set foot in Chen Zixuan's home.
He could only hope that when they got upstairs, they wouldn't run into Gu Yanxi...
Lin Wei certainly didn't object. Following Chen Zixuan's lead, the two of them went upstairs to his apartment.
Luckily, they didn't run into Gu Yanxi in the hallway this time.
All along the way, Lin Wei bit her lip nervously, trailing behind Chen Zixuan, holding down the volume key on her phone hard with her right thumb.
What she'd said about being "not busy" was a total lie.
The restaurant was actually insanely busy right now.
But even if she deserted her post for a few hours, the worst that would happen was a scolding and losing her allowance for a week.
Just to walk into Chen Zixuan's home—even losing a month's allowance would be worth it!
Because the apartment was old, there was no need to take off their shoes. Chen Zixuan entered, set the takeout on the coffee table in the living room, and motioned for Lin Wei to come in.
Lin Wei followed him inside.
Chen Zixuan gestured at the dining table. "Make yourself at home, have a seat."
"Mm... okay."
Acting reserved, Lin Wei nodded, took off her apron, hung it over the back of a chair, and carefully sat down.
Chen Zixuan fetched two sets of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen, came back, pulled out his chair, and sat opposite Lin Wei.
The atmosphere felt a little stagnant. Lin Wei made several attempts to say something, but couldn't bring herself to speak in the end.
While unboxing the takeout, Chen Zixuan covertly stole glances at Lin Wei.
Even without the apron, her outfit was still rather plain: a loose, brown, mid-length sleeve top, with every bit of skin meticulously covered. She looked very conservative.
Yet her face was somewhat cute—her skin was pale and fine, with a slightly chubby, oval face. Her hair looked healthy, and her figure, truthfully, was quite a plus.
Back in class, she and Chen Zixuan were both among the least noticeable students, and the extent of their interaction barely went beyond nodding in greeting. Chen Zixuan had never taken a good look at her before.
Now, he was a bit surprised to discover that, if she stood out more, Lin Wei could actually be considered a rare beauty.
Leaving everything else aside, just considering her figure and temperament—if one could marry a girl like this, surely the grandparents would adore her.
This must be what people refer to as a "lucky wife's face."