02

Looking at the prices on the menu, I couldn't help but widen my eyes and cast a worried glance at Lin Jiarui

I have no particular requirements regarding food, Xu Yan did not speak at all along the way, and Lin Jiarui had already eaten before us. Moreover, having encountered Xu Yan, he probably does not have much of an appetite either

The situation remained at a standstill, with Xu Yan coldly staring at us from across the way, his gaze towards Lin Jiarui tinged with a hint of resentment, for he hated Lin Jiarui for having stabbed him with a knife

The once dull atmosphere has become even more oppressive

Tang Yu excitedly pointed at the dishes while holding the menu alone

In an unclear situation, Tang Yu greeted Xu Yan enthusiastically

Lin Jiarui suddenly stood up from his seat, holding the menu in one hand and patting Tang Yu's shoulder with the other, smiling as he said: "Miss Tang is still a child who hasn't grown up yet. Be good! I'll treat you to ice cream."

I won't be back this week, I have matters to attend to. That's it, I'm hanging up

Tang Yu was momentarily taken aback, stifled his laughter, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant as he muttered, "Are you joking? Why so serious?"

Jian Le Ning, why aren't you eating

Tang Yu is a very enthusiastic person, and after a few casual conversations, he encouraged Lin Jiarui to treat us to a meal

Tang Yu is oblivious, but it really puts us in an awkward position

Xu Yan, what a coincidence, I didn't expect to run into you here! Our old classmate Lin Jiarui has invited us to dinner, would you like to join us? One more person won't make much difference, after all, Lin is quite wealthy, right, Lin Jiarui?

The boy sitting on my right smiled at me, radiating warmth

I do not understand why Xu Yan harbors such hatred towards Lin Jiarui

I finally couldn't help but call out to the unreserved Tang Yu. Upon hearing this, Tang Yu glanced at me with a mocking expression, closed the menu, and said: "Tsk tsk! You still say there’s nothing between you two, but now you’re afraid I’ll eat him out of house and home, so you’ve come out to stop me!"

The table is for four people, making it somewhat difficult to arrange. Lin Jiarui and I are seated on one side, while Xu Yan and Tang Yu are directly opposite us. Tang Yu wanted to sit on the outside, so Xu Yan was squeezed in on the inside, directly facing me. As soon as I looked up, I could see the boy's dark, cool eyes; he was staring out the window, lost in thought.

Even if Lin Jiarui did not harm his sister, his actions still hurt Tong Xingyu, did they not? He spends money seeking comfort from Tong Xingyu, looking for the love that An Xiaoduo cannot provide him. No matter how grand the justification may be, it cannot conceal his selfish nature. After being hurt by An Xiaoduo, he selfishly bought Tong Xingyu's dignity with money. This deeply wounded Xu Yan; as an older brother, he allowed his own sister to become someone else's substitute girlfriend for the sake of making a living. This hurt him even more than if Lin Jiarui had stabbed him with a knife. He selfishly bought Tong Xingyu's dignity with money after being hurt by An Xiaoduo. This deeply wounded Xu Yan; as an older brother, he allowed his own sister to become someone else's substitute girlfriend for the sake of making a living. This hurt him even more than if Lin Jiarui had stabbed him with a knife.

A planned meeting is not as good as a chance encounter. Since we don't have classes during the military training at night, Young Master Lin, please take us out for dinner! The food in the school cafeteria is really unappetizing

Tang Yu, this is enough, no need to order more, the four of us cannot eat that much, especially since Lin Jiarui has already eaten, and I am not very hungry either

It was only later that I realized this was a matter of a man's dignity

I do not appreciate others constantly discussing matters that do not exist

As we reached the corner, we encountered a young man who was on the phone

Once again encountering Xu Yan, the entanglement between us is destined to be difficult to resolve

I know that he wants to give me strength, worried that I might collapse upon seeing Xu Yan, but he does not know that I have already met Xu Yan, and not just once.

It is possible that our previous argument piqued his interest. Xu Yan withdrew his gaze from the window, fiddling with his phone, a habitual smile playing at the corners of his mouth. I have never been able to understand his smile, unaware of how much coldness and warmth it conceals.

I originally thought Xu Yan would refuse, but unexpectedly he suddenly curled the corners of his lips and chuckled: "Go ahead, why not go? Someone is treating, and if you don't eat, it's a waste!"

Lin Jiarui chose a Sichuan restaurant near the school because Tang Yu wanted to eat something spicy

After speaking, he walked over and squeezed himself between Lin Jiarui and me, laughing freely as if the resentment on his face just moments ago was merely an illusion, as if all the unpleasantness that had occurred between us before was nonexistent

I suddenly felt a deep sorrow in my heart, and my eyes became somewhat moist. It was not until Lin Jiarui pushed me gently that I came back to my senses from the memories left by that girl

Although I know that Lin Jiarui's family is wealthy, I still feel that it is not worth it to eat so much in one meal

Xu Yan told me that he is a man, and the most inviolable thing for a man is his dignity

Lin Jiarui once said that he and Xu Yan were friends, and their struggle arose because of the child star Yu, and it ended poorly for me

Lin Jiarui stood to the side, his expression somber, remaining silent as he silently wrapped his arms around my shoulders, holding me tightly against his chest

I pretended not to hear his words and continued to lower my head to drink water

The child star Yu is hospitalized not because Lin Jiarui harmed her, but Lin Jiarui also paid a price for that stab; why is he still so persistent

I smiled calmly at Lin Jiarui and told him that I was fine

I have always been someone who is not very good at explaining things, which tends to annoy others. I do not know how to explain, so I just sit there in a daze, with my head down, drinking water in silence.

The three of us each harbored our own concerns, yet we found it difficult to express them in front of Tang Yu

Do not speak nonsense! I am somewhat annoyed, and my tone has unintentionally become a bit harsh

I took a sip of plain water, casually flipping through the menu on the table. Lin Jiarui was being pulled by Tang Yu to discuss what to eat, occasionally casting glances at me, a faint bitter smile on his lips

Having said that, he turned and went to the service desk to settle the bill—this restaurant's rule is different from others, as one must pay before the dishes are served

Lin Jiarui did not refuse, cheerfully putting his arms around my and Tang Yu's shoulders as we walked towards the school gate

Whenever I think of the child star Yu, I always recall her eyes, which are very similar to An Xiaoduo's but much purer. I often remember that girl's innocent smile as she naively asked me: "Jian Lening, your grades are so good, can you help me calculate how many years I can spend 36,615.4 yuan if I spend 10 yuan a day? My mind is a mess, and I don't really know how to calculate."

Tang Yu was like a child; Lin Jiarui could easily make her happy. She followed Lin Jiarui to the service counter, insisting that he buy her ice cream. At the dining table, only Xu Yan and I were left.

The dishes at this restaurant are quite expensive, with each dish costing over 50 yuan. Tang Yu comes from a wealthy family, so he naturally does not mind the high prices here. With the intention of taking advantage of Lin Jiarui, he became even more ruthless in his approach

He said: "Jian Le Ning, are you still entangled with him? Are you trying to force me to make it difficult for you?"

The young man hung up the phone in frustration, struck the wall hard, and upon turning his head, he saw us, his expression momentarily frozen in surprise