"Professor Jiangg Ning’s here... Hey, hey."

Liu Nan nudged Chen Yuan with his elbow. Chen Yuan set down his spoon, took a moment to react, then turned his head to look. He habitually propped his foot up on the brace under the table; otherwise, his legs always felt uncomfortably cramped under the short table. The moment he saw Ningning, Chen Yuan was also slightly taken aback.

Even though he had known her for so long and saw her face every day, Chen Yuan had to admit that Jiangg Ning was the kind of beautiful you never got tired of looking at. It was as if a painter with the most refined artistic sensibilities had sketched her features, creating such a unique aura.

In a way, the only good thing Jiangg Ruxue had ever done was to personally impart some of the strict etiquette she herself had endured onto her two daughters. She never coddled or spoiled them, which was why Jiangg Ning was such a cut above the rest.

But people are all different. She herself was worlds apart from her older daughter’s gentle nature; in the end, etiquette manifests differently in everyone.

As far as Chen Yuan could remember, he had never seen Ningning slouch or hunch over. Whether she was sitting or walking, she was always as graceful as a swan—not overtly arrogant, yet still exuding an air of pride.

’But who would have guessed that the private Ning was such a complete contrast?’

Just as he was thinking this, Jiangg Ning’s gaze swept across the room and finally landed on Chen Yuan.

Her eyes lit up, and her pace quickened slightly. When she reached them, she glanced quizzically at Lu Yiyi, who was sitting at the same table as Chen Yuan’s roommates, but didn’t say anything.

Jiangg Ning very naturally placed two bags on the table, moved close to Chen Yuan, smoothed down her skirt, and sat down under the astonished gazes of the surrounding students.

Lu Yiyi’s eyes were wide with shock, her jaw nearly on the floor. She was speechless, simply staring intently at Jiangg Ning. After a moment, her gaze shifted to Chen Yuan, then darted back and forth between the two.

She had just stumbled upon some prime gossip, so her shock was completely normal. After all, when such a beautiful woman appeared, most people who didn’t know the situation would be guessing where she might sit. And then, miraculously, she had sat down at her very own table...

Lu Yiyi didn’t recognize Jiangg Ning. The Art Academy had its own separate faculty, and she didn’t usually pay attention to such things. Outside of her studies, her personal life was simple and uneventful.

At that moment, Lu Yiyi decided this woman must be Chen Yuan’s older sister... or maybe his aunt!

"I passed by that Huaiyang restaurant. I was originally going to have them prepare a steamed sea fish, but they were already sold out. So I just picked a few random dishes. You guys don’t have any dietary restrictions, do you?" Jiangg Ning asked softly.

"Of course not! I’ll eat anything, no restrictions here." Catching a whiff of the aroma, Liu Nan was practically drooling.

"Professor Jiangg Ning, you shouldn’t have spent so much. We don’t deserve this..." Wei Zhen said, a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, it looks really expensive," the ever-frank Quan Yafeng added bluntly.

"It’s nothing. It’s only right to treat friends to a meal. Let me open these for you." Jiangg Ning reached out to untie the bags and took the items out one by one. The last thing was a small container of some kind of soup. She set it aside, placed it in front of Chen Yuan, and whispered in his ear, "This is the restaurant’s specialty. I’ve tried it before; it’s delicious and nutritious. You’re at an age where you’re still growing, and the cafeteria food isn’t very healthy."

"Still growing? I’m already over one-eighty," Chen Yuan whispered back.

"When I was little, my grandmother told me that people with long hands grow much taller than average. You have a lot of potential, Chen. Oh, right, I know you love cilantro, so I asked them to add extra. See if you like it."

"Okay."

Chen Yuan didn’t move to do it himself. Ningning went ahead and opened the container, arranged the spoon and everything for him, and placed a napkin to the side. She was incredibly thoughtful. If they weren’t in such a public place, she might have even wanted to feed him.

She wasn’t sure why, but after yesterday, she found herself missing Chen Yuan intensely today. She had zoned out thinking about him several times since the morning, and the moment she finished her work, she couldn’t wait to come and see him.

They had only been apart for ten short hours. Jiangg Ning was puzzled. She couldn’t understand it. ’This must be what they call being lovesick.’

The storytellers and street performers of old always loved to tell tales of some wealthy official’s well-bred daughter falling for a dashing young man, losing all appetite for food and sleep. Jiangg Ning used to dismiss such stories. ’How could anything have that much power over someone?’ But now it was happening to her, proving those tales weren’t all just fanciful fabrications meant to sound cultured.

’Wasn’t she just as eagerly awaiting her own "husband"?’

"Is it good?" she asked expectantly, seeing Chen Yuan take a sip.

"It’s great. Five-star review!" Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow, thoroughly pleased, and gave her a thumbs-up.

The corners of Jiangg Ning’s eyes instantly crinkled into a smile. Her face beamed with satisfaction, as if she had received the greatest encouragement.

’Chen Yuan isn’t deliberately saying harsh things to push me away anymore. Our relationship seems to be getting back to normal. Doesn’t this prove my efforts are paying off?’

The little couple was enjoying their sweet moment, but everyone else at the table was focused on them.

"Please, everyone, eat... Don’t be shy," Jiangg Ning said, noticing Chen Yuan’s roommates and feeling slightly awkward. "I haven’t eaten either. Let’s dig in."

Her words finally snapped the three of them out of it. They quickly averted their envious gazes and shifted their focus to the food on the table, some shoveling rice into their mouths, others starting to chat and laugh.

This left Lu Yiyi in an awkward position. It felt rude to reach for the food with her chopsticks, but if she didn’t, she could only stare at the exquisite dishes... then back at her own rice noodles. She lowered her head and picked up a few strands. Just a moment ago they had been delicious, but now they suddenly seemed bland.

Jiangg Ning, as observant as ever, didn’t let her feel awkward for long. She quickly noticed Lu Yiyi eating her own food with her head down, looking a bit withdrawn.

She took the initiative and asked, "And this student is...?"

"I..."

"An upperclassman from the Art Academy next door. She spent the afternoon helping us move paintings, so she came to the cafeteria with us," Chen Yuan explained.

"I see."

"Her name is Lu... Yiyi?" Chen Yuan looked at her for confirmation.

"Yes, yes!" Lu Yiyi nodded vigorously. As she looked at Jiangg Ning, her eyes sparkled. ’This ’big sister’ has such a gentle voice,’ she thought. ’It’s so soothing I could melt.’

"Lu, please eat with us," Jiangg Ning said, actively pushing the dishes toward her. "The dishes I picked generally aren’t fattening. They’re very figure-friendly, so you don’t have to worry."

"Really? Is that okay?"

"Of course. If you don’t eat now, these boys are going to snatch it all up."

Looking at Ningning’s gentle smile, Lu Yiyi suddenly felt like she was in the presence of a living Saint Mary. She was completely smitten. In that moment, the meal became a meal of pure bliss.

Perhaps mature people just have a knack for handling any situation. Chen Yuan barely had to say a word; Jiangg Ning took care of everything.

With another girl present, Jiangg Ning seemed more at ease. She and Lu Yiyi were soon chatting away, their conversation flowing from fashion styles to the aesthetics of modern art. They seemed to be getting along quite well.

Until...

As if possessed, or perhaps from a crossed wire in her brain, Lu Yiyi spoke without thinking. Maybe it was her frank nature, or maybe she just didn’t engage her filter, but the words tumbled out of her mouth:

"Junior Brother Chen, you’re so lucky. You even have an elder bring you food at school. Is it because you’re a local? I’m honestly so, so jealous."

She said this with a genuine, heartfelt smile.

In an instant, the word "elder" stabbed into Ningning’s heart. She looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. The composed expression on her face froze, and her radiant smile vanished.

"COUGH COUGH COUGH—" Wei Zhen broke into a violent fit of coughing.

Chen Yuan’s chopsticks, halfway to picking up some food, froze in mid-air.

"El...der?"

Jiangg Ning’s lips parted slightly as she savored the word, turning it over and over.

The others suddenly felt a cold draft, as if the temperature around them had dropped, sending an involuntary shiver down their spines.