Chapter 59 Back to School Don’t Get Sick, Eat on Time…

Chapter 59: Back to School: Stay Healthy, Eat on Time...

After celebrating Sun Shuya’s birthday, Yu Kui received several calls from unknown numbers on her way home, all of which she rejected. Soon after, she was bombarded with texts.

“How did you find out? Who told you?”

Tao Jiang kept warning her, “What you know isn’t the truth. You’d better not spread it around, or I won’t let this slide.”

Yu Kui ignored her messages. She had spoken up to let Tao Jiang know she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Seeing that Yu Kui paid her no mind, Tao Jiang even went to Qin You, asking if he had given Yu Kui her home address, which led to her uncovering the truth.

Unfortunately, Qin You hung up before she even finished speaking.

Sitting alone in her empty living room, Tao Jiang felt a chill run down her spine.

How dare someone she had easily manipulated during their school days threaten her like this? Who did she think she was!

Yet she forgot that Yu Kui had once trusted her unconditionally. Even after their fallout, Yu Kui had suggested she apply to a school that suited her strengths for the sake of her future, but Tao Jiang had scoffed at the idea.

They were no longer friends.

But Tao Jiang didn’t dare actually confront Yu Kui. She could only cower in place, listening to the ticking of the clock, unmoving for a long time.

The next day, Yu Kui’s parents dropped her off at the airport, reminding her, “Come back early for the May Day holiday. We’re going on a family trip.”

“Okay,” Yu Kui hugged her mother’s arm. “Take good care of yourselves at home. Eat and sleep on time, don’t stay up late binge-watching dramas...”

“We know,” her parents said helplessly. “Who’s the child here, you or us?”

Yu Kui: “...”

After landing, Yu Kui received a call from Xie Xingzhi. “Are you here yet?”

“Yeah, I’m about to exit the terminal.”

“I’m at the entrance,” Xie Xingzhi said. “I got a car to pick you up.”

Yu Kui paused. “I could’ve just taken a taxi. You didn’t have to bother.”

“No trouble,” Xie Xingzhi chuckled. “A friend’s car. Very convenient.”

“Did you get your driver’s license?” Yu Kui asked in surprise.

“Yeah.” Xie Xingzhi had gotten his license during winter break and had told Yu Kui about it when he was almost done with the tests.

Yu Kui dashed out and spotted Xie Xingzhi standing not far from the entrance. The weather up north was still cold, and he wore a black puffer jacket. Tall and lean, he stood out in the crowd without looking bulky, giving off a graceful vibe.

Passersby sneaked glances at him, their expressions turning excited when they noticed he was good-looking.

“Xie Xingzhi!” Yu Kui ran up to him. “Long time no see.”

“Long time no see,” Xie Xingzhi took her luggage, noticing her slightly rounder face. “You ate well at home?”

Yu Kui froze for a moment before realizing what he meant and raised her hand to playfully swat at him.

“I didn’t say anything bad,” Xie Xingzhi let her swat him a couple of times. “You just look prettier than before.”

“Haha,” Yu Kui was thrilled. “My parents said the same thing.”

Xie Xingzhi: “...”

After getting in the car, Yu Kui noticed someone else in the front passenger seat.

“Who’s this?”

“My friend,” Xie Xingzhi said after storing her luggage. “This is Lu Cheng. He lent me the car.”

“Hello,” Yu Kui smiled at him. “I’m Xie Xingzhi’s friend, Yu Kui.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Lu Cheng, who seemed several years older than Xie Xingzhi, smiled warmly. “Glad to finally meet you.”

Yu Kui glanced at the guy driving, surprised that he had mentioned her to his friends.

“Actually, I wasn’t planning to come today, but since he just got his license, I tagged along,” Lu Cheng kept glancing at Yu Kui, seemingly curious about her.

“I see, thanks, I appreciate it,” Yu Kui said politely.

“What did you do at home?” Xie Xingzhi asked with a smile.

“Didn’t I already tell you?” Yu Kui glanced at him. “I had a happy and fun time every day.”

Xie Xingzhi’s eyes lit up with amusement. “So, are we still watching a movie and having hot pot?”

“Of course!” Yu Kui said. “I haven’t had hot pot in days.”

Not long after, Xie Xingzhi parked the car in front of a hot pot restaurant and took her and Lu Cheng inside.

Yu Kui observed the restaurant’s low-key, rustic decor, realizing it was a chain she had never been to before.

The three of them sat down and ordered. Xie Xingzhi continued asking about her time at home, and Yu Kui shared some amusing stories. “The mandarin oranges from my grandpa’s place were bigger than my fist, and the blood oranges were really tasty. Did you try them?”

“Yeah,” Xie Xingzhi’s expression softened at the thought of the fruit she had sent. “They were delicious.”

“Great, I’ll hook you up with more next time.”

“By the way, how’s work? School’s starting soon—is everything settled?”

“All settled,” Xie Xingzhi looked into her bright eyes. “I’m earning money now. I’d even buy you dragon meat if you wanted.”

Yu Kui: “...” She had no intention of eating dragon meat.

The two kept chatting, while Lu Cheng occasionally drank his water, surprised to see Xie Xingzhi—usually so reserved—acting so relaxed and down-to-earth around the girl he liked. It was an eye-opener.

After the meal, Xie Xingzhi dropped Yu Kui off at her dorm. “I’ll take you to a movie tomorrow afternoon. Don’t oversleep.”

“Okay,” Yu Kui felt thrilled to see her good friend. “Call me ahead of time.”

“Yeah,” Xie Xingzhi ruffled her hair before turning to leave.

Yu Kui unpacked and thoroughly cleaned her dorm.

Since it wasn’t yet the start of the semester, her three roommates hadn’t arrived, leaving her alone in the room.

She turned on her computer, checked the class group chat, and logged into her video platform account. After the New Year’s Eve party, her account had gained over 300,000 followers, and she occasionally received messages asking if she’d model clothing for online stores.

Yu Kui declined all such offers. Her priority was still school; she didn’t want to take on side jobs.

Just then, another message popped up, asking if she’d be interested in modeling Hanfu. The store was located in B City and offered car service.

Yu Kui still declined. She scrolled through some debate videos and decided to join the debate team for the semester.

The next day, Yu Kui slept in. She only got up to get washed up and dressed after receiving a call from Xie Xingzhi, then hurried to the door to meet him.

"I checked the time—I'm not late."

Xie Xingzhi smiled. "Let's get something to eat first."

The two walked to a hole-in-the-wall stir-fry place near the school gate and ordered a few Sichuan dishes.

"When did you meet that friend from yesterday?"

Lu Cheng's face was unfamiliar, and Yu Kui felt a little wary.

"We met through work," Xie Xingzhi explained. "He helped me a lot with my job, and we became friends over time."

Thinking about him working during the winter break, Yu Kui immediately said, "Today, it's my treat. I can't let you pay every time."

"Alright." Xie Xingzhi didn't argue and instead asked another question. "Are you close with the owner of Jiao Yang Cake Shop?"

"Huh?" Yu Kui blinked, not quite following.

Xie Xingzhi said, "He often likes your Moments posts."

"You mean Xu Xi?" Xu Xi's cake shop was named that, and Yu Kui was surprised. "You have his WeChat too?"

"You don't remember? I went to see you once and ordered a cake from his shop in town," Xie Xingzhi said. "I added him on WeChat for convenience at the time."

"He's a friend of mine too," Yu Kui said with a smile. "Back in my hometown, I took a few sets of photos for his cakes, and he hooked me up with lots of delicious treats. We gradually became closer."

"Really?" Seeing the smile in her eyes, Xie Xingzhi also smiled. "Are his cakes good?"

"Not bad," Yu Kui said, puzzled. "Haven’t you tried them?"

"I forgot a long time ago," Xie Xingzhi said. "But he seems quite young. Why did he open a cake shop in a small town?"

"Maybe he doesn’t like the fast pace of the city and chose the life he wanted," Yu Kui said without hesitation. "I actually envy his free-spirited lifestyle."

"Do you like that kind of life too?" Xie Xingzhi asked. "After graduation, won’t you stay in B City?"

"Not necessarily," Yu Kui said. "It’s too early to tell. I don’t know which city I’ll work in yet."

Xie Xingzhi went quiet for a moment before saying, "Let’s eat first."

After the meal, the two went to see a hit comedy movie. By the time they came out, it was already getting dark outside. Xie Xingzhi suggested going to a nearby food market.

"Next time," Yu Kui said, feeling pretty tired. "Let’s head back and rest for now."

"We haven’t had dinner yet," Xie Xingzhi said. "How about some barbecue?"

"No," Yu Kui glanced at the clay pot spot next to the barbecue place. "Let’s have something soupy."

They sat in a cozy little place and ordered two different flavors of clay pot dishes. Yu Kui told Xie Xingzhi about her plans after the semester started. "I'm probably going to be swamped, so I might not have as much time to invite you out to eat."

"It’s fine," Xie Xingzhi said casually. "I’ll just eat at your cafeteria."

Yu Kui laughed. "How can you say that?"

"What, you won’t even treat a good friend to a meal at the cafeteria?"

Yu Kui: "..."

"I never asked—what kind of work were you doing during the break?" After talking about herself, Yu Kui turned her concern to Xie Xingzhi. "Was it very tiring?"

"It’s related to game design," Xie Xingzhi said. "Sometimes it’s really grueling, but it’s getting better gradually."

Although he didn’t go into detail, Yu Kui could tell it had been very demanding. He often called her at night, his voice full of exhaustion.

The novel hadn’t mentioned Xie Xingzhi’s part-time job during university, but Yu Kui didn’t want him to overwork himself. "Even though I don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you really need to take care of yourself. Don’t get sick, and make sure to eat at regular times."

She spoke with such seriousness that Xie Xingzhi chuckled. "Got it."