After the first class, many students gathered around the front and back doors of class 6 of the high school humanities department, all of them here to see the new transfer student, Shen Sinian.
Noticing the commotion at the door, Xu Chuning looked up and said, "Why are there so many people outside the classroom?"
"What do you think?" Deng Xitong whispered, "They're all here to see Shen Sinian."
Xu Chuning: "..."
She nonchalantly murmured an "oh" and looked back... Shen Sinian probably didn't sleep well last night, as he was currently covering himself with his jacket and sleeping on the desk, not even the noisy voices could wake him up.
"Cool," Xu Chuning was still looking when Deng Xitong suddenly blurted out, "The new student is really something, falling asleep in the first class."
She whispered to Xu Chuning, "What do you think of his grades?"
Xu Chuning: "…I don't know."
It dawned on her belatedly that even though she had been with Shen Sinian for several days, she had never asked about his academic performance.
Watching him sleep through class, Xu Chuning started to worry about Shen Sinian's academic achievements.
The break between classes was very short, only ten minutes. The students from other classes scoped around the classroom, only seeing a slim back, and before they could get a clear look at his face, the bell rang, and they had to leave disappointed.
Shen Sinian slept until the last morning class. He finally woke up groggily, "What time is it?"
Deng Xitong turned around, "Classmate, it's past eleven, and lunch is in twenty minutes."
Shen Sinian: "Oh."
He rubbed his face with his hand, his voice clean and crisp with a youthful tone, "Time flies."
Xu Chuning: "..."
She held back but eventually couldn't resist turning around, "You had a good sleep."
Shen Sinian looked up, faced her clear eyes, felt a bit guilty for a few seconds, and his voice weakened, "I... didn't sleep well last night."
Xu Chuning nodded but didn't say anything more.
With twenty minutes left until class ended, Shen Sinian saw Xu Chuning retract her gaze from him, touched the back of his head, and pretended to take out a newly received textbook from the desk to start paying attention to the lesson.
When the class-ending bell rang, Shen Sinian wanted to ask Xu Chuning whether to eat at home or in the cafeteria, but Deng Xitong asked first, "Xu Chuning, want to go to the cafeteria for lunch?"
Xu Chuning thought for a while; Shen Sinian had just arrived at school and needed to get acquainted with the surroundings, she nodded, "Okay."
After agreeing with Deng Xitong, she was about to take the initiative to ask Shen Sinian, but he spoke up first, "Can I join you guys?"
"Of course!" Deng Xitong was concerned about how to invite the new student but didn't expect him to take the initiative, her eyes sparkled with excitement, "Let's go, let's go to the cafeteria together."
Seeing the three of them appear together, the classmates in the cafeteria who knew them all looked up.
Feeling the gazes of the classmates, Xu Chuning felt slightly uncomfortable.
Noticing her mood, Shen Sinian asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
Xu Chuning restrained her eyes, "No."
Shen Sinian said "oh," "If you feel unwell, you should tell me."
"I know."
Deng Xitong stood in front of them and after hearing their conversation, she paused, somewhat incredulously looking at them, "Xu Chuning, you know our class's new student...?"
Xu Chuning thought for a moment, "Met a few days ago."
Deng Xitong: "Ah?"
Xu Chuning gave an acknowledging hum, nonchalantly replying, "Met through a twist of fate."
"Oh, oh," Deng Xitong came to a realization, "No wonder you two seem so familiar with each other."
Xu Chuning just chuckled without continuing the conversation.
The dishes in the school cafeteria were actually quite decent, but after taking a bite, Shen Sinian mumbled to Xu Chuning, "Not as tasty as my grandma's cooking."
"Your grandma's cooking is delicious?" Deng Xitong heard it and asked with curiosity.
Shen Sinian and Xu Chuning exchanged a look and proudly said, "Yeah, she's really skilled at cooking."
Anyway, aside from him, Xu Chuning, and Shen Yubai, no one else knew that the grandma he mentioned was You Shuzhen.
Deng Xitong, watching the relaxed expression of the boy in front of her, felt her heart starting to race a bit.
Damn, why does the new student have to be so handsome? She had no plans for an early romance. Was he trying to tempt her into one?
The three of them chatted while eating, not paying much attention to the gazes of others in the cafeteria.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ban Shu dragged Shen Yubai into the cafeteria, clamoring that it was Monday and the cafeteria had chicken legs; he wanted to eat chicken legs.
Shen Yubai's requirements for food sometimes were very high, and at other times quite casual.
However, at midday, he generally wouldn't go out to eat.
Entering the cafeteria with Ban Shu, they got in line, bought their food, and before they found a place to sit down, Ban Shu overheard the students beside them discussing the new student.
He listened for a moment then casually asked, "Where?"
The two discussing students turned around when they heard that and were taken aback, blurting out, "Brother Yu, Brother Shu."
Shen Yubai ignored them.
Ban Shu grunted, "Where's that transfer student you two were talking about?"
"Over there, sitting with two girls."
Ban Shu looked in the direction pointed out by his classmate, first noticing Xu Chuning's delicate, palm-sized face, then he shifted his gaze slightly and made inadvertent eye contact with Shen Sinian from afar.
"Damn!" After Shen Sinian casually averted his gaze, Ban Shu swore, "Brother Yu, that transfer student is Xu Chuning's little boyfriend!"
After seeing the two of them together in the store last time, Ban Shu firmly believed they were dating. If they weren't dating and weren't related, how could they be so close?
Shen Yubai: "..."
He lifted his eyelids slightly and looked in Xu Chuning's direction, tugging at his lip, "Shut up, he's not her boyfriend."
"Ah?" Ban Shu was taken aback, belatedly recalling that his Brother Yu also liked Xu Chuning, thinking that he was unwilling to accept that she already had a boyfriend, and awkwardly smiled, "If Brother Yu said so, then it must be so."
He was trying to keep Shen Yubai in good spirits.
Shen Yubai gave him a sidelong glance, knowing what he was thinking but too lazy to explain. He carried his tray forward two steps, then suddenly pivoted on his toes, moving closer to the table where Xu Chuning and the others were seated.
"?"
Ban Shu's eyes widened, and to prevent his Brother Yu from acting impulsively, he hurriedly followed, "Brother Yu, there are plenty of empty spots over there, let's—"
Even before he could finish his sentence, Shen Yubai had already set his tray down on the empty spot diagonally opposite Xu Chuning, asking the girl sitting across from her, "Is anyone sitting here?"
Deng Xitong widened her eyes, unable to believe she was making eye contact with Shen Yubai, blinking rapidly and stumbling over her words, "No... nobody's there."
She quickly moved her own tray to the side, "Feel free to sit."
Shen Yubai: "Thank you."
After thanking her, he sat down next to Deng Xitong and then glanced at Shen Sinian.