By the time Ye Qingyang woke up, Lu Jingcheng had already been thinking about asking him why he had not come to class that morning.
But he cared too much about his pride. He did not want to ask in front of his friends and give them a chance to tease him.
So he waited in silence, waiting for Ye Qingyang to come to him first.
He had assumed that, given how much Ye Qingyang liked him, it would not take long at all before he came over.
But one class passed. Then a second. Then a third.
Lu Jingcheng stared at Ye Qingyang, who was sitting in his seat gazing out the window, and the anger in him flared higher and higher, burning over his head.
What was there to look at outside?
If he had that kind of time, why was he not coming to find him?
Just yesterday he had acted as if his feelings ran deep and true!
And today he looked ready to turn on his heel and walk away without a shred of attachment!
Heartless!
False and insincere!
Ungrateful!
Cold-blooded and indifferent!
Lu Jingcheng ground his teeth in fury, wishing he could grind them down to powder, taste blood, and slaughter without mercy.
The moment the bell rang, Lu Jingcheng saw Ye Qingyang stand up.
Lu Jingcheng instantly straightened in his seat.
Here it comes, here it comes. Ye Qingyang must not be able to hold back any longer and is finally coming to find him!
He had gone an entire day without speaking to him!
After yesterday’s reckless, all-or-nothing confession, there was no way Ye Qingyang could go back to how things were before—merely observing in secret, sneaking glances at him from afar.
He definitely wanted to talk to him every single day!
Lu Jingcheng was firmly convinced. Absolutely certain.
Yes, after tossing and turning all night, Lu Jingcheng had officially defined Ye Qingyang’s tearful speech at noon yesterday as a confession.
A subtle confession was still a confession. As declared by the contemporary literary master, Lu Jingcheng.
And then, the very next second, he froze.
Because Ye Qingyang did not walk toward him. Holding a lunch container, he headed straight for the water dispenser!
The water dispenser???
The water dispenser!!!
Lu Jingcheng blinked. So he was… thirsty?
Lu Jingcheng: …
He began grinding his teeth again.
Ye Qingyang filled his instant noodles with hot water, sealed the lid, then turned around with the container in hand. The moment he looked up, he saw Lu Jingcheng staring at him.
That gaze made it seem as though he were prey already laid out on Lu Jingcheng’s plate.
Tsk. How had just one morning apart reignited Lu Jingcheng’s hostility toward him?
Ye Qingyang quickly carried his freshly prepared ultra-luxury instant noodles over.
—He had originally prepared it for Lu Jingcheng anyway. Now, in order to dispel the young master’s animosity, he absolutely had to deliver it.
“For you.”
He set the noodles on Lu Jingcheng’s desk and pulled out disposable utensils from his pocket.
“Brother Lu, you must be hungry. I made this especially for you. One bite replenishes your energy, two bites refresh your mind, three bites and you will have no worries in class!”
Lu Jingcheng: …
Chen Wei, sitting beside him, burst out laughing.
Embarrassed and irritated, Lu Jingcheng snapped, “I do not eat this kind of thing.”
That was the truth.
Lu Jingcheng was a young master from a wealthy family. In all his years growing up, he had only ever seen instant noodles—never eaten them.
Of course Ye Qingyang knew that. Not only did he know, he also knew that later, Lu Jingcheng would eat instant noodles once at the female lead’s place and be utterly astonished.
Amazed that such delicious food existed in the world.
From then on, he would fall in love with instant noodles—especially the pickled mustard flavor.
After all, when one had eaten delicacies from land and sea all one’s life, occasionally having this sort of convenience food brought a completely different kind of pleasure.
So Ye Qingyang confidently continued his sales pitch. “Brother Lu, just try it. It is really good. I made it specially to thank you for helping me yesterday. I even added lots of extra toppings.”
As he spoke, remembering that Lu Jingcheng preferred his noodles slightly firm, he lifted the lid.
Instantly, the fragrance of pickled mustard beef noodles filled the entire classroom.
For students who had been in class all day and were already feeling hungry, it was practically a biochemical weapon.
“Damn, who is eating instant noodles? Have you no shame!”
“It smells so good—so good. I am starving!”
“That smell—it is my favorite pickled mustard beef noodles! I am going to the school shop later!”
Seeing that the effect had been achieved, Ye Qingyang did not waste time. He smiled at Lu Jingcheng. “Take your time eating, Brother Lu. I will head back first.”
Lu Jingcheng: … He had not said he was going to eat it!
He watched Ye Qingyang leave at lightning speed, then looked down at the noodles in front of him. They did smell rather good.
So… should he eat them?
“Tsk, Ye Qingyang treats you pretty differently. Look at your bowl—egg, ham, shrimp balls, fish tofu, crab sticks. Quite the feast.”
Chen Wei leaned over to inspect and sniff, marveling aloud.
Seeing Lu Jingcheng still hesitating, Chen Wei reached out to drag the bowl toward himself. “I know you do not eat this stuff. Give it to me. I am hungry anyway—I will help you out.”
Before he could move it, Lu Jingcheng picked up the disposable chopsticks and smacked his hand. “Who allowed you to touch it? It was given to me, not you.”
“Aren’t you not eating it?” Chen Wei withdrew his hand.
Lu Jingcheng gave a cold snort. “Even so, it is still mine.”
With that, he pulled apart the chopsticks and began eating.
Chen Wei watched him take bite after bite, breathing in the far-reaching, irresistible aroma of pickled mustard. He could feel his saliva pooling uncontrollably.
Instant noodles were like that—sometimes they smelled even better than they tasted.
Whether they were delicious might be up for debate, but that scent…
It was impossible to resist. Especially when one was already hungry.
Just then, Chen Wei suddenly heard a voice from not far away.
“Are you still feeling distressed because you can see food but not eat it?”
Chen Wei: ????
The voice continued in a lyrical recitation, like a beam of light piercing the night:
“Are you still feeling frustrated because your stomach is growling yet you cannot be satisfied?
Are you still suffering because you have devoured books but cannot fill your belly?
Are you still in despair because there is more than an hour before school ends and you can finally eat?”
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Ye Qingyang standing before his desk, eyes brimming with emotion.
The next second, his expression changed—confident and composed. “Good news! Good news! Qingyang Live Studio is officially on air! Attention all boys and girls—your little angel Qingyang has arrived!”
Lu Jingcheng nearly sprayed soup from his mouth. He whipped around to stare at Ye Qingyang, disbelief written all over his face.
Seeing nearly the entire class focused on him, Ye Qingyang produced his pre-prepared product—
Master Lin’s Pickled Mustard Beef Noodles.
“Master Lin’s Pickled Mustard Beef Noodles—century-old heritage! Crafted with ingenuity! Sour and spicy! Delicious and savory broth! Just look at this packaging—noble purple, understated yet luxurious, luxurious yet concealing glory and prestige. Fourteen hundred million packets sold annually! The BMW of instant noodles, the Rolls-Royce of convenience foods! With it, your next break will no longer be empty! Original price three yuan—Qingyang Live Studio price, two yuan per pack! Free lunch container and disposable utensils included! Add one more yuan to receive your choice of essential toppings: egg, ham, shrimp balls, fish tofu, or crab sticks. Buy it, buy it, buy it!”
Lu Jingcheng: …
The rest of the class: …
“And look at this!” Ye Qingyang pulled out another pack. “Braised Beef Noodles! Authentic gemstone red! A century of best-selling classic flavor! Rich aroma, exquisite taste! The top idol of instant noodles, the ultimate star of convenience foods! With it, you are like wielding the Heaven Reliant Sword—sweeping away hunger, fearless in class! Essential for home and travel! Original price three yuan—Qingyang Live Studio price, two yuan per pack! Free container and utensils included! Add one yuan to get the same toppings as the pickled mustard version. Buy it, buy it, buy it!”
Lu Jingcheng: …
The rest of the class: …
“Of course,” Ye Qingyang added, “you can also choose the male god’s exclusive edition.”
He pointed straight at Lu Jingcheng.
In an instant, every gaze in the classroom converged on him.
Innocently eating his noodles, Lu Jingcheng: …
Flushed with anger, Lu Jingcheng: !!!
“Luxury Supreme Sea-View Suite Set! Not only delicious instant noodles, but also egg, ham, shrimp balls, fish tofu, crab sticks, and more! Even the male god says it is good! Not nine hundred ninety-eight, not eight hundred eighty-eight—just five yuan! Take home the male god’s edition! Do not just be tempted—take action! First come, first served! Only eight portions available—once they are gone, they are gone! Three, two, one—here we go!”
“Anyone interested, come get your goods here!” Ye Qingyang raised his hand and called out.
The moment he finished speaking, a crowd rushed over.
Lu Jingcheng watched as Ye Qingyang’s desk was instantly surrounded. The instant noodles in his own hands suddenly did not smell as good anymore.
What was this supposed to mean? Was he just a display prop?
And “male god’s edition”? How dare Ye Qingyang use him for marketing like this! Was this his so-called affection?
Cheap!
Fragile!
Not sincere at all!
Furious, Lu Jingcheng gulped down a large mouthful of soup, about to complain to Chen Wei—only to realize Chen Wei was gone.
Where had he gone?
His confusion did not last long. He quickly spotted the familiar back of Chen Wei’s head among the crowd gathered around Ye Qingyang.
Lu Jingcheng: …
He silently took a bite of egg to steady himself.
He felt that this world was truly beyond saving.