Wen Shu smiled faintly, but didn't answer.
One hand propped up her cheek, while the other held chopsticks, idly stirring the porridge in her bowl.
The dark-colored broth mixed again and again, blending with things that couldn't quite be described, sinking into the white rice porridge until no trace remained.
Wen Shu seemed to have already eaten her fill. Qin Siyang, on the other hand, showed no intention of stopping and kept eating heartily.
As he ate, he asked, "Wen Shu, you guys are starting school soon too, right? How's your preparation going?"
"Me? I'm doing fine. I just read a bit every day and check the United Government Academy forum to learn about things after school starts."
"Oh, that's good. You should be getting ready for school. By the way, why do I feel like I haven't seen Gu Yunxuan for a few days?"
"You mean Xuanxuan? She wants to stay in an eight-person dorm and make friends with other classmates, so she's already left the guesthouse and moved into United Government Academy. But we still study together often and meet at South Glory University's library."
Qin Siyang squeezed his eyes slightly, showing his confusion at Gu Yunxuan's decision, "She's a young lady from a big family. Why does she keep trying to fit in with people from a completely different level? Friends need mutual appreciation and common ground. It's not something you get just by meeting and spending time together."
Wen Shu nodded, "I told her the same thing. But Xuanxuan seems to think that as long as she's willing to give to others, she can make friends."
Qin Siyang shook his head even more, "There's no such thing as guaranteed returns for what you give in this world. At best, you end up being warm to someone who stays cold. At worst, you run into people who take advantage of you and then turn on you later. She likes reading so much, and yet she's never heard stories like Puss in the Boots, or the farmer and the snake?"
Wen Shu's gaze also carried a hint of helplessness, "Yeah, she really doesn't seem to understand how complicated relationships can be. Maybe it's because she's always been protected by her elders and parents at home. Her thoughts are very pure."
Qin Siyang fell into thought, "If that's the case, then going to live in the dorms and experiencing the warmth and cold of people firsthand might actually be a good thing."
"Maybe."
"Ah, her father Gu Weirong isn't worried, so why am I stressing over it? Let's keep eating."
With that, Qin Siyang went back to eating in big mouthfuls.
Wen Shu, meanwhile, kept that gentle smile in her eyes.
Suddenly, her expression froze for a brief moment. Disappointment filled her gaze, but it vanished just as quickly. Then she put away her smile and said to Qin Siyang, "Qin Siyang, someone's here to see you. Go take a look."
Qin Siyang looked puzzled, "Someone's here for me? Huh? The front desk didn't notify me."
"Just go check."
"Whoever it is, even if the king himself showed up, nothing's stopping me from finishing this meal first."
Qin Siyang picked up a chicken drumstick and was about to continue stuffing himself.
But Wen Shu suddenly snatched the drumstick from his hand and said calmly, "Please go take a look."
Qin Siyang stared at his hand, now only left with a smear of chicken grease, completely taken aback.
This was the first time he had seen Wen Shu treat him like this.
'What is going on?'
'Didn't she cook for me? Why isnt she letting him eat now?'
'Just because someone came looking for me?'
Now that he thought about it, Qin Siyang had heard some faint footsteps downstairs, 'But how did Wen Shu know the person is here for me? And she even seemed a bit unhappy.'
Full of confusion, Qin Siyang looked at Wen Shu and noticed her smile had grown colder.
That only made him more baffled.
He felt like staying at the table wasn't going to solve anything, so he stopped arguing, wiped his hands, and got up to head out and see what was going on.
The moment Qin Siyang stepped out, he saw a blonde, blue-eyed girl appear at the corridor entrance.
He recognized her immediately. It was that straightforward beauty, Sally Warren.
When Sally saw Qin Siyang, her eyes lit up, "Hello, Mr. Qin—"
BANG!
Before she could finish greeting him, he immediately slammed the hall door shut.
Then he swallowed.
At that moment, Qin Siyang sincerely hoped the soundproofing of that hall door was good enough.
Watching Sally walk toward him enthusiastically, he suddenly felt a bit flustered, like he was doing something that would let Wen Shu down.
Qin Siyang frowned slightly, not understanding why that thought had come to him.
He clearly hadn't done anything.
Qin Siyang stepped forward as well and gestured for Sally to go talk in the nearby gym and swimming area.
Even though he could activate conversation blocking so others wouldn't know what they were saying, he still didn't want people like Hu Chan to see him talking with Sally.
The two sat on a sofa in the gym's lounge area and turned on the conversation block.
Sally's smile was as bright as ever, "Mr. Qin, long time no see."
Qin Siyang nodded, "Long time no see. I didn't even know you'd moved in. When did that happen?"
"Today! I wanted to give you a surprise, so I didn't tell you."
"Oh…"
"My uncle Jerry supported you at the thesis hearing last week, didn't he?"
"Yes. Thank you."
Sally lifted her chin, "Then how are you going to thank me?"
Qin Siyang's tone still carried no warmth, "The Zhao family will express their thanks to Mr. Jerry and the Warren family on my behalf."
Sally pouted, "Mr. Qin, you should know I don't want to hear an official answer like a politician's report."
"But you should also know that Mr. Jerry helped me because of the cooperation between the Zhao family and the Warren family. Not because of you or me."
"You!", Sally clenched her fists in anger, "Qin Siyang! Why do you always brush me off so coldly? I've been helping you enthusiastically this whole time!"
Qin Siyang didn't meet her gaze. He looked down at the ground instead, "I know. That's exactly what makes this difficult for me. Sally, we're really not suitable for each other."
"Is it because of Wen Shu?"
"..."
"Hmph! I transferred to South Glory University just to prove it to you. She… she might be a little smarter than me, but she's definitely not better than me! The one you should be pursuing is me!"
Qin Siyang said nothing to Sally's words.
He had already made his rejection clear, but Sally, passionate and straightforward, completely ignored it and kept pressing forward.
He didn't know what else he could say.
He couldn't just lash out at her, could he?
Sally, whether in looks, personality, or experience, was outstanding in every way. She was the kind of girl people simply couldn't bring themselves to dislike.
On top of that, her family was cooperating with the Zhao family. It was a very delicate time, and he couldn't afford to create trouble over something like this.
All of it mixed together until Qin Siyang's thoughts felt thick and tangled.
On the other hand, Sally didn't like dragging things out. She was more decisive.
After getting Qin Siyang's silent confirmation that he liked Wen Shu, she decided to end the conversation for today. She stood up to leave, "Qin Siyang, goodbye! We'll meet again."
Qin Siyang looked at those gemstone-like blue eyes and slowly nodded.
After Sally left, Qin Siyang returned to the living room, intending to continue his meal.
But he saw Wen Shu had already packed up all the dishes and was about to carry them away.
Qin Siyang scratched his head, "Wen Shu, I haven't finished eating yet."
Wen Shu replied calmly, "The food's cold."
"Then are you going to heat it up for me? No need, it's fine…"
"I'm taking it back to eat with Grandma. If you're not full, call the front desk yourself."
"Alright."
Qin Siyang looked at those eyes, black as the night sky, and slowly nodded.
[T/N: Some die of thirst, while others drown.]
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