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Treating someone to a meal was no trivial matter.

Le Ya wasn’t familiar with the shops around First High School, so she asked Chen Yang, who had been studying here for two years, “What do you like to eat?”

Chen Yang replied, “I’m not picky.”

Le Ya said, “That’s just like saying ‘whatever’—it doesn’t help at all.”

She used to think it was normal when others said “whatever,” but now that she was in the same situation, saying “whatever” made it hard to choose because there were too many options.

Chen Yang glanced at her, deliberately teasing her. He raised an eyebrow and said, “So you’re dissatisfied with my answer?”

Le Ya frantically waved her hands.

Though deep down, she truly was dissatisfied.

Chen Yang chuckled softly, shifting his gaze away from her. He pointed to a restaurant across the street. “Let’s go there.”

Le Ya obediently agreed, “Alright.”

The small restaurants near the school weren’t particularly expensive—affordable prices with decent flavors. At noon, there weren’t too many people outside.

The interior of the restaurant was decorated in a trendy, artsy style, likely to appeal to the current aesthetic of students. This kind of artistic vibe attracted more customers.

The meal wasn’t eaten quickly.

Le Ya had been taught since childhood to chew slowly and savor her food, so she always ate at a leisurely pace. Sometimes, when classmates saw her eating, they would tease her about being too slow.

But old habits die hard.

After finishing the meal, there were still twenty minutes before class started.

Le Ya took the initiative to pay the bill, and Chen Yang didn’t stop her.

After all, repeatedly failing to treat someone could leave a sense of frustration.

A minute later, Le Ya bounced back to the table and urged, “Alright, let’s go.”

Chen Yang stood up, using his height advantage to subtly overshadow her.

Le Ya, carefree as ever, didn’t notice. Just as she stepped out of the shop, a group of boisterous, laughing boys passed by. She paused, intending to wait for them to leave before moving forward.

Unexpectedly, one of the boys recognized Chen Yang.

One of them turned his head and saw Chen Yang, asking, “Brother Yang, are you eating out today too?”

Chen Yang replied, “Mm, someone treated me.”

It was obvious whom he was referring to as he glanced at Le Ya beside him.

The boy looked over and saw that Le Ya was unfamiliar. Considering that Chen Yang rarely brought girls out to eat alone, he immediately said, “Is this your girlfriend?”

The others chimed in with laughter, “Hello, Sister-in-law!”

They even mock-saluted her, their loud voices drawing the attention of passersby.

Le Ya was startled, her cheeks slightly flushed. She quickly explained, “No, I’m not. Don’t call me that.”

What nonsense was this about girlfriends and sister-in-laws?

She truly didn’t know that high school students these days joked like this.

The boys scratched their heads and looked back at Chen Yang.

Chen Yang calmly said, “If she says she isn’t, then she isn’t.”

Le Ya, feeling flustered after being teased, nodded vigorously, wishing to distance herself from them. Being scrutinized under their gazes felt strange.

The leader of the group smiled. “Sorry, my mistake.”

Though he apologized, he secretly believed he hadn’t been wrong. Look at Chen Yang’s response—it was already quite telling.

So Brother Yang liked this type of girl—soft and delicate. No wonder Lin Xinqiao had failed so miserably; she was completely not this type.

Le Ya pursed her lips and said, “It’s fine.”

The boy shifted his gaze and added, “Brother Yang, we’re going to hang out ahead. We’ll take off first.”

Chen Yang gave a nonchalant hum in acknowledgment.

By the time they returned to the teaching building, several minutes had passed.

Many students had already gone back earlier, leaving only those rushing in, running forward without looking.

When they reached the third floor, Chen Yang’s phone suddenly vibrated.

He pulled it out and answered. Liang Qian’s abrupt voice came through, “Brother Yang, you’re not back yet? Why did lunch take so long?”

Since they were in the stairwell, which was empty and quiet, Le Ya heard everything clearly. She wanted to retort: How long had it really been? It sounded like they’d been eating there forever.

Chen Yang asked, “What is it?”

Liang Qian’s end was a bit noisy—he might have been in the classroom or outside. “There’s something. Class starts in ten minutes.”

Chen Yang glanced at Le Ya in front of him. She was looking down, lost in thought. Her pale ear peeked out from behind her black hair, directly in his line of sight.

Liang Qian continued nagging, “The homeroom teacher just came by the classroom. I’m worried he knows about what happened in the cafeteria. Can you make it back before class starts, Brother Yang?”

Chen Yang suppressed the urge to pinch her ear and replied indifferently, “Got it, I’ll be back soon.”

He hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Le Ya finally looked up. “Then you should hurry back.”

Chen Yang chuckled at her words. “Aren’t we already on our way back?”

Reminded by him, Le Ya immediately blushed in embarrassment. They were already on the third-floor stairwell, and once they went up, they’d reach the classroom.

She softly said, “Let’s go upstairs then.”

Le Ya led the way, quickly reaching the next landing. She then turned to see if Chen Yang had caught up.

In her soft voice, she reminded him, “If you don’t hurry, class will start.”

Chen Yang didn’t respond but continued up the stairs at his own unhurried pace.

Returning to the teaching building through the same staircase felt different this time. Le Ya said, “I’m here.”

Chen Yang gave a slight nod. “Mm.”

Le Ya thought for a moment, then after entering the classroom, she retrieved something from her desk. Stepping back outside, she called out, “Chen Yang.”

Chen Yang turned around, the light behind him spilling onto his figure, scattering into fragments.

For a fleeting moment, Le Ya walked over and handed him the item in her hand. “Thank you for what you did at the cafeteria today.”

Chen Yang glanced down. “Is this a gift?”

It was a small ceramic doll, tiny enough to fit in the palm of his hand, and its craftsmanship appeared rather crude.

Did she make it herself?

Le Ya nodded, looking uneasy. “Mm… If you don’t like it, you can give it back to me.”

She had made it herself during a visit to a pottery workshop—it was extremely small and had taken her a long time to complete. Her name was inscribed on the bottom, though it was so tiny that it required a magnifying glass to see.

Le Ya guessed he wouldn’t be able to read it.

It had been sitting in her bag all this time, occasionally taken out for play. She happened to think of it today and decided to give it as a gift.

“No,” Chen Yang smiled faintly. “It’s nice.”

At least it was far better than being called a pervert again.

Le Ya felt a bit happy, her lips twitching slightly as her eyes sparkled with joy at the thought of her gift being appreciated.

Chen Yang observed her subtly.

Perhaps she wasn’t aware, but her demeanor in front of him was inadvertently seductive—inviting thoughts of prying open those lips, licking, and sucking.

Le Ya smiled softly. “Then I’ll head back to the classroom.”

Chen Yang snapped out of his thoughts and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

After the girl disappeared into the classroom, he carefully pinched the ceramic doll between two fingers and held it up to the sunlight.

It really was quite charming.

________________________________________

Back in the classroom, Le Ya saw Zhou Xiaoqing sitting in her seat.

Her smile quickly faded. Her own seat was inside, and she would have to pass through Zhou Xiaoqing to get there.

Hearing the sound of movement, Zhou Xiaoqing turned her head and immediately said upon seeing Le Ya, “Le Ya, didn’t you say you didn’t know his name?”

Le Ya replied, “Let me through.”

Zhou Xiaoqing said, “Answer me first.”

“Whether I know or not has nothing to do with you,” Le Ya frowned, her small face crumpling. “Move.”

Zhou Xiaoqing smirked. “It doesn’t matter. I already know his name is Chen Yang now. A little inquiry told me which class he’s in.”

Hearing this, Le Ya’s expression darkened.

She wondered if Zhou Xiaoqing had overheard her calling out to Chen Yang earlier.

But then… recalling Lin Xinqiao’s situation, Le Ya figured even if Zhou Xiaoqing approached him, she wouldn’t get anywhere.

Xie Qingyu, returning from outside, witnessed the scene and hurried over. “Zhou Xiaoqing, what nonsense are you trying to stir up now?”

Zhou Xiaoqing stood up from her seat. “Xie Qingyu, what’s wrong with you? Which eye of yours saw me doing anything?”

Xie Qingyu retorted, “Both my eyes saw it.”

Unable to reason with her, Zhou Xiaoqing turned back to Le Ya. “Just wait and see.”

With that, she sauntered away.

Le Ya was confused. What was there to wait and see? If Zhou Xiaoqing managed to pursue Chen Yang, it would be her own skill—something Le Ya highly doubted.

She huffed softly and sat down in her seat.

Xie Qingyu glared at Zhou Xiaoqing’s retreating figure before sitting behind her, suspiciously asking, “What does Zhou Xiaoqing want now?”

“She saw me coming back with Chen Yang,” Le Ya leaned over to explain. “She said I lied about not knowing Chen Yang’s name last time.”

Xie Qingyu said, “Even if it was a lie, what business is it of hers?”

The crudeness of her words surprised even Le Ya.

Realizing her slip, Xie Qingyu covered her mouth. “Sorry, it just slipped out.”

Le Ya chuckled softly. “It’s fine.”

“Ai ya,” Xie Qingyu rested her head on the desk. “After you left, I treated that red-haired guy to a meal. Turns out the tray of food that got thrown was his.”

Le Ya was momentarily surprised, recalling Liang Qian’s words at the cafeteria.

Though their conversation had been interrupted by Chen Yang later.

Xie Qingyu continued, “I thought he was some delinquent, but he’s actually pretty cute—a real joker who knows how to make people laugh.”

Le Ya listened quietly.

After several minutes, Xie Qingyu finally changed the topic. “So, how was it? What did you treat Chen Yang to? Was it awkward?”

Le Ya let out a soft gasp. “It was good.”

Everything today had gone well.

________________________________________

In Class Seventeen:

More than half the classroom was already filled. Some students were chatting noisily while others were focused on their test papers—an overall harmonious scene.

Liang Qian had returned to the classroom early.

Zhao Mingri had bought a bag of Pringles, and the two of them were huddled in the last row, munching loudly, one chip after another.

“How was it being treated to a meal today?” Zhao Mingri asked.

“Amazing,” Liang Qian replied. He felt that even if his meal had been thrown away, it was worth it. Being treated by a beautiful girl made throwing it away again seem acceptable.

Zhao Mingri teased, “You’re such a traitor.”

Liang Qian defended himself, “I’m just reasonably claiming my rights.”

“Pfft,” Zhao Mingri snorted.

As they were talking, the back door suddenly opened.

Chen Yang dragged his chair out and sat down, pulling out the small doll he’d been holding.

Liang Qian noticed it immediately. “What’s that thing?”

Zhao Mingri, sharp-eyed, recognized it. “A little doll.”

“Where did you buy it? It’s so small,” Liang Qian stretched out his hand to compare sizes—it was shorter than one of his fingers.

Chen Yang fiddled with the ceramic doll. “It’s a thank-you gift.”

With that explanation, the two beside him immediately understood. The only person who could have thanked him today was Le Ya.

Unexpectedly…

Someone pushed the window open from outside. “Chen Yang, the physics teacher is looking for you.”

Chen Yang lazily acknowledged.

As he was about to leave the classroom, Liang Qian quickly asked, “Brother Yang, can we take a look at the doll?”

Chen Yang glanced back. “Don’t break it.”

Liang Qian responded with an affirmative sound.

They didn’t dare to be too reckless, knowing the fragile item would shatter if dropped. They carefully held it in their hands to examine.

Though it wasn’t as refined as store-bought dolls, it was evident that effort had been put into making it, and it was genuinely cute.

Just as they were about to put it back, Zhao Mingri’s sharp eyes noticed black dots on the doll’s feet. Thinking it was dirt, he panicked.

If Chen Yang found out, he’d hate them forever.

He quickly pulled out a clean tissue to wipe it, but nothing came off—the black dots remained.

Zhao Mingri tried to scrape them off. “Oh no.”

Liang Qian couldn’t bear to watch and snatched it away. “Are you stupid? These kinds of things usually have dates or something written on them.”

He brought it close to his eyes, trying to decipher what day it was.

But the doll’s tiny feet made it impossible to read clearly, and his eyes soon grew strained.

Liang Qian muttered, “No doubt about it—it’s a keepsake date.”

He borrowed a magnifying glass from the bespectacled boy in front and placed the doll flat on the table, bringing the lens close.

Two crooked characters became clearly visible.

Liang Qian exclaimed in surprise, “It’s not a keepsake date. If Brother Yang sees this, he’ll be so disappointed.”

Zhao Mingri asked, “What does it say?”

Just as Liang Qian was about to read it aloud, Chen Yang’s voice suddenly came from behind. “Does it look nice?”