Chapter 58: Going on the Offensive

After playing basketball for an entire afternoon, the utterly exhausted boys were practically ready to collapse on the playground.

"I can't take it anymore. My vision is blurring, probably low blood sugar. I need food urgently," Liu Li said, tossing several air-balls before putting his hands on his hips and panting heavily.

Knowing that Liu Li's physical foundation was somewhat weak, Li Heng immediately put away the basketball. "Let's go! I'm starving too. Hurry up and take a shower, then we'll get some food."

After a hasty shower, the four starving boys grabbed their lunchboxes and bolted toward the cafeteria.

Since it was still a bit early for the usual mealtime, there weren't many people on the road.

When Li Heng reached the cafeteria entrance, he ran into Song Yu by coincidence.

At that moment, she was standing there holding a thermal flask, seemingly waiting for someone.

Seeing Song Yu, Zhang Zhiyong, Liu Li, and Zou Aiming exchanged knowing, mischievous grins with Li Heng, and then made a wide, sarcastic detour around them.

Li Heng was thick-skinned; this sort of trivial little scene couldn't possibly ruffle him. He walked up to her and asked, "Song Yu, why are you here alone at this hour?"

Song Yu replied serenely, "Mom just sent over some dishes, and I'm waiting for Manning and Maisui to come down."

As she spoke, she unscrewed the thermal flask. "Bring your lunchbox over, have some too."

Flattered and pleasantly surprised, Li Heng exclaimed, "I get a share too?"

Song Yu smiled knowingly. "Yes, everyone present gets a share. Zijin told me to look after you well and not let you get too thin."

Just as Song Yu was spooning out some stir-fried beef and duck meat into Li Heng's lunchbox, Xiao Han and another girl from their class came out of the girls' dormitory building, chatting and laughing.

Upon reaching the ground floor, the female classmate took two hot water thermoses and headed toward the boiler room.

Xiao Han, however, continued walking forward, intending to meet up with Yang Yingwen and the others at the school gate to go out for a nice meal and improve their diet.

Yet, just as she passed the cafeteria entrance, she inadvertently glanced inside.

And with that single glance, Xiao Han froze up completely. The expression on her face locked in place, and for that split second, she felt a suffocating sensation as if her heartbeat had stopped.

Song Yu possessed a natural, ethereal grace, looking almost like an otherworldly immortal. She was simply too stunning; it was impossible not to notice her.

What made it even more eye-catching was that Li Heng was standing right beside her with a look of utter contentment.

Even more striking was the intimate interaction between the two of them!

After a brief hesitation, Xiao Han took a deep breath and walked toward the cafeteria. Lowering her head into a pretense of deep thought as if she hadn't noticed them, she bumped right into Song Yu's right arm as she passed by, then panicked, covered her forehead with her hand, and apologized crisply and apologetically:

"Oh, I didn't see you, I'm so sorry!"

Song Yu had been holding the thermal flask in her left hand and spooning the duck and stir-fried beef into Li Heng's lunchbox with her right hand.

Because of this bump, the white porcelain spoon fell to the ground and broke into two pieces, and Li Heng's lunchbox was knocked out of Song Yu's right hand as well.

With a loud clatter—

The aluminum lunchbox rolled across the floor a few times, scattering bits of stir-fried beef, duck, and various sauces all along its path.

Li Heng instinctively reached out to grab the lunchbox, but missed. When he raised his head and saw that it was Xiao Han, his mind buzzed for a moment.

He blurted out in astonishment, "Xiao Han?"

As if she hadn't heard him, Xiao Han turned slightly and apologized to Song Yu again, "I'm really sorry, I'll buy you a replacement for the spoon."

Song Yu quieted down. After exchanging a brief look with Xiao Han, she said with a faint smile, "It's fine, no need to replace it. We were the ones blocking the way at the entrance. Is your foot okay? Did you twist it?"

Xiao Han shook her head.

By now, the impulsive rush had worn off, and she was fiercely cursing herself in her heart:

Xiao Han, you must be out of your mind!

Do you even know what you're doing?

Is this really how you act out of jealousy?

Who do you think you are? What rank do you hold? Do you even have the right to feel jealous?

Following this fierce self-reproach, that inner voice pointed angrily at her forehead, condemning her for lacking spine: You, oh you! You are Xiao Han after all! You're no less than Song Yu, why on earth are you fighting for favor and eating your heart out over him? Why on earth?!

Xiao Han bent down, picked up the pieces of the broken white porcelain spoon to inspect them, bit her lip, and said, "I'll buy a new one and bring it to you later."

Song Yu repeated sincerely, "Really, no need."

Xiao Han gave her a sweet smile, took another secret breath before daring to face Li Heng's gaze, and said with curved eyebrows and a hint of embarrassment:

"Oh, um, Mr. Li... uh, well, I knocked over your good food, huh? How about I treat you to a meal outside to make up for it?"

The moment those words left her mouth, she wished she could seal her lips shut with adhesive tape: Xiao Han! How can you be so scheming? Stay calm! It's way too fake, and such an obvious motive is going to give you away!

Hearing those unmistakably pointed words, Li Heng wasn't surprised at all; this was simply who she was.

At this juncture, he didn't play dumb either. "Sure. It would be my utmost honor to have a meal with our former township's great talented girl.

Not today, though. Today I'm eating with my dorm brothers. Let's make it another day. I'll take you up on that free meal when there's a chance."

His response didn't sound too abrupt, failing to raise any suspicion in Song Yu.

After all, the two of them were fellow hometown friends and even former junior high school classmates; sharing a meal together was the most normal thing in the world.

After locking eyes with him for a few seconds, and with Song Yu watching closely nearby, a guilty Xiao Han felt her face burning fiercely and her ears growing piping hot. After politely bidding Song Yu farewell, she lowered her head to tuck away a stray lock of hair and walked away through the other exit of the cafeteria.

Seeing him alternately gaze at Xiao Han's retreating back, the lunchbox on the floor, and then back at her, Song Yu amusement danced in her eyes as she said:

"Time to come back to reality. Go wash the lunchbox, and I'll give you some more."

Li Heng felt a pang of heartache. "Give me more? Half of the food fell on the ground."

Song Yu replied serenely, "It doesn't matter. We'll just each eat a little less."

Yielding to her wish, Li Heng picked up the fallen lunchbox, washed it clean, and she once again portioned out some beef and duck for him.

From beginning to end, start to finish, she never asked a single question about Xiao Han, nor did she bring up any topic related to her.

Sensing that someone was watching her back, Xiao Han forced herself to keep a stiff upper lip and harden her resolve, her wavering legs unsure of how she had even managed to escape the cafeteria.

In any case, only when she reached a secluded spot outside did her tightly strung nerves dare to relax, leaving her with the realization that her palms were slick with sweat.

Even sadder was the fact that she had practically pinched her own thigh black and blue out of nervous tension.

As for the prospect of having a meal with him in the future, Xiao Han pouted, feeling none of the expected joy—probably because she had resorted to scheming to get it, rather than it being offered sincerely from his heart.

Then, she tormented herself with frustration: Why does Song Yu have such a strong attraction for him while he just grins mindlessly like a mental patient?

Hey, you mental patient! Is Song Yu really prettier than me?

After scolding him as a mental patient twice in a row, Xiao Han suddenly grinned to herself, hastily making amends amidst the swirling wind: Mr. Li, please forgive me, I didn't really mean it like that.

It wasn't until she walked out of the school gates that her fluttering, nervous heart slowly began to settle. Clasping her left hand with her right, she comforted herself: Even if we really end up eating together, there's nothing to fear. Just treat it as seizing an opportunity meant for the prepared.

And indeed, she had been preparing for far too long.

She had nursed a secret crush on him for far too long.