Chapter 3: Group Order for Takeout
The homeroom teacher’s name was Chen Zelin, a man in his early thirties. He wore full-rim glasses, had an ordinary short haircut, but his sharp gaze and demeanor clearly marked him as someone in charge. He taught English, too—one look and you could tell he had the authority of a homeroom teacher.
As per tradition, he began with a few words congratulating everyone on making it to high school, then picked up the class roster and started calling names by student ID number for self-introductions.
The longer Gu Qinghuan listened, the more numb her expression became. It wasn’t the “My family owns such-and-such corporation” kind of introduction she’d expected, but still—
“I’m good at math and once won first prize in a competition”— That kind of thing hurt her pride even more!
When it was Jiang Chuchu’s turn, she actually did mention her family business, “My family owns Yongchang Group.”
It sounded vaguely familiar. Gu Qinghuan fell into thought. But with only that information, she still didn’t have a concrete idea of Jiang Chuchu’s background. She decided to look it up after class.
When her own name was called, Gu Qinghuan stood up without hesitation, “My name is Gu Qinghuan—‘Gu’ as in ‘take care,’ and ‘Qinghuan’ from the line in Su Shi’s Huan Xi Sha: ‘The true flavor of life is gentle joy.’ I hope we can all get along well for the next three years and work together toward our dreams.”
They were all still students looking forward to the future, so her words left a good impression. Even the homeroom teacher gave a small nod of approval.
Two days ago, when he’d learned there was a student in the class who had been admitted through a paid spot, Chen Zelin had felt a bit resistant. Mingde did have such slots, but they still required approval from the school board.
For this batch of students, the chairman’s decisions had been straightforward—especially for Gu Qinghuan. The chairman had said, “Anyone who survives a great disaster is destined for a good life.”
Now, seeing her in person, Chen Zelin found her personality quite likable—steady, open, and poised. She didn’t seem like someone who would cause trouble.
After Gu Qinghuan sat down, it wasn’t long before Yu Xin’s name was called.
Startled, Yu Xin looked nervous. Gu Qinghuan turned slightly to encourage her with a smile.
Yu Xin relaxed a little, though her voice still trembled, “M-my name is Yu Xin—‘Yu’ as in ‘Yu Meiren,’ and ‘Xin’ as in ‘admire.’ I want to get into Beijing University, and I’ll work hard for it!”
She then sat down quickly.
Beijing University?! Gu Qinghuan’s eyes went wide. She herself had stopped dreaming that big after third grade! She immediately applauded.
The other students were clearly impressed as well. Mingde wasn’t without graduates who had made it to or been recommended for Beijing University, but to say it outright took serious courage. Applause filled the room.
The homeroom teacher was pleased too—teachers are always happy to see students with ambition.
When the introductions were nearly finished, Chen Zelin brought up class officer positions. He handed out forms for everyone to fill in their choices. He’d assign roles based on the results, and if multiple people wanted the same position, they’d hold elections.
Perhaps impressed by Yu Xin’s ambition, he asked her to collect the forms and bring them to him.
Jiang Chuchu raised her hand high. “Teacher, how are the seats going to be arranged?”
“Decide among yourselves for now,” Chen Zelin waved. “Sit where you like for a while—we’ll adjust later.”
So free! Gu Qinghuan thought. But seeing the predatory look in Jiang Chuchu’s eyes, she said cheerfully, “We’ll switch after class.”
It wasn’t like she had to have this seat. Besides, she had no desire to butt heads with the young lady.
Jiang Chuchu clearly approved of Gu Qinghuan’s sensibility. The moment the bell rang and the teacher left, she pulled something from her bag and shoved it into Gu Qinghuan’s hands without preamble, “Here. Consider it the transfer fee for the seat.”
When Gu Qinghuan saw what it was, the corner of her mouth twitched.
A watch. Of course—the young lady didn’t do things halfway.
She didn’t recognize the brand, but from the design alone she knew it wasn’t cheap. She pushed it back immediately. “No thanks. It’s not like I bought this seat.”
Jiang Chuchu frowned, then quickly let it go, pulling out her phone. “Then add me on WeChat.”
Since they were classmates, Gu Qinghuan figured they’d have to add each other eventually, so she let Jiang Chuchu scan her code. The moment they connected, Jiang Chuchu sent her a money transfer—not a red packet, but an actual transfer. For a full 1,000 yuan!
Gu Qinghuan was dumbstruck. “Huh?”
“If you think the watch is too expensive, then take some cash instead.” Jiang Chuchu put away her phone, looking satisfied, as if the matter were settled.
Though her family had just won five million, Gu Qinghuan’s own allowance wasn’t nearly enough to hand out 1,000 yuan casually. Her mind immediately filled with the thought: Fine! I’ll go toe-to-toe with you rich people!
It was obvious Jiang Chuchu didn’t care about “a little” money like this. Gu Qinghuan suspected that if she didn’t accept it, the girl might actually get angry. So she asked, “If I take this money, I can spend it however I want, right?”
“Of course.” Jiang Chuchu waved her hand.
Gu Qinghuan marched up to the podium, fearless under the curious stares.
“Just now, Jiang Chuchu gave me a 1,000 yuan transfer. I’m going to use it to do everyone a favor~”
The classmates who had been near enough to witness the earlier exchange burst into laughter. They came from good families themselves, and they could tell Gu Qinghuan wasn’t part of their circle.
Her open “self-exposure” made her seem interesting.
“Since we’re now classmates, let’s celebrate a little. This afternoon, I’ll use the money to buy drinks for everyone. Maximum 50 yuan per person—pick what you want and tell me!” She finished, stepped down, and swapped seats with Jiang Chuchu.
Qin Yue gave her a once-over and commented, “Not bad.”
Sure, she was using Jiang Chuchu’s money to build goodwill, but she’d gotten the girl’s permission and announced it publicly—so she didn’t come off as some obedient sidekick.
Nobody here lacked for a drink, but when it was free and they could choose whatever they liked, even just for the fun of it, nobody would refuse.
“It’s not that I feel guilty taking the money,” Gu Qinghuan scratched her cheek, “but it would’ve felt weird not to do something with it.”
Qin Yue grinned and pulled out his phone. “Add me. I’ll send you my choice.”
She gained another friend.
Qin Yue was quick—soon she got his order.
“Iced fresh lemon water?!” Gu Qinghuan stared. “That’s it?”
“What’s wrong with it?” Qin Yue was perfectly serious.
“It’s just… too cheap. I thought you’d go for something else.” Since he knew Jiang Chuchu, she assumed he was also some rich young master. But this?
“You don’t understand,” Qin Yue said solemnly. “My mom never lets me drink this stuff. Says it’s unhealthy.”
“But I want to drink it!” he declared, almost defiantly.
“You’re definitely in your rebellious phase,” Gu Qinghuan muttered.
A girl who had been about to tell her order suddenly lit up. “Oh! My parents don’t know about this either!”
She grabbed Gu Qinghuan’s shoulders, her expression intense. “Gu Qinghuan, since we can order anything, snacks count too, right? I want fried chicken drumsticks from this place! My mom never lets me order takeout!”
She quickly pulled up a review post on Little Red Note APP for proof.
Gu Qinghuan hesitated for a few seconds. “If you want them, I can order them—but this place isn’t great. The skin’s over-fried and the meat has no flavor. I recommend another shop—the coating’s crisp and crunchy without being greasy, and the meat inside is juicy. The cumin-flavored ones are the best.”
The girl’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, yes! Let’s add each other, and you can recommend me more!”
Her name was Xie Xiangxue. They added each other on WeChat, and when Gu Qinghuan looked up, she saw other classmates gathering eagerly around.
She came to two conclusions— First: Being controlled by your parents has nothing to do with how rich your family is. Second: Takeout ordered behind your parents’ backs is the most exciting and most delicious kind of food.
I love it. It’s so wholesome huhuhu
And the Protag is such a sensible good girl 🥰🥰