Chapter 42: Buffet
“You sponsored it?” Gu Qinghuan was surprised.
She hesitated about asking Xia He about his family situation but ended up saying nothing.
Instead, Xia He spoke up on his own. “This little bit of money doesn’t matter at all. It’s nothing. Even if you add up all the costs for this sponsorship, it’s still not as much as a month of my pocket money.”
For a moment, Gu Qinghuan’s defenses almost cracked: There are so many rich people out there… why couldn’t I have been one of them?
Listlessly, she said, “Thank you. Next time you do something like this, can you let me know in advance?”
“Nope,” Xia He refused immediately. “If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise anymore!”
Although this perk came from Xia He’s sponsorship, she wasn’t the only beneficiary — it was for the entire student council. So Gu Qinghuan didn’t say anything about him being the “big sucker” footing the bill.
She climbed out of her dog bed, sat at the desk, and, using yesterday’s trip to the mall as a reference, picked out the furniture she needed with Xia He, organizing them into a list.
Xia He took the list from her. “I’ll deliver it to the Life Department for you. Big sis, you can take a nap at noon.”
Gu Qinghuan glanced at the time and nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you. Do you know where the Life Department is?”
“It’s written on the signboard on the first floor. I’ll find it.” Xia He waved his hand. “See you later, big sis~”
Once Xia He left, Gu Qinghuan locked the office door, drew the curtains, and lay back in her dog bed for a nap.
Yu Xin had already fallen asleep. Jiang Chuchu, having been cautious with Xia He around, hadn’t slept yet. Now that he was gone, she was starting to feel drowsy.
Gu Qinghuan tugged Jiang Chuchu’s arm. “Do you know Xia He? Is his family really rich?”
Jiang Chuchu sobered up a little. “I know him, but we’re not close — could treat him like a stranger.” In fact, she’d prefer not to know Xia He at all.
“As for being rich…” Jiang Chuchu chose her words carefully. “The Xia family’s businesses are very spread out, and many are overseas. You could say their foundation is deep and complicated. Overall, yes, they’re very wealthy.”
But that didn’t mean she could just accept things from him so easily.
Gu Qinghuan sighed and flopped back into her dog bed. “I’ll just sleep.”
She had figured it out — whatever Xia He wanted from her, he would make it clear eventually.
Since he was giving willingly, it meant he thought what he could get from her was equal in value to what he was giving now.
So she wouldn’t overthink it. When the time came, if she could give it, she would. If not, she’d just pay him back later.
Even if things weren’t really that simple, this was all she could do. So—forget it! She wouldn’t bother thinking about it anymore.
Having sorted it out in her head, Gu Qinghuan slept quite soundly at noon.
Yu Xin’s alarm went off first. She got up, then woke Jiang Chuchu and Gu Qinghuan. The three of them washed their faces in the bathroom and went to class feeling refreshed.
After the day’s classes ended, Gu Qinghuan was planning to go straight home when she received a message from her dad, Wang Jia’an, saying that her grandmother had fallen, broken a bone, and been taken to the hospital. He and Gu Haiyan were at the hospital and wouldn’t be home that night, so she should sort out her own dinner.
Wang Jia’an also specifically said that her grandmother’s condition wasn’t serious, so there was no need to worry.
Gu Qinghuan was still worried, but she knew there wasn’t much she could do. If she went over, she might just end up being comforted by her grandmother instead.
Better to take care of herself first — she couldn’t have her mom worrying about both her mother and her daughter at the same time.
She sent a message to both her parents, reminding them to eat and to update her on her grandmother’s condition.
Sending it to both meant at least one of them would see it.
Gu Qinghuan sat in the classroom in a daze, and when she came back to her senses, most of the other students had already left.
Jiang Chuchu had family matters that evening and rushed home right after school. Yu Xin had been busy with calligraphy club activities lately and had also left early.
Not planning to go home, Gu Qinghuan decided to go to the student council office to do her homework, and then buy the things the office still lacked.
She was still debating whether to order delivery or eat at the cafeteria when someone called from the classroom door: “Gu Qinghuan? Why aren’t you going home?”
Chen Zelin was quite surprised. He knew his class president’s personality very well — capable, cheerful. She’d been fine during the day, so why did she look a little down now?
“Mr. Chen,” Gu Qinghuan greeted, then remembered to answer, “Something came up at home. I was planning to finish my homework before heading back.”
Chen Zelin was startled. Something came up? What happened?
He wanted to ask, but from her expression, it didn’t seem too serious. Asking outright might not be appropriate.
So he said instead, “Then what about dinner?”
“I’m deciding between the cafeteria or ordering in,” Gu Qinghuan said honestly.
“Want to come to the cafeteria with me? It’s Teacher’s Day, so the school has arranged a buffet for the teachers there,” Chen Zelin asked.
Gu Qinghuan pointed at herself. “Would that be appropriate?”
“What’s not appropriate? It’s just one more person eating,” Chen Zelin waved it off.
She went along, mostly curious about the school’s buffet setup.
She’d been to the second floor of the cafeteria before. While nicely decorated, it didn’t have enough private rooms to fit all the teachers, so it would probably be on the first floor.
But the first floor was where other students ate too — with so many students around, she could blend in and pretend she was just there to watch the fun.
When they got there, she realized she had oversimplified things.
The number of students eating dinner in the Mingde High cafeteria was… tiny!
As soon as she followed Chen Zelin into the cafeteria, dozens of teacher gazes swooshed over to her.
The natural pressure of teachers over students made Gu Qinghuan too embarrassed to lift her head — especially since her grades were only slightly above average.
And she couldn’t even pretend to be invisible. If not other classes’ teachers, then at least several from Class Three spotted her instantly.
“Isn’t this our class president?” math teacher Jiang Yue came over holding a skewer of grilled squid. “Why aren’t you home?”
Before Gu Qinghuan could speak, Chen Zelin answered, “Her family’s working late, no dinner prepared. She was deciding between ordering in or eating here, so I brought her along.”
Jiang Yue nodded. “Makes sense. The buffet here is free anyway, and we can’t finish it all.”
She shifted her gaze to Gu Qinghuan, even shaking the squid skewer in her hand. “There’s plenty over there, go grab some.”
Gu Qinghuan nodded obediently, trying to look casual as she slipped into the group of teachers, grabbed a tray, and started getting food.
The long table was piled with all sorts of delicacies. She really was hungry, and her eyes quickly locked onto the golden grains of Yangzhou fried rice.
The rice was perfectly separated, each grain distinct, mixed with colorful ingredients that looked vibrant and appetizing rather than messy.
She found a small bowl and was about to scoop some when someone bumped her arm, making the bowl slip from her hands.
Flustered, she tried to catch it, but her reflexes weren’t great — she could only watch as it fell.
In that split second, a hand shot out from under the tablecloth, catching the bowl steadily…
And then quickly withdrawing.
Gu Qinghuan: ?
