Chapter 25: The Third Period Was Class Meeting. Yang Shuyun Didn’t Critique the Whole Class This Week, Smiling the Entire Time.

“After school, my treat! The whole class is celebrating for Yu Ting!”

“Whoa!”

The classroom erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

Everyone scrambled to make suggestions.

“Homeroom Teacher, let’s get Korean BBQ!”

“Stir-fry! Stir-fry!”

“Bar!”

Someone yelled that out in the chaos, but Yang Shuyun shut it down with a grin. “Watch yourselves. High schoolers are forbidden from going to bars.”

More laughter. Another voice called out: “Hotpot! The hotpot place on Backstreet still has plenty of tables!”

Yang Shuyun finally asked Yu Ting for his opinion. After all, today was about celebrating him.

Yu Ting wasn’t picky. But if he didn’t give a specific answer, it would just mean more discussion. So he replied, “Hotpot.”

“I’ll tag along for the fun!” Zheng Derong was loitering right outside Grade 11 Class 3’s door.

Beaming, he said: “I’ll use a borrowed bouquet to make an offering to Buddha. Teacher Yang and I will treat you together. I’m going to book the tables right now.”

When the school day ended, Grade 11 Class 3 headed noisily to Backstreet.

Yu Ting wasn’t used to so much commotion and walked at the very back. Lu Jue ambled along beside him, just as slowly.

Before long, a female classmate also fell behind, gradually moving to walk with them.

The girl had a cute bun hairstyle, very fair skin, and a sweet smile. She was the class beauty of Grade 11 Class 3.

She stole several glances at Lu Jue, her hints painfully obvious. Lu Jue didn’t walk away, so, having no other choice, the girl spoke to Yu Ting in a tiny voice. “Yu Ting, congratulations.”

Yu Ting said: “Thanks.”

The girl’s fingertips were practically shredding the inside of her pocket. Finally, she mustered her courage. “After we finish eating, could you come outside with me for a bit?”

Yu Ting wasn’t sure what she meant. “Go where?”

The girl’s face was so red it looked like it might spurt blood. Her eyes flicked swiftly to Lu Jue. Exhaling, she said in a very small voice, “Anywhere is fine.” The last few words came out firm and clear. “Just the two of us.”

Yu Ting understood.

He refused calmly. “Sorry, I have plans.”

The girl wanted to push. “Just a few minutes.”

“Sorry.”

Eyes reddening, the girl walked away.

~

The hotpot restaurant on Backstreet had Chinese-style decor: vermilion corridors looping around, two floors, and a small garden in the central courtyard. Auspicious red lanterns hung everywhere. The moment you entered, you were hit with the fragrant aroma of hotpot.

At dinner time, the place was bustling. The first floor was almost full. Zheng Derong had booked large tables in advance, all on the second floor. One table could seat eight people.

Besides the students from Grade 11 Class 3, Yang Shuyun had also invited all of the class’s subject teachers.

The teachers had their own table. The second floor was all private rooms. Yang Shuyun went from room to room giving instructions. “No alcohol. Come straight back to school after eating. I’m doing roll call right at the start of evening self-study.”

“We know, Homeroom Teacher!”

The students were in high spirits, shooing Yang Shuyun away with grins. “If you don’t go back now, you’ll be stuck drinking the soup base!”

“You little rascals. I’ll say it again: a meal is just a meal. All of you behave. If anyone orders alcohol at their table, the receipt prints out clearly,” Yang Shuyun laughed as she headed back to the teachers’ private room.

~

Yu Ting and Lu Jue were in the same private room.

At their table, apart from him and Lu Jue, only one other male classmate had squeezed in. The rest were all girls.

The guy who successfully wedged his way in was thrilled. Grinning, he handed the menu to Yu Ting. “We’re all riding on God Ting’s glory today! Thank you, God Ting! Holy One, you order first!”

Politely declining would just waste time, and he couldn’t be bothered to correct the guy’s way of addressing him again. Yu Ting directly checked off one plate of meat and one plate of vegetables, then passed the menu to Lu Jue.

Lu Jue didn’t mark any food at all. He only checked off one salted ice pop.

A girl immediately spoke up. “Lu Jue, you really like salted ice pops, huh! I’ve seen you with them a bunch of times.”

Lu Jue was lounging loosely against his chair, his tone flat. “Mm.”

The girl said again, “They’re that good? I’m gonna have one too!”

Lu Jue didn’t reply. He slightly tilted his head. The quiet young man beside him was rinsing the bowls and chopsticks.

The carved redwood window was open to air out the smell. A spike of yellow tassel swayed from a big red lantern hanging outside. There was a faint breeze, and the tassel fluttered slightly.

The sun was setting. The sky was at that point between dark and not dark. All the hotpot restaurant’s lights were on. The warm orange lighting made the food seem even more delicious… and made Yu Ting’s hands even more beautiful.

Yu Ting’s fingers were long, slender, and straight. His nails were trimmed neatly and smoothly. A visible writer’s callus marked the pad of his middle finger.

His skin was a cool, pale tone, normally giving off a very icy texture. Now, coated in the faint orange light, it revealed a certain softness.

Lu Jue watched as Yu Ting finished rinsing the chopsticks, finished rinsing the bowl, then poured out the used tea water. Only then did he lazily withdraw his gaze.

Without much care, he rinsed his own set of bowls and chopsticks once too.

~

The soup bases and ingredients were delivered together.

They had ordered three flavors. The split pot on the sides was half spicy red broth, half tomato. A small, round pot in the middle held a mild mushroom clear broth.

“The condiment station on the second floor is in the hallway. It was just refilled. Everyone can go make your dipping sauces,” the waitress announced.

The girl who had tried to chat with Lu Jue earlier took the initiative. “Lu Jue, what kind of dipping bowl do you want? I’ll make it for you!”

Another girl asked Yu Ting, “Yu Ting, what about your bowl? I’ll grab yours, too, while I’m at it.”

Lu Jue said: “No need.”

Yu Ting also said: “Thank you, I don’t need a dipping bowl.”

The girls left the room, and the other male student promptly scrambled out after them.

~

The red broth pot was the first to reach a rolling boil, steaming noisily. Lu Jue spoke up flatly. “That’s the second one today.”

It took Yu Ting two seconds. Lu Jue was teasing him. He lowered his eyes. “Don’t joke about things like that.”

Lu Jue said, “Fine.” He changed the subject. “Head back to my place later to pick up the book you were reading yesterday?”

Yu Ting was engrossed in Lu Jue’s pile of original-language books. Yesterday, he’d been reading a biography of a shipbuilder. He was almost finished when it hit evening self-study time. He’d been thinking about it all night and planned to finish it around this time today.

Yu Ting nodded. “Okay.”

Just as they finished speaking, voices drifted in from the doorway. The girls were back from making their dipping sauces.

~

Lu Jue didn’t touch the hotpot. He ate a few bites of rice, then set down his chopsticks. Biting on his salted ice pop, he squinted slightly through the steam, watching Yu Ting eat.

Yu Ting couldn’t handle spicy food. After just a few bites from the red broth side, his cheeks started to flush, and a faint sheen of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.

The girls also loved the tomato pot. Soon, the surface of that soup was covered with a layer of red oil from the spicy food they dipped.

After that, Yu Ting only ate from the clear broth pot.

He didn’t really like meat, especially the lamb rolls. He didn’t touch a single slice. He liked vegetables. He tried every single type of veggie in the complimentary vegetable basket, blanching each one.

And Yu Ting was basically the only one eating the vegetables.

Seeing that Yu Ting was almost finished, Lu Jue pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Yu Ting turned sideways to let Lu Jue out.

The moment Lu Jue left, the girl who’d approached him to chat twice before immediately followed him out.

~

The private room door swung shut. The gossip started instantly.

“Haha, so bold! She really went to confess.”

“Tsk tsk, Handsome Lu is too cold. Let’s just pray she doesn’t get rejected too harshly!”

A girl suddenly plopped down next to Yu Ting. “God Ting, you’re so close with Handsome Lu. Do you know what type of girl he likes?”

Yu Ting paused. He set down his chopsticks. “I don’t know.”

Just then, Yu Ting’s phone rang. He pulled it out to look. It was Zhao Rufei.

Conveniently, he was done eating. He pushed back his chair and stood. “Take your time eating. I’m heading back to school.”

He grabbed his phone and walked out.

~

The hallway was filled with the chatter of Grade 11 Class 3 students. Yu Ting answered the call as he headed downstairs.

“Yeah, I’m done eating.”

He reached the first floor quickly. The sky was dark now. The first floor had fewer customers. It was very quiet. Two people stood in the central courtyard garden.

One was Lu Jue.

The lanterns hanging all around cast a faint glow. Lu Jue was turning down the girl, his tone flat.

“I already have someone I like.”

A glance shifted. That person had just walked past the corner ahead.

——

Backstreet was even more lively at night than during the day. Row upon row of shop signs and neon lights flickered on and off continuously. The landscaped trees planted along the greenbelts were all strung with white and blue fairy lights.

They twinkled and sparkled, the entire street full of dazzling starlight.

Yu Ting finished his call with Zhao Rufei. He hung up and slid the phone into his pocket.

Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps.

Coming right toward him.

Before he could turn his head, a hand grabbed him by the arm.

Yu Ting looked back. What greeted his eyes was Lu Jue’s face, breathing a little heavily.

Lu Jue’s bangs had parted slightly from running so fast, giving him a somewhat disheveled look.

The blue-white light pouring down from above flickered across Lu Jue’s face. The corner of his mouth curved up, his eyes full of warm laughter. “You walk so fast.”

Yu Ting was just about to reply when Lu Jue asked again, “Is it okay?”

Is what okay?

Yu Ting was bewildered. “What?”

“Liking you.”