CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 32: A FAILED SCHEME BACKFIRES

In the student cafeteria of Kelly Women’s College, "Can’t really eat here?" Su Ziceng watched the orderly queueing freshmen without jostling for a spot; she glared at the dish names in the same foreign language as the map, feeling the hungry fire about to burst from her throat.

"I told you, it’s not edible here," Yang Wuxu eyed the French foie gras and delicious caviar being carried past her, then glanced at the price tags, swallowing her saliva without knowing where to place her hands.

"Does eating have to be this complicated?" Su Ziceng was frustrated. French cuisine has always been the most ceremonious, a casual student meal still required reading tadpole-like text, paying attention to the order of cold dishes and desserts, knives, and napkins. Only someone like Wen Maixue would be accustomed to this.

Wen Maixue indeed was accustomed, as dinner, seen as the most important meal by foreigners and the most valued by Kelly Women’s College. When Su Ziceng entered the cafeteria, she happened to see Wen Maixue elegantly wiping her mouth, enjoying freshly served Brazilian coffee. Her slightly tilted head showcased the perfect angle of her profile to all the new students.

"Didn’t you say that some founder from the Wen family was a student in Britain? Why didn’t she bring back British fries and burgers, that would have been so convenient," Su Ziceng turned around and didn’t see any normal food from Z-country.

"I haven’t finished yet," Yang Wuxu’s stomach also ached; already famished, the thought of climbing seven floors to eat cold bread made her feel sour. "After the first headmistress studied abroad, the women of the Wen family would study all over the world, bringing back different cultures and customs to Kelly Women’s School, from ’financial independence,’ to ’using foreign skills to assert sovereignty,’ ’inclusive integration,’ up until Ms. Maixue’s mother’s ’captivating a man’s stomach’ - and now it happens to be French cuisine."

Before Yang Wuxu finished speaking, Su Ziceng had stormed away, dragging Yang Wuxu across a queue of Kelly newbies waiting to eat, grumbling, "What you mean is, for the next few years, I am supposed to live surrounded by these bizarre theories of the Wen family?"

After exiting the cafeteria, the sky was still dimly lit, streetlights had been turned on, and several night moths were fluttering under the lamp shades, casting magnified shadows on the road. Yang Wuxu was pulled by Su Ziceng out of Kelly Women’s College. Su Ziceng, wearing a new skirt, its ivory hem consistently hit Yang Wuxu’s suit skirt.

"Where are we going?" Yang Wuxu gasped for breath, being led by Su Ziceng all the way to the student cafeteria of Daoquan University.

Compared to the French-style dining hall of Kelly Women’s College, the cafeteria at Daoquan University seemed much more normal, the steamy aroma of rice and spicy fried dishes triggered Su Ziceng and Yang Wuxu’s cravings.

Yang Wuxu’s striking uniform attracted quite a few stares, making her feel both proud and unease.

"Where are they?" Su Ziceng peered into a separated small booth and didn’t see Hang Yishao and the others. The cleanest A canteen in Daoquan University, with the best-tasting food and Hang Yishao’s most frequent spot, logically he should be here at mealtime.

She asked Yang Wuxu to go buy the food while she started searching thoroughly.

"Have you heard?" A group of students dining together talked while eating: "The department belle of the Management department has been announced."

"So fast, classes haven’t even started properly, right?" A less informed male student doubted it.

"How could what I say be false? Today, didn’t a bunch of students get food poisoning? After the school authorities and student representatives visited them, the boys started saying that Deng Jiani looked so pitiful and adorable, which made her even more likable. Not to mention how she acted all coquettish with the boys, saying she couldn’t eat the hospital food," the boy who broke the news said proudly. Boys always love it when girls plead with them with eyes like a helpless animal. Deng Jiani is an expert at this, even in a sick suit she can attract a horde of wolf whistles.

"Really? Can the department belle be picked by just a few guys?" The girl sitting next to the boy pushed her bowl away and rolled her eyes, unable to stand these boys who lose their souls at the sight of a pretty girl.

"You women just can’t stand beautiful girls and always talk tough. Besides, it’s Hang Yishao from class one who said this, his standards are really high. I heard he’s already started pursuing her in the hospital," the boys said, all smirking.

"Where should we sit?" Yan Wuxu, holding a tray full of food, moved next to Su Ziceng and looked around the crowded cafeteria with some difficulty.

"Classmate, there’s a spot here, come sit!" The boy who was chatting earlier hurried his girl neighbor and, seeing the slightly pale faces of the beauties Su Ziceng and Yan Wuxu, quickly made room.

"From Kelly Women’s College? Not bad." Another group of boys walked by, whispering. Yan Wuxu blushed a bit, just about to put down her tray when Su Ziceng stopped her, asking if she was sick and couldn’t eat.

"It’s too greasy, I can’t eat it. Let’s have porridge tonight," she said and then walked over to the porridge station, pointing at several pots of freshly made hot porridge, "I’ll take all of these."

Plain porridge, fish slice porridge, fruit porridge – all sorts of porridge were placed next to Su Ziceng. The variety and taste of Daquan University’s porridge are quite famous in Mo City. The aroma and steam mixed together as Su Ziceng took a few spoonfuls and blew on it to cool it down, without actually eating. She did this in front of a dumbfounded crowd consisting of Daquan University students and Yan Wuxu.

At quarter past six, at the entrance of the cafeteria, a short figure appeared first. Qiu Zhi, feeling as if he had an air conditioner on his back, had all the buttons of his uniform undone and kept wiping off sweat. Despite being hungry for half the day, his stomach was still firm. Just as he was about to order a pork chop rice at the window, he faintly heard someone call out, "Fatty."

His ears reacted as quickly as a police dog’s, and his squinty eyes immediately focused on the misty center of the cafeteria, where two graceful figures were sitting behind the steam.

"Su... Su Ziceng," Qiu Zhi reluctantly retracted his desire to order pork chop rice. "Are you all doing okay? Can you get out of bed and eat normally?" Su Ziceng’s tone reminded Yan Wuxu of how an empress dowager interrogates a little eunuch. Qiu Zhi was wearing only a standard uniform, but the sweat towel in his hand and the shoes on his feet were of high quality. He cautiously sat down, and the porridge-drinking Yan Wuxu stopped eating, looking curiously at him.

"Got back already? Can you walk?" Qiu Zhi, as one of the student representatives, had just finished visiting the patients and hadn’t yet reported the latest "medical" updates to Su Ziceng, "Do you need someone to accompany the beauties for a walk?" Qiu Zhi searched through the white steam of the hot porridge, looking hard for Su Ziceng’s pretty face.

"Can walk now, even go for a walk," Qiu Zhi felt the steam from the porridge and was a bit nervous. It took Deng Jiani and Hang Yishao just an hour to take a walk. He mumbled to himself about how hot it was, thinking that the cafeteria’s air conditioning needed replacing.

"Who the hell bought up all the porridge?" Hang Yishao stood at the porridge window, staring at the empty pots and questioning the cafeteria lady selling the porridge.