Chapter 34: The Food You Like and the Person You Love

The private room was cozy and warm, with the festive-looking Northeastern floral tablecloth adding to the atmosphere.

The heating was cranked up high, making it toasty as soon as you walked in.

Lin Ming took off her black trench coat and casually draped it over the back of a chair.

Bai Lu sat down beside her, glanced over, and her cheeks quietly flushed.

Lin Ming was wearing a black turtleneck sweater today, with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing a slender, pale wrist.

On the bottom, she had on a dark gray pencil skirt that just covered her knees.

Her legs were clad in matte black stockings, showing a subtle texture under the light, hugging her straight calves.

Her ankles were slender, and the laces on her combat boots were tied neatly.

Song Tao stared at Lin Ming for several seconds, her eyes sparkling.

She tugged on Li Li’s sleeve and whispered.

“Senior Lin Ming is so pretty! And her legs are amazing!”

Li Li blushed and covered Song Tao’s mouth.

“Keep your voice down.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” Song Tao pouted.

Bai Lu overheard, tilted her head with a smile, and said to Song Tao.

“She dressed up specially today. She usually wears hoodies at school.”

Lin Ming pushed up her glasses, her tone calm.

“Who dressed up specially? I just threw this on.”

“Oh?”

Bai Lu blinked.

“Then why did you try on three outfits in front of the mirror last night?”

Lin Ming didn’t reply.

She picked up her cup and took a sip of sour plum juice, using the cup to hide her face.

Song Tao snorted with laughter, then felt a bit embarrassed and quickly covered her mouth.

Bai Lu smiled and patted Lin Ming’s arm, saying to Song Tao.

“It’s fine. She can’t take compliments. She blushes as soon as you praise her.”

“I do not.”

Lin Ming put down her cup, her expression blank, but her ears were still red.

Bai Lu tilted her head to look at her, her fingers gently brushing against Lin Ming’s knee under the table.

Lin Ming glanced down but didn’t pull away, her eyes flustered.

Lin Ming took the menu, scanned it, and started ordering.

“Sweet and Sour Pork, less sugar. Sauerkraut with Pork Belly, remove the fat. Stir-fried Potato, Green Pepper, and Eggplant, less oil.”

Bai Lu immediately added.

“Add Candied Sweet Potatoes, Song Tao likes those. Junior Han Hanhan doesn’t eat spicy, go easy on the garlic in the garlic sauce.”

The dishes arrived.

The sweet and sour aroma of the Sweet and Sour Pork wafted up, the golden-brown slices of meat steaming.

Lin Ming picked up a piece of Sweet and Sour Pork with her chopsticks, blew on it, and held it to Bai Lu’s lips.

Bai Lu took a bite, getting powdered sugar at the corner of her mouth.

Lin Ming reached out, her fingertip gently wiping it away, then put her finger in her own mouth and licked it.

“How old are you, still getting food on your face.”

Bai Lu blushed, taking the remaining half of the piece from Lin Ming’s chopsticks.

She mumbled.

“Yours tastes better.”

Lin Ming shot her a glance, picked up another piece, and ate it herself.

Xiao Yan, imitating Lin Ming, picked up a piece of Sweet and Sour Pork, blew on it to cool it, and offered it to Han Hanhan’s lips.

Han Hanhan blushed and bit it, chewing a couple of times, her eyes sparkling.

Xiao Yan smiled and asked.

“Good?”

Han Hanhan nodded.

Xiao Yan also imitated, taking a bite from where Han Hanhan had bitten, saying.

“Mmm, sweeter.”

Han Hanhan’s ears turned bright red.

She reached out and tugged on Xiao Yan’s sleeve.

Xiao Yan leaned down, and Han Hanhan whispered.

“I can eat by myself…”

Xiao Yan smiled and tapped Han Hanhan’s nose.

“I just want to feed you.”

Han Hanhan didn’t say anything else, burying her head in her rice.

Xiao Yan picked up another piece of Sweet and Sour Pork and put it in her bowl, casually wiping a bit of oil from the corner of her mouth.

Song Tao ate her Candied Sweet Potatoes, getting sugar strands all over her mouth.

Li Li, blushing, helped wipe it off.

Song Tao took the chance to lean close to Li Li’s ear and whisper, “You’re so nice.”

Li Li’s ears flushed crimson, her hand trembled, and the tissue fell on the table.

The whole table erupted in teasing.

Lin Ming picked up a piece of Candied Sweet Potato, the sugar strand stretching long.

She held up her chopsticks, looking at Bai Lu.

“Open up.”

Bai Lu obediently opened her mouth and bit it.

The sugar strand broke, sticking to the corner of her mouth.

Lin Ming reached out to wipe it again, but this time it didn’t come off.

Bai Lu stuck out her tongue, very nimbly licked it, and coiled the sugar strand into her mouth.

Lin Ming’s hand paused for a moment.

She withdrew her hand and picked up her cup to take a sip of sour plum juice.

Bai Lu smiled and gently nudged Lin Ming’s foot under the table.

The owner brought over a pitcher of low-alcohol fruit beer.

Bai Lu immediately placed the sour plum juice in front of Han Hanhan.

“You drink this. Beer can make you dizzy easily.”

Han Hanhan looked at the sour plum juice, then at the pale golden fruit beer in Xiao Yan’s hand.

She hesitated for a moment and whispered.

“Senior, I want to try a sip… I can drink.”

Bai Lu was taken aback.

“You sure? It’s low-alcohol, but you…”

“I can drink.”

Han Hanhan straightened her back a little, her voice a tiny bit louder, but her ears were already red.

Xiao Yan looked down at her and squeezed her fingers.

“Really?”

Han Hanhan nodded, her gaze stubborn.

Xiao Yan smiled, poured a shallow sip of fruit beer, and handed it to her.

“Deal. Just one sip.”

Han Hanhan took the cup and took a small sip.

The fruity flavor spread on her tongue, sweet, with a slight fizzy bite. She licked her lips, her eyes curving.

“Tasty.”

Not a few seconds after she spoke, her cheeks began to flush, burning from the tips of her ears all the way to her cheekbones, like a thin layer of rouge had been applied.

Xiao Yan leaned in, her nose nuzzling Han Hanhan’s cheek.

“So red.”

“Not red.”

Han Hanhan was stubborn, turning her face away.

Xiao Yan smiled, pulling her back and nuzzling her forehead.

On the other side, Song Tao’s eyes lit up when she saw the fruit beer.

“Wow! Fruit beer! I want some!”

She grabbed a bottle herself, didn’t even use a glass, and took a big swig straight from the bottle.

After drinking, she licked her lips, looking pleased.

“Good! Another one!”

Li Li tugged her sleeve.

“Take it easy…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. This alcohol level is like water.”

Song Tao took another swig, her face not red, her heart not racing, and grinned as she poured a cup for Li Li too.

“Try it. It’s sweet, not spicy.”

Li Li took a small sip, frowned, then took another sip.

Song Tao looked at her and smiled.

“Good, right?”

After finishing her cup, Song Tao poured herself another and scooted closer to Lin Ming, her eyes sparkling.

“Senior Lin Ming, you look really, really good today! That sweater color is perfect on you!”

Lin Ming pushed up her glasses, her expression blank.

“Hmm.”

Song Tao persisted.

“And the stockings! Where’d you buy them? I want some too!”

“Song Tao.”

Bai Lu interrupted with a laugh.

“If you keep praising her, she’s going to crawl under the table.”

Lin Ming glanced at Bai Lu but didn’t speak, though her ears were red enough to drip blood.

Bai Lu tilted her head to look at her, reaching out to tuck the stray hair by her cheek behind her ear, her fingertip brushing against Lin Ming’s burning ear.

“Alright, the junior is praising your looks. Aren’t you going to say thank you?”

Lin Ming was silent for two seconds, then raised her cup towards Song Tao.

“…Thanks. Cheers.”

Song Tao grinned and clinked cups with her.

“Senior Lin Ming is so cute!”

Bai Lu laughed out loud beside them.

Lin Ming shot her a glance, but the corner of her mouth quirked up slightly.

Lin Ming opened a bottle, poured a small half-cup, and handed it to Bai Lu.

“Try it. Not bitter.”

Bai Lu took a sip and frowned.

“Sour plum juice is still better.”

Lin Ming took a sip from the same cup Bai Lu had used and said, “It’s okay.”

Bai Lu looked at her, her eyes curving into crescents.

Han Hanhan held her cup, taking tiny sips.

Before she’d finished half a cup, her face was completely red.

Xiao Yan took the cup from her hand.

“Alright, no more.”

“I’m not drunk…”

Han Hanhan’s voice was soft, her gaze a little unfocused.

“Mhm, not drunk~ not drunk~”

Xiao Yan smiled, pressing Han Hanhan’s head against her shoulder.

“Just your face is as red as a boiled shrimp.”

Han Hanhan buried her face in Xiao Yan’s shoulder, mumbling.

“…There are other people here.”

“They’re busy too.”

Xiao Yan glanced at Lin Ming and Bai Lu.

Lin Ming was peeling shrimp for Bai Lu.

Bai Lu was tilting her head, watching her.

The thick, syrupy air between them was even denser than their own.

Han Hanhan didn’t say anything else, obediently leaning against Xiao Yan’s shoulder.

Song Tao had already drunk over half a bottle.

Her face wasn’t red at all, and she was full of energy, holding up her cup to clink with Lin Ming again.

“Senior Bai Lu! A toast to you! The Astronomy Club’s forever legend!”

Bai Lu’s eyes were full of laughter as she raised her sour plum juice to clink with her.

Lin Ming shook her head with a smile and said to Li Li.

“She’s always been able to drink this much?”

Li Li blushed and nodded.

“Yeah… Last club dinner, she drank three bottles by herself and drank everyone else under the table.”

Song Tao wrapped her arm around Li Li’s.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Li Li helps me clean up.”

After peeling the shrimp and placing it in Bai Lu’s bowl, Lin Ming wiped her hands and looked at Xiao Yan and Han Hanhan.

“Eat more. You still have to pack when you get back tonight.”

Bai Lu added with a smile.

“I ordered congee for tomorrow morning. Remember to come have some.”

Song Tao raised her hand.

“I want two bowls!”

Li Li whispered.

“Can you finish that much…”

“If I can’t, you help me drink it.”

Song Tao said righteously.

Li Li lowered her head, her ears turning red again.

Outside the window, night had completely fallen.

Streetlights came on, illuminating the steaming barbecue stall across the street.

Inside the private room, it was warm and cozy.

The aromas of Sweet and Sour Pork, Candied Sweet Potatoes, and Sauerkraut with Pork Belly mingled together.

The group sat around the large round table, noisy and lively.

Han Hanhan leaned against Xiao Yan’s chest, clutching an empty cup, the corners of her mouth up turned and not coming down.