On a weekend morning, the cafeteria wasn't very crowded.
Xu Yanxia found a nearby table and said to the three Lu siblings, "The yogurt machine is a bit far. You guys wait here, I'll go buy it and come back."
"I'll go with you."
Lu Jingxi wanted to follow.
Third Brother Lu, Lu Jingyao, grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Sis, you're a big celebrity, don't go wandering around. What if someone asks for your autograph and causes an unnecessary commotion? That would be troublesome."
Lu Jingxi paused. "Alright then. Then you go with Xiao Xia to get it."
Who knew Lu Jingyao would glance at their eldest brother, Lu Jingming, and say, "Let Big Brother go. He's in better shape."
"???"
Lu Jingxi didn't understand. "You're a college guy, shouldn't you be in even better shape?"
Third Brother Lu coughed. "I play ball all the time. Big Brother sits in an office every day and needs the exercise. Don't give orders if you don't understand."
As he spoke, he quickly pushed Lu Jingming out. "Brother, you go pay, don't let my Sister Xia spend money."
Lu Jingming compliantly hummed in agreement and said to Xu Yanxia, "Come on, I'll go with you to pay."
Xu Yanxia just smiled. "No need, I'm treating today since we're back at my alma mater."
"I insist on paying. Let's go."
Lu Jingming also smiled, carrying a bit of a domineering CEO aura as he followed her towards the direction of the automatic yogurt vending machine.
Lu Jingxi watched from behind and suddenly said, "Don't you think, from the back, Brother and Xiao Xia's height difference looks quite compatible?"
Third Brother Lu revealed a knowing, matchmaking smile. "Not just from the back, they look good from the front too."
Ahem. Having received benefits from Big Brother, one must support him in every way.
Besides, he was also becoming more and more genuinely convinced that Sister Xia would make a great sister-in-law.
See, now they even got to try the exclusive, specially-made Huazhong Agricultural University yogurt.
...
The reason the big cafeteria was called the big cafeteria was precisely because it was big enough.
Nearly a hundred meters from east to west, they finally found a yogurt vending machine after walking more than halfway.
Standing in front of it, Xu Yanxia asked Lu Jingming, "President Lu, would you like sweetened or unsweetened? The sweetened one tastes better, the unsweetened is a bit more sour."
"Then sweetened," Lu Jingming said.
"There's peach, strawberry, blueberry, and oat. Which one would you like?" Xu Yanxia turned her head to look at him again.
Unexpectedly, Lu Jingming was also looking down into the vending machine's display window at that moment, and their faces almost touched.
For a moment, their eyes met, both seeing the surprise in each other's gaze.
Xu Yanxia's face flushed suddenly, and she quickly turned back around.
Lu Jingming, however, lowered his gaze and chuckled, asking, "Which one do you recommend?"
Xu Yanxia tried hard to act nonchalant. "I like strawberry a bit more, but peach is also very popular."
"Then strawberry it is."
Lu Jingming gentlemanly shifted his gaze away, continuing to look at the yogurt machine as he said, "Jingxi wants unsweetened. Jingyao likes blueberry."
"Okay."
Xu Yanxia skillfully tapped the screen a few times, and four cartons of yogurt automatically dropped into the retrieval slot.
Lu Jingming, who was just about to scan the payment code, was taken aback. "How did it come out without paying yet?"
Xu Yanxia picked up the yogurt and handed it to him, saying, "I still have balance on my campus card. It just paid automatically with facial recognition."
Lu Jingming felt a bit regretful. "I said I'd treat you. I'll transfer the money to you later."
Xu Yanxia smiled. "It's just a few dollars, why would you transfer it to me? No need to be so formal. Let's go."
The two were about to head back.
Who knew someone suddenly called out to Xu Yanxia from the side. "Senior?"
A girl with a baby face walked up to her, looking pleasantly surprised. "It really is you?"
"Xiaowei?"
Only then did Xu Yanxia recognize her. It was her junior, a year below her, Fan Xiaowei. She also asked happily, "Here for breakfast?"
"Yeah, I slept in and just got up."
Fan Xiaowei smiled, then asked her, "Haven't seen you in so long. Are you back visiting today?"
Xu Yanxia said, "I heard there's a stray animal event today, so I came back to check it out."
"Oh, there is one. I think it's at ten o'clock, on the sports field."
Fan Xiaowei said, then looked at Lu Jingming and asked, "And this is... your husband? So handsome!"
"???"
Xu Yanxia was just about to say no, but who knew Lu Jingming would proactively greet Fan Xiaowei with a smile. "Thank you for the compliment."
"Wow, and your husband is so nice too!"
Fan Xiaowei winked at her. "Senior, you're efficient! Just graduated and you can bring such a handsome boyfriend back to your alma mater to 'return home in glory'—you're totally a winner in life!!!"
Xu Yanxia, "???"
Is that how you use "return home in glory"?
She immediately wanted to explain, but Fan Xiaowei smiled and waved at her. "I won't disturb you two. Let's chat next time!"
And with that, she left.
Xu Yanxia, "Hey..."
But the other person was already far away.
She could only give Lu Jingming an awkward smile. "Sorry, President Lu, my junior is just a bit quick with her words."
Unexpectedly, Lu Jingming nodded with a smile, not minding at all. "Quite perceptive. Let's go, those two foodies are probably getting impatient."
And he started walking back.
Xu Yanxia, "..."
Something seemed a bit off.
But she could only follow.
Returning to their seats and distributing the yogurt, the four of them began to taste it.
Lu Jingyao was utterly impressed. "As expected of Huazhong Agricultural University's product, it's really delicious!"
Lu Jingxi also nodded repeatedly. "This unsweetened one is a bit sour, but the milky flavor is very rich and satisfying."
"It really is good."
Lu Jingming also nodded, his tone light and cheerful, then asked Xu Yanxia, "Is this yogurt sold outside?"
"Yes,"
Xu Yanxia said, "It went on sale last year. But the physical stores are a bit far from where we are. Online, it's currently sold locally through partnerships with some fresh produce platforms. Mainly because it doesn't use preservatives, the shelf life is very short, so it can't be sold nationwide on a large scale."
Lu Jingming nodded, then said, "Then I'll have the logistics department contact them later. We could sell it in our company cafeteria too. It should be very popular."
As his words fell, Lu Jingxi looked up at him and said, "Brother, you seem very happy today, talking quite a bit."
"Do I?"
Lu Jingming smiled. "Maybe because someone just called me handsome."
Pfft...
Xu Yanxia almost choked on her yogurt.
Lu Jingxi, however, frowned. "Brother, have you been spending too much time with Lu Jingyao? Have you caught his chuunibyou?"
"Hey!"
Lu Jingyao immediately glared at her. "Do your fans know your mouth is this poisonous?"
"They do,"
Lu Jingxi said with a cool expression. "They call me Poison-Tongued Queen Xixi. I'm all about being real and unpretentious."
Xu Yanxia genuinely laughed out loud.
"Sorry,"
she said with a smile, "The atmosphere between you siblings is really too good."
"It's fine,"
Lu Jingxi said with a laugh, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Let's become sworn sisters. From now on, you're one of us too."
"Sister Xia is already part of our family!"
Lu Jingyao immediately said. "Besides, I don't need another sister. What I'm lacking is a..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Big Brother Lu Jingming, but didn't rush to say the word "sister-in-law."
Xu Yanxia was taken aback for a moment, then reined in her smile and said, "Is everyone finished? The event is about to start, let's head over."
With that, she stood up and walked out.
"Coming."
Lu Jingming immediately got up and followed her.
Lu Jingxi, watching this, clicked his tongue at his younger brother. "Brother really does seem a bit different."
Lu Jingyao gave an acknowledging hum. "Even an old iron tree can blossom."
