"Huh?" Yan Zhuxi looked over, her face blank with confusion.
Lu Yu paused for a moment before asking, "I mean, why did you have him... answer the roll call for you?"
"He's my cousin from my aunt's side. It's just convenient to ask him for a favor."
So they were relatives.
For some reason, Lu Yu felt a sudden sense of relief in his heart. He said, "That's good."
Yan Zhuxi lowered her head to work on the nails again and asked casually, "What's good?"
"It's good that relatives help each other out." Lu Yu curled his fingers slightly and added, "Of course, if you ever need any help in the future... you can also come to me. After all, we are... old classmates."
However, his voice dropped toward the end of the sentence, and since Yan Zhuxi's attention was entirely focused on the nails, she didn't hear him.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Lu Yu's eyes dimmed a little.
An hour and a half later, she let out a long sigh of relief. "Finally done. I have to say, your hands really suit this nail art. Put your hand here, let me take a few pictures."
Yan Zhuxi snapped a bunch of photos with her phone. After she finished, she removed the fake nails. "It's such a shame to take off such pretty nail art. If only my hands looked as nice as yours."
Lu Yu said, "If... you ever need to take more sample photos in the future, you can still ask me."
Yan Zhuxi replied, "That would be awesome! Don't worry, once I make some money, I'll definitely treat you to a meal."
Because Lu Yu's hands were truly beautiful, after Yan Zhuxi posted the photos on her social media, more and more people started coming to her for manicures, and her prices gradually went up.
A month later, when she tallied up her earnings, she realized she had made over five thousand!
Right after doing the math, she immediately fulfilled her promise and invited Lu Yu out to eat.
She decided to splurge a bit this time, choosing a hotpot restaurant that cost around two hundred per person.
In the cold winter, nothing was more comforting than a piping hot meal of hotpot.
Yan Zhuxi usually didn't have a big appetite, but thinking about the price of the hotpot, she couldn't resist grabbing a ton of free desserts from the dessert bar.
She was allergic to animal cream and rarely ate cake, but she had specifically asked earlier and found out this cake was made with coconut milk.
But she had still overestimated her stomach capacity.
By the time they were almost done eating, she still had two small desserts left untouched.
Patting her round, full belly, she found herself in a dilemma. She couldn't take another bite right now, but these free desserts weren't allowed to be taken home.
After thinking for a moment, she suddenly stood up. "Lu Yu, you sit here for a bit. I'm going to go outside and run a couple of laps, then come back."
Lu Yu was surprised. "Why do you suddenly want to go running?"
Yan Zhuxi laughed awkwardly. "I'm too stuffed. I can't finish these desserts. I'll go out and jog a couple of laps to digest, and then come back and eat them." Saying that, she started to head out.
Lu Yu quickly pulled her back. "You shouldn't do strenuous exercise right after a full meal."
Yan Zhuxi knew he was right, of course. "Then how about this: you head back first, and I'll sit here and digest for a while before eating them."
Lu Yu glanced at the desserts on the table. "I'll eat them."
Yan Zhuxi hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no, no, I've already eaten from these."
Lu Yu froze, suddenly realizing what he had just said.
How could he... say something like that?
Growing up, other than Lu Xun, he had never eaten anyone else's leftovers.
He looked at Yan Zhuxi, then lowered his eyes and picked up the serving chopsticks from the table. "I'll cut them in half. You eat one half, and I'll eat the other."
He sliced both desserts, giving Yan Zhuxi only a tiny portion—the exact part she had already eaten from.
And this exact scene was witnessed by Lin Wanwan, who had just walked in not far away.
Lin Wanwan clenched her fists tight.
Yan Zhuxi was actually sharing the same piece of cake with Lu Yu!
She strode over, stopping in front of their table, and offered a faint smile. "Lu Yu, Yan Zhuxi, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to run into you guys here. I was just worrying about not finding a seat. Do you mind if I share a table with you?"
Yan Zhuxi looked up and saw it was Lin Wanwan.
After she transferred to First High School, everyone loved to compare her to Lin Wanwan, debating over who was the true school beauty.
But the two of them were never in the same class, so they hadn't really spoken before.
She also knew that Lin Wanwan liked Lu Yu.
Therefore, Lin Wanwan's question was definitely directed at Lu Yu.
So, she stayed quiet.
To her surprise, Lu Yu rejected her incredibly bluntly: "Yes, I mind. It's not convenient."
The smile on Lin Wanwan's face instantly froze. "What's inconvenient about it? We're all classmates."
Lu Yu's voice was flat. "Just from the same school, that's all."
Lin Wanwan never expected Lu Yu to say something like that!
She glared at Yan Zhuxi and turned on her heel to leave.
Yan Zhuxi was bewildered. "Wait, you're the one who rejected her, why is she glaring at me!"
Lu Yu looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I..."
"Forget it. When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer. I'm well aware of how popular you are." Back in high school, people came to their class to confess to Lu Yu every other day; she was used to it.
Except this time, she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
Time flew by, and soon it was mid-December.
Jingdu University's New Year's Gala was always a grand affair, so preparations began more than half a month in advance. Besides the performances, another important task was selecting the hosts.
After a vote by the Student Union, Lu Yu was chosen as the male host.
As for the female host, the head of the Arts and Culture Department was torn between Yan Zhuxi and Lin Wanwan.
Both were beautiful girls, and she liked them both. After agonizing over it for a long time, she decided to call them both in for an audition to see who was more suitable.
Yan Zhuxi was very surprised when she received the notice. She had no interest in being a host. Plus, if she became the host, she would definitely have to spend time rehearsing. Her days were already filled with studying and working part-time; rehearsals would only delay her work.
After thinking it over, she decided to seek out the department head to decline.
Who knew that upon arriving, she would find out the final candidate hadn't been chosen yet, and the department head was planning to pick between her and Lin Wanwan.
The department head had barely finished speaking when Lin Wanwan chimed in. "Department head, I don't think there's any need for an audition. I'm definitely the most suitable. For one, I'm from the School of Design, so my aesthetic sense is on point. Second, I hosted various school events multiple times back in high school, so I have plenty of experience. Most importantly, I'm taller than Yan Zhuxi, so I'll look better standing next to Lu Yu."
After she finished, Lin Wanwan shot Yan Zhuxi a disdainful look and added, "Oh right, department head, isn't our New Year's Gala going to be posted online? I can even provide my own haute couture gown to guarantee an even better visual effect."
The words of refusal that Yan Zhuxi was about to say were instantly swallowed back down.
"Department head, I actually worked as a junior host for our provincial capital's TV station back in middle school. But I think fancy words are useless. You should just evaluate our respective hosting skills before making a decision."
