"Lu Zhen!"
Seeing the topic veering towards a direction she dared not touch, Jiang Yuan couldn't help raising her voice to stop him.
There was nothing but helplessness in her eyes.
What was going on when these two met? They were so tense, as if they were about to fight.
It was clearly their first meeting.
Moreover, Lu Zhen should know that talking about the three years when Chi Xu disappeared was also a corner in her heart that she dared not touch.
Was he so hungry today that his mind wasn't working properly?
Lu Zhen gave an apologetic smile. He looked down at the disposable cups in front of him, took one, poured some warm water for her, and said in a low tone, "I'm wrong. Consider this glass of water my apology. It'll also moisten your throat."
"Good that you know. You should understand," Jiang Yuan said as she took the disposable cup and drank a third of the water in one gulp.
Chi Xu's gaze fell heavily on her cup. He pursed his lips and said nothing.
Similarly, those three missing years were also a reverse scale he dared not touch or talk about.
"Hey, Jiang Yuan, you haven't told us what you ordered. Chi-ge and I are here for the first time. We don't know what to order," Jia Fang said, noticing the awkward atmosphere and quickly coming out to smooth things over with a beaming face.
"If it weren't for you guys, Chi-ge and I would still be out in the cold. There are really too many people," he added.
They had been searching. There were several Northeast cuisine restaurants near the Capital Normal University. Chi Xu didn't know which one Jiang Yuan and Lu Zhen had made an appointment at, so he checked and searched one by one.
Finally, he saw Jiang Yuan and Lu Zhen sitting opposite each other in this one.
Jiang Yuan's attention was drawn by Jia Fang. She picked up the menu on the table and turned to the dishes she and Lu Zhen had ordered.
"These are the three dishes I and he ordered. See what you guys want to eat," she said.
"Chi-ge, tell me what you want to eat," Jia Fang said, kicking Chi Xu under the table and giving him a look, indicating that he should seize the opportunity and choose quickly.
"Fried Pork Slices in Gravy, Deep-Fried Mushrooms, and two plates of Northeast Dumplings. I want pure meat filling. Jia Fang, what about you?" Chi Xu said.
Jia Fang reported the filling he wanted, and the waiter took away the menu to serve their dishes.
"Hey, Chi Xu, the dishes you ordered are also the ones I wanted just now," Jiang Yuan said, her eyes lighting up as if suddenly illuminated, looking radiant.
"It's a pity there were only Lu Zhen and me. We couldn't eat much. Now that you guys are here, can I have a little bit of yours? Just to taste," she said.
"I've been craving the Deep-Fried Mushrooms and Fried Pork Slices in Gravy. Although Fried Pork Slices in Gravy and Sweet and Sour Pork Fillets are cooked in the same way, one is savory and the other is sweet. I'm really curious about how they taste," she added.
When it came to food, Jiang Yuan became talkative and began to talk about her desire to eat these dishes.
Having been in the same room with Jiang Yuan for so long and cooking for her many times, Chi Xu knew her taste to some extent.
The corner of Chi Xu's mouth finally lifted slightly. He said gently, "These are also Northeast specialty dishes. Eat as much as you like. It's okay."
He ordered them specifically, knowing that this gluttonous girl, Jiang Yuan, would like them.
"Chi Xu, Jia Fang, you guys can also eat the dishes Lu Zhen and I ordered. I'm afraid we won't be able to finish them," Jiang Yuan said.
Lu Zhen watched the two of them chatting as if there was no one else around. Jealousy welled up in his heart, and he couldn't help but interrupt.
Jia Fang was left alone.
He looked at this Shura Field helplessly and lowered his head to play with his phone.
Suddenly, he missed the scene of bickering with Lin Suye. At least it wasn't boring, and he didn't have to watch them show their affection.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's eat together," Jiang Yuan said, nodding vigorously.
Since Lu Zhen was treating, she was embarrassed to suggest that Jia Fang and Chi Xu should also try some.
Now that Lu Zhen had spoken, she didn't have to feel guilty about eating their dishes.
She could feel at ease now.
Chi Xu looked up at Lu Zhen and saw the emotions in his eyes. "You can also eat some of the dishes Jia Fang and I ordered. Don't be polite," he said.
"Sure thing," Lu Zhen said with a hearty laugh, secretly competing with him.
The Sweet and Sour Pork Fillets, Fried Pork Slices in Gravy, and Deep-Fried Mushrooms were served one after another.
Jiang Yuan ordered rice.
Jia Fang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned off his phone, picked up his chopsticks, and began to feast.
The Shura Field was too terrifying.
He had just been sending a message to Lin Suye.
[Jia, not Zhen: It would be great if you were here. I don't know what to do without you.]
During the meal, Lu Zhen and Chi Xu both picked up dishes for Jiang Yuan.
"Yuanyuan, try this Deep-Fried Mushroom. It tastes like meat. It's really delicious," Lu Zhen said.
"But it's not meat. What's the use of tasting like meat? Jiang Yuan, try this Sweet and Sour Pork Fillets. It's really delicious. It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside," Chi Xu said.
"After eating the Sweet and Sour Pork Fillets, you should also try the Fried Pork Slices in Gravy. It's slippery. It's the first time I've eaten it. It's completely different from the Sweet and Sour Pork Fillets," Lu Zhen said.
"Jiang Yuan, try this Cold Dish of Three Delicacies. After eating so much meat, eating some cold dishes will relieve the greasiness. Oh, and this Eggplant with Minced Pork. The eggplant is also very delicious," Chi Xu said.
"..."
Jiang Yuan barely ate a few mouthfuls of rice but ate a lot of dishes.
Jiang Yuan later realized something was wrong. She didn't know what Lu Zhen and Chi Xu were competing for. They were making things difficult for her, a person with a small appetite.
Just as Lu Zhen and Chi Xu were about to speak first, Jiang Yuan pushed the bowl away and said, "You guys eat your own. Can't so many delicious dishes shut your mouths?"
"Yeah, yeah," Jia Fang said, adding fuel to the fire.
Accidentally meeting Chi Xu's eyes, he seemed to be saying, "Whose side are you on?"
Jia Fang shivered and helped Chi Xu speak. "The Deep-Fried Mushrooms are delicious. Jiang Yuan, you're so thin. You should eat more."
Jiang Yuan: "..."
"You said Jiang Yuan is thin, but you still encourage her to eat Deep-Fried Mushrooms. Shouldn't she eat meat directly? Jia Fang, what's your intention?" Lu Zhen said.
Oops, he said the wrong thing. Jia Fang lowered his head shyly and buried himself in his meal, not daring to enter the Shura Field.
He was afraid he would end up dead.
"Alright. From now on, eat your own food. Don't pick up dishes for me," Jiang Yuan said, glaring at Chi Xu and then Lu Zhen fiercely. She lowered her head and began to eat, ignoring anything they said.
Lu Zhen and Chi Xu subconsciously looked at each other's reactions, but their gazes happened to collide. They stayed for a second and quickly shifted their gazes.
At the same time, they cursed each other in their hearts for being "disgusting."
It was almost an hour later when they finished their meal. Lu Zhen called the waiter to pay the bill, thinking that after the meal, he and Jiang Yuan could go for a walk. Chi Xu and Jia Fang couldn't possibly follow them.
They had no reason to.
The waiter came over, took a look, and said with a smile, "Sorry, your bill has already been paid."
Lu Zhen was stunned. He pointed at Chi Xu's table and said, "I'm not with them."
Moreover, he had said he would treat Jiang Yuan to this meal.
"I don't know. The bills for the four of you were paid by this guest," the waiter said, pointing at Chi Xu.
Chi Xu had made an excuse to go out, but in fact, he had gone to pay the bill.
He raised his eyebrows and said slowly, "Your high school classmate? It's okay. Consider it my treat for meeting you for the first time."