Chapter Eleven: Waiting in Line for a Meal Together

At first, Fang Zhiyin had planned to say, “I am your guardian,” but on second thought, she realized that if she threw out that line, Ouyang Junyan would certainly find every excuse to refute her. Besides, he was now “eighteen years old”—if she claimed to be his wife, he would never believe it. Each time she remembered this fellow standing before her was eighteen, Fang Zhiyin felt as if she were committing some kind of crime.

“I am the woman who loves you most in the world—how could I not follow you?” Fang Zhiyin declared shamelessly. At this moment, she didn’t care whether anyone heard her, nor whether such words were appropriate in a prestigious school.

Because she had to follow him; what if he got lost, or went off to “mess around” with another girl?

“What did you say?”

“I am the woman who loves you most in the world…” Fang Zhiyin repeated, her face calm and composed.

“Alright, stop saying that!” Ouyang Junyan’s face flushed as if it might explode. “Are you not embarrassed at all?!”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about when you love someone?” After uttering this, Fang Zhiyin paused, realizing just how brazen her words were.

“Ouyang!” Suddenly, a strange female voice called out from nearby.

Then Fang Zhiyin saw Ouyang Junyan’s eyes inexplicably shine, and he called out in the direction of the voice, “Nana!”

Nana?

Was she the girl eighteen-year-old Ouyang Junyan liked?

Fang Zhiyin wondered—did this Nana not know Ouyang Junyan’s real identity?

The girl before her was pure and adorable, at the peak of her youthful charm at eighteen, her face radiant with collagen, beautiful even without makeup, every gesture infused with indescribable cuteness and playfulness.

Hearing Ouyang Junyan call her name, she immediately turned around, running over with a bright, lovely smile that revealed a pair of charming little canine teeth.

Fang Zhiyin was stunned.

Though she was the owner of a magazine with more than a dozen employees, there were times when she wasn’t busy. In her spare moments, like many young women, she enjoyed watching dramas, especially romantic youth series.

And that very scene—it was straight out of an idol drama!

Ouyang Junyan was the male lead, but the female lead was someone else. She herself was merely a spectator…

Lin Nana quickly noticed Fang Zhiyin standing next to Ouyang Junyan and politely asked, “Ouyang, who is this lady?”

“She…” Ouyang Junyan didn’t know how to answer.

“I am his guardian,” Fang Zhiyin said the next moment.

Lin Nana smiled softly at this, “Oh, I see.” First a gentle smile, then a dazzling, toothy grin. It was almost blinding.

Afterward, Ouyang Junyan went in for class.

Fang Zhiyin waited outside, pondering, and the more she thought the less sense it made. Eventually, she had the professor call Lin Nana, who was in class with Ouyang Junyan, out.

Lin Nana emerged with a radiant smile.

Perhaps it was the effect of watching too many idol dramas, but when Lin Nana appeared before her again, Fang Zhiyin felt as if a beam of light shone behind the girl, so bright it made her squint.

No! Nothing had even begun, how could she surrender already?

“Hello, miss,” Lin Nana greeted Fang Zhiyin with remarkable sweetness.

“You…” This little girl’s attitude was so good that Fang Zhiyin was momentarily dumbstruck.

“Is there something you wanted to ask me?”

“What is your relationship with Ouyang Junyan?” Fang Zhiyin quickly regained her composure, adopting an adult tone to address the girl.

Lin Nana smiled sweetly, “We’re just classmates.” After a pause, she continued, “The principal said Mr. Ouyang would be returning to attend classes lately, and all of us in the finance department are thrilled.”

“You knew him before?”

“I heard about his reputation as soon as I entered S University. He’s my idol…”

Lin Nana went on saying more, but Fang Zhiyin hardly listened. All she could see was this girl, who seemed to radiate her own light, chattering on about Ouyang Junyan’s virtues.

Fang Zhiyin was suddenly confused. She had once loved—or perhaps it was past tense—Ouyang Junyan, and knew he was wonderful, but hearing it from someone else’s lips felt entirely different.

In others’ eyes, Ouyang Junyan was a rare treasure.

And she had once contemplated divorcing him…

“No matter how long Mr. Ouyang attends classes here, whether we’ll continue to see him or not, I’ll always treat him with the utmost respect. But since he’s returning as a student to regain the feeling of student life, my classmates and I will treat him as an ordinary peer.” After saying this, Lin Nana seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing Fang Zhiyin’s relationship with Ouyang Junyan. “Miss, have you and Mr. Ouyang… had some disagreements?”

Fang Zhiyin was mortified, “You noticed?”

“Yes! But no one dared ask—I might be the first.”

“Don’t discuss anything about me and Ouyang Junyan with him,” Fang Zhiyin admonished.

“Okay, I won’t!” With that, Lin Nana hopped back to class.

Watching her departing figure, Fang Zhiyin couldn’t help but sigh… youth truly is wonderful!

After half a day of classes, Ouyang Junyan emerged, looking rejuvenated and in excellent spirits. He hadn’t expected Fang Zhiyin to still be waiting outside, and was stunned for half a minute. “You’re still here?”

“I have to be!” He was now a patient, and Fang Zhiyin didn’t want to stray too far.

“I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go eat then!” Fang Zhiyin was hungry too, and her eyes sparkled at the suggestion.

“I’m not eating with you!” Ouyang Junyan said in disgust. “I’ve already invited my classmates to eat with me.” As soon as he finished, Lin Nana and three or four other classmates emerged carrying their books, tiptoeing over to join him.

Ouyang Junyan raised his chin at Fang Zhiyin, as if to say with his eyes, “See? We’re going, and you’re not included.”

Fang Zhiyin forced a smile, “Wonderful! The more the merrier. I’ll join you all for lunch!”

She really did follow Ouyang Junyan, Lin Nana, and the others to S University’s cafeteria.

Ouyang Junyan tried to queue for food, but a male classmate beat him to it, offering to stand in line for him.

“Hey! How can you…” Ouyang Junyan protested, confused.

“Let’s all queue for our meals,” Fang Zhiyin said proactively. “Don’t put Ouyang Junyan on a pedestal.” She cut straight to the point, “He likes standing in line.”

Because Ouyang Junyan had suddenly appeared in the cafeteria, it quickly attracted the attention and excitement of other students.

The principal heard the rumors in time—Fang Zhiyin had already messaged him on their way to the cafeteria. He promptly rushed over from his office.

With the principal present, the others didn’t dare make a sound.

Fang Zhiyin and Ouyang Junyan queued for their food, then sat down with the group.

She was directly behind him in line, and watched as he took the last portion of shredded chicken. She was a bit shocked, “You like shredded chicken too?”