Once Huang Li and Yao Na'er had walked some distance away, Xiao Ye looked down at the abandoned cake on the ground. "Ah, what a waste! It looks like it would have been quite delicious. I wonder where they bought it; I should ask Lizi and the others to go buy one and try it sometime."
As she lowered her gaze in thought, Xiao Ye suddenly felt someone staring at her. Although her looks usually drew countless gazes wherever she went, this one had been lingering for quite a while.
Xiao Ye looked up, following the feeling, wanting to see which shameless person lacked the basic decency to be so blatant. The moment she raised her eyes, she bumped straight into a pair of slightly smiling ones that felt as warm as a winter hot spring.
He Yi? Why is he staring at me? Though puzzled inwardly, Xiao Ye kept her expression completely calm, looking right back at him blankly.
He Yi had actually been amused watching Xiao Ye's look of regret. Though her facial expressions were subtle, somehow he could just tell she was feeling regretful, and that the target of her regret was that battered, unrecognizable cake. He hadn't expected her to suddenly look up and was caught completely off guard, failing to even pull back the expression on his face in time, so he could only stare blankly right back at her.
Neither of them spoke. Xiao Ye didn't know what to say, and He Yi didn't know how to say it. They just gazed at each other—one with her head lowered, the other with his head tilted up—as if time itself had frozen in that moment.
"Brother Yi! What are you doing? Hurry up and come over!"
A shout from behind He Yi broke the frozen standoff.
"Coming!" He Yi turned and called back in a clear, pleasant voice that sounded very comforting. Then he nodded politely with a smile at Xiao Ye, signaling that he was leaving.
Not until He Yi had walked away did Xiao Ye resume her normal posture. Only this time, she wasn't wondering when to go buy cake; she was wondering if she had met He Yi before—why else would he have stared at her for so long? No way! Someone that good-looking, if she had ever met him, she surely would have remembered!
By the time Huang Li and Yao Na'er returned with the cleaning tools, Xiao Ye still hadn't figured out what connection she could possibly have with him.
"Lord Xiao! We're here!"
"You guys are finally here! If you hadn't come back soon, I would have eaten it." Xiao Ye pointed her chin at the cake on the ground and rolled her eyes.
Hearing this, Huang Li quickly grabbed Yao Na'er's hand and spun around. "Let's go!"
"Huh?" Yao Na'er was left completely bewildered as she was pulled along.
"Hey!" With friends like these, who needs enemies? Friends like these will be the death of me!
***
After finishing the cleanup, and under the strong insistence of Xiao Ye and Huang Li, the three of them decided to head to the cafeteria to eat and cheer themselves up.
Upon reaching the cafeteria and looking at the packed dining hall, along with the vegetable soup with a few lonely leaves floating on top, the three of them exchanged speechless glances.
"Are we still looking for He Yi this time?" Xiao Ye asked expressionlessly.
"Yes!" came the resolute reply, without the slightest hesitation.
"Then go look to your heart's content. Lizi, let's go 'forage' elsewhere." With that, she turned and walked away.
Huang Li let out a breath and replied, "You got it!"
"Don't, Lord Xiao! Don't leave me behind!" Yao Na'er hurried to catch up with the two of them. "I promise next time I'll definitely let you eat first!"
"You're hoping for a next time?" Xiao Ye narrowed her pretty eyes.
"Oh come on, Lord Xiao~" Yao Na'er grabbed Xiao Ye's hand and swayed it from side to side. "Don't be mad! I'll treat you guys to mushroom soup, okay? Sound good?"
Xiao Ye stared at her for one second, two seconds, three seconds... while Yao Na'er looked back at her with an innocent expression.
Xiao Ye looked away and said with a hint of feigned haughtiness, "Consider this your only warning."
"Understood!"
Huang Li teased from the side, "You two, stop acting like a cheesy couple."
"Hmph! You're just jealous because you don't have anyone to show off with!" Yao Na'er said proudly.
"Do I look like the type who swings that way?" Huang Li asked, speechless.
"Not look like it—you totally are!" Xiao Ye chimed in with certainty.
"Get lost!" Huang Li retorted angrily.
"Get lost? Lizi, don't you love me anymore?" Xiao Ye looked pitifully at Huang Li.
"..."
Chatting and laughing, the three of them walked toward the school gates.
Ever since discovering how good that mushroom soup tasted, they made it a point to go once or twice a month to thoroughly satisfy their cravings, especially since the cafeteria food could hardly be called edible. As for how Xiao Ye and Huang Li managed to leave campus as boarding students? They had already secured campus exit passes back during military training.