Chapter 257: Reunion Of The Childhood Friends Trio And Sasha
Third Military Escort Ship, small park.
“……Classmates from other classes have all heard that Class Eight started selling these handmade ancient foods to the officers in the First Canteen. We’re a bit tempted too. Ainuo Classmate, will you make breakfast tomorrow morning? If there are extras, we want to buy some too.”
Sasha looked at Ainuo somewhat shyly and asked cautiously.
“We…”
Ainuo was frowning, about to speak, when Nancy immediately interrupted.
“Sorry, we’re not sure if we can prepare enough breakfast tomorrow either. After all, there are only thirty-five of us. Just preparing meals for the whole grade is exhausting, let alone so many officers and government employees.”
Nancy raised an eyebrow, looking protective as she stood in front of Ainuo, blocking Sasha who was trying to get closer.
An Su Chun, standing nearby, got angry upon hearing this:
“You…! We heard you got authorization to use the kitchen AI. I don’t believe with the kitchen AI’s help, and you’re doing this for people outside the school just to make money, right? Making more means earning more, which is good for you too, isn’t it? It’s not like we can’t pay.”
Ouyang Yating, who had been silently standing next to Ainuo, spoke up:
“You seem to have misunderstood something, An Su Chun Classmate. First, we’re cooking for our fellow school classmates because our homeroom teacher asked our opinion in advance this morning, and we all agreed to the compensation offered by the other classes. That’s why our Club President and Class President rushed to contact the canteen to get us temporary access.”
“As for making extra dinner to sell, it’s because our Club President and Class President actively communicated with the canteen person in charge based on the lunch situation. Prioritizing sales to officers and government personnel is also the precondition for the canteen person in charge agreeing to let us use the kitchen AI for cooking assistance.”
An Su Chun continued to retort:
“In that case, we can also find a representative to negotiate with you. Our school’s students also want to eat these ancient foods. At lunch, we even suggested coming to the First Canteen to buy lunch, but you refused. Yet up until dinner time, you never mentioned we could negotiate with our school side. You’re just thinking of selling what you make to the officers and government employees here, not to us. Isn’t that blatantly excluding us?”
Hearing this, even Ainuo couldn’t help frowning, preparing to say something. Sasha noticed Ainuo’s expression change and quickly stopped An Su Chun.
“Su Chun, forget it. This visit activity is only two days. After we return to the main ship, we can go to the canteen or Yue Xiang Restaurant outside the school to eat ancient foods. No need to tire out everyone in Class Eight.”
“Sasha, you’re too nice-tempered, that’s why they bully you.” An Su Chun said, pulling Sasha behind her and glaring at Ouyang Yating and Nancy. “Though we were indeed wrong during the last school anniversary, now we just want to buy as consumers. Yet you’re excluding us from the customer base when you could meet our demand. Caida Affiliated High School will remember this well.”
With that, An Su Chun pulled Sasha toward where Class 1-3 of Caida Affiliated High School was on the other side of the small park. As she was pulled away, Sasha kept looking back three steps at a time toward Ainuo’s direction.
——
“Hey, your suitor this time is really devoted.” Nancy narrowed her eyes, looking toward where Class 1-3 of Caida Affiliated High School was. “She’s still secretly staring over here. Ainuo, what do you say, if I kissed you in public right now, would she faint from the blow?”
Hearing this, Ainuo nearly jumped back a hundred meters in shock. He looked at Nancy in horror and said:
“If this got back and Uncle Li and my parents found out, they’d break my legs.”
Ainuo’s family and Nancy’s family were both from the Li Family nobles. Though their blood ties were distant, they were at least same generation, so Nancy’s family wanted to marry into Ainuo’s to combine their strengths and elevate their status in the family.
If not for Nancy and Ainuo having no such intentions toward each other, their parents would have arranged their engagement right after junior high graduation. But even engaged wouldn’t mean they could date in high school. If Nancy and Ainuo acted beyond friendship toward each other or other peers, they wouldn’t have peaceful days until high school graduation.
So Nancy’s joke just now sounded like a death sentence to Ainuo.
Ainuo: Sisters, don’t mess around. I just want to safely get through high school.
Nancy gave him a speechless look.
“Relax, I don’t want to live on 100 Star Yuan pocket money a month either. And you…”
She looked Ainuo up and down, saying somewhat disdainfully:
“Your face is at least passable. If we weren’t so close, I might actually consider dating you after graduation, but…”
Thinking of Ainuo’s bizarre brain circuit and daily behavior, Nancy shook her head in disdain.
Seeing Ainuo’s face flush red with anger, Ouyang Yating couldn’t help patting his shoulder comfortingly:
“It’s fine. After university, find a girl you click with. We’ll watch from the side to stop you from doing anything stupid. At least we can ensure you have a normal relationship before university graduation.”
Ainuo couldn’t stand hearing this. He burst out complaining: “Which normal guy needs two childhood friends tagging along to date in university? Any girl would back off seeing me surrounded by you two!”
Hearing this, Nancy and Ouyang Yating both widened their eyes.
“Rare, Yating. He actually noticed that detail.”
“Yeah, Nancy. I thought he saw us as accessories long ago.”
“Do you think he has any chance of turning it around?”
“I think it’s hopeless. Cognition and behavior aren’t always linked. Look at Xiang Chuan…”
“Tsk… that’s way too vivid an example.”
Being openly critiqued by his two childhood friends, Ainuo couldn’t stay any longer. Hearing them mention Xiang Chuan, he used it as an excuse to escape:
“You two keep chatting. I’ll go bring that guy Xiang Chuan back. We’re heading back to the dormitory soon.”
With that, he slipped away like oil was on his feet, quickly searching for Xiang Chuan’s figure.
Watching their childhood friend gradually walk away, Ouyang Yating sighed lightly:
“Seeing Ainuo like this, I somewhat understand why Aunt Alison worries so much about his relationship issues. Familiar ones like us don’t see him that way, and unfamiliar ones might get scared off once he shows his true colors.”
Nancy snorted with laughter.
“That’s his personality causing it. All we can do is stop him from going off the rails. If push comes to shove, just toss him to Sasha for real. Though she doesn’t seem to understand his personality. The only obstacle is our Li Family and Delta Family looking down on each other. If they really got together, it’d be a real-life Romeo and Juliet. Nice, Man Man could get a real-world story material.”
Ouyang Yating couldn’t help chuckling at her hypothesis.
“If he and Sasha really fell for each other, we wouldn’t have peaceful days then. Back in junior high, even as classmates, she secretly rallied so many to isolate us. If she got official girlfriend status, our reputation in social occasions after university graduation would get interesting.”
Nancy shivered, feeling sick just imagining it.
Just then, they saw Ainuo carrying a humanoid object over his shoulder like a sack of rice, emerging from behind the fountain. They were all too familiar with that humanoid object—they’d just admired it that morning.
This guy never learns! Nancy’s expression gradually faded. She flexed her arms, wondering whether to give him a right straight punch or an elbow strike later.
Ouyang Yating suddenly had an idea: “What if we just let Ainuo and Xiang Chuan give it a try?”
“Try what?” Nancy’s mind didn’t catch on at first. “Ah? You mean those two…? With how they are now, you think we could match them up?”
Nancy watched Ainuo fast-walking toward them with the “sack” on his shoulder, her cheeks twitching.
Mainly, carrying a girl around “shouldered like that” is completely unrelated to romance. No couple on the verge of dating would do something like that, right?
Nancy recalled a TV drama she’d seen, thinking silently: At least it has to be a princess carry to show potential. Which ambiguous high school couple would hoist someone from a park bench in a rice-sack carry?
