"You are really terrible."
Zhou Sinin shot him a glance and curved her lips just slightly in a way that was hard to notice.
He clearly heard what Song Wan was saying, but he deliberately teased himself by pretending otherwise.
"You call me a meal buddy, and Guan Guan calls me a jerk... Do you girls always nickname people behind their backs?"
Lu Jincheng smiled at her, his eyes teasing.
Zhou Sinin didn’t respond, instead she reached out her left hand and lightly punched him. Staring at the man with a curled-up lip, she issued a soul-searching question, "What kind of expression is that!"
"How come you seem quite pleased?"
Let’s not overanalyze what a meal buddy means for the moment.
The term "jerk", overtly, refers to a man who is unreliable.
But the subtext suggests that this man is wealthy, charismatic, yet unwilling to be confined by a single relationship.
The jerk’s label stands shining brightly on a land built from countless broken hearts.
This title, much like an eternally charming villain in a war of emotions.
Even the most obedient men would sometimes find themselves unable to resist searching on a late-night forum or on Zhihu, "How can I make the girl I like fall for me?"
Of course, there’s no one clear answer to that.
As they search, with smart recommendations and trending topics, they often inadvertently click on another topic.
— How to become a jerk?
At this time, Lu Jincheng wore a careless expression and slowed the car down to tease her, "Meal buddy, I can understand."
He continued. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn N()velFire.net
"If this nickname indeed harbors some of Guan Guan’s frustrated affection for me, then I might actually feel pretty smug."
Zhou Sinin turned her head and flashed a smile that topped the WeChat’s emoticon rankings.
Her chest heaved, and she slowly exhaled three words rhythmically at the man.
Mr. Lu always understood the importance of moderation; he immediately diverted the topic.
"Alright, no more jokes. What shall we go eat?"
"Rice noodles over the bridge? Wan Wan just sent me the location."
Zhou Sinin swayed the phone screen in her right hand, seeking Lu Jincheng’s opinion.
"I thought you were just being polite to her..."
Thus, they parked the car nearby, each holding a cup of milk tea, and truly went to eat at the rice noodle shop Song Wan recommended.
The newly opened shop attracted a decent crowd. Zhou Sinin and Lu Jincheng sat facing each other, their bowls of steaming noodles swiftly served.
Watching Zhou Sinin take photos of the noodles and share them in the dorm group with enthusiastic endorsements, Lu Jincheng couldn’t help but exclaim,
"No wonder everyone around you, be it friends or roommates, likes you so much."
"Now I understand why."
She was both cheerful and sincere, without any airs, and her enthusiastic sharing with her roommates didn’t feel perfunctory at all.
Each action considered, each message responded to.
Who wouldn’t like such a charismatic girl?
Zhou Sinin’s chopsticks paused in mid-air, her clear eyes filled with curiosity.
The freshly served noodles were very hot, the steam faintly blurring beneath her cheeks, a warm glow slowly emerging on her fair skin.
"If it were Guan Guan, she’d probably have politely declined, but here you are really coming to eat?"
Between people, empathy is key, and sincerity is the ultimate secret weapon.
Even if there are big differences in objective conditions, Zhou Sinin genuinely managed to blend in with her roommates.
"That’s not to say that Guan Guan is pretentious, ha, everyone grows up with different habits, but you’re really down to earth."
"You’re implying she’s pretentious! I’m going to go back and tell her!"
Zhou Sinin laughed gleefully, the corners of her eyes slightly crinkled, her eyes sparkling.
"Is her pretentiousness even a secret? Look at what you guys usually eat, Western food, Japanese food, Thai food, even going for dim sum if there’s no class in the morning..."
"Not to say roommates can’t get along with her, but besides you, I think others are having a tough time."
As someone born and raised in the south, Guan Yongyi indeed wasn’t accustomed to the diet in Jiang City.
Since there was no helping it, she could only pull Zhou Sinin out every now and then to eat something nice, allowing her taste buds to gradually adapt.
"Speaking of which, you’re pretty amazing too!"
Zhou Sinin lifted her spoon and took a sip of the hot soup.
"I’m seeing for the first time a boy who can get close to her, becoming her good friend."
"Is it really that exaggerated?"
Lu Jincheng took over the conversation.
Zhou Sinin nodded, glanced around, leaned her head forward, and whispered, "Maybe it’s because Aunt Lin was strict before, she didn’t have many boys around her."
"But since university, many boys have wanted to meet her, I’ve realized, she really doesn’t give chances."
Lu Jincheng chuckled.
"That’s why I say you’re amazing, do you know what her birthday wish is?"
"She said, she hopes every birthday in the future can be as happy as that night~"
Zhou Sinin propped her chin with one hand, revealing a lovely crescent moon smile to Lu Jincheng.
This wish might not sound special, but its interpretation can easily carry additional implications.
"I envy your good sisterhood, for a lifetime."
Lu Jincheng paused, "Even your wishes can be shared."
"There’s nothing that can’t be shared! I’d tell her too!"
Zhou Sinin pulled a napkin from the table, dabbed her moist lips, bowed her head, and sipped her milk tea.
Mr. Lu stared at the Four Seasons tea in her hand, his eyes bright.
Zhou Sinin, unacquainted with men’s bizarre tactics, naturally reacted a little slower.