Mi Lu nodded, "You keep your word."
"Of course, Weiwei, what do you want to eat? I’ll have the housekeeper make it, and I’ll bring it over. What does your mother like to eat? Lulu, what do you like? Tell me when the time comes, and I’ll bring everything."
"No need," Lai Wei refused, "It’s not right to bring gifts when visiting my house. Just tell me what you two would like to eat, and I’ll cook. I can’t make much, but everything I do is pretty good."
"Then what can you cook?" Mi Lu was curious.
"What do you like to eat?" Lai Wei shifted the focus of the question.
Thrown off, Mi Lu mentioned she liked sauerkraut fish. Jian Dan thought for a moment, he liked Sichuan and Hunan cuisines— had a preference for stronger flavors.
Lai Wei didn’t seem pressured upon hearing that, "Then that’s perfect, I can make some of those as well. When the time comes, just tell me when, and we’ll have lunch at my place."
As the three figures walked away and their conversation faded, Hai En diverted his gaze from them back to the rankings list, his name was far beyond the hundredth place.
Although not too bad for a transfer student, it felt extraordinarily disappointing to Hai En.
He scanned the list briefly and then turned away, hands in his pockets, and left.
Hai Ling had bought him an apartment near the school and hired a housekeeper for him. After checking the rankings list, he went straight home.
Jian Dan went home with his report card, waiting to have dinner with Bo Qin when he returned home. Lin’s mother told him when he arrived that Bo Qin had called during the day, saying he would have dinner with her that evening.
Jian Dan was surprised and asked Lin’s mother to confirm, "Lin’s mom, Lin’s mom, did you say Uncle Qin is coming back to have dinner with me?"
Watching the little girl who didn’t even put down her backpack, following her around like a little tail, Lin’s mother chuckled, tapped her on the head, and said, "Yes, you goofy limpet, go put your things down and wash up. We’re about to eat soon."
"Okay, right away, I’m going now," Jian Dan replied.
Watching the girl’s cheerful departure, Lin’s mother laughed to herself. Children always wore their hearts on their faces.
She prepared the ingredients in the kitchen that Jian Dan and Bo Qin liked to eat.
When Bo Qin was to have dinner with Jian Dan, he would usually show up at the villa before eight in the evening, but tonight he was much later than usual. Jian Dan came down after her shower, timing her arrival but Bo Qin wasn’t there yet.
She wandered into the kitchen to find Lin’s mother, "Lin’s mom, hasn’t Uncle Qin come back yet?"
Lin’s mother sensed disappointment in her expression and didn’t know how to reply for a moment. She too had just received a call from Bo Qin saying he had been delayed by unexpected work and couldn’t come home, telling Jian Dan to eat without waiting for him.
Jian Dan’s face lost its smile immediately upon hearing Lin’s mother’s words.
Standing at the door, her expression turned blank, seemingly uninterested in anything, Lin’s mother sighed, feeling pity for the child, "Lin’s mom has prepared the food you like. Do you want to eat now or later?"
Jian Dan forced a smile and responded to Lin’s mother, "Let’s eat now. I’m pretty hungry. Thanks, Lin’s mom."
She was a considerate child, so sensibly considerate that it was heartbreaking.
Lin’s mother comforted her, stroking her head, "What’s wrong? No appetite because you have no one to dine with, and now you’re crying?"
Jian Dan shook her head, walked into the kitchen, looked at the dishes Lin’s mother had prepared, and clung to Lin’s mother’s hand, "Lin’s mom, dine with me."
Jian Dan ate very little, picking at the food. With a forced smile, she told Lin’s mother she was done eating. Lin’s mother looked at her and sighed with pity, "Jianjian, you’ve eaten too little. Mr. Bo will be back tomorrow, and he will be able to keep you company. So you must eat more, okay?"
Jian Dan shook her head, "Lin’s mom, I really can’t eat anymore."
Finally, Lin’s mother stopped pressing her. Jian Dan did some homework in her room and then climbed into bed to sleep.
Late at night, Bo Qin entered the house shrouded in the chill of the night dew. He usually wouldn’t come over at such a late hour, but tonight, feeling somewhat guilty for breaking his promise, he decided to come anyway so he could be with Jian Dan in the morning. Unexpectedly, at this late hour, Lin’s mother was still awake, waiting for him in the living room. Bo Qin hung up his coat and approached her, "Lin’s mom, why haven’t you gone to rest?"
"Yeah, what’s up, is there something wrong with Jianjian?"
Lin’s mother glanced upstairs, sighed, and said, "The little girl was so happy knowing you were coming to have dinner with her. But when you didn’t show up, she lost her appetite. She only had a few bites and then stopped eating."