Chapter 39: The Mysterious Lunchbox

The 99th time he proposed, he was rejected. The Aloof Campus Belle Strong-Flirted Me, Jiang Muye

Boss Cutie

Kai said, "This… this, oh, it's Xiao Yue and her roommate. They signed up for a Cooking Class, and then they learned to make food. This is the extra food they made, so they brought it for us to eat. Muzi, get out of bed and eat."

"So I'm the guinea pig," Jiang Muye said, the corners of his mouth curving up.

"Are you going to eat it or not?" Kai asked.

"Of course I'm eating. I'm starving. Let me see what good dishes there are." Jiang Muye immediately began climbing down from the top bunk.

He impatiently opened the lid, and was delighted by what he saw. "It's pretty sumptuous."

Inside the Bento were four dishes: stir-fried greens, cola chicken wings, onion beef, and a large piece of chicken cutlet, plus a bowl of soup—which turned out to be beef meatball soup.

It was laid out very enticingly, the kind of thing that made you hungry just looking at it. One look and you could tell a girl had made it. Quite meticulous.

"Looks pretty good. Just don't know if it tastes good." Jiang Muye picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

"How is it?" Kai asked.

Jiang Muye frowned. "You can tell she's a newbie. These chicken wings are obviously a bit old, and there's way too much soy sauce. Let me try the vegetables."

He took another taste and said, "The vegetables are okay, just a little bland."

Seeing that Kai wasn't moving his chopsticks, Jiang Muye urged him, "Why aren't you eating?"

"I just ate a bit ago, I'm not hungry now. You eat." Kai waved his hand.

"Alright, then I'm hungry so I'll finish it. Overall it's decent, nothing worth mentioning as too delicious, but it's way better than any Dark Cuisine. I can just barely eat it. There's a lot of room for improvement." Jiang Muye gave his evaluation.

Kai said, "Then will you eat it again tomorrow?"

Jiang Muye was surprised. "There's more?"

Kai nodded and gave an awkward smile. "There is indeed more. After all, they have classes this whole time, and you don't really give them face, so they need your opinion."

"Alright, so the drinker's mind isn't on the wine." Jiang Muye gave a low laugh. "You think I'm too sharp-tongued?"

"Isn't that so? They're all girls, what bad intentions could they have?"

Seeing Kai rush to explain, Jiang Muye said calmly, "Okay, I'm just teasing you. Fine, then let them make it and give it to me to eat. I don't mind."

Why not eat free Bentos?

From what he could tell so far, it hadn't reached the point of being so awful it could poison him.

Besides, she was Kai's girlfriend. It wouldn't be good for Jiang Muye to refuse her to her face. He'd give his friend some face.

Jiang Muye started wolfing down the food.

He said, "Exquisite is exquisite. It's just a pity there's not enough. How big is a guy's stomach?"

Kai nodded and silently made a note of it.

By the next day, Jiang Muye discovered that Kai had actually brought breakfast too.

Jiang Muye was astonished. "How early did she get up to make this? It's only just past seven. Classes started this early?"

"It's Xiao Yue's roommate using her to practice. Here, just try it." Kai handed the breakfast to Jiang Muye.

When Jiang Muye opened it, he found a Chicken Cutlet Lava-Egg Rice Ball inside, along with some vegetables on the side, sliced apple and mango, and some cherry tomatoes.

Jiang Muye noticed the portion was clearly much bigger than before.

He took a direct bite, and it tasted much better than before too.

"Suits my taste pretty well. Pretty tasty, the seaweed is nice and crisp," Jiang Muye said with relish.

"That's good. Then you eat, I'm going to the cafeteria to eat." Kai's words immediately made Jiang Muye squint, asking in confusion, "The cafeteria?"

"Right, Xiao Yue is still waiting for me in the cafeteria." Kai nodded.

As a result, Jiang Muye said suspiciously, "She didn't prepare breakfast for you? Since they were made together, that doesn't make sense."

Kai instantly broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead. He said to Jiang Muye awkwardly, "Well, of course she prepared some. We just take the Bentos and eat together in the cafeteria."

Jiang Muye said "Oh."

Kai swiftly made his escape. "Then I'm off."

Jiang Muye chewed on the rice ball, a ripple passing through his eyes.

Heh heh, there's definitely something fishy here.

He didn't want breakfast falling from the sky for free.

Noon came, and Kai quickly went downstairs on time. When he saw that familiar figure standing in the shadows, he hurriedly reached out his hand and said, "Give it to me, I'll take it to him."

"Okay."

Just as the lunchbox was about to be handed to Kai, a cold voice suddenly sounded.

"Why go to all that trouble? Just give it to me directly."

When they heard the sudden male voice, they were startled and immediately looked toward the sound, and there they found Jiang Muye leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, looking at them coldly.

"Muzi, why did you come downstairs!" Kai said in surprise.

Jiang Muye said coolly, "You've been so strange these past two days. I just wanted to see who exactly was giving you the Bentos."

His cold gaze swept over to the pale-faced girl, and he said, "I just didn't expect it to be you. When did you buy off my roommate?"

The girl before him was none other than Xia Xiran. Her long hair flowed, and her pretty palm-sized face was now lowered in gloom, a thread of timidity clearly in her eyes.

Kai rushed to explain, "That's not it. She didn't buy me off."

"Then what is it?"

Xia Xiran immediately cut in, her eyes red. "It's my fault."

She choked up. "I begged him. He had no means but to agree. I wanted to cook for you to eat, so I had him make an excuse to bring you the Bento."

Jiang Muye snapped, "Then you could've given it to me directly. There was no need to deceive me!"

What he hated most was deception.

Especially buying off his good friend to deceive him together.

Jiang Muye instantly felt a chill in his heart.

"No, that's not it!" Tears were already welling in Xia Xiran's eyes as she suddenly stepped closer.

Jiang Muye's thin lips were pressed tight. He somewhat resisted Xia Xiran's approach and stepped back.

His drawing of the line made Xia Xiran feel as if her heart were being cut with a knife.

Xia Xiran bit her bright red lips and said with a heavy sob, "Sorry, I was just afraid you wouldn't eat it, afraid you'd throw it away, that's why I went about it so indirectly!"

Watching Xia Xiran's tears fall one by one, Jiang Muye let out a long, deep sigh. "Xia Xiran, you still don't trust me enough."

Why did she have to think that if she gave him a Bento, he would definitely refuse it, or even throw it away?

If she'd just honestly told him, then no matter how much Jiang Muye was sulking at her after getting the Bento, he would never waste food.

At worst, he'd eat the Bento she made and give her money.

But Xia Xiran had to turn a very simple matter into something very complicated.

Seeing Jiang Muye's cold expression, Xia Xiran sobbed uncontrollably. "Don't misunderstand me. I… I'm too stupid. I always want to accomplish something, but it all ends up a mess."

Jiang Muye drew a deep breath. He walked forward and directly took the Bento from Xia Xiran's hands.

Xia Xiran's long curled eyelashes trembled slightly. Upon sensing Jiang Muye's movement, she saw light again.

Now that Jiang Muye had taken the Bento from her hands, did that mean he wasn't angry anymore?

As Xia Xiran looked at Jiang Muye full of hope, Jiang Muye directly took three red hundred-yuan bills from his wallet and stuffed them into Xia Xiran's palm, saying, "Don't make it anymore."

Xia Xiran's lips, which had just been curving up, now pressed down at once.

She watched Jiang Muye's back as he turned and walked away without hesitation.

In an instant her nose turned red, and she felt so awful she couldn't control herself.

Kai shook his head and said to Xia Xiran, "This time is the limit. I can't help you for Xiao Yue's sake. You'd better find someone else."

If Xiao Yue hadn't owed a favor, he wouldn't have kept helping Xia Xiran.

See, now he'd offended his own brother.

Not worth the loss.

Kai went upstairs.

Xia Xiran stood still on the spot in a daze, her face now completely devoid of any spirit, and she began walking mechanically toward the dormitory.

When her roommates saw Xia Xiran walk in looking blank, with very obvious tear streaks still on her little face, they were all astonished.

"What's going on? Xiran, were you crying?"

Xia Xiran's eyes were red as she said miserably, "My bringing him food was found out. He told me not to make it anymore." As she spoke, her tears fell again.

Yuanyuan and the others hurriedly began comforting Xia Xiran.

In the boys' dormitory.

Jiang Muye silently opened the Bento.

It was a different variety from yesterday—Braised Pork Rice. A spoonful of meat sauce had been poured over the steaming hot rice, and the rice was soaked in the sauce, each grain plump, with a large piece of braised pork on top, cut very evenly.

The color of the meat was just right, alternating fat and lean, making one's appetite surge. Beside it were shepherd's purse egg rolls, cut neatly, along with some side dishes and black pepper beef cubes, which looked delicious.

Afraid it might be too dry going down, a portion of Seaweed Egg-Drop Soup had also been prepared.

As soon as the lid was opened, a wave of fragrance hit him in the face.

The entire Bento had been plated with care, even with little flowers carved from carrots. You could tell it was very careful and exquisite, matching Xia Xiran's artistic temperament.

Jiang Muye took a bite. It tasted much better than yesterday, no longer too unripe; the heat was just right.

Setting aside his prejudice.

This was a very delicious Bento.

Very thoughtful.

As Jiang Muye ate, Little White Dove, who had caught the smell of the food, was instantly lured awake by the aroma. Shirtless, he took off his eye mask.

Seeing Jiang Muye eating such sumptuous cuisine, he immediately clicked his tongue. "Wow, how do you have food to eat again today? A girl made it for you again, right? Truly considerate to the smallest detail. You're clearly a single guy, so how are you this lucky?"