[Xu Yu (Profile stays the same until I rank #1): Near the back door of the second cafeteria, pretend it's a coincidence—don't make it too obvious.]

  After Xu Yu gave the location, Zhang Lili immediately turned to Su Ning with excitement. "Let's go, Ningning. Let's take a look!"

  The girl pouted cutely at Su Ning, batting her long lashes like tiny fans, which left Su Ning both amused and exasperated.

  At that moment, Su Ning was dining with Zhang Lili and Tao Shan in the first cafeteria. The food there was better than what they served in the second cafeteria, though it came at a higher price. Su Ning was known for her generosity and frequently treated her close friends to meals there.

  When she heard that Zhang Lili intended to see Zhou Yi, Su Ning instinctively tensed up. She had initially planned to decline, but the words slipped out differently: "Fine, I'm just accompanying you."

  Her tone carried a hint of pride, and her usually aloof demeanor softened into an unexpected charm.

  Tao Shan and Zhang Lili cheered joyfully, "Great!"

  The trio made their way to the rear exit of the first cafeteria, where they spotted Zhou Yi and Xu Yu sitting together.

  "Listen," Zhang Lili whispered as a reminder, "when we get there, I'll say I'm looking for Xu Yu. Don't blow our cover."

  Su Ning nodded and approached Zhou Yi's table with feigned disinterest.

  "Xu Yu! So this is where you've been hiding. I've been searching everywhere for you!" Zhang Lili announced loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

  Without hesitation, Zhang Lili sat down on the empty side of the table, pulling Su Ning and Tao Shan along with her.

  "Since you're still eating, we'll wait right here," she declared cheerfully, addressing Wang Yang. "You don't mind, do you?"

  Seeing Su Ning seated among them, none of the boys could bring themselves to ask them to leave. Wang Yang blushed and stammered, "No, no problem… please, sit wherever you'd like."

  Su Ning tilted her chin slightly upward, projecting an air of indifference. However, her gaze inadvertently drifted toward Zhou Yi.

  He sat diagonally across from her, his striking features standing out even among the group of handsome young men. Although Su Ning wasn't one to judge by appearances, she found herself momentarily captivated by his presence.

  Ever since Su Ning and her friends arrived, Zhou Yi had remained silent—a stark contrast to the infatuation he had once confessed in his diary. His demeanor now seemed distant, almost cold.

  Noticing this, Zhang Lili cleared her throat and tried to strike up a conversation. "Zhou Yi, this is the first time I've seen you having lunch with Xu Yu and the others. What's the occasion?"

  Bold and naturally outgoing, Zhang Lili didn't hesitate to engage despite Zhou Yi's reserved nature.

  "Yes, it is," he replied indifferently, his voice devoid of enthusiasm.

  Undeterred, Zhang Lili pressed on. "You really made headlines today. Should we start calling you 'Genius Zhou' from now on?"

  Zhou Yi set down his chopsticks and responded calmly, "It's not a big deal. I took the test casually—it might have been luck."

  Tao Shan chimed in teasingly, "Oh, come off it! How did you deliberately score so poorly before? Did you suddenly undergo some miraculous overnight transformation? Share your secrets, Genius Zhou!"

  Her words carried a probing undertone.

  Just then, a group of stylishly dressed girls entered the scene, led by the one nicknamed "Eighteen-Year-Old Pure Stepmom" in the chat group—Wang Yixin.

  Su Ning and Wang Yixin were polar opposites in personality and rarely got along. While Su Ning possessed natural beauty, Wang Yixin relied heavily on makeup and fashion to enhance her appearance.

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  With a bright smile, Wang Yixin greeted Xu Yu. "Ah, Xu Yu! Sneaking off to eat with Zhou Yi without telling me, huh?" She playfully balled her fists and waved them in front of him, exuding a cutesy vibe.

  Without any pretense, she admitted she'd come specifically for Zhou Yi. Turning to him, she tilted her head sweetly and introduced herself. "Hi, Zhou Yi. I'm Wang Yixin from Fashion Design Class 1. Have you heard of me?"

  Zhou Yi glanced at her carefully lined eyes, which attempted to appear innocent. Though reminiscent of Xia Qiu Zhi, they lacked her natural grace. He felt little interest in such calculated displays of charm, especially given Wang Yixin's questionable reputation.

  "I'm sorry, I haven't," he replied politely yet coldly.

  A flicker of disappointment crossed Wang Yixin's face, while Su Ning couldn't suppress a faint upward curve of her lips.

  [Su Ning's affection points increased by 10.]

  Zhou Yi hadn't anticipated this unexpected bonus. It seemed Su Ning harbored genuine disdain for Wang Yixin.

  Unfazed, Wang Yixin laughed lightly and wrapped an arm around Su Ning's neck. "I'm Ningning's best friend. If you want to pursue her, you'll have to win my approval first~"

  Annoyance flashed briefly in Su Ning's eyes. She considered pushing Wang Yixin away but remembered how doing so last time resulted in Wang Yixin tripping and falling—a mishap that only fueled rumors about Su Ning's difficult temperament. Resigned, she endured the embrace silently.

  Zhou Yi, however, understood Wang Yixin's intentions all too well. Denying his feelings for Su Ning would humiliate her, paving the way for Wang Yixin to pursue him instead. On the other hand, confirming his affection might remind him of past humiliations inflicted by Su Ning and her admirers, shaking his resolve.

  Lowering his gaze, Zhou Yi offered a faint smile without uttering a word. He neither confirmed nor denied his feelings for Su Ning, maintaining an enigmatic silence.

  Determined to earn Su Ning's regret, he refused to actively chase after her. Instead, he wanted her to fall deeply in love with him on her own terms.

  Recognizing Zhou Yi's aloofness, Wang Yixin teased, "Oh dear, Zhou Yi is truly aloof. It's so hard to even exchange a few words with you. Truly, a god-like figure is different, isn't he, Xu Yu?"

  Caught off guard, Xu Yu chuckled nervously. "Uh, let's talk about something else. Didn't you mention wanting Zhou Yi's WeChat? He's right here—just ask him yourself."

  Wang Yixin cast a flirtatious glance at Zhou Yi, her voice softening. "Then it depends on whether Zhou Yi is willing to share his WeChat. Surely he wouldn't be so cruel as to refuse?"

  She blinked innocently, her eyes brimming with anticipation. Her companions joined in, giggling:

  "Oh, it's just a WeChat ID—it won't hurt anyone."

  "Right, don't be stingy. Xinxin adores you!"

  "Go ahead, give it, give it~"

  This time, Zhou Yi didn't refuse. "Alright, come over and scan me."

  Visibly delighted, Wang Yixin hurried to his side, leaning down to scan his WeChat QR code. A strand of her hair brushed against Zhou Yi's shoulder as they drew closer.

  "There. Now hand me your phone—I'll add my note. Otherwise, you might forget my name again," she teased lightheartedly.

  As Zhou Yi handed over his phone, his eyes met Su Ning's darkened expression. Unaware of her own reaction, Su Ning's gaze betrayed a competitive edge—the kind that emerges when a woman feels challenged.

  Zhou Yi wanted Su Ning to realize that he was no longer the same person she had dismissed in the past. Dozens of girls vied for his attention daily, eager to connect with him. And Zhou Yi? He no longer needed Su Ning—he had plenty of options. Why should he wait for her?