Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Accepting breakfast ≠ Accepting you. (Please follow!)
Students either racked their brains for over two hours, leaving the venue mentally exhausted,
or didn't bother at all, since they wouldn't know how to do it anyway, and could take an hour's nap instead.
Xu Musen left the examination room, and there stood the graceful figure at the school gate.
With a high ponytail and wearing an elegant long dress, she sported a pair of pink canvas shoes on her feet, her fair skin showing a jade-like haze under the afternoon sunlight.
Her good figure and extraordinary temperament set her apart in high school.
She stood quietly, as if oblivious to the envious glances around her, always with a cold face that kept people at bay.
When her gaze landed on Xu Musen, the iciness on her face melted away instantly, though she was not overly effusive.
But the look in someone's eyes when they care is something that can't be faked.
"How did it go?"
Yao Mingyue asked with the tone of a regular friend.
"Not bad, I guess."
Xu Musen answered casually, as they walked side by side back to the hotel.
It was not that Xu Musen wanted to walk together with her.
But Yao Mingyue always matched his pace, speeding up when he did and slowing down when he lagged.
It made them look inseparable.
Entering the hotel, Xu Musen went to his room to stow away the exam materials, and hardly had he lain down when his phone rang.
It was his mom.
"Finished with today's exams, how do you feel?"
"It was okay, not too hard."
"You, young man, just maintain a good state. Remember to go out and eat something nice with Yao Mingyue later. The more it comes to crunch time, the more important it is to eat well and rest well. Plus, Ming Yue, a young girl all by herself out there, you must take good care of her…"
Mother Xu prattled on with instructions.
Xu Musen responded with a knowing "Got it," then lay down again. As evening fell, he indeed started to feel hungry.
Stepping out of his room, he considered whether to call out to Yao Mingyue as he glanced at her door.
Just then, her door opened.
Yao Mingyue stood behind the door, her long hair let down, adding a touch of mature finesse to her appearance.
She looked at Xu Musen, as if waiting for him to speak up.
"Dinner?"
"Are you inviting me?"
Yao Mingyue smiled as she asked, her lips curving into a smile.
"Goodbye."
Xu Musen didn't fall for that, turning to leave.
"Xu Musen!"
Yao Mingyue couldn't hold back and called after him, looking woefully at his retreating figure.
"I even brought you breakfast this morning, and this is how you treat me?"
Yao Mingyue went straight for the guilt trip.
But Xu Musen was devoid of guilt.
Me accepting your breakfast ≠ me accepting your kindness.
Rejected in a heartbeat!
"Do you really not want to go out with me?"
Yao Mingyue obviously wouldn't let him off easily and asked through gritted teeth.
"Yes."
Xu Musen nodded earnestly, "Just tell me what you want to eat, and I can bring it back for you. Better not to go out and catch a cold from the breeze, I'd have a hard time explaining to Aunt Liu."
Yao Mingyue's cheeks flushed with anger, and her stubbornness surfaced.
"I insist on going out to eat!"
With that, she followed behind Xu Musen, likely intending to stick to him.
Xu Musen didn't bother saying anything more.
They walked out of the hotel.
There were many snack bars nearby, and in the heat of summer, the night market culture thrived.
Barbecue stalls lined the streets, with the scent of cumin lamb skewers wafting through the air.
Xu Musen felt a craving, thinking that on a hot summer night, a couple of skewers were a must to truly savor the moment.
"Xu Musen, you can't eat all this greasy food."
Yao Mingyue, this girl who was spoiled from childhood, although not as ignorant of worldly affairs as An Nuannuan.
Usually paid great attention to health and maintenance in her diet. Yao Mingyue was quite concerned about maintaining her figure.
Her gaze turned to the delicate restaurant next door.
"I, a coarse fellow, love this kind of stuff. Don't feel obliged to eat with me if you prefer something else."
Xu Musen would be more than happy to have her stay away. He strode over to the barbecue stall and ordered a pound of roast lamb.
Yao Mingyue stood still, her fair little hands clenched together, watching his back as she huffed in annoyance.
However, she also glanced at the barbecue stall and a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
Xu Musen had just sat down, only to find that Yao Mingyue had actually followed him over.
"Can't I occasionally try something different?"
Yao Mingyue held her fair chin up high.
Xu Musen didn't mind.
But Yao Mingyue's presence, a beauty with such a refined air, immediately drew the attention of many at the barbecue stall.
The kidneys and lamb sticks in their mouths tasted even better.
Yao Mingyue looked at the plump menu, wiped it down with a wet wipe, and then spoke directly to the owner: "Boss, bring me some kidneys, a plate of chives, a serving of oysters..."
With each dish Yao Mingyue ordered, the looks directed at Xu Musen carried an allusive meaning that every man understood.
Xu Musen couldn't help but speak: "You eat this sort of stuff?"
"It's for you. Auntie said that you need to fortify your nutrition to be able to handle life's big events."
Yao Mingyue delivered an utterly ridiculous line with a smile of triumph at the corners of her mouth.
Immediately, many people's glances toward Xu Musen grew even more suggestive.
There were also murmurs of "If you can't handle it, let me take over."
Xu Musen exchanged a glance with her, as if recalling their past life.
Under Yao Mingyue's inhumane pressuring tactics.
She often made him drink all kinds of animal 'essence' soups to strengthen his body.
An arsenal of 'herbal weaponry' could have been assembled from all the various animal parts.
But in this life, Xu Musen was not afraid of her, and in fact, he quite liked eating these foods.
As Xu Musen heartily crunched away, Yao Mingyue elegantly bit into a piece of lamb skewer, watching him almost finish everything.
"Boss, a bottle of beer."
Yao Mingyue suddenly called out.
"You drink beer too?" Xu Musen looked up at her.
"Beer's fine. It'll help cut the greasiness."
Yao Mingyue took the beer, poured two glasses, and handed one to Xu Musen.
Xu Musen watched her movements closely, fearing she might drop some miraculous little pill into the alcohol.
Yao Mingyue, however, raised her glass with a very clear smile: "Let's consider this an early celebration for our smooth sailing through the college entrance exam."
By now, Xu Musen felt quite greasy from the food. Though the people of Zheng City might not be able to hold their liquor as well as the burly men of Shandong.
They still drank their beer glass-to-glass, or even case-by-case.
If a young guy couldn't handle a bottle or two of beer, he would be like a child... rather, he would be drinking at the same table as a dog.
Xu Musen picked up the glass and drank it down.
A bite of skewer with a sip of beer was truly refreshing!
After they finished eating, the pair headed back to the hotel.
"Have a good rest."
Before entering her room, Yao Mingyue said that to him.
Xu Musen nodded and went straight into his room.
After taking a shower, Xu Musen chatted with He Qiang for a while.
Xu Musen remembered that in the last life, this guy carelessly failed to properly fill in his answer sheet during the college entrance exam, resulting in low science scores, otherwise he would have been able to get into a pretty decent university.
So Xu Musen made a special point of reminding him.
After that, he chatted online with An Nuannuan for a while.
After all, they were both top students, feeling no pressure whatsoever.
The sky had completely darkened, and everyone went to bed early for the exam.
Xu Musen lay comfortably in bed, ready to sleep.
But not long after falling asleep, Xu Musen suddenly heard a dripping sound coming from the other side of the wall.
Then the sound of water rushing followed.
Was Yao Mingyue taking a shower at this time?
As Xu Musen pondered, there came a sudden knock at the door...