Chapter 75: Making Up Sushi

“Let’s go eat.”

The bell rang, and students surged out of the classroom like a swarm.

In an instant, the hallway filled with noise and commotion.

Fang Chenxi took a couple of steps, but saw Jiang Ling still sitting there, unmoving.

She urged her on.

Jiang Ling shook her head, but her gaze was fixed on Ji Qingyan, who had just left the classroom.

“I’m not going today. You and Yu Yao go eat together.”

Fang Chenxi blinked, her eyes shifting.

‘No way, is Jiang Ling so scared now she can’t even eat with me?’

“What’s wrong? Do you have something to do?”

Fang Chenxi probed.

“Mm… Teacher Xu said she wants to see me at noon. I’ll eat later.”

After math class, Xu Niannian had indeed approached Jiang Ling, but not for what Jiang Ling claimed.

She was just checking on her Chinese grade this time.

Jiang Ling had lost a lot of points in Chinese on this exam.

“I see. Want me to bring you some food? Noodles and milk?”

Jiang Ling shook her head, declining Fang Chenxi.

“No need. I’ll buy something myself later. No rush.”

“Alright.”

From what she remembered, Fang Chenxi had indeed seen Xu Niannian talk to Jiang Ling.

She had just come back from the bathroom then, and Xu Niannian left after she returned to her seat.

Her doubts dispelled, Fang Chenxi left the classroom first.

Jiang Ling wasn’t in a hurry to leave.

Afraid Fang Chenxi might come back, she sat in the classroom for a while longer.

Then she crept to the door, looked around, and saw no sign of Fang Chenxi.

Only then did she relax.

‘Now, time to act.’

Lu Yuyao met Fang Chenxi at the cafeteria entrance, but didn’t see Jiang Ling.

Fang Chenxi explained,

“Jiang Ling got called away by the teacher. She can’t come at noon.”

“Huh? Did she do something wrong?”

Lu Yuyao looked surprised.

“Jiang Ling didn’t say, but probably not. She usually behaves well. Maybe it’s about her grades.”

As they talked and walked, long lines had already formed at every window in the cafeteria.

Tianhua’s cafeteria was pretty big, divided into two sections: the Square Restaurant and the Round Restaurant, both named after their shapes.

It was peak time, and they didn’t want to waste time, so they picked a window with a shorter line.

One good thing about Tianhua Middle School was that almost all the food in the cafeteria tasted decent.

“Oh, right, you guys finished exams already. So, how did you do?”

“Not bad. Jiang Ling got sixth.”

Fang Chenxi seemed to deliberately avoid mentioning her own score.

“What about you, Chenxi Sister? First place again?”

Fang Chenxi sighed.

“No, just second.”

“Second place is still great.”

Lu Yuyao smiled, teasing her.

“But if even someone as smart as Chenxi Sister can only get second, who’s the mysterious first-place winner?”

“You wouldn’t know her.”

Fang Chenxi pouted.

Not beating Ji Qingyan was a sore spot for her.

Hearing Lu Yuyao say that made her feel a bit upset again.

“Come on, tell me.”

It was rare to see Fang Chenxi look so defeated.

Lu Yuyao felt that Fang Chenxi might have some history with this first-place student, and her curiosity piqued.

“I don’t really know her that well… Her name is Ji Qingyan.”

“Qingyan Sister?”

The familiar name came from Fang Chenxi’s lips.

Lu Yuyao was a little surprised.

So Ji Qingyan was actually that good at studying.

But thinking back to her conversations with Ji Qingyan, and the literary girl vibe she naturally gave off, it made sense.

“What do you mean, Qingyan Sister? You know her?”

Fang Chenxi frowned.

Lu Yuyao’s affectionate address suggested she was already close with Ji Qingyan.

When did that happen?

“Oh, it’s a long story.”

So Lu Yuyao started telling Fang Chenxi how she met Ji Qingyan.

Jiang Ling had already figured it out.

Ever since she met Ji Qingyan, she knew Ji Qingyan didn’t like going to the cafeteria.

Every day after class, she’d wait until the hallway cleared, then go for a walk around the school before heading back to the club classroom to eat her bento.

Though she’d never run into her directly, when Jiang Ling first joined the club, she left her phone charging there one day.

When she went to pick it up at noon, she found Ji Qingyan inside.

She looked flustered, with a grain of rice at the corner of her mouth, and her hands were shoved into the drawer.

Jiang Ling could guess what she was doing.

She just thought Ji Qingyan didn’t want to be seen, so she didn’t call her out.

She said hello and left.

So at this time, she’d definitely find her at the club.

***

Club Classroom.

Ji Qingyan laid out her bento on the desk.

A few exquisite tuna sushi rolls, some fried egg, and ham slices.

Her lunch was always simple.

Ji Qingyan had a small appetite, so this was enough to fill her up.

She had prepared everything in advance.

The cafeteria was crowded and noisy, and she always preferred peace and quiet.

She thought back.

It seemed only when she first entered high school, she went to the cafeteria once or twice to experience it.

After that, she gave up.

She picked up a sushi roll with her fingers and took a small bite.

The delicate fish and the sweetness of the rice spread across her tongue.

It was slightly cool, but that didn’t matter.

She poured herself a cup of tea and slowly savored the food.

Usually, Ji Qingyan would enjoy this moment of tranquility.

But not this time.

The girl’s beautiful eyebrows seemed to carry a faint melancholy.

“That Jiang Ling, the bad guy.”

Ji Qingyan muttered under her breath.

Ji Qingyan felt some regret.

After she turned Jiang Ling down yesterday morning, she regretted it.

She knew Jiang Ling.

Even though she always joked around, she was very careful with boundaries when interacting with people, and was kind-hearted.

That was why Ji Qingyan had subconsciously drawn closer to her.

As for the lying, Jiang Ling must have had some reason she found hard to speak about.

Though Jiang Ling didn’t say it, Ji Qingyan could vaguely sense it from her words.

If she apologized again, she would forgive her.

That’s what Ji Qingyan thought.

Then she would listen to her difficult reason.

If she didn’t want to tell, that was fine.

As long as she apologized properly, Ji Qingyan wouldn’t mind.

But she had held Big Orange on the balcony, from noon until evening.

Even the cat got sleepy and fell asleep in her lap.

Yet no message popped up in her chat with Jiang Ling.

‘Could Jiang Ling be angry too?’

But even though Ji Qingyan could understand her, it was still Jiang Ling who did wrong.

Jiang Ling could have apologized a few more times.

It wasn’t like she was refusing to forgive her permanently.

So did Jiang Ling just give up?

Ji Qingyan bit her lower lip, her heart torn.

One moment she consoled herself that she hadn’t done anything wrong, the next she wondered if she had been too cold, making Jiang Ling hesitate.

Ji Qingyan didn’t have many friends.

For the first time, the usually calm girl lost sleep because of a friend’s anger.

So early in the morning, sleep-deprived and full of grievances, Ji Qingyan walked into the classroom with a face full of resentment.

She didn’t even glance at Jiang Ling, choosing to take a detour and not greet her.

For the first time, Ji Qingyan felt she was being annoying.

She had already done this, so why was she still feeling upset?

Ji Qingyan lowered her eyes, feeling that the sushi in her hand had lost its flavor.

Her rationality told her that if she wanted to make up with Jiang Ling, she shouldn’t dwell on these things like some bitter complainer.

Not only would it not solve the problem, but it would only make her more frustrated.

But now, rationality didn’t seem to be winning.

Creak.

The classroom door was pushed open, breaking the silence in the club.

Ji Qingyan looked up and saw Jiang Ling silently stepping in.

“Qingyan, you’re eating here.”

Pretending she didn’t know, Jiang Ling clasped her hands behind her back, fingers tangled together, mentally preparing her words.

“Why did you suddenly…”

Ji Qingyan looked stunned, not expecting Jiang Ling to show up here.

The half-eaten sushi roll in her hand dropped onto the desk.

Her eyes flustered, she picked it up and put it back in the bento box, ready to put it away.

“It’s fine. Go ahead and eat.”

Jiang Ling sat down next to Ji Qingyan, observing the girl’s profile with a smile.

The sunlight was strong at this time.

Golden rays slanted through the window into the classroom, falling on the dark-haired girl, as if coating her in a layer of golden gauze, exceptionally beautiful.

Jiang Ling suddenly realized that Ji Qingyan seemed to love basking in the sun.

In the classroom, in the club, she always sat by the window.

When they video-called at New Village, Ji Qingyan was also sitting on the balcony holding the cat.

A cold personality, yet she loved the warmth of the sun.

Was that also a kind of contrast?

Jiang Ling stopped her from putting the food away, saying it didn’t matter.

But Ji Qingyan had lost all appetite.

Her mind was entirely focused on Jiang Ling beside her, her heart trembling slightly.

“Why did you suddenly come to the club?”

“Mm, because I wasn’t hungry, so I thought I’d hang out here for a bit. I didn’t expect you to be here too.”

‘So she didn’t come looking for me.’

Ji Qingyan’s mood sank again.

“Your sushi looks pretty nice. Did you make it yourself?”

Jiang Ling glanced at the bento box on the desk.

It was exquisite, but had Ji Qingyan’s style.

“Mm, do you want some?”

Ji Qingyan asked instinctively, but then remembered Jiang Ling had just said she wasn’t hungry.

She lowered her eyes.

“Not really.”

Jiang Ling wanted to find a good entry point for a topic, then apologize.

But after just a few exchanges, the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence again.

No, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Qingyan.”

Ji Qingyan lifted her eyes to look at Jiang Ling.

Jiang Ling rubbed the tip of her nose, her gaze dodging, speaking hesitantly.

“I’m sorry about the day before yesterday.”

Finally determined, Jiang Ling took a deep breath, stared straight into the girl’s cool eyes, and spoke word by word.

“I’m really sorry for using you as an excuse to lie. I’m truly sorry.”

Jiang Ling suddenly stood up, bent over, and bowed to Ji Qingyan.

An overly solemn apology.

Ji Qingyan’s expression froze.

“But I really can’t tell you why I did it.”

Jiang Ling said this, afraid Ji Qingyan would get angry again, so she raised four fingers to her chest.

“But I can promise you, I definitely wasn’t doing anything bad.”

“Even though it sounds unreasonable for me to say this, like I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth… but I’m being sincerely apologetic to you.”

“Please forgive me.”

In her extreme nervousness, Jiang Ling didn’t know if she was apologizing or confessing, but the meaning was there.

In the end, she started stuttering.

“If… if you’re still angry, I’m willing to be punished by you once, as an apology between friends!”

“Any punishment is fine.”

She was still bent over, unable to see Ji Qingyan’s reaction, but she kept Lu Yuyao’s words in mind.

‘Apologize with absolute sincerity. If that doesn’t work, retreat to advance, and give the initiative to the other side.’

As the saying goes, a smiling face doesn’t get slapped.

If the other person also cares about you, hearing these words should dissipate most of their anger.

“Mm.”

After waiting silently for a while, she only got a faint response from Ji Qingyan.

What did that mean?

Did she accept it or not?

Jiang Ling was going crazy inside.

“Sit down first. Isn’t it tiring standing there bent over?”

“Oh.”

Jiang Ling did as she said and sat down, but then carefully observed Ji Qingyan’s expression.

Still couldn’t tell anything.

“Want some sushi?”

“I’m not really hungry.”

Jiang Ling didn’t know if she was hungry or not anymore.

In her nervousness, all her attention was on Ji Qingyan.

How could she think about eating?

Ji Qingyan nodded slightly, picked up a sushi roll with her fingers, and held it out, her eyes fixed on Jiang Ling.

There was an undeniable stubbornness in her gaze.

Jiang Ling had no choice but to take it.

Suddenly, she seemed to realize something.

A smile broke out on her face.

“Qingyan, you’re not mad anymore?”

“Try it and see.”

Ji Qingyan still didn’t answer Jiang Ling’s question.

She just watched her eat the tuna sushi roll, and only then did the corner of her mouth twitch upward.

It was delicious.

The delicate flavor spread across Jiang Ling’s tongue.

It was just cold rice and fish, but Jiang Ling found it exceptionally good.

Her eyes sparkled.

“It’s really good, Qingyan. I didn’t know you were such a good cook.”

“It’s not that exaggerated.”

Ji Qingyan turned her head away, but the redness spreading to her earlobes betrayed the girl’s thoughts.

“I’m not lying. Really.”

Afraid Ji Qingyan might think she was just trying to cheer her up, Jiang Ling picked up another sushi roll and shoved it into her mouth, speaking hastily.

There were only a few sushi rolls in the bento box.

Ji Qingyan had only eaten half of one, and Jiang Ling had already gulped down two.

Jiang Ling realized this too and scratched her head sheepishly.

“It’s fine. I have a small appetite.”

Ji Qingyan used her chopsticks to pick up a slice of ham, tilting her head.

“Want more?”

The gesture clearly meant she was going to feed Jiang Ling.

“Mm… okay.”

Though a bit embarrassing, Jiang Ling, for some reason, still accepted Ji Qingyan’s kindness.

But these chopsticks…

When feeding into Jiang Ling’s mouth, there was bound to be contact.

She had used them.

How could Ji Qingyan use them again?

Jiang Ling’s eyes suddenly widened.

Ji Qingyan picked up another slice of ham, using the same end she had just used.

She closed her lips and brought the ham into her mouth.

On that end of the chopsticks, there seemed to be a trace of shimmering wetness.

‘Was that just my imagination?’

In the club classroom, the two girls turned their heads away in unison, their cheeks flushed pink.