130 Pork Trotters

Shen Xi looked at Guan Lei, who sat down without saying a word, and asked, “Didn’t you go home for the weekend?”

Guan Lei was embarrassed by Shen Xi’s question. He couldn’t say he had not gone home because he was looking for her, could he?

Guan Lei coughed into his hand, choosing not to answer. He nudged the plate of pork trotters he had ordered toward Shen Xi and said, “I ordered too many, but I can’t return it. Would you help me eat them?”

Shen Xi eyed the plate of oily pork trotters with a frown. In the unrelenting summer heat, any normal person would feel sick to the stomach looking at the heaty meat.

Awkwardly, Shen Xi began, “That’s no good. Isn’t it a little too much? Why don’t you share it with the other students?”

Guan Lei thought Shen Xi was embarrassed and did not want to hurt her self-esteem, so he softened his tone. “It’s the weekend; everyone’s gone home. Look around; no one’s here. You’re the only one left. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

Guan Lei was very satisfied with his performance; indeed, he believed his acting skills were impeccable.

He had managed to craft the narrative in such a way as to seek her help instead of him doling out charity. This way, Shen Xi would have no reason to reject him, would she?

Contrary to Guan Lei’s gentle smile and pleasant tone, Shen Xi only felt bitter. Did Guan Lei think she was a pig, an animal that would scarf down whatever food was in front of her? Did Guan Lei think she was a glutton?

Shen Xi plastered on a brittle smile. If it had been anyone else, she would have flatly refused, but in consideration of all the help Guan Lei had offered, Shen Xi forced herself to be polite. It would be rude of her to refuse Guan Lei’s request.

Although Guan Lei could tell Shen Xi was putting on a polite front, he was glad she did not immediately reject him. He happily picked up a large trotter and placed it on Shen Xi’s plate.

Shen Xi could feel cracks forming in her forced smile. Under Guan Lei’s concerned and expectant gaze, she slowly chewed on the proffered trotter.

Lard stained her lips, a varnish bringing out her bright red lips, supple and tender. The sight of which caused Guan Lei’s heart to flutter. He was not sure what the strange, throbbing heat in his chest was, but it was one he liked.

A sudden urge welled up in his chest, goading Guan Lei to close the distance and steal a kiss from those ruby lips.

Shockingly, Guan Lei felt no aversion towards his thoughts. He wanted to kiss Shen Xi! It was a scary epiphany.

All of Shen Xi’s thoughts were consumed by the pig trotters sitting innocuously on her plate. With her bowed head and long curly eyelashes fluttering in consternation, Shen Xi’s beauty was cupid’s arrow shot through Guan Lei’s heart.

It took everything in Guan Lei’s power to wrestle control of this foreign impulse from the strange longing he felt. He had to keep up appearances if nothing else.

Seeing that Shen Xi was about to finish her first pork trotter, Guan Lei quickly picked up another one. He picked up a third when she was about to finish her second one.

Shen Xi’s furrowed brow twitched in annoyance. Guan Lei had to be playing a prank on her!

She was not some bottomless pit! Who wouldn’t feel stuffed after eating so many?

“Student Guan Lei, do you have a grudge against me?” Shen Xi snapped.

Guan Lei’s chopsticks holding the fourth pork trotter stopped in mid-air. He asked in confusion, “What are you saying? Why would I have a grudge against you?”

As Guan Lei spoke, he continued to place pork trotters on Shen Xi’s plate. How could they have a grudge? He was showing her his affection.

Shen Xi’s eyes bulged as the pile of pork trotters grew endlessly. “Guan Lei, I can’t eat anymore. I don’t think my stomach can take much more…” Shen Xi sighed in exasperation.

Guan Lei nodded. In hindsight, he should have realised Shen Xi would be too embarrassed to eat her fill. That, he reasoned, explained Shen Xi’s reluctance to continue eating.

It was a shame, but those lovely pig trotters had to go to waste.

Guan Lei vowed to learn from this experience. Next time, he would order the largest pig trotter he could instead of so many small ones.

–

Shen Xi took a nap in the afternoon before heading to the school library. She did not expect to meet Guan Lei at the library’s entrance.

“What a coincidence! I didn’t have anything planned this weekend, so I thought I would catch up on some reading in the library,” Guan Lei said as he jogged up to Shen Xi.

Shen Xi agreed with Guan Lei’s assessment of the situation and decided to join him.

In her previous life, Shen Xi had never taken the college entrance exams and did not know what to look out for. She had to study hard if she hoped to make up for her previous life’s regrets.

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