Chapter Thirty-Six: Sharing a Meal with Zhang Liying (Part Two)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Dining with Zhang Liying (Part Two)

“The level of difficulty is really high, haha! Eight classes, twenty-four top students competing, and only one champion and one runner-up. The odds of winning are slim!” said Wei Xiaoping.

“If we include all five aspects—morality, intellect, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor—in the evaluation, which one is the most important? Surely they aren’t all equal. As students, isn’t knowledge the most crucial?” Wei Xiaofan remarked.

“I agree with Wei Xiaofan. Knowledge is the most important; the others are just supplementary,” Zhang Liying chimed in.

“Logically, the five should complement each other. When you enter society, they’re all interconnected. Lacking any one makes you incomplete, so all five should be assessed together,” said Zhang Xiaoyan.

“Among the four of us, does anyone know how the top students from other classes are doing academically? Like their usual exam results, for example?” Wei Xiaoping asked.

“Why do you want to know that? Studying military tactics? Know yourself and your enemy, and you’ll defeat all the other classes in one go?” Zhang Liying teased.

“I want to compare myself with them, to see where I fall short, or where I might excel or lag behind. That way, I can remind myself to improve my weaknesses,” Wei Xiaoping explained.

“Normally, only students within the same class know each other’s exam scores, right? I never ask about other classes’ results. Xiaoyan, after exams, do you pay attention to other classes’ scores?”

“Me? Hehe, I barely have time to worry about myself; why would I care about others’ scores? It doesn’t affect me!”

“If you want to know about other classes, you can check the bulletin board. I remember the rankings for the junior high division are always posted there,” Wei Xiaofan said.

“I’ve never really noticed that. Wei Xiaofan, have you paid attention to these things? Does it say why the rankings are the way they are?” Zhang Liying asked.

“Sometimes I glance at it when I walk by. It does mention the reasons, but I don’t remember the details,” Wei Xiaofan replied.

The four of them chatted as they walked, discussing the upcoming competition, and before they knew it, they were almost at the restaurant.

Just then, a male voice suddenly called out:

“Hey—isn’t that Zhang Liying? Hey, Zhang Liying—”

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw two boys coming out of the restaurant.

All four immediately recognized one of them as Li Bufan; the other was a student from another class, but they didn’t know his name.

“Li Chaoqian? What are you doing here?” Zhang Liying asked in surprise.

From her question, everyone realized Zhang Liying knew this top student from another class, Li Chaoqian.

“Li Bufan and I just finished eating here! You’re here to eat too, right?” asked the boy named Li Chaoqian.

Li Bufan looked at Wei Xiaoping and Wei Xiaofan, grinned, and said, “Wei Xiaofan, Wei Xiaoping, about last time—I misunderstood you! Sorry about that, haha!” he said, thick-skinned and trying to laugh it off.

“Let’s hope it really was a misunderstanding,” Wei Xiaoping replied coolly, though he thought, “Misunderstanding? There was a photo of your family tucked in that magazine—how is that a misunderstanding?!”

Wei Xiaofan thought to himself, “Li Bufan really is shameless. That photo of him and his parents in the magazine clearly proves he was trying to frame me and Wei Xiaoping, yet he calls it a misunderstanding! Or is he suggesting someone broke into his house just to hide that photo in a book to set me up? He’s got that sly smile—better be careful around him in the future.”

“Li Bufan, was it really a misunderstanding?” Zhang Liying asked, recalling the day in the classroom when Li Bufan told on Wei Xiaofan for reading extracurricular books. She decided she’d ask Wei Xiaoping and Wei Xiaofan about it over dinner.

“Oh, of course! I’ve already explained everything to Teacher Wu Wenbin. Wei Xiaofan, Wei Xiaoping, I promise nothing like that will ever happen again,” Li Bufan said, chuckling once more.

Wei Xiaofan watched Li Bufan’s smile closely and felt there was something cunning behind it.

Li Chaoqian added, “Li Bufan told me about it yesterday. He said he had a misunderstanding with two classmates—so it was you two? Since it’s all cleared up, let’s not dwell on it. How about this: Li Bufan, since you caused the misunderstanding, why not treat everyone to a meal as an apology?”

Li Bufan smiled, “I was just about to suggest that! Class Leader Zhang, what do you think? I’d really like to get to know you all.”

Seeing that Li Chaoqian was about to make Li Bufan treat them, Zhang Liying quickly said, “No need, thank you! The four of us are here for dinner and have things to discuss. We won’t trouble you. Since you’ve already finished eating, you go ahead.”

With that, she ushered Wei Xiaofan, Wei Xiaoping, and Zhang Xiaoyan into the restaurant, and then turned to Li Chaoqian and Li Bufan, saying,

“We’re going in to eat. You two should get going. Don’t block the doorway.”

With those words, she went inside.

Li Bufan and Li Chaoqian watched Zhang Liying go in. Li Chaoqian hesitated for a moment and said, “Zhang Liying’s attitude seems like she’s avoiding me! I haven’t done anything to offend her!”

Li Bufan asked, “Li, do you know Zhang Liying? You called out to her just now.”

“Her father is my dad’s boss. Once, our family attended the wedding of one of my dad’s friends. I met her family there, so we know each other,” Li Chaoqian explained.

Li Bufan was surprised. “Zhang Liying’s dad is your dad’s boss? My father already thinks your dad’s position is pretty high—so her father must be even higher...”

Li Chaoqian interrupted before he could finish, “Since Zhang Liying doesn’t want to talk to us, let’s just go. Did you remember what I told you? Be careful not to hurt anyone. And when the day comes, watch my signals. If I win, we’ll drop the plan. If not, wait for my secret signal and act. Understood?”

“Don’t worry, Li, I’ll take care of everything. On that day, I’ll keep my eyes on you and won’t miss a single cue.”

“Good. That puts my mind at ease. When the time comes, I’ll put in a good word for your dad in front of mine,” said Li Chaoqian.

Inside the restaurant, Wei Xiaofan and Wei Xiaoping sat side by side, with Zhang Liying and Zhang Xiaoyan sitting across from them.

“Wei Xiaofan, what would you like to eat? And you, Wei Xiaoping?” Zhang Liying asked, holding the menu and looking at Wei Xiaofan.

Wei Xiaofan hesitated, scanning the dishes, trying to find something affordable and varied.

But every dish was over ten yuan. He thought, “Why is everything here so expensive? One dish costs more than I spend on food for a whole week or two. We really shouldn’t have come out to eat! I should have stopped Wei Xiaoping when we were back in the dorm.”

Wei Xiaoping noticed Wei Xiaofan’s hesitation and guessed he was struggling to find something within his budget. He’d glanced at the menu earlier and saw that nothing was under ten yuan. He realized Wei Xiaofan must be regretting coming out to eat at his suggestion. If only he’d waited before coming out, maybe they wouldn’t have run into Zhang Liying, or if he’d listened to Wei Xiaofan, none of this would have happened. If it were just the two of them and the prices were too high, they could have simply left, but with two girls present, it would be awkward to say they didn’t want to eat just because it was expensive.

“What should we do? Eat here or not? If not, there’s only this one restaurant nearby—where else could we go? But if we stay, just one dish is over ten yuan. If both Wei Xiaofan and I order one, that’s more than twenty. And there are two girls as well!”

Wei Xiaoping was torn with indecision...