The classroom buzzed with lunchtime chatter, but a hush fell over the room as Xu Yue settled Li Miao onto her lap. Li Miao, nestled comfortably like a contented kitten, beamed up at Xu Yue, whose eyes softened with an affection that contrasted sharply with her usual stoicism. Whispers rippled through the class, speculating on the cause of this unexpected display.

 

Weren’t the two at odds with each other? What has happened in the past few days? As expected of a wealthy conglomerate, the Li group is so generous that it provides dog food to all the single dogs in the class.

 

"Maomao, I made this today. Is it good?" Xu Yue murmured, bringing a pork cutlet to Li Miao's lips. She watched, captivated, as Li Miao's pink lips parted, taking the bite with a happy sigh. The faint sheen of oil glistened on the surface, mirroring the sparkle in Li Miao's eyes.

 

"Mhm! It's delicious!" Li Miao exclaimed, her voice a melody of delight. Then, noticing Xu Yue's untouched lunchbox, her brow furrowed with concern. "Xu Yue, shouldn't you be eating too?"

 

The rest of the class was thinking: Is this where the saying “I’m full from watching you eat” comes from? 

 

Xu Yue's smile deepened, her gaze lingering on Li Miao's face. "I like watching you eat, Maomao." She picked up another piece, ready to feed Li Miao again.

 

"No, you try some first!" Li Miao insisted, gently pushing the chopsticks away. How could she let Xu Yue go hungry while she was around? After all, she had insisted on being Xu Yue’s rich benefactor.

 

Xu Yue chuckled, her heart warming at Li Miao's concern. "How can you be so adorable?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

 

Li Miao's cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she watched Xu Yue, her heart skipping a beat as Xu Yue leaned in. Their breaths mingled, warm and sweet, before Xu Yue's lips brushed against hers. The kiss was fleeting, a feather-light touch, yet it sent a jolt through Li Miao, leaving her breathless and bewildered.

 

"It was delicious. Thank you, Maomao," Xu Yue whispered, her voice husky with a newfound tenderness.

 

The classroom erupted in a cacophony of gasps and excited whispers.

 

“What the fuck?! Am I hallucinating?” 

 

“Omg! My ship! It’s real!” 

 

“So sweet! I want a girlfriend like Xu Yue!” 

 

Li Miao's blush deepened, her face now resembling a ripe tomato. She tried to pull away, but Xu Yue's arm tightened around her waist, holding her captive in a gentle yet firm embrace.

 

"Don't kiss me in front of everyone!" Li Miao hissed, her voice a mix of embarrassment and playful chastisement. This shameless female lead!

 

Xu Yue's eyes softened, a hint of concern replacing the playful glint. "Did Maomao not like it?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. 

 

She knew that Li Miao was a bit thin-faced and easily embarrassed. Although she didn't mind keeping their flirting in private, she had been feeling repressed for the past few weeks and couldn't help herself. With Li Miao's permission, she felt she had to make every moment count.

 

Li Miao's response was barely audible, her lips brushing against Xu Yue's ear. "I... I liked it..."

 

Xu Yue's smile returned triumphant and tender. She pulled Li Miao closer, resuming her feeding ritual with a devotion that left the rest of the class speechless.

 

The rest of the class: “Suddenly we have no appetite, we’re full on dog food…” 

 

Ying Lian, undeterred by the pink atmosphere surrounding the two, leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Wow, Li Miao, that looks tasty, can I try some?"

 

“Sure!” Li Miao, eager to share, picked up a piece of cutlet and brought it to Ying Lian's lips. Ying Lian accepted the bite with a playful smile, her gaze fixed on Xu Yue's face.

 

Ying Lian chomped down on the food, chopsticks still poised to steal more, all the while studying Xu Yue. Sure enough, a chill crept into the air as Xu Yue's expression darkened. A possessive glint sparked in her eyes. Ying Lian couldn't help but find Xu Yue's possessiveness amusing.

 

“How’s that? I got fed by your precious Li Miao.”

 

Ying Lian’s eyes sent a message to Xu Yue, who’s gaze snapped to Li Miao, her eyes pleading and wide. "Maomao... feed me too..." Her voice trembled, like a child begging for candy. It was a devastating blow for Li Miao and the rest of the spectating class. 

 

When did Xu Yue become so coquettish?! 

 

Li Miao, caught between amusement and those pleading puppy-dog eyes, sighed and picked up another piece of cutlet. As she brought it to Xu Yue's lips, her hand was gripped by Xu Yue’s. Xu Yue took the bite, her tongue lingering on the chopsticks with a slowness that made Li Miao's heart skip a beat.

 

"Thank you, Maomao," Xu Yue purred, her voice a warm breath against Li Miao's ear, sending shivers down her spine.

 

Overwhelmed, Li Miao pried Xu Yue's hands away and scrambled off her lap. Cheeks burning like ripe peaches, she stumbled towards the door.  "I-I need the restroom!" she squeaked, her voice barely a whisper over the classroom's sudden silence.

 

Eyes followed her flustered retreat with knowing smiles.

 

Tang Jia, walking towards the classroom, was nearly bowled over by Li Miao's panicked exit. Confused, she glanced inside, an understanding look spreading across her face as she watched Xu Yue nibbling her lunch, the picture of innocent elegance.

 

"Yo! What'd you do to our Li Miao?" Tang Jia asked, pulling up a chair and sitting backward, a playful smirk on her face.

 

"Taste test," Xu Yue replied, her words curt, her gaze fixed on the empty doorway.

 

"Taste test, huh? Interesting..." She glanced at Li Miao's lunchbox, noting the identical dishes to Xu Yue's. "Miss Xu," she thought, "you’re not very convincing…"

 

She looked at Ying Lian sitting next to them, quietly nibbling her food like a little rabbit. She didn’t have much of an impression of this girl, but only knew her as Li Miao’s loyal follower, doing whatever she asked her to do.

 

She’s not too bad looking either, pretty cute actually. 

 

Tang Jia hadn't really thought about it before, but after being bombarded with second-hand romance from the two lovebirds beside her, she found herself wondering what kind of person she would be into.

 

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of a chair scraping against the floor. Looking up, she saw a beautiful girl approaching, Zhang Wei trailing behind her.

 

"Ugh, it's you," Tang Jia exclaimed with an incredulous look on her face as she saw Zhang Wei approaching her. Despite Xu Yue's reassurance that the two were just good friends, Tang Jia couldn't shake off the feeling that Zhang Wei had a soft spot for Xu Yue. She was defensive about him, especially since he was the root cause of all the bullying that they had to endure in the past.

 

You dare to steal the cabbage I’ve been diligently growing for so long? Over my dead body. 

 

"W-what? What's up with you, did I do something to you?" Zhang Wei asked, taken aback by Tang Jia's hostility.

 

"Ah, I was just thinking what a shame you're into Xu Yue. She's already got a certain rich heiress wrapped around her finger," Tang Jia sighed, mock seriousness dripping from her voice.

 

"Who said I liked Xu Yue? We're just friends, I've said it a million times! If anything, I like L–" Zhang Wei cut himself off abruptly. Ying Lian's glare was piercing, a silent threat that had him backpedaling fast.

 

"Nevermind!" He quickly sat down and unpacked his lunchbox, burying his face as if seeking refuge from the awkwardness.

 

Meanwhile, Wei Lin, who had been observing the scene with amusement, turned her attention to Xu Yue. "Little Xu, did you and Maomao make up?"

 

Xu Yue nodded silently, her gaze fixed on her lunchbox.

 

"My, how wonderful. So, how far have you two gone?" Wei Lin pressed, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

 

Tang Jia choked on her food while Xu Yue's chopsticks paused mid-air. She looked at Wei Lin suspiciously, her usual composure momentarily shaken.

 

"Bzzt, wrong. Don't be so cold, I'm not here to compete for her attention," Wei Lin giggled, making a playful 'X' with her fingers.

 

Xu Yue, unconvinced, went back to her lunch, her silence a fortress against further teasing.

 

Wei Lin's gaze swept over the surrounding girls, who sat silently eating their lunches. With a mischievous smile, she slid into the seat between Ying Lian and Tang Jia, both of whom were startled by her sudden presence.

 

“Hello, I’m Wei Lin. And the two of you are?” 

 

Ying Lian, ever the social butterfly, chirped, "Hi! I’m Ying Lian. President Wei, you're gorgeous up close!" She beamed, already scheming how to become this pretty upperclassman's new best friend— truly in line with her preference for beautiful faces.

 

Is this some sort of beautiful girl convention? My lucky day!

 

"My, I’ve heard that you have been taking good care of our Maomao. Thank you so much," said Wei Lin, who had a soft spot for girls like Ying Lian, who she thought were like small animals. In the past, Li Miao didn’t allow her to hug her, but the current Li Miao was more open to physical contact, so she had been slowly getting used to hugging others. 

 

Therefore, it was not surprising when Wei Lin pulled Ying Lian into a hug. Her chest smothered the shorter girl, and her head peeked out like a little rabbit in a snow pile. Ying Lian took no liberties, happily hugging Wei Lin back. 

 

Tang Jia watched, one eyebrow twitching in amusement. Then, Wei Lin's gaze danced her way, sending a jolt of surprise through Tang Jia.

 

“And you?” 

 

"Tang Jia. Friend of Xu Yue and Li Miao. And..." she hesitated, then added with a touch of defiance, "I prefer not to be hugged."

 

Wei Lin's eyes widened before curving into crescents, her laughter a gentle melody amidst the bustling classroom. "If you don't want it, I won't." She brought a finger to her lips seductively before winking at Tang Jia. "But if you ever change your mind..."

 

A blush bloomed across Tang Jia's face, hot as a summer sunrise. She turned away to hide her flustered expression. This girl... was she serious? It was the first time another girl had flirted with her so boldly. Her hand trembled slightly on her chopsticks, and she could feel her heartbeat pounding through her fingers.

 

Huh… why is my heart beating so fast?

 

Meanwhile, Li Miao peeked into the classroom, her eyes widening at the lively scene. Laughter echoed in the corner, creating a warmth she never expected to come back to.

 

When did this become a big hangout?!

 

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