School Hunk

Gu Luo smiled and explained, "I'm not used to eating with too many people. Just two is perfect."

At the same time, he silently added in his mind—except with his sisters.

"Oh, I see." Shen Yue felt a wave of relief upon hearing this.

She had been genuinely worried that Gu Luo had invited her to lunch out of pity, seeing her eat alone.

While she would have been grateful, she couldn't shake the feeling that such a friendship might gradually fade away over time.

Her only friend in class had transferred at the start of the semester, and now that she had finally made another, she wanted to nurture it carefully.

The two soon arrived at the cafeteria.

Guangya Academy's cafeteria spanned three floors, lavishly decorated with an overwhelming variety of dishes from all cuisines imaginable.

Gu Luo glanced around and chose a relatively quiet spot before turning to Shen Yue with a smile. "Let's sit here. You go ahead and get your food first."

"Mm-hmm!" Shen Yue nodded eagerly and joined the line at one of the counters.

Her mind felt strangely blank.

Unbidden thoughts began swirling in her head.

Gu Luo was undoubtedly the most handsome and charismatic guy at Guangya Academy—the undisputed heartthrob of the school.

And here she was, about to have lunch with him.

Just the thought made her heart race uncontrollably.

Even if... they would only ever be friends.

That was enough.

Lost in her thoughts, Shen Yue absentmindedly ordered a mountain of food, just like she always did.

But as she carried her overloaded tray toward Gu Luo, regret instantly set in.

Staring at the towering pile of dishes, she felt her vision darken.

Would Gu Luo think she was a pig for eating so much?

The idea made her want to flee—even standing him up seemed better than being labeled a glutton.

But just her luck, Gu Luo happened to glance her way at that moment and waved.

Realizing there was no escape, Shen Yue steeled herself and trudged toward him with heavy steps.

Her head hung slightly, too nervous to meet his eyes, her heart pounding wildly.

She slowly took the seat across from him and stole a furtive glance at his reaction.

Yet, the young man’s expression remained perfectly calm, showing no surprise at the mountain of food on her tray.

Shen Yue finally exhaled in relief.

The weight lifted from her shoulders.

But soon, she became acutely aware of the curious gazes from nearby students.

Her nerves flared up again.

After all, Gu Luo was truly dazzling.

Still, aside from the nervousness, Shen Yue couldn’t help but feel a tiny thrill.

Any girl in her position would, right?

"Let’s eat," Gu Luo said with a smile, noticing her daze. He then opened his lunchbox.

Instantly, a rich, mouthwatering aroma filled the air, completely overpowering the scent of Shen Yue’s own food.

"That smells amazing... Did your family make this?" Shen Yue stared at the beautifully arranged dishes in his lunchbox, her mouth practically watering just from the smell.

No exaggeration.

"I made it myself," Gu Luo replied with a grin.

"That’s incredible!" Shen Yue’s eyes sparkled in awe.

She never would have guessed that Gu Luo, already impossibly good-looking, could also cook—and with such skill.

If a guy’s looks earned him 60 points in her book, then top-tier cooking skills were an automatic 100.

"If you don’t mind, you can try some," Gu Luo said, sliding the lunchbox toward her. "Consider it payback for all those snacks you shared."

"Really?"

"Of course."

After a brief hesitation, Shen Yue picked up a piece of perfectly marbled braised pork with her chopsticks.

She placed it gently in her mouth and chewed.

In an instant, an explosion of flavor burst across her taste buds, sending her senses into euphoria.

The rich, savory taste was nothing short of intoxicating.

And this was after being kept warm—she couldn’t even imagine how divine it must have been fresh out of the pan.

Just the thought made her...

Drool.

Literally drool.

However, the sight of the two sharing a lunchbox inevitably drew even more attention.

Shen Yue could feel the whispers and stares from other students.

Her earlier excitement was quickly doused by a wave of cold dread.

She didn’t care about herself, but the last thing she wanted was for Gu Luo to be talked about because of her.

She could already guess what people were saying:

Look, why is that hottie eating with a chubby girl?

Yeah, he’s so handsome, but his taste… tsk tsk.

So unfair—why is a flower stuck in a pile of dirt?

Maybe she’s paying him?

Just imagining it made her skin crawl.

"Um... Gu Luo..."

After a long pause, she mustered the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What’s up?" He paused his meal.

"Maybe... we shouldn’t eat together anymore..." Shen Yue murmured, lowering her head.

Gu Luo’s gaze swept the surroundings briefly before he replied with quiet firmness, "Shen Yue, we’re friends, right?"

"Of course."

"Then don’t say things like that again."

At his words, Shen Yue lifted her head and saw the unwavering sincerity in his eyes.

"Okay... I take it back..."

---

Meanwhile, on the path to the garden...

"Shuling, why aren’t you going to the cafeteria?"

"I’ve got a special lunch today~" Luo Shuling cheerfully waved her lunchbox.

"Lucky you! Enjoy!"

"Mhm!"

"Senior Shuling, where are you headed?"

"Off to the garden for lunch!"

"Oh, hey, it’s the junior!"

"Good afternoon, senior!"

"..."

Students kept greeting Luo Shuling as she passed by.

With a bright, confident smile, she responded to each one effortlessly.

She was a natural social butterfly, blending in seamlessly wherever she went.

Walking beside her, Luo Shuning couldn’t help but laugh. "Shuling’s popularity is insane. No wonder you’re the head of the Public Services Club."

"Eh, it’s nothing special," Luo Shuling giggled, linking arms with her. "By the way, isn’t Shuning about to be promoted from vice-president soon?"

"After the school festival, you mean?"

Luo Shuning shook her head slightly. "Not necessarily. The Music Club has another vice-president besides me."

"I see. Well, good luck!"

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, Luo Shuhe remained silent the entire time, her expression cool and detached as she walked beside them.

She was like a lone winter plum, exuding an aura of quiet elegance.

There was no denying it—the trio turned heads wherever they went.

Freshman boys gaped like hooked fish, sneaking glances the moment they thought no one was looking.

Such was the overwhelming charm of the campus’s triplet beauties.

I wish I could date one of them~

The lovestruck underclassmen indulged in hopeless daydreams.

Soon, the three sisters arrived at the garden.

It was September, the beautiful season when chrysanthemums were in full bloom.

The air was filled with their delicate fragrance.

"There's an empty bench over here!" Luo Shuling's eyes suddenly lit up as she immediately dashed toward the vacant seat.

She plopped down without hesitation.

Any slower, and she might have missed the spot.

The garden was bustling with students having lunch—mostly couples or groups of girlfriends.

As for why there were no groups of guys...

Well, let’s just say, if your best buddy invited you to eat lunch in the garden while admiring flowers, what would your first reaction be? (Except for that city.)

Luo Shuning and Luo Shuhe soon joined her, settling gracefully onto the bench.

They then opened their lunchboxes.

"Ah!!! It smells amazing!" Just from the aroma wafting up, Luo Shuling couldn’t help but happily tap her slender legs against the ground.

Luo Shuning nodded in agreement. "It really does smell wonderful. Big Brother Gu Luo worked hard."

Hearing Gu Luo mentioned, Luo Shuling chimed in with a grin, "The whole school’s buzzing about the super handsome transfer student who arrived this morning."

"But it’s no surprise—Big Brother is seriously good-looking and charming!"

"Right, Shuhe?"

"Probably."

"Haha, Shuhe’s answers are always so brief." Luo Shuling shoveled a big bite of food into her mouth before continuing,

"Oh yeah, isn’t the Calligraphy Club participating in the Caizhou Calligraphy Competition this year? But with Shuhe on the team, you’ve got this in the bag, right?"

............

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