The School Beauty Actively Invites to a Meal

Zhou Yi: ???

Was she disliked just because he scored higher than her?

She glanced at Xie Tingwan’s calm and composed expression and silently thought to herself—seems like this campus goddess cares a lot about her reputation.

And she’s really good at masking her emotions.

After the award ceremony, everyone took a group photo together. Standing side by side, Zhou Yi and Xie Tingwan looked like the perfect pair—a talented man and a beautiful woman.

As the event wrapped up, one of the bespectacled teachers announced, "The top ten students, please stay behind."

These would be the members representing the team for the upcoming International Mathematical Modeling Competition in the U.S.

The teacher speaking was surnamed Yang, who would also be their team leader for the competition.

He created a WeChat group to make communication easier.

"The competition is at the end of this month, which gives us less than two weeks to prepare. Make sure you’re ready."

"Oh, and there are three students from S Province, right? Who will be the team leader responsible for coordination?"

Among the top ten, six were from A University—the host school—so Xie Tingwan was the undisputed choice for team leader.

Aside from one student from C Province, the rest were from S Province.

Before Yang Hong could speak, Kong Xiaohe immediately chimed in, "Teacher, let Zhou Yi be the leader. He was our captain before."

Teacher Yang nodded in agreement. "Alright, then Zhou Yi it is. Take down my phone number—I’ll contact you directly if anything comes up."

Zhou Yi smiled faintly. "Sure, teacher."

Yang Hong shot Kong Xiaohe a displeased look. Who knew this guy could be such a bootlicker?

After briefly explaining the schedule, Teacher Yang dismissed everyone.

As they stepped outside, Xie Tingwan called out to Zhou Yi with a warm smile. "Zhou Yi, since you’ve come all the way to A University, why not join us for lunch?"

The other A University students couldn’t help but admire Xie Tingwan’s kindness and generosity, chiming in to support her invitation:

"Yeah, Zhou Yi, we’ll be competing together at the end of the month. Might as well get to know each other."

"Come on, the campus cafeteria isn’t any worse than outside restaurants."

"Or we could go off-campus—there’s a whole street of good food nearby."

Zhou Yi hesitated, glancing at Jiang Cong and the others waiting nearby. "But my friends are expecting to have lunch with me."

Xie Tingwan’s smile didn’t waver. "No problem, they can come too! The more, the merrier."

Yang Hong and Kong Xiaohe’s impression of Xie Tingwan skyrocketed, and they quickly agreed.

Zhou Yi still hesitated. "Let me ask my friends first."

"Of course."

Xie Tingwan followed Zhou Yi over to Jiang Cong’s group.

Upon seeing Zhou Yi, they all congratulated him.

"Congrats, Captain, for taking first place! The president of Huai University must be over the moon."

"Xiaohe did great too, ranking tenth."

No one mentioned Yang Hong, who had placed seventh. Annoyed but powerless, Yang Hong could only stew in silence—these people weren’t even his usual crowd.

"How about we all have lunch together at A University? Consider it a chance to make new friends. Is everyone okay with that?"

They had all noticed Xie Tingwan earlier but hadn’t dared to approach her.

Now that the campus belle was personally inviting them, none of them had the heart to refuse.

Her voice was so gentle that rejecting her felt like it would break her heart.

At their eager agreement, Xie Tingwan’s eyes curved into a soft, enchanting smile.

She led the A University students and Zhou Yi’s group toward the cafeteria, drawing curious glances from passersby along the way.

Many greeted Xie Tingwan—some calling her "senior," others "Wanwan"—proof of her popularity on campus.

As they walked, Xie Tingwan warmly shared the history behind the university’s landmarks and sprinkled in some amusing campus gossip, effortlessly breaking the ice.

Wang Yuyan gazed at her like an adoring fan, eyes practically sparkling.

"Really? Then have you ever met that poet?"

Xie Tingwan chuckled. "No, I only heard about it from a senior. Take it with a grain of salt, Yuyan—it might just be a rumor."

She easily blended in with the group—everyone, that is, except Zhou Yi, who remained quiet.

Noticing this, Xie Tingwan teased lightly, "Your captain doesn’t talk much, huh?"

Zhou Yi finally spoke up. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

Xie Tingwan tilted her head curiously. "What about?"

Zhou Yi smiled. "Work matters. I’ve been in A Province for a few days now—not sure how things are going back at the company."

"Xie Tingwan’s affection +1."

So, Zhou Yi mused, Xie Tingwan likes ambitious men?

With a gentle laugh, she patted his shoulder. "Don’t overwork yourself. Company issues can’t be solved overnight. My dad once stressed himself sick over work—it’s not worth it."

Casually, Xie Tingwan revealed that her family owned a business—not to boast, but to pique Zhou Yi’s interest.

Zhou Yi played along. "Is your father also dealing with company troubles?"

"Just a minor hiccup. He treats the company like his life—I can’t talk sense into him." She sighed, her delicate frown tugging at everyone’s heartstrings.

Zhou Yi, a seasoned observer, saw right through her act. He pressed further, asking if something had happened. After some "hesitation," Xie Tingwan reluctantly explained.

Her father had recently invested in a massive real estate project—one where the Xie family alone had poured in over a billion yuan.

But another major project had hit a snag, requiring urgent capital.

"Whoa… a billion? That’s insane!"

"So Senior Xie is an heiress? Wow!"

"I’d love to help, but selling me wouldn’t even make a dent."

Wang Yuyan’s remark made Xie Tingwan laugh. She ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Things are improving slowly. It’s just that my dad’s impatient—it’s not actually a crisis."

On the surface, she was just venting. But between the lines, she conveyed three things:

1. She came from wealth.

2. Her father might need financial help soon.

3. The issue would resolve itself—just not immediately.

Zhou Yi was the only one who could realistically assist—his company, Huanyu, specialized in investments.

Now he had to decide: Was she worth the cost? And was her story even true?

"Senior, what’s your family’s company called? Maybe I can help."

The moment Zhou Yi said this, Xie Tingwan’s affection surged.

"Xie Tingwan’s affection +5."