When Chen Yanfei returned, she was carefully holding a bowl of Master Kang’s braised beef instant noodles.
She also had a small plastic bag containing a marinated egg, a sausage, and some pickled vegetables.
Squinting her eyes and pursing her lips, she added the various side dishes to the noodle bowl, strictly following Han Lie’s sequence. Her meticulous little display was incredibly endearing.
Just as she began to tear open the pickled vegetables, an idea struck Han Lie, and he suddenly called out to stop her.
"Wait! The order is wrong."
Chen Yanfei froze, her beautiful wide eyes staring at him, slightly bewildered.
Han Lie pulled out another marinated chicken leg from his bag. Smiling like a kindly old grandma, he said, "You’re missing one thing."
Chen Yanfei’s eyes suddenly lit up, like a Scottish Fold cat that had just spotted a dried fish.
"Wow! I just went to the cart and couldn’t find any. They only had whole vacuum-packed roasted chicken... Oh! Right, how much is it? I’ll buy it from you."
Avoiding any foolish talk about it being on him, Han Lie replied casually, "Two-fifty. Go ahead and get your noodles started, no rush."
"Okay, okay, thank you!"
Chen Yanfei nodded happily. She first pressed the chicken leg onto the noodle cake, then carefully sprinkled a layer of pickled vegetables over it. Finally satisfied, she snapped the lid shut.
Instant noodles that don’t require the lid to be pinned down by the fork are simply soulless.
After completing the entire ritual, Chen Yanfei cheerfully pulled out her wallet.
It was a beautiful, authentic Mickey Mouse wallet.
However, she didn’t have any fifty-cent coins, so she generously handed Han Lie three yuan, laughing, "Keep the change! I always lose coins when I carry them~~~"
Han Lie thought for a moment, then, with a smile, lifted an apple from beside him. "Then I’ll share half of this apple with you. It’s a humble dessert, but I hope you don’t mind."
Chen Yanfei thought the proposal was fantastic.
Whether the apple was tasty or not didn’t matter; she just loved these unexpected, no-strings-attached surprises.
The word "Deal" was about to leave her lips when a coin was suddenly slammed down on the table in front of her.
Chen Yanfei turned around in shock.
Pan Shaohang, his face ashen, spoke up, "No need. I have change. Keep your lousy apple to yourself!"
Everything had happened too quickly, leaving no time for him to react. Otherwise, how could he possibly have allowed Chen Yanfei to accept that loser’s chicken leg?
Like *I* care about one chicken leg? I could buy out all the whole chickens on this entire train in minutes!
The irate Pan Shaohang glared at Han Lie, sparks practically shooting from his eyes.
Han Lie didn’t say a word.
He wasn’t particularly good at handling such situations.
Mainly, he couldn’t immediately think of a method or reaction that would maximize his own benefit.
But one thing Han Lie was very sure about—he absolutely could not get into an argument with Pan Shaohang.
If they both stooped to that level, they’d both lose face, which meant losing entirely.
So, Han Lie simply retrieved the apple, placed it back on the table, and looked silently at Chen Yanfei.
Chen Yanfei felt she understood Han Lie’s meaning: This is between you two; handle it yourself.
A warmth spread through her heart.
For a moment, she had been terrified that the familiar-looking guy across from her and Pan Shaohang would start arguing, or even fighting.
Nothing could be more embarrassing than that.
She was an independent, thoughtful girl who never considered it an honor for boys to fight over her.
On the contrary, it only proved that she hadn’t managed the boundaries of her friendships well.
Or perhaps... she had simply made the wrong friends.
With this thought, her gaze towards Pan Shaohang suddenly turned somewhat "fierce."
But in this state, her voice actually softened, and when she spoke, she sounded very calm.
"Pan Shaohang, could you please explain exactly who you are to me?"
A bootlicker, of course!
Pan Shaohang was furious, his eyes even turning a little red.
"We’ve been classmates for nearly twelve years, practically childhood sweethearts, and you’re actually siding with an outsider?!"
This statement nearly made Han Lie laugh out loud.
How old are you? And your first reaction is to feel aggrieved?!
Chen Yanfei’s eyes widened. She stared at Pan Shaohang for several seconds, then suddenly turned away, sat down, and began to eat her noodles in small bites.
Damn, what kind of reaction is that? That’s actually kind of brilliant...
Not only had Pan Shaohang not expected it, but even Han Lie was nearly floored by her response.
But Han Lie remained silent, observing like a bystander.
Pan Shaohang was at a loss. He stood there dumbfounded for a good while before finally starting to panic.
He sat down sheepishly, clearly wanting to say something more but unable to swallow his pride and apologize.
It was obvious he severely lacked experience in handling such situations.
A hot-headed, unskilled weakling.
Han Lie inwardly summed up Little Pan, chuckling to himself for a moment before a thought struck him—
To think I was bested by such a weakling in my past life! What level was I at then?! Utter trash? Feeling annoyed for a moment, Han Lie quickly came to terms with it.
Actually, most high school boys around eighteen were pretty much the same.
Their personalities were particularly immature, always driven by strong impulses and a sense of restlessness.
Kids from wealthy families, the second generation, shared an additional common trait: pride and arrogance.
Those from poorer backgrounds or less happy homes, on the other hand, often carried a burden of sensitivity and an inferiority complex.
When a proud little rooster faces a sensitive little sparrow, the rooster is more likely to win.
In his past life, Han Lie’s loss hadn’t been unjust.
He hadn’t lost to Pan Shaohang, but to his own weakness.
But this was his second chance. With the mindset and composure of a middle-aged man, Han Lie had appropriately taken half a step back, shifting the focus of the conflict away from him and Little Pan.
Ignite the fuse, retreat, and watch the show—a perfectly smooth sequence of actions.
Of course, Han Lie hadn’t done it on purpose.
Brother Lie is magnanimous; he never holds grudges~
Chen Yanfei slowly ate her noodles. Her movements were graceful but entirely natural.
She held her fork with three fingers, applying a slight pressure, causing the veins and the delicate bones on the back of her hand to become visible.
The whiteness of her skin, the faint blue of her veins, and the exquisite structure of her knuckles combined to form a slender hand of dynamic beauty.
Beautiful in color, beautiful in form, and even more beautiful in texture.
Han Lie found the scene before him extremely pleasing to the eye.
He hadn’t been able to witness this in his past life.
Now, he couldn’t help but wonder: Such beautiful hands... which brute’s paws will eventually hold them? And for whom will they lovingly prepare meals?
Oh my! I’m overthinking this. I’m overthinking. A middle-aged man with plenty of driving experience... hitting the gas is just second nature...
As Han Lie’s thoughts wandered, Pan Shaohang grew increasingly agitated and finally couldn’t sit still any longer.
"Um, well... Yanfei..."
"Wait until I’m done eating."
Chen Yanfei didn’t even lift her head, interrupting him very calmly.
The more she acted this way, the more Pan Shaohang panicked; his forehead was even beginning to bead with sweat.
The half-minute that followed felt like the final judgment before an execution. Even from across the table, Han Lie could feel the oppressive, stifling atmosphere.
Of course, Han Lie wasn’t intimidated; on the contrary, he felt like laughing.
It wasn’t because of their past life’s feud; it was simply because Little Pan was so infuriatingly arrogant and deserved a beating.
Who spoiled you ?! So aggressive! Haven’t you learned any harsh lessons from the real world yet?! An overblown sense of superiority is a sickness, and it needs to be treated. If Chen Yanfei can’t set you straight, then Brother here will give you another lesson later. No guarantee it’ll cure you, but I’ll make sure you get your fill of shit.