She's Too Sweet - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Isn’t that guy sitting next to you the one who got slapped last time?” Wen Man turned her head, taking another look at Xie Lou, who was sitting by the window, squinting lazily.

Su He nodded and said, “Let’s find a place to sit down.”

Wen Man finally reacted, “Hey, wasn’t there an empty seat next to that guy? Why did we come over here?”

Su He: “……”

No matter how many seats were available, she didn’t want to sit with him.

“Here is good,” she said, pulling Wen Man to a spot that had a bit of sunlight but was secluded. Wen Man was just there to relax at the library, so she nodded and didn’t argue further.

After being out in society for many years, she wasn’t interested in these young boys. She peeked at the book in Su He’s hand, got up, and picked out two books herself. The two of them sat down to read together.

“Want to have dinner together tonight?” Wen Man asked Su He after a while, yawning softly.

Su He’s hand paused as she turned the page, shaking her head, “No, I still have work.”

Wen Man knew Su He had a part-time job in the kitchen, but she didn’t know the details, and Su He rarely talked about it.

“Okay then.”

The two of them stayed at the library until 4:30 PM. Wen Man was getting drowsy, while Su He had read almost half of her book and taken a lot of notes.

When they left the library, the sun was still shining brightly, covering the entire campus.

Wen Man stretched and noticed students playing basketball on the court. She perked up and pulled Su He along, saying, “Let’s go take a look.”

The basketball court was lively, with both teams fiercely competing. Su He quickly spotted Xie Lou, who was wearing a black shirt and shorts.

He jumped up and easily scored a basket.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The girls watching shouted, “Senior, senior, go!”

“Xie Lou, Xie Lou.”

Wen Man: “This kid is quite popular.”

Su He remained silent, shifting her gaze away and looking down at her phone.

He wasn’t just popular today.

* * * * * * * * * *

After the game, the results were immediate. Xie Lou lifted his shirt to wipe his face, revealing his lean abs. The surrounding girls screamed as he did so. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked at them.

Xu Yu hooked his arm around Xie Lou’s neck and said, “Did you see those two girls across from us?”

Xie Lou opened a bottle of water, took a sip, and narrowed his eyes to look.

Su He’s skin was as pale as tofu, bathed in sunlight.

He looked away, stretching his long legs and sitting on the steps. Xu Yu chuckled and said, “I heard they’re self-taught students, and the one with short hair drives a Tesla to school.”

“Such mature and sophisticated women are hard to come by,” Xu Yu said, glancing at Wen Man.

Xie Lou crushed the empty water bottle, “Is that so?”

“Compared to those immature freshmen, they’re much better,” Xu Yu added, his eyes sparkling with interest.

Xie Lou smiled slightly but didn’t respond.

Zhou Cheng leaned in, whispering, “I think the other girl next to the short-haired one is more interesting…”

Xu Yu examined them closely, “This one isn’t bad either.”

Xie Lou twisted the cap off another water bottle, listening to them discuss Su He and her friend without emotion.

“Do you like either of them, Xie Lou?” they asked after they’d had enough.

Xie Lou raised an eyebrow, “Neither.”

Xu Yu: “Well, you have Xiao Cen.”

Xie Lou sneered, stood up, and said, “Let’s go, we’re done playing.”

* * * * * * * * * *

They stopped playing after a short while. Wen Man found it boring and pulled Su He away. Su He breathed a sigh of relief as they headed back to their dorm.

Chi Ying and Chen Lin had just returned with four cups of coffee.

Each of them took a cup, and Su He leaned against the bed, chatting with them.

When it was time for dinner, Wen Man decided not to go home and went to eat with the other two. Su He cleaned up the trash bag and headed downstairs to throw it away. At the school gate, she was about to hail a taxi to go to the Hua Dong New City District.

A black Jaguar stopped in front of her, and Su He instinctively took two steps back. The window rolled down, and Xie Lou’s hand extended out, looking at her.

“The kitchen is out of ingredients. Let’s go to the supermarket together.”

Su He hesitated.

What a great day, running into him three times.

She shook her head, “You go by yourself. If you want something, buy it yourself. I’ll take a taxi.”

This was clearly a refusal to ride with him.

Xie Lou raised an eyebrow, resting his chin on his hand with a hint of aggression, “Why do you think I’d buy groceries?”

Su He: “……”

“You don’t have to then,” she replied after a pause.

Xie Lou looked at her deeply, a smile that seemed both mocking and teasing appearing on his lips, “Then you’ll have to buy them.”

He rolled up the window, and the black sedan sped away.

Su He watched as the car disappeared into the distance, feeling relieved. Her taxi arrived just in time, and she got in. Instead of going to Xie Lou’s house immediately, she went to a nearby Walmart to buy groceries.

When she arrived at Xie Lou’s house, it was already dark.

As she entered, Xie Lou was leaning on the couch, watching TV. He turned his head to look at her but said nothing and turned back to the TV.

Suhe carried the groceries into the kitchen and said, “I’ll make braised pork tonight?”

Xie Lou bent down to pick up a cigarette, lit it, and replied, “Whatever you like.”

With her employer’s consent, Su He nodded and started cooking.

The kitchen door closed, and the sound of the TV became muffled outside. Su He was busy chopping meat and simmering broth, but she was organized.

Xie Lou finished his cigarette and glanced into the kitchen.

She was turning around to grab bowls and chopsticks, her long eyelashes casting a shadow, looking shy.

Xie Lou took off his sweaty shirt and headed into the bathroom. His phone was on the sink.

Chen Yao had sent a message: “I feel like Su He has changed a lot…”

He glanced at it.

Yes, she had changed a lot.

Like a hedgehog.

* * * * * * * * * *

Su He brought out the dishes, and Xie Lou had just finished his shower, rubbing his hair with a towel. His face was covered in water droplets, and he looked handsome.

A faint scent of bath soap wafted over.

Su He’s movements paused, her gaze quickly passing over his face before she turned back into the kitchen.

She brought out the rice and soup, and he began eating the meat.

“I want you to come early tomorrow. It’s the weekend,” he said.

Su He: “I have a class tomorrow morning. I’ll come at 11:30 AM.”

Xie Lou: “You want to starve me to death?”

Su He turned to look at him but didn’t respond. She cleaned up a bit, took off her apron, dried her hands, and said, “I’m leaving now.”

Xie Lou sipped his soup, stretched his legs, and murmured, “Did you eat?”

Su He’s hand on the door handle paused, and she replied, “Yes, I did.”

“Is that so?” he said with a laugh, his tone ambiguous, as if he saw right through her.

Su He quickly opened the door and left. The hallway was well-lit as she walked away from the building.

She cooked for others but rarely for herself.

Mainly because she lived alone and didn’t like cooking much.

* * * * * * * * * *

On Saturday morning, Su He still had a class, so she rushed back to her dorm. The other three had already eaten, and Wen Man cut an apple for her. Su He bent down to find a bucket of instant noodles.

Wen Man raised an eyebrow, “You haven’t eaten yet?”

Su He: “I just finished up.”

“You should have told me earlier, and I could have brought you some food,” Chi Ying said, munching on an apple.

Chen Lin: “How about we sneak out for some late-night snacks later? We’re tired of the cafeteria food.”

Su He poured hot water and said, “I’ll eat first, and we can see later.”

“I want to eat barbecue,” Chi Ying’s eyes sparkled.

Wen Man made a face, “I’m not going. Barbecue is too greasy, and I need to take care of my health.”

Su He smiled and handed Wen Man a package of goji berries.

Wen Man: “……”

After eating the noodles, Su He went to take a shower, washing away the smell of cooking oil. She felt more comfortable afterward. She washed her hair and blew it dry, sitting on the bed to read a book. Chi Ying was still listening to a lecture, Wen Man was on the phone, and Chen Lin was watching a drama. Each was doing their own thing.

Around 10 PM, Chen Lin put down her tablet, got up, and put on her shoes: “Let’s go, let’s go get some late-night snacks.”

Chi Ying cheered and closed her laptop.

Su He looked at Wenman, who was lazily hugging a pillow, “You guys go eat…”

“You’re always talking about health!” Chi Ying teased, pulling on Wen Man’s bed.

Su He laughed and patted Wen Man’s leg, “Let’s go.”

Compared to the girls’ dorm next door, they, as self-taught students, lived a more austere life. Their age made it hard to feel youthful. Every night, their dorm was the first to turn off the lights.

Eating late-night snacks was a rare occurrence.

The four of them got ready, put on their clothes, and headed downstairs. The dorm supervisor glanced at them but pretended not to notice. Their dorm was the most relaxed.

The north gate of Hai University was a street filled with snacks. As they walked out, the smell of people and food filled the air. Since it was a weekend, many students were out looking for food.

The barbecue stalls were packed, with no empty seats available.

Wen Man complained, “They’re all so unhealthy.”

But the smell of barbecue wafted through the air, tempting them.

The four of them were hesitating whether to buy some to take back or find a table when a boy in a white shirt and jeans approached them, looking a bit shy.

“Four ladies… would you like to join our table?”

When they heard the term “ladies,” the four of them exchanged a glance, and Wen Man suppressed a laugh.

Chen Lin took charge, “Okay, do you have empty seats?”

“Yes, we have exactly four seats available,” Xu Yu said, sneaking glances at Wen Man.

Su He and the others noticed and smiled knowingly.

Chen Lin smiled and nodded, “Thanks, senior.”

Xu Yu looked even more shy, saying, “No trouble, follow me.”

He led the way, and the four of them followed. Su He made a face at Wen Man, who rolled her eyes. But when they reached the table, they saw Chen Yao laughing and waving at Su He.

Su He stiffened.

Wen Man glanced at Su He.

Chen Yao leaned back in his chair, smiling at Su He.