Tian Lingyu…
What the h.e.l.l he was doing here? Didn’t he say that he was taking some culinary course abroad? When did he come back and decide to attend Silver Leaf Academy?
Lu Xinyi pinched the bridge of her nose. So this was why he always avoid talking about his whereabouts whenever he called her.
While it was true that they weren’t blood-related, Lu Xinyi cared and treated him like a real brother.
Tian Lingyu was an orphan, working in a fish port as a young transporter of freshly caught fishes from the ocean. Lu Sibai had found him suffering from hunger and burning with high fever during one of his visits at the fish ports.
Taking the nine-year-old boy back to the restaurant he was working for, Lu Sibai took care of Tian Lingyu and discovered his ability to point out the freshness of the soup served to him and what Lu Sibai used to remove the bitter aftertaste of citrus peels.
Lu Sibai and his wife then decided to take him in and join their small family. The six-year-old Lu Xinyi was just starting kindergarten when Tian Lingyu became her older brother. To repay their kindness, Tian Lingyu had sworn to help the couple with the household ch.o.r.es and looking after his younger sister.
On his eleventh birthday, the couple had surprised the young boy with the intention of adopting him legally as their son.
When Lu Sibai died in an accident and followed by Sun Meixiu’s sudden death, the Lu family had filed for Lu Xinyi’s custody, and the adoption of Tian Lingyu that the couple had filed in the court had been dismissed.
The siblings were forcibly separated with Tian Lingyu being sent into another orphanage while Lu Xinyi was taken by her Grandma Lu.
The two siblings kept their communication, promising that one day, they would find a way to repurchase their home that was taken from them by the Sun family.
As Lu Xinyi walked with Ye Xieren and Surya Rath.o.r.e to the school cafeteria, she was oblivious how their group took the attention of the other students. Find authorized novels in ReadNovelFull，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
“Get away from me! I said I don’t want to have dinner with you!” Ye Xieren tried to escape from Surya Rath.o.r.e’s grip, but the foreign man just laughed at him, putting one arm over Ye Xieren’s shoulders and dragging him to the direction of the cafeteria.
“Ahh, you don’t need to be embarra.s.sed, Brother Ye! Look at Sister Lu, she isn’t complaining! I really need some help learning about your local cuisine, and the two of you are perfect men to do the job!”
“Gah! Leave me alone!” Ye Xieren pushed himself away but failed.
While Ye Xieren was complaining about Surya Rath.o.r.e’s rudeness and not respecting his private s.p.a.ce, Surya Rath.o.r.e spotted the Tang twins following behind the three of them. He stopped and looked behind Lu Xinyi. Lu Xinyi almost b.u.mped into him but caught her footing to steady.
“Hey! That was close!” she complained.
“Why are they following us?” Surya Rath.o.r.e asked. Both Lu Xinyi and Ye Xieren followed his gaze and saw the Tang twins with Tang Lilou, shyly hiding behind her brother, Tang Liang.
Ye Xieren stopped struggling when Surya Rath.o.r.e’s grip loosened. He adjusted his coat and stared back at the twins.
“Do you need something? Why are you following us?” Ye Xieren asked while Lu Xinyi rubbed her forehead. What was this about being alone as she attends the academy? Since their first cla.s.s had finished, these two had taken the liking on dragging her to eat dinner with them.
Tang Liang scratched his head. He wasn’t really planning to tag along, but his younger sister insisted on meeting Lu Xinyi.
“We’re not following you. We’re just going to have dinner just like you guys,” he said.
Tang Lilou nodded her head, confirming her brother’s claim.
Lu Xinyi took a deep breath and sighed. She just wanted to get over it, go back to Lunar Residence, and sleep. Her shoulders and back were aching. How was it possible that she was only twenty-five, and yet her body ached like she was an old woman?
“Let’s get over it. I’m hungry,” she said, walking past both Ye Xieren and Surya Rath.o.r.e to enter the cafeteria.
When Tang Lilou saw Lu Xinyi walking away, she panicked and ran towards her. Lu Xinyi stopped when she felt a hand holding her arm. Looking down, she saw Tang Lilou nervously chewing her lower lip as if she was afraid Lu Xinyi would decline her.
“…”
“Is there something I can help you with?” Lu Xinyi asked as she realized Tang Lilou didn’t plan to break the silence between them.
The younger woman shook her head, making her curls move into waves.
“Can I eat with Xin Jiejie?” Tang Lilou’s voice was low and girly. She reminded Lu Xinyi of those young girls blus.h.i.+ng in front of their crushes.
Lu Xinyi opened her mouth but was lost for words. Her day turned out to be crazy. Why was everyone flocking around her anyway?
They just met the person, but Ye Xieren declared already that she was his worthy rival in front of their cla.s.s. How could they become such a ‘sudden enemy’?
Some of her cla.s.smates had a disdain against her without knowing who she really was. They had written her name off immediately. Before they know anything beyond what their eyes could tell—before Lu Xinyi had spoken one word, they’d think there was no way they could tolerate Lu Xinyi. Let alone socialize with her.
It was weird to find herself surrounded by Ye Xieren, Surya Rath.o.r.e, and the Tang twins.
Ignoring the sudden intrusion of her s.p.a.ce, Lu Xinyi found a vacant table, sat down, and waited for their others to take their seats.
The other diners stopped eating and talking once they saw Lu Xinyi entered the cafeteria.
“Oh? Isn’t that Lu Xinyi? I didn’t know she’s acquainted with Tang Lilou.”
“Look! Even Tang Liang and Ye Xieren are with her. What’s happening?”
“Ah! My eyes! That woman is an eyesore. Now I lose my appet.i.te to eat!”
“Heh, how shameless. Trying to seduce Young Master Shen.”
“Just wait until someone places her in her right place.”
The three men accompanying Lu Xinyi and Tang Lilou haven’t reached their table when a group of women suddenly decided to corner them. Lu Xinyi raised a brow at them, sensing another round of insults coming in her way.
“What do you want?”
“We want you out of this academy! A trash like doesn’t belong here! We don’t want to see your face anymore!” A woman yelled at Lu Xinyi and slammed the table, glaring straight at Lu Xinyi’s face. Two other women stood behind her, snickering as they smirked at Lu Xinyi’s way.
This woman’s name was Wen Shufen. She was wearing a regular white uniform of Silver Leaf Academy, indicating that she was a student of one of the short courses.
Tang Lilou’s face immediately darkened. Her usual innocent eyes turned murderous, but Lu Xinyi’s face remained impa.s.sive as if she’d expected this to happen.
Lu Xinyi leaned on her seat, crossed her legs, and put her right arm at the chair’s armrest to cup the side of her face. Tang Lilou couldn’t understand why Lu Xinyi wasn’t taking a stand to defend herself to these women.
“Oh, you don’t want to see me?” Lu Xinyi sounded emotionless and indifferent.
“No s.h.i.+t, Sherlock.” Wen Shufen scoffed, crossing her arms in her chest.
“Then f.u.c.k off.” Lu Xinyi said coldly, surprising everyone who was listening to them.
Wen Shufen was taken aback from Lu Xinyi’s fierceness.
“What did you say?!”
She was about to slap Lu Xinyi’s face, but the latter was able to catch her wrist midway before pus.h.i.+ng Wen Shufen on the floor.
Wen Shufen wailed as she hurt her arm from her fall. Her other companions were surprised by the sudden turn of events and hadn’t helped her.
Lu Xinyi stared down at her as if she was looking down an insect.
“Miss Schoolmate. You see, I really hate violence. Can’t we get along? How about that?”
When Wen Shufen didn’t reply but glared back at her, Lu Xinyi smiled evilly.
“You don’t want to see me?” she started, “That’s fine. I can help you. How do you want to get blind today? So you won’t suffer seeing me as I have no plans to leave anytime soon. Do you want me to poke your eyes and rip it out? Or do you prefer that I use my favorite knife on you?”
Wen Shufen s.h.i.+vered under Lu Xinyi’s gaze. The demoness curled her lips, showing her teeth.
Wait, was that a fang she was seeing? Wen Shufen thought. She must be hallucinating.
“You see, I just got a perfect score today for knife skills and cutting techniques. I wouldn’t mind giving you a quick demo.”