Chapter 456 — Beyond Endurance

She, of all people, nervous over a boy? Tang Yun rubbed her temples. Absurd as it seemed, it was the plain truth.

Half a year ago, she would have sneered at girls like that. To fret over whether your boyfriend might stray—did that not simply mean you were not charming enough? Tang Yun had been certain she would never be one of those girls, worrying herself sick day in and day out.

And now retribution had come, and come quickly. Tang Yun rather regretted having laughed at others. He who mocks others is worse than they are—the saying was true after all; the ancients did not lie.

"Wei Zhao, have you been waiting long?" Tang Yun tried hard to look normal. That said, she turned her eyes to Feng Xiaoxiao. "So this is your new deskmate?"

"Hello, I'm Feng Xiaoxiao." Feng Xiaoxiao held out her hand. "I'm one of Wei Zhao's admirers."

"Ah?" Tang Yun was taken aback. She shook hands with Feng Xiaoxiao, somewhat bemused. "Admirer?"

"That's right. He drives so coolly, and I want to learn from him, but he hasn't taught me yet." Feng Xiaoxiao nodded graciously at Tang Yun.

"I see," said Tang Yun, frowning so faintly it went unnoticed. What did "admirer" mean, exactly?

"Let's go. Don't bother with her." Wei Zhao truly had no words left for Feng Xiaoxiao. This girl was certainly up to no good. Though he could not bring himself to kick her, he had no wish to pay her any attention either.

"Oh." At his words, Tang Yun's heart eased considerably, and her hostility toward Feng Xiaoxiao was no longer what it had been. "We're going to eat. See you next time!"

"No need for next time—I eat in the cafeteria too. Let's go together!" Feng Xiaoxiao, utterly unbothered by playing the third wheel, said warmly.

Tang Yun wanted to say something, but in the end said nothing. She stood on Wei Zhao's right, and Feng Xiaoxiao on his left; the two of them flanked him, one to a side, in a way that was indescribably awkward.

"Tang Yun, have you ever seen your husband drive? He's so cool!" Feng Xiaoxiao turned her head toward Tang Yun.

"Husband?" Tang Yun was startled, then rather angry—not because Feng Xiaoxiao had called Wei Zhao her husband, but because of how vaguely she had put it. She had not prefixed it with "your"; the two words had simply popped out, so that anyone listening might think Wei Zhao was her husband, or that she and Tang Yun shared one. Yet Tang Yun could hardly correct her—what if it had only been a slip of the tongue? If she spoke up, would she not lose face? So she said: "I have. But if you want to learn to drive, you'd best go to a driving school."

"I have a license. What I want to learn is drifting!" Feng Xiaoxiao said.

When they reached the cafeteria, Wei Zhao, hoping to shake Feng Xiaoxiao off, chose a table for two, so that she could not possibly sit with them. And indeed Feng Xiaoxiao did not come over; she went alone to line up at the serving window.

"Wei Zhao, what's the story with that Feng Xiaoxiao? She seems awfully clingy," Tang Yun asked, as if casually.

"What, jealous?" Reading Tang Yun's expression, Wei Zhao guessed what was in her heart.

"Jeal—jealous of what? Who's jealous?" Of course Tang Yun would not admit it. "I just think she's a bit silly."

"Heh..." Wei Zhao smiled. "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it."

"Whatever. One meat, one vegetable—you decide." Tang Yun was not a picky eater, and her lunches with Wei Zhao were plain: two dishes between the two of them, and no waste.

Wei Zhao was not picky either, so he generally went to whichever window had the shortest line, and what they ate each day was a matter of chance. Today the windows for garlic-sprout stir-fried pork and steamed spare ribs were nearly empty, so he bought one portion from each and carried them back.

The two of them had just sat down to eat when they saw Feng Xiaoxiao dragging a chair over, a large tray in her hands. She came to Wei Zhao's table, set the tray straight down, and wedged the chair in at the side.

At peak hours the cafeteria grew crowded, so a few spare folding chairs were kept along the wall for extra seating when the place filled up. Wei Zhao had not expected Feng Xiaoxiao to haul one over herself.

"Wei Zhao, I bought you braised chicken legs. They're delicious! Here." As she spoke, Feng Xiaoxiao set the plate of braised chicken legs from her tray in front of Wei Zhao.

"Huh?" Wei Zhao had not expected Feng Xiaoxiao to buy him a plate of braised chicken legs. Was this not deliberately making him uncomfortable? Tang Yun had already been a little jealous; what on earth was this girl playing at?

"Eat up, they're so good!" Feng Xiaoxiao watched Wei Zhao with a smile. "I heard from Zhong Yongliang that the cafeteria's braised chicken legs and roast lamb chops are both delicious, but the lamb chops are made to order—I've ordered a portion, it'll take a while. You start with the chicken legs!"

At last Wei Zhao had reached the end of his patience. Before, because Feng Xiaoxiao was a girl, he had never really done anything to her. But now, with Feng Xiaoxiao doing one strange thing after another, he finally could not hold back.

"Feng Xiaoxiao, are you ever going to stop?" Wei Zhao glared at her.

"You—you're so mean to me." Feng Xiaoxiao was badly startled by Wei Zhao. Her eyes reddened and she shed tears of grievance. "Woo... why are you so mean to me? I just admire you, I just want to please you so you'll teach me to drive. What's wrong with that... woo..."

"!" Wei Zhao stared in shock at the pitiful Feng Xiaoxiao, scarcely believing his eyes. Was this the same Feng Xiaoxiao who had ground her teeth and plotted to secretly photograph him and blow him up with firecrackers?

She had not cried when the firecrackers went off, and now she cried just because he had shouted at her a couple of times?

Tang Yun had been annoyed that Feng Xiaoxiao had no sense of when to make herself scarce—she and Wei Zhao had finally gotten a little time alone, and here she was playing the third wheel. But now, seeing Feng Xiaoxiao so aggrieved, Tang Yun softened again. Did she really just admire Wei Zhao? Or did she have other ideas?

But admiration was a hard thing to pin down; it turned into fondness all too easily. That was why Tang Yun had been so hostile toward Feng Xiaoxiao. Yet now she felt a little sorry for her. "Wei Zhao, say something to her, get her to stop crying. Or—why don't you just teach her?"

"Don't let her fool you. This girl loves to put on a show." Wei Zhao curled his lip, hardened his heart, and ignored Feng Xiaoxiao.

Seeing Wei Zhao say that, Tang Yun could hardly press further. Fortunately Feng Xiaoxiao only wiped her tears in silence, without crying loudly enough to draw attention; otherwise people might well have gotten the wrong idea.

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