Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 67 I haven’t eaten at home this week

Chapter 67: Chapter 67 I haven’t eaten at home this week

The cafeteria was crowded, and it was only after Xu Chuning had queued for a while that she realized Shen Yubai and the others were behind her.

Seeing Shen Yubai appear, Shen Sinian let out a cold snort first.

Yu Gaoyi, who was behind Shen Sinian, was puzzled, "Brother Nian, what are you snorting for? Did you have a fight with Brother Yu?"

Shen Sinian glanced at him, "We’re not that childish."

A fight?

How could that be possible.

Yu Gaoyi: "Then what are you snorting for when Deng Xitong brings up Shen Yubai?"

He’s quite obviously showing dissatisfaction towards Shen Yubai, isn’t he?

Hearing his question, Shen Sinian coldly said, "The people behind know."

Yu Gaoyi: "What?"

Shen Sinian didn’t explain too much to him for the time being, just gave him a look and slightly lifted his chin, "We’ll talk about it later."

Yu Gaoyi: "Okay."

The four got their food and found a spacious table to sit down.

The cafeteria’s tables on the first floor were all rectangular and rigid, designed to sit ten, or even twelve people.

Just as the four had sat down for a moment, Shen Yubai and Ban Shu came over.

It wasn’t the first time everyone saw Shen Yubai sitting next to Xu Chuning, so no one was too surprised. Of course, no one gossiped about something more ambiguous because it was rumored that Shen Yubai and Shen Sinian had a good relationship, and that Shen Sinian was particularly close to Xu Chuning.

So, the classmates naturally assumed that Shen Yubai joined them for meals purely because of Shen Sinian’s presence.

No one thought that there could be something between Shen Yubai and Xu Chuning; the two of them didn’t seem at all likely to develop a romantic relationship.

Initially, Xu Zhiyan felt the same way, but... every time she saw Shen Yubai and Xu Chuning sitting together, she couldn’t help but overthink.

For some reason, when the two sat side by side, she felt there was a subtle and harmonious atmosphere between them.

Shen Yubai wasn’t very fond of initiating conversations or responding much.

But he often responded to Xu Chuning’s words.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhiyan bit her lip and looked towards Tang Ruqing, "Let’s go sit with them too."

Tang Ruqing was just about to suggest it, but hearing Xu Zhiyan’s words, she eagerly nodded and whispered, "I was just thinking the same."

The two walked over, and Tang Ruqing smiled, asking, "Is this seat taken?"

Ban Shu lifted his head and glanced, subconsciously looking towards Shen Yubai.

Shen Yubai didn’t even lift his head; Ban Shu was taken aback for a few seconds, about to say it was inconvenient, when Shen Sinian spoke first, "No, take whichever seat you like."

"?"

Deng Xitong, sitting on the other side of Xu Chuning, was stunned and incredulously looked at Shen Sinian, sending him a puzzled look—why did you let them sit here?

Sensing her reproachful gaze, Shen Sinian covered his mouth with a cough, his face bearing a faint smile, "Brother Shu."

Ban Shu was perplexed: "What’s up?"

Shen Sinian feigned ignorance, "These two girls are from your class?"

Ban Shu didn’t fully grasp his intention and responded with slight confusion, "...Yeah, let me introduce them."

Shen Sinian: "Sure."

Ban Shu: "..."

What’s going on?

He gave Shen Yubai a kick under the table, but all in vain, he didn’t respond at all.

With a head full of question marks, Ban Shu introduced the three, "Tang Ruqing, Xu Zhiyan."

He looked at the two girls who had lifted their heads, "This is Shen Sinian."

Tang Ruqing had already noticed Shen Sinian; she had heard that a handsome guy had transferred into the normal class. Initially, she wondered just how handsome he could be until she and her classmates went to the basketball court some time ago and saw him playing basketball in a loose T-shirt. That was when she realized the schoolgirls weren’t exaggerating; Shen Sinian’s handsomeness... did indeed rival Shen Yubai’s.

Not only that, but he also appeared more sunny and cheerful than Shen Yubai.

Tang Ruqing didn’t like those quiet, aloof types like Shen Yubai—she preferred sunny and handsome young men, with sharp brows and starry eyes, much like the male lead of the anime series she was following.

It was just that Tang Ruqing couldn’t bring herself to take the initiative to get to know a guy from the normal class.

So when Ban Shu formally introduced them this time, she put on a smiling face and looked at Shen Sinian, "Hello, I am Tang Ruqing."

Shen Sinian nodded and then turned to Xu Zhiyan, "So you’re Xu Zhiyan?"

Xu Zhiyan met his gaze and vaguely felt that the boy diagonally opposite was looking at her with hostility. She frowned, and suddenly remembered the last time she called out to Shen Yubai, he seemed to be nearby as well.

"I am." Xu Zhiyan’s tone was cold, not as eager as Tang Ruqing, "What is it, Mr. Shen?"

Shen Sinian smiled to himself, put down the chopsticks he was holding, and said, "There’s no particular matter, but I do have a few questions I’d like to ask you."

Hearing this, Xu Chuning, who originally didn’t want to bother, looked up and called out to him, "Shen Sinian."

She was worried that Shen Sinian would say something out of line.

Shen Sinian: "Ningning, I’m just discussing a few normal questions with a classmate, nothing impolite."

Xu Chuning’s lips moved slightly, still feeling that it was inappropriate, "Eat first."

"I’ve finished eating," Shen Sinian replied to her.

Xu Chuning wanted to say something more, but was pulled back by Deng Xitong, who pressed her voice and said, "Let Shen Sinian ask! You are not allowed to stop him."

"..."

Observing the interaction between the others, Xu Zhiyan’s displeasure became even more apparent, "Mr. Shen, what do you want to ask?"

Shen Sinian smiled provocatively at her, with a slight hook at the corner of his mouth, "I heard that you and Shen Yubai have quite a deep relationship, Xu."

Xu Zhiyan was taken aback, completely not anticipating that this was the question Shen Sinian wanted to ask. She was stunned for a few seconds, subconsciously looking at the boy sitting beside her, who had been bowing his head eating the whole time without a word, her eyelashes trembling slightly, "...A deep relationship? What aspect are you referring to?"

Xu Zhiyan’s mentality was still good.

Shen Sinian caught her off guard, "Everyone is saying that you had dinner with Shen Yubai at the Shen Family on Saturday. Is that true? Are you childhood sweethearts?"

Shen Sinian’s voice was neither loud nor soft – just enough that everyone at their table could hear, and so could the students at the tables in front and behind them. Hearing him asking Xu Zhiyan so bluntly, the students pricked up their ears to listen to the gossip and gasped in unison.

Oh my god!

Shen Sinian is so bold to ask.

While everyone was inwardly criticizing, Xu Zhiyan’s face slightly changed, "I..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Yubai lifted his eyelids and looked at Shen Sinian, "When was this spread?"

He had no idea at all.

Shen Sinian: "This morning."

Shen Yubai: "Who spread it?"

This question was directed at Ban Shu.

Ban Shu: "...I don’t know either."

He hesitated for a moment, and under the compelling gaze of Shen Yubai, he articulated the doubts in the minds of the surrounding students, "Isn’t this true?"

Shen Yubai spoke casually: "I haven’t eaten at home this week."

Ban Shu: "..."

Many of the surrounding students were stunned, silently exchanging looks through their eyes.

"What does Shen Yubai mean by that? Is he trying to clear up his relationship with Xu Zhiyan?"

"It’s unlikely, right? Maybe he just means that he and Xu Zhiyan were eating out? Eating alone?"

"It doesn’t seem like it to me."

"Oh my, this is explosive news, Xu Zhiyan looks so upset."

"..."

As everyone was busy discussing, Xu Zhiyan’s complexion became extremely unsightly. She couldn’t believe what she had heard, her eyes immediately reddened, and she looked up at Shen Sinian, "Mr. Shen, what do you mean by what you just said?"

Shen Sinian looked innocent, "It means nothing. I was just curious and wanted to ask. It’s good that it’s not true."

Xu Zhiyan choked, feeling he had done it on purpose.

She pursed her lips, about to say something more when Shen Sinian added another question, "My next question is for you."

He pointed to Shen Yubai.

Shen Yubai: "Go ahead."

Shen Sinian: "The trinket you posted on QQ Space on Saturday, was that a couples’ item?"

"..."

Even if Shen Yubai wasn’t clear about the details, he could roughly guess what Shen Sinian was up to. He looked at the girl picking at her food grain by grain, trying to hide herself beside him, put down his chopsticks, and calmly answered Shen Sinian’s question, "The trinket you bought to give me, don’t you know whether it’s a couples’ item or not?"

The gossiping students around them: "...??"

What did they just hear?!