After all, the boy was so young, his parents had both perished, and he had no relatives.

He sounded so pitiful.

Su Zhaozhao said to Xie Siyuan, “Since he’s your deskmate and so pitiful, you should look after him from now on.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

But when Xie Siyuan recalled Lu Xunyu’s cold demeanor, she was at a loss for words.

‘That boy seems so cold and distant. Will he really be easy to talk to?’

But Xie Siyuan did feel some sympathy for him, so she would help if she could.

The next day at school, Xie Siyuan took a carton of milk from her bag and placed it on Lu Xunyu’s desk. “This is for you.”

The boy’s eyelashes trembled. He turned to look at her and said, “I don’t need it.”

His voice was soft and pleasant to listen to.

But just like the boy himself, it carried a hint of coldness.

Xie Siyuan’s brow furrowed at his words. “It’s for you. I don’t like milk, but my mom always makes me drink it.”

Just then, the bell for morning reading rang. Xie Siyuan pressed down on the hand he was using to push the milk back, saying, “Come on, just take it.”

The boy pressed his thin lips together and said no more.

His gaze fell on the small carton of milk. It looked like a brand he’d seen on TV recently, and it wasn’t cheap.

The girl beside him always carried a faint fragrance. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it smelled sweet.

She was just like her scent—very, very sweet.

‘But aren’t we from two different worlds?’

Even though everyone wore the same plain school uniform, one look at Xie Siyuan’s bag and shoes told you they weren’t cheap.

Plus, she was confident and cheerful, and got along with all their classmates.

Lu Xunyu’s lips thinned, and he focused on the textbook in front of him.

Someone like her was from a completely different world.

Lu Xunyu forced himself to focus on his textbook. ‘Forget it. Why am I overthinking this?’

‘I should just focus on my studies.’

During the lunch break, some students went home to eat, some ate in the cafeteria, and others ate packed lunches they’d brought from home.

Xie Siyuan was one of those who ate in the cafeteria. Her parents were both busy with work; on weekdays, they usually only ate dinner at home, so no one was around during the day.

So, even though her house was quite close to the school, Xie Siyuan still chose to eat in the cafeteria.

Today, however, Xie Siyuan looked over at Lu Xunyu. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

She knew that Lu Xunyu had lunch in the cafeteria. As for where he ate dinner, Xie Siyuan wasn’t sure.

Lu Xunyu met her gaze, which was full of goodwill. Her tone was cautious, almost hesitant, as if she were nervous.

As if she was worried he’d refuse her invitation.

Finally, Lu Xunyu nodded. “Okay.”

Hearing this, Xie Siyuan’s eyes behind her glasses curved into smiling crescents, just like the moon.

‘So beautiful.’

Lu Xunyu had never seen such a beautiful girl. Her voice, her expression, her smile—everything was impossibly wonderful.

He couldn’t help but think, ‘If only I could be like Xie Siyuan.’

‘If his parents were still alive, he would also have a stable family. But now…’

Now, he had no family and was living all alone in a new city.

Although the state provided for him financially and sent him to the best school, it just wasn’t the same.

He hadn’t wanted these things at the cost of his parents’ lives.

The cafeteria was bustling with students. As they walked, Xie Siyuan started telling Lu Xunyu about the school.

“This is where you buy meal tickets. Just tell the person how much you want to spend on rice and other dishes, and they’ll give you a ticket for that amount.”

Xie Siyuan explained the cafeteria system to Lu Xunyu.

“My treat today!” Xie Siyuan said with a grin, generously holding out five yuan.

‘He can have two yuan worth of food, and I just need one yuan’s worth!’

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Lu Xunyu frowned. “I have money.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Xie Siyuan said. “Let’s just say it’s to celebrate us becoming deskmates! You can treat me next time.”

Lu Xunyu sighed softly. ‘A debt of gratitude,’ he thought. ‘Looks like I’ll have to eat with her again to pay her back.’

After that, they got in line to get food. They got rice first, then went down the line to pick their dishes before finding a table to sit at.

Xie Siyuan also pointed out another service window to Lu Xunyu. “There’s a separate counter over there where you can pay with cash. They have noodle soups, dumplings, and things like that. You can order from there if you’re in the mood for it.”

“Okay,” Lu Xunyu nodded.

He began to eat, focusing on his meal.

Xie Siyuan ate as well, but she wasn’t particularly fond of the cafeteria food. She basically just ate enough to sustain herself.

She saved her real appetite for when she was at home.

Xie Siyuan chatted with Lu Xunyu as they ate.

She told him about their classmates and pointed out the best food and fun spots around the school.

Lu Xunyu listened silently.

Xie Siyuan suddenly asked, “Oh, right, where is your hometown? It must be tough coming all the way here for school, right?”

“I’m from Zhou City,” Lu Xunyu said.

“Oh, that’s pretty close to Beijing! I’ve visited before, it was a lot of fun.” Xie Siyuan had traveled extensively with her parents ever since she was little.

She had been to just about every fun place there was to see.

Sometimes, when her dad was too busy, her mom and grandma would take her traveling.

Having seen much of the country’s beautiful scenery growing up, hearing that Lu Xunyu was from Zhou City prompted her to mention some of its best foods and attractions.

Her mother had introduced her to psychology when she was very young, so she was familiar with some of its concepts and would subconsciously apply them in her daily life.

For example, she knew that if you could relate your own experiences to someone else’s, they would subconsciously feel a sense of closeness.

But Lu Xunyu just barely lifted his gaze, nodded, and then stood up. “I’m done. Thanks for lunch today. I’ll treat you next time.”

Xie Siyuan watched in surprise as he turned and left. ‘Why is he so hard to get through to?’

Just then, a few male classmates sidled up to her. “Class President, why are you doting on that new kid? What’s so great about him? Come eat with us instead!”

“You guys better not be teasing me,” she shot back. “Believe it or not, I’ll bash your heads in.”

Xie Siyuan immediately shot them a fierce look.

The boys, terrified, scrambled away.

They had seen Xie Siyuan’s fighting skills firsthand. Her father was a soldier and had taught her self-defense from a young age.

If a real fight broke out, they knew they’d be no match for her!

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