Seeing that Wang Yuyan had already made her decision, Jiang Cheng nodded slightly.
"Since you've decided, don't worry, I will arrange everything for you..."
After drifting through the stormy seas of gratitude all night, Wang Yuyan returned to her rental house the next noon to pack her belongings.
Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng returned discreetly to the Finance and Economics Institute in a black rolls-royce.
Although the rolls-royce still attracted many stares as soon as it entered the school gates.
At least the doors and windows were closed, so no one knew who was inside.
Compared to the supercars he usually drove, this was considered low-key.
Thinking back carefully, Jiang Cheng had almost forgotten how long it had been since he returned to school.
The last time he came to school seemed to be for a meeting of the External Liaison Department; Jiang Cheng hadn't returned since that meeting.
The winter campus had a unique charm. The cold wind was biting, swaying the tree branches, and occasionally a few withered yellow leaves drifted down.
Jiang Cheng, wrapped in a thick down jacket, strolled along the campus path, heading toward the school cafeteria.
Eating in the school cafeteria was something that, given his current status, was becoming rarer with every occurrence.
For some unknown reason, this year's New Year's Day annual meeting had been postponed by a few days.
There was only the final stretch left before the vacation ended.
On the way, Jiang Cheng had seen students returning to school in small groups.
However, since the holiday was still ongoing, many who had already returned decided to call friends and head to the Food Street outside the campus for dinner tonight.
Because of this, there weren't many people in the cafeteria right now.
Entering the cafeteria, it was steaming hot, filled with the aroma of various foods.
Thus, the cafeteria wasn't very crowded at the moment.
After slowly circling the serving windows, Jiang Cheng took a plate of Twice-Cooked Pork, a plate of braised fish chunks, one more dish, and a bowl of nourishing stewed soup.
Just as he was about to go get rice, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a petite and frail figure.
Looking closely, wasn't that Ye Wan?
Ye Wan was wearing a slightly worn black cotton jacket.
The cotton jacket, which was already loose, made her figure appear even smaller, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.
Especially the jeans tightly wrapped around her legs made her legs look like two slender bamboo poles, appearing extremely fragile.
Jiang Cheng inadvertently glanced at her tray, and what he saw made him frown slightly.
Ye Wan had only taken Spicy and Sour Shredded Potatoes and a bowl of white rice.
No wonder she always looked malnourished.
While Jiang Cheng was deep in thought, Ye Wan had already picked up her tray and walked toward the dining area, seemingly looking for an empty seat.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng deliberately took two bowls of rice, returned to the serving window, and then took two more meat dishes and another soup.
At this moment, Jiang Cheng was holding a tray in each hand, slowly walking in the direction Ye Wan had gone.
Before long, he saw Ye Wan sitting alone in the corner.
Jiang Cheng steadily walked up to Ye Wan and gently placed the tray he was holding on the table opposite her.
After setting it down, Jiang Cheng immediately sat down across from her.
"Student Ye Wan, this spot isn't taken, is it??"
If it had been anyone else, she might have chosen to pick up her tray and find another spot, but the person was Jiang Cheng.
She looked a little uneasy, her eyes timidly sweeping over the two full trays placed before her.
Seeing this, Ye Wan couldn't help but swallow, then lightly nodded.
After sitting down, Jiang Cheng sighed helplessly.
He said with a hint of complaint, "I finally came back to school and arranged to eat with my roommate, only to be stood up. Now I've ordered all this food for nothing."
After speaking, Jiang Cheng casually moved the dishes from one of the trays to the space between his and Ye Wan's seats.
He then picked up a bowl of hot soup and carefully placed it into Ye Wan's tray.
The entire action was smooth and natural, but throughout the process, Jiang Cheng kept his eyes fixed on Ye Wan's changing expression.
As expected, Ye Wan's hands, which were holding the chopsticks, instantly stiffened at a visible speed.
Her delicate body, which had been leaning slightly forward toward the table, suddenly straightened as if startled, and then unconsciously retreated a few inches backward.
Seeing her reaction, Jiang Cheng said, "I can't possibly finish all these dishes by myself; it would be such a waste. Help me finish them."
Looking at the array of dishes laid out before her, a tangled feeling arose in Ye Wan's heart.
But at the same time, the tempting aroma was like an invisible force, constantly teasing her taste buds, making it hard for her to resist the allure of the food.
Her gaze first quickly swept over Jiang Cheng.
Then she lowered her head again, staring intently at the white rice in her bowl.
Then she nodded silently.
The dishes Jiang Cheng had ordered were things her family usually only ate once during the Lunar New Year holidays.
And they weren't guaranteed to have them every time.
Not to mention the stewed soup Jiang Cheng had gotten for her.
At home, they mostly cooked large-pot dishes every day, eating one pot of vegetables with rice for three meals.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng had already picked up his chopsticks and was silently eating the meat dishes.
Ye Wan softly said, "Thank you."
"Thank me for what? Blame those guys who prioritize looks over friends. I should be thanking you for helping me deal with these dishes."
Ye Wan shook her head, her eyes slightly evasive as she said, "Not for that... thank you for the last time."
Hearing her mention that, Jiang Cheng looked at Ye Wan's right hand.
"It's been so long, your hand should be healed now, right?"
Ye Wan nodded: "Mhm... The money you helped me pay back, I... I've already paid it back to you?"
Hearing her say this, Jiang Cheng frowned, then the corner of his mouth curled up.
"You took a part-time job at my milk tea restaurant?"
Ye Wan nodded at the question: "Mhm, I worked for half a month... The money... I told the manager to deduct it."
Jiang Cheng naturally didn't know about these trivial matters.
Although Simple Tea belonged to him, Jiang Cheng naturally wouldn't personally handle the accounts there.
He handed it directly to the Finance Department of Xingchen Investment Company for processing.
So, if he hadn't happened to run into her today.
He might never have known that Ye Wan actually worked at the milk tea shop and genuinely paid the money back to him.
Jiang Cheng quietly gazed at Ye Wan in front of him.
She was completely focused, carefully lifting the bowl of soup before her and gently sipping the steaming broth.
Every sip seemed so precious and cautious.
At this moment, an inexplicable emotional fluctuation surged deep within Jiang Cheng.
This feeling was exceptionally complex, like a tangled mess woven together.
Perhaps it was precisely because he witnessed Ye Wan's extremely cautious manner that the long-buried compassion in his heart was quietly awakened.
Just as Jiang Cheng's thoughts were in turmoil, Ye Wan suddenly looked up, meeting his eyes.
The moment their eyes met, time seemed to freeze for a moment.
However, soon, Ye Wan quickly looked away, lowering her head again to stir her rice.
"You only worked for half a month?"
Seeing Jiang Cheng speak to her again, Ye Wan nodded: "They didn't need people there, so..."