1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

A young teacher poked his head in, holding a document in his hand, looking somewhat anxious: "Dean Zhou, there's an urgent notice from the Academic Affairs Office that needs your immediate review and signature. We need it for the meeting this afternoon."

Zhou Shaoyuan's smile faded, and his brows furrowed, clearly annoyed by the sudden interruption. However, business was of the essence, and he looked at Xie Lu, feeling quite apologetic: "Look at this..."

Attorney Xie was very perceptive and immediately stood up: "Dean, please attend to your business first. There's no rush for dinner; we can talk about it another day."

"I can't accept this." Zhou Shaoyuan rubbed his hands together, feeling quite embarrassed.

"It's really nothing." Xie Lu's attitude was very sincere. "Please take a look at the manuscript first. If you have any questions, just call me. I'll head back now."

Zhou Shaoyuan was indeed caught up in an urgent matter, so he could only nod and pat Xie Lu on the shoulder: "Alright, I'll talk to you again after I've finished reading the manuscript. You should go eat quickly, don't go hungry."

Xie Lu took his leave and gently closed the office door behind him.

Walking on campus, I looked at the sun and then touched my empty stomach.

At this time, the cafeteria has definitely passed its peak hours, and there probably isn't much food left. The rice might even be cold.

He thought for a moment, then turned and walked towards the school gate.

Let's grab something to eat at Lao Liu's restaurant.

A simple stir-fried dish, eaten with a bowl of rice, is quite nice.

As Xie Lu walked to the entrance of Lao Liu's restaurant, the door was pushed open from the inside.

The proprietress, carrying an empty plate, stepped aside to let him in, and the little bell on the door jingled once.

The restaurant was bustling at lunchtime, with almost all the tables occupied. The sounds of conversation, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the sizzling of stir-frying in the kitchen blended together, creating a lively and inviting atmosphere.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of food: the pungent smell of chili peppers, the richness of oil, the spiciness of scallions and ginger, and the steam rising from the rice.

Xie Lu stood at the door, his gaze habitually sweeping around, trying to find an empty seat.

Then, his gaze settled on the square table by the window.

Four girls were sitting at the table, huddled together looking at the menu.

The one with her back to him had a high ponytail, wore a light yellow shirt, and a beige cardigan.

He knew that back view all too well.

It's Zhao Wanwan.

She was discussing something with the round-faced, short-haired girl next to her, pointing at the menu with her finger.

Xie Lu was stunned for a moment.

He never expected to meet Zhao Wanwan here.

It's not the weekend, so why is she here at Wuhan University? And why is she at Lao Liu's Restaurant?

At that moment, the girl with braided hair sitting opposite Zhao Wanwan looked up unintentionally and saw Xie Lu standing at the door.

She blinked, then looked at Zhao Wanwan who was looking down at the menu, and a look of realization and amusement suddenly appeared on her face.

She knew it! How did Zhao Wanwan know about this restaurant, and how was she so familiar with Wuhan University?

So that's the reason!

She nudged the short-haired girl next to her with her elbow.

The short-haired girl, Qian Mei, looked up and followed the direction indicated by the girl with the braided hair, and saw Xie Lu.

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately poked Zhao Wanwan, who was still seriously considering whether to stir-fry vegetables or Mapo tofu.

"Wanwan, look over there, isn't that someone you know?"

Qian Mei's voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for all four people at the table to hear.

Zhao Wanwan looked up blankly: "Huh? Who?"

She turned her face in the direction Qian Mei indicated.

His gaze met Xie Lu's eyes.

At that moment, Zhao Wanwan's eyes lit up like stars that had been instantly ignited.

The slight furrow on her brow, which had been furrowed as she selected the dishes, instantly relaxed, replaced by a look of surprise, joy, and a blush of slight bewilderment.

She really... met him!

Zhao Wanwan originally came to Lao Liu's restaurant with Qian Mei and the other two with a try-it-out mentality.

This coincidence made her heart skip a beat, and then it started pounding like a drum.

Xie Lu looked at Zhao Wanwan's eyes that lit up instantly and her cheeks that flushed quickly, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards.

Xie Lu took the initiative to walk over to their table.

"Zhao Wanwan?" He walked to the table and called out.

"Thank you, thank you, Lawyer!" Zhao Wanwan seemed to realize what was happening and quickly stood up.

She moved a little too hastily, and her knee bumped against the table leg, making a soft thud. She didn't care; she just looked at Xie Lu, her face flushed, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Just finished some business and came over for dinner," Xie Lu explained simply, his gaze sweeping over the three other girls at the table who were curiously sizing him up. "You guys too?"

"Yeah! My dorm and I came to East Lake together, and Wanwan said this restaurant was delicious, so she brought us here!" Qian Mei answered first, her tone lively, her eyes darting between Xie Lu and Zhao Wanwan, her smile deepening.

"We haven't finished ordering yet, and we're wondering what to eat," Zhang Xiaoli added with a smile, her voice gentle and soft.

Sun Fang didn't speak, but crossed her arms and looked Xie Lu up and down with a scrutinizing yet knowing look in her eyes.

Zhao Wanwan felt even more embarrassed by her roommates' stares.

She looked at Xie Lu, hesitated for a moment, and asked softly, "Are you... are you alone? Why don't we... come together?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Xie Lu with a little nervousness.

Although I think he's most likely alone, I'm still worried he might have made plans with someone else.

Xie Lu glanced at the empty seat on their table, which was right next to Zhao Wanwan.

He glanced at Zhao Wanwan's expectant yet slightly apprehensive eyes and nodded: "Okay."

Xie Lu walked naturally to the empty seat, pulled out the old-fashioned wooden chair, and sat down next to Zhao Wanwan.

Zhao Wanwan's heart calmed down with the "Okay" and Xie Lu's action of sitting down, but was then filled with tension and joy again.

She sat down again, her fingers unconsciously gripping a corner of the menu.

Qian Mei, Zhang Xiaoli, and Sun Fang exchanged a glance.

His eyes clearly said:

Oh, there really is something going on!

All three of them unconsciously turned up at the corners of their mouths, revealing a knowing, friendly "auntie smile."

But they tacitly didn't say it out loud, and just pushed the menu towards Xie Lu.

"Xie Lu, what do you want to eat? Wanwan said you're familiar with this restaurant," Qian Mei said, emphasizing the words "familiar with."

Zhao Wanwan's face turned even redder, as if it were burning up.

She lowered her head, pretending to study the wood grain on the table, not daring to look at her roommate or Xie Lu next to her.

Xie Lu was quite composed, taking the menu and glancing at it.

"Anything is fine with me. What would you like to eat? Lotus root and pork rib soup is good, it's perfect for this season. The Wuchang fish is also quite fresh."

Xie Lu's tone was very natural, as if he were recommending dishes to a friend, easily easing Zhao Wanwan's slight embarrassment.