He stole his best friend's photos and fell for a tycoon's heir through online dating.

He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, which had been washed so much that its original whiteness was no longer visible. The collar was slightly yellowed, and the threads on the cuffs were frayed.

The clothes hung loosely on him, as if they were two sizes too big, or perhaps because he was too thin, any clothes would look oversized on him.

He sat there, his back slightly hunched, with only a small bowl in front of him.

The bowl contained a plain white steamed bun, with no side dishes. Next to it was a bowl of complimentary soup, with a few pieces of seaweed and chopped green onions floating on top.

The boy lowered his head, held the steamed bun in both hands, and ate it slowly, bite by bite.

Xia Ruo moved closer and saw his face clearly.

It was a face that didn't match his tattered clothes at all.

He has handsome and dashing features, with high and distinct brow bones and beautifully shaped sword-like eyebrows that are just the right thickness.

His eye sockets were slightly sunken, giving him a deep look, and his nose bridge was high and straight, as if it had been measured with a ruler with perfect proportions.

His skin appeared somewhat pale due to malnutrition, the contours of his cheekbones were faintly visible, his cheeks were slightly sunken, but his jawline remained sharp and distinct.

He was so thin that he looked like a bamboo stalk bent by the wind, but his back was straight.

Xia Ruo's pace slowed down unconsciously.

She was also born into a poor family.

Through her own hard work, she went from a small county where she couldn't even afford extracurricular books to being admitted to a 211 university, and then completed her postgraduate studies with the help of scholarships, before receiving an offer from the rice group.

She recalled that in the university cafeteria, she would only order one vegetable dish with two ounces of rice and drink the soup as a free beverage.

People who suffer empathize with those who suffer.

She wanted to help him.

But she knew even more that what such people couldn't stand was pity and charity from others. She understood all too well.

That "I'll help you" look in their eyes, that "look how pitiful you are" tone in their voice, is more embarrassing than poverty itself.

Xia Ruo thought for a moment, then slowly walked to the opposite side of the boy and sat down where he could see her.

She didn't deliberately hide her breakfast, nor did she deliberately display it. She just sat there naturally, put her breakfast on the table, opened the plastic bag, picked up the porridge and took a sip.

The boy opposite slowly raised his head.

Liu Yinan saw a scene he would never forget in his life.

A girl sat opposite him, sunlight streaming in from behind her, casting a thin layer of gold on her silhouette.

Her face looked exceptionally beautiful in the backlight; her peach blossom eyes were slightly drooping, her eyelashes resembled two small fans, and there was a tiny mole on the tip of her nose that was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

He could tell at a glance that she was a rich woman.

Although her clothes were simple, they were all designer brands.

Liu Yinan put down the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand, picked up the bowl, and stood up.

Xia Ruo's hand holding the porridge froze in mid-air, and she was completely stunned.

This? This is way too resistant!

She hadn't even said a word, hadn't even managed a "hello," before he ran away?

She felt that her social skills had been nipped in the bud before they could even be developed.

Seeing that the boy, who was as thin as a bamboo pole, was really about to walk away with his bowl, Xia Ruo panicked—

"Hey, hey—classmate!"

She stood up, her voice rising a few decibels in her anxiety, drawing the attention of passersby at the cafeteria entrance.

"Why are you leaving?"

Liu Yinan paused for a moment.

He slowly turned his head to look at her, his deep eyes revealing a bright, undisguised impatience.

There was also a hint of disgust.

Xia Ruo was frozen in place by that gaze, her smile freezing for a moment.

Liu Yinan spoke, his voice not loud, but his tone as cold as iron bars in winter: "What is it?"

Two words, delivered bluntly and forcefully, not even a punctuation mark is superfluous.

Xia Ruo opened her mouth, but the words she was prepared to say, "Classmate, is this what you're having for breakfast?" and "I bought too much, so I'll share some with you," all got stuck in her throat.

awkward.

The atmosphere froze for a few seconds, then a gust of wind blew in from the cafeteria entrance, blowing her loose hair onto her face.

But she cannot back down.

She knew this kind of person too well. It wasn't that they were indifferent; they just kept themselves too covered up, afraid of being pitied, afraid of being given charity, afraid that there was something hidden behind other people's kindness that they didn't know about.

She suddenly remembered the original owner's tactics of using coquetry.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I have to say, this trick worked well for Zhou Siyan, so it probably wouldn't be too bad for a sensitive young man either, right?

Xia Ruo took a deep breath, blinked her peach blossom eyes, and lowered her eyes slightly, seamlessly switching her expression from "enthusiastic and shrewish" to "pitiful and wronged".

"classmate,"

Her voice softened, with a slight nasal tone, as if she was truly hurt by his coldness.

"You leave as soon as I arrive? Am I a plague carrier?"

Her aggrieved look, paired with that excessively bright face, was incredibly captivating.

Liu Yinan was stunned.

He stood there, holding the bowl, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

He looked at the girl opposite him; her peach blossom eyes were wet, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips were slightly pouting. She looked like a kitten that had been drenched in the rain.

She has a stunningly beautiful face, yet she makes this pitiful expression, creating a stark contrast that catches people off guard.

His brow furrowed once, then furrowed again.

irritable.

But more often than not, it's a feeling of helplessness.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something in rebuttal, but swallowed the words back.

He found that no matter what he said, he would appear petty.

In the end, he said nothing, but simply sat down in silence, put the bowl back on the table, and looked away from Xia Ruo.

His expression screamed: You're ruthless.

Xia Ruo's heart was pounding wildly, and she almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Good heavens—this trick works on everyone!

She felt like she had discovered a new world.

The original owner's ability to act cute was practically a walking social cheat code.

If it works on Zhou Siyan, and it works on this cold-faced stubborn mule, then does it work on the whole world?

Xia Ruo mentally gave herself a big thumbs up for her cleverness, but on the surface she remained calm and sat down opposite Liu Yinan with a smile.

"classmate,"

As she spoke, she placed the breakfast she had bought on the table.

"My roommates have all eaten; I really can't eat that much by myself."

She tilted her head, her peach blossom eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"Wasting food is so bad, can you help me share some of the burden?"

Liu Yinan looked at the pile of breakfast in front of him, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Need not--"

"Oh dear, I'm in a rush to get to class!"

Xia Ruo didn't give him a chance to refuse. She stood up abruptly, picked up the rest of her breakfast, and walked out.

She walked several steps away, then turned back and smiled at him. The sunlight fell on her bright face, making one's vision blur.

"Excuse me, I'm going now!"

Then she really left.

Liu Yinan stared in the direction the girl disappeared, his expression somewhat complicated.

Why doesn't this person play by the rules?