The Malevolent Female Villain Turns Out to Be Me

Chapter 90

After taking a number, Ye Jinmeng sat on the long bench outside and began the lengthy wait, feeling her mouth water from the tantalizing aroma wafting out. After roughly an hour and a half, she finally heard their number being called over the broadcast.

Ye Jinmeng eagerly pulled Xu Wanwan's hand as they headed inside, while Shi Shuning and He Junting followed behind with silent sighs.

The server led them to a newly prepared table for four. After they were seated, the server took out the menu and began introducing the restaurant's general cuisine.

"Our restaurant offers signature dishes from all over the country, as well as some ordinary home-style dishes. Here's the menu. What would you four like to order?"

Ye Jinmeng glanced at the thick menu, wishing she could taste every dish.

Noticing her indecisive look, Shi Shuning gently reminded her, "Jinmeng, choose a few you'd like to eat first. Since this restaurant is right by the school gate, we can always come back and slowly try the others."

After considering, Ye Jinmeng decided to let the other three order while she focused on eating.

"I can eat anything," Xu Wanwan also had difficulty choosing.

Shi Shuning and He Junting exchanged a glance, nodded, and turned to the server.

"In that case, please bring us five or six of your most popular dishes, preferably with a lighter taste."

Shi Shuning thought it best for Ye Jinmeng, who had just been discharged from the hospital, to avoid rich flavors.

"Certainly, please wait."

The server placed a funnel on the table. "We'll have all the dishes served within thirty minutes. If we exceed that time, any late dishes will be free of charge."

She then left with the menu and a polite nod.

"No wonder these servers are so busy, practically running. It turns out they're timed," Ye Jinmeng remarked, watching the server's departing figure.

While not a glutton, Xu Wanwan couldn't help swallowing after smelling the restaurant's tantalizing aromas.

"There's a reason this newly opened restaurant is so popular. The aroma is indeed quite enticing."

Soon, the dishes arrived in quick succession, and the sand in the funnel was almost gone.

Sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass, beef stew with potatoes and tomatoes, stir-fried eggs with cucumber, and stir-fried lotus root slices.

"It smells so good!"

Ye Jinmeng eagerly picked up her chopsticks, heading straight for the steamed sea bass.

After taking a bite, she frowned. "The taste is just average..."

She swallowed it reluctantly, then took a piece of the sweet and sour pork ribs, frowning even more deeply.

"Doesn't it taste good?" Shi Shuning noticed her expression and picked up his chopsticks to try a piece of the fish.

After tasting it, he didn't find any difference from what he'd had before.

He then took a piece of the ribs and savored it carefully before speaking.

"It still tastes fine to me, the same flavor as before."

He Junting and Xu Wanwan exchanged glances, also picking up their chopsticks to sample a bite. They didn't detect anything amiss either.

"Jinmeng, I don't see any problem with the taste," Xu Wanwan voiced her opinion.

He Junting remained silent but nodded in agreement with Xu Wanwan.

"Why do I find the taste strange? Maybe my expectations were too high? But that shouldn't be the case since it smelled so good..." Ye Jinmeng grew flustered.

"I hope my sense of taste isn't having issues!"

"Why don't you try some of the other dishes?" He Junting suggested.

Ye Jinmeng sampled a piece of the stir-fried egg, a slice of lotus root, and a spoonful of the beef stew.

"These few dishes taste normal, but those two don't."

Shi Shuning breathed a sigh of relief. "Then your sense of taste isn't the issue. I suppose you either dislike those two dishes or feel their flavors are inferior to what you've had before, which is why you find them unsatisfactory."

Xu Wanwan suggested, "Jinmeng, why don't you order some other dishes?"

Ye Jinmeng shook her head disappointedly. "No, I'll stick to these three. Ordering more would be a waste since I can't finish them."

So the steamed sea bass and sweet and sour pork ribs were left to Shi Shuning, He Junting, and Xu Wanwan, while Ye Jinmeng enviously watched them eat the meat, using her spoon to scoop up bites of the beef stew to satisfy her cravings.

After finishing their meal, they didn't immediately return to the school but took a stroll along the street.

"What a letdown. I won't ever come to this restaurant again," Ye Jinmeng lamented, her disappointment proportional to her earlier high expectations.

Shi Shuning held Ye Jinmeng's hand in agreement. "Indeed, it wasn't as impressive as we imagined. Probably because it's located near the school, the students got tired of the cafeteria food and found this place appealing, lining up to eat here."

Ye Jinmeng pouted. "Auntie Chen's home cooking is even better. I'll never trust these home-style restaurants again."

"Haha, alright, my dear. Don't dwell on it," Shi Shuning indulgently pulled Ye Jinmeng into his embrace, amused by her sullen expression over a meal.

He Junting and Xu Wanwan walked side by side behind the couple. Xu Wanwan enviously observed Ye Jinmeng and Shi Shuning's intimacy, then glanced at the aloof man beside her, feeling a pang of sourness in her heart.

Ah, why didn't He Junting ever experience love at first sight with her? Given his current demeanor, she wondered when she might finally experience the sweetness of romance.

Lost in her thoughts, her hand seemed to brush against something warm.

She instinctively tried to pull away, but a large hand gently grasped hers.

Xu Wanwan froze, her heart racing uncontrollably as she felt the warmth of his hand. Disbelieving, she turned to face the man beside her.

He Junting met her gaze, his eyes holding an indescribable emotion.

He Junting didn't know why he had taken Xu Wanwan's hand, savoring the softness in his palm and the warmth spreading through his limbs, as if his blood had begun to boil.

Lowering his eyes to meet Xu Wanwan's, he saw the hopeful gleam in her gaze.

Feeling self-conscious, He Junting touched his nose and strode ahead a few steps.

Xu Wanwan stood rooted to the spot, bewildered by He Junting's actions. She stared at her palm, still retaining the burning heat of his hand.

Looking up at He Junting's retreating figure, she noticed his reddened ears. Xu Wanwan grinned, realizing she should perhaps take a more proactive approach.

She caught up and boldly took his hand, intertwining their fingers.

Now it was He Junting's turn to freeze, not expecting Xu Wanwan's boldness. Glancing down, he saw her radiant smile and sparkling eyes as she playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

He Junting's expression softened, and the hand he had intended to pull away instead tightened its grip, finding the sensation of holding hands quite pleasant.