Early the next morning, Qin Yi deliberately went to Caixing Foodie for breakfast, mainly to see Lin Fang. He showed her his lawyer’s license and related documents, using it as an excuse to meet her.
When he arrived, Xiao Guanpeng happened to be there too. Seeing Qin Yi hand his lawyer’s license to Lin Fang, Xiao Guanpeng couldn’t believe it: “You’re really switching careers to become a lawyer?”
Qin Yi ignored Xiao Guanpeng, focusing instead on Lin Fang, who was carefully examining the documents. This made Xiao Guanpeng feel uneasy. He wanted to interrupt their interaction but was afraid of annoying Lin Fang, so he forced himself to wait patiently. Since Lin Fang had started tutoring his younger brother Xiao Yapeng, Xiao Guanpeng had come to understand her temperament—she disliked being interrupted without reason.
“Brother Xiao, your lamb soup is here. Hey, Fang, no matter how big the world is, eating comes first. This is my new take on wontons—everything else can wait until after breakfast. Try it and give me your thoughts.”
“Stop bothering me, I’m busy. And don’t mimic my parents again, or you’ll regret it.”
Though Lin Fang scolded the speaker, she still put down the documents and took the long-handled enamel spoon handed to her. She scooped up a wonton, blew on it gently, and carefully tasted it.
“Huh? Officer, what would you like to eat? We’ve got all kinds of snacks here—anything on the menu is freshly made. Even if it’s not listed, as long as we can make it, we won’t disappoint you.”
“Pfft—Meatball, he’s the same age as me. Calling him ‘officer’ makes it sound like there’s a generational gap between us.”
The one urging Lin Fang to eat was Guo Haopeng, nicknamed “Meatball” by Lin Fang. Seeing Qin Yi’s hostile glare, Meatball grinned and greeted him cheerfully. He was used to being misunderstood as Lin Fang’s love interest, even though it wasn’t the first time.
After Lin Fang recovered from her illness, even when she deliberately downplayed her abilities, her brilliance still attracted many admirers. Though she kept her distance or avoided them, their persistence remained.
Given Meatball’s close relationship with Lin Fang, it was inevitable that others saw him as a rival.
And Qin Yi, by nature, was an extremely possessive person.
Qin Yi, Lin Fang, and Xiao Guanpeng sat around a table. Xiao Guanpeng, amused by Meatball’s remark, nearly spat out his lamb soup. Luckily, Qin Yi reacted quickly and blocked it, preventing Lin Fang from getting splashed.
Lin Fang, seemingly oblivious to Qin Yi’s protective gesture, savored the wonton and said to Meatball, “Hmm, you added garlic chives this time, and the cooking was just right. It’s much tastier than last time. If the chives were chopped finer for better texture, it’d be even better.”
“Really? With your approval, I’m one step closer to success! Hehe, during winter break, I’ll learn more from Aunt Lin. My dream is to open a ‘Meatball Snack Shop’ someday.”
Lin Fang laughed. “You’re such a goof. Don’t get too excited—where’s my rice soup?”
“I’ll get it right away. It’s perfectly timed—the rice is soft, the broth sticky but not thick, the peanuts crisp but not raw, the dates sweet but not mushy, the longan tender but not overcooked, the lotus seeds creamy, and the mung beans and adzuki beans melting in your mouth. How’s that? Fits your taste, right?” Meatball pretended to leave but lingered, waiting for praise.
Lin Fang rolled her eyes. “Ugh, what a mess. I told you I wanted yellow-and-white rice soup with raisins—something simple and tangy. Who asked you to turn it into eight-treasure porridge? Knowing you, you probably dumped in a ton of sugar. Too sweet. Get me spicy soup instead.”
“Come on, sis! I woke up early just to make this. Eight-treasure porridge is good for you—strengthens the spleen, aids digestion, boosts immunity, prevents cancer, and even helps with anti-aging. It’s perfect for art students like you. Just try a little, please?”
By the end of his speech, Lin Fang had been upgraded from “sis” to “grandma,” but she wasn’t buying it. She knew Meatball’s tricks—he had deliberately provoked Qin Yi earlier to stir up jealousy between him and Xiao Guanpeng for his own amusement. This was their usual dynamic: making each other miserable for fun.
Their bickering was nothing new to Xiao Guanpeng, but Qin Yi, meeting Meatball for the first time, mistook their playful banter for genuine closeness. His jealousy flared, and he forced himself to interject, “Miss Lin, you’ve seen the documents and my license. So, am I qualified to be your legal advisor?”
Lin Fang replied seriously, “Brother Qin, technically, you meet the requirements. But you’re not yet a full-fledged lawyer, and you lack practical experience. Plus, you still have unresolved cases. Until you can fully commit to being a lawyer, how can I give you a definitive answer?”
Hearing that Lin Fang wouldn’t hire Qin Yi anytime soon, Xiao Guanpeng felt smug. Pretending to mediate, he said, “Exactly, Qin Yi. If you can’t even say when you’ll quit being a cop, how can Miss Lin hire you? This isn’t a joke.” His words were meant to needle Qin Yi.
“I’ll wrap up my cases as soon as possible. A former cop has advantages most lawyers don’t.” Normally confident, Qin Yi now felt uncertain in front of Lin Fang and resorted to psychological tactics.
Lin Fang nodded. “Let’s talk when you’re officially a lawyer.”
Her noncommittal answer frustrated Qin Yi, but he had no choice. He resolved to speed up his investigations.
Xiao Guanpeng suddenly remembered something and asked Lin Fang, “By the way, Miss Lin, our hospital is hosting a dance this weekend. Would you honor me as my partner?”
He did this on purpose. Knowing Qin Yi would leave the city that evening, he wanted to sour his mood for competing over Lin Fang.
“Really, Brother Xiao? Can I come too?” Meatball, returning with Lin Fang’s spicy soup, overheard and eagerly asked.
“Of course! If Lin Fang’s coming, so are you. You two are inseparable.” Xiao Guanpeng glanced at Qin Yi, whose expression darkened instantly.
Meatball grinned. “Awesome! Your hospital’s full of beautiful nurses—angels on earth! If I could snag one as a girlfriend, even better. Hehehe.”
“You’re too young for girlfriends. Our nurses have high standards—you’d need to lose weight first.” Teasing Meatball, Xiao Guanpeng noticed Qin Yi’s slight improvement in mood and inwardly sighed. *This kid ruined my fun too soon.*
“Hehehe, eating’s a blessing. I’ve been like this since I was a kid—probably never gonna slim down. Brother Xiao, any dress code for the dance? Like suits and ties?”
Xiao Guanpeng chuckled at Meatball’s round figure. “Normally, yes. But we’ll make an exception—just dress neatly. But you must bring a partner.”
Meatball frowned. “But I can’t dance! Bringing a partner would just embarrass them. Plus, there aren’t many girls at my school, and the art students might not want to be seen with me.”
Meatball, a freshman majoring in nutrition, was a year behind Lin Fang.
Xiao Guanpeng shrugged dramatically. “Haha, can’t help you there.”
Scratching his nearly shaved head, Meatball turned to Lin Fang. “How about I be your partner?”
“I have classes on weekends. No time.” Lin Fang refused bluntly.
Xiao Guanpeng’s excitement deflated, while Qin Yi’s mood improved. Meatball panicked. “Lin Fang, please! I’ve done so much for you—just this once? Skipping one weekend won’t hurt your grades.”
Lin Fang remained unmoved. “Oh, now you’re playing the victim? You’re the one who keeps using my shop’s ingredients to practice, wasting my supplies. And you call that ‘helping’ me? I’ll have to report this to Aunt Guo.”
Meatball paled. “Don’t! She’s my mom—if she hears from you, I’m dead!”
Their banter was half-serious, but Xiao Guanpeng wasn’t ready to give up. He tempted Meatball: “Don’t worry. I have a colleague who loves nutrition studies—around your age, very pretty. I’ll introduce her as your partner. How’s that?”
Though Meatball acted carefree, he was painfully shy around girls alone and always dragged Lin Fang along. Xiao Guanpeng, an astute psychologist, knew this. If Meatball went, Lin Fang would follow.
“Great! Lin Fang, what do you think?” Meatball asked eagerly.
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