Chapter 319 - 138: Long-haired Gu Qiuyan 2

Chapter 319: Chapter 138: Long-haired Gu Qiuyan 2

"Hey, senior, I know you’re handsome too, but can’t you be less hurtful with your words? You’re making me feel like I’m being singled out!"

The little secretary was a master of the witty comeback.

Zhang Shutong ignored her and asked,

"Have you guys noticed... Gu Qiuyan seems a little different today? I mean, her hair?"

He mumbled, not expecting much, but Xu Zhiruo’s reaction took him by surprise:

"What? You’re only just now noticing?"

"I mean, her hair seems like it’s a few centimeters longer than before..." Zhang Shutong said, forcing himself to explain.

"Exactly, that’s what I mean. You’re a little slow on the uptake, senior," the little secretary explained patiently. "You’re thinking her hair suddenly got a tiny bit longer, right?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

"Of course it’s longer. She had it straightened the day before yesterday. I went with her."

"Straightened?"

Zhang Shutong was baffled. ’Is this some kind of magic exclusive to girls?’

"Didn’t you notice Qiumian used to have the ends of her hair curled? She had it straightened a few days ago. Honestly, senior, you’re something else. So eager to sit next to her, yet you didn’t even figure this out. I have no idea what you two talk about every day..."

Zhang Shutong took another look at Gu Qiuyan. Before, her medium-length hair had slightly curled ends that rested on her shoulders. Now, however, her hair hung a few centimeters past them. ’In other words, my "shocking discovery" was just that Miss Gu had changed her hairstyle?’

Zhang Shutong fell silent.

He picked up his chopsticks and started getting some food.

It tasted great.

This was a top-notch restaurant with a private room, after all.

Since it was just a get-together with classmates, there weren’t many formalities. No one had to wait for Gu Qiuyan to give the signal to start eating, and there were no rounds of toasts or pressure to drink. Everyone at the table simply raised their drinks for a symbolic toast in the air. It was that same guy from before who joked, "To Squad Leader Gu’s bright and promising future!" A few others eagerly chimed in, followed by another round of laughter and chatter. Only then did everyone start picking up their chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shutong had already made his way from the cured meat platter to the preserved duck, and then to the century egg with tofu.

’The lesson here is to never scare yourself over nothing. So this was a complete misunderstanding from start to finish. I thought I’d unconsciously jumped to a new timeline, but really, it was just the young miss having dinner with her new classmates. Since Gu Qiuyan suddenly became squad leader, it’s only natural to celebrate. In that case, calling it a Pokémon meet-up isn’t quite right. It’s more like a banquet for her loyal retainers.’

Zhang Shutong thought back to their chat history and realized he had completely misunderstood from the start. She had indeed said she was treating him to a meal, but it wasn’t a celebration for him getting out of the hospital.

And here he was, her "retainer," who hadn’t even noticed that the young miss used to have slightly curled hair. He was completely unqualified. To make matters worse, he had snagged the seat closest to her. Zhang Shutong’s cheeks flushed, and he could only bury his face in his food.

The small fish were fried to a crisp.

The sausages were plumply stuffed.

The Four-Joy Meatballs were huge.

Zhang Shutong didn’t stop his chopsticks until a dish of sweet and sour pork loin came around on the lazy Susan.

’Hairstyles might change, but some people’s tastes never do.’

He glanced at Gu Qiuyan again. She had become quite the center of attention—or rather, she always was. The girls directly shared their latest amusing stories with her, while the boys, in the middle of their own chats, would suddenly erupt in loud laughter, intentionally raising their voices and slapping their thighs to draw her notice.

Gu Qiuyan had always been easily amused. Her eyes would crinkle into a smile whenever she heard a topic she found interesting, and she’d set down her chopsticks to listen. She had never been the domineering type; that time he’d run into her at the Lake Fish Restaurant, her coldness was simply because he had caught her in a bad mood.

"Squad Leader, your family sure has a lot of cars."

"Of course they do! Haven’t you seen how big the Squad Leader’s house is? Is it three stories or four?"

"That’s right! The last time I rode my bike there, I was exhausted. You have no idea how long it takes just to get to Qiumian’s front gate—it’s a whole mountain road!"

"I’m so jealous. I’ve only ever gone on trips off-island with them."

"Whoa there, are you trying to put her on the spot? Saying that right in front of Qiumian?"

"Wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare..."

"We can’t always let the Squad Leader treat us. Next time, let’s all pitch in..."

She handled every conversation initiated with her with masterful ease; she was incredibly popular. ’People really do grow up,’ Zhang Shutong thought to himself. He remembered when Gu Qiuyan first transferred schools. She had been a little awkward with social interactions back then, acting somewhat aloof toward everyone. But three years had passed in the blink of an eye, and she was no longer the little girl who would cry over a bag of chocolates.

Just then, someone else said:

"Oh yeah, Squad Leader, what ended up happening with that Zhou Ziheng business? I heard he got sent to juvie?"

’You guys really know how to pick the one topic you shouldn’t,’ Zhang Shutong thought. ’The second she seems to be in a good mood, you go and step right into a minefield. You’ve got guts.’

But Gu Qiuyan just rolled her eyes:

"Don’t mention him, it’s disgusting just thinking about it. Anyone who says his name again will be forced to eat the large intestines!"

She couldn’t help but laugh before she finished speaking.

She was referring to a dish of Nine-Turn Large Intestines that had just been served.

They were in a Shandong-style restaurant, and Nine-Turn Large Intestines was one of the more high-end dishes on the menu. When the waiter had brought it out earlier, he had gone on a long, earnest spiel about the many processes it underwent, its agate-like reddish, glossy sheen, and the prestigious lineage of the chef who prepared it;

Everyone had then tactfully rotated the lazy Susan to place the Nine-Turn Large Intestines in front of Gu Qiuyan, letting her take the first piece. But she had merely glanced at it, wrinkled her nose, and said, "I don’t eat this stuff. You all go ahead."

Some people just don’t eat offal, no matter how expensive the dish. Besides, with more than ten people at the table, there wasn’t nearly enough on that one plate to go around. So, no one had taken the initiative to touch it, and it thus became the "punishment" that the young miss was referring to.

Therefore, just as she said this, Zhang Shutong had swallowed a mouthful of the Nine-Turn Large Intestines. He felt like he was a victim of friendly fire.