Selina Shi's words made Leo Liu's face turn awkward on the spot.
He looked at Selina and said, "Of course not, you're not that kind of person."
"He and I are the same kind of person." Selina shook her head, then pointed toward Evan Lin.
That gesture made Leo Liu's expression turn even uglier.
On the side, Ivy Liang was a bit stunned—she hadn't expected someone like Selina to suddenly jump in. Wendy Wen, meanwhile, gave Selina a few more curious glances.
"If you girls aren’t eating, then move aside. Don’t block me from taking my own kind to get food." Selina frowned, staring at the girls standing next to Evan.
As soon as she said that, quite a few girls still looked confused.
In their eyes, Selina Shi, who had suddenly appeared, was dazzling—especially the confidence and certainty she showed when talking to Leo Liu just now.
Compared to her, the rest of them just looked like a mindless crowd.
Evan Lin sighed, then walked over to Selina. As he passed, the girls automatically stepped aside and made way for him.
"Why'd you show up here?"
When it came to girls as bold and domineering as Selina Shi, Evan Lin always saw a bit of Fang You’s shadow in her. But in this situation, if it were Fang You, she’d probably have slapped Leo Liu first, called herself ‘boss lady,’ and never let a few words make Leo so embarrassed he’d want to crawl into a hole.
"I'm here to eat with you. So, are you treating me, or am I treating you?" Selina looked Evan in the eye, totally fearless.
"I'll treat." Evan had never been one to spend a girl's money.
"Then let’s go. I know a little congee shop nearby, the food’s pretty good." Without hesitation, Selina stepped forward, grabbed Evan’s arm right in front of everyone, and headed for the school gate.
"Did I miss something here?" one girl asked, totally confused.
"Maybe not?" another girl said, still looking unsure.
They’d actually had a chance to eat with Evan Lin, but because they chose not to trust him just now, they lost that chance in an instant.
A few girls felt empty inside, like they'd missed out on something big.
Ivy Liang watched Evan and Selina walk off into the distance, shook her head, then led the gloomy-faced Leo Liu down the steps to find somewhere else to eat.
Wendy Wen just stood at the school gate for a long time. In the end, she could only sigh, feeling a mix of emotions and a strange sense of regret.
Xiaoji Congee Shop.
It was a small place on the commercial street in front of Capitalview First High, not much to look at, but a long-standing old brand that had been open for over a decade and lived off repeat customers.
Prices inside weren’t high—two bowls of congee, two baskets of soup dumplings, and a plate of pickles came to just fifteen yuan.
"Alright, spill it—what do you want from me?"
Once inside, Evan sat down and looked at Selina, who was sipping her congee across from him.
Selina held a porcelain spoon, scooped up half a spoonful of congee and tasted it, then picked up her chopsticks, poked a hole in the dumpling skin to let out the juices, and finally, satisfied, picked up a soup dumpling and took a bite.
But instead of answering directly, Selina looked at Evan and asked, "They all talk about you like that—aren't you going to explain yourself? Not even a little mad?"
Selina knew Evan was strong—strong enough to easily beat Leo Liu—but what puzzled her was his attitude just now.
"Trying to explain things to people who refuse to wake up is just plain stupid." Evan shook his head, picked up a soup dumpling, and tasted it—it was pretty good.
"That's true. Even if you explained it to them, they probably wouldn't get what you meant. Just like I still can't figure out how you crashed Old Master Su's birthday banquet." As she said this, Selina's tone was casual, like she was just bringing it up in passing.
"He begged me to go." Evan answered simply.
That answer made Selina pause with her chopsticks mid-air. She glanced at Evan and rolled her eyes. "You really dare to say anything."
She pulled out a napkin, wiped her mouth, and watched as Evan finished off a whole basket of soup dumplings in just a few bites. Shaking her head, she ordered two more baskets and then continued, "You owe me a favor, so I want you to help me with something."
"I owe you a favor?" Evan was stunned, racking his brain but couldn't figure it out.
Selina looked serious. "Of course. You made a scene at Old Master Su's birthday banquet. Chen Zikai was going to run home and tattle, but I stopped him. Otherwise, do you think you'd be sitting here eating soup dumplings with me so calmly?"
That day, after Evan offended Chen Yonghan, Selina rushed home to pull strings and smooth things over.
She’d been a bit anxious, worried she couldn’t calm things down—after all, Chen Yonghan was the type who’d go crazy and stop at nothing. But after a few days with no news, Selina finally relaxed, thinking it was all thanks to the connections she’d made for Evan.
Of course, she had no idea what had really happened after Old Master Su's birthday banquet. She just assumed Chen Yonghan kept quiet because of her connections.
Listening to Selina, Evan quickly pieced together her train of thought.
Even if Selina’s help hadn’t really changed anything, Evan still felt a bit grateful for her effort.
"Alright, let's say I owe you. What do you want me to do?"
Evan nodded. He actually had a bit of a good impression of Selina—at least she wasn’t as brainless as the other girls.
"Simple. Just hang out with me—eat, drink, have fun. I’m not asking you to go through fire and water for me, just stick by my side when the time comes." Selina was direct and decisive.
"Be more specific." Evan pressed her for details.
"The night after tomorrow, I’ll pick you up by car. That day..." Selina started to say ‘dress up nice,’ but after sizing Evan up, she rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and changed her mind: "Do you have anything to do later?"
"I shouldn't." Evan shook his head.
Selina made the call right away: "Then hurry up and eat. After this, I’ll take you shopping and buy you some clothes—think of it as a thank-you for making time to hang out with me!"
Selina was all action—after finishing her soup dumplings and congee, she dragged Evan to the mall, visited a few brand stores, and finally picked out a blue trench coat for him, paired with a vest, jeans, and a pair of limited-edition sneakers.
Most importantly, Selina also bought herself a similar outfit. When they put them on, it looked just like a couple’s matching set.