The junior student looked very happy and even asked if they could take a photo together.

Fang Chuning was completely taken aback, “This is the cafeteria, it’s not convenient.”

The junior student looked a bit disappointed, but quickly perked up again, “President, you look so good in this outfit!”

The junior student was oddly sincere. Fang Chuning smiled at him to show polite gratitude.

Just as Fang Chuning was being enthusiastically approached, Su Qi hesitantly spoke up behind her, “Um… classmate, it’s your turn in front.”

The junior student turned back to find that there was no one in front of him anymore, and the cafeteria worker was looking at him impatiently. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly stepped forward with his tray to order food, embarrassed.

New Star had very high standards for student meals, with a wide variety of dishes, all required to be the freshest and most nutritious of the day. To maintain students’ interest, dishes couldn’t be repeated within a week.

Fang Chuning ordered a bowl of extremely spicy handmade beef noodles. During their meal, a slightly chubby woman suddenly sat down opposite them, accompanied by a comically fat girl.

She remembered this girl, wasn’t she Zhu Xixi who had said she wanted to play ball with them last time?

“You must be the young lady of the Fang family? Thank you so much for taking such good care of our Xixi at school. Our Xixi is pure-hearted and doesn’t have much cunning. It’s her blessing to be in Miss Fang’s good graces!” The chubby woman started chattering non-stop as soon as she sat down, smiling so wide her eyes almost disappeared.

Fang Chuning wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying, only aware that the woman’s saliva was adding extra seasoning to her beef noodles as she spoke. It was a bit annoying. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not familiar with this Zhu classmate.”

“Oh, but Xixi said Miss Fang takes very good care of her. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve brought a gift for Miss Fang today. I hope Miss Fang can look after our Xixi more in the future. Our Xixi may be a bit slow with words, but she’s very sincere at heart…”

It was all “our Xixi this” and “our Xixi that”. Perhaps thinking that although Fang Chuning was from the Fang family, she was still just a child after all, and children were easy to cajole, so the chubby woman spoke without any reservations.

Fang Chuning was most afraid of people who couldn’t stop talking once they started. She looked towards Zhu Xixi sitting beside the woman, only to find Zhu Xixi staring intently at Fang Tianli beside her.

Fang Tianli noticed it too and felt disgusted. “Stop staring at me!”

The boy was going through voice change, and his scolding voice had a hint of shrillness, carrying a fierce meaning.

Zhu Xixi shrank her head timidly, but her gaze still couldn’t help but stick to him. It was a completely undisguised lustful look.

Fang Tianli, used to being spoiled and willful, couldn’t tolerate this. He picked up the steaming bowl of soup, about to throw it, but Fang Chuning quickly grabbed his arm, preventing the hot soup from splashing onto the person’s face.

“Lili!”

Fang Chuning disapprovingly took away the soup bowl, her brows furrowed. Fang Tianli, however, didn’t pay attention to her. His gaze on the fat girl was slightly ferocious, “If you dare to stare at me like that again, I’ll kill you.”

Except for Fang Chuning, the other three were stunned by the boy’s vicious tone. Su Qi didn’t expect him to act like this, as if he had been provoked, completely different from his usual naive and gullible self.

Su Qi surveyed everyone’s expressions, then lowered his gaze and remained quietly silent.

The chubby woman’s face became a bit stiff, “What… what’s wrong? Our Xixi doesn’t mean any harm, there’s no need for this…”

As she spoke, she gave Fang Tianli a strange look that seemed to say “how ill-mannered”.

This look triggered Fang Chuning’s protective nature. “I don’t know if your Xixi has any ill intentions, but you’re certainly disturbing us. I’m not familiar with your Xixi at all, not in the past, not now, and not in the future. So, can you leave now?”

Their commotion was not small, and more than half of the people in the cafeteria were looking in their direction. Being lectured by a child the same age as her daughter, the chubby woman felt she was losing face. Her expression turned ugly as she raised her eyes slightly, speaking in a neither high nor low voice: “How can you speak to elders like this? Really, no manners…”

She said the last three words very softly and resentfully, as if wanting everyone in the cafeteria to hear, yet afraid that if they did, it would reach Hong Jie. By the end, she still had a bit of clarity and wanted to take it back, but it was too late.

Fang Chuning held down Fang Tianli, who wanted to use the tray to hit someone. She coldly put on a kind smile for the woman, “Auntie, you’re so old now, didn’t your father teach you not to disturb others when they’re eating?”

“You…” The chubby woman’s face turned red. She looked around and swallowed her anger, forcing out a smile that couldn’t be more fake, “Miss Fang is joking. I just wanted to come and say hello to you.”

“Are you done then?”

The chubby woman nodded stiffly, suppressing a bellyful of anger and about to leave with her daughter. Just as she stood up, she heard the girl continue: “I heard that Zhu Corporation is planning to open a branch in City A recently?”

These words gave the woman a bad feeling, and sure enough, she heard the girl say: “Why don’t I ask my mom to help you out?”

This was not helping, but more like cutting off the Zhu family’s roots! The woman finally realized the seriousness of the situation. If the Fang family really was so protective that they would go after Zhu Corporation because of today’s incident, then everything would be ruined!

The chubby woman’s face changed as quickly as a Peking opera mask. She immediately bowed and scraped, “I’m so sorry, Miss Fang. I was just excited to see you earlier, that’s why I rushed over to disturb you. Please don’t take offense!”

After speaking, she glared at her still dazed daughter, “Hurry up and apologize!”

Zhu Xixi lowered her head, her voice stammering: “So-sorry.”

Fang Chuning wasn’t the type to push her advantage when she had the upper hand, especially since Fang Tianli had indeed almost hurt someone just now. “If you don’t need help, then let’s forget it. Take care in the future. I don’t like people trying to get close to me casually.”

The woman repeatedly said “okay” several times, ignoring the contemptuous or mocking glances from around, not even caring about her own daughter, and hurriedly left the cafeteria.

The meal wasn’t finished, and the performance time was approaching. Fang Chuning arranged seats for the two of them and then went backstage. At this time, the backstage was very crowded, with people wearing various costumes and makeup. As soon as she arrived, she saw Xu Muzhou surrounded by a crowd in the center.

He wasn’t wearing glasses now, and his bangs were combed up. He seemed to be wearing light makeup, making his features even more three-dimensional and delicate. His outstanding phoenix eyes were brimming with smiles, looking as if he had an incredibly good temper.

After a while, he seemed to notice her. His eyes brightened slightly, and he politely made his way through the crowd, walking towards her.