Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 9

When Lingxi and Shen Sui arrived at the cafeteria, the peak dining hour had already passed. There were fewer people now, and the cafeteria staff lazily chatted with each other.

The two of them got their meals and walked to the side. Every time they passed a window with meat dishes, Lingxi would deliberately stop and ask Shen Sui if she wanted any. But when she saw light, green vegetables, she would only glance at them briefly before moving on.

After a few times, even Shen Sui couldn’t help but stop. “You don’t like vegetables?”

Lingxi moved her eyes away from the green dishes. The foot she had lifted quickly returned to the ground, as if she hadn’t processed Shen Sui’s words yet. “No.”

“Then why do you walk so fast past them?” Shen Sui looked at the green vegetables, then back at Lingxi.

Lingxi’s brows moved slightly as she unconsciously glanced at Shen Sui’s face. “Because you’re too thin. You need to eat more meat to stay healthy.”

Shen Sui looked at Lingxi and tilted her head slightly. “It’s just how my body is. My digestive system doesn’t absorb nutrients well.”

“Has it always been like this since you were a child?”

“Mm.”

Shen Sui responded softly and said no more, leaning forward slightly to check the dishes beside Lingxi.

At the moment when Shen Sui’s gaze moved away, the light in Lingxi’s eyes dimmed slightly, her expression becoming complex.

Shen Sui’s frail body was actually a sign of her weakened soul. This meant that the damage from the great battle might have been even worse than Lingxi had thought.

In the past, there were celestial medicines like Sanqing Root to help restore health, but now, Lingxi had nothing.

The sudden silence from Lingxi made Shen Sui pause.

Lingxi frowned slightly, looking toward the other side of the cafeteria as if deep in thought. The strap of her shoulder bag was clenched tightly in her hand. The strands of hair that had been tousled by the wind outside were now damp with sweat, sticking to her cheeks. Even her neck seemed to carry a trace of summer’s lingering warmth.

Suddenly, Shen Sui thought of something—something she had just overlooked.

Eye drops could only be bought at a pharmacy, and the nearest one was at the bottom of a long, steep slope near the back gate.

Summer. Slope. Running.

A wave of heat seemed to rush toward Shen Sui.

“…Shen, I heard the stir-fry dishes over there are pretty good.”

“They’re fresh, and the portions are generous. Want to give them a try?”

The person in front of her suddenly turned around, eyebrows raised slightly in a carefree manner. There was no trace of the frown from earlier, as if she had never been deep in thought at all. She looked at Shen Sui with a light tone, her words carrying a hint of hesitation.

Almost as soon as Lingxi finished speaking, Shen Sui understood her intention.

Like a ray of warm sunlight in the depths of winter, breaking through the clouds and seeping in. The warmth climbed up along the edges of her clothes. Shen Sui rubbed her fingertips unconsciously.

“Alright.”

A simple word, without hesitation, made Lingxi sigh in relief. Her slightly parted lips moved, and a faint smile touched the corners.

In the end, Shen Sui followed Lingxi’s lead and had a meal full of meat dishes.

When Lingxi returned with plates of meat dishes one after another, she suddenly realized and smacked her forehead. She was about to go back and get some vegetables, but by then, there were already four dishes on their table.

“…No need.” Shen Sui sighed helplessly and reached for one of the plates.

“You’re not eating anymore?” Lingxi didn’t move, her hand still gripping the plate, and her feet seemed ready to head back.

“We’re only two people. This is enough.” Seeing that Lingxi didn’t move, Shen Sui added, “Don’t waste food.”

“Okay, I’ll take it. Be careful, it’s hot.”

Only then did Lingxi give up on her plan and placed the dish closer to Shen Sui instead of handing it to her.

“…”

While Lingxi went to get soup, Shen Sui quietly slid the dish back toward her side.

Shen Sui ate quietly, not speaking, so Lingxi remained silent as well. Two seats away, two girls sat down, chatting excitedly about their recent exam results.

“I heard the top student in the grade is still Shen Sui from Class Three!”

“Yeah, isn’t she always? I’ve gotten used to it.”

In the nearly empty cafeteria, their voices were exceptionally clear. Lingxi raised her head and glanced in their direction.

Shen Sui continued eating at her own pace, seemingly unaffected.

“By the way, after the final exams, aren’t they going to reshuffle the classes?”

“Yeah, I heard from a senior that they do this every year. It gives students another chance—if they score well, they can move into the advanced class.”

The two fell into silence for a moment. One of them sighed while sipping her cola. “I just don’t get how these top students’ brains work.”

The other girl laughed. “What do you mean? Everyone has a round, square, or oval-shaped head. Don’t overthink it, just eat.”

“…”

It was just casual conversation, but for Lingxi, aside from hearing Shen Sui’s name, what caught her attention was the final exam and class reshuffling.

For her, this was an opportunity—an opportunity to get closer to Shen Sui’s divine essence. Thinking of this, Lingxi stopped eating and reached for her bag to check if she had brought the right study materials.

Not finding the book she needed, her hands paused.

“Shen, I might need to go back to the classroom to get my textbook.”

Shen Sui, noticing her movement, looked up. “Mm, go ahead. I just remembered I forgot something too.”

After finishing their meal, they parted temporarily at the stairs. Lingxi watched as Shen Sui went upstairs, her shadow disappearing around the corner before she turned toward her classroom.

There were still a few students studying in the classroom. Lingxi quietly opened the door, grabbed her textbook, and left quickly.

When she returned to the hallway, Shen Sui was still nowhere to be seen. Without thinking much, Lingxi headed to the fifth floor to find her.

“…If people knew that the top student of the school was drowning in debt outside, what would they say?”

“I’m warning you, don’t push your luck! We…”

“…”

Just one floor away from the top, Lingxi heard a sharp and impatient female voice.

Lingxi’s heart sank. She took the stairs three at a time and rushed up.

At the stairwell, two people stood by the wall. The hallway light cast long shadows over them. Shen Sui was backed against the wall, her backpack carelessly tossed by her feet.

The person in front of her blocked most of her figure, their shadow covering her. Lingxi couldn’t see Shen Sui’s face clearly.

Almost instinctively, Lingxi called her name.

“Shen Sui!”

“You…!”

Her sudden voice was like a thunderclap, interrupting their conversation.

Shen Sui turned her head slightly at the sound. The coldness in her eyes faded the moment she met Lingxi’s gaze.

“Mm, I’m here.”