Chapter 5: Meeting the female lead

"Yiyun, the food in the cafeteria is really delicious—this dish, and this one... oh, that one is great too..." Ye Kelin gave Ge Yiyun no chance to refuse, enthusiastically recommending food until Ge Yiyun's plate was piled high like a small mountain.

Feng Geya couldn't stand it any longer and reached out to grab Ye Kelin's hand, saying helplessly, "Kelin, that's enough. You're treating her like a pig."

"Huh?" Ye Kelin blinked, looking at the mountain of food on Ge Yiyun's plate. It really did seem like a lot!

"I can't finish this." Raising an eyebrow slightly, Ge Yiyun looked at the dazed girl, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes as she deliberately spoke up.

It wasn't a lie—Ge Yiyun really couldn't finish it all.

"Oh? Is that so?" Ye Kelin patted her head, realizing she had gotten too excited. Meeting a Female Lead who showed her kindness had made her lose control in her joy. She smiled sheepishly and finally suggested, "How about we eat together?" Wasting food is shameful!

Especially since these ingredients were quite expensive—it would be a sin.

"...Alright..." Ge Yiyun raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had expected Ye Kelin to suggest throwing the leftovers away, but instead, the other girl offered to share the meal with her.

It seemed the children of wealthy families weren't as unpleasant as she had imagined.

[Ding. Detected Ge Yiyun's Favorability +5. Please continue to work hard, Host.]

"Since that's the case, let's take a bit more. After all, it's for two people. Hmm, we have enough dishes, so let's get some soup and dessert..." Ye Kelin rubbed her hands together and hurried off to fetch soup from nearby.

Feng Geya held her tray, watching helplessly as the always energetic girl dashed away. Her gaze then fell on Ge Yiyun beside her. She didn't understand why Ye Kelin was so enthusiastic about this transfer student, but...

"Kelin wants to get close to you, and I won't stop her. But if you have any ill intentions, don't blame me for being impolite." Feng Geya warned Ge Yiyun softly.

Hearing Feng Geya's words, Ge Yiyun merely glanced at her indifferently and didn't respond. Instead, she found an empty table and sat down.

How could someone so adorable have any ill intentions?

Ge Yiyun lightly tapped the table a few times, set the utensils in place, and waited for Ye Kelin to return.

"Great harvest, great harvest!" Ye Kelin returned to the table with another tray, which also held a small plate.

"Let's eat, let's eat. After we're full, let's go to the lounge and relax."

"The lounge?" Ge Yiyun raised an eyebrow slightly, serving some food from her plate into Ye Kelin's.

"It's one of the school's perks. After lunch, classes don't start until two. The lounge has sofas, a TV, and even small rooms for resting." Ye Kelin explained animatedly.

Small rooms, huh~

Ge Yiyun lowered her eyes slightly, eating her meal slowly as she listened to Ye Kelin chattering like a little sparrow, sharing all sorts of interesting stories. Feng Geya chimed in occasionally with a response or two.

After swallowing a bite of food, Ge Yiyun gave Ye Kelin a deep look. For some reason, being with her gave her a sense of ease.

Suddenly, the little sparrow beside her fell silent, making Ge Yiyun glance over in surprise. She saw a girl standing not far from their table—very beautiful, but expressionless, her eyes fixed in their direction. No, to be precise, her gaze was shifting between herself and Ye Kelin beside her. After a brief recollection, Ge Yiyun was certain she had never seen this girl before.

"Second Sister," Ye Kelin called softly. Although Chen Siyan's Favorability toward her had increased, that negative value from before remained. Until it was erased, the tiny bit of Favorability could practically be ignored.

Because of this, Ye Kelin always felt a lingering fear toward these female leads who, for some reason, seemed to despise her to the extreme. She was afraid that if she let her guard down, the female lead would send her off to collect her "lunchbox."

Her body shrank slightly as she leaned toward what she perceived as a safe place. Unaware that her actions were being observed by Chen Siyan and Ge Yiyun, Ye Kelin didn't notice the momentary darkening in one's eyes or the flicker of surprise in the other's.

"Second Sister, this is Ge Yiyun, the transfer student who joined our class today. Yiyun, this is my second sister, Chen Siyan. She's a senior in twelfth grade." Ye Kelin dutifully introduced them, then glanced left and right, curious to see what kind of sparks might fly between the female leads.

Feng Geya: I feel like a nonexistent extra.

"Hello."

"Senior Chen."

Their greetings were neither warm nor cold, and no further conversation followed. Ye Kelin found it unbelievable. In the future, these female leads and that harem protagonist would become each other's right-hand allies, yet now they were as distant as ice?

"Kelin, eat more vegetables," Ge Yiyun lowered her head, scooping a small portion of greens onto Ye Kelin's plate.

"Okay, okay," Ye Kelin nodded hurriedly, suddenly sensing an indescribable gaze. She forced a dry laugh, "Um... Second Sister, would you like something to eat?"

"No need," Chen Siyan gave Ye Kelin a deep look, making her spine stiffen. After glancing at Ge Yiyun for a moment, Chen Siyan turned and left.

"...Whew..."

Once she was gone, Ye Kelin let out a sigh of relief and took a bite of the food Ge Yiyun had given her, chewing with puffed cheeks.

"Your surname and your sister's..." Ge Yiyun's question was cut off by Ye Kelin's mumbled interruption, "Oh, we're both adopted daughters of the Long family. By seniority, she's the second sister, and I'm the youngest."

Adopted daughters? So they weren't related by blo.od. No wonder they looked nothing alike. Wait, they didn't even change their surnames? But earlier, Chen Siyan's gaze toward her seemed to carry a hint of hostility. Why?

"But at school, I rarely see your sister," Feng Geya finally couldn't stand being treated as invisible any longer and spoke up.

"Well... she's probably very busy. Whenever I pass by her classroom, she's almost never at her seat," Ye Kelin replied with a dry laugh. She would love to have a chance encounter at school—maybe even complete a Mission or something—but Chen Siyan never gave her the opportunity.

"That's really..."

"Kelin, hurry up and eat. The food is getting cold," Ge Yiyun interrupted Feng Geya, diverting Ye Kelin's attention.

"Oh, right, let's eat!"

Feng Geya: So annoying! This transfer student is really irritating!

Watching Ye Kelin with her cheeks puffed out, continuously being fed by Ge Yiyun, Feng Geya could only sigh helplessly.

Ye Kelin was truly too guileless; she would just have to keep a close eye on her to prevent any mishaps.

After the three finished their meal and handed their dishes to the cleaning staff, they slowly walked out of the cafeteria:

"Ah... so satisfying." Ye Kelin patted her stomach, covering her mouth as she let out a small burp.

"Don't eat so much next time; be careful not to upset your stomach." Ge Yiyun gently patted Ye Kelin's back, glancing down at the slightly swollen belly with a mix of amusement and exasperation, then reached out to rub it for her.

Ye Kelin narrowed her eyes. The bloated feeling in her stomach eased somewhat due to Ge Yiyun's actions, making her sigh contentedly. Like a cat, she leaned slightly toward Ge Yiyun, her movements unconsciously carrying a hint of coquettishness.

[Ding. Detected Ge Yiyun's Favorability +5. Please continue your efforts, Host.]

Her pupils contracted slightly. Ye Kelin never expected that, on just the first day of meeting, she had already raised the female lead's Favorability to 25. Compared to the previously discouraging Chen Siyan and Long Wenxuan, Ge Yiyun undoubtedly gave her a significant confidence boost.

Just then, Ge Yiyun suddenly turned her head to look in a certain direction—an empty corner. A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes; she had distinctly felt a gaze moments earlier.

"Yiyun, what are you doing? Hurry up and catch up!"

"Oh!" Responding to Ye Kelin's call, Ge Yiyun nodded, pushing the matter to the back of her mind. Since she hadn't sensed any malice from that gaze, she decided to let it go.

In the shadows of the corner, Chen Siyan stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall. She brushed aside her hair, her sharp gaze fixed on the direction where Ye Kelin and the other two had left.

"So perceptive already."

Chen Siyan took out her phone and began typing a message:

Made contact with Ge Yiyun. Don't think she's coming back.

L: Is that so? Hmm.

*L: I'll inform her. Keep observing for a while longer. *

*Understood. *

Putting away her phone, Chen Siyan slowly stepped out of the corner. Sunlight spilled onto her face, attracting the attention of many passersby. Already a prominent figure at school, she now stirred up no small amount of commotion.

Of course, Chen Siyan paid no mind to any of this. Only she knew the turmoil within her heart, her thumbnail slightly digging into the pad of her index finger.

When she had seen Ge Yiyun touching Ye Kelin earlier, she had inexplicably felt a thread of irritation, an urge to rush forward, pull them apart, and then... hold her tightly in her arms?

A dark glint flickered in her eyes. Startled by her own unusual reaction, she thought—she was... Ye Kelin was... She had changed, but her presence was becoming increasingly dangerous!

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