Lin Wei’s introduction temporarily shifted the focus of the dinner table to her and Yu Qing.
Yu Qing felt his scalp tingle, especially after Lin Wei praised him with that overly admiring tone.
He could even sense the curious gazes others cast his way growing more intense.
And that dog Li Ming was looking at him like he was some alien creature!
God knows which wire got crossed in this silly girl’s brain to put him on a pedestal in this kind of situation.
“Oh? So Yu Qing is really that amazing?”
Cheng Qinghuan looked at Yu Qing with a gentle smile.
Her gaze was clear and polite, making it impossible to dislike her, yet Yu Qing still felt uneasy.
“No, no, Lin Wei junior is exaggerating. The group project was a team effort, and I only play badminton for fun—just a little, just a little.”
Yu Qing hurriedly waved his hand, trying to squash the topic.
He secretly glared at Lin Wei, signaling her to shut up.
Lin Wei seemed to get the message.
She blinked, looking a bit confused, but obediently said “Oh,” and stopped praising him.
Instead, she sat quietly, though her eyes still lingered on Yu Qing, blinking non-stop.
Another girl named Sun Ya also smiled and joined in to lighten the mood, introducing herself.
“Looks like everyone here already knows each other. That’s even better. I’m Sun Ya, and I’m in the same class as Qing Huan.”
Her personality seemed more outgoing than her quiet appearance suggested, making Yu Qing glance at her twice.
After the simple introductions, the atmosphere finally eased up a bit.
The meal officially began.
Seeing everyone getting up to get food, Yu Qing quietly sighed in relief, hoping to finish the meal in peace.
He deliberately dawdled and only walked to the buffet area after everyone had left their seats.
Better not draw attention to himself.
He made up his mind to keep his presence low, eat more, talk less, and ideally survive as a transparent person until the end, then use the excuse of an emergency to escape this troublesome place.
However, he obviously forgot just how lively and clingy Lin Wei could be around people she knew.
Yu Qing had just picked up two pieces of grilled steak when Lin Wei walked over with her plate.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear.
“Senior, you like this too? Yiyi said the steak here is cooked perfectly!”
“…It’s okay.”
Yu Qing mumbled, trying to move away.
“Senior, look at that shrimp! It’s huge! Do you want to try it?”
“Senior, this dessert looks so pretty, but it seems too sweet. What do you think?”
“Senior……”
I give up!
Can’t you just keep treating me like a villain?
There’s no need to get friendly with me just because Fuyi said something to you!
If he had a chance to do it over, even if Li Ming talked his ears off, Yu Qing wouldn’t have blinked or wavered.
Regret.
Yu Qing sighed inwardly.
Right now, he felt like a tourist being hounded by a newbie tour guide, constantly followed by “considerate” commentary and recommendations.
After being chattered at all the way to the food table, he finally couldn’t help but speak in a low voice.
“Lin Wei junior, just get your own food. Don’t worry about me.”
Lin Wei paused.
Her little brain spun quickly, then she showed a sudden look of realization.
“Oh, okay, Senior! I was just worried you might be too shy to take what you wanted! Don’t be embarrassed!”
He had no idea what scene she’d conjured up in her head.
She gave a silly laugh and finally let Yu Qing go, darting off toward the ice cream area.
Finally, some peace.
Yu Qing exhaled in relief.
While having Lin Wei close by felt nice, it was too conspicuous and not helpful for his escape plan.
He quickly grabbed some food and returned to his seat, choosing a spot by the edge to stay as far from the center of conversation as possible, trying to become a background character.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.
The other four returned and began chatting as they ate.
The conversation drifted from the weather to campus stories.
Yu Qing strictly observed his personal rule of “no talking while eating,” burying his head in his plate and wishing he could disappear into it.
However, seeing Yu Qing silent, Lin Wei’s little mind started spinning again.
She thought he was just too shy to join in the conversation.
Now it was time for Angel Xiao Wei to shine!
“Did you guys hear? There’s a robotics competition coming up at the Academy, hosted by the Automation Academy. First place gets a Five Thousand Yuan Prize!”
When Li Ming mentioned the Five Thousand Yuan Prize, Yu Qing couldn’t help glancing at him.
This look was instantly caught by Lin Wei.
Angel Xiao Wei immediately decided Yu Qing must be interested in the robotics competition.
It couldn’t possibly be because of such a tiny prize, right?
So thought Rich Girl Xiao Wei.
“Ah, I’ve heard about that competition too! Yiyi mentioned it, and said Senior Yu Qing is pretty skilled in that area!”
With just a few words, all eyes turned to Yu Qing.
?
When did I ever tell a junior I was good at this?
Yu Qing looked at Lin Wei, who was chattering away, and slowly typed a question mark in his mind.
It was true he had some knowledge of robotics.
Back in his freshman and sophomore years, he’d self-studied related topics and occasionally showed up at the Robotics Club just to remind the group leader he was still alive.
But participating in a competition and debugging robots in front of everyone?
Forget it.
A socially anxious person would avoid any public appearances unless absolutely necessary.
Seeing everyone looking at him, Yu Qing had no choice but to lift his head and squeeze out an awkward yet polite smile.
“No, just average.”
He quickly steered the topic elsewhere to shift everyone’s attention.
Yu Qing relaxed, and just as he was about to signal Lin Wei to quiet down, he was abruptly dragged into the spotlight again.
At that moment, Sun Ya was talking about a movie she’d watched recently—a suspenseful Detective Drama.
It had a huge marketing campaign over the past few years, but ended up flopping after release, falling short of audience expectations.
Yu Qing had heard of the Movie too.
When the news first came out, his Sister had even planned to take him to see it.
But the plan dragged on for two or three years, and by this year he’d almost forgotten about it.
The siblings now lived so far apart, it took a full thirty-minute high-speed train ride just to meet!
Sigh, times change, and the years are merciless.
As he thought, a trace of nostalgia appeared in Yu Qing’s eyes.
Naturally, as Detective Xiao Wei, if she couldn’t even pick up on this much emotion, it would be an insult to her genius brain.
In less than ten seconds, an image formed in her mind: Yu Qing sitting in a theater, gazing at the screen with a deep, unfocused expression—five parts casual, three parts rebellious, and two parts thoughtful.
He looked like a professional movie critic!
“Oh, oh! That Movie! I think Senior Yu Qing mentioned something about this genre before? Senior, do you like suspense films?”
Yu Qing: “……?”
When did I ever discuss movies with you?!
You dog, you’re definitely trying to set me up!!!