Chi Qingya stared across the table at Su Li, whose face showed no expression, her heart swelling with anxiety and worry.
She was afraid that upon seeing her, Su Li would just get up and leave immediately.
So, she hurriedly began to apologize, lowering her head as she spoke.
“I—I’ve realized my mistakes.”
“I shouldn’t have left you to clean the room alone. I shouldn’t have kept causing you trouble…”
Her voice trembled slightly, and she spoke slowly, as if carefully choosing each word in her apology.
But Su Li remained silent, just as before, her face utterly expressionless.
“I shouldn’t have made such a mess every time and left it for you to clean up alone.”
“I shouldn’t… shouldn’t have only looked at things from my own perspective.”
“I shouldn’t have kicked you out of the house alone in the middle of the night.”
“I—I don’t even know what I was thinking back then. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I failed to fulfill my obligation as a roommate. I’m sorry.”
“I hope you can give me another chance.”
“I promise I’ll change for the better.”
As Chi Qingya spoke, she lowered her head again, her hands clutching at her clothes, her body trembling.
Yet after finishing, there was still no response from Su Li.
Chi Qingya’s mind went blank; she felt dizzy.
She could sense that many of the students eating in the dining hall were undoubtedly staring at her.
This wasn’t the first time she’d felt such eyes on her, yet even so, her cheeks burned with shame.
“I’m sorry, Su Li… it’s all my fault.”
If Su Li wouldn’t forgive her, then she’d just keep apologizing.
Chi Qingya felt regret; things weren’t unfolding the way she’d expected.
She had thought that all she needed to do was prepare a bento, and after Su Li saw it, they would make up.
The conflict between them just needed someone to step down.
Just like every other time she got angry, Su Li would take the first step back, apologize, and then they’d reconcile.
She thought it would be that simple.
She only needed to apologize like Su Li, then wait for forgiveness.
But she hadn’t expected Su Li to remain silent.
“Oh, right, I made you a bento!”
Suddenly, Chi Qingya remembered she had been so focused on apologizing that she’d completely forgotten about the bento.
If she just handed over the heartfelt bento she’d made, Su Li would surely understand her intentions.
She took out the boiled fish from the box. Because she had rushed to school, the once steaming hot boiled fish had gone cold.
The boiled fish inside the box was thoroughly chilled; the fish flakes had solidified in the sauce, stiff and dull like chunks of abandoned stone.
The vegetables had lost their vibrant colors; the charred lotus root slices stood out more, mixed with burnt chili skins into clumps of black sludge.
Floating “scorched rice” had hardened, stuck tightly to the cooled sauce, covering the entire box with a layer of black, hard residue.
The sauce itself had thickened and become sticky, losing its shine, now a dark, dull black, like congealed nightfall.
The whole boiled fish looked as if it could have been cooking for three days straight, having studied under an Indian chef.
Though it didn’t look appetizing, Chi Qingya thought it wasn’t a big deal.
Even though she’d rushed to school, she was still a step too late.
She couldn’t blame herself; she had tried her best.
The Cleaning Lady wasn’t quick, and despite multiple urgings about her urgent schedule, finishing the kitchen took a lot of time.
She even searched the dining hall one by one for Su Li’s figure, hoping Su Li could eat her lovingly prepared bento while it was still warm.
Even cold, the taste shouldn’t have changed too much.
As long as Su Li could feel her sincerity, that was enough.
She… would definitely be able to feel it, right?
In anime and dramas, the male and female leads were often like this—no matter how unappetizing the first carefully prepared meal looked, as long as the feelings were conveyed, the other person would understand.
Su Li would definitely understand her feelings.
Yet inexplicably, Chi Qingya’s heart tightened.
Su Li showed no obvious reaction and kept her head down.
After a long time with no response, Chi Qingya finally looked up at Su Li again.
She saw Su Li eating silently like a robot programmed only to eat, as if she hadn’t heard a word of her apology.
In front of Su Li was an exquisite pink bento box with a little cat illustration on top.
Because she’d been busy searching for Su Li, Chi Qingya hadn’t noticed the cat bento box or that Su Li hadn’t heard her words and was simply eating quietly alone.
Though Su Li had eaten quite a bit, Chi Qingya could still make out the bento’s original appearance.
The golden fried egg roll was cut into neat little sections, shimmering like ribbons in the sunlight.
Bright green peas and vivid red corn kernels were scattered like sparkling jewels, while the soft sticky rice was molded into a cute kitten shape, its eyes made of black sesame seeds shining brightly.
In one corner of the bento were a few slices of ham cut with a heart-shaped mold.
Compared to the exquisite bento box and the appealing presentation in front of her, her own ugly boiled fish with floating scorched rice looked like a beggar emerging from a slum.
Even though she knew she’d put a lot of effort into making the bento, compared to this delicate one in front of her, her own feelings seemed utterly unpresentable.
Is this from the landlord?
Or someone else…?
Chi Qingya furrowed her brows, her mood souring.
Especially when she saw the sticky rice shaped like a kitten, she didn’t expect the person who made that bento to be so calculating.
They must have known Su Li liked cats and made it especially for her.
And her ugly bento was just like her own ugly, unpresentable feelings.
Chi Qingya felt her nose sting, tinged with frustration at herself for forgetting that Su Li liked cats.
“Where did this bento come from?”
Chi Qingya asked, her tone a bit urgent, almost like she was questioning Su Li.
Though Su Li often fed the cats downstairs in the Apartment Complex, she was certain this cat bento had to have been given to Su Li by someone else!