Chapter 2: I'll Pay for Everyone Tonight

Xu Ruyin leaned against Cheng Ziyu’s shoulder and sighed, “Qiongqiong, senior Cheng has already broken up with you. Why do you keep pestering him?”

Cheng Ziyu shot her a look of disdain. “Lin Qiongqiong, if you keep acting like a shrew, don’t blame me if I lay hands on you.”

If it really came to a fight, as a grown man, he certainly wouldn’t be beaten by Lin Qiongqiong.

Feeling unlucky, Lin Qiongqiong turned to leave and find another restaurant. Just then, a young staff member called out to her, “Miss, our Feast Buffet offers dishes from 16 countries, with 400 varieties. Today is our grand opening, and we have special discounts!”

Cheng Ziyu sneered, “Even at half price, she couldn’t afford it! Lin Qiongqiong, the cafeteria is about to close. Aren’t you going to eat your free bowl of soup with rice?”

The students in line all shot Lin Qiongqiong strange looks upon hearing this.

Xu Ruyin’s expression turned amused. “Qiongqiong, stop pretending to be rich. This isn’t the place for you.”

At that moment, a guy with dyed blond hair and a roguish charm stepped forward from the queue.

“Seriously? A buffet with an average cost of 150 yuan per person, and you’re acting all superior?”

He glanced at Cheng Ziyu and Xu Ruyin, then walked over to Lin Qiongqiong. “Miss, how about we eat together? It’s on me.”

Behind him, several young women waiting in line also stepped forward.

“Sis, we’re just one short of a full table. Join us, and your share’s on us.”

Only then did Lin Qiongqiong notice that the people in line mostly looked at her with sympathy rather than disdain, while Cheng Ziyu and Xu Ruyin, who mocked her for being poor and stingy, were met with looks of disgust.

Her heart warmed slightly. Smiling, she declined all the offers of free meals. “Thank you all.”

Then she turned to the staff member.

The young woman behind the counter looked touched. “Little sister, please stay for dinner. It’s on me.”

“Thank you, but no need,” Lin Qiongqiong replied.

She glanced at the nearby advertisement board, then scanned the QR code on her phone. “I’ll get an annual membership. It’s 14,999, right?”

Everyone around froze at her words.

Cheng Ziyu sneered, “Lin Qiongqiong, what are you pretending? If you could even pull out 99 yuan, I’d eat dirt. And now you’re buying a 15,000-yuan annual card?”

Xu Ruyin didn’t believe it either. They had shared a dorm for almost three years, and she had never seen Lin Qiongqiong spend extravagantly; she often ate instant noodles instead.

Soon, the staff member happily handed Lin Qiongqiong her membership card. “Miss Lin, thank you for becoming our first annual member at the new store. Here is your card.”

She then looked at the stunned Cheng Ziyu. “Sir, we respect your unusual eating habits, but please turn left and enjoy yourself in the restroom.”

The crowd stifled their laughter.

“So that’s how rich the miss is. Hey, weren’t you going to eat dirt? Go on then,” the blond guy teased Cheng Ziyu.

“No way,” Cheng Ziyu said incredulously. He had checked Lin Qiongqiong’s balance before—it had never exceeded four figures. There was no way she could casually spend 15,000 yuan on a membership.

Xu Ruyin suddenly realized something. “Qiongqiong, your national student loan just arrived, right? It’s only 16,000 yuan in total. You’re using all of it to show off? Aren’t you supposed to pay tuition?”

Cheng Ziyu’s expression darkened as he understood. The student loan had come in, which explained why Lin Qiongqiong suddenly had money. But she was usually so stingy—who would have thought she’d spend the loan like this? Abandoned by him, she must have been seriously hurt to finally loosen her purse strings.

Was she trying to prove she wasn’t stingy anymore, hoping to win him back?

No matter what, compared to the dark, overweight, and joyless Lin Qiongqiong, he still preferred the slender, well-off, and proactive Xu Ruyin.

Hearing this, the staff member looked worried. “Little sister, maybe you should cancel the membership. It’s not worth fighting over…”

“Thank you, but I’m not using the loan. Besides, I’m treating everyone today!” Lin Qiongqiong said as she scanned the code again.

“Treating everyone? Lin Qiongqiong, are you crazy? Do you know there are nearly a thousand people here? That’s 150,000 yuan!”

Cheng Ziyu was already shocked by the 15,000 yuan membership. Now hearing she was going to spend 150,000 yuan, he almost laughed in disbelief.

Xu Ruyin thought Lin Qiongqiong must be insane. “Qiongqiong, what nonsense are you talking about? Even if you sold yourself, you wouldn’t get that much money.”

Lin Qiongqiong sneered coldly. “I’m not as cheap as you.”

Suddenly, the electronic voice from the counter snapped everyone back to reality—

“Alipay payment of 150,000 yuan received.”

Everyone: !!!

“Whoa! We’ve met a real rich lady! A thunderous arrival, here I come!”

“Mom! I’m your long-lost son!”

“Stop barking like a dog and go do the dishes. Sis, I’m way hotter and better looking than your ex. Want to take a look?”

“Girl, don’t be so rigid about gender.”

The students in line burst out laughing and thanked her, making jokes along the way.

Lin Qiongqiong’s mood lifted considerably. Before entering the store, she told the staff, “My ex-boyfriend and his mistress are not included in this treat.”

Upon hearing this, those who had benefited from Lin Qiongqiong’s generosity gave Cheng Ziyu and Xu Ruyin even colder stares.

“So they’re the scumbag and the mistress? No wonder they looked so smug.”

“I’ve known they weren’t good people for a long time—he’s a jerk and she’s a gold digger.”

“A man who doesn’t respect himself is just like rotten cabbage! Sis, look at me—I’m loyal and faithful, unlike some scumbags who chase after every new thing!”

Cheng Ziyu and Xu Ruyin’s faces darkened. Unable to bear the contemptuous gazes and comments, they canceled their orders on their phones and left.

Even after leaving the mall, Cheng Ziyu hadn’t recovered from the shock. “How did Lin Qiongqiong suddenly get so much money?”

Xu Ruyin was equally puzzled. “I don’t know. We used to go out for meals, manicures, and karaoke together in the dorm, but she never joined. I heard she’s tutoring a young master in a villa district this semester. Maybe she’s being kept?”

Xu Ruyin covered her mouth in feigned shock, thinking she had figured it out.

Cheng Ziyu’s face darkened. “Degrading herself! No wonder she suddenly started spending lavishly. Women do make money faster.”

“This is bad for our reputation. We have to tell the advisor! She must be kicked out of the lab. Who knows what kind of scandal she could cause for us?”

Xu Ruyin looked worried. “Isn’t that too harsh? It’s almost too late to prepare for graduate school now. If Qiongqiong is kicked out and no advisor wants to take her, how will she continue her studies? And if word gets out that she’s being kept, finding a job will be even harder.”

“That’s her own fault! Such disgrace to the school’s honor. The school should expel her. Being in the same university as someone like that is embarrassing enough.”

Cheng Ziyu sneered as he dialed the advisor’s number.