Lunch was scheduled for the school cafeteria due to time constraints.
Gou Wen and Tang Ruiyang remained in the laboratory. Er Ya had bought snacks for the cubicle, and Da Ya also promised to bring them food.
The sisters Er Ya and Da Ya attracted a lot of attention wherever they went. Fortunately, everyone assumed Er Ya’s surname was Di, so no one considered the special circumstances of the Tang family.
These two sisters could always get more meat dishes than others at any food stall. The task of buying food was left to them.
Xia Qingtian and Li Xiaoxiao pushed two four-person tables together and sat facing each other.
Professor Tang sat to Xia Qingtian’s left.
To Xia Qingtian’s right sat Professor Miao, whom they had called out to eat with them.
Professor Miao had been displeased and was ready to refuse, but Professor Tang’s sarcastic remarks made it impossible for Professor Miao to decline.
Even while sitting at the dining table, Professor Tang and Professor Miao, though neither spoke a word, were enveloped in a palpable tension.
It was truly agonizing.
Xia Qingtian, seated between the two of them, felt a dull ache in her forehead.
Perhaps she should have considered it more carefully at the time.
But even if time rewound to that moment, knowing there was an old professor in the opposite laboratory, sulking alone and not eating…
They would probably still have called out to him.
There was no other option; they just had to endure it.
After Da Ya and Er Ya brought the food, they sat side by side on either side of Li Xiaoxiao.
“These are the tastiest,” Er Ya said, smacking her lips. “You didn’t say what you wanted, so Da Ya and I just ordered what we like.”
“Mhm, mhm.” Da Ya returned the meal card to Li Xiaoxiao. “Thank you for the meal card~”
“You’re welcome, it’s the least I could do.” Li Xiaoxiao accepted the meal card, a little shyly. “Qingtian treated us to meals outside before, and Professor Tang treated us to king crab. I wanted to treat everyone to something good, but we ended up choosing the cafeteria… I feel a bit embarrassed…”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, our school cafeteria is quite delicious too.” Xia Qingtian chuckled as she distributed the tableware. “Da Ya and Er Ya really know how to order, and the cafeteria staff gave us generous portions.”
“Hehe~” Praised, Da Ya and Er Ya puffed out their chests, their smiles of pride identical.
“Eating is just about replenishing bodily functions. At my age, what haven’t I eaten? A simple meal is fine.” Professor Tang didn’t see anything wrong with eating in the cafeteria.
Moreover, at his age, he detested the insincere pleasantries often found at dinner parties.
If someone were to truly invite him to a grand feast, he might not even be willing to go.
Eating in the cafeteria was quite good.
“You… went to eat king crab?” Professor Miao, who had been sulking, suddenly frowned and spoke. “When did that happen? How come I didn’t know?”
“Does everything have to be known to you?” Professor Tang picked up his chopsticks and sneered. “You’re such a solitary, eccentric old man. You never get along with young people, unlike me… Hmph~”
Xia Qingtian and Li Xiaoxiao looked at Professor Tang, blinked, and really wanted to ask sincerely: Are you any better?
But the question they wanted to ask was swallowed back, after all, they were eating his food.
“Tch.” Professor Miao’s lips turned downward. “Who knows what you’re hiding? Does eating a meal with young people prove you have good social skills?”
“At least I’m better than you~” Professor Tang felt he had won thoroughly this time.
Professor Miao’s expression changed, and he tightened his grip on his chopsticks. “I’m also eating with young people now, and it’s nothing special.”
“Is that the same thing? They only called you out because they were afraid you’d starve to death across from me, which would be unlucky, so they begrudgingly invited you!” Professor Tang said with a laugh. “There’s no comparison to me.”
“You!” Professor Miao was about to slam the table and retort.
“Professor Miao!” Xia Qingtian immediately intervened, speaking softly. “Many students in the cafeteria are watching. Please save Professor Tang some face.”
Upon hearing Xia Qingtian’s words, Professor Miao slowly lowered his raised hand.
“Does it matter if I save him face?” Professor Tang raised an eyebrow, displeased.
“It’s not about whether we do or not. There are so many students here. You two are professors, so you should set a good example.” Xia Qingtian then turned to Professor Tang beside her and said softly, “Don’t you agree?”
Hearing Xia Qingtian say this, Professor Tang pursed his lips and didn’t say anything further.
In any case, he had already won today. If he didn’t say anything, so what?
Finally, having appeased the two old professors, Xia Qingtian picked up her bowl and began to eat.
After just a few bites, another incident occurred.
Professor Tang frowned and, separating the greens from Er Ya’s bowl, placed them back into her bowl. “You can’t be picky!”
“She just doesn’t like eating this…” Er Ya mumbled.
“Just because you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it?” Professor Tang said. “There are many things people dislike!”
“Then I hate this!” Er Ya protested. “Why should I be forced to accept something I hate!”
“I also hate cockroaches. Can cockroaches disappear from the world?” Professor Tang’s voice was louder than Er Ya’s. “If cockroaches can disappear from the world, then you don’t have to eat vegetables!”
“Then…” Er Ya was about to retort when Xia Qingtian interrupted her.
“Er Ya, didn’t we agree you’d set a good example for Da Ya?” Seeing Er Ya about to argue with Professor Tang again, Xia Qingtian quickly said, “Otherwise, Da Ya won’t eat her vegetables either.”
Er Ya then glanced at Da Ya beside her, gritted her teeth, and ate the vegetables Professor Tang had placed in her bowl.
Seeing Er Ya obediently eating her vegetables, Professor Tang retracted his gaze and continued eating his own meal.
Holding her bowl, Xia Qingtian let out a long sigh.
This meal had made her feel exhausted.
Li Xiaoxiao and Da Ya, sitting opposite Xia Qingtian, exchanged weak glances while eating.
Wasn’t this more exciting than a TV drama?
This meal was certainly lively.
Surrounding students, while dining, also paid attention to the commotion at their table. Some students even secretly took photos with their phones.
At that moment, someone posted the photos on the school forum.
“Shocking! The two most incompatible old professors at Z University are actually dining together in the student cafeteria!”
With pictures, pictures, pictures.
[1st Floor: I can tell the poster is terrible at naming things! If the title were better, this thread would explode!]
[2nd Floor: Even though the poster is bad at naming things, the first floor commenter must be a freshman who knows nothing, otherwise, they wouldn’t know about the love-hate relationship between these two old professors.]
[3rd Floor: Indeed, Professor Tang and Professor Miao have been feuding for years. Anyway, ever since I first entered university, these two have been at odds, either arguing or gearing up to argue… Oh, I’m in the integrated undergraduate-graduate-doctoral program, in my fifth year.]
[4th Floor: Isn’t anyone noticing that the person between Professor Tang and Professor Miao is Xia Qingtian… She’s considered a prominent figure on our campus. The poster is indeed bad at naming things; a better title would definitely make this explode! Seriously!]
[Poster: Are you… polite?]