C23 Su Yue Has an Appointment

"It's a shame this card is limited to just two diners; otherwise, we brothers would come here every day and eat them out of house and home," Wang Lei lamented as he handed the membership card back to Chu Yang.

Chu Yang chuckled. "No worries, we can take turns. Besides, it'll keep us from getting sick of it."

"Exactly," the others agreed, erupting into laughter.

Chu Yang and his friends had a rare weekend of leisure, pulling an all-nighter with video games and sleeping in until a phone's ringtone jolted them awake at noon.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Su Yue's voice came through before Chu Yang could even respond.

"Just lying in bed. What's up?" Chu Yang replied with a yawn.

"It's so late already. Aren't you worried about starving if you sleep any longer?" Su Yue chided.

"I was just about to head out for food. If you hadn't called, I might've been on my way to the cafeteria by now."

"Forget the cafeteria. I'm on campus too. How about we go out to eat?" Su Yue suggested, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Chu Yang, now getting dressed, asked with a hint of surprise, "Don't you usually eat at home on weekends?"

"Never mind that. Are you coming or not? Just give me a straight answer."

"Let's go, let's go. Give me ten minutes," Chu Yang replied, then quickly got ready.

Leaving the dorm, he found his three roommates still asleep. He quietly closed the door behind him and dashed towards the school entrance.

From a distance, Chu Yang spotted Su Yue waiting outside the school gate. She looked stunning today in a simple white dress that cinched at the waist, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, a silver necklace gracing her elegant neck, and a pair of silver high heels that accentuated her tall figure.

"I'm not late, am I?" Chu Yang panted as he approached.

"You're on time," Su Yue confirmed without emotion. "Let's get going before the dinner rush hits."

As they walked, Chu Yang inquired, "What are you in the mood for? Just a heads up, I'm treating today, so no fighting me on it."

"Let's go have some crayfish; it's been ages since I last had some."

Su Yue agreed and led the way.

They quickly reached a bustling restaurant named "No Spice, No Joy."

By the time Chu Yang and Su Yue got there, the place was packed, and they had to wait quite a while for a table.

"Chu Yang, should I return the dress to you?"

During the wait, Su Yue offered the bag she was holding to Chu Yang.

He glanced at it but didn't take it, puzzled. "Why are you giving it back all of a sudden? Wasn't it a gift for you?"

Su Yue looked down, her voice tinged with resignation. "Actually, I went back home yesterday and had a fight with my mom. I snuck out to come here today..."

"What caused the argument?"

Chu Yang was taken aback. Su Yue was usually so gentle; he had never seen her argue with anyone, especially not her mom.

"What if my mom doesn't like you? What would you do?" Su Yue asked quietly, stealing a glance at Chu Yang.

Perplexed, Chu Yang responded, "I don't think I've ever met your aunt. Why wouldn't she like me?"

After a pause, Su Yue admitted, "The truth is, I used my mom's credit card to borrow the money I lent you. When she asked me about the expense, I told her about you. She got a bad impression, thinking you're the type of guy who's too ambitious and doesn't keep his feet on the ground, and she told me to return the things you gave me."

In hindsight, Jin Yuanpei's words had some merit.

Chu Yang had indeed been reckless in managing his online store, almost driving himself to a dead end. If not for the fortuitous discovery of the Celestial Amazon Store, he might never have recovered.

"What's your take on this?"

Despite his typically nonchalant demeanor, Chu Yang cared deeply about others' opinions.

"I think you're a great guy. I've thought so since the day of our military training," Su Yue said after a moment, looking up at Chu Yang.

"Military training?"

The term triggered a memory for Chu Yang.

There had been a five-kilometer cross-country event during their freshman year's military training.

That day, Su Yue accidentally twisted her ankle, and by chance, Chu Yang was walking by. Noticing her severely swollen ankle, he carried her all the way to the finish line. It was from that moment that their friendship began to blossom.

"Right."

With a slight blush on her face, Su Yue shyly glanced at Chu Yang. "There were many guys who passed by that day, but you were the only one who stopped to help me. I knew then that you were different from the rest. After spending more time with you, I've come to see that you really possess many qualities that I find attractive... Maybe that's why I've fallen for you."

She whispered the last sentence to herself, so quietly it was barely audible.

Unbeknownst to her, Chu Yang, with his keen spiritual sense, heard every word.

A surge of emotion rippled through Chu Yang's heart. How could he not reciprocate the feelings of someone as exceptional as Su Yue? However, with his family in debt and his father blacklisted by the court, he felt unworthy of her and kept his feelings hidden.

But Su Yue's murmured confession changed everything.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Yang decided to lay his feelings bare. "Su Yue, I really like you too. My family's financial situation has held me back because I didn't think I was good enough for you. That's why I never showed my affection. It's not that I don't care for you."

Su Yue's eyes widened in surprise, a glimmer of happiness shining through.

But her joy quickly faded, and she looked down, disheartened. "I wish you had told me sooner. It's too late now; my mom already dislikes you, and she won't approve of us being together."

The Su family was strict but not old-fashioned, and Su Yue's parents were open to her dating.

However, Jin Yuanpei had formed a negative first impression of Chu Yang, creating a significant obstacle for the couple.

Seeing Su Yue's spirits dip, Chu Yang felt a pang of sadness. He reassured her, "If you're willing to be with me, I'll do everything I can to change your mother's opinion. Once she gets to know me, I'm sure she won't stand in our way."

"My mom is incredibly stubborn; once she's made up her mind, it's hard for her to see things differently. As for her and my dad... never mind, the crayfish has arrived. Let's dig in."

Su Yue let out a sigh, deciding not to delve further into the topic. She pulled on her gloves and began to peel the shells off the crayfish.

The crayfish at this restaurant were exceptionally fresh, and the meat was rich with spiritual essence. But Chu Yang was preoccupied with his thoughts and unusually had no appetite.

Noticing that he wasn't eating, Su Yue placed some peeled crayfish into his bowl with a strained smile. "Stop overthinking things. We can worry about the future later. For now, let's just focus on enjoying our meal."

"Yeah, you're right. And make sure you eat up too. Things are bound to get better," Chu Yang agreed, realizing that dwelling on his concerns was futile. He decided to let go and indulge in the feast before him.

Su Yue, who had a modest appetite, only managed to eat a small portion of the large bowl of crayfish. The remainder found its way into Chu Yang's belly.