C23 All the Classmates Ate at the Banquet

"Hello, everyone!"

The Kitchen Manager greeted Liu Wenming, Tian Chao, and Zhou Hengyu with a warm smile as he approached them.

Grasping Liu Wenming's hand, he exclaimed, "Ah, I was just about to look for you guys. This is fantastic, hahaha!"

Liu Wenming was perplexed.

He was completely baffled.

Just moments ago, the Kitchen Manager had been haughty, insisting that without payment, no one could leave.

But now, in such a short time, he was brimming with enthusiasm.

Tian Chao and Zhou Hengyu shared the same confusion. They couldn't fathom how the Kitchen Manager's demeanor had shifted so rapidly.

Zhou Hengyu cautiously asked, "Isn't Lin Dong here?"

The Kitchen Manager replied immediately, "Yes, Lin Dong had something to attend to, so I let him leave first. He rushed off so quickly that he didn't take the food you'd asked to be packed! The dishes you had earlier have gone cold, so I had the kitchen whip up a fresh, hot batch. If you're still hungry, it'll taste perfect! By the way, where is Lin Dong?"

Liu Wenming gingerly withdrew his hand and said, "We're looking for him too."

Tian Chao added, "We came to settle the bill for our meal."

With a grand gesture, the Kitchen Manager dismissed the concern, "What bill? Don't be strangers! In the future, come by anytime you like. As long as Lin Dong is with you, eat as much as you please!"

He kept mentioning Lin Dong, which only deepened the trio's bewilderment.

Since Lin Dong had told them to go ahead without him, they were clueless about the events that had transpired afterward.

The Kitchen Manager didn't offer any further explanation.

With the same enthusiasm, he said, "Get in touch with Lin Dong, will you? He left something behind. Please tell him to come pick it up."

Liu Wenming nodded subconsciously.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Lin Dong's number.

Internally, he was eager to discover what had occurred here with Lin Dong to cause such a drastic change in the Kitchen Manager's attitude.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off. Please try again later!"

The call didn't go through.

Lin Dong's phone was still off.

Liu Wenming set down his phone and remarked, "I can't reach him. Where could he have gone?"

"Maybe he went to the classroom ahead of us?" Zhou Hengyu suggested.

Tian Chao nodded in agreement, "That's likely. He might have assumed we were already there. Let's head back and look for him."

The Kitchen Manager chimed in with concern, "What should we do with all these dishes?"

Liu Wenming glanced at the waitress laden with bags of various sizes, noting even the Kitchen Manager had two carry bags draped over his arms. Honestly, he couldn't stomach another bite.

Tian Chao and Zhou Hengyu felt similarly overwhelmed.

They had indulged heartily after Lin Dong's enthusiastic invitation, and now they were stuffed to the brim.

With their previous meal barely digested, the sight of more food was daunting. How could they possibly eat more?

After a moment's thought, Liu Wenming made an executive decision, "Let's take it to our class! Everyone can enjoy it together!"

The Kitchen Manager responded with gusto, gesturing for the waitress to follow him to Lin Dong's classroom.

Lin Dong had previously mentioned his class name, so the Kitchen Manager knew exactly where to go.

Tian Chao and Zhou Hengyu shot Liu Wenming a look of exasperation.

This guy was too quick to offer up the feast. Wouldn't it have been better to savor these treats slowly back at the dorm? Instead, he insisted on sharing them in the classroom!

But with the Kitchen Manager already on his way, it was too late to call him back without seeming rude.

Liu Wenming scratched his head, realizing he hadn't fully thought through his spur-of-the-moment idea.

"Let's head to the classroom," he suggested. "Lin might be there by now, and we can find out what happened earlier."

They all made their way to the classroom in search of Lin Dong.

Lin Dong was already there, seated at his desk, tinkering with his phone.

He had looked for Liu Wenming, Tian Chao, and Zhou Hengyu to no avail.

With his phone turned off and no way to reach them, he had decided to return to the classroom.

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

Lin Dong slapped his smartphone forcefully.

After a few attempts, he pressed the power button hard. The phone's screen flickered and finally came to life.

Lin Dong was at a loss for words as he stared at the screen that had finally come to life. Just moments ago in the kitchen, the darn thing wouldn't turn on, forcing him to leave his Pagani Huayran keys on the cashier's counter. Unexpectedly, a simple tug had it working again. Lin Dong resolved to get a new phone after class and retire this unreliable one for good. He couldn't afford another unexpected shutdown at a critical moment—that would be a real hassle!

"Lin Dong, where are your buddies?" a voice called out.

Looking up, Lin Dong saw a girl with a ponytail approaching him. She wore a sporty shirt and Nike shoes, her large eyes brimming with vitality.

"Ma Chenchen, you're so interested in them. Have you got your eye on Tian Chao? I'll tie a red string for you two later—just don't forget to share some sweets with me," Lin Dong teased with a grin.

Ma Chenchen was the class sports representative. Lin Dong, with his amiable nature and good looks, often found himself in conversation with her. Ma Chenchen's straightforward personality made it easy for her to get along with Lin Dong, especially since they sat in adjacent rows. Over time, they had grown quite familiar with each other, and Lin Dong enjoyed making playful remarks.

"Get out of here!" Ma Chenchen scoffed, giving Lin Dong a playful glare. "I'd rather not be suffocated by Tian Chao's stinky feet, and besides, he's not as handsome as you. If it were you, I might consider it! But you're already taken, so I guess I'm out of luck."

She tossed out the last comment nonchalantly, yet her gaze at Lin Dong held a special sparkle. She was aware of Lin Dong's situation with Zhang Xiaofeng. Thanks to Liu Wenming, the class blabbermouth, if he knew something, it wasn't long before the whole class did.

After a brief silence, Lin Dong admitted, "Zhang Xiaofeng and I broke up."

"What? You really split?" Ma Chenchen's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, it's true. When have I ever lied?" Lin Dong affirmed.

Ma Chenchen's expression turned eager, her curiosity piqued. Resting her chin in her hand, she looked at Lin Dong expectantly. "What happened? Why did you two break up? Come on, spill the beans!"

Lin Dong chose to remain silent, leaving Ma Chenchen visibly frustrated as she pouted in impatience.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached. Lin Dong glanced up to see Liu Wenming, Tian Chao, and Zhou Hengyu entering the room. Trailing behind them was the Kitchen Manager, his arms laden with two plastic bags filled with neatly packed lunchboxes. Following him were two waitresses, their arms similarly draped with bags brimming with more of the carefully prepared lunchboxes. The aroma of the food was tantalizing.

Since there were afternoon classes and everyone had just had a brief rest after lunch, most of the classmates were still in the room. Their arrival at the doorway immediately drew the attention of the entire class.

Upon spotting Lin Dong, Liu Wenming's expression brightened. "Lin, there you are!" he exclaimed. "The Kitchen Manager has packed up some dishes for us—freshly made and still hot! Old Tian, Old Zhou, and I were just coming to find you when the manager asked what to do. I told him to bring everything to the class."

Lin Dong turned his attention to the Kitchen Manager, who greeted him with the warmest and most amiable smile. It didn't take long for Lin Dong to realize that the Kitchen Manager had likely recognized the car keys and was now making a friendly overture.

With that in mind, Lin Dong didn't hesitate. He stood up, gestured broadly with his arm, and declared, "Well, since you've come all this way and everyone's here, let's go ahead and share! The food from the kitchen is delicious—it would be a shame not to enjoy it!"