Chapter 175 - Picnic

"I guess we are all special to her. We are her friends after all." Lu Yin Ze said these words seriously. He doesn't know why he felt a bit apprehensive by what this man in front of him had said. But he wanted to talk back.

"Yeah. So I'm very grateful that you are taking care of her during lunch and class time. Thank you for taking care of my young miss." Linfeng bowed to the three of them. His initial dominating aura was gone and was now replaced by calmness and humility.

"It's nothing. It's nothing. Friends should look out for each other right?" Song Xuantin said. 

Gu Zhen nodded. He didn't really look out for his friends. He was just freeloading on their food.

Lu Yin Ze did not say anything and just keep watching Linfeng.

"Tomorrow, I would like to borrow Xiong Zhi for a while." Linfeng suddenly said.

"Eh? Tomorrow? But we will be busy after class." Song Xuantin reminded the people in the table of their upcoming play. They haven't practiced yet. But the script, props, graphics effects, was already complete. Courtesy of her and Gu Zhen.

"Don't worry, I will only borrow Xiong Zhi at lunch. And, what kind of play will you present?" Linfeng got curious.

When Linfeng was a junior, he handles the organizing of their play. They got the highest mark among all juniors. So he wanted to help Xiong Zhi's group a bit.

"S-e-c-r-e-t hehe. You will know it in the play. Make sure to watch it, okay? Our dear Zhi will be the female lead." Song Xuantin said in a mysterious tone.

Xiong Zhi finally opened her mouth to reject it.

"I'm not good at acting, I can't be the female lead. Let me be the narrator instead." Xiong Zhi was a hundred percent sure she was not cut out for acting. Her facial expression was a bit stiff. But she was confident in her voice. She could now express sorrow, mocking, and domineering through her voice.

[RR: Does it counts? *facepalm]

"You don't have to worry! You just have to play dead most of the time! I make a character suited just for you!" Song Xuantin was proud. She was sure that their play would make it big.

"Alright. I will support you guys. I will convince the student council to make seniors attend your play." Linfeng suggested trying to be helpful.

"Alright! Another advertis.e.m.e.nt!"

Xiong Zhi stared blankly for a while. She would be part of a play. And Linfeng would watch her. How would it look like? Xiong Zhi began to be excited.

"Okay. I'll do my best too." Xiong Zhi said suddenly making the people in the table stunned.

"Yeah! Let's do our best! Zhi!" Song Xuantin got more excited. Even the quiet Xiong Zhi was going to do her best.

"I'll do my best too." Lu Yin Ze added.

"Don't worry. I already put effort into our props." Gu Zhen said something too.

Seeing this group's harmony, Linfeng smiled. He then glanced at Xiong Zhi.

Spending time with them today, Linfeng found that Xiong Zhi had a really huge impact on these people on the table.

He was happy to know that Xiong Zhi seems to find good friends that would support her.

*****

The next day, Xiong Zhi received a letter of recognition from IAmFashionista. 

The organizer of IAmFashionista, Mr. Luo Yang, wanted to meet with Xiong Zhi in her available time. It was said in the letter that Mr. Luo wanted to personally give the authorization that Xiong Zhi would be a VVIP of IAmFashinosta starting next year. She would also be one of the main sponsors of the event. In other words, her status in IAmFashinosta was the same as the legendary heads and some big figures who were VVIP.

Xiong Zhi doesn't really know what it means to be VVIP. She was a bit stunned that she got to be a VVIP that every rich man wanted to obtain.

'Was it because of the 20 billion?' 

Xiong Zhi felt confuse how she got this special privilege just because she spent money.

But she could not think of any reason why not to receive this VVIP position. For now, it was good news she gained another status and connections. 

So she sent her reply that she would be free on the evening of the weekend since she would be busy in the afternoon, courtesy of the play.

The car stopped at the junior parking lot. 

Linfeng alighted first. He held Xiong Zhi's hand to support her from coming out of the car. The move was natural as he had been doing it every day. However, even Xiong Zhi was completely out of the car, Linfeng did not let go of her hand.

Xiong Zhi looked at him wondering why he hasn't let go.

"Young miss, I will visit you at lunch. So just wait for me, later."

Xiong Zhi of course remembered the promised lunch.

"Alright. I'll wait for you." 

Linfeng then watched Xiong Zhi leave as she enters the junior's building.

****

Lunch quickly came.

Xiong Zhi suddenly stands up. Then she sat back down. She had been waiting for lunch. 

"Are you going to wait here? Just wait in the cafeteria. Come with us, first. It will be at least twenty minutes before senior Linfeng comes here." Song Xuantin suggested. If they left, Xiong Zhi would be left alone.

"It's alright. You go eat your lunch." Xiong Zhi persisted to stay in the room. What if Linfeng comes and finds her gone? He might thought that she would like to spend her lunch with her friends instead.

"I'll stay with Xiong Zhi. You guys go." Lu Yin Ze suddenly said.

Xiong Zhi was about to reject when Song Xuantin exclaimed.

"Wow. You came here fast, senior." 

Xiong Zhi immediately stand up and ran to the door.

Linfeng was just about to knock on the door to get the group's attention when they noticed him first. He was a bit stunned when Xiong Zhi almost slammed to him.

Xiong Zhi was smiling. 

"You're here."

Linfeng smiled too.

"En. Let's have lunch."

"Mm!" Xiong Zhi nodded and did not even bid goodbye to her friends.

But Linfeng was a person with courtesy. He thanked the group first and excuse himself and Xiong Zhi.

The group just watched them went away.

Lu Yin Ze watched as Xiong Zhi talked about her day to Linfeng while the two were increasing the distance between them and their group.

"Alright! I'm carving for chocolate moose cake!" Song Xuantin's loud voice sounded in the room. Breaking any thoughts in Lu Yin Ze's mind.

*****

It was a two-minute drive from Junior's building.

Linfeng thanked Mr. Ji who handed him the things he prepared that left on the trunk.

Xiong Zhi was standing at the side and observing their surrounding.

There was a lot of clean and well maintained trees in this area. There was a lagoon lake a distance away from them. The gardens surrounding the lake were all well-tended. Roses, orchids, and different types of flowers were planted beautifully surrounding the lake. It was really beautiful.

The temperature was not too hot nor too cold. There was a fresh breeze from time to time. It was accompanied by the fragrance of the flowers. 

Xiong Zhi instantly like this place.

"It's clean isn't it?" Linfeng asked beside her. 

"Yes. I haven't toured the school yet. I have only been in junior's building..." And the Tian Cai hall, the main building for TIHS event, where Xiong Zhi graduation occurs. That's the only place that she visited before in this school.

"...I don't know such a beautiful place exist here." 

That's why Xiong Zhi wondered how this place that was so beautiful was unknown in the past, even now, in the present.

"Our school is big. The biggest high school in Asia actually. There's a lot of uncultivated land that you should explore. This place was like that before. I just find this place accidentally. There are many wild plants. So I guessed that the land was healthy. I requested a garden caretaker from the student council. After a year, it bloomed like this. " Linfeng felt proud that the desolate land with uncultured plants turned into a beautiful place. 

"You and I are the second person who saw this new look of this place," Linfeng said to Xiong Zhi with a smile.

"Who's first?" Xiong Zhi's smile did not erase as she was listening to Linfeng telling her story of discovering this land.

"The gardener of course. " Linfeng laughed a bit. Making fun of Xiong Zhi.

Xiong Zhi stared at Linfeng who was happily laughing. She laughed too. Even though she doesn't understand what's funny. Seeing him happy like this, was enough to make her laugh too.

"Let's choose a place to picnic," Linfeng said as he looked around to find a good place.

Xiong Zhi noticed the basket and the blanket that Linfeng was holding.

Her eyes lit up.

Picnic! 

She wanted to try it ever since she was young. 

Xiong Zhi looked around excitedly.

"There! Let's go near the lake!" Xiong Zhi holds Linfeng's arm and dragged him happily to the direction of the lake.

"Alright. Just be careful to not trip." Linfeng reminded her.

They arrived two meters away from the lake. The lake was clean and the fragrance of the flowers was stronger in this area.

Linfeng place down the blanket and the food.

Xiong Zhi sat down on the blanket as she watched Linfeng placed everything down.

There were four containers of food. One box of cake. Two jugs of juice. Utensils and plates. A mosquito repeller. A pillow. Another blanket. A book. A badminton racket. And a flashlight...

Xiong Zhi stared at the things that Linfeng put down.