"I know. It’s not that I’m not eating," Ye Qianning said. "My food just hasn’t arrived yet."

Sang Zhi glared at her, then lowered his head and continued eating.

’He really is a model of propriety,’ Ye Qianning thought, watching his slow, deliberate movements. ’It would probably take him half an hour to finish a bowl of rice that anyone else could down in five minutes.’

Luo Wen brought over a tray of food and set it on the table.

Sang Zhi instinctively glanced over. He looked slightly taken aback, his gaze falling on Ye Qianning’s chubby face.

"What is it?"

Ye Qianning picked up her chopsticks.

Sang Zhi averted his gaze, looked down, and continued to take small bites.

The academy’s food was quite good: chicken legs, pork, vegetables, rice, and a bowl of soup.

Having been with Ye Qianning for so long, Luo Wen naturally knew her appetite. He had gotten her double portions of everything, piling the food high on her plate.

Ye Qianning was chubby and had a big appetite, eating more than twice as much as an average child.

She especially loved meat, but because of her special ability, she also got along quite well with small animals.

If she actually saw a chicken or a pig being slaughtered, she absolutely couldn’t bring herself to eat it. Only when it was out of sight could she eat to her heart’s content...

In the blink of an eye, Ye Qianning had polished off a bowl of rice and several chicken legs. She handed her empty bowl to Luo Wen, who took it matter-of-factly to get her a refill.

Sang Zhi’s expression turned a little strange.

Ye Qianning glanced over. ’It looks like the little stick-in-the-mud has barely touched his food.’

"Don’t you eat meat?" she asked.

Sang Zhi, his young face stern, didn’t reply.

Ye Qianning was used to this. When Luo Wen brought her the fresh bowl of rice, she lowered her head and started eating again.

As she ate, she suddenly noticed the boy across from her sneaking glances in her direction. When Ye Qianning looked up, she saw he was staring at the chicken leg in her bowl...

’Could it be...?’

With that thought, Ye Qianning picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks and silently placed it in his bowl. "You’re too thin. You should eat more meat."

Sang Zhi didn’t move. He seemed to want to say something, but then thought better of it, perhaps recalling some rule of conduct. His lips moved a few times, but no words came out.

"If you have something to say, just say it. A meal is only half as fun without any conversation." ’The dining hall is supposed to be a hotbed for gossip. It’s creepy how quiet everyone is.’

Sang Zhi seemed unable to hold it in any longer. In a low voice, he said, "You should eat less."

"What? Does the academy have rules about how much we can eat now?"

"You’re... too fat."

"You can’t gain weight yourself, so you pick on people who can? Aren’t you a little jealous for a boy?"

"...You’re still young. Eating that much is unhealthy."

"I’m perfectly healthy. Healthy enough to beat up three of you in a fight."

Sang Zhi: "..."

"I’m telling you, you’re the one who’s a little unhealthy. You’re even on the short side. I’ll bring you something good to eat tomorrow." Ye Qianning thought he was too thin and frail.

Although he didn’t have any major health issues, he did show minor signs of being malnourished.

"All that good food you eat hasn’t made you any taller."

"Are you picking on me?"

"It’s the truth."

"I’m only six! You can’t tell how tall I’m going to be yet. But you’re over ten. If you don’t start eating properly, you might just stop growing altogether. Maybe this is as tall as you’ll ever get." Feeling picked on, Ye Qianning defiantly started trying to scare him. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Sang Zhi paid her threats no mind whatsoever and simply lowered his head to eat again.

"Eating more won’t make you any taller," Ye Qianning huffed.

Sang Zhi ignored her.

Ye Qianning was so annoyed she almost lost her appetite.

"Miss Xiang, so you’re attending the academy now!" A boy carrying a tray of food walked over and sat down beside Sang Zhi.

Ye Qianning looked up. She recognized him—he was Qian Fanji’s nephew.

"Miss Xiang, everyone in the academy knows all about you now." Qian Zhuye’s eyes were shining.

’She didn’t need him to tell her that. Good news stays home, but bad news travels fast. The rumors in the Capital City had been so vicious, everyone at the academy probably already saw her as a cautionary tale.’