The Third Beauty

There were a lot of students in the canteen. The chefs were busy. Some students were standing in the queue. Some were sitting, eating and enjoying their meal.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance, Gu Lingze was there!

Gu Lingze, The school hunk....

Also, Su Rouli's fiancé....

Gu Lingze was standing at the entrance. He looked at the crowd which was treating him like a celebrity. The girls' gaze of admiration and boys' gaze of envy greatly satisfied his so called ego.

Jing Xue'er was standing behind him.

Jing Xue'er was the school beauty which was constantly at third place.

Jiang Xue'er looked at Gu Lingze and her eyes flashed. She walked forward and she fell as if someone tripped her. Gu Lingze caught her by waist. Then he made her stand firm on the ground. His hand made its way from her waist to her hand, caressing her arm in the process.

Jiang Xue'er stood up straight and took her hand back. She politely said her thanks and moved forward.

Gu Lingze looked at her that time as if she was the one and only. But this was seen by only her as she did not dwell there too much to give him chance to make this a scene.

But she still underestimated the impact. Students started gossiping.

"Oh my god, Gu Lingze looked so handsome."

"He and Jiang Xue'er are perfect match."

"Oohh!!..... He is such a gentleman. He did not even took advantage of a beauty."

"I think Jiang Xue'er did this intentionally."

"Yeah..... She totally slipped intentionally, so that our Prince can catch her."

"Our prince is such a nice guy. He did not even know that he has been taken advantage of."

"Shameless b***h."

"Ahh.... I wish I was the one who fell into his arms.."

"What's so great about him? He just pretends to be a noble prince".

" What do you know? You're just jealous of him!"

All kinds of discussions erupted.

Gu Lingze stood there proudly, enjoying girls' admiring and boys' envious gazes.

Suddenly, they all quietened. Again focus was on entrance. But this time it was Fu Rouxi.

She did not stopped even for a second and entered directly. Gu Lingze tried to say something to her but she didn't even gave him a tiny bit of chance and went straight ahead. Her friend, Ning Qing was waiting for her at a table. She waved at her. Fu Rouxi went straight to the table and sat down.

This time there was no gossip. This was the power of Fu Rouxi. All the students admired her. Be it boys or girls. She was always herself so all of them liked her. Boys took her as their goddess, that they can admire from far. They could see her but not touch. To girls, she was a fairy. Only a few girls disliked her and why they did so, it certainly had a story behind. Students were so busy looking at her that they ignored Gu Lingze's awkwardness. He clenched his fists but said nothing.

"Done with what you wanted to do?" asked Ning Qing.

"Yeah...bought my lunch?"

"Yes, of course, I did."

"How much is it?" asked Fu Rouxi straightforwardly.

"Huh?! No, You don't have to, I -"

"Just tell me what I asked? If you don't, I don't mind leaving it here as it is and go to buy a new one myself" Fu Rouxi didn't let her have her way.

"....You are always like this...sigh, well it is ....." Ning Qing finally told the cost.

Fu Rouxi directly took money from her wallet and gave it to her, not a cent less, not a cent more. After that she started eating her own meal.

Jiang Xue'er looked at her and and dug her nails into palm. Her eyes flashed with jealousy. She said nothing but stared at her.

Gu Lingze also moved and came to her table and sat down, not too far not too close.

After sometime, Su Rouli came quietly that nobody noticed her. She didn't have friends to begin with. She quietly bought her lunch and sat in the corner.

Three people, however, still noticed her.

Fu Rouxi looked in her direction for a few seconds and averted her gaze.

'I could only do that, rest is up to her.'

She sighed.

"What are you sighing for?" asked Ning Qing.

"Huh?!... Ummm.. Nothing. Hurry up and eat. We have to go back to classroom."

Gu Lingze looked at her with satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Satisfied with her beauty and quietness. Dissatisfied for her lack of confidence and interest in him, for not approaching him.

Jiang Xue'er looked at Su Rouli for two seconds and then at Gu Lingze. She saw him looking at her for quite sometime before he averted his gaze. She also looked down at her food and said nothing. But her tight grip on chopsticks showed her real feelings. Her and Gu Lingze's reaction were seen by no one but Fu Rouxi. She stared at her food in some thought and finished her meal. She and Ning Qing took their empty trays and put them at the place of non washed dishes and went back to their classroom.

Gu Lingze and Su Rouli also finished their meal and returned to their respective classrooms.

Jiang Xue'er did not return to classroom but instead went to washroom. She opened the tap water and splashed on her face. She splashed a lot of water on her face. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. Water was dripping from her face.

She actually liked Gu Lingze and he knows that. She and he are in the same class. She actually felt that he also liked her. Both were dating in secret as school does not give them permission to date. But this morning, she was coming down from stairs that she heard his voice. She quietly looked down to see him standing with a girl. At first she didn't feel anything suspicious but then he lifted his hand and caressed the girl's hair. She was frozen on stairs.

Jiang Xue'er slowed down her breathing and tried to listen to them but could not hear them clearly. But then again Gu Lingze tried to kiss the girl. But the girl turned her face to side.

"I am your fiancé, Su Rouli. We are engaged. We have been engaged since childhood, so we can be considered childhood sweethearts. You don't have to avoid me. I'll protect you, I promise you'll be my only girl" Gu Lingze said a little loudly this time that Jiang Xue'er heard him clearly.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.