Duck Leg Delight: You are my dish I can never get tired of.

　　1

　　Lin Zhixia's Life Motto -- I love three things: eating until I'm completely full, sleeping until I naturally wake up, and always having duck legs.

　　The first two are relatively easy to understand, but the reason for the last one needs to be traced back to elementary school.

　　When Lin Zhixia was in elementary school, a roast duck shop opened across from her house, and the aroma was irresistible. Lin Zhixia would drool every time she passed by the shop

　　. Her dream at that time was to be able to eat roast duck every day.

　　But this kind of life only lasted until junior high school, when the roast duck shop across from her house moved away. From then on, there was no more roast duck with its ten-mile-long aroma.

　　After that, in order to eat a roast duck, she had to ride her bicycle through seven or eight streets.

　　Her obsession with roast duck continued until high school.

　　When she was in high school, there was a Zhou Hei Ya shop across from the school. When she saw the word 'duck', she immediately became interested.

　　No matter if it was cold or hot, whether it was fragrant or spicy, she had to go and take a look.

　　Once she ate it, she was hooked. From then on, always having duck legs to eat became her lifelong pursuit.

　　In high school, everyone who was close to Lin Zhixia knew she was a foodie who could be bribed with a duck leg.

　　Actually, no one would try to bribe her with a duck leg or ask her for help, but Shen Yudong was an exception.

　　Shen Yudong and Lin Zhixia were childhood sweethearts; their names alone suggested their parents had a very good relationship, having been neighbors for over a decade.

　　However, good parental relationships don't guarantee good relationships between children. Although they were childhood sweethearts, they were constantly at odds. In front of others, they frequently teased each other about their shortcomings.

　　Once, Lin Zhixia, a freshman in high school, fell for the class monitor, who excelled academically. After pondering her feelings seven or eight times and experiencing countless moments of anxiety, she decided to confess.

　　But her confession turned into a complete blunder.

　　That afternoon, the sun was shining brightly. During PE class, Lin Zhixia held her love letter tightly in her hand, intending to hand it to the class monitor when he was alone.

　　For the first half of PE, Lin Zhixia was distracted, constantly staring at the class monitor. It wasn't until free time that Lin Zhixia finally found an opportunity to run to the class monitor and secretly call him aside.

　　Her actions went unnoticed by others, but they did attract Shen Yudong's attention.

　　Seeing Lin Zhixia furtively tugging at the class monitor's sleeve and gesturing to the side, Shen Yudong stopped playing ball, wanting to watch the spectacle. He secretly followed her.

　　Her blushing face, lowered head, and awkward, fidgeting posture made Shen Yudong instantly understand what Lin Zhixia was up to.

　　Just as Lin Zhixia was about to hand him the love letter, Shen Yudong ran up from behind.

　　Pointing at Lin Zhixia, he blurted out, giving her no chance to interrupt, "Lin Zhixia, no wonder I couldn't find you! Turns out you were here slacking off! You never exercise, you don't even move during PE class, all you do is eat duck legs, you'll turn into a duck sooner or later!" Lin Zhixia

　　's face instantly turned bright red, thinking: How embarrassing! She immediately wanted to retort, but before he could,

　　Shen Yudong acted as if he'd just seen the class monitor, pointing at him in surprise and saying, "Class monitor, why aren't you playing ball? The vice-monitor is waiting to cheer you on!"

　　The class monitor lowered his head in embarrassment, and Lin Zhixia stared at the back of Shen Yudong's head in astonishment.

　　So the class monitor and vice-monitor were a couple! Good heavens, thank goodness Shen Yudong stopped her, otherwise she would have been mortified.

　　After the class monitor left, Lin Zhixia remained sullen and head down.

　　This was her first time mustering the courage to confess, and it ended so tragically. From then on, even if Lin Zhixia met a boy she liked, she would keep it to herself.

　　This incident became Shen Yudong's gossip fodder, something he would bring up to mock her for no reason.

　　Lin Zhixia was speechless and could only silently wish him to stay single forever. Because of this

　　incident

　　and Shen Yudong's constant presence around her, she could only focus on her studies throughout high school, having no interest in romance.

　　And she also had to endure Shen Yudong's constant pressure, having to do his homework for an entire night for just one duck leg.

　　And Shen Yudong did this openly and honestly.

　　One day in the second semester of her junior year, a day that seemed ordinary yet extraordinary, was significant.

　　It had been three days since Lin Zhixia had last eaten a duck leg.

　　Because the duck leg was spicy and caused her to get a sore throat, her parents had cut back on her allowance, sternly telling her she could only eat it once a week.

　　Lin Zhixia stared at the food she had brought from the cafeteria, her appetite gone. Seeing her classmates enjoying their meals, she felt embarrassed to show her negative feelings.

　　She listlessly picked at her rice, when suddenly she smelled the spicy aroma of a duck leg.

　　Lin Zhixia thought she must be hallucinating from wanting to eat duck legs.

　　But Shen Yudong's voice told her it was real.

　　"Want some?" Shen Yudong asked.

　　Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously, staring longingly at the duck leg in front of her: "Yes."

　　"How much do you want it?" Shen Yudong waved the duck leg in front of her.

　　"I really want it." Lin Zhixia's head bobbed along with the duck leg.

　　"Okay, here you go. Don't forget to help me with my homework tonight." Shen Yudong put the duck leg in her bowl and patted her shoulder.

　　Lin Zhixia looked at the duck leg in front of her with a satisfied expression.

　　Her friend across from her said, "Zhixia, Shen Yudong is so handsome, so charmingly roguish."

　　Lin Zhixia chewed on the duck leg and said, "Handsome? He's definitely roguish, but I don't see how handsome he is."

　　Her friend said she didn't know how lucky she was; growing up with such a handsome person naturally made her not think he was handsome.

　　Lin Zhixia shrugged helplessly, thinking: These are all just the appearances of celebrities. The real Shen Yudong made her want to strangle him.

　　However, Shen Yudong's act of bribing Lin Zhixia with duck legs to do her homework only continued into the second semester of his junior year. By his senior year, he stopped his reckless behavior and genuinely needed to focus on his studies.

　　The

　　charmingly roguish Shen Yudong attracted girls, and his combination of roguish charm and diligent study made him even more appealing.

　　Even at this crucial senior year, many girls were still captivated by Shen Yudong's charming yet earnest appearance.

　　The bolder ones directly presented him with love letters, unafraid of rejection.

　　The majority, however, remained timid. So, after Shen Yudong stopped using duck legs to bribe Lin Zhixia, girls who liked him flocked to him, offering duck legs to bribe her into delivering love letters.

　　Lin Zhixia felt it was unfair that Shen Yudong was so popular with girls; why didn't she have such good luck with the opposite sex?

　　But considering the girls had bribed her with duck legs, she still helped deliver it; after all, it was just a errand.

　　Lin Zhixia, holding the love letter, ran to Shen Yudong with a grin and said, "Shen Yudong, this is the third love letter this week, not bad!"

　　Looking at her grinning face, Shen Yudong instead began to lecture her seriously: "Lin Zhixia, do you know you're in your final year of high school? Instead of studying properly, you're always messing around with this nonsense."

　　Lin Zhixia instantly flared up, slamming the love letter on the table and angrily saying, "Shen Yudong, it's not like I wrote it for you! Why am I getting angry?"

　　Shen Yudong also stood up from his chair, attracting curious glances from many classmates.

　　He dragged Lin Zhixia out of the classroom to a quiet corner.

　　"Lin Zhixia, a duck leg bribed you? You're all eager to deliver love letters like that?" Shen Yudong was somewhat angry.

　　Lin Zhixia found his anger inexplicable: "So what? You still asked me to do your homework all night for just one duck leg? They're fine, they only need to run an errand once."

　　Shen Yudong felt like all his anger was hitting cotton; Lin Zhixia hadn't grasped the point at all.

　　He said helplessly, "Lin Zhixia, I'll spic you to death sooner or later!"

　　"Tch!" Lin Zhixia pouted.

　　Shen Yudong said, "If any girls ask you to deliver love letters in the future, come to me, I'll give you two duck legs. I can't do this favor again."

　　Lin Zhixia's eyes widened instantly: "Two?"

　　"Yes." Shen Yudong nodded.

　　"Deal." Lin Zhixia's mood instantly improved.

　　But through this incident, Lin Zhixia also understood that Shen Yudong wouldn't be dating in his senior year of high school, so she secretly manipulated things, not only getting duck legs from the girls but also from Shen Yudong.

　　What she did was accept the love letters and duck legs from the girls, and then go to Shen Yudong to ask for two duck legs.

　　Two days later, when the girl approached her again, she told her that Shen Yudong hadn't agreed.

　　And just like that, she didn't worry about getting duck legs for the entire first semester of her senior year.

　　Time

　　flew by, and it was now the second semester of senior year. Shen Yudong studied even harder than in the first semester.

　　Lin Zhixia had initially thought Shen Yudong was just pretending to be a good student, but now she realized he was serious.

　　And at this crucial juncture, even if some girls still had ulterior motives, they no longer made any bold moves. Life returned to its usual routine, seemingly filled with studying every day.

　　That evening after school, the teacher kept them late. By the time she and Shen Yudong pushed their bicycles out of the school gate, the stars were already twinkling.

　　Lin Zhixia was feeling down because she hadn't had duck legs for a week.

　　She pedaled slowly, sighing.

　　Shen Yudong said, "It's okay. If you didn't do well on the math test this time, there's always next time. Anyway, it's not the first mock exam yet, there's still time."

　　Lin Zhixia pouted and glared at him, "I'm not upset about my math score."

　　Shen Yudong stopped the car and started rummaging through his bag.

　　Lin Zhixia didn't know what he was doing, so she stopped the car and waited for him.

　　Shen Yudong rummaged around in his bag for a while, pulled something out, took two steps towards her, and handed it to her, saying, "You must want to eat this."

　　Lin Zhixia immediately knew what he was holding, her gloom vanished, and she happily snatched it away, saying, "Shen Yudong, you really understand me."

　　Shen Yudong rolled his eyes at her, annoyed, "You'd go crazy if you didn't eat it for three days, but you managed to endure a week this time. That's rare, you've improved."

　　Lin Zhixia took it and was about to open it and take a bite when Shen Yudong quickly stopped her, saying, "Eat it when you get home."

　　"Okay," Lin Zhixia agreed, but still took a bite when he wasn't looking before putting the duck leg back in her bag, and asked with a grin, "Shen Yudong, when did you buy this?" "

　　I sneaked out for a little while at noon today," Shen Yudong replied.

　　Lin Zhixia was immersed in the joy of having a duck leg to eat, thinking that she would have to eat it secretly when she got home. If they knew she was eating a duck leg, they would definitely scold her again.

　　Completely oblivious to the fact that Shen Yudong's face had darkened and become extremely serious,

　　Lin Zhixia turned to look at him after he hadn't spoken for a while, only then noticing his sour expression.

　　Lin Zhixia asked, bewildered, "What's wrong? Why did you suddenly look so grumpy?"

　　Shen Yudong said earnestly, "Lin Zhixia, you're not a child anymore. You should know that if you want a good future, you have to work hard."

　　Lin Zhixia was a little confused by his words: "Huh?"

　　"I mean, you need to focus on studying hard, get into a good university, and after you get in, I'll buy you as many duck legs as you want." Shen Yudong said.

　　"Really? You'll buy me as many as I want?" Lin Zhixia asked, automatically ignoring the first part of his sentence, only focusing on the duck legs.

　　"Yes." Shen Yudong nodded: "But the prerequisite is that you have to get into the same university as me."

　　Although Lin Zhixia loved duck legs to the point of obsession. But she still didn't fall for Shen Yudong's trick. Thinking she'd seen through his scheme, she said, "You're clearly using the duck leg to lure me into going to the same university as you, so you can continue to exploit me, aren't you?"

　　Shen Yudong was speechless. "You think too darkly of me."

　　"You've always been like this, haven't you? Who offered me a duck leg and made me do all their homework for them? Wasn't it you?" Lin Zhixia asked.

　　"I'm trying to motivate you. Writing an assignment twice helps you remember it better. You're so slow; you need to write it several times to remember it clearly," Shen Yudong said.

　　"Go to hell, you're the stupid one." Lin Zhixia turned the handlebars, deliberately giving him a nudge. "And that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that you always ruin my love life. You've made it so I can't even have a boyfriend. If I go to the same university as you, my whole life will be..."

　　"That's your crush, okay?" Shen Yudong said. "Besides, he already has a girlfriend. It would be so awkward for you to confess. I was trying to save you."

　　Lin Zhixia wasn't as eloquent as him, and what he said was true, so she was speechless.

　　In the end, she could only say resentfully, "Anyway, I'm not going to go to the same university as you. Don't even think about it ."

　　Shen Yudong wasn't in a hurry. He knew Lin Zhixia's personality. She was easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force, and she couldn't stand being goaded.

　　"Sigh, okay then. I already set my goals quite high. You can't get in anyway, so it's better to give up sooner rather than later," Shen Yudong said.

　　Lin Zhixia was displeased upon hearing this: "Are you looking down on me?"

　　"No, I'm just afraid you'll throw a tantrum if you don't get in," Shen Yudong said.

　　"Which university do you want to apply to?" Lin Zhixia asked.

　　"University A," Shen Yudong replied.

　　Even someone as stubborn as Lin Zhixia didn't dare to speak.

　　"University A! That's a good school. With her current grades, she needs to improve by at least 150 points to be guaranteed admission."

　　Seeing that she didn't speak, Shen Yudong couldn't help but provoke her again: "Hey, don't even think about it, you won't get in."

　　"Shen Yudong, you just wait!" Lin Zhixia angrily spurred her bike and sped off.

　　Shen Yudong lagged behind, a triumphant smile on his face.

　　5

　　From that night on, Lin Zhixia studied like a madwoman. During breaks, she wouldn't even go to the bathroom with her friends.

　　In the mock exam, Lin Zhixia scored 555 points, an improvement of 85 points from the previous exam. Shen Yudong scored 667 points, a score that would practically guarantee him admission to University A.

　　Because of Lin Zhixia's huge improvement, she jumped several places in the class and made it onto the honor roll.

　　Lin Zhixia wasn't happy at all. She couldn't understand why Shen Yudong, who did none of his homework, still got higher grades than her. It was unfair!

　　That evening, when she got home from school after the mock exam results, Shen Yudong miraculously produced two duck legs from his bag.

　　Lin Zhixia was happy and surprised to receive the duck legs, but she was still annoyed.

　　"You improved your score by over 80 points, and you get duck legs, two of them! You're still not happy?" Shen Yudong asked. Lin

　　Zhixia glanced at him unhappily and tapped his head. "You say we have the same brain? Why can you get such a high score without doing homework, while I work so hard and my grades aren't good enough?"

　　Shen Yudong wanted to laugh, but he held back to protect her pride. "That's the difference between a genius and an ordinary person."

　　"Get lost!" Lin Zhixia was even more unhappy. Shen Yudong had been smart since he was little; not only her parents said so, but all her relatives and neighbors said so too.

　　"Honestly, you've already done very well. There's still some time left, I'll help you," Shen Yudong said.

　　"Who needs your help? I'm smart too," Lin Zhixia retorted stubbornly, but for a while afterward, Shen Yudong tutored her.

　　Then came the second mock exam, and Lin Zhixia only improved by a little over 50 points.

　　Although this score was barely enough to push her way up, it was too risky, and she was still far behind Shen Yudong. She was unwilling to accept Shen Yudong's better grades; she was determined to score higher than him.

　　So, she worked even harder in the following days, with a tight schedule and heavy workload.

　　Shen Yudong carefully analyzed her scores for her. The two decided on a study strategy, planning to intensively study English and work hard on physics in the time leading up to the college entrance exam. Since these were the only two subjects, there was more room for improvement.

　　Lin Zhixia and Shen Yudong both chose science subjects. Shen Yudong excelled in math, physics, and chemistry, while Lin Zhixia's best subject was chemistry, and her worst was physics.

　　Finally, in the third mock exam, Lin Zhixia scored over 650 points.

　　She breathed a sigh of relief, and so did Shen Yudong.

　　But then the teacher said the first mock exam was the hardest, the second the next easiest, and the third the simplest, all to build everyone's confidence.

　　This statement plunged Lin Zhixia's confidence back into despair; she feared her only good score was just luck and an easy test.

　　A few days before the college entrance exam, the school gave them a break, ostensibly to relax and have some freedom, to reduce pressure.

　　However

　　, during the break, Lin Zhixia didn't feel relaxed at all; instead, the pressure increased.

　　Shen Yudong couldn't bear to see her like this anymore. On the second night before the college entrance exam countdown, he pulled Lin Zhixia out of her pile of review materials and took her for a walk on a narrow path.

　　"Don't put so much pressure on yourself," Shen Yudong said. "Be careful you don't scare yourself to death before the exam even starts."

　　Lin Zhixia nodded, "I thought you were going to treat me to duck legs."

　　"The college entrance exam is in two days, you can't eat anything during this time," Shen Yudong said. "After the exam, I'll let you eat your fill."

　　Lin Zhixia awkwardly pouted, trying to step on her own shadow, but she wasn't in a good mood. She was just using this method to distract herself and cheer herself up.

　　"Shen Yudong, I might not get into A University," Lin Zhixia said sullenly, head down.

　　"Then I'll change my goal and try to get you in," Shen Yudong said.

　　"But didn't you always want to get into A University since your second year of high school?" Lin Zhixia asked.

　　"What difference does it make which university I go to? If I don't go to the same university as you, won't you be completely fooled by all those boys?" Shen Yudong said.

　　"Although my grades aren't as good as yours, I'm smart enough, they can't fool me," Lin Zhixia said.

　　"You're so naive. The scariest people in university are the upperclassmen," Shen Yudong said.

　　"The scariest one is clearly you!" Lin Zhixia said.

　　The two walked along the path for a while longer, and Lin Zhixia's mood finally calmed down a bit.

　　"Lin Zhixia, relax, I'm here with you," Shen Yudong said before they parted ways.

　　"Mmm," Lin Zhixia nodded.

　　That night, Lin Zhixia slept well, a rare occurrence. Although she wouldn't admit it, she really wanted to go to the same university as Shen Yudong. They were childhood sweethearts, and despite their frequent bickering and teasing, they were the closest people in the world to each other besides their parents and relatives.

　　Having a familiar person by her side in a completely new city and a new university would be a wonderful thing.

　　After their conversation that night, Lin Zhixia felt inexplicably at peace and less anxious.

　　On the day of the college entrance exam, she still got up early and reviewed some classical Chinese texts required for the Chinese exam before going to the exam hall with Shen Yudong.

　　The tense and exciting two days of the college entrance exam passed quickly. During the days when everyone made way for the exam takers, she felt for the first time that being a student was actually quite a blessing.

　　7.

　　After the college entrance exam, Shen Yudong kept his promise to Lin Zhixia. He bought over a dozen duck legs, a bunch of duck necks, duck neck bones, side dishes, and beer.

　　The two of them sat on the rooftop, looking up at the stars and toasting each other with their beers.

　　Lin Zhixia loved the gentle, warm breeze, and she quietly closed her eyes.

　　While she wasn't looking, Shen Yudong took out his phone and snapped a picture of her. Lin Zhixia was completely unaware that Shen Yudong had captured that moment.

　　Shen Yudong put his phone in his pocket, holding up a beer bottle, and asked, "Lin Zhixia, we're about to be college students. What's the first thing you want to do after you get to university?"

　　Lin Zhixia answered almost without thinking, "One of them is to see if there's a Zhou Hei Ya (a popular braised duck brand) shop."

　　Shen Yudong thought to himself: I should have expected this.

　　"Besides that, what else?" Shen Yudong asked.

　　"You go first, you haven't said what you want to do first yet!" Lin Zhixia asked.

　　Shen Yudong looked at the stars in the sky and smiled, then turned to Lin Zhixia and said, "Get a girlfriend."

　　Lin Zhixia gave him a mischievous look: "Oh~ I thought you were going to be more reserved. So many girls in high school gave you love letters, and you didn't even consider them?"

　　"I don't like their type," Shen Yudong said.

　　"The girls who wrote you love letters were all kinds of people. So many, they probably cover all types. You didn't like any of them? Do you like..." Lin Zhixia's mind flashed through those BL (Boys' Love) online novels, and her eyes immediately lit up.

　　"What are you thinking about?" Shen Yudong smacked her on the head: "I've never seen you this smart when doing homework."

　　Lin Zhixia muttered unhappily: "It's because you rejected all the female suitors."

　　The two chatted on the rooftop for a long time, until all the duck meat and beer were finished. Then, slightly drunk, they went down from the rooftop and went home.

　　8

　　Some time later, the college entrance examination results finally came out. Shen Yudong performed as expected, scoring 664 points. Lin Zhixia, while not as high as her mock exam score, still performed well, scoring 642 points.

　　Neither of them were among the top students in their school; the top scorer in their city was only a dozen points away from a perfect score.

　　However, their scores were more than enough to get them into A University.

　　When Lin Zhixia first checked her scores, she thought she was seeing things, even suspecting the grader had made a mistake. It wasn't

　　until the day she filled out her college application that she came to her senses and accepted the fact that she had scored so high. The

　　holiday passed quickly.

　　In the days leading up to her departure for university, her family frantically packed her luggage, stuffing as many local specialties as possible into her suitcase.

　　Lin Zhixia kept complaining that she couldn't carry so much luggage, and Shen Yudong wasn't much better off. Just as her mother was about to stuff Lao Gan Ma (a popular chili sauce) into his suitcase, Shen Yudong finally couldn't help but say, "Mom, you can buy this anywhere."

　　Based on the principle that the two of them could take care of each other, and because Shen Yudong and Lin Zhixia had joined a freshman group chat where everyone was encouraging college students to register on their

　　own, they both convinced their parents not to send them to school.

　　On the train, Lin Zhixia admired her own independence.

　　But as the train traveled further away, she suddenly felt sad. This sadness reached its peak when they got off the train and saw all the other students accompanied by their parents, while they were the only two relying on each other.

　　Lin Zhixia, looking aggrieved, followed behind Shen Yudong, carrying her suitcase: "I really can't trust those upperclassmen in the freshman group chat."

　　"I told you, upperclassmen are dangerous creatures, stay away from them," Shen Yudong said.

　　"Upperclasswomen are dangerous creatures too, you should stay away from them too," Lin Zhixia advised.

　　Because it was the first day of freshman registration, the dormitories didn't prohibit members of the opposite sex from entering.

　　Seeing that Lin Zhixia was listless the whole time, Shen Yudong helped her carry her luggage upstairs and even helped her unpack.

　　There were six beds in the dormitory, but only two girls had arrived when Lin Zhixia came.

　　The two girls, seeing Shen Yudong's gentle and gentlemanly help with Lin Zhixia, immediately felt a surge of affection for him and were eager to strike up a conversation.

　　Lin Zhixia was all too familiar with these looks; she had spent the entire first semester of her senior year under such gazes.

　　So, before Shen Yudong had even finished unpacking her luggage, she hurriedly pushed him out.

　　She had originally wanted to go to Shen Yudong's dormitory to help him unpack, but Shen Yudong decisively refused. She thought to herself: What if my roommates have a crush on me?

　　After Shen Yudong left, Lin Zhixia began unpacking on her own. The two girls stared intently at her, their eyes full of gossip.

　　Adhering to the principle of maintaining good relationships with her roommates, Lin Zhixia answered their questions without reservation.

　　In short, no matter how she explained, the two girls unanimously believed that Shen Yudong was Lin Zhixia's boyfriend.

　　Lin Zhixia said they were just childhood sweethearts, pure childhood sweethearts, even playfully bickering. The two girls, their eyes sparkling, said, "You two are in a love-hate relationship."

　　Lin Zhixia said they grew up together and had no ulterior motives towards each other, and that Shen Yudong's first wish in college was to have a girlfriend. The two girls said that was a blatant hint.

　　Lin Zhixia felt she couldn't communicate with them at all, knowing that silence was her silent objection, but they interpreted it as tacit agreement.

　　After Lin Zhixia finished packing, Shen Yudong called, saying he wanted to treat her to duck legs.

　　Under the ambiguous gazes of the two girls, she left the dormitory.

　　When Lin Zhixia arrived, Shen Yudong had already bought the duck legs. She excitedly took them and asked, "Did you find a place to buy them?"

　　Shen Yudong pointed, and Lin Zhixia looked in the direction he pointed; it turned out there was a place selling them across from the university gate. After

　　a

　　few chaotic and neglected days, military training finally arrived.

　　They imagined it to be incredibly tough and unbearable, but when it actually began, it was just as they expected.

　　Lin Zhixia and Shen Yudong didn't choose the same major. Lin Zhixia had always admired the lawyers on TV who could eloquently defend their clients in court, so she chose law without hesitation. Shen Yudong, because his grandparents had both died from illness, chose medicine.

　　Therefore, although they were in the same university, they rarely saw each other except for their lunch and evening breaks.

　　Military training was also the busiest time for freshmen, as they had to deal with various club and organization applications and interviews in addition to training.

　　Lin Zhixia, being a first-time university student, didn't understand these organizations and applied for whatever her roommates applied for. After the initial applications and interviews, she stayed in the organization department of the university student union and the arts department of the department student union.

　　After that, she felt incredibly busy. It seemed like there were always meetings to be held, but once everyone arrived, besides taking attendance and saying some trivial things, nothing really happened.

　　She spent a whole month like this, not even knowing what she was busy with, before finally getting through the period.

　　When she finally relaxed, she realized she hadn't eaten duck legs for a month.

　　Normally, it was fine if she didn't think about it, but now the thought made her feel uncomfortable, her whole body screaming for duck legs.

　　But Lin Zhixia glanced at the sky outside and thought: It's too dangerous, I'll get up early tomorrow to buy some.

　　As Lin Zhixia munched on a duck leg, watching Shen Yudong and another exceptionally beautiful girl walk towards her, she realized they hadn't seen each other for a month.

　　A month, a whole month—they had never been separated for so long since they were born.

　　Lin Zhixia then realized that her eyes had been filled with hostility when she looked at the girl next to him.

　　Shen Yudong looked surprised when he saw Lin Zhixia, who glared at him disapprovingly.

　　Shen Yudong, seemingly oblivious to Lin Zhixia's displeasure, warmly invited her to have lunch with them.

　　Lin Zhixia thought to herself, particularly annoyed: "They really are heartless when it comes to the opposite sex."

　　She glared at Shen Yudong again, then turned and left. She didn't want to eat with them; she didn't want to be a third wheel.

　　After Lin Zhixia left, Shen Yudong finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the girl next to him also burst into laughter.

　　"Shen Yudong, she definitely likes you too," the girl said.

　　"I wasn't sure before, but thanks to you today, I'm certain now," Shen Yudong said.

　　This girl was his roommate's girlfriend, and the fact that they were both in front of Lin Zhixia was quite a story.

　　Boys always get to know each other quickly when they get together. After drinking, playing cards, and playing games, they became good friends.

　　So, when they first got completely drunk in their dorm, Shen Yudong poured out all his feelings that he had kept hidden for over a decade.

　　But no one expected that when he sobered up the next day, he remembered nothing, while his roommates remembered everything.

　　So, his good roommate, Xiao Zhang, told his girlfriend about it, and that's how this scene unfolded.

　　Shen

　　Yudong also joined the student union, but not in the same department as Lin Zhixia. Besides the student union, he also signed up for two clubs, the guitar club and the skateboarding club, so he was quite busy.

　　Lin Zhixia felt depressed, but couldn't explain why. Was it because Shen Yudong had a girlfriend? Or because he had a girlfriend but hadn't told her immediately, and didn't consider her a good friend? Even

　　when she was feeling down, the student union suddenly assigned her a task, requiring an impromptu meeting.

　　Lin Zhixia quickly ate a few bites of food and rushed to the meeting, and Shen Yudong, who was also in the student union, naturally received the news.

　　When Lin Zhixia arrived, she deliberately sat far away from Shen Yudong, clearly showing her displeasure.

　　However, the meeting was as lukewarm as ever, consisting of a bunch of pointless words before it adjourned. Even after the meeting ended, Lin Zhixia still didn't understand the point of the meeting. Couldn't they have explained things clearly in the group chat?

　　Although she was angry with Shen Yudong, she didn't want to break off their friendship. So, after the meeting, she deliberately stayed in the classroom.

　　Shen Yudong, as if sensing her intention, sat there, and only moved next to Lin Zhixia after everyone else had left.

　　Lin Zhixia awkwardly asked, "Looks like you've already completed the first thing you had to do in college."

　　"Huh? How come I didn't know I'd already completed it?" Shen Yudong feigned ignorance.

　　"Don't play dumb. The girl you walked with at noon today was quite pretty, and had a good figure too," Lin Zhixia said.

　　"You mean her? She is indeed beautiful and has a good figure," Shen Yudong deliberately echoed her sentiment.

　　Lin Zhixia raised her voice a few decibels and said, "Shen Yudong, you're so unfair! You have a girlfriend and you didn't even tell me. Aren't we still best friends who grew up together?"

　　Shen Yudong then looked like he suddenly realized something. "You thought she was my girlfriend?"

　　"Isn't she?" Lin Zhixia asked.

　　"Of course not, she's my roommate's girlfriend. Today, my roommate and I were out shopping when we ran into her on the way. My roommate was still inside the supermarket, so we chatted outside for a while," Shen Yudong said.

　　"Really?" Lin Zhixia asked skeptically.

　　"Of course it's true. If I had a girlfriend, I would have told you first, and you would be the first to know," Shen Yudong said.

　　Lin Zhixia nodded in satisfaction, "But because of this, I didn't finish my duck leg for lunch today, you have to make me one."

　　Shen Yudong gently patted her outstretched hand, "Okay, I'll make you two. It's just that you seem a little unhappy knowing I have a girlfriend."

　　Lin Zhixia then realized her reaction wasn't like that of a good friend. She was a little alarmed and couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that she likes Shen Yudong? 　　But

　　she suddenly wasn't sure, so she changed the subject and brushed it off. 　　After this incident, the two returned to normal, their relationship didn't progress further, and remained the same as before. 　　Shen Yudong's roommates started to worry about him, while Lin Zhixia's roommates began to offer her advice. 　　Lin Zhixia was a novice in relationships, so she recounted her feelings when she mistakenly thought Shen Yudong had a girlfriend. 　　Her dorm friends all went wild, shouting that she definitely liked him, that this was a golden opportunity, and that she should seize it. 　　Bombarded by her roommates' barrage of questions, Lin Zhixia instantly felt tense, as if Shen Yudong would be snatched away by someone else at any moment. She asked nervously and eagerly, "So what should I do?" 　　"Confess!" said the girl with the ponytail. "I could tell from your interaction on the first day of school that he definitely likes you. You must seize the opportunity to confess." 　　"No, even if a girl likes someone a lot, she should still be reserved. Hint at him, let him confess to you," said the girl with long, center-parted hair. 　　"Either you confess, or he confesses to you," said the girl with short hair. 　　The others nodded in agreement. 　　"And this kind of thing needs to be done with a sense of ceremony. You must first put on light makeup, then choose a pretty little dress, and finally pair it with a pair of moderately high heels," the girl with long, center-parted hair said experiencedly. "You're too plain right now; you need to tidy yourself up." 　　Lin Zhixia was stunned by their advice, finding everything they said very reasonable. 　　"Hey... I just checked the almanac, this Sunday is auspicious for weddings. Message him and ask him out on Sunday," said the girl with the ponytail. 　　"Oh, okay," Lin Zhixia nodded blankly. 　　She ran to the balcony and called Shen Yudong. Meanwhile, Shen Yudong's dorm was buzzing with excitement; all his good friends were urging him to confess his feelings, even calculating that a confession this Sunday would definitely be successful. 　　Seeing it was Lin Zhixia calling, Shen Yudong rushed to the balcony, his excitement still bummed from his roommates' teasing. 　　"Shen Yudong, come out for dinner with me this Sunday," Lin Zhixia said. 　　"How did you know I wanted to invite you to dinner this Sunday?" Shen Yudong finally realized what he was saying. 　　"You're inviting me to dinner?" Lin Zhixia asked. 　　Through the glass balcony door, Lin Zhixia's roommates, openly eavesdropping, looked excited. 　　"Ah, yes, yes, I have something else to tell you," Shen Yudong said. 　　"What a coincidence?" Lin Zhixia said subconsciously. 　　"What do you mean, what a coincidence?" Shen Yudong asked. 　　"Nothing, nothing, we'll talk about it when we meet on Sunday," Lin Zhixia said.

　　Lin Zhixia hung up the phone and returned to her dorm. Her roommates were even more excited than she was, and Lin Zhixia had a bit of insomnia that night.

　　Sunday

　　arrived quickly, and Lin Zhixia hadn't worn a pretty dress, high heels, or even used any makeup.

　　Her roommate, a girl with long, center-parted hair, generously picked out a nice dress for her from her wardrobe, paired it with high heels, and did her delicate makeup.

　　Lin Zhixia looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, feeling awkward and uncomfortable even walking.

　　But her roommates all complimented her on how beautiful she looked, so she inexplicably felt confident and left the dorm in that outfit.

　　They were both still students and didn't go to a fancy restaurant, just a small eatery across from the school.

　　When Lin Zhixia arrived at the agreed-upon place and pushed open the door, Shen Yudong's eyes widened.

　　Lin Zhixia smiled shyly, "Do I look good today? They all say I look good like this."

　　Shen Yudong suddenly chuckled, "This kind of outfit doesn't suit you."

　　Lin Zhixia's smile instantly vanished.

　　"You do look good, but you look even better normally," Shen Yudong added immediately, despite being a science major, he had the romanticism of an arts major.

　　Lin Zhixia was still a little sullen, but she felt much better than before.

　　The two of them were actually eating when Lin Zhixia asked halfway through, "Didn't you say you had something to tell me?"

　　Shen Yudong had been a little nervous from the beginning, and this made him even more nervous.

　　“Actually…actually, what I wanted to say was…” Shen Yudong took two duck legs from the chair next to him and arranged them in a heart shape: “Lin Zhixia, I like you. We grew up together, and I’ve always liked you. I wasn’t sure before, I always thought it was the kind of liking you have for a younger sister. But then in our senior year of high school, you delivered a love letter to me for another girl, and I felt really bad. From that moment on, I knew that my feelings for you were romantic, and I’ve never thought of you as a younger sister.”

　　Before Lin Zhixia could speak, Shen Yudong continued, “I was quite hesitant before confessing to you. I was afraid that if you rejected me, we wouldn’t even be able to be friends anymore. But seeing how angry you were last time, I knew you were jealous, so I was sure you probably liked me too, and that’s why I dared to confess.”

　　Lin Zhixia was about to speak when Shen Yudong interrupted her again: “Lin Zhixia, what I said on the rooftop back then was actually for you. I just wanted to confess to you when I got to college and ask you to be my girlfriend.”

　　Lin Zhixia seized the opportunity and immediately interrupted him: “Can you let me say something?”

　　Shen Yudong then stopped talking.

　　"I like you too," Lin Zhixia mumbled.

　　"What did you say?" Shen Yudong asked.

　　Lin Zhixia snatched the duck leg from his hand, raising her voice a few decibels: "I like you too."

　　Everyone in the restaurant stared at them. Lin Zhixia lowered her head shyly, feeling quite annoyed. Why did she have to speak so loudly?

　　Shen Yudong, however, didn't care at all, beaming with joy.

　　And just like that, they got together.

　　Lin Zhixia and Shen Yudong's roommates all exclaimed, "Congratulations to all!"

　　Although

　　they were dating, their way of getting along was still pretty much the same as before. Besides doing the things couples do now, they still talked and joked around as usual. They seemed even sweeter and more compatible than other couples.

　　One night, around 11 PM, Lin Zhixia saw a mukbang video and couldn't help but drool. She really wanted to eat duck legs.

　　Since everyone in the dorm was still up and scrolling through their phones, she called Shen Yudong and exaggerated her craving for duck legs a hundredfold.

　　Just as she was endlessly reciting how tender and fragrant the duck leg was,

　　Shen Yudong suddenly said on the other end of the line, "Lin Zhixia, get out of the dorm in ten minutes, or I'll destroy the duck leg."

　　Hearing this, Lin Zhixia jumped up from her bed and exclaimed to her dorm mates, "Shen Yudong actually brought me duck legs!"

　　"Wow..." The dorm erupted in commotion.

　　Lin Zhixia quickly put on her shoes and coat and ran downstairs. After much pleading with the dorm supervisor, she finally emerged from the building.

　　Shen Yudong was standing under a tree, carrying a bag, his phone screen still lit up, showing their call.

　　"Lin Zhixia, you really get itchy if you don't eat for a day," Shen Yudong said.

　　Lin Zhixia threw herself into his arms, "Shen Yudong, how could you be so silly, running out to buy this so late at night?"

　　"What could I do? My little idiot wanted to eat it," Shen Yudong said.

　　Lin Zhixia gratefully accepted the duck leg from him: "Shen Yudong, you're my duck leg."

　　"You mean, I'm just something to be eaten and then thrown away?" Shen Yudong asked.

　　"How could that be? Of course not!" Lin Zhixia said, "You're someone I can never get enough of."

　　The two of them were still being affectionate when the dorm supervisor couldn't stand it anymore: "Hey, weren't you affectionate enough during the day? And now you're still being affectionate at night? Go back to sleep, I'm sleepy."

　　Lin Zhixia playfully punched him: "Shen Yudong, I'll take you to meet my parents this holiday."

　　"Don't I meet my parents every day?" Shen Yudong said.

　　"Oh, it's different," Lin Zhixia said.

　　"Okay, I understand, you should go back now." Shen Yudong watched Lin Zhixia enter the dorm before leaving.

　　14

　　But in the blink of an eye, their university life was about to end.

　　Shen Yudong and Lin Zhixia both decided to take the postgraduate entrance exam, and Shen Yudong set a goal that Lin Zhixia would find difficult to achieve.

　　Lin Zhixia put in even more effort than she had during the college entrance exam, working tirelessly and crying countless times, finally gaining admission to the same university for graduate studies as Shen Yudong.

　　During their graduate studies, they registered their marriage and held their wedding. The wedding was an outdoor ceremony on a lawn, exceptionally romantic.

　　And at Lin Zhixia and Shen Yudong's special request, an extra dish was added to every table: duck legs.

　　Lin Zhixia explained: duck legs and Shen Yudong had been involved in some of the most important moments of her life, whether it was the college entrance exam, her confession, or her graduate studies; they were always there, so naturally, duck legs should be involved in such a significant event as her wedding. Shen Yudong

　　was quite helpless, but remembering Lin Zhixia's words, "You're like my duck leg that I never tire of eating," he relented.

　　And so, duck legs and Shen Yudong became a part of Lin Zhixia's life.

　　You are my duck leg, the kind I never tire of eating.

　　...

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　　(The End)