336 Delicacies of Beijing

“Hurry up and try them. I ordered Beijing’s specialties for you to try.” Guan Lei’s excitement bled into his voice.

Shen Xi picked up her phone and eyed Guan Lei with a raised brow. “You seem to know Beijing quite well.”

Thank you for reading at BidNovel.com

Guan Lei was caught off guard by Shen Xi’s incisive statement but quickly recovered. “I’ve been to Beijing a few times, but I wouldn’t say I’m familiar with the area.”

While it was plain that he was making up an excuse, Guan Lei did not think he was lying. Because of his enemies, he seldom stayed in Beijing. He spent most of his time in Hai City or various other locations.

!!

Shen Xi was not one to pry, so she chose to play dumb and went along with Guan Lei’s explanation.

“You’ve ordered too much. I’ll have to ask my cousin and Zhao Yuan to help with this much food…” Shen Xi was about to text her good friend and Zheng Huai, when Guan Lei stopped her.

“You don’t need to do that. Zhao Yuan isn’t poor; she can eat whatever she wants. Your cousin isn’t around either, so he wouldn’t be able to help.” This was his private time with Xixi. How could he let anyone else come between them?

“Why does it feel like you know this place like the back of your hand despite being miles away?” Shen Xi idly raised what was on her mind as she savored the delicacies.

“That’s because I have superpowers!” Guan Lei said seriously, not a hint of shame on his face.

Shen Xi could not stifle her laugh before it escaped her lips. Guan Lei, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief.

It did not take much for him to note Shen Xi’s poor mood earlier that day.

“Have you eaten?” Shen Xi asked.

“Yes. I had plenty to eat with my grandmother. We had braised shark’s fin, and the mugwort was delicious too…” Guan Lei listed several nutritious food items.

The two of them chatted amicably. Though the contents of their conversation were nothing extraordinary, it carried the warmth of their friendship.

The only thing that Guan Lei was unhappy about was his inability to see Shen Xi eat any of the food he had ordered for her.

The next morning, Shen Xi followed her teacher to the venue hosting the competition. It was a low-key but charming art gallery.

Thank you for reading at BidNovel.com

The teacher in charge rallied the team and led them in a group cheer. After which, Shen Xi followed the competition staff to her seat.

She was ushered to a small cubicle with all the tools she would need for her craft. Shen Xi politely thanked the staff member who had led her there before taking her seat and planning what she would do.

The painting did not take her too long to complete, and she set it aside to let the paint dry. The judges would be making their rounds soon, but the results would only be released later in the afternoon.

Jiang Xue, who had just entered the art gallery, did a double take as she passed through the doors. Was that Shen Xi?

Jiang Xue shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her teacher had said she would be around to observe the National High School Painting Competition. The Rong City Cup was a preliminary round to weed out those unworthy of participating in the present competition. Only the top three contestants of the Rong City Cup would be able to participate in this competition.

Jiang Xue felt like kicking herself. How could she have forgotten?

“Master, may I follow you around later to have a look?” Jiang Xue immediately asked Xue Liu.

Xue Liu shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I’m not a judge today; I can only go in to have a look. You’ll have to wait outside. Is there something on your mind?”

Xue Liu’s words left Jiang Xue no room for argument, so she kept her thoughts to herself. That did not stop her from feeling unhappy for not getting her way. If she could enter, there was a good chance she would find Shen Xi’s painting. It would have been laughably easy to damage her painting and get her eliminated.

In the end, Jiang Xue decided to set her plans aside; it was just a small art competition. There would always be other opportunities. It was not worthwhile kicking up a fuss in this situation.

Besides, Shen Xi’s paintings were barely passable in Rong City; how could they stand out in a national competition?

Xue Liu followed the judges, assessing the paintings on display. She only made her thoughts known now and then.

When Shen Xi received word that she would be moving on to the semi-finals, she shared the results with Guan Lei and garnered his praise. “Amazing! I knew you could do it.”

Shen Xi laughed, touched by Guan Lei’s glowing confidence. “I’m glad you have faith in me, but don’t say things like that where people can hear; it’s embarrassing!”

Guan Lei shrugged, utterly unapologetic. “I’ll be fine. I’m pretty thick-skinned, you know? I’m not afraid of what others might say.”

Shen Xi sighed in defeat. The Guan Lei she first got to know was not like this. Now, he was a shameless ruffian.

The second day of the competition was the same, except that Shen Xi was led to a different cubicle this time. She finished her painting in record time and went shopping with Zhao Yuan while waiting for the results.

Thank you for reading at BidNovel.com