TFRLTOP Chapter 17 Part 2

Never underestimate college students’ ability to bring friends. By noon, the No. 5 cafeteria was packed.

Ming Ming wished she had three pairs of arms, answering classmates’ questions while scooping ice cream at lightning speed. She fully embodied what it meant to be both delicate and unstoppable at once.

It was as if she hadn’t needed Huo Xiao to scoop for her on day one.

Joking aside, when it comes to earning money, one never feels tired.

Listening to the ping-ping-ping of payment notifications—“10 yuan received,” “20 yuan received,” “50 yuan received”—Ming Ming’s smile stretched nearly to her ears.

But she hadn’t expected one thing: although the No. 5 cafeteria was spacious and crowded, it was originally built to serve the upstairs staff cafeteria and the VIP dining area.

The VIP dining room was technically part of the staff cafeteria. Originally called the No. 6 cafeteria, it was open to both teachers and students, and also used for official and business receptions. The quality of the dishes matched five-star hotel banquet standards.

It appeared accessible, but in reality, the threshold was high.

Besides official receptions, the VIP dining room mostly served rich second-generation kids.

Occasionally, small groups of students pooled money to experience it, just for luxury.

In short, you had to pay to enjoy the dishes and service.

The name VIP dining room was also a colloquial, slightly sarcastic, nickname.

At mealtime, He Chengtian—who hadn’t gone home or gone out—arrived with a few other rich second-generation cronies. To reach the VIP dining room, they had to cross the entire No. 5 cafeteria to the other end and go upstairs. The dense crowd instantly spoiled their appetite.

“Forget it. Let’s go eat—let’s go to Taoran Ju. My treat.” He Chengtian felt irritated and turned to leave.

“Wait, isn’t that the girl surnamed Chu? What’s she up to this time?” One of his tall followers noticed Ming Ming at the far end of the crowd.

He Chengtian paused and randomly grabbed a student in line. “What’s going on over there?”

The student replied excitedly, “Haagen-Dazs is on sale—ten yuan per scoop!”

“What’s that?”

He Chengtian pushed through the crowd and made his way to the front. Ming Ming was energetically scooping ice cream, and despite the chatter from other students, she answered each question with clear, precise reasoning.

—“When does the promotion end? Will it be on tomorrow?”
—“Not sure, dear. It ends when we run out—one-time event, no stock left.”

—“Can I get two half-scoops as one?”
—“You can share with your friends or roommates! I can only scoop full balls at a time.”

—“I want eight scoops… wait, let me check what my roommate sent me… did we already get this flavor?”
—“Yes, dear. Don’t worry, I remember—it’s already scooped!”

He Chengtian squeezed up to the freezer and glared at her coldly. Ming Ming kept her head down. The person in front had been silent for a while, and she couldn’t help asking, “What flavor would you like, student?”

When she looked up and saw He Chengtian, she immediately went on alert, thinking he was here to cause trouble.

He Chengtian sneered. “What, your sugar daddy dumped you already? Now you’re selling Haagen-Dazs to pay for school? Haagen-Dazs isn’t worth that much anyway. Even direct from the manufacturer—seriously?”

“Where did you even get it? It’s not fake, right?”

The students waiting nearby began whispering among themselves.

“Yeah, how is it so cheap?”
“The amount she’s giving—four or five scoops would cost that much outside.”
“Could it really be fake…?”
“But it tastes the same as in the store.”
“Hard to say—fake stuff is everywhere these days.”
“Wait, the line’s this long—should we even buy?”

Ming Ming gritted her teeth. I knew today wouldn’t be easy. Cutting off someone’s money is like killing their parents—you’re shameless. If I can’t enjoy myself, neither can you.

She put on a smile and spoke softly:

“Master He, I understand how you feel. After all, in your eyes, Haagen-Dazs may not be a luxury item, but it’s certainly not something ordinary people like us should enjoy at such a low price.”

She emphasized the words ordinary people.

“As for me, I come from a poor family. Life has been harder for me than for most. I’ve never eaten Häagen-Dazs in my life. I just happened to have a chance to cooperate with a distributor, so I wanted to give my classmates a little treat. Most of them are using their parents’ allowances, some, like me, work part-time. I just wanted everyone to enjoy Haagen-Dazs without having to ‘grit their teeth’ for it…”

“I apologize if I didn’t consider your feelings, Master He. You’re different from us—Haagen-Dazs may not matter to you, but for ordinary people, it’s a small luxury we have to save for. By doing this, I’ve inadvertently ‘lowered your status.’ That’s my fault. Please forgive me.”

He Chengtian was dumbfounded by her manipulative, saintly performance.

“You—”

“My mother has already passed away. If you have anything to take out on me, that’s fine—but don’t disturb her rest.”

Ming Ming’s eyes glistened with tears.

Chu Yun’s mother had died when she was little, her father was an unreliable gambler, and Ming Ming was an orphan—she had no reason to hold back.

“No, look at her…” He Chengtian twisted from side to side, trying to get the other students to judge the situation—but they all just stared at him coldly.

He Chengtian, who used to show off and look down on ordinary students, had few friends besides his sycophants. Other rich kids didn’t want to hang out with him either.

Ming Ming’s words had completely separated him from the majority of ordinary students. Now, everyone thought He Chengtian was picking on Chu Yun, not because of personal grudges, but because he despised ordinary people and couldn’t bear to see them enjoy Haagen-Dazs at a cheap price.

In this light, the rumors circulating before might have been deliberately spread by Master He over similar matters.

Other rich kids wouldn’t defend He Chengtian—they didn’t want trouble—but ordinary students, even those who had laughed at Chu Yun before, would now stand with her.

“Step aside for Master He. Isn’t he rushing off to his VIP restaurant?”
“VIP restaurant? Might as well call it Master He’s personal restaurant. We commoners don’t dare sit at the same level.”
“Rich and arrogant, looking down on everyone. Pfft. Just because you have a fancy dad?”

He Chengtian had always been surrounded by flattery—he had never experienced public embarrassment like this.

Flustered, he tried to defend himself: “No, don’t listen to her nonsense—she’s just a—”

“Smack!”

A crisp slap landed across He Chengtian’s face.

Ming Ming was startled, eyes wide.

The one who slapped him was He Lu, He Chengtian’s own sister.

She still held a paper bowl, half-full of Häagen-Dazs scoops.