The Brightest Star in the Night Sky || 时代少年团

🖤CHAPTER 5💛

They let Meiqi choose the place for dinner since she was the new guest, so she decided to pick hotpot. Hotpot always reminded her of being with family, and TF family was her new family. They arrived at Haidilao, and the boys began fighting over who got to sit next to her. Their typical solution was rock, paper, scissors. Chengxin & Yaowen won.

"YESS I get to sit next to Meiqi again", said Yaowen.

Meiqi hadn't said much to Chengxin today, and although she appreciated him trying to get her to open up before, it just wasn't going to happen. Not this soon, at least. They all settled down, with Meiqi being sandwiched between Chengxin and Yaowen and Jiaqi & Yaxuan across from her. The rest of them sat at the same table a little further down. Chengxin raised his cup of soda and gave a toast "To Meiqi for joining our family". Everyone raised their cups, and Meiqi decided to do it too since she didn't want to be the odd one out. The boys gobbled down on food.

Meiqi glanced at Chengxin to see that he had been peeling shrimp for the past few minutes. Wow, he must really like seafood, she thought to herself. "Here eat", said Chengxin. Huh, wasn't he peeling it for himself to eat? Meiqi stared at him but for a second, "Aren't you going to eat it?", she asked. "I peeled it for you, eat. You've barely been eating", replied Chengxin. Flustered for a second, Meiqi replied, "Oh ok thanks" in a barely audible voice.

"Hey Ding Ge, where's our shrimp", pouted Yaxuan. "You can't be favoring Meiqi already. She just got here", said Zhengyuan. "You guys don't know how to peel your own shrimps??", Chengxin said as he rolled his eyes. "But your shrimps peeled by you taste extra good because it's filled with love. Ding Ge doesn't love us does not us anymore, he only cares about Meiqi", said Yaxuan.

Meiqi turned red after hearing that. She knew Chengxin was only being nice to her because she was new. She apologized to him in her mind. And Chengxin's ears started turning red too. "Hey look, Ding ge's ears are turning red", said Haoxiang. "Don't be shy Ding ge, now we know why you wanted to sit next to her for dinner". "Shut up you idiot, I sat next to her because I won. You shoulda won if you wanted to sit next to her", replied a flustered Chengxin.

Members started making noises "Oooo no need to be so aggressive. Now we know how you feel, Ding ge", said Junlin. Chengxin rolled his eyes. Jiaqi decided to step in and save Chengxin. "Alright guys, enough. Let Meiqi eat in peace. Peel your own shrimps", said Jiaqi. The members whined and protested, defeated Jiaqi decided to just peel the shrimps for them.

Chengxin POV

Chengxin had won rock, paper, scissors, meaning he got to sit next to Meiqi. Maybe she'll talk to me now, he thought. Although he was trying to make her comfortable before when they just met, he actually wanted to talk to her now, after seeing her performance. A surprisingly exciting feeling filled Chengxin's chest, but he brushed it off as just someone being excited to make a new friend.

Throughout dinner, he noticed Meiqi barely ate, maybe she just didn't want to gobble down like the boys. I'll peel shrimp for her then, she has to eat if someone gives her food. He glanced over at her and noticed she had a dimple on her right cheek even though she wasn't smiling. Must look nice when she does smile. He secretly wished she would laugh so he could see, but brushed off this odd thought of his.

He gave her the shrimp in a rather bossy attitude that he didn't realize until after. Oops, he forgot Meiqi wasn't one of his members. With the members teasing him, he glanced at Meiqi to see how she reacted. Seeing that she had turned red, he felt bad too. God, why do they have to be so immature, thought Chengxin. They're going to be dead when we get back to the dorms...