Chapter 16 Burning Fire, Slow Sleep...

As the sun sets, its orange-yellow afterglow, like a thin veil, gently spills onto the stone-paved road in the alley.

Xinmian hadn't noticed before, but now she realized that the stone slabs of Dongpu Lane had been polished smooth by time, reflecting the sunlight and even showing a faint sheen.

At this time, the faint aroma of food begins to waft from the courtyards of every household, and the sound of dogs barking can be faintly heard.

She suddenly remembered the day she went out to photocopy the contract; she was so frightened by the barking of dogs in the alley that she dared not move.

Recalling that day, Xinmian belatedly realized that the way she rushed towards Chi Yu seemed somewhat funny.

She glanced up at the man walking slightly ahead of her; his black hair fell slightly down his forehead, and the old scar on his left eyebrow was not very noticeable.

From this angle, his nose appears even higher and his shoulders even more upright, but his posture remains that of a nonchalant, roguish air.

"What are you peeking at?"

He spoke out abruptly.

Xin Mian's ears turned red, and she could only make up an excuse, "...Um, do all the residents of Wangshui Island keep dogs?"

Chi Yu raised his eyebrows slightly.

He naturally heard the dog barking, and as if remembering something, he subtly slowed his pace.

“Not much,” he said slowly, then added, “It just so happened that you happened to be there that day.”

There are indeed some families on Wangshui Island who keep cats and dogs, but not to the point that every household keeps them.

Most of the pet dogs on the island roam freely, often running around happily.

In the past two years, with the development of tourism on the island and the increase in tourists, there are now almost no dogs allowed to roam freely.

However, dogs in residential areas are mostly good at guarding the house, and they often bark when they hear unfamiliar footsteps.

As he finished speaking, Chi Yu suddenly stopped, and Xin Mian braked sharply, almost hitting him. She instinctively gripped the strap of her backpack tightly with her fingertips.

He turned around, looked down at her, and smiled for no apparent reason, "Xin Mian."

This was the first time he had called her by her name.

The man's voice was deep and magnetic, with a slight upward inflection at the end, and his tone was neither hurried nor slow.

Xin Mian's eyebrows twitched violently as she heard him call out again, "Xin, Xiao, Mian."

Each word bursts out one by one, each word carrying an emphasis.

"I asked you what you were peeking at, and you asked me if everyone here keeps dogs."

"What?" he said smugly. "Am I like a dog in your eyes?"

“...Of course not!” Xin Mian waved her hand anxiously. “That’s not what I meant.”

"I just... I just asked casually."

The two stood face to face in the alley, their shadows elongated by the setting sun.

Chi Yu looked at the girl who only reached his shoulder. Her clear black and white eyes showed a hint of anxiety as she tried her best to explain to him.

Her face turned slightly red with anxiety.

In the few seconds of silence, the smile hidden in his dark eyes became more and more obvious.

However, Xin Mian was in the midst of her grief and didn't dare to look up at him, so she didn't see this scene.

Chi Yu turned around and continued walking forward, replying to her in a drawn-out tone, "Okay, I got it."

"In your eyes, I'm not a dog."

Xin Mian breathed a sigh of relief, but felt that his tone was strange, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

She didn't have time to think much and quickly followed him.

......

With him leading the way, we arrived at Uncle Chen's noodle shop quickly.

As soon as she turned the corner of the alley, Xinmian smelled the enticing aroma of scallion oil.

She exclaimed softly, "It smells so good."

Chi Yu was clearly a regular customer at Uncle Chen's shop. As soon as he arrived at the door, Uncle Chen greeted him and invited him in, "Ah Yu is here!"

"Come in quickly, come in quickly."

The noodle shop is small, with only a few tables, but it does a good job.

When they came in, a table of guests had just finished eating and left, and the two of them sat down at the table.

Uncle Chen then noticed Xin Mian, who had been hidden from Chi Yu's tall figure.

He asked with a grin, "This young lady is so fair-skinned and pretty, is she your girlfriend?"

Xinmian: ......

"Hello Uncle Chen, I'm not..."

"Uncle Chen, the same as always."

Scallion oil noodles.

Chi Yu interrupted her and smiled at Uncle Chen.

"Okay."

Uncle Chen didn't dwell on whether Xin Mian was his girlfriend. He wiped the table clean with a rag, nodded, and then turned around and went back to the kitchen with a cheerful smile.

Xin Mian asked in confusion, "Why don't you explain?"

Chi Yu took out a pair of disposable chopsticks and handed them to her. After thinking for a moment, he took them back, disassembled them, removed any small splinters that might be on them, and then handed them to her again.

The entire set of movements was fluid and graceful.

Xin Mian, who had been reaching out to take the chopsticks, squatted down and stared blankly at him.

He didn't move for a long time.

Chi Yu lazily lifted his eyelids and tugged at the corner of his lips, "What? Afraid I'll poison the chopsticks?"

Xinmian: ......

Don't worry, your mouth is already sharp enough.

However, she didn't dare say it aloud.

She simply obediently took the chopsticks under his gaze.

"Uncle Chen is getting old and his memory isn't good."

"No matter how much you explain to him, he won't remember. Next time he comes, he'll still ask the same question."

"Don't you get tired of explaining every time?"

Following his words, Xinmian looked towards the small kitchen behind the transparent glass.

Uncle Chen, slightly hunched over, was cooking noodles in front of the stove.

A customer outside finished his noodles and was about to pay when he called out. He wiped his sweat, chuckled, and continued cooking the noodles diligently.

Xinmian noticed that the diners were paying in cash.

She looked up and scanned her surroundings, only to find that the store did not have a QR code for payment.

Chi Yu sat on a chair at the table, his long legs spread wide, his dark eyes fixed on her. He watched as her gaze swept around the store before returning to meet his.

His clear eyes were full of understanding.

He asked lazily, "Understood?"

Xinmian nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Uncle Chen has limited energy; he can only remember the taste preferences of the diners in the shop, and the greetings he casually asks are mostly everyday conversations between neighbors.

He couldn't remember what the question was or what the answer was, so it wasn't very important to him.

Chi Yu stood up, walked directly to the door of the small kitchen, leaned against the wall and said with a smile, "Uncle, I forgot to tell you earlier, don't put scallions in one of the portions."

Uncle Chen looked puzzled and bewildered.

Come to the scallion oil noodle shop for scallion oil noodles...

"...Don't want scallions?"

Xin Mian, sitting at the table, felt a little embarrassed.

Chi Yu glanced at her, hummed in agreement, and said in a low voice, "Don't use fresh scallions."

He seemed to smile slightly, "I'm a bit picky about food, please bear with me."

“No problem,” Uncle Chen understood, and resumed his cheerful demeanor, readily agreeing.

Before long, two bowls of fragrant scallion oil noodles were served.

After frying fresh scallions in oil, mix them with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Cook the noodles in boiling water, drain them, rinse them with cold water, and then mix them with the scallion oil sauce.

Delicious and rich.

Xin Mian took the bowl of noodles without scallions that Chi Yu had moved over, took a deep sniff, and her mouth watered.

Chi Yu's gaze fell on her, and he paused in stirring the noodles with his chopsticks. He smiled faintly, "I take back what I just said."

Xin Mian looked completely bewildered. "What?"

"Uncle Chen might be very impressed with you."

After all, she's probably the only person who would come to a scallion oil noodle shop and order scallion oil noodles without adding scallions.

Xin Mian didn't understand, but seeing that he had already lowered his head to eat his noodles, she didn't ask any further questions.

People came and went in the shop, and Uncle Chen finally had a moment to rest on a small chair by the door.

The setting sun cast its last rays, stretching his shadow long across the stone path by the door.

Noticing her gaze, Uncle Chen took a sip of tea and asked with a smile, "Little girl, is it delicious?"

Xin Mian swallowed the noodles in her mouth, two small dimples appearing on her cheeks, and nodded sincerely, "Delicious, very delicious."

"If it's delicious, I'll come here often with A-Yu."

Xin Mian, “...Okay.”

As she was speaking, the screen of her phone, which was on the table, suddenly lit up.

Immediately afterwards, Chi Yu's phone screen also lit up.

Xin Mian then realized that Qin Shengtian had added her to a WeChat group at some point.

Liu Haoyuan is celebrating in the group chat by "setting off firecrackers," saying, "A warm welcome to Xinmian to the group!"

Yang Chengjing also joined in "setting off firecrackers".

Xin Mian smiled, pursed her lips, and sent a cartoon cat waving emoji.

【Thanks】

Qin Shengtian appeared at the opportune moment, saying, "[There seems to be a beach activity in a few days, want to go? My friends!]"

【Go! You absolutely must go!】

【go】

As soon as the message was sent, Liu Haoyuan and Yang Chengjing responded enthusiastically, but Qin Shengtian was probably busy and didn't say anything more after sending the message.

In the group chat, Liu Haoyuan had already started discussing things on his own.

[Was Yu-ge there too?]

[@CY @Yang Chengjing Let's put on those pants that symbolize our brotherhood!]

Yang Chengjing: [Does not wearing them mean we're not brothers?]

Liu Haoyuan sent a cheeky emoji: "[True brothers, of course, have to be different from others]"

Yang Chengjing, [You dare let Brother Yu wear it?]

Liu Haoyuan: [Since Brother Yu accepted those pants, it means he still likes them.]

As Xinmian ate, she watched them banter in the group chat, then quietly glanced up at Chi Yu sitting opposite her.

His phone screen was also stuck on the WeChat chat interface.

In the group chat, Liu Haoyuan started tagging him repeatedly.

[@CY Yu Ge, remember to wear the pants I bought for you]

Xinmian saw him wipe his hands and slowly type a reply.

A few seconds later, his message popped up in the group chat.

I've already thrown away those ugly pants.

Liu Haoyuan immediately sent several heartbroken emojis.

Can this brotherhood really break down so easily?

Xin Mian swallowed carefully, then suddenly realized what was happening.

Could the pair of pants that Liu Haoyuan mentioned be the same pair that Grandma Chen gave her to wear on her first day at Wangshui Island?

Flashy beach shorts.

“…Um,” she said softly, “the pants Liu Haoyuan mentioned, are they the ones I’m wearing?”

Chi Yu raised his eyes and blatantly lied, "No."

Xinmian didn't believe her. "How about I buy one for you online?"

The delivery time should be sufficient.

Chi Yu suddenly chuckled, her tone slightly cheeky, "Is it appropriate for a young girl like you to buy me pants?"

Xinmian: ......

Okay, it does seem a bit inappropriate.

She was about to say "never mind" when Chi Yu suddenly nodded seriously and said in a drawn-out tone, "But if you want to buy it, then buy it."

"Nothing fancy or fancy."

He threw the tissue into the trash can, looked at her, and said, "Can I trust your taste?"

Xin Mian immediately raised her hand, "Of course!"

——

After finishing their noodles, the two returned to No. 7 Dongpu Lane before 8 o'clock.

As soon as the gate opened, you could see Fatty Orange happily darting around in the yard, like a parkour performer.

Hearing the door open, the cat's paws suddenly stopped, and it ran over, excitedly circling around Xinmian's feet.

Just as Xinmian was about to bend down and pick it up, it sprang away and continued its parkour.

Chi Yu gave Fatty Orange a look as if he were an idiot, then went upstairs with one hand in his pocket.

Xinmian called out to Fatty Orange a few times, but seeing that it wouldn't stop, she didn't stay on the first floor any longer.

After eating scallion oil noodles, she smelled a bit of the scallion oil on her body. The first thing she did after returning to her room was to take a shower.

It was half an hour later when I came out of the shower.

The chubby orange cat appeared on the third floor at some point, its tail brushing against her ankle before it walked towards the sofa against the wall.

Xinmian understood and followed it.

The next moment—

"ah!!!"

A scream suddenly rang out, and she ran outside with a deathly pale face.

"Chi Yu!"

"Chi Yu! Chi Yu!"

A note from the author:

----------------------

Please! Scallion oil noodles are really delicious!

[My darlings, the next chapter will be available for purchase!]

[Fat orange! You're doomed!]

[Please mention the upcoming pre-order for [Let Me See]'s next book, a sweet little story with an amnesia trope.]

The following is a brief introduction ↓

[Sweet and gentle girl × Cunning male lead]

Wang Chu woke up from the car accident having lost some of her memories.

Gazing at the tall, slender figure at the end of the hospital corridor, his back to her as he made a phone call, she asked the nurse beside her, "Is he really my boyfriend?"

The medical staff nodded emphatically, "Absolutely genuine!"

May fireworks rise and explode from the depths of my original aspirations.

Oh my god!

A well-defined back and shoulders, the subtle lines of back muscles peeking out from under the black suit, and perfectly proportioned long legs...

Everything she touches perfectly aligns with her aesthetic preferences.

It's okay if you don't remember.

Boyfriends, feelings can be cultivated.

It's hard not to fall in love with Zhou Jinyu's handsome face every day.

Aside from being frequently tormented and turned into a limp mess in bed, Wang Chu was living a very comfortable life after losing her memory.

until--

She saw a surveillance video.

Only then did I realize that I had forgotten more than one person.

***

Zhou Jinyu is seen by everyone as a prodigy, decisive and ruthless in his actions, and the heir of the Zhou family who strikes fear into the hearts of his business rivals.

No one could have imagined that such a person would one day hesitate and suffer in order to conceal a secret, and do all sorts of absurd things.

***

On the day the secret was revealed, Wang Chu cried and trembled all over, her eyes filled with hatred as she looked at him.

Zhou Jinyu held the person tightly in his arms, and all his long-suppressed stubbornness and possessiveness erupted.

He lowered his head and nuzzled her neck tenderly, his voice trembling as if he were going crazy.

"Chu Chu, you promised to stay with me forever."

Reading Guide:

1. Amnesia trope, not angsty, essentially a sweet treat.

2. Both are virgins, but the male lead prefers them.

3. The female lead and her brother each have their own surname: one takes their mother's surname, and the other takes their father's surname.

4. The female lead had PTSD before losing her memory.

5. The male and female leads have imperfect personalities. You can criticize the male lead, but you cannot criticize the female lead.