Chapter 5 Burning Pool Yu Chi Yu

Huh? Where's the noodle shop?

I clearly saw a noodle shop sign when I came here, but it's gone now.

Xin Mian stood in the alleyway, holding her phone, looking around.

But by 7 p.m., it was completely dark, the streetlights in the alley were on, and there was no sign of the noodle shop she had expected to see.

She began to wonder if she had taken the wrong turn.

So they returned the way they came to the intersection and walked in the opposite direction into another alley.

But there's still no noodle shop sign...

It was dinnertime, and the lights in every house were on, illuminating the stone path along with the streetlights.

If it weren't dark, Xinmian wouldn't be so afraid.

But after going back and forth several times, she had completely lost her way.

It's almost impossible for her to walk back to No. 7 Dongpu Lane on her own.

Under the dim streetlights, the girl's shadow was elongated, casting a crooked and uneven reflection on the ground along the uneven surface of the stone pavement.

The street was very quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog, which seemed both very close to her and very far away.

Her heartbeat amplified in that instant. Xin Mian took a deep breath and stood still, as if sealed by the barking of a dog.

She swallowed hard, her instinct to ask for help overpowering her reluctance to bother others, and she subconsciously wanted to call Chi Yu.

But when she picked up her phone, she realized that she hadn't saved Chi Yu's number at all.

The residential area is a maze of alleyways, some of which don't even have names and aren't shown on maps.

Xinmian wanted to cry but couldn't, and could only comfort herself that everything was alright, that nothing had happened.

As long as you walk out of the alley and ask a passerby for directions, you will definitely be able to get back to No. 7 Dongpu Alley.

She looked around, weighing her options and guessing which way to go.

However, the moment I looked up, I saw a tall and slender figure standing at the entrance of the alley.

The man, dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants, still stood slouching against the wall, looking nonchalant and lazy.

The streetlights shone down on his head, their light dappled and broken by the strands of hair hanging in front of his brows, making the old scar on his left eyebrow stand out even more clearly.

In less than a second, Xin Mian recognized that it was Chi Yu.

"Chi Yu!"

She waved excitedly at him, her joy and relief at finding someone to rely on overflowing.

I was almost moved to tears.

Xin Mian tightened her bag strap and jogged to his side, her voice clear and soft, "Chi Yu, Chi Yu."

She looked up at him, and never before had she felt that the old scar on his brow was so approachable.

It gives her a strong sense of security.

She called his name several times in a sweet voice, as if he were the closest person to her in the world at that moment.

Chi Yu heard the eagerness in her words, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a sarcastic and roguish tone, "Is this what you mean by 'taking a stroll'?" As soon as he finished speaking, he glanced indifferently at the alleyway.

The alleys are all the same, there's nothing interesting to explore at all.

If he hadn't come, she didn't know how much longer she would have been stuck in this "ghostly maze".

This is really troublesome.

I already told him he would come to make copies.

Chi Yu scoffed, straightened up, and walked towards No. 7 Dongpu Lane.

Xinmian followed closely behind him, not wanting to be left behind.

As she walked, she muttered to herself, "I... got a little lost just now."

"You are honest."

Chi Yu didn't expect her to admit it so directly, and glanced at her sideways.

The stone path was uneven, and she was not familiar with the area, so she walked carefully, afraid of tripping over any protruding stone.

Her jet-black hair was all piled up into a loose, soft bun, revealing her fair and slender nape.

Bathed in the light of the street lamp, it seemed to be glowing softly.

Noticing that she seemed to be looking up, Chi Yu quickly looked away and unconsciously slowed his steps.

Xin Mian was glad she had met him, and automatically ignored his slightly sarcastic tone. When she saw that the street they had turned into was the same street she had just walked down, she subconsciously stopped.

The slender figure beside him stopped moving. Chi Yu turned to look at her, his eyelids slightly lifted, his gaze languid.

It's as if it's saying, "What do you want now?"

She pointed to one of the closed doors facing the street, "When I came here just now, it looked like a noodle shop, but now there's nothing here."

Because she mistook the noodle shop for another one, she kept going back and forth, which led to her getting completely lost.

Chi Yu knew the noodle shop she was talking about, "Uncle Chen's noodle shop."

“He’s getting old. Every day, he prepares the noodles and then closes the shop. When he closes the shop, he also takes the signboard with him.”

So when she passed by a second time, she couldn't see anything.

Xin Mian then understood, nodded knowingly, and continued to follow him forward.

Neither of them spoke again, and they walked quietly down the street.

As they turned the corner, Xinmian suddenly asked in a low voice, "Is Uncle Chen's noodles... good?"

She recalled the aroma of scallion oil noodles she smelled the first time she passed by, and suddenly felt a strong urge to try it.

Chi Yu chuckled softly, glancing at her thin, small figure. "Silent all this time, so you're just craving something sweet."

Xin Mian blushed at his words and pursed her lips without saying a word.

"Didn't you have dinner?"

He asked coldly.

She shook her head. "I've already eaten. I ate at that small stir-fry place near the copy shop."

The taste was average, but a bit pricey.

However, I was too embarrassed to say the last part aloud.

But Chi Yu saw through it at a glance, "You really have a sharp eye."

That's a tourist shop.

Although the residential area is mostly inhabited by locals living on Wangshui Island, there are also many businesses that find the rent in the guesthouse area too expensive and have moved here to open shops.

The stir-fry restaurant that Xinmian mentioned is one of them.

She's really something; her very first meal out on Wangshui Island was a complete disaster.

Xinmian thought about the money she had just spent and felt a little pain in her heart.

But he stepped on the landmine himself, so he couldn't blame Chi Yu, even though he still spoke in a fierce and arrogant manner.

She continued walking intently, muttering timidly, "If I've already stepped on a landmine, I just won't step on it again next time."

The sound was very soft, but Chi Yu still heard it.

The man's brows furrowed slightly, the streetlights casting a soft glow across his deep, dark eyes, highlighting their unfathomable color.

Walk out of that street, turn right through a small alley, then turn left and walk to the middle of the road; that's Grandma Chen's house.

It was almost 9 o'clock when I got home.

Grandma Chen heard the noise at the gate and came out of the living room, with Fatty Orange following her.

"Mianmian is back?"

"Grandma saved some soup for you, come and drink it."

After she finished speaking, she noticed Chi Yu following behind Xin Mian. "A Yu, didn't you say you wouldn't be back tonight?"

"Um?"

Xinmian looked at him curiously as well.

She thought that Grandma Chen had sent him out to look for her because she hadn't come back late.

"Um."

Being stared at by an old man and a young man, Chi Yu didn't feel uncomfortable at all. He gave a perfunctory reply with a natural expression, still with that roguish look. He lifted his foot, hooked the fat orange cat's tail, and went straight into the living room.

The chubby orange cat held its tail high and walked with elegant cat steps, raising its paw to pat his trouser leg a few times.

[Hey! What are you feeling guilty about?]

Why are you taking your anger out on me?

Grandma Chen didn't think much of it and happily led Xinmian into the kitchen.

"Clam and tofu soup, so delicious."

Xin Mian washed her hands and smelled the aroma of soup as soon as she approached the kitchen counter. Her eyes lit up. "It smells so good!"

Grandma Chen ladled a bowl of pepper for her and placed it on the table. "I didn't know if you liked the taste of pepper, so I didn't put any in."

"If you like the taste, you can add some yourself."

Chi Yu leaned against the kitchen door, one hand in his pocket, a roguish smile playing on his lips, and deliberately asked, "Grandma, is there any for me?"

Grandma Chen glanced at him and shooed him to wash his hands, saying, "Serve it yourself after you've washed your hands."

The soup is milky white, the clams are plump, and the tofu is tender. Every bite is so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off.

Even though it's summer, a sip of hot soup like this is incredibly comforting.

Xin Mian drank two small bowls of wine. After finishing, she was about to get up to wash the dishes when she realized that only she and Chi Yu were left at the dining table.

She glanced at Chi Yu's empty bowl, remembering how he had helped her out of that predicament earlier, and said, "Um... bring your bowl over, I'll wash it together."

But as soon as he reached out, his wrist was gripped tightly by a strong force.

The man's long, slender fingers encircled her wrist, his wheat-colored skin contrasting sharply with her fair complexion.

The palms and the inside of my knuckles were covered in thin calluses, and the roughness suddenly struck me—a feeling I had never experienced before.

Xin Mian pulled her hand back and subconsciously took a step back, her lower back braced against the kitchen counter. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and the bowl in her hand fell to the ground.

She instinctively tried to catch it with her other hand, but someone was faster than her.

The porcelain bowl landed in Chi Yu's hands, and he caught it steadily.

The man straightened up, glanced at her fingers, and remembered the notebook and digital display she had left on the table, as well as the easel already set up in the room. He frowned slightly and shooed her away, "Get out."

Do you know how to wash dishes if you have hands that can be used for drawing?

Xin Mian thought he was angry about her almost breaking the bowl, so she apologized timidly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Chi Yu put the bowl into the sink, crossed his arms, and looked down at her.

The meaning was clear: she was to leave the kitchen.

Xinmian glanced at the bowl she had almost broken, still feeling a lingering sense of guilt, and obediently left the kitchen.

But instead of going upstairs, she sat on the sofa in the living room, and her gaze swept across the room, where she saw the red marks on her wrist.

He silently muttered to himself, "Wow, that's some serious strength."

Fortunately, it doesn't hurt, and it should go away in a while.

No light came out of Grandma Chen's room; she had probably already turned off the lights and was resting.

She figured returning the original contract to Chi Yu would be the same thing.

A few minutes later, Chi Yu came out of the kitchen. She immediately stood up and handed him the original contract that she had been holding in her hand.

"I've made a copy of the contract; this is the original."

The contract was signed by her and Grandma Chen, but Chi Yu's name was not on it.

Chi Yu's gaze fell on the section for the second party's signature.

The girl's handwriting was delicate and elegant, much like her personality—gentle and soft.

He took the contract, raised his eyebrows slightly, and nodded in acknowledgment.

The next second, she stammered, "...Can I add you on WeChat?"

A note from the author:

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Chi Yu: Did you see that? She took the initiative to add me on WeChat.