Xia Che really liked the smell.

For example, the smell of fires burning in various stoves in the snack street, people's blessings during festivals, and the delicious aroma of food wafting from the windows every evening or night.

Xia Che felt that these were all part of the everyday life.

He really enjoys the warmth and liveliness of everyday life.

When there were outsiders around, Xia Che was too embarrassed to listen too much, but now that he knew Jiang Yu was asleep, he relaxed a little and his face was full of ecstasy.

"You don't mind the environment here?"

Suddenly, Jiang Yu, who was thought to be asleep, leaned on Xia Che's shoulder and murmured something.

"Holy crap!"

Xia Che was so startled that he almost threw Jiang Yu out.

He was already in a state of blissful relaxation when he was suddenly startled, and he felt as if his heart was about to explode.

"How can you be so timid? I walk this road home every day, and I've never been scared before..."

Jiang Yu curled the corners of her lips, her expression one of disdain, but a strange glint lurked in her eyes.

She had been observing Xia Che and discovered that he hadn't taken advantage of her while she was asleep. This discovery made Jiang Yu's already made decision waver slightly.

But it only happened once, so it doesn't prove anything.

Some people are the best at pretending.

“Say something, okay… I apologize, I shouldn’t have scared you.”

From Jiang Yu's perspective, it was clear that Xia Che's pale face showed that he was genuinely frightened, rather than putting on a show.

Thinking about this, Jiang Yu felt a little guilty. He had carried her all the way back, and she had even scared him; it really was a bit much...

"Nonsense, is it because I'm afraid of this road? It's because you suddenly spoke..."

Xia Che rolled his eyes in annoyance.

His meridians are now sealed, so he only has the physique of an ordinary high school student. It was only because Jiang Yu was so thin due to years of not having enough to eat that he was able to carry her all the way.

Even so, carrying this far is already very tiring.

Plus, being suddenly startled like that, only Xia Che remained calm enough, otherwise he would have been thrown off his back by Jiang Yu...

"So you don't mind where you are?"

Jiang Yu asked again, seemingly determined to know Xia Che's opinion on her place of residence.

Why complain?

Xia Che shifted Jiang Yu's position on his back, feeling more comfortable, and continued walking forward: "I really like the lively atmosphere here. Compared to high-rise apartment complexes where you might not see your neighbors for a year or two, this place actually feels more like home, right?"

"I won't say anything like 'I envy you' or 'I want to switch places with you,' that kind of nonsense won't be a compliment at all; it'll just make me sound like a greasy guy trying to show off."

"But if I had a choice, I think urban villages are better than residential communities."

"So I don't mind at all; on the contrary, I really like the environment here."

Xia Che's words were quite rough and not elegant at all, but it was not difficult to see his true feelings.

Even Jiang Yu herself didn't realize that the corners of her mouth had turned up.

"Are you satisfied with my answer?"

"It's passable, but at least you know how to talk..."

Before asking the question, Jiang Yu was actually a little nervous. After all, most people who could study at a good school like Weiyang, apart from a few like herself, came from well-off families, at least middle-class.

Any random middle-class family will live in a much better place than I do.

At the very least, they live in bright and spacious apartment buildings, not damp, cold, and dark tile-roofed houses.

You can have an endless supply of hot water for washing up, without needing to boil water in advance or wash clothes with cold water in the dead of winter.

How can someone who lives in a bright place become introverted?

Jiang Yu thought it was unlikely.

Because she was envious.

So she was a little worried that Xia Che would dislike the environment she lived in.

But clearly, Xia Che did not.

"Anyway, they must have said that on purpose to make me happy, right? Saying things against their will? Hmph... They're quite good at pretending; even I couldn't tell."

"But his tone was quite frank."

Jiang Yu leaned on Xia Che's shoulder again, resting her chin on his shoulder, and could hear Xia Che's strong heartbeat.

She shut her mouth again, and no matter what topic Xia Che brought up, she didn't say another word.

Soon, they arrived at Jiang Yu's home.

A small tile-roofed house.

It looks like a converted warehouse, and there's another small room next door filled with boxes and other odds and ends.

Although small, it was neither messy nor dirty.

Everything was arranged neatly, and although the lighting was a bit dim, it was a warm yellow that gave Xia Che a feeling of coming home even from a distance.

"Stir-fried green peppers with pork?"

Xia Che sniffed, his eyes lighting up slightly.

"Hmm, this is my grandma's specialty. It looks like I'm still late. She's worried that I'll get tired from studying, so she always tries to cook before I get home. Sigh... I've told her so many times, but she never listens."

Jiang Yu sighed, though she was complaining, Xia Che could still hear the love in her voice.

"Hehe... Old people are all like this. They may be stubborn, but don't doubt it, she's doing it for your own good."

Xia Che chuckled softly, then turned to look at Jiang Yu and asked, "Is it alright to leave you here?"

"Yes, do you see that chair? You can put me there. My grandma and I eat here."

Jiang Yu gestured with her chin forward, and Xia Che followed her gaze. There was a clean and tidy wooden table, a small stool next to it, and another chair that looked like a gaming chair.

To be honest, the presence of a gaming chair here seems somewhat out of place.

It's so jarring.

"Grandma bought this from the recycling center. She said it has wheels so that when I'm at home, I can have a change of pace and not have to sit in a wheelchair all the time."

Jiang Yu leaned on Xia Che's shoulder, peeking out half of her head. While introducing Xia Che, she suddenly realized something and became somewhat embarrassed.

Her family background was indeed quite bad, and she had to tell Xia Che, a friend she had just met, about her miserable life...

That's a bit too embarrassing, isn't it?

"I see."

Under Jiang Yu's anxious gaze, Xia Che's expression remained unchanged. He walked over naturally and carefully placed Jiang Yu on the gaming chair. As he did so, Xia Che noticed several stickers on the back of the chair, and his gaze lingered on them for a moment.

They are various characters from anime, but they are not from the same anime.

It seems that Grandma thought young people liked these kinds of stickers, so she specially found them to make Jiang Yu happy, but she herself didn't know where these anime characters came from.

"Your grandma... loves you very much."

Xia Che suddenly said.