Putting aside the fact that she is Ye Chu, a popular star at the moment; even if this person doesn't know her, a stranger walking into the sea, climbing back to shore, and circling around on the beach, shouldn't a normal person have some reaction? Why is this person expressionless the whole time?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, the stranger slowly opened his mouth and said, "Sir or madam, what brings you here? I'm sorry, I'm blind."

blind?

Shang Yechu subconsciously glanced at the other person's eyes, and sure enough, they were dull, lifeless, and devoid of any sparkle. Shang Yechu hadn't even noticed before.

Could it be colored contact lenses?

Shang Yechu carefully observed the other person's eyes, staring intently for half a minute. During that half minute, those eyes didn't blink even once.

It seems they really are blind. A normal person would have blinked and started tearing up long ago if they had their eyes open for so long.

The blind man asked, "Sir, madam, why are you looking at me like that?"

Aren't you blind?

The blind man seemed to read Shang Yechu's mind and said, "I can hear your breathing, and the sound of the sea coming from your direction. Are you a tourist? February isn't a good time for wading."

While he was speaking, Shang Yechu kept looking into his eyes. Throughout the entire process, the blind man did not blink once.

Shang Yechu was relieved: "Yes, I came here as a tourist, and I didn't expect the water to be so cold. Thank you for reminding me. Sir, what do you do?"

The blind man paused for a moment, then said, "My home is nearby. I often come out here to listen to the sound of the sea."

"I see." Shang Yechu sincerely praised, "You have quite a refined taste in life. Then I won't bother you any longer."

The blind man nodded. Just as Shang Yechu was about to leave, he suddenly heard the blind man say, "I can hear your teeth chattering. Would you like to go warm up nearby? There's a restaurant nearby. The menu has..." The blind man seemed to think for a second, "...Angelica and ginger mutton soup, ginger and brown sugar soup, red date and goji berry soup, and beef soup."

The blind man recited the various soupy dishes as if he were listing dishes.

Shang Yechu swallowed hard. She hadn't eaten properly for three days, and the blind man's words suddenly made her feel incredibly hungry. Every cell in her body was screaming, "I need hot soup to warm me up!"

"Thanks for reminding me." Shang Yechu took out her phone and opened the map app. "What's the name of that restaurant?"

The blind man said, "It's a rural restaurant in our area; you shouldn't be able to find it on the map."

Undeterred, Shang Yechu entered keywords such as "restaurant," "hotel," and "restaurant" into the search bar, but as expected, no nearby search results appeared.

“If you trust me, I can take you there,” the blind man suggested. “I go to that shop often.”

Shang Yechu should have been wary of a stranger offering such help. But firstly, the other person was blind and hadn't blinked once during all that talking; secondly, even if there were some ulterior motive, Shang Yechu could easily take down the blind man with her fighting skills; and thirdly, it was just drinking soup, even if paparazzi took pictures, it wouldn't be considered a scandal.

Thinking of this, Shang Yechu smiled and said, "Then I'll leave it to you—wait, you didn't bring your cane?"

Shouldn't blind people all be given a white cane? The kind that taps on the floor.

The blind man said calmly, "I've been walking this road from my home to the seaside for over ten years, and I don't need a cane to find my way. Besides, during the off-season, I hardly encounter anyone on the road."

This explanation was perfectly reasonable, and Shang Yechu could not find any flaws in it.

"Do you need to go home to get your cane?"

“It’s too much trouble to go back and forth,” the blind man said. “There are few people on the road during the off-season, and the road is very clean. If you don’t mind, you can remind me if there are any obstacles under my feet.”

This blind man is quite kind-hearted. Shang Yechu was cold and hungry, and said gratefully, "Thank you! I will help you see the way carefully. After you finish eating, I will call a car to take you home."

“No need, I know the restaurant owner, I can get a ride home with him,” the blind man said. “Turn left.”

Surprisingly, the blind man's steps were not slow. Shang Yechu followed beside him, carefully watching his step.

As they walked, Shang Yechu gradually became completely convinced that the person was blind. Aside from not blinking, the person's gaze remained fixed straight ahead, and even the position of their eyes didn't change. Shang Yechu couldn't believe that colored contact lenses could produce such an effect.

The two chatted as they walked. The blind man asked, "What kind of soup would you like?"

Since Shang Yechu couldn't very well answer "I want to drink ten bowls of soup," he could only ask, "What's the best soup at this restaurant?"

"The most popular soup is beef soup, followed by angelica and ginger mutton soup," the blind man said. "I usually like to drink angelica and ginger mutton soup."

"Then let's have beef soup," Shang Yechu decided, following the popular taste.

The blind man led Shang Yechu to a secluded little restaurant. It was lunchtime when they entered, and the restaurant was quite crowded, with only two empty seats in the corner.

The restaurant was incredibly noisy, with old, worn-out classic songs blaring from the lobby, mingling with the chatter and creating a truly jarring atmosphere. When Shang Ye entered, the music was playing the line, "I'd rather never forget this for the rest of my life..."

Shang Yechu touched her face; thankfully, she was still wearing the mask and glasses she was using for disguise.

As soon as the blind man entered the restaurant, he called out loudly, "Old Fan! Same as always, angelica and ginger mutton soup, and another bowl of beef soup!"

"Okay!" The owner, an uncle who was busy in the kitchen and sweating profusely, replied without looking up.

It seems this blind man is a regular customer. Shang Yechu thought to herself as she said, "Since you helped me, I should treat you to this soup. Please do me the honor."

The blind man did not refuse. Shang Yechu led the blind man to a corner, sat down with her back to the other people in the restaurant, so that no one else could see her face. The blind man sat down opposite her.

Shang Yechu lowered her head and went to the cupboard to get two sets of bowls, chopsticks, and spoons, placing them in front of herself and the blind man respectively.

Looking around, everyone in the restaurant was genuinely eating, not just putting on an act; the owner was genuinely busy, sweating profusely; the tables, chairs, and walls were covered in years of grease, indicating it wasn't newly renovated; the bowls, chopsticks, and spoons all showed signs of use, not brand new props. Everyone ate and drank, chatting idly, and no one paid any attention to Shang Yechu.

Very good. It seems that the sudden appearance of the blind man was just a coincidence, and not a scheme or trap set by a competitor.

The proprietress carried two bowls of soup and placed them in front of the two men. She paused slightly when she saw the blind man. Then, turning her head and seeing Shang Yechu, she paused again.

Shang Yechu's glasses fogged up from the rising steam, so she didn't notice the landlady's unusual behavior. After she left, Shang Yechu quickly took off her fogged-up glasses and put them aside.

The beef broth was thick and fragrant. Shang Yechu scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, put it in her mouth, and squinted her eyes in enjoyment.

The blind man kept watching Shang Yechu. Seeing Shang Yechu's actions, he also scooped up a spoonful of mutton soup, blew on it, put it in his mouth, and squinted his eyes.

The spoonful of mutton soup in his hand had a large piece of ginger floating on it, and the blind man swallowed it without showing any reaction on his face.

Shang Yechu was starving and was so engrossed in eating that she didn't notice the blind man's actions.

Meanwhile, the proprietress returned to the kitchen and asked the proprietress, "Do you know those two people in that corner?"

The boss was so busy he didn't even look up, saying, "What do you mean, 'know' or 'don't know'? I'd have to get to know even a turtle!"

"You old bastard, why are you getting so worked up?" the shopkeeper scolded. "I feel like that girl looks familiar, like that... what's that Dafu Street thing? The big photo my daughter brought back the other day..."

"What do you mean, 'big photos of Dafu and Erfu'? Isn't that a poster?" The shopkeeper, sweating profusely, retorted, "What's it to you!"

The proprietress peeled some scallions as she said, "That young man is quite handsome. I heard him call you 'Old Fan' when he came in. Does he know you?"

The owner stopped cutting the beef, glanced in the direction of the blind man, then lowered his head and continued slicing: "Don't recognize him! Maybe he's been here before."

Shang Yechu drank a bowl of beef soup, sweating profusely. The chill and dampness of the seawater were quickly banished by the fragrant, hot beef soup.

Actually, given her appetite, this bowl of soup was just enough to fill her stomach. But the restaurant was too crowded, and Shang Yechu didn't dare to stay long. Besides, she was going back to the mainland tonight.

Shang Yechu regretfully went to the front desk to scan the QR code and pay, not noticing that the cashier, an older woman, stared at her several times.

Back in her seat, Shang Yechu pulled out a napkin and wiped her sweat. The blind man also pulled out a napkin and wiped his own sweat-free forehead.

Old songs from the last century still echo in this small country restaurant. Amidst the noise, a powerful female voice sings: "I love you, I hate you, do you know... like a great river, once it flows, it cannot be contained..."

As Shang Yechu sang, she smiled and said to the blind man, "Thank you for today. By the way, sir, what is your name?"

The blind man paused for a moment, then said, "Ah Bing... Hai Ah Bing."

Shang Yechu raised an eyebrow. It is said that decades ago, nine out of ten blind people in the south were named Abing. This blind man lived by the sea and made up a surname with the sea in it, which was obviously a pseudonym.

The two were merely strangers who had met by chance, and it was perfectly normal for a blind man to be unwilling to reveal his real name. Shang Yechu didn't press the matter, and smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Hai Abing. Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy such delicious soup today. If I have the chance in the future, I will come here again. I hope to meet you again next time."

The blind man nodded and said, "Okay."

All good things must come to an end. Just as Shang Yechu was about to get up and take his leave, he suddenly heard the blind man say, "Speaking of which, I haven't asked you yet, what is your name?"

Shang Yechu paused slightly, her gaze falling on the blind man's face. The blind man's lifeless eyes met hers, his handsome yet unremarkable face devoid of any expression.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, these two strangers may never meet again in their lifetime.

"What a coincidence, I also have the surname Hai." Before she finished speaking, Shang Yechu recalled a past event, and a slight pain, as small as a pinprick, welled up in her heart.

The blind man paused, then asked, "The sea?"

"Hmm." Shang Yechu put away her memories, gave a self-deprecating smile, and lowered her eyes. "Haiyi. Hai as in the sea... Yi as in untimely."

For some reason, upon hearing these words, the blind man's expressionless face darkened slightly. He probably realized that Shang Yechu was being perfunctory.

This blind man is really strange. He gave himself a false name, yet he has the nerve to complain when others use it. Shang Yechu shook her head with amusement, thanked the blind man again, and turned to leave.

Shang Yechu walked out of the restaurant, continuing on her journey. The blind man sat by the window, watching her receding figure with perfect accuracy through the glass.