Pei Lin's thoughts drifted away. He wondered if, instead of arguing with Yun Ling, he had chosen to be calm and even plead for reconciliation, things might have been different...
However, they are not doing badly now. They bicker, but they always have each other in their hearts, which is a good thing.
Yunling had no idea what the person next to her was thinking. She only felt that Pei Lin's hand was pressed against her like a small stove, making her very uncomfortable in this hot weather. So she complained...
"Hey, let go of me right now, don't even think about taking advantage of me."
"Who wants to take advantage of you? I...I...I'm just afraid you'll get lost and won't be able to find you."
"I'm a grown man, how could I get lost? Besides, I've been running around the city since I was a child, I probably know it better than you do. You should be more afraid of you than me."
Pei Lin was very indignant. He had finally managed to grab Yun Ling's arm, and he thought that if Yun Ling didn't bring it up, he could pretend to be confused and that nothing had happened. Who knew that this person was so clueless and would blurt it out so quickly.
Pei Lin reluctantly released Yun Ling's arm, then grabbed her sleeve again.
"That's what I'm afraid of. There are so many people on the street, and I can't see the road very well at night. If I get separated from them and get kidnapped by bad guys, I'll be left with no one to turn to."
Yunling scoffed without holding back.
"You're a doctor, you always carry some herbs with you, what are you afraid of?"
Seeing that Yunling had no objection to him pulling on his sleeve, Pei Lin tightened his grip, bringing his hand even closer to hers.
"You're being unreasonable. You yourself said I'm a doctor, and what I carry is naturally equipment for saving lives. How could I possibly escape?"
Pei Lin's words made sense, and Yun Ling was speechless for a moment, so she just snorted at him and let it go.
Before long, it got completely dark, and the sounds of pots and pans clattering together filled the air. Even the moon on the horizon seemed startled and hid behind the treetops to peek at the world below.
Yunling found herself amidst the bustling crowd, the aromas of street food mingling on both sides of the road, yet it didn't feel jarring. Instead, she scanned the various stalls and wanted to try them all.
"If there's anything you'd like to eat, just tell these vendors. Then find a seat near the bridge, and the snacks will be served to you."
"Um!"
Yunling didn't stand on ceremony with Pei Lin. She figured that since this guy had been coming to the shop to freeload on drinks these days, she had to make sure he got his money's worth before it would be considered a fair deal.
Yunling ordered whatever she liked until her eyes were full, then reluctantly walked to the bridge to find a seat. Pei Lin, who was behind her, paid the bill and was about to sit down next to Yunling when a glass of sugar, mung bean, licorice, and iced water was brought over.
Following that were lychee paste, wild duck meat, mutton skewers, ginger and spicy radish, chicken breast, pork breast, hot pork offal soup, fried dumplings, and egg fried rice.
Yunling immediately took a sip of the sugar, mung bean, licorice, and iced water, which was incredibly refreshing. After another sip, it felt as if all the summer heat had been dispelled.
"Is this enough? If not, we can go to another street to take a look."
"Don't treat me like a piglet in a pigsty. This is more than enough."
Pei Lin picked up a spoon and served Yun Ling a bowl of egg fried rice.
"If we're talking about night markets, Bianjing is undoubtedly the most bustling and lively. Heading south from Zhouqiao, you'll find so many delicious foods that you won't be able to take them all in. There are crowds gathered in front of all kinds of rice and barbecue stalls, as well as shops that specialize in cooked food, such as chicken, duck, goose, rabbit, deer, mutton, and all kinds of offal. They smell so good."
"Just like on this hot day, the night market is packed with people. There are sesame tofu chicken skin, rice noodles, vegetarian skewers, raw and pickled fruits such as papaya, peaches, and plums, as well as lychee paste, perilla paste, orange juice, and all kinds of dried fruits."
Yunling drooled so much she didn't know how many times she swallowed. Suddenly, the fried rice in her hand didn't taste good anymore. She thought this person was really mean, and she didn't know if he was deliberately saying those words to make her drool.
"If that's the case, then you're quite familiar with Bianjing."
Pei Lin paused, a flicker of unreadable emotion crossing his eyes.
“I once passed through Bianjing and spent a night or two in the night market, which is why I have more to talk about.”
Yunling felt that the man's aura had suddenly become somber, but she didn't know why. She thought that he was somewhat familiar with Bianjing and wanted to ask him about Bianjing, but since he said he was just passing through, he was probably like Aunt Xia, just wandering around the Rainbow Bridge and then giving up.
Yunling stopped talking to Pei Lin about Bianjing. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, she quickly joked:
"Tch, I thought you were something special, but it turns out you're just passing through Bianjing."
"What do you mean 'just'? It's still better than something you've never been to."
"I haven't been there, but I've been to Qimin and Qingcheng. Have you been there?"
Pei Lin took a couple of bites of fried rice, shook his head, then nodded. After finishing chewing the rice in his mouth, he finally replied:
"I've never been to Fujian, but I have been to Qingcheng."
"Have you been to Qingcheng?"
Yunling picked through the lamb skewers, giving the leanest pieces to Pei Lin and keeping the marbled ones for herself. The fatty pieces would render their own fat, which, when eaten with the lean meat, helped cut through the richness and added a nice texture.
"You're just bragging. Don't pretend you actually went there just because you know there's a cotton workshop there."
"Why would I need to lie to you? The scenery of Qingcheng is on the list. The mountains there are very strange. From a distance, they seem to be continuous, but when you look closely, they seem to be independent. Moreover, when you stand on the road, it feels like you can reach out and touch the mountains."
Yunling was a little confused. Aren't all mountains like this? They're either continuous or stand alone. Isn't what this person is saying just nonsense?
Seeing Yun Ling frowning and scratching her temples, Pei Lin knew she was aware of something, and a smile crept across his face. He teased her, saying:
“You haven’t even seen the mountains and rivers of Qingcheng. I think you went to a fake Qingcheng. In that case, you’ve already lost to me.”
"What nonsense are you talking about? How am I inferior to you? I was busy with important business in Qingcheng and took a short break along the way. I didn't notice the surrounding mountains for a moment. What's so strange about that?"
Pei Lin gulped down the rest of the lychee paste, clicked his tongue twice, and then said:
"If you go to Qingcheng again next time, no, if you go again, you must ask me to come with you. I will take you to see the mountains and rivers, and I guarantee you won't have made a wasted trip."
Yunling let out a satisfied burp, not wanting to waste anything, she picked up the leftover mung beans, licorice, and iced water from her meal and drank it.
“I can see for myself, I don’t need you to.”
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