Chapter 17 [17]
Dinner
The summer night breeze brought a refreshing coolness, rustling the leaves on both sides of the road.
Vehicles and pedestrians passed by. Under the dark sky and with bushes providing cover, few people noticed the corner where Luo Qingyue and Lu Mingxiao were.
Luo Qingyue never expected it to turn out like this.
According to the plot of the comic, she fell into Lu Mingxiao's arms, and Lu Mingxiao couldn't control himself and hugged her tightly.
When things are ambiguous, they can look at the moon, count the stars, and talk about their life ideals.
However! However!
Who does that? Supporting her shoulders with his large hands.
I couldn't stand up or fall down; my posture was strange, and my neck and shoulders were sore.
Lu Mingxiao remained motionless, offering no response to her words.
Luo Qingyue was unwilling to give up and tried again: "My head is also very dizzy." Her voice was weak and powerless.
This time, Lu Mingxiao finally reacted, staring straight ahead, his gaze suddenly faltering.
"I think I saw your brother."
Upon hearing the deep voice, Luo Qingyue grabbed the edge of the trunk, immediately stood up straight, and her breathing nearly stopped.
Looking around, she saw only an elderly man riding a bicycle passing by. Realizing something, she turned to look at Lu Mingxiao, furious.
Lu Mingxiao remained expressionless: "Sorry, I misread it."
The next second, he continued, "Your brother is truly a panacea; just mentioning him makes everything better."
Luo Qingyue smiled slightly: "It's fine as long as we don't mention him."
Before Lu Mingxiao could ask why, she answered herself, "Because I was faking it."
This was the first time Lu Mingxiao had heard someone say this, the tone rising slightly at the end, so confident and self-assured.
Shouldn't he show some courtesy, grant her wish, and say a few more words of praise?
Glug-glug-glug
Lu Mingxiao's attention was drawn to the sound.
Having skipped dinner, Luo Qingyue was starving.
She hadn't felt it so obviously before, but it was all because of those two kids eating fried skewers that she got a craving.
Luo Qingyue rubbed her stomach and explained to Lu Mingxiao, "I'm not faking it. I could swallow a whole cow right now."
She is my friend's sister after all; I can't just sit idly by.
Lu Mingxiao looked down and caught a glimpse of Luo Qingyue's high heels, which were at least five centimeters high.
He closed the trunk and said to the person next to him, "Get in the car, let's get something to eat."
With a sparkle in her eyes, Luo Qingyue asked uncertainly, "Will you take me there?"
Having received an affirmative answer, she rushed forward and opened the passenger door.
Walking briskly, the effect of high heels was completely negligible. At this point, Lu Mingxiao realized that he still had too little experience.
He sat back in the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, and heard Luo Qingyue say, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Lu."
Lu Mingxiao asked her what she wanted to eat.
At this point, you can't say "whatever" or "anything is fine"; you have to give an answer with maximum efficiency.
Luo Qingyue searched on her phone and found a tonkotsu ramen restaurant with a nice atmosphere and private rooms.
Lu Mingxiao entered the address into the navigation system and turned the steering wheel to drive the car away.
SUVs offer more space than sedans, making them much more comfortable to sit in.
However, with the boss driving while she enjoys the air conditioning and music, isn't that a bit too comfortable?
Looking out the car window, Luo Qingyue was starving and weak, so she cast aside her guilt and enjoyed the scenery with a clear conscience.
The ramen restaurant is not far from Guanjiangyue, about a five-minute drive away.
The two-story shop is located on a street corner and is decorated in a Japanese style, with a few outdoor dining seats outside.
When Luo Qingyue and Lu Mingxiao arrived, the private room was already full, and the outdoor seating area would be plagued by mosquitoes.
As a second choice, they opted for the window bar area, where there were only two seats, which wasn't crowded and was just right.
Lu Mingxiao sat down on the bar stool, scanned the QR code to open the menu, and handed his phone to Luo Qingyue.
The signature tonkotsu ramen is very generous in portion; for Luo Qingyue, one bowl is enough.
Lu Mingxiao had already eaten dinner when he came over. As a guest, he ordered a glass of grapefruit sparkling water.
After placing the order, he put his phone aside.
There is a wall-mounted air conditioner on the right wall.
The LCD screen displays 21 degrees Celsius. The wind is very strong, and they are positioned directly below the air outlet.
Luo Qingyue rubbed her arm and couldn't help but shiver. Seeing this, Lu Mingxiao got up and asked the shop owner for a remote control.
Set the temperature to 25 degrees Celsius, reduce the fan speed by two levels, and adjust the airflow direction upwards, blowing towards the ceiling.
"Is it any better?" Lu Mingxiao asked.
Luo Qingyue gave him an "OK" sign, handed the remote back, and then urged him to finish his meal.
The tonkotsu ramen was served quickly. Luo Qingyue picked up her chopsticks, her brows furrowing slightly.
Lu Mingxiao noticed something was wrong and asked her what was wrong.
Luo Qingyue pulled out a tissue and laid it flat on the table: "I forgot to mention you don't want scallions."
Lu Mingxiao remembered: "Your brother doesn't like it either."
Luo Qingyue replied, "When it comes to food, we have similar tastes. We don't like scallions, ginger, cherry tomatoes, or durian, but we can accept cilantro."
Luo Qingyue bent down and picked out the chopped green onions sprinkled on the noodles. Lu Mingxiao watched her skillful movements and said, "My dad doesn't like cilantro, but I can accept it."
"Is there anything you can't accept?" Luo Qingyue asked.
Lu Mingxiao truthfully replied, "I can't eat anything too spicy, but everything else is fine."
Luo Qingyue exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent: "Then when you eat shredded green peppers and potatoes, do you pick out all the green peppers?"
The waiter brought over grapefruit sparkling water, which Lu Mingxiao thanked and accepted before replying.
“I would choose to skip this dish; there’s more than one way to cook potatoes.”
Luo Qingyue thought about it carefully: "Stir-fried potatoes with pork slices, braised chicken with potatoes, and roasted potatoes sprinkled with seasonings also taste good."
Lu Mingxiao, holding the glass, added, "And potato pancakes."
"Potato pancakes...I've never had them before."
After picking out the scallions, Luo Qingyue wrapped the tissue in her hands. "It's recommended by President Lu, so it can't be bad. I'll try it another day."
Lu Mingxiao picked up his phone, scanned the QR code on the corner of the table, and reopened the ordering interface.
He opened the snack category, found potato pancakes, and handed his phone to Luo Qingyue: "Would you like one?"
So it was here all along; she hadn't noticed when she ordered. There were two potato pancakes in one serving, plus a bowl of noodles.
Luo Qingyue wasn't the type of person who would knowingly order more food than she could finish and end up wasting it, but she was very curious about what potato pancakes tasted like.
She winked at Lu Mingxiao: "I can only eat one piece."
Lu Mingxiao immediately understood: "I'm a little hungry too."
After he finished speaking, he placed the order without hesitation and instructed, "You eat the noodles first. The potato pancakes are freshly made, so you'll have to wait a while."
"Okay," Luo Qingyue replied.
The ramen broth is made from bone broth, resulting in a delicious and rich flavor, and the toppings are also plentiful.
Luo Qingyue finished eating half a soft-boiled egg when the table vibrated. Lu Mingxiao picked up his phone; Lao Lu had sent him a WeChat message.
The Mingyue and the official Weibo account of "Car Rider" jointly held a lucky draw event on their social media accounts.
The prizes were a magazine signed by Lu Mingxiao and a miniature car model. Lao Lu sent him a screenshot of his successful participation.
Lu Mingxiao chuckled and wished him good luck, then suddenly remembered something and told Luo Qingyue.
"Old Liu came to my office this afternoon and asked if I remembered the girl I met at the coffee shop."
"I asked him which one, and he replied—'The one who's going to distribute four thousand magazines on Pingtan Road.'"
Her uncle must have had some expectations of her promise, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned it to Lu Mingxiao.
Luo Qingyue held the spoon, took a sip of noodle soup, and let out a long sigh: "If I had known then what I know now, I would have transferred the money to my uncle first. With my current financial situation, I can't afford it. I've disappointed you and my uncle."
Cutting off their source of income is the only way to get the Luo family's little princess to come to Mingyue.
Lu Mingxiao had heard Luo Hanzhou mention it, but he didn't completely block the way. He still had pocket money, but it was completely different from before.
“I told Lao Liu, if sales depend on one girl, wouldn’t that make us seem too incompetent?”
The waiter brought over potato pancakes, and Lu Mingxiao placed them between him and Luo Qingyue. “Free things are hard to cherish. If someone who hates me gets them, they might stomp on my photo or burn paper money for me, and that would be a horror story. So, there’s no point in being disappointed. It’s fine as it is now.”
Lu Mingxiao was good at comforting people, and Luo Qingyue felt much better. She smiled and said, "Four thousand books won't do, but ten will do. I'll transfer the money to you."
Old Liu gave him twenty sample copies, and gave half to Luo Qingyue. He didn't spend any money himself, so there was no reason for him to resell them.
Luo Qingyue understood: "Then this meal is on me." She then picked up a potato pancake, "It smells so good!"
The potato pancakes have a golden and crispy outer layer, filled with thick and rich mashed potatoes, and probably also have cheese added.
The food tasted great. Luo Qingyue ate with satisfaction, then suddenly had a thought: "I'll be your driver when we get back. Driving shouldn't be a problem after you've eaten your fill."
Lu Mingxiao recalled her brisk walking: "Have you forgotten that you're still wearing high heels?"
"ah!"
Luo Qingyue said with annoyance, "I always keep a pair of sneakers in my car."
Let's skip it tonight, but I'll trouble him one more time.
On the return trip, Luo Qingyue sat in the passenger seat as usual.
Lu Mingxiao had never seen that ice-berry pink Panamera at Mingyue, so he gripped the steering wheel and asked, "When was the last time you drove it?"
Luo Qingyue smiled sheepishly: "When I bumped into you."
In response to Lu Mingxiao's silence, she added, "My car is still at the 4S store, and the parts haven't arrived yet after being shipped overseas. Actually, my driving skills are quite good. I'll let you experience it again sometime."
At the red light, Lu Mingxiao stepped on the brake and turned to look at Luo Qingyue.
"I hope you won't need to consult the vehicle manual at that time, otherwise I won't dare to sit in it."
Why bring up something you shouldn't talk about?
Luo Qingyue made an "annoying" little face and raised her voice to emphasize: "Last time was an accident. Accidents don't happen every day, and hazard lights aren't used every day either. If you ask me how to turn on the air conditioner or the internal/external air circulation, I know."
"Okay, I believe you."
After passing through the intersection, you'll reach Guanjiangyue. Lu Mingxiao then asked, "Are outside vehicles allowed in your community?"
Luo Qingyue gave a negative answer: "It's very strict. My brother isn't a resident here, so he can only park his car outside."
The car continued driving forward: "Just drop me off at the North Gate, it's very close to my home."
Lu Mingxiao agreed, and the car quickly came to a stop at the North Gate.
After getting out of the car, Lu Mingxiao opened the trunk. He picked up the magazine, weighed it in his hand, put it down, and then found the camping cart that folded inside.
He spread the black campervan out on the ground, put the magazine inside, and handed his hand to Luo Qingyue: "This should make things easier."
Wow, that's so thoughtful!!!
Luo Qingyue's heart was in turmoil, but she told herself to remain calm.
She grabbed the handle of the campervan: "Thank you, Mr. Lu. I'll head back now."
"Well, go ahead."
Previously, Lu Mingxiao could not understand Luo Hanzhou.
They constantly talk about their younger sister, as if life would be dull and meaningless without her.
Luo Qingyue walked to the gate, turned around and waved to him, and Lu Mingxiao smiled back at her.
A warm breeze was blowing, and as I gazed at that slender figure, my heart felt warm and filled with contentment.
As Luo Qingyue disappeared into the night, Lu Mingxiao found himself feeling somewhat lonely.
After standing in front of the car for a moment, he realized that, subconsciously, he had already come to regard Luo Qingyue as his younger sister.
[Author's Note]
Lu Zong has officially embarked on his self-guided journey!!! [Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn]
Yue: Who's your sister? We're not related by blood. Don't try to scam me!
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Because I need to put on some clips, the next chapter will be updated at 11:30 PM on the 8th!!!
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