I don't want to get married
The Taoist priest, having failed in his swindle, also lost the pills. When Chen Sizhe and Wen Dai offered him money, he sternly refused, shaking his empty rice bowl and saying, "The pills refined by Taoist doctors are partly sold and partly given away as a gift. Chi Yi, you call me 'Uncle-Master,' so I certainly can't accept your money. There's no reason for that. It's not like I can't afford to give you the pills."
He shifted his gaze to Wen Dai, glancing longingly at Li Qingyu before fixing it on Wen Dai and saying, "It's fate that we met, especially since you and my niece also have a deep connection..."
Chen Sizhe coughed loudly twice to clear his throat for no apparent reason, cutting off the Taoist priest's voice.
Seemingly puzzled, or perhaps fully aware of the situation, the Taoist priest glanced sideways at Chen Sizhe. After a brief exchange of glances, he smiled but remained silent, simply shaking his head. After a moment, he waved his hand and said:
"Alright, that's settled then. I'm going to eat, or I'll starve. You can eat outside the temple; the portions here are fixed, so if you eat, some of you will go hungry. Goodbye!"
He strode confidently to the cafeteria, truly embodying the spirit of "waving his sleeves and leaving without taking away a single cloud."
But since the words have already been spoken, how could anyone not hear them?
Wen Dai glanced at Chen Sizhe strangely, but he turned his face away and raised his chin, not giving her a chance to peek.
Chen Sizhe seemed to know more than she did.
In a daze, the image that had appeared before flashed through my mind again, those one and only eyes that were clear...
Could it be that the person in her dream was actually Chen Sizhe?
This sudden thought caused Wen Dai's pupils to dilate briefly. Even though it was just a suspicion in her mind, it made her feel uneasy. It wasn't an unease of resistance, but more of an unease of not knowing how to react.
The group slowed down their return journey without prior arrangement, it was unclear who was reluctant to leave, or what they were reluctant to part with.
Xu Jing took out her phone and offered to exchange contact information with Wen Dai. Finally, she casually invited, "It's rare to have such a good connection at first sight. How about we go have lunch together?"
Having been quite taken aback by Chen Sizhe's words, Gu Qi was still in a daze when he suddenly heard about the opportunity to have a meal together. He was torn and struggled with his feelings, but in the end, he couldn't bear to give up the chance to spend time together. He chimed in, "Yes, didn't that Taoist priest go to have lunch just now? It will take quite a while to get home directly from here. Why don't we go and see if there are any restaurants nearby and have a meal together?"
Chen Sizhe glanced at him meaningfully; Gu Qi didn't even look away, probably because he was too guilty to meet his gaze, after all, the other party had just said those words to him in a way that sounded both threatening and warning.
Just then, Li Qingyu shook Wen Dai's hand and said softly, "Sister Wen Dai, let's go eat. I'm hungry too."
Having walked around the temple for so long, and just in time for lunch, not to mention how small Li Qingyu was, even the adults were feeling hungry. Wen Dai agreed without hesitation: "Okay, then let's find a restaurant first."
The restaurant selection follows the principle of proximity while incorporating randomness.
They walked to the street lined with restaurants and let Li Qingyu choose one that caught her eye.
So they entered a restaurant with a sign on one side of its glass door that read "Welcome" and on the other side "Haircut and blow-dry for 10 yuan".
Shifting her gaze from the large, broken red characters, Wen Dai nodded slightly and commented softly, "Ah... it's always good to have many skills."
Gu Qi seized the opportunity to add, "It's also very affordable."
Even ten years ago, it was hard to find a shop in Lizhou that would offer a haircut and styling service for ten yuan.
Fortunately, when they entered the store, they were greeted not by the old-fashioned Tony, nor by the sofas and chairs placed in front of the mirror, but by the standard restaurant tables and chairs.
The boss, who was sitting at the front desk, was dozing off with her chin resting on her hand, but she was obviously very sensitive to footsteps. Before Wen Dai and the others could even reach the cashier, the boss jumped up from her chair.
"Welcome! What would you like to eat?"
"Hair washing, cutting and blow-drying..."
A click of the tongue interrupted Gu Qi's unfinished words. Xu Jing rubbed her forehead, shielded Gu Qi from her side and back, and smiled gently at the shopkeeper, saying, "Menu."
Wen Dai now knows perfectly well the outcome of the clash between Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong.
The owner hurriedly took out the menu that he had been holding under his arm, handed the board to Xu Jing, and awkwardly walked around the cashier to the refrigerated display case, pointing at the dishes.
"You can look at the menu, or you can look directly at this. All these vegetables are fresh. I bought them at the market this morning. I eat the vegetables that have been sitting overnight myself or share them with others, so don't worry."
Wen Dai led Li Qingyu to the freezer to pick out vegetables. Gu Qi, standing behind them, glanced at the boss wearing a red apron in front of him. His gaze lingered on her hesitant movements, from her clasped hands scratching each other to her eyes blinking several times.
He struck up a conversation, saying, "Are you the only one here? Where's your husband? I thought restaurants like this were all run by husband and wife."
“I don’t have a husband. I took over this restaurant myself. It used to be a small barbershop. Sigh… Sometimes I wonder if the words on the glass might cause misunderstandings, but the people next door say no, and that it even attracts curious customers, so I’ve just left it there.” The owner, who appears to be in his forties, doesn’t display a slick maturity; his clear, bright eyes reveal sincerity.
After ordering, Wen Dai glanced at the owner who was taking notes in a small notebook and suddenly said, "I'm quite envious of you, boss. You can live your life independently without getting married."
"I think so too! Awesome!" Li Qingyu wasn't the ten-year-old she used to be. Influenced by the internet, she already understood the concept of marriage. Although she might not understand the thoughts behind not getting married, nor what Wen Dai truly envied.
Children don't understand, but adults certainly do.
The expressions of the other three people changed slightly. Xu Jing lowered her eyelashes and tapped the strap of her bag with her fingers; Gu Qi clenched his hands and frowned, seemingly deep in thought; Chen Sizhe simply stared at the back of Wen Dai's head for a moment before looking away.
In the empty restaurant, they chose a table at the back. The seating arrangement was that Wen Dai was sandwiched between Xu Jing and Li Qingyu, Gu Qi sat next to Li Qingyu, and Chen Sizhe was the only one left with one chair between him and Gu Qi, two chairs between him and Xu Jing, and facing Wen Dai—it was fortunate that the table was round.
While waiting for the food to be served, Xu Jing crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the chair, as if her usually straight spine was finally willing to soften.
She glanced sideways at Wen Dai, who was holding her phone and seemingly replying to messages, and casually asked, "Don't you want to get married?"
"I don't want to." Wen Dai answered without hesitation, not looking up, and focused on typing her essay for her client.
As if her brain could be used for two purposes, she explained, "I've always felt that I wouldn't have anyone I like, and even if I did, there's no need to be together. I can't imagine my world suddenly having another person... I'm very comfortable with myself. In the past, I've been living for other things. Once this and these things are dealt with, I want to find myself and be myself."
Xu Jing, who always cherished her bags, scratched the strap. She unconsciously straightened her back. "Most people in this world will eventually get married. They may not necessarily have children, but..."
Her fingers, which had been typing away so fast they were practically blurring the screen, finally stopped. She sent out her little essay and raised her chin.
She tilted her head to meet Xu Jing's gaze and smiled, saying, "Everyone has the right to choose their own life, and I don't care about other people's lives. Although marriage is indeed the path most people take, it doesn't mean I will take it, nor does it mean everyone has to. For me, understanding myself is more important than marriage, unless that person can help me with this."
She had given up on herself for too long; while she was alive, she spent very little time for herself. She used herself as a tool, wishing she could compress a hundred years into a single year. She wanted to experience everything in a concentrated way, to solve the arson case she cared about in one go, and then close her eyes and kick the bucket.
For the past twenty years, as a child, she did not understand the meaning of exploring herself, and did not even know that she was exploring herself. Wen Dai was trying her best to explore the world.
After her parents passed away, she had no energy left to explore the world. All she wanted was for her enemies to be brought to justice, and to help those suffering she occasionally encountered. As for herself, the purpose of her life was to bring the truth to light and punish the evildoers.
If things can be resolved perfectly, and if there is still plenty of time in the future, then go and get to know yourself.
Xu Jing abruptly looked away, pursing her lips. Several dishes had been placed in front of her. She blinked, staring blankly at the glistening, oily dishes.
To maintain your figure, you should avoid eating out, especially those hole-in-the-wall restaurants, which are high in salt, oil, and calories...
But is she truly concerned with who she is, or how others perceive her?
I recall my mother casually remarking while drinking tea at home: "If a woman can't even marry a good man, it means she's incompetent and belongs to a lower class."
If you're going to be picky, from family background to ability, physical appearance is the least important thing—this applies to men.
To examine a woman, one must consider her abilities, appearance, family background, and so on, taking a comprehensive approach, especially in terms of her physical appearance, including both her temperament and physique.
Even when going to a bar to vent my emotions, I only dare to drink a few low-alcohol drinks, and I have to book a private room to drink alone in solitude, and I have to make sure that I don't get drunk.
Suddenly, a juicy slice of beef was placed in the bowl in front of her. She looked up—
Sitting next to her, Wen Dai fluttered her eyelashes. When the corners of her lips turned up, her dimples and canine teeth were revealed. With a clever gesture, she raised the hand holding the chopsticks a little higher. Her words were light and cheerful, yet they sounded like an explanation: "I see you're spacing out. Eat some meat. It smells so good! Don't neglect your stomach. Don't worry, I haven't eaten anything myself yet; my chopsticks are clean."
Xu Jing let out a deep breath—a breath that had been trapped inside her body for many years.
She picked up the chopsticks resting on the plate, and with a determined air, she picked up a slice of meat and put it in her mouth with the rice. While chewing, she abandoned the unspoken rule of chewing more than thirty times, and swallowed it down when it was almost done.
Looking at Wen Dai, her eyes held a genuine smile and a hint of tears. She said, "Thank you."
The careless Wen Dai didn't notice Xu Jing's slightly reddened eyes because she was serving food to Li Qingyu.
After receiving a thank you, she didn't even turn her head and readily replied, "Don't mention it. I just picked up a piece of meat for you; it was nothing."
Before even touching his chopsticks, Chen Sizhe stared expressionlessly at the few home-style dishes on the table, his nose still carrying a distinct aroma.
Because he knew about the aroma, he understood exactly where the wok hei (wok aroma) came from and what it would cause.
Without a word, he picked up his chopsticks and started serving food to Wen Dai in her empty bowl, like a cold, mechanical food-serving machine.
The person he was having a food-picking contest with was Xu Jing, who specifically asked the owner for an extra pair of chopsticks.
The two suddenly childish people attracted the attention of the stunned Gu Qi, and as a result, Gu Qi, not to be outdone, joined them.
Wen Dai, who was feeding Li Qingyu, didn't notice the bowl she had clipped to the side. She would occasionally glance at it out of the corner of her eye, but her brain, which was in operation, selectively ignored it. She only knew that the other three people were constantly putting food on her plate, and she thought that the food was very delicious.
But when she came to her senses and noticed the bowl piled high with food, she was completely stunned.
She froze for a second, two seconds, three seconds… then her eyes widened, and she pointed at the bowl with her chopsticks in disbelief, exclaiming, “This bowl is mine?!”
Gu Qi was picking up food and eagerly trying to put it into her bowl when Wen Dai immediately protected her own bowl and pulled it aside. She glared at Gu Qi fiercely and said, "Aren't you being a bit presumptuous?"
Startled by the stare, Gu Qi's chopsticks and hand, holding food, hung suspended in mid-air. He hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly said, "No, I saw that both of them were there..."
With his other hand, he pointed at Xu Jing and then at Chen Sizhe, turning his head in the direction of his fingers.
Unfortunately, Gu Qi's plan to divide the blame equally among those who had been wronged failed.
Wen Dai frowned and interrupted, "Xu Jing is a girl, and I eat all the food she puts on my plate. I think she smells nice and is very pretty, and I like her a lot. Chen Sizhe is my partner, and we've been working together for almost a year. We've even been through some very dangerous things together. As for you, do I even know you? Besides, those two just stopped eating, and you're the only one still putting food on my plate."
“Gu Qi, I don’t care what you think of me, but I think you need to understand one thing—we can’t be called friends right now. The last time we met was to give you the protective magic item I gave to Qingyu, and it just so happened that Grandma Li wanted to match us up, so I had dinner with you to cooperate.”
"At the same time, I made it clear at that time that I didn't like you; we had only met twice in total, and the previous time was even for the purpose of a blind date, and this time it was also related to the weather."
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