fierce
"So you're only used to eating and drinking beer at the same time," Chu Nian said.
It wasn't a habit, Ye Jia knew; she just didn't have the courage to step into such places. But Chu Nian's interpretation made her feel relaxed, so she told her the truth: "No, I just don't dare to go to bars."
Just then, Gu Anzhou was about to hand over the prepared snack platter to them when he saw what Ye Jia said.
Ye Jia was very interested in this plate of food. She blinked quickly and looked up, about to ask what it was.
Gu Anzhou spoke first: "These are for you."
Ye Jia was stunned. Was this an apology? Was it such a serious crime? What had he done? He had a great physique; he hadn't hurt her eyes.
Wait, could this be her last meal before she goes on her way?
You've seen the scars on my body, and you know I'm not just a simple bar owner. If you tell others, it will affect my peaceful life living in anonymity on the island, so you have to keep silent forever... or something like that.
Ye Jia thought about it more and more and it seemed very likely, because she noticed that he was still staring at her. She didn't dare to look him in the eye, but she imagined that his eyes were full of warnings.
Chu Nian, standing to the side, simply said "Thanks," and started eating, her eyes gleaming with the gleam of someone watching the drama unfold, glancing back and forth between the two of them.
Looking at them, Chu Nian noticed that their lips were both M-shaped, except that Ye Jia's cupid's bow was rounder and the boss's cupid's bow was sharper.
Two lips perfectly suited for a kiss.
Wow, I'm getting into it, I'll start drawing when I get back.
Gu Anzhou wanted to say something, but he didn't and looked away.
He saw that she said she was afraid to go to the bar, and guessed that it must have been her first time there, which was why she had gotten the opening hours wrong.
She must be the type of student who excels in all three areas, and most likely her family is quite strict with her. She probably thinks bars are chaotic, so she doesn't dare to go there.
I'm sorry, but the first time I came here, I happened to see a boss like him.
I wonder if she saw the scars on his body; they might have caused her psychological trauma.
But instead of feeling more pressured by striking up a conversation, she prefers to show it through actions.
After finishing her glass of Fu Cui, Ye Jia had no intention of ordering another. She could probably drink ten glasses of this strength without getting drunk, but what if something was added to it?
Gu Anzhou mixed her a special drink: "It's non-alcoholic."
"...Thank you." Isn't that strange? He offered her food even though she hadn't ordered, and he emphasized that it didn't contain alcohol, trying to lower her guard.
I suspect they added something to it.
But Ye Jia didn't want to waste it, so she finished it anyway. It has to be said, the taste was superb, a refreshing and rich citrus flavor; she just wondered if the owner was reminding her of what happened that day.
Chu Nian chatted and drank with her new friends, getting more tipsy than usual. She ordered two more drinks, the last two being quite special: one with dark chocolate and the other with grapefruit flavor, both delicious.
They ate all the snacks.
When it came time to pay the bill, Gu Anzhou said no, he had already agreed to treat everyone tonight.
Ye Jia paused as she took out her phone, and was about to say something when Chu Nian spoke first.
Chu Nian pointed to herself, her face full of surprise: "My drinks are free too?"
Gu Anzhou nodded.
"I should have had another drink!" Chu Nian said regretfully. "Thank you, boss. By the way, is your surname Gu?"
"Yes, Gu Anzhou."
"Shoreboat? Are those two words related to islands?"
After the shopkeeper gave an affirmative answer, Ye Jia seized the opportunity to interject, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? I'd rather pay for both of them. How much is it?"
"What are you doing!" Chu Nian grabbed Ye Jia's arm and tried to pull him out. "The boss said he'd treat, so he'll treat. You're not even giving him face. We can come again next time. Let's go, Boss Gu!"
Take care.
Ye Jia felt extremely distressed. She had never accepted such a favor before, especially since it might be a debt she would have to repay with her life!
"The boss is quite nice; he even invited me too." Chu Nian immediately felt even more favorably disposed toward Gu Anzhou. If he was being treated to drinks and food for free, then he could ignore her or even give her the cold shoulder.
Chu Nian laughed: "I'm just benefiting from your kindness, although I really—really want to know why he apologized to you."
Ye Jia didn't say anything, just gave an awkward laugh, thinking that if she didn't die tonight, the probability that the boss was a good person would increase a bit.
Good, he's not dead.
Not only did Ye Jia survive that day, but he also survived three more visits to the bar in the following two weeks.
Ye Jia gradually relaxed, but didn't dare to completely relax. What if this was a long game of chess?
However, in other aspects of life, Ye Jia truly relaxed. The slow pace of the island, the delicious food, and the liveliness of her new friends all seemed to embrace her, allowing her to finally breathe freely.
She no longer needs to constantly think about controlling her volume and can speak freely.
She went to the seafood restaurant for lunch as usual, but she deliberately went a little later today because she had something to ask Sister Chun.
The shop wasn't too busy, so Sister Chun chatted with her for a bit longer, and the conversation eventually turned to Xiao Gu.
Taking this opportunity, Ye Jia asked what she wanted to know: "By the way, Sister Chun, did he write the words on your menu?"
"Yes!" Sister Chun smiled brightly as she spoke of him. "Isn't his handwriting beautiful?"
"It's very beautiful. Did your sister ask him to help you because she thought his handwriting was nice?"
"Oh, it was Xiao Gu who offered to do it for me. My old one was almost ten years old, and the plastic piece was peeling off. He said it was dangerous and might cut my hand."
Chun Jie raised an eyebrow at Ye Jia: "You're very thoughtful, aren't you?"
This truly surprised Ye Jia and changed her perspective somewhat.
Perhaps she shouldn't have judged him by his appearance; perhaps his scar wasn't a cut, after all, she only glanced at it quickly and might have misjudged it.
That's right, it's also possible that he was injured while trying to help someone!
Chun Jie was called away by guests at another table.
Ye Jia originally wanted to ask what she thought of Gu Anzhou, but thankfully she didn't. Asking would have been strange, as it would have made her seem overly curious about him.
Actually, you can tell from Chun Jie's attitude that she really likes him.
After finishing her meal, Ye Jia didn't leave; she waited for the food that Chu Nian had packed up.
Ye Jia looked down at the strokes on the menu, then looked up when she felt the light at the doorway being blocked by a tall figure.
"Little Gu's here!" Sister Chun greeted him quickly. "How about the oysters today? I saved some especially for you, they're so fresh!"
"Okay, thank you."
After Gu Anzhou finished replying, he sat down opposite Ye Jia.
?
Ye Jia was taken aback and glanced at the other empty tables.
"Good afternoon," Gu Anzhou said.
"...Hello." It's almost two o'clock now, which should be considered afternoon. I didn't realize he usually comes to eat this late.
What do you want to eat?
"Oh!" Ye Jia quickly put down the menu, her eyes looking a little guilty. She was only looking at the words he had written. "I've already eaten. I'm waiting for my takeout."
Gu Anzhou nodded.
Ye Jia thought the conversation should have ended there, but then he heard him speak again.
Have you eaten oysters?
"I ate it." Ye Jia paused. "It was delicious."
A moment of silence.
"I still don't know your name."
Gu Anzhou thought he should ask her name to show friendliness.
Ye Jia thought, "If I ask her name, I'll take her in."
Although after some fairly well-founded judgment, she felt that the probability of him being a good person had greatly increased, she was still overwhelmed by his fierce aura when he stood in front of her.
"Ye Jia." She answered anyway, "Jia as in guest."
"A very good name, Ye Jia."
When Ye Jia heard him call her name, she trembled slightly. It sounded so beautiful. She looked up at him, and oh my god, he was incredibly handsome.
“Your name is nice too,” Ye Jia said. “So, are you from Listening Wind Island?”
"no."
"Oh." The awkward conversation failed.
After packing up, Sister Chun turned around and saw Xiao Ye and Xiao Gu chatting. She quickly strode over and said with a smile, "Alright, Xiao Ye, hurry back and feed Xiao Chu."
"Okay, thank you, Sister Chun." Ye Jia picked up the bag, stood up, and waved to Gu Anzhou.
Gu Anzhou said goodbye to her.
As Ye Jia walked out, she realized that it had been a good opportunity to ask Gu Anzhou why he wanted to "apologize," but she missed it. There was no point in going back now, so she could only let it go.
Anyway, I'll go to his bar many more times.
-
When Chu Nian opened the door, she was yawning, still sleepy, with her hair all messy and her pajamas wrinkled.
Ye Jia couldn't even imagine how elegant her sleeping posture must be. She walked in with the food: "Go brush your teeth, it's time to eat."
Chu Nian was finally awakened by the aroma of the food.
Ye Jia sat on the sofa, chatting with Chu Nian, who was eating on the floor. This had become the norm.
Chu Nian ate several large bites to fill her empty stomach before asking, "Jiajia, can you ride a little electric scooter?"
"I guess I can."
“Then teach me. I bought my landlord’s old car because I wanted to have another means of transportation, but I don’t know how to ride it.”
"Ah, but I'm not at the level where I can teach others either."
"Have you ever fallen? If you haven't, how can you be my teacher?"
"I haven't fallen, but that's because I haven't ridden much in the first place." Ye Jia's hometown doesn't have any, nor does the central area of the northern city. She mostly takes the subway and buses.
"But if you know how, please teach me."
"Alright." Ye Jia didn't refuse anymore. "Why did you decide to buy the car and the person? You don't go out much anyway."
"I finally got to live on such a beautiful island, and it feels like a waste to just stay at home. I still want to go out and explore."
Ye Jia was very excited: "Then come running with me this morning! I've found a fantastic spot to watch the sunrise, it's incredibly beautiful and breathtaking!"
Instead of the expected response, Ye Jia only received an awkward but polite smile.
A moment later, Chu Nian pounded her chest: "You want me to die!"
After finishing her meal, Chu Huan said she wanted to take a nap.
Ye Jia was also puzzled. She clearly slept until noon, so why was she going to take a nap again after just one meal?
I get up at six in the morning and don't need to take a nap.
But Ye Jia still went home and took a nap. When she woke up, she looked at the content that her students had sent her that they wanted to study that night, prepared some lessons, and her part-time job was becoming more and more formal.
Finally, Chu Nian knocked on the door. Ye Jia was truly impressed: "You slept for another hour and a half!"
"I was sleepy, there was nothing I could do, but now that I've had a good night's sleep, I'm full of energy!" Chu Nian always starts her day after taking an afternoon nap.
The electric scooter was right downstairs. Its body was a refreshing mint green, and although it was secondhand, it looked almost brand new.
Chu Nian respectfully handed the key to Ye Jia, who then rode it to try it out.
"Wow—" Chu Nian watched enviously as she smoothly rode around the track and came back. "You're obviously a good rider, teach me quickly. Later, take me to a more open place first."
The place they lived in was beautiful enough, but the terrain was a little low. The view from their building was excellent, but once they went downstairs, the view of the sea was not so great.
"It's already this late, and the sun will be setting soon as we're studying. I'll take you to a place where you can watch the sunset; it's quite spectacular, and it might even inspire you!"
"Okay, okay, let's go!"
There was only one helmet. Driver Ye Jia put it on and set off.
As soon as the car started, Chu Nian almost felt like she was going to fall off. She quickly hugged Ye Jia's waist tightly, but she got used to it after a while and felt a great sense of speed. The salty sea breeze made her feel very comfortable.
It was Ye Jia's first time carrying a passenger, but he quickly got used to it and rode towards the place where he could see the sunset, which looked like a salted egg yolk, near the seafood restaurant run by the couple.
After several turns, Ye Jia's less-than-skilled driving skills became apparent, but fortunately, he managed to reach his destination smoothly.
The road is wide and perfect for learning to ride a bike. The scenery is also exceptional. The azure sea is illuminated by the gradually setting sun, making it seem as if it is shimmering with gold dust.
Chu Nian jumped out of the car and sighed, "People really do need to get out and about more! What have I been missing out on!"
Ye Jia reminded him: "You've missed many sunrises."
"Well, if we miss it, we miss it."
Ye Jia wasn't in the mood to appreciate it for the moment. She pushed the bike and studied it for a while. Was it really a problem with her technique? Why did it feel like she was veering to the left ever since she made that big left turn?
"Wait for me, I'll go for another ride and try it out." After saying this to Chu Nian, Ye Jia got on her bike and rode off.
When I first got on, I was a little off-center, but I don't know when it started, that strange feeling seemed to disappear, and it went smoothly without veering off-center.
Ye Jia was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard a loud "crack" from the front of the bike. Then the handlebars felt limp and she lost her balance.
With her hands braced against the rough ground, Ye Jia propped herself up and looked up to see a seascape like an oil painting. She sighed inwardly at how beautiful it was before the burning pain suddenly shot through her body, and she hissed.
Sure enough, the car's continued veer to the left wasn't her imagination; it was a fact. She did have some experience, but not much.
Ye Jia got up and tried to lift the car, but found that her left knee was in so much pain that she couldn't put any strength into it.
She wanted to message Chu Nian to tell him that she had fallen, but then she realized that her phone had been thrown several meters away. When she picked it up, she saw that the screen was broken and wouldn't light up no matter what she pressed.
What a day! Why am I so unlucky?
Her palms were only scraped, but the side of her left knee was badly chafed. She needed help and figured she hadn't gone too far, so she resorted to the most primitive means of communication. She took a breath and shouted in the other direction, "Chu—Nian—! I crashed!"
But the seaside is different from the mountaintop; her voice can't travel that far, and she can feel it being carried away by the sea breeze.
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