Chapter 24
The two continued browsing other shops. As darkness gradually fell, the half-sun on the edge of the clouds emitted its last orange-red afterglow, painting the entire sky into a beautiful oil painting.
As people passed by, they gradually began to carry various snacks in their hands, and the air was filled with a mixture of sweet and delicious food aromas.
Lin Langyi couldn't help but glance at what others were eating when she was alone. Her head kept turning around for a while before she realized it was lunchtime. She then turned to Yuan Chuyu and asked, "Why don't we go eat first?"
Yuan Chuyu observed the passersby, then glanced down at Lin Langyi, whose eyes were glued to the food on the street, and said, "Actually, the reason I declined your parents' invitation earlier was because I have too many social engagements. I've never had the experience of strolling and eating at a street food street before."
He spoke with a hint of regret: "When I was little, my family was very strict, and I rarely had the chance to eat these things."
Lin Langyi's eyes lit up, but she forced herself to suppress her excitement and asked in a pretentious manner, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate to replace a proper meal with snacks at the night market?"
His tone was even more regretful, drawing out the last syllable: "Ah... is that not possible..."
"Okay, okay," Lin Lang said, satisfied, and then added, "But don't let it slip to my parents later, or they'll think I'm abusing you."
He chuckled softly and said earnestly, "Then let's eat more."
Without further ado, Lin Langyi wanted to hear what Yuan Chuyu had just said. He was the kind of person who ate three meals a day with a stable and reasonable diet, so he definitely wouldn't be used to eating some easy snacks right away. So he took his people directly to buy staple food.
She stood in front of a Yanji sesame sauce noodle shop, each noodle coated in a thick, brownish-red sauce that smelled so good it was hard to resist. She pointed and said, "Add a pounded hot and sour poached egg... Oh, by the way, Yuan Chuyu, do you eat spicy food?"
Yuan Chuyu stood behind him, his hand raised, his phone already scanning the QR code. Hearing this, he hummed in agreement, but before he could add, "Not extra spicy," Lin Langyi waved his hand, pointed to the other menu items, and said generously:
"Another serving of Xinjiang-style extra spicy fried rice noodles, extra, extra spicy!"
He paused, not saying whether it was good or bad, but when the shopkeeper asked about the size of the portion, he mentioned, "Small portion, could you please give us two more boxes?"
Shop owner: "The small portion is very small."
"Yes, that's enough."
Lin Langyi tilted her head in question. Yuan Chuyu's arm hung down, his phone casually slipped into his pocket. He only slightly lowered his chin as he looked at the person in front of him: "Let's share. Otherwise, if you finish a bowl of noodles, will you be able to eat anything else?"
Lin Langyi's eyes widened slightly, clearly still shocked by the fact that she was about to share the food with Yuan Chuyu, but he continued speaking calmly:
"Besides, wouldn't that allow us to try more food? Didn't you share desserts at the Sands Mansion before?"
That makes sense, but back then I was sharing food with girls.
She was dazed, but her mind was still working: "Jinsha Mansion? You saw it? I thought you were sleeping with a hat covering your face."
Yuan Chuyu paused, his expression slightly unnatural. Under Lin Langyi's continued gaze, he couldn't hold back any longer and turned his face away to look to the side.
During this brief moment of respite, he spotted a dessert shop packed with people, with a long queue stretching all the way to the shop next door. Customers who managed to squeeze through were carrying all sorts of exquisite little desserts.
He remembered seeing a girl he passed by holding this box and eating it with a small fork. Lin Langyi turned around and glanced at her several times.
Yuan Chuyu: "I'll go join the queue over there."
Lin Langyi poked her head out to look, and he had already walked to the other side, casually waving at her with his back turned.
When he returned, nearly half an hour had passed. He carried bags in both hands and walked towards the table next to the noodle shop. He immediately saw Lin Langyi sitting obediently on the edge. Two boxes of noodles were neatly placed on the table, and the extra box he had asked the owner for was tightly turned upside down to keep it warm.
"You're here! Oh, I'm so afraid the dough will clump together."
Just as Lin Langyi stood up to take the dessert from Yuan Chuyu, a couple came over and asked if they could share a table.
The girl dragged over two chairs: "Business is so good, the place is full, but this is so hot, I can't eat it while holding it."
Lin Langyi was taken aback: "Ah, that's possible..."
The girl thanked her repeatedly and moved the chair that was originally on the opposite side of the table to Lin Langyi's side, while she and her boyfriend sat affectionately on the same side.
Lin Langyi turned to look at Yuan Chuyu, who had no objections at all. He was slowly placing the dessert boxes on the table and displaying the desserts one by one.
Caramel hazelnut pie, okra crumb pastry, bean flour pistachio waffle, crispy maple fritters (cut into pieces)...
After setting the table, he pulled out a chair and sat down naturally next to Lin Langyi in the outermost position. The tables and chairs here were all low, so he could only cross his legs and bring them closer together, and their knees inevitably touched.
"Is the dough clumped together? It'll be better if you mix it with noodles." He opened the box and took out two pairs of disposable chopsticks. "Why don't you try them first and see which flavor you like?"
After saying that, he picked up a small spoonful of noodles with sesame sauce with his chopsticks and brought it to her lips with perfect naturalness.
Lin Langyi was a little dumbfounded, and quickly took the chopsticks from his hand: "I can do it myself."
"Here's a box for you." Yuan Chuyu didn't insist, leisurely handing it to her, then used another pair of chopsticks to put a mouthful of rice noodles into her box. "Want to compare?"
Lin Langyi ate her food in a hurry. Yuan Chuyu looked at her from the side, one arm propped up on the table, chopsticks loosely held between his fingers. He asked, "Didn't you taste anything?"
Afraid that he would feed her again, she quickly pointed to one of the dishes, which happened to be noodles with sesame sauce.
Yuan Chuyu then gave her the vast majority of the mixed noodles and half of the extra spicy rice noodles.
Lin Langyi accepted the fact that the two of them were going to separate ways in a daze.
This noodle shop is really delicious, and it's spicy enough. Yuan Chuyu put down his chopsticks after eating half of it. He pursed his lips, which were bright red.
"It's a little spicy." His voice was hoarse, and he coughed lightly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
Lin Langyi had been focused on eating and had kept her head down. When she heard this, she turned her head and saw that even his eyes were filled with a thin layer of water.
He turned his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Can I have some dessert?"
“Okay, okay, we have some animal cream, it’s better than nothing,” Lin Langyi unwrapped a cream roll, forked it with a small fork, and for some reason the action was so natural, she directly held it to his mouth, “Oh my god, you’re so spicy? Dairy products can relieve the spiciness.”
He lowered his head and ate it directly from her hand.
Are you feeling better?
He pressed his fist to his mouth, nodded slightly, took the fork from her hand, and pushed the remaining half towards her: "You should try some too."
So, inexplicably, the dessert was also shared between the two of them.
In this way, you can really eat your way from one end of the street to the other, trying everything without getting too full.
“I’ve never had an experience like this before,” Yuan Chuyu said with a slight frown. “There are so many things I’m eating for the first time.”
Lin Langyi's spirits lifted, and the human instinct to save a woman from trouble erupted: "I'll take you to eat what you've never eaten before."
He smiled, a hint of triumph in his eyes, and accompanied her on her aimless stroll.
Soon, Yuan Chuyu was led by the kind-hearted Miss Lin to various places, including sashimi, traditional brain rolls, and fried insects...
His smile gradually faded.
In the end, Lin Langyi took him to a shop that sold fresh bamboo.
She said furtively, "I guarantee you've never eaten this before."
Yuan Chuyu hesitated: "Is it bamboo tube rice?"
With a single swing of his axe, the boss cleaved the emerald green bamboo in two, and plump white worms, resembling silkworm larvae, emerged from the bamboo tube.
In an instant, Yuan Chuyu's expression froze.
Lin Langyi enthusiastically recommended it from the side: "This worm tastes great. Unlike other slimy worms, it's chewy and the grains are distinct and dry. It's really different."
Yuan Chuyu's face was stiff, and his two long legs seemed to be rooted to the ground, not moving at all.
Lin Langyi called out to the shop owner, "Boss, do you eat this panda too?"
The boss, with a headscarf wrapped around his head, wiped his sweat with a corner of his hand and exclaimed in a booming voice, "Eat! Pandas love to eat!"
Lin Langyi let out a "whoosh" and then continued to persuade Yuan Chuyu: "This section of bamboo costs 280 yuan, which is expensive, but it's high-quality protein, so it's worth a try."
The boss heard it too, and chuckled at Lin Langyi, giving her a thumbs up.
After a long pause, Yuan Chuyu slowly said, "Did I do something to offend you today...?"
Lin Langyi: "Hahahahahaha."
He sighed, "This really won't work."
The two left laughing and joking. It was almost 7:30, and the sky was almost completely dark, but the streets were brightly lit, and the flow of people was increasing rather than decreasing, all heading in the same direction.
Lin Langyi and Yuan Chuyu followed the flow of people forward. At the intersection of the night market, there was a large open space where motor vehicles were not allowed to enter. In the past, there would be many street vendors there.
After walking for less than five minutes, the flow of people slowed down, and the closer they got, the clearer the excited shouts became, along with bursts of cheers from time to time.
A whole troupe of young Yingge dancers dressed up in traditional opera costumes were shouting loudly in time with the beat of gongs and drums and the sound of conch shells. The colorful wooden sticks in their hands were clashing and turning, producing a clear and uniform sound.
Amidst the commotion of the crowd, everyone was holding up their phones, a dense forest like outstretched branches. In the blink of an eye, the figure disappeared from Yuan Chuyu's sight.
"Lin Langyi?"
He dodged one person, then another, as if stuck in a quagmire, his steps slow and hesitant. Just as Yu Guangli finally caught sight of that figure again and was about to call out, the Peking Opera fire-breathing actor in the central performance area suddenly roared, "Ee-ya—!"
The suona's mournful cry, with its tragic yet stirring tone, seemed to tear the air apart. Yuan Chuyu's shouts were completely suppressed. Suddenly, flames filled the sky, and the towering flames that suddenly rose into the sky were wild and full of life.
The fire pot and the fire ring bloomed simultaneously. With a flick of the arm, the smoke and fire were gathered together. With a lift, the intense flames were spread out like a starlight ink painting, dyeing the entire earth orange.
"Lin Langyi?"
He hurried forward, wanting to return to her side, but she kept walking straight ahead without ever turning back.
"Back off! Back off!" The police officers maintaining order once again signaled to the crowd not to cross the cordon, and the performance area was once again filled with new artists specializing in traditional Chinese arts.
Yuan Chuyu was pushed back by the crowd and took two steps out, almost escaping the most congested eye of the storm. He saw Lin Langyi heading straight for a stall set up on the ground on the outer edge, which was full of glass products.
He struggled for a long time before finally breaking free from the crowd and quickly chasing after her. Suddenly, a powerful shout rang out:
"Open the furnace—"
The next second, with a "bang," the silver bottle shattered, and the molten iron was thrown high into the air, sparks rising and surging. The huge, magnificent burst of light was like a firework display on earth, igniting the entire world.
His gaze was drawn to the swirling sparks of iron. He saw her squat down, as if she had chosen something, and say a few words with delight. A faint dimple appeared on her cheek as she quickly stood up.
As dawn broke, he saw her finally turn around and look at him amidst the bustling crowd. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, she could find him so easily, spot him without lifting a finger, and then cast a breathtaking glance at him like a fleeting glimpse of dawn breaking through the night.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks. Just over ten meters away, a dazzling shower of starlight, like a thousand trees in full bloom, descended from the sky, enveloping everyone in a flurry of twinkling stars. Her every smile and frown was illuminated by the magnificent spectacle.
He forgot to breathe, his blank mind unable to react. The huge cheers, along with his pounding heart, engulfed him. He could only stand there, stunned, watching her laugh heartily and speak loudly to him.
I can't hear you, Lin Langyi, I can't hear you.
He stared intently as she raised her two hands to indicate that they were a pair of irregularly shaped, ash-gray glass vases, unique and exquisite.
Every word she uttered was drowned out by the noise. Standing beneath the dazzling lights, she repeated those three words over and over, allowing him to confirm her words from her lip movements.
Do you like it?
"Yuan Chuyu, do you like him?"
His eyelashes trembled, his Adam's apple bobbed, as if his throat was blocked, tight and sore, and his reply sounded like he had finally resigned himself to his fate.
"like."
"I like it."
"I like it very much."
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