I opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. My eyes fell on Chen Mengzhao who was leaning over the steering wheel. I couldn't help but ask, "It's very hot today. Are you afraid of getting a heat stroke if you stay in the car?"
She immediately raised her face, her eyes watery and full of grievance: "I have heatstroke, so I have heatstroke. Anyway, no one cares about me."
I sighed helplessly and retorted, "Have some conscience. I was just talking to someone inside and I sped up the process because I was afraid you would have to wait too long."
As soon as she heard this, her face lit up instantly, and she smiled brilliantly, her curved eyebrows and eyes looked particularly bright: "I know you have me in your heart."
Looking at her like this, I half-jokingly scolded her, "You followed me too eagerly today. Even Director Hu was not satisfied. You have been in the British Isles for almost a year. Have you not learned any of the anti-reconnaissance techniques of the British MI6?"
When she heard this, she laughed so hard that she fell backwards. It took her a while to recover. She said while panting, "Guan Hongjun, I went there to study journalism and media, and also to be a spy and learn reconnaissance techniques."
I was amused by her nonchalant reaction, and my tone softened: "You haven't eaten lunch yet?"
She nodded gently as if she had suffered a great injustice, and said in a coquettish voice: "Not only did I not eat lunch, I haven't eaten anything since this morning."
I waved at her and said, "Come over here, I'll drive."
We quickly exchanged seats, I started the car steadily, and drove her towards the food street near the school.
I glanced across the food street and picked a shop that looked clean and bright, then turned to Shen Mengzhao and said, "You sit here and wait for a while, I'll go in and order." Shen Mengzhao nodded obediently, found a seat by the window and sat down, looking around curiously at the bustling market scene.
Not long after, the shopkeeper swiftly brought up the ordered food. Chen Mengzhao stared at the golden, shiny food on the plate, his eyes full of curiosity, and couldn't help asking, "What is this?"
I explained with a smile: "Fried vegetarian chicken, you haven't eaten it before?"
She shook her head slightly, with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "From the name, could it be made of chicken?"
I couldn't help laughing. "You're so bold. This is actually a soy product. It tastes a bit like dried tofu. When I was in college, this snack was the most popular on this street. We were poor students with little money in our pockets, but we all wanted to eat it and would run here every day. Try it, you'll definitely be able to taste the flavor of chicken."
Chen Mengzhao had a look of doubt on his face. He hesitated for a long time before he reached out and picked up a string as if he had made a great decision. She first took a small bite carefully and chewed it slowly. The expression on her face gradually relaxed and her brows smoothed out. When I saw her like this, I knew that she was in love with the taste, so I asked, "Is it delicious?"
She nodded hurriedly, her eyes sparkling, and said sincerely, "Well, it tastes much better than I thought! My mom always says that fried food is junk food and never lets me touch it."
I waved my hand and laughed, "There is no such thing as absolute junk food. It's just junk eating methods. Any good thing can be healthy if you eat it in excess."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mengzhao took another big bite of the fried vegetarian chicken in the box and looked at me expectantly: "What other delicious food did you eat in college? Tell me about it quickly. I want to try them all this time."
I looked at her like a greedy cat that hadn't eaten for a long time, and I couldn't help laughing: "Don't worry, the boss has other signature dishes that will be served soon."
The boss was very quick and efficient, and soon brought a bowl of steaming hot snacks. Chen Mengzhao's eyes lit up all of a sudden, and he was as excited as a child answering a question, and shouted eagerly: "I've eaten this before, it's stewed rice, right?"
I smiled and nodded, and explained considerately, "I know some people are used to the strong taste of sesame paste, so I specifically told the boss to put less in."
When she heard this, she waved her hand quickly, her eyes full of eagerness: "I can eat it. I like whatever flavor you like. Give me some more."
I couldn't help but tease, "Wow, I didn't expect that a girl like you who looks so delicate and weak has such strong tastes."
Chen Mengzhao didn't have time to pay attention to me. He had already picked up the spoon impatiently and dove into the bowl of stewed food, eating it voraciously. He looked very cute, and there was some sesame paste on the corners of his mouth, but he was completely unaware.
In the blink of an eye, the tempting aroma of the roasted chicken rack spread, followed by roasted eggs and sauce-flavored chicken feet. I introduced them one by one patiently, and Chen Mengzhao listened while stuffing food into his mouth, his cheeks filled to the brim, like a greedy little hamster. Not long after, she burped loudly, then raised her head belatedly and looked at me. There was a sly flash in her eyes, and she asked half-jokingly, "Why did you eat all of it? Did you secretly ask the boss to poison the food?"
I laughed out loud at her sudden idea and joked, "Hey, what you said is a bit of BBC truth. It's not in vain that I learned about journalism and media in the UK. I'm almost a paranoid patient." Then I explained, "I had a full meal in the school cafeteria at noon, and now I really want to eat it all."
Chen Mengzhao's eyes rolled around, and she suddenly became excited and imitated the tone of a cute girl in a costume drama, and said softly: "Brother Hongjun, I have eaten and drunk enough. Do you know where we should go to play next?"
I smiled helplessly and asked, "Are you still thinking about playing? Are you planning to go home?"
When she heard this, she pouted her lips immediately, her face full of grievance, and she looked like a child throwing a tantrum: "It's not easy to come here, why are you in such a hurry to go back?"
Seeing her like this, I felt a little amused and asked, "Are you planning to stay here tonight?"
Chen Mengzhao blinked his big, lively eyes and said with concern: "It doesn't matter where you sleep, so what's wrong with spending the night here?"
I frowned slightly, feeling a little worried, but I couldn't help but ask, "Will your boyfriend look for you everywhere?"
When mentioning "that person", Chen Mengzhao curled his lips in disdain, his tone full of dominance: "I have already made it clear to him that I must contact him first, and he is not allowed to contact me on his own initiative."
I couldn't help laughing when I heard this, thinking that the relationship between these two people was really complicated and hard to figure out.
In desperation, I had to compromise: "Okay, since you just came back from abroad, I will do my best to show you the beautiful mountains and rivers of our motherland."
When Chen Mengzhao heard this, he instantly became energetic, with excitement flashing in his eyes. He stood up quickly, grabbed my arm and was about to walk over.
I staggered at her sudden action and quickly reminded her, "Are you planning to dine for free? Wait, I still have to pay the bill."
As night fell, Shen Mengzhao and I found a high-end apartment with elegant decoration. This type of apartment has the convenience of being private and does not require a cumbersome identity registration process. In this way, you can cleverly avoid the trouble of retaining identity information and ensure that your whereabouts are kept secret. After settling down, we came to the riverside park, sat side by side on a bench, and waited quietly for the night to completely cover the earth.
Although it is summer and the daytime is hot, as the sun slowly sets, a slight coolness quietly spreads, and the breeze blows across the river, bringing a damp and refreshing breath. When the time was almost up, we got in the car and drove to the drive-in cinema. When we arrived, the venue was sparsely populated with only two cars parked, and it was quiet and leisurely.
I skillfully drove the car to a location with an excellent view and parked it steadily. At this time, the movie has already started. The movie being screened tonight is the classic American movie "The Bridges of Madison County". The flickering lights and shadows on the big screen attract our attention. I quickly turned on the car FM radio and adjusted the channel. In an instant, the synchronous sound of the movie flowed in the car. The whispers of the male and female characters and the melodious background music instantly filled the entire space.
I considerately helped Chen Mengzhao adjust her seat back to the most comfortable viewing angle. She had already been staring at the big screen with anticipation in her eyes.
I couldn't help but ask, "This movie, is this your first time watching it?"
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a playful smile, and she whispered, "This is indeed the first time with you." I couldn't help but snort, but a barely noticeable curve appeared at the corner of my mouth. Then I adjusted my seat, ready to immerse myself in the movie.
The plot of the movie slowly unfolds, revolving around a secret marriage. The male character Robert, a photographer for National Geographic magazine, set foot in the quiet countryside where the female character Francesca lived one day in the 1960s to photograph an old covered bridge. An accidental encounter, like a spark that ignites dry wood, marked the beginning of their forbidden love. Robert stayed at the home of housewife Francesca, and as they communicated more and more, feelings grew quietly in his heart. The major turning point in their relationship occurred during a sudden heavy rain. While taking shelter in a barn, their eyes met and they could no longer suppress their inner emotions and hugged and kissed passionately.
When it came to this scene, Chen Mengzhao seemed to be touched by a string in his heart, and he gently leaned his head on my shoulder. His movements were gentle and natural, as if this action was reasonable. My heart trembled slightly, and the atmosphere in the car became more subtle.
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