Chapter Thirty-Four: The Adventure (Part Two)
Jiang You ordered two bowls of spicy beef noodles, and added a tiger-skin egg to each. Seeing two empty seats, she quickly went to sit down, but Lu Shi'an pulled her back:
"The bowls on top haven't been cleared yet; we'll wait for the waiter to come."
The next second, she watched as those two seats were taken.
she:"......"
Lu Shi'an sensed that the girl was a little angry: "Are you angry?"
Jiang You, with dead fish eyes: "No." He was just a little annoyed that he didn't get a seat.
Office workers here clock in at eight or nine o'clock, so they don't eat for long before a seat becomes available again.
This time, she sat down quickly. Lu Shi'an hesitated as she walked over, looking at the uncollected chopsticks and two strands of rice noodles on the table, and struggled to speak: "Jiang You, shall I invite you out to eat?"
Seeing the boy's bewildered expression, she smiled slightly. Finally, finally, she wasn't the one who looked lost and helpless in high-class places anymore.
So God is fair after all, isn't He? No, what's there for her to be proud of?
Jiang You opened his mouth to say, "Didn't you want to know how girls in the slums live?"
But the word was too embarrassing, like something that only appeared in idol dramas, so she couldn't say it and instead lowered her head to send him a message.
When Lu Shi'an saw the message, he thought, "Yes, he came here to get to know her, didn't he?"
At this moment, the proprietress came over to collect the bowls, wiped the table casually with a blue cloth a couple of times, and left.
They just left? Didn't they even spray some disinfectant and wipe it down? That's so frivolous.
His vision went black for a moment. If it weren't for the girl's familiar face, he would have suspected that she was playing a prank on him!
He licked his sharp teeth with the tip of his tongue, then gritted his teeth, pulled out a few sheets of paper from the table, and began wiping.
The exaggerated movements drew the attention of the elderly women and men.
Jiang You lowered her head, pretending not to know Lu Shi'an. In fact, the table and chairs were very clean. Doing so would only attract hatred. She didn't have the courage to defend Lu Shi'an in front of the old ladies and gentlemen.
After finishing his meal, an old man saw the boy's actions and shouted, "You're such a fussy person! If you're so capable, don't eat here. Go abroad, go to some restaurant, what are you trying to prove by coming here?"
The old man's words were like a rip-opener, and the older women chimed in, lecturing, "That's right, if you're so disgusted, why come here to eat? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
"The tables here are all clean. Don't you need free paper?"
Lu Shi'an was fair-skinned and refined, with red lips and white teeth. His features were handsome and clean. At this moment, he was sitting with his face flushed and his head hanging down. The older women couldn't bear to see him like this and began to try to make amends for him.
"Oh, the young man is good-looking, it's no big deal if he's particular..."
"It's good for boys to be hygienic. My son is lucky he got a wife, otherwise he would be a pigsty."
"Ha, that girl is really unlucky to have come to your house."
How dare you talk like that?
The topic was changed, and soon two bowls of beef noodles with tiger-skin eggs were served.
Jiang You saw Lu Shi'an with his head down, not moving for a long time, and whispered, "That's just how they are, don't take it to heart."
Luckily, there weren't any young people there, otherwise the phrase "pretending to be dead" would still be used to describe him.
Lu Shi'an shook his head: "It's nothing."
He lived in a sophisticated, self-serving, and indifferent social circle. They would never reveal whether someone was right or wrong. This was the first time he had been publicly and bluntly lectured in front of everyone. He felt embarrassed and was simply not used to it.
Even his father used objects or famous figures and events to educate him.
Jiang You was a little worried, but after Lu Shi'an took a bite of the noodles with his head down, his eyes lit up: "Wow, delicious! Although the beef is very salty, a bite of noodles washes away the saltiness..."
She was worrying for nothing.
This little incident passed quickly, and the number of people in the store dwindled. Lu Shi'an wasn't very good at eating spicy food, and soon she was sweating profusely. Her fair face, nose, eyes, and mouth were all red, making her look extremely delicate.
"Piaoliangda Gege" (handsome older brother)
A little girl, about two or three years old, walked over, holding onto a stool, calling out softly and indistinctly.
A woman was sitting not far away, eating noodles. She would occasionally look up at the little girl. There was a baby bottle and a chair next to her. When she saw Lu Shi'an looking over, she smiled apologetically and said, "Xiao Guo, come here. Don't disturb your brother from eating his noodles."
Xiao Guo didn't hear, and lay on a stool to the side, her bright black eyes looking at the handsome older brother, clutching her beloved toy with difficulty.
When the proprietress had a moment to spare and saw this, she jokingly said, "You like the older brother so much, why don't you give the toy you're holding to him?"
Xiao Guo hesitated before handing it over. Lu Shi'an raised an eyebrow, ready to take it, but Xiao Guo burst into tears. She immediately pulled her little hand back from holding the toy, and ran to her mother with her short legs, throwing herself into her warm embrace.
The shop erupted in laughter.
Jiangyou's immersive rice noodle slurping experience: nothing is more important than slurping rice noodles.
Lu Shi'an watched as the child who had run into his mother's arms peeked out and secretly looked at him.
The shop was as dilapidated and cramped as ever, with simple and plain furnishings. The walls were already a bit yellowed, and the tables and chairs looked slightly old. The fan nailed to the wall creaked when it turned, but... a faint smile appeared in his clear eyes, as if it wasn't so hard to accept.
After finishing their beef noodles, Lu Shi'an took a picture of the little girl and her mother. Jiang You, standing to the side, racked his brains, unable to figure out when he had met the little girl.
“Big Princess,” as Lu Shi’an was about to leave, Xiao Guo tilted her head back and stuffed a toy into his hand. He looked down and stared in astonishment at the cheap wooden pony in his palm.
Xiao Guo's mother said helplessly, "Xiao Guo, your brother doesn't need your pony."
"Is this enough? Can I trade it with Xiaoguo?" Lu Shi'an took out a delicate little figurine from his backpack and looked at Xiaoguo's mother.
Xiao Guo's mother was slightly taken aback, but then realized what she meant: "If you like it, you can have it. It's not worth much anyway."
"No, it's valuable."
**
After leaving the beef noodle shop, Lu Shi'an asked excitedly, "Where are we going next?"
He stood against the sun, his handsome features hidden in the shadows, and smiled brightly despite the beef powder grease stains on his clothes.
"You seem quite happy?" To be honest, she brought him here on purpose, thinking he would back out, but she didn't expect him to be so excited.
"Jiang You, do you know? I love to photograph beautiful things. I've photographed all kinds of beautiful women, the Louvre Museum in France, the Colosseum in ancient Rome, Italy... I've also photographed the Grand Canyon National Park in the United States, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and I've even almost drowned while diving underwater..."
Lu Shian’s eyes sparkled. “I pursued the ultimate beauty. At first, I was satisfied, but after a while, I always felt that something was missing. Now I know that some beauty is hidden in the ordinary.”
Take you, for example, Jiang You.
Jiang You had a dead fish-like expression; she didn't want to know anything about beauty. All she wanted to do was go back to bed, scroll through Douyin (TikTok), read novels, and binge-watch dramas.
"Don't be so lifeless! You're a young girl, and I'm a young boy. Together, we're a vibrant and spirited young couple!"
Lu Shi'an came up behind Jiang You and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Let's start the next adventure!"
My chuunibyou syndrome has flared up again, oh dear, Lu Shian.
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