Chapter 6: The Stove Girl looked into Qin Yonglian's eyes and said...
"You guys? Did you send emails behind my back later?"
Seeing the three people in suits in front of him, Bai Ying’s eyes widened. Didn’t they agree on “casualness”?
Their "casualness"? Why does it feel so different from her "casualness"?
Zhong Qiu smiled and said, "Kevin and I had an interview this afternoon. After the interview, we didn't go home to change clothes, so we came here directly."
Huang Kaiwen nodded politely in response.
Qin Yonglian: "I have to go to work today, and someone else helped me prepare my clothes."
Bai Ying: "Okay, you are all beautiful, so I am beautiful too. We have different styles."
Today she was wearing a pair of jeans with holes bigger than a bowl, paired with a pair of flip-flops. Standing next to them, there was a sense of incongruity and yet inexplicable harmony between them.
Qin Yonglian looked at her with great interest. The girl always had a faint smile on her face when she spoke, and she looked into the other person's eyes seriously, making people feel free of burden, simple and pure.
It can be seen that this girl has a very good personality. Although she has had some unexpected and unusual behaviors before, she is very easy to get along with.
Zhong Qiu suggested, "How about we go to the nearby iCON bar for a drink and chat while studying?"
Seeing that Qin Yonglian looked like he had just come out of the office, Bai Ying suddenly asked, "Did you all have dinner?"
Zhong Qiu and Huang Kevin nodded.
Qin Yonglian paused. "I drank a cup of Darjeeling black tea in the afternoon. Does that count?"
Bai Ying immediately understood. Drinking on an empty stomach is very harmful to the stomach. "Why don't we go across the street and eat tofu pudding? The owner of this tofu pudding shop has been running it for 20 years. Their signature dishes are barley and ginkgo tofu pudding and red bean tofu pudding."
Then he looked at Zhong Qiu and said, "Drinking some barley in the evening will help maintain your complexion and reduce swelling."
Zhong Qiu's eyes lit up and he was eager to try it out, having already thrown the idea of going to iCON for a drink out of his mind.
"Can you eat beans? Tofu pudding is very soft and silky, and it nourishes the stomach." Bai Ying looked up and asked Qin Yonglian.
Understanding her thoughtfulness, the man's mood couldn't help but become subtle, and the smile on his thin lips deepened, "Yes."
*** ***
At ten o'clock in the evening, the small tofu pudding dessert shop was filled with young people dressed like college students. The four-person team was lucky enough to catch a table of customers who had just left the shop as soon as they entered.
Facts have proved that it is extremely unfeasible to open a computer in a street shop to discuss and study, and it is just a beautiful idea.
Each person had a bowl of hot, freshly baked tofu pudding. When they were concentrating on eating, there were no distractions, no learning, only sighs.
This is the most famous tofu pudding shop in Hung Hom Food Street, and it serves authentic tofu pudding.
The tofu pudding is scooped up into a complete and soft piece with almost no extra moisture. It is sprinkled with the store’s secret homemade peanut brown sugar powder, and tastes as smooth as jade, tender and fresh.
Qin Yonglian couldn't help but move his throat.
He didn't feel hungry even though he hadn't eaten any hot food for more than ten hours. He had originally planned to make some midnight snack for himself when he got home, but he didn't expect that this bowl of tofu pudding with only some sesame paste would whet his appetite for the first time in a long time.
As they savored the delicious food, Bai Ying couldn't help but open up: "You can tell the soybeans in this shop are from spring soybeans grown in Northeast China the first time you taste them. They're plump and round, get lots of sunshine, are non-GMO, and have the most authentic bean flavor."
"Oh?" Zhong Qiu became interested. "Yinn, you know a lot."
Bai Ying chuckled twice, "I just love to eat. If you eat more, you will naturally understand a little bit."
"We in the south mostly eat sweet tofu pudding, while people in the north often eat salty tofu pudding. The tenderness of tofu pudding depends on the cooking time. It may seem simple, but it is a test of the chef's craftsmanship."
"The tofu pudding here is made in the style of Chaoshan, with air bubbles left in the tofu to increase its chewiness without losing its tenderness."
Everyone listened with great interest as Bai Ying talked about the history and key points of making tofu pudding. The atmosphere was relaxed and natural.
Huang Kaiwen pointed at some papers taped to the wall and said, "Several food influencers have eaten at this restaurant."
Zhong Qiu leaned over to look while holding onto her boyfriend's arm. "Critic Ouyang Hehuang and gourmet Shanniao both recommended it."
The four people sat around the table in pairs facing each other.
Zhong Qiu and Huang Kaiwen sat on the same side, while Bai Ying and Qin Yonglian sat next to each other, sharing a bench.
Bai Ying sat near the corridor and naturally turned her head to look at the magazine clippings on the wall. Unexpectedly, the man reacted strongly and quickly backed away from her movements.
The girl suddenly thought of her first meeting with Qin Yonglian. When she peeked over to observe the queue, the man avoided her with the same disgust.
Their eyes suddenly met, and the scene froze for a moment.
Think back to when you went out. Although you were wearing casual ripped clothes, they were all washed clean and had no odor.
In October in Hong Kong, it is still the season to wear short-sleeved shirts and shorts.
Bai Ying couldn't figure it out for a moment, and she wasn't sure if she smelled of sweat because of the hot weather?
Because of Qin Yonglian's actions, she could only think of the description "trying to avoid it as much as possible".
The couple, Zhong Qiu and Huang Kaiwen, were seriously flirting and didn't notice the awkward scene between the two people opposite them.
Bai Ying cleared his throat and moved his body slightly to the side.
Qin Yonglian also noticed the awkwardness of the girl next to him and tried his best to conceal his embarrassment: "Are you knowledgeable about food?"
"It's not really research, it's just a hobby." Bai Ying responded as she walked down the stairs. "I've lived with my grandparents since I was a child. Grandpa is an excellent cook and loves to take us to collect delicious food from all over the world."
"Oh? Have you been to many places?" Zhong Qiu asked.
"I guess so. Because of my family's work, I've moved countless times, traveling all over the country." Bai Ying smiled. "Later, I started traveling on my own. Every time I went to a place, I would search for local delicacies and feast on them."
The corners of the girl's mouth rose slightly, and her eyes seemed to be shining like stars.
Everyone was delighted by the tofu pudding, and team leader Zhong Qiu immediately decided that every time the group met, online discussions would be switched to offline gatherings at a restaurant.
*** ***
The "pseudo-learning, real foraging" group spent 90% of their time eating, drinking and chatting, and only simply assigned homework in the last five minutes. After the four of them had eaten and drunk their fill, they disbanded on the spot.
Qin Yuan drove over to pick up Qin Yonglian.
Thinking of the recent trending topic, Qin Yuan spoke cautiously, "Leon, that night on the yacht..."
"I see." Qin Yonglian responded quickly, his tone relaxed. "Nothing. It's quite fun, isn't it?"
Qin Yuan choked, then changed his mind and laughed softly. He was surprised and scared at the time, but it was even funnier to see the usually dignified and arrogant eldest lady panicking.
That night, in addition to the eldest wife, the second wife's children were also present in the Qin family. The guests were all celebrities from all walks of life. In fact, who doesn't love gossip?
It doesn't matter who leaked the information.
The trouble is that someone seems to be secretly guiding public opinion, saying that there was a reason why the young master of the Qin family kept a low profile in the past: he had mental problems.
As a result, he got too excited and jumped into the sea in public.
The Qin family's public relations efforts have consistently portrayed Qin Yonglian as a highly intelligent and elite successor, and any comments that could damage his image should be taken seriously. More precisely, the Qin family's stock price simply cannot tolerate such a potential impact.
Qin Yonglian was not very concerned about the affairs of the Qin family. Instead, he was savoring the words "traveling all over the country" that were just said in the tofu pudding shop.
A light laugh suddenly came from inside the car. "Brother Yuan, I heard a word today."
"Um?"
"I've traveled all over the country."
Qin Yuan thought about it, but didn't understand.
Tan Yonglian said with a hint of self-mockery: "I've probably only been to Ap Lei Chau in the south of Hong Kong Island and Sha Tau Kok River in the North District."
At the intersection, the traffic light changed from green to red.
Qin Yonglian raised his finger and tapped the armrest lightly, staring at the small red light outside the car window that was flashing to remind passers-by to cross, and he was a little distracted.
He couldn't help but quickly review his life so far in his mind:
I lived in Switzerland until I was six years old, then returned to Hong Kong, and this body has been living here for the past twenty years.
Who could have imagined that a young man from a wealthy family would have his travel documents confiscated, be placed under house arrest in this city in an almost ruthless manner, and be exiled in this bizarre world in disguise.
He found that Bai Ying was a very energetic girl, with hot blood like magma flowing in her veins, and like the warm embrace of her mother deep in his memory. Otherwise, why did the girl make him feel his skin burning the first two times when she inadvertently came close to him?
"Reading thousands of books is as good as traveling thousands of miles." The trapped animal in the car looked a little lonely. Qin Yuan turned on the car radio and comforted him, "Leon, you can do these things now."
The female host of the radio station was announcing in a playful voice that the weather would be sunny tomorrow and suitable for traveling.
The traffic light turned green again. Qin Yuan stepped on the accelerator and concentrated on driving. The frozen scenery outside the car window began to flow slowly again.
*** ***
There is a financial management class once a week, and this time Bai Ying set the alarm to wake up early.
In order to be with the group members, Bai Ying, who usually sits in the front row, also ran to the last row.
As usual, the couple Zhong Qiu sat at one table, while Qin Yonglian occupied the other. Bai Ying recalled the man's evasive look as he passed by a few nights ago, turned a corner, and walked straight to the second to last row.
"Yinn," Zhong Qiu called her softly, "Come and join us."
Qin Yonglian said nothing, with his hands on his shoulders. He was not wearing a baseball cap today and had combed his bangs down, making him look much younger.
Bai Ying bit her lower lip, unable to decide for a moment whether to go over and sit down.
"Hurry up, the professor is coming in." Zhong Qiu lowered his head and waved vigorously.
"Come here." Qin Yonglian said in a calm and gentle tone, and moved the books spread out on the table towards himself.
Bai Ying didn't move despite Zhong Qiu calling her several times. But after hearing the man say three words, she sat down as if possessed by a ghost.
After sitting down, Bai Ying felt the oppressive feeling of the person sitting next to her, who was as tall as a mountain. She realized belatedly: Huh? How did I end up here?
Qin Yonglian secretly clenched his fists, not knowing why he was so soft-hearted just now and let this big furnace sit next to him.
Bai Ying could feel the tenseness of the man's body. She couldn't help but lower her head and sniff today's clothes. The fabric was still filled with the faint scent of laundry detergent, a crisp and refreshing apple scent.
Today, I shouldn't be "disdained" by him anymore, right?
Qin Yonglian, with his irreverent, sassy demeanor in the bar, his stoic, suit-and-tie styling, was six or seven years older than his classmates and had to work. He had a mysterious air about him, and at this moment, he seemed to be deliberately keeping his distance from her.
Bai Ying was lost in thought, staring at the pair of bony hands on the table. Their nails were neatly trimmed, revealing a full and healthy color.
After a moment of silence, the man suddenly asked, "Cat food?"
"Eh?!" Bai Ying slowly raised her head and saw Qin Yonglian staring at her.
The two of them were only a palm's length apart, and this time, she could see not only his deep green eyes, but also his long, curly eyelashes.
Bai Ying once again took in the man's beauty and couldn't help but exclaim in her heart, "Oh my God! Can human eyelashes be this long?"
"You brought cat food, is it a bento?"
"Oh? Oh!" Bai Ying was stunned. When he came to his senses, he realized that he had put the cat food in his schoolbag on the table.
"I didn't eat it. I don't eat cat food. I brought it to my friend."
After that, the girl added, "My friend is not a human being."
"Yeah." Qin Yonglian raised the corners of his mouth, his eyelashes moved slowly, and his eyes looked towards the podium in the distance.
Bai Ying rubbed his temples. It sounds strange to say this. Wouldn’t it be better to just tell him to bring it to the cat?
She was just bringing cat food to the library's Jianghu Kitten as usual. It was such a simple thing, but why did she become incoherent when she looked into Qin Yonglian's eyes?
It seemed as if there lived a captivating little goblin in those beautiful eyes. Bai Ying came to her senses and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corners of her mouth.
The author has something to say:
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Qin Yonglian: Oh, look at my big, KISS ME eyes, they’ll electrify you…(⊙_⊙)…
Bai Ying: ...
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