The man's handsome and mature features were relaxed, his usual sharpness gone, a stark contrast to his usual elite image in a suit and tie.
At this moment, his back view exuded a sense of ease and comfort, like a young neighbor helping out at his family's stall after get off work.
She exudes an aura of being close to the world, less of the aloofness and more of the approachable warmth.
Together with the hustle and bustle of the city, it created a strange and harmonious scene, which made Chu Hongyu somewhat lost in thought, and a ripple of emotion inexplicably arose in her heart.
"He's handsome, isn't he? Ah Yu is the most handsome boy on our stone slab street. When he was little, he looked like a girl, so we all called him by his nickname—Liang Liang."
The proprietress walked over at some point, smiling as she placed two glass bottles of Coke on her table: "Hey, this is the first time our beautiful Liangliang has brought such a pretty girl to have congee. It's on Sister Lan."
Chu Hongyu was stunned again. Before she could react, the proprietress had already turned around to greet the other customers.
What the heck... Liangliang? Ning Bingyu's nickname is Liangliang? It sounds like a girl's nickname!
While Chu Hongyu was still pondering, Ning Bingyu had already placed two steaming bowls of porridge on the table: "Eat them while they're hot. Sister Lan's boat porridge and freshly cooked fish porridge are the most famous in Shiban Street."
Chu Hongyu looked at her boss with a strange expression...
"What's wrong?" Ning Bingyu pushed up his glasses slightly, noticing his assistant's strange expression.
"No, nothing, the porridge is ready, right..." Chu Hongyu quickly shook her head.
It's best not to mention things like your boss having a girl's nickname when they were a child.
After Ning Bingyu sat down, he carefully wiped the two pairs of chopsticks with a napkin and handed her one pair.
"The congee at Sister Lan's shop is cooked to perfection, and the fish slices are made with the freshest ingredients. They are available in limited quantities—once they're sold out, there's nothing left."
Chu Hongyu looked down at the steaming porridge in front of her, its aroma filling the air.
She picked up the spoon, gently scooped up a spoonful, and put it into her mouth.
"How is it?" Ning Bingyu asked, looking at her.
Chu Hongyu frowned, her fox-like eyes narrowing involuntarily: "It's so delicious, one bite and my stomach feels warm."
The congee base is cooked until smooth and delicate, with a sweet and fragrant rice aroma. The fish slices are thinly and translucent, the squid shreds are tender and chewy, and the shrimp meat is firm and bouncy. In addition, there is the crispy fried dough stick, the soft and tender egg shreds, and the crunchy aroma of peanuts.
The flavors of various ingredients blend together, which in Cantonese is described as "incredibly fresh" and "absolutely delicious"!
The aroma of the porridge made her even hungrier. If it weren't for her good manners that kept her in line, she would have loved to bury her face in the bowl and devour it.
But this was the first time Chu Hongyu had ever been so focused on drinking porridge, completely absorbed and not afraid of getting burned.
Looking at her satisfied expression, Ning Bingyu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile: "Eat and drink slowly, no one is going to take it from you."
He picked up his bowl of fish porridge and began to eat it slowly.
Chu Hongyu finished her bowl of porridge in no time. Her gaze involuntarily drifted to Ning Bingyu's bowl of fish porridge, where he had only eaten a little bit, but she quickly looked away, intending to get up and ask for another bowl.
"Boss lady, another bowl, please!"
However, Ning Bingyu had already raised his hand to signal the proprietress: "Let's try something different, Aunt Lan, another bowl of fish porridge, with some side dishes."
Aunt Lan, who was cooking fried rice not far away, replied with a smile, "Okay!"
Soon, a waiter came over with porridge and side dishes, and took away the large empty bowl from before.
Looking at the large bowl of porridge in front of her, Chu Hongyu expressed her gratitude without making a sound: "Thank you, young master."
But I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed—oh no! I ate way too fast! I don't want to embarrass myself in front of that capitalist!
Fortunately, I've already finished a bowl, so I'm not so hungry anymore and can slowly savor the fish porridge.
Ning Bingyu, while calmly sipping his porridge, suddenly asked, "You're adapting quite well. Don't you feel that eating here... is beneath you?"
Chu Hongyu was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Young Master, you've been to the mainland, haven't you? There are still many people in the mainland who don't have enough to eat. How could such delicious food be cheap?"
Looking at the glittering signs on the buildings in the distance, she shook her head and said, "Those expensive French and Japanese restaurants are not worth it. They are full of capitalist extravagance. A bite costs hundreds of dollars, and it's just a tiny bit, not even enough to fill a tooth gap."
Ning Bingyu paused, his almond-shaped eyes behind his glasses seeming to hold a hint of a smile: "I didn't expect Assistant Chu to be so... down-to-earth. I thought that a refined and beautiful woman like you, even if you came from the mainland, would flock to those high-end restaurants and look down on the common people here."
After all, whether it's Cha Mei-ling or a female celebrity from humble beginnings, who would want to return to a small street littered with trash when sitting in a glamorous high-end restaurant?
"Simple and unpretentious?" Chu Hongyu raised an eyebrow, her delicate fox-like eyes slightly upturned. "Young Master, your choice of words makes it sound like you're implying I'm poor and stingy."
Even the way Ning Bingyu, such a cynical capitalist, praises someone makes people feel uncomfortable.
Ning Bingyu lightly pressed his glasses on the bridge of his nose: "You really are very poor."
Chu Hongyu: "..."
Damn it! What a blunt truth! When everyone in the country was poor, her cadre family was already considered well-off. No wonder capitalists get shot!
Chu Hongyu picked up a piece of side dish with her chopsticks and put it into her bowl with a disgruntled expression.
"I enjoy trying new things, and of course, it's lucky to have the opportunity to eat expensive dishes. But I believe that food shouldn't be divided into classes; good food is good food, regardless of its price!"
She smiled, subtly hinting at someone: "Young Master, how come you're so familiar with Sister Lan and all these neighbors? You're not here incognito to experience life, are you?"
Ning Bingyu said calmly, "Yes, I used to come here often when I was studying. Later, I went abroad to study and came back to China occasionally. Sister Lan's porridge and soup are very good for the stomach."
Chu Hongyu looked at him and couldn't help but ask curiously, "How did you discover that Sister Lan's shop has these delicious foods?"
The man in front of her seemed to be a completely different person from the Ning Bingyu she knew.
At the company, he always had a haughty, aloof demeanor, making people afraid to approach him.
But here, he was just like an ordinary person, chatting and laughing with the neighbors, and even helping the proprietress serve porridge.
Ning Bingyu took a couple of sips of porridge before slowly dropping a bombshell: "Aunt Lan was my nanny when I was a child. She took care of me until high school. I was kidnapped, and it was Aunt Lan and the neighbors who saved me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
