Eat, eat, eat
"Whoa!" After throwing the last punch, Wen Yan was too weak to remove the bandages. He fell forward and landed on the sandbag.
Sweat soaked her hair, dripping down her cheeks and onto the ground. Wen Yan wiped away the sweat and dragged her weak legs to take a shower.
Everyone says you shouldn't shower when you're sweating, or you'll catch a cold. But Yan wasn't the type to wait for his sweat to dry before showering. After work, he would cook, do his homework, and memorize vocabulary. He would often rush into the bathroom to shower as soon as he got home. Perhaps it was because he was healthy that he never got sick.
This habit has been preserved to this day.
The steam in the bathroom blurred the mirror. Wen Yan casually wiped it a couple of times with his hand, revealing his fair body reflected in the mirror. He pinched it a couple of times, feeling quite satisfied.
It seems a bit more solid than when he first transmigrated here; it's not loose when you squeeze it.
He decided to add half an hour to his nightly boxing practice to develop a strong and powerful physique as soon as possible.
Wenyan has been busy practicing boxing lately and hasn't been able to go out for a long time. Lin Jiapeng took the weekend off, so Wenyan had some free time to stroll around the beach.
The vast blue sea stretches to the horizon, its surface shimmering, carrying countless men and women in cool swimsuits, the sea breeze carrying a salty, fishy scent.
Wenyan walked into the sea along the waves, the cool water masking the heat of the scorching sun. Children played in the sand on the beach behind them, burying the adults around them, while several girls played in kayaks, circling around in the shallow water with the waves.
The waves crashed against the rocks with a crisp sound, and the rough stone surface caressed the soles of his feet. Wen Yan sat on the rock, holding a seashell he had picked up on the beach, letting the waves wash the sand off his feet.
Wen Yan posted a picture of himself at the beach on his WeChat Moments, and soon likes and comments poured in.
Mosa: My body is rock climbing, but my heart is by the sea.
Sannoh: I want to go surfing.
Lin Pianyue: There's a dessert shop nearby called "Xianshi" that's super delicious.
Lin Chia-peng: I also want to see the sea~
Su Jibai: Don't sit for too long, or the tide will come in.
Liu Xirou sent him a private message: Ayan, are you still at the beach?
Liu Xirou: I work part-time at a dessert shop on the beach in my spare time. You can come and visit me!
Wenyan: OK, I'll be right there.
He leaped off the rocks in a few strides, found a paid tap with someone watching over it, paid for the water, rinsed the sand off his legs and slippers, and then went into the dessert shop.
The dessert shop has a fresh and sweet decor, mainly in blue and pink. Most of the customers are women taking photos in dresses or sundresses.
As soon as she entered, Liu Xirou, who was sitting at the cashier, greeted the clerk next to her. Then she took off her apron and mask and happily greeted them, "Ayan! Let's go up to the second floor, the view is better from there."
The shop wasn't busy yet, and it was her turn to rest and have lunch.
“Okay.” Wen Yan followed behind Liu Xirou. When they passed the cashier, he realized that the other cashier was Jiang Yu.
He smiled at Jiang Yu, and Jiang Yu smiled shyly back.
On the second floor, beneath the clean, transparent windows are rows of small, cream-colored round tables, and the blue sea stretches out before you.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Liu Xirou sat down by the window. “I sat in this spot the first time I came here. It’s most beautiful when the sun sets, and the sky is all orange.”
Wen Yan smiled and said, "Yes, you can see the whole beach from here."
Liu Xirou took out the menu and let Wen Yan order, and even recommended a few dishes. "It's my treat today. I have staff meals, so order whatever you like!"
"Then I won't be polite!" Wen Yan ordered four desserts and a special soda in one go.
Liu Xirou took the menu downstairs and brought up two glasses of lemonade. Many men and women were watching her; they had only taken a few bites of the desserts on their tables, clearly indicating that they had come specifically for Liu Xirou.
One table was full of boys, with hair of various colors, dressed in black clothes despite the hot weather, and tattoos and body paint on their arms—they practically had delinquents etched on their foreheads. Wen Yan couldn't help but glance at them a couple more times, only looking away when they didn't do anything strange.
"Ayan, have some water first. The dessert will be ready soon." Liu Xirou brought the water to him.
"Okay, thank you."
Looking at the decorations, Liu Xirou suddenly exclaimed, "I first came here last semester. Back then, there was no second floor, the shop was small, and there were few customers. Now everything has improved."
"I fell in love with this shop the first time I ate their cakes, and I've always wanted to work part-time here to learn how to make them."
“It’s a pity I had part-time jobs at a coffee shop and a flower shop last semester, so I only had time to come to this shop this semester.” Liu Xirou glanced cautiously to the side and smiled, “I’ll only do this part-time job for another month and then I won’t come anymore. I can make most of these desserts.”
It turned out that Liu Xirou was doing part-time work to learn new things. No wonder she still had to work part-time despite her wealthy family background. Wen Yan looked at her with more admiration.
Wen Yan asked, "Won't you be very tired?"
Liu Xirou nodded, "It's tiring, but I'm happy to be able to learn something I like. I won't stay for long. If it gets too tiring, I'll wait until the store finds someone else before I leave."
"You're amazing. You still have the energy to learn other things even though studying is so tiring."
"Haha, I'm afraid I won't have time to learn later, so I'll take advantage of the free time now to learn as much as possible." Liu Xirou gazed into the distance at the sea.
Jiang Yu brought over the desserts they ordered. The shaved ice was still icy cold, and the delicate little cakes were placed in front of them. Liu Xirou smiled and said, "Are you busy downstairs? I'll go down and help after I finish eating."
"No rush, you can eat in peace." Jiang Yu didn't dare to look her in the eye and hurriedly went downstairs with the plate.
The group of shady-looking people at the table had been staring at Jiang Yu ever since he came upstairs. They only looked away after Jiang Yu went downstairs and continued playing his game. Wen Yan seemed thoughtful. Could they be jealous that he could talk to Liu Xirou? This group of people really came for Liu Xirou.
The desserts here are indeed excellent, sweet but not cloying, with a rich texture. Wenling also loves sweets, I'll bring him here to try them next week. His brother hasn't had a break in a long time either, juggling school and work, constantly shuttling between the two. It's rare to see him at home not dealing with work.
After finishing her dessert, Liu Xirou saw the growing line downstairs and went down to help. The second floor was also full, and Wen Yan, feeling bad about taking up a seat, went downstairs to see if she could be of any help.
The store manager had gone out on business, leaving only four employees in the store. They were extremely busy. Liu Xirou and one female employee were preparing food in the kitchen, while the male employee was cleaning up the trash. Many tables were still being cleared. Wen Yan offered to help at the cashier, Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment, thanked her, and agreed, as the line was practically stretching to the beach.
Wen Yan put on a hat and mask in the storage room, put on an apron, and carried out a table and four folding chairs in one go, placing them at the store entrance.
Under Jiang Yu's astonished gaze, Wen Yan carried out another set of tables and chairs. He really hadn't expected that Wen Yan, who looked so thin, would be so strong.
Five sets of tables and chairs were set up, and the guests at the door took their seats, reducing the queue considerably. Wen Yan swept the trash on the table into the bin, wiped the stains clean with a rag, and the bin was so full it was almost overflowing. He opened the trash bag, put it in the bin, turned it inside out, tied a knot, and threw it into the large public trash can outside.
He washed his hands with hand sanitizer after returning home, then carried a tray back and forth between the first and second floors delivering meals. After delivering the meals, he also helped Jiang Yu pack up the desserts that the customers wanted to take away.
Liu Xirou came out of the kitchen and asked in surprise, "Is everything done outside?"
Jiang Yu nodded, "We're done. Wen Yan was a huge help to us. He and Sister Zhao were the ones who did most of the work just now."
Sister Zhao came down from the second floor. "Yes, I really didn't expect that this guy, who looks so thin, is so strong and moves so nimbly, like he's worked a regular job."
He had indeed worked before, but not in this world, Wen Yan rubbed his nose. He cursed under his breath, realizing he'd gotten his hands dirty again, and ran to wash them.
Liu Xirou's eyes widened slightly, her gaze fixed on Wen Yan's back, a certain idea in her heart becoming more and more certain.
To thank Wen Yan for his help, the shop manager packed some desserts for Wen Yan to take home, treated him to barbecue at a nearby barbecue restaurant, and gave Liu Xirou a night off.
The meat skewers on the iron rack sizzled and glistened with oil, their savory aroma intensifying as they were brushed with sauce. The squid tentacles curled and twisted, the bluish-gray exterior of the shrimp turned fiery red, and the oysters, soaked in minced garlic, twitched with the heat of the fire.
After a busy afternoon, Wen Yan and Liu Xirou were starving, having already digested their lunch. They watched the staff grilling the food with longing eyes.
After the skewers were grilled, the staff turned off the heat. Wen Yan and Liu Xirou couldn't wait to wrap the ends of the bamboo skewers with tissues, pick them up, blow on them a couple of times, and put them in their mouths.
The crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside meat skewers and the fresh, juicy oysters whetted Wenyan's appetite. The two of them buried themselves in eating the skewers, occasionally glancing up to drink a sip of the soda they had brought from "Xian Shi" to cleanse their palates. Before long, the skewers piled up like a small mountain.
"It's so delicious." Wen Yan leaned back in her chair with satisfaction, patting her bulging belly.
Liu Xirou wiped her mouth with her own tissues and handed a pack to Wen Yan. "This is my first time eating here too. I used to eat my fill at the restaurant. I never expected the barbecue here to be so delicious."
Two handsome men and beautiful women sat at a table, attracting the attention of customers both inside and outside the shop. The owner happily gave them a grilled fish as a gift.
Seeing that the two were chatting and laughing and were of similar age, passersby unanimously assumed they were a couple and dared not approach them to ask for their contact information.
The gazes cast upon them grew increasingly intense. Wen Yan and Liu Xirou gave an awkward smile, packed their things, and went outside for a walk to digest their food.
“There’s a night market up there, let’s go check it out.” Liu Xirou pointed upwards, and the sign for “Chenghai Night Market” hung on the door, shining brightly.
The lights were bright, and the aroma of food filled the air. Various snacks looked tempting and were reasonably priced. Pedestrians walked and ate ice jelly while holding a few skewers of barbecue.
Wen Yan and Liu Xirou were so full from eating at the barbecue restaurant that they just looked around and didn't buy any more snacks. There was a ring toss game going on ahead, and they were surrounded by a crowd, so they went over to join in the fun.
The front row was mostly filled with drinks, the middle with plush toys, and the back with decorative items. It cost five yuan for ten rings, and the distance was quite far. After watching for a long time, most people only managed to ring a drink. However, as long as they successfully ringed an item, no matter what it was, they would be greeted with excited cheers and congratulations from the people around them.
Reaching the end of the night market, they found themselves on a dark road ahead. Under the dim yellow streetlights, Liu Xirou glanced warily behind her and grabbed Wen Yan's hand.
"What's wrong?" Wen Yan felt Liu Xirou's hand tighten around hers.
Liu Xirou pursed her lips into a straight line and straightened her back. "It feels like someone is following us."
"What?!" Wen Yan looked back following her gaze, but didn't see anything.
Liu Xirou's throat tightened. "I had been feeling like someone was following me, but I thought I was just being neurotic. But when we were playing the ring toss game, a few people were following us."
Wen Yan grasped Liu Xirou's hand and pulled her towards a lively area, while taking out her phone to call the police.
Several dark figures flashed by, casting a shadow over Wen Yan. Before he could look up, a strong hand grabbed his collar, and the next second he was thrown into the alley. Liu Xirou's mouth was covered, and panic swept through her mind. Her body stiffened as she was pushed into the dark alley.
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