His gaze unconsciously drifted to the corner of the living room, to the small space separated by a curtain.
Just then, the curtain swayed slightly, revealing traces of movement inside.
Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat; he knew Xu Yao had woken up.
The air still seemed to be filled with the sweet aroma of bayberry wine, and a hint of ambiguous feeling that was hard to define.
The silence at this moment felt particularly awkward.
He cleared his slightly dry throat, his voice barely perceptible as he broke the silence.
"Um... Xu Yao, I was too impulsive last night, I'm sorry."
The curtain was suddenly pulled open, and Xu Yao leaned out halfway.
Her face was as red as a boiled shrimp, and even the roots of her ears were pink.
Her eyes darted around, and she quickly waved her hand, speaking rapidly.
"No, no, no! It's not your fault! I... I also drank too much, I'm partly responsible too!"
She paused, seemingly afraid that Zhou Yang might misunderstand something, and then hurriedly added, her voice growing softer and softer.
"Besides...and actually nothing particularly outrageous happened last night...you, you don't need to worry about it..."
By the end, she was practically burying her head in her chest, her voice barely audible.
"I really don't drink normally, and I would never, ever get drunk and...do that with other people..."
She was really afraid that Zhou Yang would misunderstand her as a casual person who wouldn't take good care of herself.
But in all her life, she has only ever drunk alcohol with Zhou Yang.
Seeing her embarrassed expression, as if she wanted to disappear into the ground, Zhou Yang felt a pang of pity.
He rubbed his temples, trying to make his tone sound more sincere and composed.
"Yes, I understand. To be honest, we're not that familiar with each other yet. Let's put these things aside for now and not think too much about it. We'll talk about it later..."
Zhou Yang didn't want to shirk responsibility for such a good girl.
In his previous life, he was a bachelor, but after transmigrating to this parallel world, the original owner of this body was also a bachelor!
He really didn't know how to get along with the young girl.
Moreover, he has gotten used to living alone and doesn't really want to find a girlfriend to disrupt his current leisurely life.
Xu Yao will have to put up with him for a while longer.
If it really doesn't work out, Zhou Yang can't risk his entire life for a kiss!
Later?
Xu Yao suddenly raised her head, her large, watery eyes filled with confusion and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.
What did he mean by that?
What will happen in the future?
Does he like me, or does he just feel responsible for me?
But last night... they only kissed...
In an instant, countless thoughts churned in Xu Yao's mind, making her face turn even redder and her heart pound like a drum.
Seeing her shyness, Zhou Yang quickly changed the subject, his tone becoming crisp and decisive.
"Ahem, let's not talk about that now."
"I've decided, I won't set up my stall today. I need to get things done first, like moving my house!"
The system only says that for seven consecutive days, I should set up a stall to sell braised food at 11 a.m. every day.
There's no rule that it has to start from today's week!
There are still six days left this week. If we add another day next week, wouldn't that also count as 'consecutive' days?
System vulnerabilities are too good to pass up!
"move place?"
Xu Yao was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant and quickly nodded.
"Okay! I'll help you pack!"
For her, being able to temporarily escape that suffocatingly ambiguous atmosphere and do anything was fine.
So the two of them started working together in perfect harmony.
Zhou Yang was responsible for packing some heavy items and organizing his own things, while Xu Yao carefully helped pack up small items and fold clothes.
Although there was still a slight awkwardness when our eyes met occasionally, our busy movements dispelled much of the embarrassment, and the atmosphere gradually eased.
...
However, while they were focused on moving, they completely forgot about something else.
Populus euphratica Square, 10:30 a.m.
The once bustling "pebbles stall" spot where Zhou Yang used to be located is now completely empty.
But a large crowd had already gathered around, even more than usual.
These people craned their necks, glancing at the intersection every now and then, their faces filled with anxiety and confusion.
"What's going on? Why hasn't Boss Zhou come yet today?"
"Yes, it's almost eleven o'clock. We usually open much earlier!"
"I even took half a day off today just to eat here!"
"Me too! I missed out yesterday, so I got up really early this morning, but... I've been waiting forever!"
Discontent began to rise from the crowd, with everyone chiming in and a sense of unease filling the air.
At the cold noodle stall not far away, Brother Wang was skillfully mixing cold noodles for customers while frequently glancing at the spot where Zhou Yang often stood, his face also filled with doubt.
What's wrong with my buddy this week? Did he strike it rich and really quit?
He muttered to himself, but his hands didn't stop; instead, he shouted even more enthusiastically.
"Come on, everyone! Boss Zhou might be a little delayed today. How about a bowl of my Old Wang's cold noodles to tide you over? It's sour, spicy, refreshing, and perfect for cooling down and whetting your appetite!"
While Zhou Yang was away, his business actually improved quite a bit.
Just then, the "Boss Zhou's Fan Support Group" exploded with excitement.
"@Yaoyao Assistant, Yaoyao, is Boss Zhou still setting up his stall today? What's going on?"
"Yes, Yao Yao, give us a definite answer! We've been waiting for ages!"
"@Yaoyao's Assistant +1, waiting online, urgent!"
A series of mentions caused Xu Yao's phone in her pocket to vibrate wildly.
She took out her phone and saw the flood of questions in the group chat, then suddenly slapped her forehead!
"Oh dear! I forgot!"
She exclaimed in surprise, her face full of annoyance.
I was so busy being shy and moving that I completely forgot about such an important thing!
She quickly opened the group chat, her fingers flying across the keyboard, her tone full of apology.
"I'm so sorry, everyone! I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you all!"
"The boss has an emergency at home today and will be temporarily closing his stall. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience!"
As soon as the message was sent, the group was filled with groans of despair.
"Huh? You're not coming? What a waste of time!"
"What's the rush? You were perfectly fine yesterday!"
"Waaaaah, my fried pebbles..."
"I made a wasted trip, and I even lost money on the fare..."
Although most fans were disappointed, they expressed their understanding and dispersed.
However, at that moment, a guy who had been lurking in the group for a long time, with the ID "Go Die, You Idiot," curled up a sinister smile.
The opportunity has arrived!
He tapped rapidly on the screen, sending out a provocative message.
"Tsk tsk, Boss Zhou is really hot now, and he's gotten quite arrogant, huh?"
"They already have a fan group, but they didn't even give us a heads-up about whether they'd be setting up a stall or not. How are we, their fans who've come all this way, supposed to feel?"
His message was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
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