Chapter 5, Late Night Snack

Simple, yet somewhat soft

He steeled himself and said, "... ... Just sit wherever you like."

"Hurry up, hurry up! Our bar operates legally, what middle school student? I think you must be a middle school student!" A robust figure shifted outside, "Quickly, quickly!"

Fang Ying looked at him with great interest and said, "Are you perhaps too fond of cleanliness?"

What are you eating

Wei Ming could no longer tolerate it, "Aren't you being too disrespectful?"

Hmm

Are you still here

Jiang Xichi did not pause for a moment in the action of packing his backpack

Fang Ying was taken aback

He truly possesses a face that is exceedingly pleasing to the eye, even his slightly displeased expression appears attractive.

Jiang Xichi stood in place for a moment, and inexplicably, he turned around and took a detour to follow.

Fang Ying looked at him, unable to suppress her laughter, "Hey, my hands have ridden a bicycle, touched money, and even eaten barbecue. If I were to touch you, would you die?"

Soon, she turned another corner ahead and entered a narrow alley. On the outer side of the alley, there was a drainage ditch, from which a foul and murky odor rushed towards her.

It's okay

Have you eaten enough

Fang Ying gives a thumbs up

The sparrows outside the window chatter on the utility pole, you say this line evokes a strong sense of summer

Vendor: "Alright!"

As soon as he pushed open the back door, a burly man walked over, blocking him like a wall, and asked, "What do you want?"

Jiang Xichi's ears perked up upon hearing this, and he quickly said: "Grandma, I will go buy it."

Fang Ying smiled, reached out to pinch Wan Zilin's face, "Do you think of me this way?"

Geniuses tend to be a bit arrogant, so please be patient with them

Jiang Xichi found his bicycle, "The teacher is looking for me"

Fang Ying waited for a moment, and Jiang Xichi took out two bottles of water, handing one to her

Once, he waited for Fang Ying to enter through the back door for about ten minutes, then parked the car against the wall. The oil-stained ground offered almost no place to step, and the acrid smell of sewage wafted towards him. He pinched his nose and trudged forward like thunder.

Fang Ying smiled, as if she was genuinely not prepared to respond to his words. She crossed one leg over the other, swayed her foot, and began to hum a tune

Jiang Xichi glanced at her, contemplating that she probably just returned from the bar at this time

I know, I read it in a book, it's called obsessive cleanliness, right?" Fang Ying shrugged, "Let's go.

Thereafter, Jiang Xichi conducted several more "investigations," yet still failed to successfully infiltrate the "enemy" ranks

Jiang Xichi did not pick up on this, "What are you eating?"

"No matter how much you love studying, you still need to eat," Wu Yingrong reached out to touch his head and then looked him up and down again, confirming that he hadn't lost a single hair before feeling relieved. "... In the future, make sure to come back early. Do you have your IC card with you? If you come back late, remember to call home."

Specifically asking me?

Jiang Xichi's gaze slightly lowered as he looked at Wei Ming

Fang Ying stopped the car in front of him and asked with a smile, "What are you doing here?"

Go to the large supermarket at the bridgehead to buy, their prices are a bit cheaper... wait a moment, I will get you the change

Kong Zhenzhen: "... ... Would you like to go to Cultural Street with us to eat? It's quite close to the University of Science and Technology... ..."

Che Shuangshuang left the school

Carrying a bag and exiting the supermarket, I suddenly heard a familiar "squeaking" sound ahead. Looking up, I saw that it was indeed Fang Ying riding her bicycle coming from the south.

He bent down to avoid Wu Yingrong's hand, squatted down to loosen his tightly tied shoelaces, and then re-tied them. When he stood up again, he jumped slightly as if to test whether the shoelaces were securely fastened. Then, without making a sound, he moved half a step outward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Wu Yingrong, "Let's go"

Kong Zhenzhen felt somewhat embarrassed and bit her lip

Well, it won't happen again in the future

As I was about to leave the bike shed to retrieve my bicycle, I noticed someone walking out of the office building across the street, so I lowered the stand that I had already raised and waited.

No need

Jiang Xichi patted the soil that had stuck to the flower pot, went to the kitchen to wash his hands, and when he came out, he saw Wu Yingrong holding a twenty yuan note, "No need, Grandma, I have money..."

Who to look for

Fang Ying finished the remaining food with a flourish, akin to the wind sweeping away the last clouds, and contentedly patted her belly

Is your family not taking care of it?

Kong Zhenzhen touched her nose and said, "So... do you have a mobile phone? Can you..."

Hmm..." Fang Ying tilted her head in thought and called out to the uncle in front of the barbecue grill, "Six lamb skewers, one tofu skin, one eggplant, one grilled bun, three skewers of potatoes..." She paused for a moment, looking at Jiang Xichi, "Isn't that a bit too much?"

Fang Ying: "Wei Ming, do not force others."

Jiang Xichi shook his head

The sky gradually darkens, and the orange glow has nearly vanished.

Before long, the baked items were brought up on a platter.

Fang Ying followed Jiang Xichi and walked past nearly seven stalls. "Hey..." she said, waiting for Jiang Xichi to turn around, and asked, "Which one do you actually want to eat?"

Jiang Xichi suddenly swung his arm

Jiang Xichi paused for a moment, tightened the cap of the water bottle, and prepared to place it on the table, but then decided against it, holding it in his hand instead. He asked Fang Ying, "Are you just now back?"

That is a bar

In the following days, Fang Ying continued to seek various reasons to avoid leaving school with Wan Zilin and the others. When most people had left, she would quietly ride her bicycle to the bar.

Two people met at the bridgehead. Wu Yingrong jogged a few steps over and said, "Why did you only come back at this time? Your grandfather is worried sick..."

I know a store that rents books and DVDs and also sells tapes. Jay Chou is about to release a new album, and I have already made arrangements for him to help me get a legitimate copy. "Next time, I'll take you there," Fang Ying turned to him and said.

Fang Ying hummed for a while, then stopped and asked, "Do you like listening to music?"

Jiang Xichi did not dare to get too close

"Wait a moment." Jiang Xichi placed the plastic bag into the basket at the front of her bicycle and then turned back to enter the supermarket

Wei Ming blocked his way.

Jiang Xichi : `` ... ... ''

Jiang Xichi : `` ... ... ''

Jiang Xichi's expression was somewhat unusual; he stood in a daze for a moment before taking the money and leaving.

The lights flicker in a yellow hue, as the six-foot river flows gently.

Wan Zilin suddenly pushed her hand away, "Oh, how cheesy."

Fang Ying averted her gaze, turned around, and straightened her legs, saying, "There is something to discuss."

The chair has been turned in one direction, with the backrest against the wall, and the legs of the chair forming a forty-five degree angle with the ground. Fang Ying is leaning against it, looking quite drowsy, "There are matters at home."

Not going

Fang Ying did not walk alongside him, lagging behind by more than one meter. Along the way, the cars behind were making a "squeaking" sound.

Aying, shall we go to Cultural Street to eat something

Jiang Xichi had not yet responded, and she had already turned her head, swaying her feet as she continued to hum a song

Are you eating something

Jiang Xichi gazed ahead, seeing the same low table, the same plastic stools, and the same scattered bamboo skewers and tissue paper on the ground

After the meal, Jiang Xichi helped Ruan Xuewen move several pots of flowers that were placed in the corridor into the house. Wu Yingrong entered the bathroom and then came out, muttering: "Why is the shower gel used up so quickly..."

Jiang Xichi stuffed the last book into his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and was about to move forward

Only when there were just a few people left in the classroom did Fang Ying begin to slowly pack her things

Along the river, there are barbecue stalls, and the air is infused with the aromas of nature and chili powder. The meat sizzling on the white charcoal beneath the grills emits a series of crackling sounds, while wisps of white smoke swirl around, and the vendors call out loudly.

"Your wealth is your own..." Wu Yingrong stuffed the money into his hand, "By the way, bring back some loofah pulp."

Once, it took too long, and I didn't get home until after 7 o'clock. My grandmother was so anxious that she even went out to look for me

Fang Ying is a person of action, stepping forward to grasp his damp hand firmly

Jiang Xichi glanced inside and said, "Looking for someone"

Jiang Xichi took out money to pay the bill, then used the remaining half bottle of water to wash one hand again, and threw the bottle into the nearby trash can

Jiang Xichi opened a bottle of water bought from the supermarket and took a sip, saying, "I won't eat."

Fang Ying smiled and said: "So generous?"

Jiang Xichi deliberately maintained a distance, ensuring that Fang Ying remained within his line of sight, yet without her noticing him

This statement clearly inspired Kong Zhenzhen, who quickly nodded a few times, seemingly preparing to become more resilient in the face of adversity

Jiang Xichi looked at her and said, "I will treat you to barbecue"

Beside her, Kong Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment while holding her phone, cleared her throat, and said, "Jiang Xichi"

I lost track of time while doing homework at school

Hmm?

Fang Ying immediately smiled and glanced at him, "You aren't going to report me, are you?"

"Grandma," Jiang Xichi said, "Please wait a moment, I am tying my shoelaces."

Jiang Xichi hurriedly turned his head to look, only to see Fang Ying had already turned a corner and rode off onto Southeast Road

Wei Ming let out a low grunt, feeling unconvinced

His whole body became stiff, and after a while, he finally managed to speak, "I'm sorry..."

However, Fang Ying hummed a tune all the way, seemingly not taking it to heart at all

After passing the intersection, the "chirping" sound suddenly disappeared.

Then I will not be polite at all

After a moment, Fang Ying stopped the car, took out a lock from her backpack, locked the vehicle, and then pushed the door open to enter.

"Let's go," Wu Yingrong said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Your grandfather has been hungry for quite a while; he insisted on waiting for you to eat..."

Jiang Xichi stood up, shook the water off his hands, and said, "Let's go"

Fang Ying devoured two lamb skewers in one go. When she looked up, she saw Jiang Xichi staring at her, feeling a bit embarrassed. She took one skewer and handed it over, saying, "Would you like to eat?"

I see you went in to make a phone call

Wan Zilin and the others have surrounded us again

Fang Ying chuckled and said, "How generous! Just these will do, and please don't add any spice!"

I saw a middle school student enter...

Fang Ying: "... ..."

He greeted his grandmother. Jiang Xichi squatted down by the Six-Foot River and opened the water bottle to wash his hands.

Jiang Xichi was deep in thought when he heard Fang Ying calling him, which startled him

Southeast Road, near the district convention center, is quite bustling, with hotels, restaurants, and bars lining the street

Jiang Xichi was also taken aback

You may choose at your discretion

At this moment, Fang Ying's gaze was exceptionally pure

At 5:30 PM, when the bell for the last class rang, as soon as the teacher left, the classroom immediately erupted into chaos

At the bridge, Fang Ying mounted her bicycle, handed him the plastic bags from the basket, pedaled once, and her laughter scattered into the wind, "Jiang Xichi, see you tomorrow"

Jiang Xichi parked his bicycle in place and walked on the alley's floor tiles, which seemed to be coated with a layer of grease, until he reached the spot where Fang Ying had parked.

Sitting down, Jiang Xichi meticulously wiped the table three times, using up more than half of a roll of paper towels in an instant

It has been a long time since you played with us

Jiang Xichi listened for a moment and recognized it as "Seven Mile Fragrance"

On the way back, Jiang Xichi was hesitating whether to formally explain to her again that he did not do it intentionally; it was merely a reflexive response driven by instinct