Handmade Fried Skewers

The bluestone-paved Pedestrian Street gradually disappeared beneath a misty rain, as though draped in a veil of gauze.

Fine drizzle danced beneath the warm lights, pattering against the umbrella with soft rustling sounds.

Zhao Yaqian held up an umbrella and stood beside him, blinking her big eyes as she said, "I was just thinking of making a phone call to ask if you brought an umbrella. I didn't expect to run into you."

"Thank you." Tang Song looked at her, a smile appearing on his face despite himself.

"No need to be polite. Come on, let's go."

"The fried skewer shop isn't far. Just follow this street to the end, then turn left and walk another three hundred meters."

The Pedestrian Street was crowded and bustling, with music drifting through the noise.

Yet sheltered beneath the umbrella, Tang Song felt unusually calm and at ease.

The fresh, sweet scent of her body mixed with the damp fragrance of earth at the tip of his nose, leaving him invigorated.

With the slightest sideways glance, he could see Zhao Yaqian's delicate, well-defined profile.

Her forehead was full, with slightly slanted bangs resting over it. Her nose bridge was high, and her lips were rosy and plump.

Rainwater had been blown onto her thick, long lashes. Whenever they trembled, they looked like butterfly wings fluttering softly.

Tang Song's mind seemed to blank for a moment. His hand reached out directly and grasped the umbrella handle.

The little finger of his right hand brushed against Zhao Yaqian's index finger, like an electric current passing through them.

Zhao Yaqian looked over at him in confusion.

"Well, this umbrella's pretty heavy, and it's windy. Let me hold it."

"Oh, okay."

Tang Song sighed in relief.

If he had been his former self, he definitely would not have had this kind of courage.

The fried skewer shop had a very simple name: Handmade Fried Skewers.

The shop was small, only a little over forty square meters, with six or seven tables set inside.

Along one wall stood a row of refrigerated display cases filled with all kinds of ingredients.

"The Bursting Juice Sweet Potato Noodles here are delicious. Let's get two, one skewer each."

"We need Starch Sausage and King of Kings. The Vegetarian Steak is good too, and there are Quail Eggs and Lamb Skewers."

"Oh, right, we can't skip the vegetables either. Cabbage, Tofu Skin with Cilantro, Potato Tower..."

Once Zhao Yaqian walked into the shop, it was like entering her Home Ground. She immediately began enthusiastically picking out skewers.

She showed the liveliness a girl her age ought to have.

Before long, the glass bowl in her hands was stuffed full.

Zhao Yaqian beamed. "I haven't been here in nearly half a month. This time, I'm going to eat my fill. Brother Song, don't be polite. Take whatever you like."

After all, she had accepted earrings worth seven hundred yuan from him as a friend.

Although Zhao Yaqian did not have much money, she still wanted to splurge painfully just this once.

"That's enough. We already have a lot. There's no way we can finish all this." Tang Song pointed at the glass bowl.

Zhao Yaqian licked her lips. "Then we'll start with this. If it's not enough, we can order more!"

After they set the skewers on the counter, the slightly balding owner took out a calculator and did the math.

Thirty-two skewers in total, one hundred and fifteen yuan.

Amid Zhao Yaqian's sweet compliments, the owner generously knocked another five yuan off the price.

However, Tang Song noticed that his beautician friend still wore a pained expression when she paid.

Clearly, one hundred and ten yuan was no small amount to her.

The two found a table by the window and sat down.

Zhao Yaqian blinked as she studied Tang Song for a while, then said in surprise, "Brother Song, are you losing weight? You look much thinner than you did on Sunday."

She had a deep impression of Tang Song's face and could clearly tell that it had slimmed down by a lap.

"Mm. I've been working on it lately. Eat more later—I need to watch my diet."

Zhao Yaqian stuck out her tongue apologetically. "If I'd known, we wouldn't have come here."

"It's fine. I'll pick out the vegetarian stuff."

The fried skewers arrived quickly, steaming hot and giving off an enticing aroma.

Zhao Yaqian picked up a serving of cabbage and handed it over. "Try it. The ingredients here are really fresh, and the flavor is great, especially the sauce."

"Thanks, Qianqian."

Outside the window, the rain alternated between heavy and light, and customers occasionally rushed in.

Youthful, lively, and hot-bodied, Zhao Yaqian drew quite a few looks.

The two sat there, eating fried skewers and chatting.

Aside from skincare, they also talked a little about life and work.

Tang Song had chatted with her quite a bit on WeChat over the past several days, so neither of them felt awkward around the other.

"Start with a mild acid. Apply a small amount behind your ear and see if there's any redness or allergic reaction within twenty-four hours before putting it on your face... For the first few days, leave it on for no more than five minutes. Once you're sure your skin..."

"I live in Tiankuo Garden. It's a little far from here, but Bus 26 goes straight there."

Perhaps because she had left the workplace, Zhao Yaqian seemed much livelier.

She was no longer too concerned about her image either, eating her skewers with abandon. Quite a bit of seasoning had stuck to her lips and chin.

When they walked out through the Main Door of Handmade Fried Skewers, the rain had lightened considerably.

Zhao Yaqian shook the bag in her hand and said somewhat embarrassedly, "It seems like I ate almost everything. I even had the leftovers packed up. You barely got a few bites."

Holding the umbrella, Tang Song smiled. "It's good enough to satisfy the craving. I'm about to throw up from all the fat-loss meals lately—chicken breast, oatmeal, eggs, boiled vegetables. Don't even make me think about it."

"Once I get paid, I'll treat you to a steak dinner!" Zhao Yaqian patted him on the shoulder.

While comforting him, she was also comforting herself.

After the other two beauticians at the shop ran off, all the work had fallen to her alone.

If the owner kept his promise and paid all the wages he owed next month, she would receive nearly twenty thousand yuan at once.

That money would let her pay off her loans, cover her rent, and still leave her with three or four thousand yuan.

As they chatted, they unknowingly arrived outside the hair salon.

A man happened to walk out of the hair salon and called out in surprise, "Yaqian!"

Tang Song looked in the direction of the sound. The man was a mature-looking uncle in his mid-thirties.

He had thick brows, large eyes, and a slicked side-part hairstyle.

He wore a beige casual jacket, straight-leg trousers, and casual shoes.

Zhao Yaqian's expression changed slightly. She said softly, "President Li."

"Good evening." Li Jingzhong nodded, then swept his gaze over the young man standing beside her. "And this is?"

"My friend. Um, President Li, are you here for a haircut?"

Li Jingzhong looked up at the sign for Yi Zi Beauty and Hair Salon and smiled. "Forget it. Your shop probably won't last more than a few days anyway, so I won't keep topping up my card here."

Zhao Yaqian's heart skipped a beat. She secretly glanced at Tang Song's face from the corner of her eye.

Her eyes held a trace of panic and fear.

She had always known that YiZi Beauty was about to go bankrupt and close down.

But when Tang Song had purchased and topped up his membership card, she had not told him. That counted as deception and betrayed his trust.

After spending the past few days together, she had truly come to see him as a friend. She was terrified that he would come to dislike her because of this.

Noticing that something was off with Zhao Yaqian's expression, Tang Song asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine." Zhao Yaqian did not know how to begin explaining.

Li Jingzhong watched their little exchange, raising his brows. "Yaqian, I truly admire you. I don't want to see you waste away in the beautician industry. Seriously consider the offer I gave you. Don't make your future self regret it."

"Excuse me, President Li, but I won't consider it." Zhao Yaqian bent slightly at the waist, then looked timidly at Tang Song. "Brother Song, um, I'll go back to work first. You can keep the umbrella for now. There are several more at the shop."

"Okay, goodbye." Seeing how uneasy she was, Tang Song did not say much else.

Zhao Yaqian softly said goodbye and jogged away.