Morning.
Outside the breakfast stall.
Yao's Father, who had just been chatting with Dong Xuebin, looked at his daughter and Dong Xuebin in surprise. "Cui'er, you two know each other?"
After her initial surprise, Yao Cui quickly walked over. "More than just know each other. This is my college classmate, Dong Xuebin. We were in the same class back then."
Yao's Father smiled. "What a coincidence."
Yao Cui looked at him. "Xuebin, what brought you here?"
Dong Xuebin smiled. "A job transfer. I was assigned here."
"What kind of job do you do? You got assigned to our county? Did you offend someone?" Yao Cui asked, in exactly the same tone her father had used earlier.
Dong Xuebin broke out in a sweat. Who the hell did I offend?
Seeing his reaction, Yao Cui may have misunderstood. She quickly changed the subject. "It's fine. Since you're here, you're here. This place is actually pretty nice—the air is much better than in Capital City." As she spoke, she looked him up and down. "We haven't seen each other since graduation. It's been three years in a flash, right? Not bad. You still look the same, not changed at all. Oh, it's windy outside. Don't stand around here. Come to my house and talk."
Dong Xuebin politely asked, "Would that be convenient?"
Yao Cui pointed with her delicate hand. "That courtyard over there."
Yao's Father warmly said, "Stay for lunch. Once we close up the stall, I'll go buy groceries."
Dong Xuebin hurriedly said, "No need, Uncle. That's too much trouble."
Yao Cui added, "It's no trouble. We old classmates finally got to meet again, so eat at my place."
"Sis, give me the bowls. I'll wash them," the dark-skinned teenager said as he came over.
Yao Cui handed him the bowls.