Chapter 262
Although Mudrock accepted half of the reward and bonus that he forced upon her, she didn't seem to spend much of it.
If Shi Lei were to pay the bill directly, it would likely lead to disagreements, so he opted for this tactful approach.
Firstly, it was to celebrate Mudrock's birthday, and secondly, it was to apologize for his behavior in the movie theater.
Regardless, Mudrock had already spent money to buy that strawberry-flavored lipstick. That couldn't be changed. Since that was the case, she shouldn't have criticized the lipstick's flavor in the first place, otherwise it would have upset her.
Before long, the waiters brought out the signature dishes. The table was almost completely filled with them.
Shi Lei picked up his chopsticks and joked with a smile:
"There's so much food here, the two of us definitely can't finish it all. Do you want to eat the cake first or the food first?"
The vegetables delivered by the host never taste as good as the ones the host bought.
"Let's have the cake first. We can probably pack up any leftovers. Let me ask the waiter!"
Mudrock waved and called to a passing waiter. After asking around, she confirmed that she could take everything away for a small fee.
"I'm fine now, thank you."
The restaurant's signature dish, Mudrock, was barely touched; the host was too busy eating the birthday cake the owner had bought.
However, cream and chocolate can be a bit too rich if you eat too much of them.
Now, not only does her throat feel sweet, her stomach feels sweet, but her heart is also sweet.
After having a satisfying meal, the two strolled around Taigu Plaza for half an hour. Passing by a claw machine, Shi Lei, assuming she would like it, asked her:
Do you want to play this?
Mudrock shook her head; her bedroom already had a much larger life-size statue of its owner.
If there are big ones, who's going to play small ones?
328 Do you like me? 3K
According to Mudrock's original plan, they would go to Shi Lei's favorite place after dinner—the library.
It doesn't matter if he lacks education; you can talk to him about your views on books and express your admiration.
However, judging from the owner's behavior at the movie theater, it's clear that he treated this date as just celebrating a friend's birthday.
After much hesitation, Mudrock finally decided not to follow the dating guide's procedure. Instead, he would skip this step and activate an alternative contingency plan.
She hailed a taxi at Taigu Plaza and took Shi Lei to the Lower City, the place where he had once lived.
Last year, four Sarkaz mercenaries and four groups of infected women and children chose to leave and stay here. It's been almost a year since I last saw them.
Mudrock went to visit them today, firstly to share the joy of celebrating her first birthday, and secondly to share all the packed signature dishes with them.
The people of Taiheng Road eat quite well every day, so they don't have a high demand for these dishes. But if you give them to the children, they would probably love them.
Shi Lei had no objection to this; after all, it was the birthday girl's decision. She said she would go wherever she wanted and try to have a happy day.
At 3 p. m., the taxi stopped at the checkpoint and refused to take passengers into the Lower City.
Although the place has changed a lot, many people still have a negative attitude towards the infected people living here.
The two did not insist and got out of the car to walk.
Compared to the Lower City last year, the changes along the way are truly remarkable.
The two- or three-story low-rise buildings have been demolished and replaced with seven-story residential buildings or apartment buildings with elevators. The homeless children that used to frequent the square are no longer seen.
The infected people passing by no longer had blank, vacant eyes; each one seemed to be faintly smiling.
After a large number of factories moved into the Lower City, small and medium-sized businesses followed suit. Coupled with government policy support, the infrastructure in the area underwent a major renovation.
In short, things have definitely gotten better!
The two walked for nearly twenty minutes before arriving at the stronghold where Mudrock used to live. However, the gate was locked, and she had to knock on the door before someone came out to greet her.
"Hey, boss!"
An infected woman came out at the sound and was overjoyed to see Mudrock and Shi Lei visiting her.
"Why are you here?"
To be honest, the woman was a little embarrassed. After all, it was they who had voluntarily suggested leaving the group, hoping to stay here and live a good life.
Mudrock held up the packaged gift bag and explained:
"It's been a long time since I've been here. I brought some delicious food for the children, but where are they?"
Only then did the infected woman realize she had left her two distinguished guests outside. She quickly pulled out her keys, unlocked the door, and welcomed them into the hideout.
"Excuse me, please come in. Those children are inside."
Entering the courtyard, he saw familiar scenery. Mudrock looked around, feeling a pang of nostalgia.
This was her first real home since birth. But now she has a second home, a larger family.
After greeting the children, Mudrock noticed that there was only one woman guarding the place and couldn't help but ask:
"Why are you the only one here? Where are the others?"
"The rest of them went to work at the factory. Today happens to be my day off, so I stayed to look after the kids. Usually, it's just the two of us. Boss, do you need them for something? Or should I make a call?"
Mudrock shook his head. He didn't want to go through that trouble.
"No need, I didn't come here for anything. I just wanted to see how you all are doing."
When asked about her recent situation, the infected woman smiled:
"Not bad, thanks for your concern, boss. We take turns working at the factory and have already saved up a little money. We may not be rich, but we're content. This kind of life is much better than in Kazdel."
Yes.
There is no pressure to find a job, no pressure to buy a house, no need to live a nomadic life, and no need to live in constant fear.
These are truly wonderful days.
Mudrock chatted with the infected woman about the current situation here and about her hometown.
Shi Lei watched the whole thing like a mere spectator, not participating in the two's casual conversation.
I enjoy teasing the kids occasionally.
Mudrock only provided the packaged signature dishes, not the birthday cake. This was a gift from the host, and it held great significance. But seeing the children's expectant eyes reminded her of her own childhood, and she had no choice but to reluctantly give it up.
Mudrock didn't stay long; to ensure a smooth journey ahead, they left after chatting until 4:30. The two walked back to the border checkpoint and returned to the Upper City at exactly 5:00.
This was rush hour, and I was stuck in traffic by taxi until after 6 p. m. before I finally arrived at another restaurant.
Mudrock had booked a candlelight dinner here, but called to cancel the birthday cake reservation.
Looking at the set meal served by the waiter and the scene setup, Shi Lei vaguely sensed something strange.
If Mudrock ordered the couple's set meal for lunch to save money, wouldn't setting up a candlelight dinner in the evening seem a bit too deliberate?
And today is September 21st. If I remember correctly, it's not some kind of Valentine's Day, is it?
Shi Lei frowned as he began to recall the series of events he had experienced with Mudrock that day.
First, in the morning, she went to see a romance movie by herself. To be honest, choosing this only proves her movie preferences and doesn't necessarily mean anything. Or perhaps it was the only movie showing at that time.
Later, Mudrock bought popcorn. He repeatedly asked Niyan to try some.
Before he traveled through time, Shi Lei would occasionally go to the cinema alone to watch a movie he particularly liked.
But when he goes to the movies, he just goes to the movies and he would never buy popcorn. Those things are like potato chips; if you eat too much, you get thirsty and want to drink water, and if you drink water, you want to go to the toilet.
Shi Lei paid money to watch the movie; if he had to go to the bathroom every now and then, he might as well not watch it at all.
Because he missed scenes while using the restroom, there's no way to catch up on them through rewind. In fast-paced movies, if he leaves for a few minutes and comes back, he's completely lost track of the plot. That's why he never eats popcorn at the movies.
This seems fine, right? It's just giving him popcorn, what does that signify?
Later, Mudrock asked if she wanted to try the flavor of her lipstick, which was strawberry.
Shi Lei didn't know much about lipstick and rarely dealt with it. In fact, before transmigrating, he had never heard of edible lipstick. He forgot that this was Terra, not Earth, and his words made her a little angry.
This doesn't seem to be a problem, right?
Later, around noon, they went to the restaurant for lunch. During this time, Shi Lei didn't notice anything unusual about the Mudrock.
It wasn't until that evening's candlelight dinner that he realized something was wrong.
However, Shi Lei couldn't be sure. Did Mudrock's arrangements today carry any hints of what was going on?
What if you say it out loud and it turns out to be wrong? Wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing?
In this uncertain situation, and because he was too embarrassed to ask directly, Shi Lei remained expressionless, at least his face betrayed no emotion.
Mudrock noticed these details and confirmed that its owner truly considered it a friend and had come out to celebrate its birthday with it.
She didn't do anything rash, planning to try again after dinner at a bar. Dating guides suggest that alcohol can help create a more intimate atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Texas and Croissant watched from the rooftop across from the restaurant.
Actually, the two girls lost track of Mudrock and Shi Lei when they took a taxi from Taigu Plaza. The traffic in the Core City is too heavy; a single intersection can cause a traffic jam.
Later, through Isu Is, they hacked into the traffic department to access road surveillance cameras. It wasn't until around 6 PM that they were able to locate the two individuals.
Seeing Shi Lei and Mudrock having a candlelight dinner, yet behaving so properly, Texas couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly, inwardly sighing.
Can this stone enlighten me?
Seeing this, Croissant grinned and teased:
"Ha, you still have the nerve to laugh? Mudrock couldn't take him down, but you did? Keep up the good work, Exusiai and I are waiting to drink your wedding wine."
After dinner, it was already 7:30.
Mudrock said he wanted to have a drink, so he took Shi Lei to a small bar that was filled with loud, energetic music.
A male waiter in a vest approached, a professional fake smile on his face, and asked:
"What would you two like to order?"
"Give me a cup of Featherbeast Tail Wine, please."
Shi Lei rarely came to the bar; he mostly went out with Texas and the others.
He didn't quite understand the idea of having a drink at a bar after dinner.
Does Mudrock, who is usually quiet and introverted, really like this noisy environment?
Or is it that she has been suppressing her negative emotions and wants to vent them by drinking here?
And you, sir?
"Me too, thank you."
While waiting for the drinks to be served, Mudrock stared down at the smooth wooden table. Her hands, like her current state of mind, were unsure what to do. Unconsciously, she began to run her fingers through her white hair.
Even after seeing this, Shi Lei still couldn't be sure.
One of the three great illusions in life is believing that the woman in front of you must like you. If you make it clear that she doesn't, then you're just being a complete clown.
Come to think of it, this was only the second time he'd come to a bar alone with a woman. Shi Lei remembered the last time was when he'd gone out for a drink with Texas after the fire rescue.
It's already 8 PM, Texas and the others have already left work. If I haven't messaged him at this time, he's probably happily playing mahjong.
Seeing that Mudrock kept his head down and didn't speak, Shi Lei began to look around at his surroundings.
The bar was filled with a cheerful atmosphere as electronic music played. Young men and women on the dance floor wore unconventional outfits.
They danced haphazardly to the rhythm, as if their bodies had become puppets, at the mercy of the music.
Occasionally, a man would 'accidentally' touch a woman's wrist. A woman's hand would 'unintentionally' brush against a man's chest. This ambiguity seemed to possess an alluring magic, yet maintained a delicate balance.
Eye contact, physical closeness, smiles, whispered words in someone's ear—each of these ambiguous actions naturally creates an ambiguous atmosphere.
"Please enjoy your meal, both of you."
Before seeing the Mudrock, it was playing with its hair, and now it's constantly playing with the straw, letting it stir back and forth in the cup. This is quite different from its usual behavior.
Shi Lei didn't understand women's hearts; he'd heard they were like needles at the bottom of the sea. But he always felt that the other woman seemed to have something on her mind.
Are you... in a bad mood?