You know, often despite oneself—Excerpt from Hua Xin's Collected Writings.
It was the umpteenth time she had gone out, and Hua Xin no longer seemed quite so terrified.
Desensitization training could perfectly solve a person's stamina and inferiority complex problems. All it needed was a Holy Grail...
Uh??... I mean, going-out training (correction).
The girl's gaze was no longer evasive and fearful. Instead, it carried a hint of curiosity. The various shops and signs of all sizes along the street, as well as the passing pedestrians and streams of traffic, fascinated her.
The last time she had come out to "complete her assignment," she hadn't properly looked around. She had been too busy running away and eating melon.
(KFC! I want to eat it, I want to eat it, I want to eat it, I want to eat it. Fried chicken?? Fragrant and crispy, hamburgers?? Soft and fluffy??...)
(Mixue Bingcheng! I want to drink lemonade again?? Ah, sour and sweet, huh??...)
(Men, men's wardrobe. So fancy. The clothes inside must be really expensive, right??)
(Gold... I want to get it for free??)
(Steal one schoolbag and I won't have to worry for the rest of my life, hehe??...)
(But what if I get shot full of peanut bullets???)
Hua Xin lightly tugged at Xia Yan's hem. Although her body was sitting on the motorcycle, her soul had already been lured away by all these colorful things.
Her eyes seemed to be sparkling with stars.
The fragrance drifting through the air from time to time made her stomach growl again.
She had only eaten two packets of biscuits and a carton of milk for breakfast, so she couldn't resist the aroma of meat at all. As for lunch... she had planned to sleep until midnight and get up for a late-night snack.
Unfortunately, just after she had tucked herself under the covers, she received a message from the hateful guy in front of her.
It was Monday today... She didn't need to come to class at all...
Attending extra classes wouldn't give her any bonus points (aggrieved).
If Xia Yan hadn't said that he had already arrived at the school gate and would treat her to a meal, she wouldn't have come to help him at all (tsundere).
Until she figured out the true purpose of this sunny, popular guy playing games with her friend, she absolutely wouldn't trust Xia Yan.
Absolutely!
"Have you eaten lunch?"
While waiting at a traffic light, Xia Yan turned his head and shouted.
The sounds of traffic surged all around them, making it rather noisy.
The sudden words startled Hua Xin, who had been drooling while looking at the gold shop.
"Eaten... I haven't!"
A free lunch was still lunch! Why should she be polite with him?
At the thought, Hua Xin couldn't help swallowing.
"Great! What do you want to eat?"
Xia Yan looked at the shops by the roadside. After spotting a place called "Boss's Lunch Box," he continued, "How about boxed meals?"
"Sure??, boxed meals, hehe, braised pork, pork ribs, Guo Bao Rou, stir-fried meat, stewed meat, steamed meat, fried meat..." Hua Xin rubbed her little belly tightly, as if she had already eaten all that delicious food.
"Huh? Old Hua, what did you say?"
Perhaps the girl's voice had been too soft, because Xia Yan hadn't heard her clearly and asked again.
(Old... Old Hua????)
(When did I become so close to you? What are you calling me for!????)
(Call me Lord Xin!!????)
Her little face beneath the mask instantly grew displeased, but when she remembered that there was free lunch to be had, she could only pout.
If she shouted any louder, her fake voice would fail, so Hua Xin scooted forward and pressed herself against Xia Yan. Somewhat unused to it, she placed one hand around his waist to keep herself from falling off the motorcycle, intending to move closer to speak.
So hard. (Referring to the abs.)
The girl subconsciously gave him a pinch, then withdrew her hand as if shocked by electricity, her little face flushing red.
(Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's wrong... How does he have abs too!)
(Wait, what did I just pinch?)
(I heard that people with abs all have small dicks.) The girl put on a cold expression.
"Hmm?"
Xia Yan felt the girl's movement and looked somewhat puzzled, but he didn't think much of it and merely took it as one of her pranks.
The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily. So in Hua Xin's heart, he had already become a friend she could fool around with? Things were progressing quickly. At this rate, his plan to befriend Xiang Guan and Mu Feng wouldn't be far off either??.
When the red light turned green, Xia Yan twisted the handlebar and started the motorcycle.
????????
The sudden start caught the girl, who had half her buttocks lifted off the motorcycle seat, off balance. Before she could say anything, she instinctively hugged Xia Yan tightly for safety.
Hua Xin's entire soft body pressed firmly against Xia Yan.
Both arms locked tightly around his abs.
A semi-trailer with all-risk insurance roared past beside them. Sweating profusely, the girl watched the heavy cargo behind it and listened to the thunderous noise of its bouncing tires...
She had almost become Lili...
"Boxed meals... are fine."
"No problem!"
After saying the words in a somewhat trembling voice?? beside Xia Yan's ear, Hua Xin let go and continued holding on to his clothes.
(The outside world is too scary. I want to go home????...)
(If I crashed into that, I wouldn't go straight to the assembly hall, would I????...)
The girl lowered her head fearfully and no longer dared to look around, sitting obediently.
Hua Xin: Save me, save me.
A short while later, the motorcycle stopped.
Xia Yan parked, removed his helmet, and got off in one smooth motion.
Seeing Hua Xin still trembling beneath her helmet, he chuckled and patted the girl's shoulder.
Hua Xin's thin shoulder made it easy to feel her bones through her clothes, even though Xia Yan hadn't used any force.
She's so thin... He withdrew his hand.
"Come take a look. What do you want to eat?"
"We'll pack it up and eat at school."
At the mention of food, Hua Xin instantly raised her helmeted head. Then, abandoning her earlier silence, she excitedly grabbed her backpack straps and walked over to Xia Yan.
(Eat, eat, eat, eat??...)
The beautiful eyes hidden beneath the helmet seemed to sparkle.
"Boss, how much are the boxed meals?"
"Fifteen for two meat dishes and two vegetables, twenty for four meat dishes and one vegetable."
"Give me two of the twenty-yuan ones."
"Takeout or eating here?"
"Sorry for the trouble. Please pack them up."
"Sure thing."
Xia Yan scanned forty yuan over.
The lady boss spoke in a brisk Northeastern accent. Then she picked up a spoon and pointed at a row of dishes, asking Xia Yan which ones he wanted.
Although Hua Xin was wearing a helmet, Xia Yan glanced at the girl and seemed to read her mind as if they were of one heart.
"Guo Bao Rou??"
As Xia Yan's voice fell, the lady boss scooped a large spoonful of golden, crispy Guo Bao Rou into the box. At the same time, the girl shifted her gaze??.
"Braised pork."
The girl shifted her gaze??.
"Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs."
The girl shifted her gaze??.
"Spicy Shredded Pork."
The girl shifted her gaze??.
"Stir-fried Bean Sprouts."
Hua Xin contentedly placed both hands over her lower abdomen, as if hearing Xia Yan finish naming the dishes had already filled her up.
"What about the other one?" The lady boss filled a box with rice and placed it beside the dishes.
"Make it the same as this one."
A few minutes later, Xia Yan walked out of the restaurant carrying the two boxed meals.
Behind him, Hua Xin followed as if her soul had been lured away by the aroma inside. Her pupils had already taken the shape of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, and saliva kept welling up in her mouth.
(That smells so good??...)
(How is it even more fragrant than my Thirteen Spices chicken-frame and winter-melon-peel fried rice? What kind of delicacy is this??????...)
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