It wasn't that Ling Feng was the kind of person whose eyes lit up at the sight of money. He was just genuinely short on cash lately—the kind of short where he could barely afford to eat.
Besides, the request wasn't excessive. It was just attending a convention, at most performing for money. As long as he wasn't selling himself, it was fine.
The last time Ling Feng had gone to a convention, Zhao Ping had dragged him along. And what did people do at conventions? Naturally, nerds met nerds, sparks flew, and they sat right down on the ground to start pulling cards!
But people still had rather beautiful fantasies about conventions these days. At least it was better than kindergarten kids shouting those three-dimensional-world slogans all day. Those things didn't exist at all!
Balala the Fairies? Ultraman Tiga? Armor Hero?
Ling Feng had once fantasized about transforming into Ultraman to save the world. That day, like every other child, he had become light.
Except something was way too wrong now!
"Someone else is coming tonight too~"
When they arrived at a food street in West District, Su Xiaoxiao smiled brilliantly. She was already prepared to let herself go.
The moment she arrived, she caught the enticing aromas. It truly was a fragrance that carried for miles. Like a little gluttonous cat, she was practically drooling. How ridiculous, Miss!
Not only was the place packed with people, there was even more food: lamb skewers, stir-fried squid, burgers, fried chicken drumsticks and wings, fried lobster... The sight left everyone dazzled, as if they had entered a maze of food.
Even Zhao Ping and Yuwen were just like Su Xiaoxiao. Only Su Yun could still maintain her usual... composure...
Fine...
He had overthought it... Ling Feng looked at them all speechlessly. Why was everyone such a foodie? Couldn't they show a little restraint?
"Big Sister Su Yun, weren't we..."
"Ahem, it's fine. It's good for everyone to relax properly."
Realizing she had lost her composure, Su Yun coughed awkwardly, then spoke with a rational expression.
Her change of expression had been way too fast, leaving Ling Feng unsure how to respond. Had no one noticed what Su Xiaoxiao had just said?!
Seeing that nobody asked, Ling Feng could only ask Su Xiaoxiao herself. But just as he was about to speak, he remembered what she had said before.
"Um... Sister Xiao Xiao, you said someone else was coming..."
"Woohoo~"
Hearing Ling Feng call her sister, Su Xiaoxiao beamed with delight and instantly got a little carried away, cutting him off directly.
"Of course. Isn't she right behind you?"
"Behind me?"
Ling Feng was rather confused. When he turned around, he was startled again. When had Luo Xiyan gotten behind him?
"Hi."
Luo Xiyan waved at Ling Feng, her tone as indifferent as ever~
How did she manage to greet someone with those words and that tone?!
This was too absurd!
I Treat You Like a Brother
"Holy crap, isn't that the girl who was with Su Xiaoxiao last time?!"
At that moment, Zhao Ping also noticed Luo Xiyan walking behind them. Mainly because Luo Xiyan was simply too beautiful—it was impossible not to notice her.
Since seeing Luo Xiyan last time, Zhao Ping had remembered her vividly. Most people would probably lose their souls after seeing her, but because Zhao Ping still had the Astral Mark Girl who saved him in that car accident on his mind, he was merely surprised.
"Miss Luo came too? Are you going to have fun tonight?"
Su Yun also noticed Luo Xiyan. She was slightly surprised, since even she had failed to notice her.
"Didn't I say earlier that someone else was coming?" Su Xiaoxiao puffed up her little face. "Don't tell me nobody was listening when I spoke just now?"
"..."
Sure enough, once Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, everyone except Ling Feng awkwardly turned their heads away.
Ling Feng was a little speechless. Was food all they had in their heads?
"Hey, so it really was like that? The great expert was the only one paying attention."
Su Xiaoxiao was momentarily at a loss for words, but she quickly calmed down. Thinking carefully about it, hadn't she been acting the same way just now? How embarrassing.
The group strolled down the street. There was an incredible variety of food: freshly squeezed juice, Tianjin Goubuli buns, Yunnan bamboo-tube chicken, Fuzhou wild chicken legs, Outer Mongolian lamb skewers, Sichuan dan dan noodles, Xinjiang roasted whole lamb, Hong Kong Island popping meatballs...
Zhao Ping first ordered a serving of fried noodles. The brownish-yellow noodles arrived with shredded carrots, garlic, scallions, slices of beef, and other seasonings. They had a unique flavor.
Then Su Xiaoxiao bought a serving of Hong Kong Island popping beef balls. Looking at them, the balls came in black and white, truly a clear distinction between black and white.
As they ate, they admired the scenery of the food street. They could even see several Xinjiang chefs roasting whole lamb while dancing ethnic dances to the music, while several Mongolian women sang folk songs to draw in customers... Everything had its own distinct charm and added plenty of fun to the food street.
At this point, they really were eating wherever they went. Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Ping had mouths glistening with grease. They were undoubtedly the two biggest foodies in the group.
On the other hand, Luo Xiyan barely ate anything along the way. Only when Ling Feng ordered some fried potatoes did she go over and eat with him.
Ling Feng didn't quite understand. Did she have a poor appetite?
At school, he often heard people say that girls had small appetites, but from what he saw now, the difference in appetites had completely reversed.
"Ahem... Do you have any plans after Spring Festival? I heard that Nanyang's Phoenix Ancient City is about to hold its once-every-N-years martial arts tournament, and it even made the news. Things like the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Kicks, Water-Walking Lightness Skill, Shaolin Swordsmanship—they've been hyping them up to the heavens. So, what do you think? Interested in going together?"
As they walked, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke while holding a bowl of sausage in her left hand and a bunch of lamb skewers in her right. And she even choked?!
Miss, don't talk while you're eating!
"A martial arts tournament?! Like the ones in TV wuxia dramas??"
The moment Zhao Ping heard the words "martial arts tournament," he became interested. But he immediately sighed, and his disappointment was obvious.
"Sigh, but my mom arranged a blind date for me on the eve of the Lunar New Year, so I probably can't go..."
"Pfft!"
"A blind date?!"
"Ahem, watch what you say!"
Hearing that Zhao Ping's mother had arranged a blind date for him, Ling Feng honestly couldn't hold it in.
Even Yuwen and the others temporarily forgot about Phoenix Ancient City. Everyone was shocked.
Aside from Luo Xiyan, who looked over curiously, everyone else stared at Zhao Ping with their mouths agape.
How old were you? You were still underage! What kind of blind date were you going on?
That was practically everyone's first thought, and it was a normal person's thought, because this was indeed a little absurd. No! It was ridiculously absurd!
Seeing their expressions, Zhao Ping understood perfectly. After all, what high school student went on blind dates before even starting university?
"Actually, you can't really call it a blind date. It's a childhood betrothal my family arranged before I was even born. I've never even seen her. Now her family has already called and said they want us to meet first. But don't worry, I'll decide my own marriage. I absolutely won't agree to it!"
At that point, Zhao Ping suddenly paused. "I remember now. Her family seems to live in Phoenix Ancient City, Nanyang. My dad said her family background isn't simple and told me not to let her down. They're probably pretty rich, but I'm not that kind of person! And I already have someone I like!"
Even Su Yun was stunned by Zhao Ping's forced explanation. Ling Feng, on the other hand, didn't feel much. He remained calm.
What era was this? There were still childhood betrothals??
Did he think this was a martial arts marriage contest??
"So what are you going to do?" Yuwen asked.
"I'll go with you then." There was a trace of dissatisfaction in Zhao Ping's determined voice. Clearly, he was also unhappy with the decision his family had made for him without asking.
If one day you went home and your family suddenly told you that you had a fiancée you had never met, what would you think?
You didn't even know her surname or given name, yet you were destined to spend your life together. Who could accept that?
Most people's first reaction would probably be to fly into a rage. The fact that Zhao Ping could remain this rational was already pretty good.
"Can't you just say you have someone you like? By the way, who do you like?" Su Xiaoxiao seemed especially fond of prying and asked directly.
"He said it's the Astral Mark Girl who saved him in that car accident..." Yuwen added at the worst possible moment.
"Holy crap, Yuwen! Damn you! Will you die if you don't say it out loud?!"
"Oh, so you fell for that Astral Mark Girl?" Hearing Yuwen's words, Su Xiaoxiao immediately covered her mouth and snickered.
"That's right! I like her! I'll love her for the rest of my life!!"
Perhaps because he had been provoked, Zhao Ping suddenly became much bolder.
Was this daring to love and hate??
"Hehe, work hard~"
"Uh, I wish you... ahem... may your dreams come true!"
"Can you give me some encouragement? I'm in a period of emotional trauma right now, okay?"
"I hope you bring the beauty home soon!!" Su Xiaoxiao suddenly piped up again.
Naturally, those words nearly made Ling Feng spit out a mouthful of blood. He couldn't hold it in any longer.
Damn it, I treat you like a brother, but you want to sleep with me?!
Dining and Negotiating
"Anyway, good luck~"
Ling Feng sighed. It was someone else's business, after all, and he wasn't in a position to interfere. At most, he could offer some advice.
As for Phoenix Ancient City, Ling Feng suddenly remembered that Liu Yinxuan and the others had been asking about it in the class group chat. Those Magical Girls were probably going there too, right?
Ling Feng didn't want to go. He couldn't even afford the fare, and going there would just mean suffering for no reason. Yuwen and Su Yun also seemed to be busy.
Su Xiaoxiao had originally intended to have as much fun as possible during this outing, but everyone had their own matters to deal with.
Her roommate had gone home to visit family, her cousins spent every day driving luxury cars around, and her band members had all gone home for the New Year. So now there was only...
Thinking this, Su Xiaoxiao turned her gaze to Luo Xiyan. At that moment, it was as though she had seen hope, and her eyes were filled with anticipation.
"Xi Yan, do you want to..."
"No."
Before Su Xiaoxiao could finish, Luo Xiyan directly turned her face away coldly, leaving Su Xiaoxiao completely stunned.
"Huh? Why?"
"..."
"Hey, let's go together, okay~"
Seeing that being gentle didn't work, Su Xiaoxiao became even gentler. She shook Luo Xiyan's arm and acted cute, her adorable little expression overflowing with girlish charm!
The gentle breeze lifted her light-purple twin ponytails. Her cheeks glowed brightly, her skin was creamy and delicate, seemingly soft enough to break with a puff of air. Probably no boy could refuse her.
Luckily, Ling Feng reacted quickly and blocked Zhao Ping and Yuwen's line of sight.
"Hey, Ling Feng! What are you doing? I want to see!"
Zhao Ping suddenly shouted upon seeing this, instantly forgetting the vow he had just declared. Very realistic.
Fickle in love!
"Better not. If you see her, you won't be able to walk anymore."
"Get lost!"
Ling Feng was still thinking about how to slip away to the convention, but he couldn't find an opportunity. He remembered there seemed to be a convention nearby.
If he delayed any longer, it would be completely dark.
Luo Xiyan hadn't actually wanted to reject Su Xiaoxiao's request. The main problem was that her family had matters requiring her to return and handle them, yet she hadn't said so.
Normally, Luo Xiyan never had any objections to whatever Su Xiaoxiao wanted to do. It was basically, do whatever you want, I'll go along with you. But this time, there really seemed to be something going on at home.
After thinking for a moment, she subconsciously looked toward Ling Feng, wanting to hear his opinion.
"Feng, are you going?"
Hearing Luo Xiyan's question, Ling Feng froze slightly. Why had this suddenly involved him again? Weren't they discussing something important?
Just as Ling Feng was about to answer, he saw Su Xiaoxiao beside Luo Xiyan looking at him with a pair of pitiful, pleading eyes, and he couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Before you continue