A Food Desert

Before he knew it, it was already eleven thirty at night, and a new day was almost upon him.

After they said good night, Luo Ye scrolled through their chat history and discovered that he had exchanged hundreds of messages with his senior in a single evening.

Looking at those messages, Luo Ye felt a sense of contentment fill his heart, though he couldn't explain why.

Soon, Luo Ye fell asleep.

He had originally planned to post extra chapters during the seven-day holiday. After all, everyone was on break, and it was the perfect time to relax with a novel.

But now his mind was entirely on Fairy Senior. How could he spare a thought for his novel? Still, he couldn't neglect it completely, so meeting his basic daily word count would have to do.

With the typing speed Luo Ye had developed over eighteen years of being single, a basic quota of four to six thousand words was a piece of cake.

Soon, Luo Ye fell asleep.

Early the next morning, he opened his eyes on the large bed in his hotel room, then started washing up with a bewildered look on his face.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Luo Ye asked himself some soul-searching questions.

Where am I?

What am I supposed to do?

Oh, I'm in Hangzhou, because my senior's home is in this city.

After washing up, Luo Ye decided to visit some of Hangzhou's better-known attractions.

The city wasn't especially big, and there weren't that many places to have fun, but it was a very interesting city.

There were lots of internet celebrities here. On some famous pedestrian streets, he could spot someone livestreaming with a phone mount every few steps.

As a result, the city seemed to churn out handsome men and beautiful women.

Luo Ye went out for breakfast, then prepared to start on the day's word count.

Writing in the morning, sightseeing in the afternoon.

But his first order of business after waking up was still to send Fairy Senior a good morning message.

Su Baizhou replied with a photo.

It showed the window of a high-speed train, which meant Su Baizhou was already on her way home.

Luo Ye wasn't going to meet her at the station.

He felt that clinging to a girl like that was a little inappropriate, even if she was the girl he liked.

Besides, his senior didn't know he was in Hangzhou. Showing up at the station to meet her would most likely put her off.

Being there when she needed him was enough.

That raised another question: what should he eat in this food desert today?

Luo Ye began searching online for food in Hangzhou and eventually settled on something he had never even heard of.

Longjing tea... hot pot?

Interesting. Very interesting.

Was there cola hot pot? Baijiu hot pot?

Luo Ye spent the morning finishing that day's update, then headed straight for the hot pot restaurant that served Longjing tea hot pot.

Meanwhile, Su Baizhou had arrived home.

About fifteen kilometers from downtown Hangzhou stood a residential complex that wasn't particularly upscale, but still looked quite pretty.

Su Baizhou made her way to her front door with practiced ease.

Looking at the door before her, she hesitated for a moment before inserting her key into the lock.

But she soon froze. Her key wouldn't open the door to her own home.

Puzzled, she called her mother on her phone, but the call didn't connect.

Had they changed the lock?

Just then, the neighbor across the hall heard the noise outside. An elderly woman opened her door, and when she saw Su Baizhou, her face softened into a kind smile. "Zhouzhou, you're back. Would you like to come sit with Granny for a while?"

Granny Liu was a lovely person who had watched Su Baizhou grow up, so Su Baizhou felt very close to her.

Su Baizhou went into Granny Liu's home.

Although it was the holiday, Granny Liu's children were all away. Only her granddaughter, about four years old, was there, eating snacks in a room.

Su Baizhou sat on the sofa. Granny Liu poured her a cup of tea, then said, "Zhouzhou, things have been getting worse between your parents lately. Last month, after you went back to school, your father came home late one night after drinking. Your mother isn't well, and she'd fallen asleep, so she didn't hear him knocking... Then your father kicked the door open. Tell me, they're family. Why do they have to live like this?"

Hearing this, Su Baizhou looked worried and couldn't help asking, "Granny Liu, where's my mom?"

Granny Liu glanced at Su Baizhou and sighed, pity filling her eyes. She said softly, "After your father kicked the door open, he shouted your mother awake. If I hadn't heard the commotion and come out to talk him down, he would have hit her. Your uncle took your mother away the next day. Lately, it seems they're talking about divorce."

Su Baizhou didn't look surprised.

Divorce. She thought her mother should have divorced that man long ago.

But her mother was in poor health. If she divorced him, she would probably have to live alone from then on, which was why she had kept hesitating.

Even if she did divorce him, she would have to wait until Su Baizhou graduated and had time to care for her.

Yet she didn't want to burden her daughter, so she had kept holding on.

Now, she couldn't hold on any longer.

Su Baizhou sat on the sofa in a daze.

She had barely come home, and already she had to face so much. Now she couldn't even get into her own home.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside. Granny Liu looked through the peephole and saw a man, drunk out of his mind, sitting outside his own door and pounding on it.

"It's your father."

These days, he spent all his time drinking. With Su Baizhou's mother gone, he often forgot his keys.

"Bitch, open the door!"

Su Changqing shouted, punching and kicking the door in front of him.

Hearing him insult her mother, Su Baizhou rose from the sofa. She strode over, opened the door, grabbed the man's arm, and swung her other hand, striking him hard across the face.

"Watch your mouth." Su Baizhou stared at him coldly.

Su Changqing clutched his face, sobering up a little.

As he looked at the girl before him, his face twisted with rage. "You bastard. You're a bitch just like your mother."

Behind her, Granny Liu snapped, "How can you say that to your own daughter?"

"You don't get a say in how I discipline her."

With that, Su Changqing swung his arm and slapped Su Baizhou across the face.

Smack!

A distinct handprint appeared on her stunningly beautiful face.

The light dimmed in Su Baizhou's eyes, and she lost the very last shred of hope she had held for her father...

When had this man become like this?

Was it because her mother was beautiful?

Because all her mother's suitors were better than him?

Because he had accomplished nothing in his entire life, while her mother could have lived in wealth and comfort if she had only sacrificed a little of her dignity?

But her mother had never sacrificed her dignity...

After slapping his own daughter, Su Changqing sobered up completely. He looked at his palm, a flicker of regret crossing his face.

"Zhouzhou, I..."

"Enough."

Su Baizhou spoke in an utterly cold voice.

She gave Granny Liu behind her a grateful look, then turned and left without another word.

She didn't want to exchange so much as a word with this failure of a father.

After leaving the complex, Su Baizhou sat on the steps by its entrance.

Looking at the place where she had grown up, she felt only a strange unfamiliarity.

She didn't know why, but right now, she wanted a little... No...

Not a little. Right now, she wanted very, very badly to go back to school.

To see... a certain person there.