No one is taking the order.
It's true that the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish, but unfortunately the waves are a bit too big, and the delivery fee is clearly not worth the risk.
The three stared at their phones, exchanging bewildered glances.
" Zhang Zaowan, do you have anything to eat at your house?" Chen Zhenzhen asked, hoping for the best.
"Unfortunately, there's nothing there."
In the past, he would probably have kept a few packs of instant noodles on hand, but lately he's been living too well, and with his " Refined " persona being maintained for so long, he hasn't eaten instant noodles in a long time.
Seeing the despair on Chen Zhenzhen's face, Zhang Zhaomu shrugged and said, "I'll just go downstairs to the convenience store and buy something to eat."
"Together!" Xiang Qing immediately stood up.
"It's just going downstairs, why are you so excited?" Zhang Zhaomu complained.
"I want to experience it..." Xiang Qing explained, "The rain outside is pouring!"
"Whatever you want." Zhang Zhaomu looked at Chen Zhenzhen: "And you?"
"I'm too lazy to move." Chen Zhenzhen lay on the sofa in a relaxed, reclining position. "I want to eat pickled pepper flavored instant noodles. If you have any grilled sausages, give me one, and I want it dipped in chili sauce."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Zhang Zhaomu said sarcastically, then took an umbrella from the shoe rack by the door.
Xiang Qing followed with light steps.
Upon reaching the first floor, Zhang Zhaomu raised an eyebrow slightly.
The rain outside was even heavier than before, turning the street into a raging river, with even the stairwells filled with a layer of water a centimeter or two thick.
"It's only been raining all afternoon, how come it's gotten like this already?" Zhang Zhaomu complained. "Can't they just fix up the public drainage system in this area?"
Xinxi No. 1 High School is located in the old city area, and the surrounding facilities are indeed a bit outdated.
"If the rain continues until tomorrow, won't it flood the first floor?" Xiang Qing asked with some concern.
"Of course not," Zhang Zhaomu reassured her. "Once the water level rises a bit higher, it will drain directly into the nearby river, unless the water level of that river also rises... but that would be a flood, and the last time was when I was a child."
"I remember that flood!" Xiang Qing said, "I remember, the water even flooded our house, and the bed was flooded too. My mom put a small bed on top of the wardrobe for me, and I lay on it, and everything looked new and exciting."
"That must have been quite interesting." Zhang Zhaomu recalled what he was doing back then.
It seems that my parents had argued again that day, and even got into a physical fight. My mother was slapped twice, and my father's head was covered in blood. I was terrified. I waded through water that was up to my chest and walked alone to a nearby clinic, hoping to find a doctor to treat my parents' wounds.
But the small clinic had already closed, so she stood helplessly in the water and cried for a long time.
It seems she was eventually taken back by a kind person.
" Zhang Zhaomu," Xiang Qing tugged at his sleeve, "What are you thinking about? You seem suddenly unhappy."
"It's nothing." Zhang Zhaomu smiled and changed the subject, "Why don't you go up first? I'm fine wearing slippers, but you're wearing canvas shoes, they'll get wet."
"It's alright!" Xiang Qing bent down, took off her shoes, and placed them on the stairs.
Zhang Zhaomu couldn't help but lower her head.
Her ankles were slender, like arcs carved by moonlight. With a slight bend, she gathered all her weight onto that delicate bony prominence. The instep was slightly raised, and her skin was so white it was almost transparent. The pale blue veins beneath meandered like a stream, as if you could see the blood slowly flowing through them.
When the five toes are brought together, they resemble five petals of a magnolia in early bloom, with a light pink tinge at the tips—a warmth emanating from the body, not the red that rouge can produce, but a faint blush of vitality seeping from the depths of the skin.
Zhang Zhaomu was certain he wasn't a foot fetishist, but he still couldn't help taking another look.
Take one more look.
Xiang Qing seemed to sense something; her cute toes twitched slightly, and she whispered, "Shall we... go?"
"Ah... let's go." Zhang Zhaomu quickly looked away and opened the umbrella.
Xiang Qing then crawled under the umbrella.
The umbrella was a bit small, so Zhang Zhaomu tilted it slightly towards the Xiang Qing side.
The two figures were swallowed up by the rain in an instant.
The raindrops hit the umbrella, making a sound like firecrackers. Xiang Qing couldn't help but stick her hand out from under the umbrella and exclaimed softly, "The rain is so heavy!"
"That's quite a peculiar description," Zhang Zhaomu said with a smile.
"Really?" Xiang Qing didn't realize this. She turned to Zhang Zhaomu and said, "Your shoulders are all wet. You don't need to hold the umbrella for me."
Zhang Zhaomu shook his head. "It's nothing."
"If I move closer, we won't get wet." Xiang Qing shrank closer to Zhang Zhaomu, their arms pressed tightly together.
Zhang Zhaomu explained, "This umbrella is a bit small; both of us will end up getting wet."
Then he joked, "Perfect timing, I can show you what true gentlemanly conduct is... I mean, a proper gentleman."
Xiang Qing looked up and realized that unless she wrapped her arm around his and leaned against him, there was no way to block the two of them from view.
Zhang Zhaomu's shoulders seem a bit broad.
She stubbornly replied, "No, I insisted on coming down. Even if we get wet, it's me who gets wet."
"There's no need to argue about this, is there?" Zhang Zhaomu chuckled. "I'm already soaked."
"It's necessary!" Xiang Qing raised her hand, grasped the umbrella handle, and wanted to tilt the umbrella over.
Unfortunately, she was a bit too weak, and despite Zhang Zhaomu's insistence, the umbrella remained completely still.
She pursed her lips, glanced at Zhang Zhaomu, and suddenly took a step outside the umbrella. In an instant, the rain covered half of her body.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Zhaomu was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after her and covered her.
"Now that I'm wet too, you don't need to take such good care of me anymore," Xiang Qing said earnestly.
Zhang Zhaomu: "... You're awesome."
The two arrived at the convenience store, soaking wet, and bought several buckets of instant noodles and a bunch of snacks.
Xiang Qing tried to pay the bill, but Zhang Zhaomu forcefully suppressed her.
"They've come to my house as guests, and although I don't have any fancy food to offer, I can't let them pay the bill," he said. "If you really want to treat me, you can treat me to a big meal next time."
"Okay." Xiang Qing nodded, then asked seriously, "How much will the big meal cost? I might need to deposit money in advance."
Zhang Zhaomu: "..."
I made a joke and forgot that this guy and Chen Zhenzhen are completely different personalities.
He usually acts stingy in front of Chen Zhenzhen, trying to take advantage of her in every way possible; that's just a little fun between close friends.
But if Zhang Zhaomu were to take advantage of others, he would feel rather awkward.
"I was just saying it offhand, don't take it seriously," he explained.
Xiang Qing: "That won't do. Mom said that a person should keep their word, and I mean what I say."