Under the streetlights, passersby glanced at the couple kissing passionately and exchanged knowing smiles.
Compared to the relatively indifferent people in Seoul, the people of Daegu are undoubtedly more humane.
After walking past, someone turned back for a second, smiled, and said something to the person next to them, their laughter filled with longing for love.
When the two separated, Pei Jingshu's legs were a little weak and she couldn't stand steadily. Cheng Che reached out and caught her, letting her lean against him.
Pei Jingshu nestled against his chest, took a couple of breaths, then pouted, lightly punched his chest, and said fiercely:
"Bad guy."
Cheng Che smiled and hugged her even tighter, whispering in her ear:
"It seems you're no match for me on your own turf."
Pei Jingshu tilted her head back, her eyes bright, the corners of her mouth curving into a smile, her voice softening. "I'll never escape your grasp in this lifetime."
Cheng Che reached out and took her hand in his palm.
The two walked along the streets of Daegu for a while, and then Pei Jingshu led him into an alley.
The alley was narrow, lined with small shops on both sides. Some sold barbecue, some fried chicken, and some had plastic curtains hanging outside, with white steam rising from the gaps in the curtains.
She stopped in front of a shop, turned around, and smiled at him.
"I've been eating at this place since I was a child."
The shop is small, with a few stainless steel tables, faded menus on the walls, and the proprietress busy in the kitchen.
Upon seeing Pei Jingshu enter, he paused for a moment, then smiled and greeted her in Korean.
Pei Jingshu smiled and replied to her, then pulled Cheng Che to sit down in a seat further inside.
She ordered two bowls of grilled sausage soup, a plate of spicy stir-fried rice cakes, and a serving of flat dumplings.
When the food was served, the soup was still bubbling, the rice cakes were a bright red, and the dumpling wrappers were so thin you could see the filling inside.
Cheng Che picked up a piece of grilled sausage, dipped it in some sauce, and put it in his mouth.
The sausage casing was crispy, the meat inside was very tender, and the sauce had a slightly sweet and spicy flavor.
"Is it good?" Pei Jingshu asked, resting her chin on the back of her hand, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
"Delicious," he said. "Even better than that sundae soup in Seoul."
Pei Jingshu smiled with satisfaction, picked up a piece for herself, chewed it twice, and then proudly raised her chin:
"The grilled sausages in Daegu are much better than those in Seoul."
After they finished eating, Pei Jingshu took him to the high school she had attended.
The school is located on a slope. The iron gate at the school entrance was closed, but the lights in the teaching building inside were still on.
Pei Jingshu stood at the door, looking through the iron bars, and pointed to the building on the left.
"That's the third floor, my old classroom was over there." There was a hint of nostalgia in her voice, then she pointed to the top floor, "The music room is up there. I used to sneak up there to play the piano all the time, and I got caught by the teacher several times."
Cheng Che stood next to her, looking at her profile.
She spoke these words with a relaxed expression, as if she had returned to a long time ago.
"What were you like back then?" he asked with a smile.
Pei Jingshu thought for a moment, then tilted her head slightly:
"I'm pretty well-behaved, but not exactly obedient either. Anyway, the teachers can't do anything with me because I get good grades."
She laughed after she finished speaking, as if she thought she was quite funny back then.
"That's about the same as me."
Pei Jingshu glanced at him and laughed, "You were definitely more mischievous than me back then. You played tennis, you couldn't sit still."
Cheng Che didn't deny it, and smiled.
Actually, he's quite well-behaved; he's just too ordinary, with nothing particularly noteworthy about him.
After leaving the school, Pei Jingshu led him into a nearby food street.
The food street isn't wide, but it's lined with stalls on both sides, selling stir-fried rice cakes, tempura, and fish cake skewers. Steam and fumes rise up, making the whole street as bright as a city that never sleeps.
There were many people, with groups of young people, some standing and eating with paper bowls in hand, and others walking and chatting.
Cheng Che glanced around and saw that there were indeed quite a few people. He opened the system panel and equipped [ Fade into the Bustle ].
The effect was immediate; people's gazes swept past him, and no one gave him a second glance.
Pei Jingshu was holding his hand, standing in front of a sugar cake stall, and told the owner she wanted two.
She had just finished speaking when her phone rang.
She took out her phone, glanced at the screen, frowned slightly, and looked somewhat surprised.
"My mom?" she muttered softly, then answered, "Mom?"
The voice on the other end of the phone was very loud; Cheng Che could faintly hear it even standing next to him.
" Jingshu, you brought your boyfriend back to Daegu?" Her mother's voice came through the receiver, brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "Why didn't you bring him home?"
Pei Jingshu's eyes widened suddenly, her expression changing from surprise to panic. She then looked around as if searching for something.
"Mom, how did you know?" she asked in a low voice, her tone carrying a guilty conscience, as if she had been caught red-handed.
"Stop guessing." Her mother chuckled. " Auntie Li next door saw you holding hands with a man. When she called to tell me, I thought she was mistaken. But when your dad heard it, his face turned dark."
Pei Jingshu's face flushed red instantly, all the way to the roots of her ears.
" Auntie Li..." Her voice rose slightly, then she quickly lowered it again, "She... she saw it?"
Before Pei Jingshu could reply, her mother was still saying something on the other end of the phone when a different voice suddenly came from the other end.
A deep male voice spoke slowly, but every word carried an unyielding tone.
" Jingshu."
Pei Jingshu's expression immediately changed, and she stood up straight as if her father were standing right in front of her.
"Dad..."
"Go home first." Her father's voice was deep. He paused, then added, "Don't bring that man back."
Pei Jingshu opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her mother's voice came through the phone again.
"What do you mean 'that man'? He's Jingshu's boyfriend. You're making it sound like you're talking about something else."
"I said don't bring it back, so don't bring it back."
Her father's voice came from the side; it wasn't very clear, but you could tell his tone was harsh.
"How can you be like this?" Her mother's voice faded slightly, as if she were turning to speak to her father, "Our daughter brought her boyfriend home, and you're giving her that look?"
As Pei Jingshu listened, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upwards, and the panic she felt at being caught in the act subsided by half.
Her mother was speaking up for her, while her father was sullenly insisting, "Don't bring her back." The two of them were arguing back and forth, as if they were having a fight on the other end of the phone.
Then an even younger voice came through the phone.
Her voice was crisp and clear, and she spoke very quickly, with an excited air that seemed to enjoy watching a good show.
"Sis! Sis! You brought your husband back? I want to see him! Please bring him back! Dad, don't be so fierce, he's not a bad person!"
Upon hearing that voice, Pei Jingshu's expression changed from helplessness to a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"You're joining in the fun too," she said into the phone.
"I don't care, I want to see my brother-in-law!" Her sister's voice rose even higher, "Sister, did you hear me? Bring your brother-in-law back!"
The three people on the other end of the phone were still talking. Her dad said, "Don't bring him," her mom said, "Shut up," and her sister said, "I want to see my brother-in-law." Their voices were mixed together, creating a chaotic mess.
Pei Jingshu listened for a few seconds, then sighed, her tone softening.
"Okay, okay. I'll go back." She paused, then added, "I'll go back by myself."
She hung up the phone, put it away, stood in front of the stall, and took a deep breath.
Then she turned her head and looked at Cheng Che, her expression a little embarrassed.
"My mom knows we're back in Daegu," she said. " Auntie Li next door saw us and called her. My family wants me to go back."
Cheng Che paused for a moment, then smiled, "Okay, I'll take you."
Pei Jingshu nodded gently and took his hand, leading him towards home.
After walking for a while, I turned into a quiet alley. The houses on both sides were self-built courtyards with low walls, and I could see the lights on inside the courtyards.
Pei Jingshu stopped in front of an iron gate, slowing her pace. She was still holding his hand, but she didn't let go.
She glanced back at him.
She really wanted to take him inside.
The tone of her mother's voice on the phone clearly indicated that she wanted to meet the person.
Her sister even called him "brother-in-law" directly.
Her dad said "Don't bring her back," but she knew him well; he was all talk and no action. He wouldn't actually kick her out if they met.
But she was afraid.
She was afraid of her father's temper.
What if he drinks a couple of glasses of wine at the dinner table, slams his hand on the table and says, "When are you going to marry my daughter?" If Cheng Che gets scared and turns around and leaves, what will she do?
She went through so much trouble to bring him to Daegu; she couldn't take that risk.
She pondered these thoughts in her mind, but didn't say them aloud. She simply pursed her lips, suppressing those ideas.
Cheng Che had no idea what she was thinking.
If he knew, he'd probably be speechless. It's only the first time he's visited; what's the point of discussing marriage?
Even if her dad really wanted to bring it up, she wouldn't run away.
He's not the kind of person who's scared off by a single sentence.
Cheng Che noticed she seemed a little unhappy, but he didn't know why, so he didn't ask.
He lowered his head and gently touched her lips.
"Go in," he said gently.
Pei Jingshu stood at the door, looked at him for two seconds, and then pushed open the iron gate, turning back every few steps.
Cheng Che stood in the alley, watching her figure disappear behind the door before turning and leaving.
Pei Jingshu had just closed the iron gate when she turned around and saw three people in the yard.
Her father stood on the steps, arms crossed, looking unwell, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Her sister stood to the side, her hands clasped together, her expression suggesting she was waiting for a good show.
Her mother sat in a wicker chair in the yard, a distinctly maternal smile on her face, as if she had just finished watching a romantic movie.
Pei Jingshu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what she meant.
She kissed Cheng Che at the door just now.
The iron gate wasn't high.
The lights in the courtyard were on. Standing on the steps and looking down into the alley, the gap in the iron gate allowed you to see the people inside the alley clearly.
Her father stood on the steps, in a position that faced the alley.
Her mother was sitting in a wicker chair; the angle was slightly off, but she could still see her.
Her sister was standing next to her, and her expression clearly showed that she had seen everything.
Pei Jingshu's face burned from the base of her ears all the way down to her neck.
"You—" she opened her mouth, her voice trembling, "You were peeping!"
Her mother sat in the wicker chair, her auntly smile unwavering, and said in a very calm tone:
"It wasn't like we went to look on purpose. We just happened to be standing in the yard and glanced out."
"Just right?" Pei Jingshu's voice rose, tinged with unspoken shyness. "The three of you just happen to be in the courtyard, and just happen to be standing in a spot where you can see outside?"
Her mother didn't reply, but her smile deepened.
Her sister finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, but after being glared at by her father, she swallowed it back down.
"Alright, alright." Her mother stood up, patted her skirt, and said, "Come in, it won't be good if you catch a cold."
Pei Jingshu walked into the house with her head down, and her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.