Chapter 19: Food Street
Chapter Nineteen: Food Street
Qing Tian asked Ji Xiangyu, “Have you ever eaten bamboo shoot cake?”
Ji Xiangyu nodded. Qing Tian, a little puzzled, pressed on, “Then have you eaten Hakka cuisine?”
Ji Xiangyu smiled slightly and said, “When I was young, I would go to different places every summer vacation. I’ve basically been to all the domestic ones, and I’ve also been to European countries abroad. This Christmas, my parents will be performing in Vienna, and they hope I’ll go with them to meet their enlightenment teacher!”
Qing Tian had originally wanted to ask him if he had eaten Hakka snacks, but she ended up asking so much. Was she too superficial? What hadn’t a rich family’s son like Ji Xiangyu eaten? Hearing about his summer and winter break arrangements, her heart sank, and a hint of unfamiliarity flickered in her eyes.
Ji Xiangyu sensed Qing Tian’s sudden feeling of loss and knew that what he said had touched her pride. From their interactions over the past few times, he had realized that Qing Tian’s pride was too strong, and she tended to think of things too extremely!
He smiled at Qing Tian and then led her forward. After walking to a parking lot, Ji Xiangyu asked Qing Tian to wait at the intersection. Before long, she saw Ji Xiangyu drive a black sedan with four rings up to her.
Qing Tian looked at Ji Xiangyu with some hesitation and asked, “Can you drive?”
Ji Xiangyu opened the passenger door and made a gentlemanly gesture for her to get in. Qing Tian immediately got into the car and obediently fastened her seatbelt before looking at Ji Xiangyu with continued questions.
Ji Xiangyu smiled slightly and explained, “The driver had a family emergency today and took leave, so I’m driving myself! Usually, Uncle driver drives!”
A simple explanation made Qing Tian smile awkwardly.
Ji Xiangyu asked casually, “You don’t like it?”
Qing Tian looked at the scenery outside the car window and said faintly, “My opinion doesn’t matter!”
Ji Xiangyu turned the steering wheel and drove into a narrow road. Qing Tian was very familiar with this road, but she hadn’t expected a young master like Ji Xiangyu to be familiar with such a place.
Qing Tian stared out the window thoughtfully, sitting stiffly and feeling uncomfortable.
Ji Xiangyu glanced at Qing Tian, and seeing her sudden unfamiliarity, he felt a pang of sadness.
He asked, “Qing Tian, next weekend is my birthday. I’d like to invite you to be my dance partner!”
Qing Tian looked at him in surprise and asked, “I… Happy birthday!”
Ji Xiangyu chuckled, “It’s not here yet. I hope to hear you say it to me in person that day!”
Qing Tian lowered her head awkwardly, thinking about how to resolve the awkwardness. But as she lowered her head, Ji Xiangyu was left bewildered. He looked at Qing Tian with conflicted eyes and pressed, “You don’t need to reply right away. Call me when you’ve thought about it!”
As if remembering something, he added, “Give me your mobile phone!”
Qing Tian fumbled in her bag for her mobile phone and handed it to Ji Xiangyu. Ji Xiangyu said with some difficulty, “What’s the password?”
Qing Tian was taken aback, only realizing it afterward. She then apologetically took back her phone and swiped the screen.
As soon as it unlocked, Ji Xiangyu said, “It’s the same as mine!” He then smiled.
Qing Tian turned her head away a little shyly. Soon, soft music began to play in the car. The melody was very familiar, but Qing Tian couldn’t recall its name.
She asked curiously, “What’s this melody called?”
Ji Xiangyu drove with one hand and stiffly handed his phone to Qing Tian with the other. At that moment, her fingers brushed against his, and the brief touch was enough to make her feel warmth.
Qing Tian remembered that Ji Xiangyu’s hand had been in a plaster cast before; how had it healed so quickly?
Ji Xiangyu’s lips curved upwards, “Angle…..”
Qing Tian said “oh” and then asked, “Is your hand okay?”
Ji Xiangyu replied, “You actually remember that. But it’s fine. Last time it was just a minor scrape. My family insisted on exaggerating it.”
Qing Tian thought about today’s performance. It was strange that his family wasn’t nervous! She simply hummed in response and then turned her attention back to the window. Unbeknownst to her, the car had stopped. There were snack shops all around. She asked curiously, “Why are we here?”
Ji Xiangyu’s eyes lit up, “You’ll definitely like it, but it’s agreed, you’re treating!”
Ji Xiangyu’s words made Qing Tian blush with embarrassment, and she got out of the car.
Ji Xiangyu shielded her and said solicitously, “It’s crowded and complicated here, be careful!”
Hearing his casual remark, Qing Tian’s heart softened. She looked up at him. Due to the difference in height, she could only see his profile from this angle, making him appear mature and steady.
Ji Xiangyu placed his hand directly on Qing Tian’s shoulder and pulled her into his embrace with a gentle force. His heart pounded as he performed these actions.
Even the palm of the hand holding Qing Tian’s shoulder was covered in a dense layer of sweat. He looked ahead with a bashful expression.
Many young people by the roadside cast questioning glances at Ji Xiangyu. How could someone in a tuxedo, with such fine fabric, be at such a common food street? At first, Qing Tian paid it no mind, but when waves of girls started following them like infatuated fans, she turned to look at Ji Xiangyu and suddenly understood.
She asked softly, “Do you want to change your appearance?”
Ji Xiangyu looked at Qing Tian with gentle eyes and nodded slightly, “Okay!”
This “okay” completely melted Qing Tian’s heart.
His gentle gaze drove the girls around them wild. Before Qing Tian could react, Ji Xiangyu pulled her and ran into the crowd.
Qing Tian ran with Ji Xiangyu through the crowd. The people ahead seemed to have a tacit understanding and parted to make way for them.
At this moment, Qing Tian cried out in her heart: Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop… Let time freeze at this moment!
Chapter Twenty: An Unexpected Interruption
Qing Tian finally ran out of breath. Panting heavily, she said intermittently, “I can’t run anymore, I really can’t run anymore!”
Ji Xiangyu finally stopped, his expression unchanged. “Qing Tian, you need to exercise more.”
Qing Tian replied helplessly, “This is more exhausting than the school sports meet. You run too fast, you have no consideration for a lady!”
Ji Xiangyu reached out and ruffled Qing Tian’s hair, saying, “As expected of Qing Tian, you never back down from a verbal sparring. But this is the most unique you!”
Qing Tian muttered to herself, “So this is how she appears in his eyes!”
Ji Xiangyu added, “However, I like unique girls!”
Qing Tian didn’t believe him and said skeptically, “How many girls have you said that to?”
Ji Xiangyu held up three fingers in defense and swore, “I promise this is the first time I’ve said it today!”
Qing Tian smiled and turned away, not believing him, and walked ahead on her own.
Ji Xiangyu called out from behind her, “Why are you unhappy?”
Qing Tian quickened her pace, secretly smiling. It was quite nice to joke with people occasionally! She especially felt a thrill when she heard Ji Xiangyu calling out to her anxiously.
Just as Ji Xiangyu was about to chase after her, he saw this scene.
He saw Xia Yang, wearing large sunglasses and a cool leather jacket, grab Qing Tian’s hand. As he turned, he smirked wickedly at Ji Xiangyu and then, in front of the bustling street, led Qing Tian away.
Ji Xiangyu, unwilling to accept this, pushed through the crowd and chased after them. This time, he couldn’t let Qing Tian be taken away by Xia Yang like before. The same mistake could not happen a second time.
Qing Tian looked at Xia Yang’s retreating back in confusion, feeling a bit lost as he pulled her along.
Qing Tian struggled to free her hand and asked, “Xia Yang, what are you doing? I…”
Before Qing Tian could finish, Xia Yang pulled her forward again. Just then, Qing Tian’s other hand was grabbed, and she was pulled back and forth like a tug-of-war rope.
Qing Tian looked helplessly at the other end. Seeing Ji Xiangyu, her heart inexplicably rejoiced. But when she looked back at Xia Yang, she felt incredibly conflicted. What was going on with these two?
Qing Tian impatiently shook them both off and demanded, “What do you two want?”
Ji Xiangyu was a step ahead and pulled Qing Tian over, shielding her behind him. “Xia Yang, that’s enough!”
Qing Tian was confused. When did Ji Xiangyu and Xia Yang meet?
In Qing Tian’s subconscious, they were completely unrelated.
Xia Yang didn’t argue with Ji Xiangyu over Qing Tian. He adjusted his leather jacket with both hands and stood coolly and handsomely in place. Many girls nearby recognized Xia Yang and screamed, “Look, look, isn’t that Xia Yang from First High School? He’s so handsome!”
Qing Tian once again experienced the influence of handsome men. No matter where they went, they could be recognized. How difficult that must be!
Xia Yang said with a roguish smile, “How can it be enough? The game has just begun, don’t you think?”
Qing Tian was almost driven crazy by them. Were their conversations incomprehensible?
Ji Xiangyu whispered gently in Qing Tian’s ear, “Let’s go!”
As soon as they took a step, Xia Yang said, “What? Want to back out?”
Ji Xiangyu suppressed the anger in his heart, sighed, and said earnestly, “Xia Yang, I don’t want to get into a pointless argument with you here!”
Qing Tian looked at Ji Xiangyu questioningly, hoping to get an answer from him. Ji Xiangyu just smiled at her gently, which made her feel a little helpless.
Finally, when the atmosphere was at its lowest point, Xia Yang issued a challenge to Ji Xiangyu, “Ji Xiangyu, I’ll make an agreement with you today. If you win the football match at the end of this month, I will withdraw unconditionally!”
Ji Xiangyu asked, confused, “Don’t you not play football?”
Xia Yang smiled indifferently, “This makes it more challenging. I like it!”
Qing Tian asked from about two meters away, “Xia Yang, what are you two talking about?”
Xia Yang smiled gently at Qing Tian and then comforted her, “Qing Tian, this is an agreement between me and Ji Xiangyu. You just be the heroine.”
Heroine? Xia Yang’s mention of “heroine” made Qing Tian even more confused. Why were their words so cryptic? Qing Tian furrowed her brows, looking at Ji Xiangyu, then at Xia Yang. Suddenly, she thought of something. On this busy street, she helplessly shook off Ji Xiangyu’s hand and said angrily, “Are you treating me as a bet? Am I cargo or an object?”
Qing Tian’s face turned red with emotion.
Ji Xiangyu reached out to grab Qing Tian and explain, “Qing Tian, you’ve misunderstood… This matter is actually…” But before he could extend his hand, he saw Qing Tian disappear into the crowd.
He looked helplessly in the direction Qing Tian had disappeared, sighed, and thought, why did every beautiful beginning with her always encounter an unexpected obstacle?
Xia Yang, you just wait!
Ji Xiangyu said silently in his heart, then turned and ran to chase Qing Tian.
Xia Yang smirked as he watched them leave, made a victory sign with his hand, straddled his motorcycle, and made a cool exit!
Xia Yang thought to himself: Qing Tian, you are mine! Chapter Nineteen: Food Street
Qing Tian asked Ji Xiangyu, “Have you ever eaten bamboo shoot cake?”
Ji Xiangyu nodded. Qing Tian, a little puzzled, pressed on, “Then have you eaten Hakka cuisine?”
Ji Xiangyu smiled slightly and said, “When I was young, I would go to different places every summer vacation. I’ve basically been to all the domestic ones, and I’ve also been to European countries abroad. This Christmas, my parents will be performing in Vienna, and they hope I’ll go with them to meet their enlightenment teacher!”
Qing Tian had originally wanted to ask him if he had eaten Hakka snacks, but she ended up asking so much. Was she too superficial? What hadn’t a rich family’s son like Ji Xiangyu eaten? Hearing about his summer and winter break arrangements, her heart sank, and a hint of unfamiliarity flickered in her eyes.
Ji Xiangyu sensed Qing Tian’s sudden feeling of loss and knew that what he said had touched her pride. From their interactions over the past few times, he had realized that Qing Tian’s pride was too strong, and she tended to think of things too extremely!
He smiled at Qing Tian and then led her forward. After walking to a parking lot, Ji Xiangyu asked Qing Tian to wait at the intersection. Before long, she saw Ji Xiangyu drive a black sedan with four rings up to her.
Qing Tian looked at Ji Xiangyu with some hesitation and asked, “Can you drive?”
Ji Xiangyu opened the passenger door and made a gentlemanly gesture for her to get in. Qing Tian immediately got into the car and obediently fastened her seatbelt before looking at Ji Xiangyu with continued questions.
Ji Xiangyu smiled slightly and explained, “The driver had a family emergency today and took leave, so I’m driving myself! Usually, Uncle driver drives!”
A simple explanation made Qing Tian smile awkwardly.
Ji Xiangyu asked casually, “You don’t like it?”
Qing Tian looked at the scenery outside the car window and said faintly, “My opinion doesn’t matter!”
Ji Xiangyu turned the steering wheel and drove into a narrow road. Qing Tian was very familiar with this road, but she hadn’t expected a young master like Ji Xiangyu to be familiar with such a place.
Qing Tian stared out the window thoughtfully, sitting stiffly and feeling uncomfortable.
Ji Xiangyu glanced at Qing Tian, and seeing her sudden unfamiliarity, he felt a pang of sadness.
He asked, “Qing Tian, next weekend is my birthday. I’d like to invite you to be my dance partner!”
Qing Tian looked at him in surprise and asked, “I… Happy birthday!”
Ji Xiangyu chuckled, “It’s not here yet. I hope to hear you say it to me in person that day!”
Qing Tian lowered her head awkwardly, thinking about how to resolve the awkwardness. But as she lowered her head, Ji Xiangyu was left bewildered. He looked at Qing Tian with conflicted eyes and pressed, “You don’t need to reply right away. Call me when you’ve thought about it!”
As if remembering something, he added, “Give me your mobile phone!”
Qing Tian fumbled in her bag for her mobile phone and handed it to Ji Xiangyu. Ji Xiangyu said with some difficulty, “What’s the password?”
Qing Tian was taken aback, only realizing it afterward. She then apologetically took back her phone and swiped the screen.
As soon as it unlocked, Ji Xiangyu said, “It’s the same as mine!” He then smiled.
Qing Tian turned her head away a little shyly. Soon, soft music began to play in the car. The melody was very familiar, but Qing Tian couldn’t recall its name.
She asked curiously, “What’s this melody called?”
Ji Xiangyu drove with one hand and stiffly handed his phone to Qing Tian with the other. At that moment, her fingers brushed against his, and the brief touch was enough to make her feel warmth.
Qing Tian remembered that Ji Xiangyu’s hand had been in a plaster cast before; how had it healed so quickly?
Ji Xiangyu’s lips curved upwards, “Angle…..”
Qing Tian said “oh” and then asked, “Is your hand okay?”
Ji Xiangyu replied, “You actually remember that. But it’s fine. Last time it was just a minor scrape. My family insisted on exaggerating it.”
Qing Tian thought about today’s performance. It was strange that his family wasn’t nervous! She simply hummed in response and then turned her attention back to the window. Unbeknownst to her, the car had stopped. There were snack shops all around. She asked curiously, “Why are we here?”
Ji Xiangyu’s eyes lit up, “You’ll definitely like it, but it’s agreed, you’re treating!”
Ji Xiangyu’s words made Qing Tian blush with embarrassment, and she got out of the car.
Ji Xiangyu shielded her and said solicitously, “It’s crowded and complicated here, be careful!”
Hearing his casual remark, Qing Tian’s heart softened. She looked up at him. Due to the difference in height, she could only see his profile from this angle, making him appear mature and steady.
Ji Xiangyu placed his hand directly on Qing Tian’s shoulder and pulled her into his embrace with a gentle force. His heart pounded as he performed these actions.
Even the palm of the hand holding Qing Tian’s shoulder was covered in a dense layer of sweat. He looked ahead with a bashful expression.
Many young people by the roadside cast questioning glances at Ji Xiangyu. How could someone in a tuxedo, with such fine fabric, be at such a common food street? At first, Qing Tian paid it no mind, but when waves of girls started following them like infatuated fans, she turned to look at Ji Xiangyu and suddenly understood.
She asked softly, “Do you want to change your appearance?”
Ji Xiangyu looked at Qing Tian with gentle eyes and nodded slightly, “Okay!”
This “okay” completely melted Qing Tian’s heart.
His gentle gaze drove the girls around them wild. Before Qing Tian could react, Ji Xiangyu pulled her and ran into the crowd.
Qing Tian ran with Ji Xiangyu through the crowd. The people ahead seemed to have a tacit understanding and parted to make way for them.
At this moment, Qing Tian cried out in her heart: Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop… Let time freeze at this moment!
Chapter Twenty: An Unexpected Interruption
Qing Tian finally ran out of breath. Panting heavily, she said intermittently, “I can’t run anymore, I really can’t run anymore!”
Ji Xiangyu finally stopped, his expression unchanged. “Qing Tian, you need to exercise more.”
Qing Tian replied helplessly, “This is more exhausting than the school sports meet. You run too fast, you have no consideration for a lady!”
Ji Xiangyu reached out and ruffled Qing Tian’s hair, saying, “As expected of Qing Tian, you never back down from a verbal sparring. But this is the most unique you!”
Qing Tian muttered to herself, “So this is how she appears in his eyes!”
Ji Xiangyu added, “However, I like unique girls!”
Qing Tian didn’t believe him and said skeptically, “How many girls have you said that to?”
Ji Xiangyu held up three fingers in defense and swore, “I promise this is the first time I’ve said it today!”
Qing Tian smiled and turned away, not believing him, and walked ahead on her own.
Ji Xiangyu called out from behind her, “Why are you unhappy?”
Qing Tian quickened her pace, secretly smiling. It was quite nice to joke with people occasionally! She especially felt a thrill when she heard Ji Xiangyu calling out to her anxiously.
Just as Ji Xiangyu was about to chase after her, he saw this scene.
He saw Xia Yang, wearing large sunglasses and a cool leather jacket, grab Qing Tian’s hand. As he turned, he smirked wickedly at Ji Xiangyu and then, in front of the bustling street, led Qing Tian away.
Ji Xiangyu, unwilling to accept this, pushed through the crowd and chased after them. This time, he couldn’t let Qing Tian be taken away by Xia Yang like before. The same mistake could not happen a second time.
Qing Tian looked at Xia Yang’s retreating back in confusion, feeling a bit lost as he pulled her along.
Qing Tian struggled to free her hand and asked, “Xia Yang, what are you doing? I…”
Before Qing Tian could finish, Xia Yang pulled her forward again. Just then, Qing Tian’s other hand was grabbed, and she was pulled back and forth like a tug-of-war rope.
Qing Tian looked helplessly at the other end. Seeing Ji Xiangyu, her heart inexplicably rejoiced. But when she looked back at Xia Yang, she felt incredibly conflicted. What was going on with these two?
Qing Tian impatiently shook them both off and demanded, “What do you two want?”
Ji Xiangyu was a step ahead and pulled Qing Tian over, shielding her behind him. “Xia Yang, that’s enough!”
Qing Tian was confused. When did Ji Xiangyu and Xia Yang meet?
In Qing Tian’s subconscious, they were completely unrelated.
Xia Yang didn’t argue with Ji Xiangyu over Qing Tian. He adjusted his leather jacket with both hands and stood coolly and handsomely in place. Many girls nearby recognized Xia Yang and screamed, “Look, look, isn’t that Xia Yang from First High School? He’s so handsome!”
Qing Tian once again experienced the influence of handsome men. No matter where they went, they could be recognized. How difficult that must be!
Xia Yang said with a roguish smile, “How can it be enough? The game has just begun, don’t you think?”
Qing Tian was almost driven crazy by them. Were their conversations incomprehensible?
Ji Xiangyu whispered gently in Qing Tian’s ear, “Let’s go!”
As soon as they took a step, Xia Yang said, “What? Want to back out?”
Ji Xiangyu suppressed the anger in his heart, sighed, and said earnestly, “Xia Yang, I don’t want to get into a pointless argument with you here!”
Qing Tian looked at Ji Xiangyu questioningly, hoping to get an answer from him. Ji Xiangyu just smiled at her gently, which made her feel a little helpless.
Finally, when the atmosphere was at its lowest point, Xia Yang issued a challenge to Ji Xiangyu, “Ji Xiangyu, I’ll make an agreement with you today. If you win the football match at the end of this month, I will withdraw unconditionally!”
Ji Xiangyu asked, confused, “Don’t you not play football?”
Xia Yang smiled indifferently, “This makes it more challenging. I like it!”
Qing Tian asked from about two meters away, “Xia Yang, what are you two talking about?”
Xia Yang smiled gently at Qing Tian and then comforted her, “Qing Tian, this is an agreement between me and Ji Xiangyu. You just be the heroine.”
Heroine? Xia Yang’s mention of “heroine” made Qing Tian even more confused. Why were their words so cryptic? Qing Tian furrowed her brows, looking at Ji Xiangyu, then at Xia Yang. Suddenly, she thought of something. On this busy street, she helplessly shook off Ji Xiangyu’s hand and said angrily, “Are you treating me as a bet? Am I cargo or an object?”
Qing Tian’s face turned red with emotion.
Ji Xiangyu reached out to grab Qing Tian and explain, “Qing Tian, you’ve misunderstood… This matter is actually…” But before he could extend his hand, he saw Qing Tian disappear into the crowd.
He looked helplessly in the direction Qing Tian had disappeared, sighed, and thought, why did every beautiful beginning with her always encounter an unexpected obstacle?
Xia Yang, you just wait!
Ji Xiangyu said silently in his heart, then turned and ran to chase Qing Tian.
Xia Yang smirked as he watched them leave, made a victory sign with his hand, straddled his motorcycle, and made a cool exit!
Xia Yang thought to himself: Qing Tian, you are mine!
