Chapter 204: 203 Foodie And Musician
The next morning, Wang Heng left the school gate and met Pei Ningle waiting at the nearby subway station.
The temperature had risen today, so the young girl could wear something lighter. Under her refreshing ponytail was a light yellow long-sleeved hooded T-shirt, along with a dark-colored suspender skirt. The zipper at the hem of the skirt had red-and-black plaid decoration, making her look very youthful and vibrant. But what drew the eyes even more was undoubtedly the slender legs wrapped in black stockings under the skirt hem.
Compared to Ye Xun and Lu Qi, Pei Ningle’s legs were obviously a bit shorter, giving her a slightly cute look.
Wang Heng couldn’t help but fantasize darkly: if those stockings were replaced with white high socks for an absolute territory, it would be… the wonder of yesterday reborn.
Walking up to the young girl, he cleared the dirty thoughts from his mind and asked in the posture of a gentleman: “Have you decided? What do you want to eat?”
Pei Ningle lifted her small face and smiled: “I’ve decided! We’re going to eat everywhere!”
Wang Heng couldn’t help but feel puzzled: “What do you mean by eat everywhere?”
“Since it’s hard to decide, then don’t decide. At noon today, we’re eating different things at different places, the more varieties the better.”
Wang Heng glanced at the young girl’s petite belly and questioned: “How many things can you eat?”
“Just a little each time!” Pei Ningle asked again, “Do you have any suggestions for specific places?”
“As for places where snack shops gather, let me think…” The otaku who had only been in Rongdu for a few months racked his brains and could only give a mainstream and cliché answer: “Xichun Road.”
Pei Ningle: “Xichun Road?”
Wang Heng: “Yeah, take the subway there, it’s convenient.”
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As one of Rongdu’s landmarks, Xichun Road is a check-in spot for many out-of-town tourists.
So in the subway carriage, the two already felt the crowd’s squeeze. Wang Heng protected Pei Ningle, securing a bit of space for her by the door so she wouldn’t be squeezed over. After exiting the station, the crowding eased somewhat, but the sea of heads in their view was even denser…
“I can’t see anything!” Pei Ningle couldn’t help but complain.
Oh right, this future singer, without high heels, couldn’t even see the sea of heads. Her line of sight was completely blocked by the people nearby.
Wang Heng checked Dazhong Dianping on his mobile phone and pointed in a direction: “There’s a boneless chicken feet shop over there with pretty good reviews. Want to try it?”
“Boneless chicken feet?” Pei Ningle immediately perked up. “They remove the bones from the chicken feet so you can eat them in big bites?”
Wang Heng: “Never tried it, but probably. Shall we go now?”
Pei Ningle: “Is it far from here?”
Wang Heng checked his mobile phone again: “Should be less than three hundred meters…”
Pei Ningle decisively said: “Let’s go!”
Avoiding the most crowded core area of Xichun Road, the two walked a bit and indeed found that small shop.
The shop selling boneless chicken feet was by a small alley, with no seating. Over a dozen customers lined up at the doorway, blocking half of the already narrow alley.
Wang Heng and Pei Ningle queued for a few minutes, bought two portions packed in a paper bag, and ate them poked with sticks.
The young girl eagerly took a bite, chewed twice, and her bright big eyes sparkled even more.
After swallowing, she couldn’t help praising: “The texture is great, and the spicy flavor is really flavorful. Pretty good!”
Wang Heng echoed while eating: “Yeah.”
Pei Ningle turned her head to stare at the paper bag in his hand and asked: “How’s the five-spice flavor?”
Wang Heng: “Not bad…”
Pei Ningle held her stick, eager to try: “Can I taste it?”
Wang Heng handed the paper bag to her.
The young girl poked a small piece, bit it into her mouth, chewed a few times, and nodded: “The five-spice one’s good too!”
Wang Heng silently finished his portion and saw the young girl couldn’t help turning to look at the chicken feet shop.
“Do you want to buy another?” he asked.
Pei Ningle was silent for a moment, then reluctantly refused: “No more, save room for others!”
————
After eating ice jelly, pot helmet, and skewer chicken, Pei Ningle and Wang Heng arrived at a milk tea shop on the outskirts of Xichun Road. They had been eating on the go all the way, and now they could finally sit down, drink some beverage, and rest.
Wang Heng took out his mobile phone, scrolled through recent news, and boredly closed the browser. Looking up, he saw the young girl holding a pen and notebook, softly humming while writing and drawing in the notebook.
After a few strokes, the humming melody suddenly stuttered. She looked up at the clouds in the sky, muttering to herself, but no one could hear what she was saying.
Retracting her gaze, Pei Ningle observed the nearby pedestrians with interest… She watched for a good while, then lowered her head to continue writing.
What she was writing was probably simple notation again?
As Wang Heng was secretly guessing, Pei Ningle suddenly looked up, her lips curving, her round big eyes full of smiles.
She said happily: “Inspiration! Inspiration came! Quick, we need to find a place where I can play piano!”
Wang Heng searched on his mobile phone and said: “Five hundred meters from here, there’s a music store.”
Pei Ningle grabbed his wrist and urgently pulled him up.
“Then let’s hurry over!”
Wang Heng identified the direction, then led her toward the music store. His pace was fast, so Pei Ningle could only trot with small steps to keep up—despite that, the young girl had no resentment, nor did she ask him to slow down.
He could tell Pei Ningle had some inspiration again now. The more this happened, the more she needed to pour out the inspiration quickly by any means, like finding a musical instrument to play the melody in her mind, trying different chord progressions… For that, even running right after eating full was fine.
Soon, Wang Heng found the music store in an old small shopping mall on the outer side of Xichun Road.
Though next to a bustling spot, the mall was somewhat deserted. The music store on its third floor was even emptier, quite quiet.
Pei Ningle found an ordinary folk guitar inside, tested the sound, tuned it slightly, and began playing.
Accompanied by her own guitar, the young girl suddenly sang:
“I want to let go of every dream from before,
Let go of the impulse to pursue perfection,
Let go of the dazzling vanity,
Hide in a cave for one person…”
Hearing the first verse’s lyrics, Wang Heng couldn’t help but feel surprised.
Seeing Pei Ningle’s excited demeanor along the way, and considering the tentative name “Dawn,” he thought the song would be upbeat. But her singing style now was somewhat low, somewhat melancholic.
This unfamiliar and winding melody made Wang Heng a bit anticipatory.
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