CIATB Chapter 31 Don't Call Me Sister
Chapter 31 Don't Call Me Sister
Chapter 31 Don't Call Me Sister
"We've got them!" The proprietress raised her head and glanced at the two with a smile: "Young man, you're quite the smooth talker. Young lady, please come in."
She led Yu Huan and Lin Yourong into the inner room and pushed open a wooden door with peeling paint.
The first thing you see is a dark passageway with several closed doors on the left and right, leading to a doorway at the end of the passageway.
You can see a middle-aged man leisurely riding an electric bike through the alley outside.
To the left, near the door, is an old concrete staircase.
The edges were worn and uneven, revealing a little of the sand and steel bars inside.
As the door opened, the motion-activated light turned on.
Going up the stairs to the second floor, the proprietress took out a bunch of keys and opened a door next to the stairwell.
Inside the door.
Bright as day.
The proprietress turned around and said, "I think the young man looks a bit unfamiliar. How did you know there's a private room here that's not open to the public?"
"Thank you for the introduction," Yu Huan said calmly.
"oh oh."
Even if she couldn't immediately recall who it was, the proprietress nodded hastily, showing no sign of doubt.
This young man.
So handsome!
When Lin Yourong saw the interior furnishings, her confusion was immediately resolved.
No wonder this private room isn't open to the public!
The space is about ten square meters.
Upon entering, there is a small sofa, and boxes and bags of items are piled up haphazardly in the corners.
It was probably used for resting and storing seasonings.
In the center, there is a round table.
The proprietress glanced at the notepad: "Handsome, it's a large portion of spicy crayfish, buy three and get one free, plus a serving of fish mouth sauce?"
"That's right!"
Yu Huan placed the snail rice noodles on the table, pulled out a chair for Lin Yourong, and gestured for her to sit down.
He smiled slightly, revealing an exceptionally bright smile: "Sister, could you lend me the rooftop key? I want to take her to see the fireworks."
"Wow! You even know that? Looks like it was a referral from a regular customer!"
Even though it was the first time the proprietress had seen this young man, upon hearing these words, she immediately pulled out a worn, dark yellow key tied with a thin string from her pocket.
Yu Huan accepted it with both hands: "Thank you, sister! I'll give it back to you when I leave."
Hear the words.
She glanced at Lin Yourong's composed profile as she sat in the chair and couldn't help but tease, "Is your girlfriend a celebrity?"
Lin Yourong pretended not to hear, took out her phone, and started scrolling by herself.
Yu Huan put the keys in his pocket, his expression unchanged: "Yes, my girlfriend is Liu Yifei."
"You really have the nerve!" the proprietress said with a laugh.
She was a seasoned veteran, so she stopped there and turned to leave, saying, "Handsome guy, pretty girl, just a moment, the food will be served shortly."
Yu Huan smiled and said, "My girlfriend just had a beauty treatment, and she sang so hard last night that she lost her voice, so she's too embarrassed to show her face."
"Oh, then I'll help you close the door."
The proprietress suddenly realized what was happening, turned around, said something sarcastic, and closed the door.
The private room window was just inches away from a five-story residential building; if you leaned out, you could hold hands with the person across from you.
Yu Huan pulled out a chair and sat down next to Lin Yourong: "How about it? This restaurant looks authentic, doesn't it?"
“I’ve never had any surgery on my face,” Lin Yourong said, raising her head slightly before pausing. “Whether it tastes right or not, you’ll only know after you’ve tasted it.”
"That's right, Sister Yourong is naturally beautiful!"
Yu Huan untied the tightly sealed snail rice noodles and placed the two bowls in front of the two of them.
He continued, "Once the food is served, I'll draw the curtains. You can sit with your back to the door and eat without worry."
"it is good."
Lin Yourong, who was playing with her phone, nodded.
Ten minutes later, the proprietress quickly served the two dishes one after the other.
A large bowl of spicy crayfish, and a serving of fish mouth.
Fish mouth, a Hunan dish, is very elaborate.
Fresh fish lips are selected. Although there is not much meat in the fish mouth, the meat is tender and full of collagen. The finished dish must not have any fishy smell and has a particularly good taste.
Put it in your mouth and slurp it up; the fresh and flavorful taste, along with the spicy sensation, hits you right in the head.
That was so authentic, so beautiful!
Yu Huan saw the proprietress come in carrying a thermos, and took out two cans of herbal tea from her pocket and placed them next to them.
Once all the food was served, I first checked the bill with the proprietress, then took out the bill from my pocket and paid the money.
Yu Huan said "thank you".
"You're welcome!" the proprietress said with a smile as she closed the door.
Yu Huan immediately got up and drew the curtains.
When she turned around, Lin Yourong had already taken off her mask and sunglasses with lightning speed, and her slender fingers, wrapped in disposable gloves, began to peel shrimp.
Yu Huan sat in the chair and opened the lids of the two bowls of snail rice noodles, instantly filling the private room with a mixture of aroma and stench.
He pushed a bowl in front of Lin Yourong.
She put a shrimp in her mouth and said casually, "My dad also said you've never been in a relationship. I think he's probably mistaken about you."
"what?"
Yu Huan had just slurped up a mouthful of noodles.
I swallowed it hastily, feeling a bit dazed.
"I've never even properly held a girl's hand in my entire life, let alone talked about love!?"
Lin Yourong shook her head: "You call her 'sister' so affectionately. Luckily, this auntie is several generations older than you!"
I almost had "I don't believe you" written all over my face again.
Yu Huan was once again wronged but unable to speak out.
"The spicy crayfish is indeed very flavorful, but the portion of snail rice noodles is way too much!"
Lin Yourong picked up her chopsticks with her right hand and pushed the snail rice noodles toward Yu Huan with her left hand, quickly scooping half of the noodles into his bowl.
Yu Huan calmly watched her perform her routine: "Eating too many carbohydrates can indeed easily lead to weight gain."
"Ah."
Lin Yourong lowered her head and slurped up a mouthful of snail rice noodles.
He then picked up a tiger-skin chicken foot from the broth, sucked on it, spat the bits into the bone dish, and commented, "These chicken feet are very flavorful after soaking in the broth. The noodles are also really delicious and refreshing, but they're a bit smelly, like stinky socks!"
"As long as it tastes good. Hmm, there are many foods that smell bad but taste delicious, such as stinky mandarin fish, durian, and beef offal soup hot pot."
The beginning was fine, but when Lin Yourong heard the latter part, she hurriedly shook her head: "Apart from cow dung soup, I can accept anything else."
"And what about douzhi (fermented mung bean juice)?" Yu Huan asked in a thick Beijing accent.
"It smells awful, and it even smells like swill!"
She picked up the bright red crayfish, pinched the tail with her fingertips and gently tore it open, revealing plump, white and pinkish-white meat with wisps of steam rising from it.
I dipped some broth into the bottom of the bowl, and since the shrimp tails had been cut open, I put one in my mouth and gently sucked it, and the shell and meat separated easily.
Lin Yourong chewed in small bites, her cherry-red lips glistening with a little oil.
She commented, "The best thing to eat is still the crayfish!"
"Me too!" Yu Huan peeled a shrimp and handed it to her.
Lin Yourong quickly raised her Buddha Palm to block: "You have to peel crayfish yourself to enjoy the flavor!"
"Row."
Yu Huan immediately threw it into his mouth.
Both of them ate very politely, and both had large appetites.
At the same time, Yu Huan casually commented on the local delicacies, recounting one bizarre dish after another.
For example, roasted pig brains, spicy rabbit heads, cicada nymphs, live eggs, and virgin boy eggs.
Lin Yourong frowned as she listened.
The two devoured all the food on the table, and Yu Huan brought her lips to the straw to take a sip of her herbal tea.
Suddenly, faint music entered my ears, and at the same time, it sounded as if thunder was exploding in the sky.
Yu Huan quickly stood up: "Sister You Rong, the fireworks have started!"
"Ah."
Lin Yourong took off her disposable plastic gloves and wiped her palms several times with a tissue.
He then wiped his mouth with a tissue and finally wiped his nose.
She put on a mask, put her sunglasses in her pocket, and slowly followed Yu Huan upstairs. Yu Huan held onto the cold iron railing with her left hand, taking two steps at a time, and soon arrived at the door to the rooftop on the fourth floor.
He took out his key, unlocked the padlock, and pushed open the rickety, mottled wooden door.
Looking out, you are greeted by an absolutely dreamlike pure blue firework, the holy grail of the fireworks industry, a very rare and precious color.
Accompanied by beautiful instrumental music, it slowly unfolds and spreads out on the sky, scattering like stars in all directions.
The two stood side by side on the edge of the rooftop. Not far below was a crowded road, and the riverbank was teeming with people. The Poet Saint's Pavilion was resplendent in gold and green, and further away was the shimmering, wide river surface.
In the far distance, one can vaguely see Orange Isle and the outline of the rolling hills.
A dazzling array of colorful fireworks rose and fell, vying for attention.
As the music grew more intense, the fireworks burst into greater density and spectacle, spreading wildly across the sky.
Blooming flowers, cascading waterfalls.
Each firework seemed to be imbued with life in its fleeting moments, dancing gracefully and drifting down.
Time flies by, bit by bit.
The music slowed down, nearing its end.
"Sister Yourong, you're so beautiful~"
"Don't call me sister." The whispered words seemed to come from afar, slowly reaching my ears.
"Oh……"
Yu Huan turned to look at her.
Upon noticing her, he turned around.
The two were relatively speechless.
Above the black cotton mask, beneath the brim of the hat, a soft, limpid gleam seemed to shimmer in the eyes.
Yu Huan, acting on impulse, took her hand that was hanging by her side without hesitation.
immediately.
The two turned around at the same time and continued to look at the brilliant sky.
Yu Huan felt that it was angular and sharp when she touched it, and her slender fingers were taut, but after a while, it softened and melted into her palm.
From slightly cool to warm.
Her hands were as soft as tender shoots.
The skin is like gelatin.
Yu Huan secretly glanced at her.
Lin Yourong's slightly white neck, visible beneath the brim of her hat, appeared somewhat red, as if she had fallen into a state of flushed redness.
Even though Lin Yourong's features are indistinct at this moment, she is more beautiful than fireworks.
Yu Huan, who was longing for her, suddenly wanted to hug her.
man.
Holding hands makes me want to hug, and hugging makes me want to kiss.
I just want to touch it after a kiss...
It's in our nature; we can't control it.
His mind was wandering, and he was about to turn halfway around when the music suddenly stopped.
As the last glimmer of color from the fireworks faded, the sky returned to its deep darkness, but the dazzling light and shadow seemed to linger on the retinas of the two people.
Lin Yourong abruptly withdrew her hand, took long strides, and headed straight for the rooftop door.
I paused in front of the door.
She didn't turn around, but simply said, "The fireworks are over, let's go."
Yu Huan was stunned for a moment.
He immediately followed behind her, saying, "Okay, Rongrong."
"Ah."
Lin Yourong nodded in a voice barely audible.
They exchanged the keys with the proprietress, and the two left the shop and walked down the street.
The crowds, shoulder to shoulder, were barely dispersing, and the main road was completely jammed.
This situation may continue for at least an hour before the car can be driven out.
Amidst the bustling crowd and the cold wind blowing against her face, Yu Huan's pounding heart finally calmed down a little.
He turned to look at Lin Yourong beside him: "How about we take a walk, go for a stroll, and digest our food?"
"Okay." She nodded.
The street was incredibly crowded, packed with people, and the two of them stood side by side.
Yu Huan simply and naturally took Lin Yourong's hand and put it in the front pocket of his hoodie, which was very warm.
Instead of squeezing into the crowd, I led her from Gutan Street next door, turning into Xiwemiaoping Alley.
As they walked further in, Lin Yourong acted as if she knew the place better than he did, even leading him through the streets and alleys.
Browsing through a small jewelry store.
Because many parts of the road were uphill, the two walked very slowly.
They didn't talk much.
Their hands never parted.
Unknowingly, I arrived at Nanmenkou Middle School, which is adjacent to the pedestrian street.
Even though it was past nine o'clock at night, the barbecue stalls were still sizzling, and the sweet aroma of sugar-coated glutinous rice cakes filled the air. The night market stalls were packed with people.
The various shops lining the school gate were brightly lit, showing no intention of closing.
The iron gate separated the tranquility of the campus from the hustle and bustle of the south gate.
The teaching building was dark at this time, and the students had already finished their evening self-study.
Lin Yourong stopped and looked around, then suddenly sighed, "How nostalgic! Standing here, it feels like I've returned to my teenage years when I first entered school. But before I knew it, I was already in my mid-twenties."
Did you study here before?
"Yes."
"Oh, there's no need to be so nostalgic. At least you have me now."
The words fell.
Yu Huan felt the soft hand he was holding in his pocket tense up for a moment.
I turned my head and looked at a milk tea shop on the street.
Suddenly remembering Lin Yourong's nickname for him, he joked, "Can you buy me a milk tea? I don't want to spend my own money, because my money—is useful."
That winking and grimacing look of his clearly means he's just joking.
Lin Yourong glanced at him and chuckled, "Okay, you spent several hundred yuan tonight, so I'll be merciful and treat you to an eight-yuan medium-sized drink."
There was a queue of more than ten people in front of the milk tea shop.
Yu Huan already knew that Lin Yourong disliked being in crowds, so when she got closer, she let go of the hand that was in her pocket.
"Rongrong, what would you like to drink? I'll go queue up."
She was told not to call her "sister," but the way she addressed her earlier made Lin Yourong pause for a moment.
It seems like they haven't fully gotten used to it yet.
After hearing Yu Huan finish speaking, she slowly withdrew her hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "Milk green, I guess."
"Okay, I'll treat you to a drink!"
Upon hearing this, she simply nodded slightly and stood by the street waiting for him.
Yu Huan was at the end of the line. A short while later, when it was his turn, he had just ordered two cups of milk tea, counted out the bills to pay, and his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
I took it out and turned on the screen to take a look.
It's a bank transfer notification SMS.
Five thousand dollars.
The remitter is Lin Yourong.
Yu Huan immediately turned her head and saw Lin Yourong standing on the open space not far across the street, looking down at her phone.
It was obviously a payment that was just transferred via mobile banking.
The brim of the hat and the mask completely covered his face, so it was impossible to tell what his expression was.
Suddenly.
I received another text message from her: It will be deducted from next year's two million.
Yu Huan decisively switched to handwriting input and replied: 彳亍.
(End of this chapter)