“Not yet.”
She tugged at his sleeve, “I haven’t eaten either. Let’s have dinner together?”
Before Pei Chen could answer, Liang Zhiyi grabbed his umbrella, “Come on, I’m starving.”
She bounced out of the room, her braids swinging lightly. Pei Chen watched her back and couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so he followed her.
At the entrance of the café, Liang Zhiyi opened the umbrella, and Pei Chen took it from her. She naturally followed beside him as they walked forward. The girl was noticeably more cheerful than before, playfully complaining, “Pei Chen, it’s all your fault for being so tall. I’m still getting wet walking beside you.”
Pei Chen glanced at her, “You could have gotten another umbrella from the café.”
“Your umbrella is big enough; it’s just that you keep standing so far away from me.”
As she said this, a couple walked past them under an umbrella. The man had his arm around his girlfriend, holding her close. The sight made Liang Zhiyi pause for a moment.
Liang Zhiyi nodded, commenting, “I think standing like this is just fine.”
Pei Chen: “…”
How could she say something so shameless so easily?
Though he maintained some distance between them, Pei Chen tilted the umbrella more towards her side. Seeing this, Liang Zhiyi sighed, “You’re getting wet yourself, you know?”
Finally, they stood a bit closer, but she noticed he was still tilting the umbrella towards her. She couldn’t help but think how wooden he could be, yet she felt a warm sensation in her heart.
As she gazed at the rain in front of them, Liang Zhiyi asked, “Pei Chen, do you remember the first time we met? It was also on a rainy day like this.”
But that time, he had accidentally knocked her umbrella down.
This was the first time they had shared an umbrella, walking together in the rain.
Pei Chen recalled how the girl had worn a sea-blue long dress that day, her platinum and ice-blue dress making her look like a little princess.
When she noticed he wasn’t responding, Liang Zhiyi huffed, “Judging by your silence, you must have forgotten.”
Pei Chen didn’t offer any explanation.
As they reached a busier, more central street, he asked, “What do you want to eat?”
He hesitated for a moment before adding softly, “There might not be any very nice restaurants around here.”
Liang Zhiyi scanned the area and finally pointed to a lively street, “What’s over there?”
“That street has a row of places to eat.”
“Let’s go there, then.”
Pei Chen’s eyes showed a brief moment of surprise, and Liang Zhiyi asked, puzzled, “What is it? Don’t you want to eat there?”
“No.”
He just hadn’t expected her to be willing to go to a more down-to-earth, bustling street, given that she was a privileged young lady.
But in reality, she frequented places like this. Even though she was used to gourmet food, she could appreciate simple, local dishes. As they walked down the lively street, Liang Zhiyi mentioned that she hadn’t been there much and let Pei Chen choose the place. She added that she could eat anything except fish and bullfrog.
Pei Chen walked along, eventually picking a noodle shop that looked decent inside, thinking it might be acceptable to her.
Liang Zhiyi agreed, and they entered the shop. After placing their order at the counter, the server said, “That’ll be 48 yuan. Will you be paying together?”
Just as Liang Zhiyi reached for her phone, Pei Chen had already handed over a fifty-yuan bill to the cashier, saying, “Together.”
“Eh?”
They found a place to sit, and Liang Zhiyi rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a puffed-up expression. “I said on the way here that I was treating. Why did you take that away from me?”
She knew that Pei Chen’s family wasn’t well-off, and she didn’t want to add to his financial burden by inviting him out for a meal.
Pei Chen lowered his eyelashes, unwrapping the plastic around the chopsticks. “It’s nothing.”
He simply felt that when eating out, he shouldn’t let the girl pay.
Seeing this, Liang Zhiyi, not wanting to make him feel bad, decided not to press the matter. “Well then, thank you for treating me today, Class Monitor.”
The server brought over hot water for them to sanitize their dishes and utensils. As Liang Zhiyi was doing so, a young girl’s voice sounded beside her, “Excuse me… are you Miss Zhiyi?”
Standing by the table were two young girls who looked like they were still in middle school. Liang Zhiyi was slightly surprised and nodded. The girl who spoke became excited, “I’ve seen you in “That Year, Quietly”. You played the younger version of the main character. You were amazing; I really liked your performance…”
Liang Zhiyi had never considered herself a celebrity, so she didn’t usually disguise herself when walking around. Now, being recognized, she felt her face heat up and humbly said, “Oh, it was just a small role.”
“Miss Zhiyi, you’re so beautiful…”
The girls hadn’t expected Liang Zhiyi to be even more stunning in person than on camera—fair-skinned, slender, and with a flawless appearance.
They asked, “Can we take a few pictures with you?”
“Of course.” Liang Zhiyi agreed generously, scooting over to make room for them. The two girls excitedly sat down, and one of them raised her phone.
Pei Chen, sitting across from her, watched as the girl in front of him smiled brightly for the camera, making several cute gestures. Her fair, smooth skin seemed to glow with youthful vitality, and her eyes sparkled as if filled with stars.
His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, almost involuntarily.
After the photos were taken, the two girls left happily, and Liang Zhiyi, resting her face in her hands, looked at Pei Chen with a smile:
“So, what do you think? Did you realize how charming I am?”
He looked up at her. “Just now, in front of them, was one of the rare moments you were actually humble.”
Liang Zhiyi let out a light hum, swinging her leg under the table. “Am I really that narcissistic?”
He didn’t answer.
It was as if he was saying she was being obvious.
Liang Zhiyi leaned on the table, watching him. “Pei Chen, have you ever watched any of the movies I’ve acted in? Even though I’ve only played minor roles.”
“I haven’t,” he replied bluntly, not giving her any praise.
Liang Zhiyi wasn’t bothered. “That’s okay. Next year, a movie called “Silent and Unseen” is supposed to be released. My uncle directed it, and I have a small part in it. If you have time, you can check it out.”
A few seconds later, he nodded in agreement.
After a while, the two bowls of noodles were brought to their table.
As Liang Zhiyi ate, she looked up at Pei Chen after a moment.
Just a couple of days ago, she never would have imagined that she would be sitting here, having a meal with Pei Chen. She had thought their relationship was headed towards an icy end.
But at this moment, she suddenly realized that Pei Chen had become increasingly special to her.
Initially, she had just thought he was very handsome, but now she was starting to see more—his pride, his persistence, and his kindness and gentleness.
This whole situation was like a spring rain falling on her heart, nurturing the small bamboo shoot of affection she had for him, causing it to grow rapidly, eager and restless.
Sigh, why is it that I’m starting to like him more and more…
Not wanting to let her gaze reveal too much of her infatuation, Liang Zhiyi quickly lowered her eyes and focused on finishing her noodles.
…
After they finished their meal, they walked out of the noodle shop.
Retracing their steps, they headed back towards the entrance of the snack street. Liang Zhiyi walked slowly, curious about the surrounding shops, pulling Pei Chen along as they wandered around.
Despite everything that had happened today, Pei Chen, though not overly enthusiastic, didn’t seem impatient either.
As they passed by a pastry shop, Liang Zhiyi pulled him inside. The shop had just baked some chestnut cakes, which were offered for tasting. Liang Zhiyi tried one and found it delicious, so she handed one to Pei Chen as well. “How is it? Tasty?”
The chestnut cake was fragrant, sweet, and soft. After trying it, Pei Chen nodded in approval.
He knew his father loved chestnut cakes, though he rarely had them. After a moment of hesitation, Pei Chen reached into his bag for money, intending to buy some. However, Liang Zhiyi had already asked the shopkeeper to pack two boxes, one of which she promptly handed to Pei Chen. “Here, my treat.”
Seeing that he didn’t immediately take it, she firmly placed the box in his hand, insisting, “You treated me to dinner earlier; shouldn’t I reciprocate? My mom always says that in any relationship, both sides should give to each other.”
Pei Chen’s brows furrowed slightly in confusion, and Liang Zhiyi suddenly realized something. She touched her nose awkwardly and said, “Oh, sorry, my mom was talking about when two people are in a romantic relationship.”
Pei Chen: “…”
His expression tightened, and he turned to walk out of the shop.
Watching him, Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh.
As expected, he’s still not used to being teased.
She caught up with him, walking alongside him. When they reached the end of the street, Liang Zhiyi asked how he planned to get home. He said he would take the bus, so she contacted her family’s driver, who happened to be nearby. She decided to walk with him to the bus stop first.
The two of them walked forward.
The street, after the rain, was scattered with Bauhinia petals. The air was filled with the coolness of early autumn, a crisp chill.
When they reached the bus stop, the streetlight above cast a warm orange glow. They were the only ones waiting for the bus.
Liang Zhiyi stood in front of Pei Chen, staring straight at him.
After a while, Pei Chen noticed her gaze. He lowered his eyes, meeting her stare, and spoke in a cool voice, “What are you doing?”
Her red lips curved into a smile as she leisurely replied, “I’m thinking about a question you asked me a few days ago.”
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, the girl’s gaze brightened with a playful smile. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear:
“It’s about how to seduce you.”