The Ning City in the evening was bathed in a golden hue by the setting sun.
Fuqian Road, Food Street.
The bustling street was filled with people coming and going, a cacophony of voices. Shops and stalls on both sides were patronized, most people holding one or two snacks, taking a bite as they walked.
Such a prosperous scene was no longer visible abroad, but in Xia Country, it had not disappeared due to the invasion of alien beasts.
The coastal defense line was the source of peace for the people of Ning City. Moreover, humans were social animals, and the more people gathered together, the more a sense of security they felt.
With the public disclosure of extraordinary abilities, the resurgence of the bizarre also increased. Although most powerful bizarre entities had been eliminated by the authorities, minor ones were still emerging incessantly. For instance, the recently appeared Shiba Inu lustful ghoul, which, once possessing someone, would drive them to extreme lust, causing the victim to deplete their Yang energy.
In addition to these, there were also wardrobe ghouls, under-bed ghouls, bathroom ghouls, mirror ghouls, and others from urban legends, which would appear from time to time, often in the homes of those living alone.
These minor ghouls tended to become more terrifying the more one feared them. However, as long as one was not afraid, they could not cause much harm. If all else failed, one could summon the internet's divine beasts (Shuai Ji and Gou Tou) for protection. Therefore, the authorities did not expend a large amount of resources to eliminate them, treating it as a way for ordinary people to exercise their mental fortitude.
Many people came out to shop precisely to avoid facing these minor ghouls and to seek the sense of security that came from the lively atmosphere.
Amidst the interwoven crowds, Bai Chanyi walked along the street, her arm linked with Yu Zhibo's, her face beaming with sweetness. Shopping was no longer important; she just wanted to walk with Yu Zhibo like this forever.
"Chanyi, what do you want to eat?"
Yu Zhibo scanned the food shops and stalls on both sides, asking the question.
He had spent the entire afternoon with Bai Chanyi, browsing several shopping malls, trying on and buying hundreds of clothes, and then going to an amusement park for over an hour. Although his physical strength was still abundant, he was inevitably a bit mentally fatigued.
"Mmm~ I want to eat white cut chicken."
Upon hearing Yu Zhibo's question, Bai Chanyi pondered for a moment. Her wine-red eyes lit up as she saw a photo of white cut chicken on the sign of a small restaurant nearby, and she said so.
'Is it because her true form is a celestial fox?'
Yu Zhibo chuckled, looking at Bai Chanyi's eager expression, and led her into the restaurant.
"Youth!"
In the crowd, a man with a receding hairline couldn't help but sigh as he witnessed this scene.
This man had slight calluses on his wrists, indicating he was a frequent typist. Beside him was a woman with enduring beauty, holding a freshly bought plate of braised beef offal.
This couple was the web novelist pair who had previously confronted the "country dogs" during the evacuation operation in Shanghai.
"Thinking of something again?" his wife asked beside him, her expression a little piqued.
The man, oblivious, continued to lament, "I remember when I was in high school, it was also..."
"Like this, holding hands with your first love?" the woman interjected with a smile, her hand stealthily moving towards the soft flesh of his waist.
"No, back in high school, I also watched others hold hands and go to eat. This is youth!" the man sighed.
"Your mind is quite agile!"
Hearing this, the woman chuckled and threaded a piece of white radish onto a wooden skewer with the braised offal, offering it to his mouth.
"Perfect!" The man bit down on the food offered to his mouth and looked at the retreating figures of Yu Zhibo and Bai Chanyi, saying somewhat strangely, "Don't you think those two look familiar?"
"Familiar?"
The woman shifted her gaze, just in time to see Yu Zhibo being greeted by the owner and sitting opposite Bai Chanyi at a small table, his face turned towards the outside of the shop.
As a fan of Yu Zhibo, upon recognizing him, her face immediately showed excitement: "Oh my god, it's Yu..."
But the next moment, her gaze became distant: "It's Yu... The pear blossoms are deep in the closed door, youth is forgotten, and youth is wasted..."
"Strange, why am I reciting poetry?" the woman murmured to herself. When she looked again, Yu Zhibo's face seemed unfamiliar.
"What the heck!"
The man squinted and looked. Upon seeing Yu Zhibo's face clearly, he also became excited: "Damn, isn't that Yu... The rain blurs the green grass by the lake, flowers fall in the Huangling Temple and cry..."
"Strange, why am I also reciting poetry..."
The man's expression also became distant.
Looking again, Yu Zhibo's face had become unfamiliar, and he couldn't recall anything.
"Forget it, let's not bother with them. I heard Yu Zhibo often comes here to shop. He even had a signing event last time, and I specifically rushed over this time. I really hope to meet him!"
The woman said with some longing. She was a fervent fan of Yu Zhibo.
The man grumbled a little jealously, "If I weren't also a fan of Yu Zhibo, I definitely wouldn't be accompanying you on this wild goose chase."
The woman chuckled, "Then I thank you!"
As they spoke, they walked forward and soon disappeared into the crowd.
"Bōbō, those two people seemed to recognize you, but then they left. You're amazing!"
Bai Chanyi praised with a smile in the small shop.
University students say that one should often praise their boyfriends, as it can promote their relationship and make them understand each other better.
In fact, the reaction of the web novelist couple was not the first instance.
Such scenes had occurred countless times today, but without exception, everyone who recognized Yu Zhibo would fall into a daze and then briefly forget all information about him.
"It's just a small trick of illusion, it can save a lot of trouble."
Yu Zhibo smiled and continued, "The lemon duck here is also good, and so is the pickled fish. Chen Bo and I have eaten here a few times. You should try it."
"Mhm!" Bai Chanyi nodded obediently, her small hands hidden in her sleeves reaching out to take out two pairs of disposable chopsticks, unpack them, hand one pair to Yu Zhibo, and then eagerly pick up a piece of appetizing pickled radish from a small dish and put it into her mouth.
After chewing a few times and finding it a bit sour and sweet, she picked up the dried radish from another small dish, her eyes narrowing slightly, and the corners of her mouth began to curve upwards.
A true foodie!
"Students, your white cut chicken, lemon duck, and pickled fish are being prepared. Please wait a moment."
The waiter brought over a plate of sliced white cut chicken. Its skin was pale yellow, and while the meat was firm, there was plenty of yellow fat under the skin, indicating it was a genuine free-range chicken.
As per Yu Zhibo's instructions, the chicken leg was left whole and not cut.
"Thank you!" Yu Zhibo nodded with a smile.
"Would you like chili peppers added to your dipping sauce?" The waiter scrutinized Yu Zhibo's face again, finding that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall who he was, yet he felt a sense of familiarity.
"One spicy and one not!"
"Okay!" The waiter left in a daze, brought the prepared dipping sauces, placed them on the table, looked at Yu Zhibo again, his expression becoming increasingly confused, and kept looking back as he turned to leave.
Yu Zhibo was clearly accustomed to the reactions of passersby. He smiled and asked Bai Chanyi, "Do you want the spicy or the non-spicy one?"
"I want the same as you!" Bai Chanyi said with a grin.
Yu Zhibo was immediately speechless. He found this dish to be palatable whether spicy or not, which was why he had ordered two different dipping sauces, so Bai Chanyi could choose either. However, Bai Chanyi's blind adoration for him meant she wanted to be the same as him in everything.
'Is this what it feels like to have a girlfriend? A bit troublesome, but not unpleasant...'
Yu Zhibo's lips curved upwards. He poured the two bowls of dipping sauce into a disposable bowl and said with a smile, "Then we'll share it!"
"Okay!" Bai Chanyi's smile bloomed like a flower. She picked up a piece of chicken neck, dipped it in the sauce, and brought it to Yu Zhibo's mouth.
Yu Zhibo was stunned for a moment. He glanced around, and indeed, the diners in the shop were all casting envious, jealous, and bewildered glances at him.
Under such gazes, what food wouldn't taste good?
Yu Zhibo happily opened his mouth. The skin of the white cut chicken neck was tender and smooth, with a slight crispness when chewed. Paired with the special dipping sauce, it completely brought out the deliciousness of the chicken, making his taste buds revel.
"When I was little, Mom and Dad often made chicken for us. They said the most delicious parts of the chicken were the chicken butt, then the chicken neck, followed by the chicken breast, and the worst were the legs and wings."
"I just don't know why this plate of chicken doesn't have any chicken butt. I guess the shop owner ate it. Bōbō, I'm good to you, right? I'm giving you the best part, the chicken neck!"
Bai Chanyi said, a hint of indignation in her voice towards the end. Then she picked up a chicken leg, not minding the grease, dipped it in the sauce, and started eating it.
Yu Zhibo: ...
'What kind of family is this? I have reason to suspect your parents have been fooling you all these years.'
Yu Zhibo couldn't help but complain in his heart, imagining Bai Chanyi's nine siblings fighting over chicken butts while Wang Shouyi and his wife ate chicken legs and wings. For a moment, he felt Wang Shouyi's fatherly love for Bai Chanyi was like a landslide...
"I remember you saying you absorbed the memories of several college students. In their consciousness, wasn't chicken leg meat the most delicious?" Yu Zhibo asked casually, picking up a piece of chicken.
"Hmm? It seems so. I feel like they must have been fooled by their parents. Bōbō, we must never do this in the future, okay~" Bai Chanyi said. After finishing the chicken leg in her hand, she picked up another one.
'Already thinking about making chicken for our children...'
Yu Zhibo's mind began to wander, and he started to imagine...
As images flashed through his mind of Bai Chanyi lovingly feeding a finely carved, adorable baby chicken butts while he himself gnawed on chicken legs, he couldn't help but shudder.
"Chicken leg meat is so unappetizing~" After finishing two chicken legs, Bai Chanyi wiped her small hands with a tissue, then picked up a few pieces of chicken breast and rib for Yu Zhibo, while she herself started using chopsticks to pick up chicken wings.
Yu Zhibo: "..."
Soon, the pickled fish and lemon duck also arrived. As Yu Zhibo ate with Bai Chanyi, his expression suddenly changed.
In the restroom next to the kitchen, the door was tightly shut. A waiter, with a grave expression, was on the phone inside.
"Hello? Shenhua Bureau office? This is 'You Jia' restaurant at 216 Fuqian Road Food Street. There's a very strange person here, I suspect he's a monster."
"What are the specific symptoms? I can't see his face clearly, and everyone around him looks confused when they see him. Some even start reciting poetry. Please come and check it out quickly. He's eating with a girl with red eyes..."
"Okay, okay, I'll try to stall him. Hurry up!"
Yu Zhibo: "..." Is this waiter crazy!
Bai Chanyi also heard it and asked Yu Zhibo, "What do we do now? We haven't finished eating yet!"
Yu Zhibo was speechless, shook his head, and said, "It's fine, continue eating. Someone will come to explain later."
He didn't have to wait long. Shortly after, a Santana stopped in front of the small restaurant, and three people got out. Yu Zhibo's eyes immediately widened.
These three people were all acquaintances. Two women got out of the front seats. One of them had sky-blue hair and was Wang Yan, a water-element ability user. The other was Li Shanzhu, a healing-element ability user.
As for the last one to get out, it was the buzz-cut youth Chen Bo, holding a fruit knife, with two fresh bloody holes in his abdomen.
Upon seeing Yu Zhibo, the three of them showed surprised expressions, and then...
Wang Yan: "Isn't this Xiao Yu... Just showing its tip, a dragonfly has already landed on it... Strange, why am I reciting poetry? Be careful, there's something strange!"
Li Shanzhu: "Ah, Brother Xiao Yu... won't be lonely, because loneliness accompanies Brother... Strange, why am I suddenly singing a song..."
Chen Bo: "Holy crap, Bōbō... Big Bo... There's something strange. I know this person, but I can't remember. Shanzhu, quickly heal me and prepare for defense!"
As soon as they got out of the car and saw Yu Zhibo, their faces lit up with joy. However, after saying a few words, they all became as if facing a great enemy. Chen Bo even felt that his two stab wounds were not enough, and he gave himself another stab.
Li Shanzhu also began to wave her hands, releasing green light to heal Chen Bo.
The diners in the shop were stunned. Many looked fearful. Some people at Yu Zhibo's table were already preparing to flee, but they were afraid of attracting Yu Zhibo's attention.
Ten minutes later...
The overjoyed shop owner pulled down the shop's shutters, preventing customers from entering. At the same time, he had already arranged for people to order banners, intending to use Yu Zhibo's fame to promote the restaurant.
Meanwhile, two waitresses, one his wife and the other his 12-year-old daughter, were frantically serving Yu Zhibo, bringing over more than ten dishes in the blink of an eye. They only stopped after Yu Zhibo repeatedly refused.
The surrounding diners also began to whisper among themselves. Some looked excited, while some girls wore expressions of heartbroken pain.
"Oh my god, Yu Zhibo, I finally see you in person, so handsome!"
"Is that person his girlfriend? So beautiful, a perfect match!"
"Wuwu, Yu Zhibo has a girlfriend..."
"I want to go up and ask for a photo and autograph!"
"Are you crazy? They're eating right now. You don't chase stars like this. Wait until they finish eating!"
"..."
After the owner finished serving the dishes, Wang Yan used her abilities to create a sound-insulating water screen to envelop the group.
"Come, come, eat, eat, damn it, Bōbō, do you have to be so secretive just to eat a meal? You made us think you were a dark creature, and I even stabbed myself twice in advance!"
Chen Bo urged everyone to eat while also complaining. The three bloody holes in his abdomen had completely healed under Li Shanzhu's treatment.
Li Shanzhu looked at Bai Chanyi, who was sitting obediently next to Yu Zhibo after they arrived, with envy in her eyes.
She couldn't be jealous; Bai Chanyi surpassed her by several streets in both temperament and appearance. As for her figure, apart from her slightly larger chest, she was useless in other aspects compared to Bai Chanyi.
"Ah Ying, you know how popular he is now..." Wang Yan picked up a peanut, took a sip of beer, and said with a smile, "Do you believe that if he stood on the street right now, the entire street would be packed within two minutes?"
"That's true!"
Chen Bo greatly agreed with Wang Yan's words. He glanced at Bai Chanyi and said with a smile, "Hello, I'm Yu Zhibo's father. You must be Yu Zhibo's girlfriend. I approve of your marriage!"
"Ah?" Bai Chanyi looked at Yu Zhibo in surprise, "Bōbō, really? I remember your parents..."
"Don't listen to his nonsense, he's my son. If he can't do anything else, Chen Bo, quickly call us Dad and Mom!" Yu Zhibo said with a dark expression.
'He admitted we're married...' Bai Chanyi secretly rejoiced beside him.
"Would I say it without evidence?" Chen Bo smiled proudly and flipped out their chat records from two months ago. Specifically, Yu Zhibo wanted to awaken his abilities but lacked funds to buy materials, so he borrowed a thousand yuan from him. After borrowing the money, he said, "Thank you, Dad."
As a result, as soon as he found that chat record, Yu Zhibo's eyes flashed red, and he himself cleared the chat history.
"Holy crap, Bōbō, you're not playing fair!" Chen Bo reacted and looked at Yu Zhibo with unwillingness.
Yu Zhibo then calmly took out his chat records with Chen Bo, flipped to the part where he sent him magical artifacts and talismans, and displayed the thank-you messages he received:
"Thank you, Dad, for the magical artifact!"
"Thank you, Dad, for the protective talisman!"
"Dad, love me again!"
The chat records that met the eye were unbearable. At this point, the father-son dispute ended with Chen Bo's miserable defeat.
Li Shanzhu covered her mouth and giggled.
Wang Yan couldn't help but smile. She, who had felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity due to Yu Zhibo's rapid progress, suddenly felt that the frank young man from before had returned.
"Let's eat, let's eat. We have missions to complete after we finish early!"
She urged them, then picked up a piece of excellent chicken for both Yu Zhibo and Bai Chanyi, smiling, "Falling in love is not easy. You two, be good to each other always!"
"Mhm, mhm!" Bai Chanyi nodded solemnly!
"Thank you, Sister Wang!" Yu Zhibo also smiled.
Then, the group began to eat heartily. Although Yu Zhibo and Bai Chanyi had eaten before, the appetites of superhumans were not to be underestimated. Eating several tables was more than enough, mainly to taste the flavors.
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Thanks to Rose Flower Gives Romance to Everyone for the催更, 636372873848 for the blades, and other friends for their likes and small gifts of support!
Seeking gifts, I have no food! A reader was right, it's your business whether you give or not, but I'm asking for gifts, and there's no shame in it. Who isn't living their life for a living!