"Shen, Shen Jianxi?" a voice called out uncertainly from beside her.
The familiar voice sent a jolt through her. No way, no way, could she really be this unlucky to run into him?
Her movements stiff, she turned her head. Seeing the person before her, exactly as she'd feared, she felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.
Who else would it be, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "Welcome to Many Delicious Food Cities!" if not Fu Yi.
"You..." Fu Yi walked up to her, his gaze sweeping over her table, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes.
Shen Jianxi saw it all clearly. She didn't need a mirror to imagine her current appearance.
One hand held a lamb skewer, the other speared a piece of chicken fillet with a bamboo stick, and a cup of lemon water was propped under her chin. The straw was specially chosen to be the longest, reaching directly to her mouth, ready for a sip the moment she opened it.
Shen Jianxi: Let me die.
This was too embarrassing!
"Host, when girls eat, they look so cute with their cheeks full, and boys adore them at first sight. How did it turn out like this for you? Look at you, like a competitive eater. Do you think Fu Yi will think you can eat three of him in one bite?" 77 always managed to annoy her at the most critical moments.
"Just shut up. Besides, other systems don't criticize their hosts like that!"
The title of "Master of Backhanded Compliments" truly belonged to 77.
The more she thought about it, the more awkward she felt. Her mind went blank, and without thinking, she blurted out something even more mortifying to Fu Yi—
"Are you okay? If you're fine, have a Liuliu Plum. Don't mind me~"
The ending had a quiver in it, which was perfectly, and tragically, her style.
They stared at each other. Fu Yi seemed utterly stunned by her expression, unable to speak for a moment.
If only there was a hole in the ground, she really wanted to crawl into it.
Shen Jianxi felt as if a crow had flown between them, followed by six dots.
"Pfft!" Fu Yi was the first to break the silence, chuckling. Seeing her devastated expression, he turned his head, tightly pursing his lips to suppress his laughter.
Shen Jianxi instinctively covered her face with the hand holding the bamboo stick. The chicken fillet skewered on it stood upright in the air with her movement. Realizing her mistake, she quickly lowered her hand.
So embarrassing!
"Are you working here? Why aren't you in class?" The situation was too awkward, so she quickly changed the subject.
"No, my family has a stall here, but my mom isn't feeling well today, so I'm covering for her." Fu Yi pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.
"Oh, is your mother okay?"
"It's nothing serious."
After Fu Yi spoke, Shen Jianxi nodded silently.
Help! This conversation was truly awkward!
Plus, she was still thinking about her snacks. The food would get cold soon if she waited longer.
As if hearing her thoughts, Fu Yi stood up, pulled out his chair, and said with a smile, "I need to get back to work. I'll be going now."
Shen Jianxi nodded frantically at his words, "Mhm, bye-bye, bye-bye."
After he left, she picked up her food again, but this time her movements were noticeably more graceful.
"Host, why didn't you seize that perfect opportunity to woo him?!" 77's tone was one of utter disappointment.
Why was she so focused on this table of food?
Why did her host completely neglect her duties whenever food was involved?
"You don't understand. I'm conserving my energy," Shen Jianxi retorted.
Mmm, this grilled gluten was also quite good. She'd buy another skewer on her way out.
She nodded with satisfaction.
77: ...I can't believe you.
*
"Thank you for your time. I'll be taking my leave now." Song Duanli stood at the door and bowed to Xie Shu's mother.
Xie Shu's mother, an elegant and refined woman, smiled appropriately and said gently, "Mr. Song, safe travels."
Watching him leave, Xie Shu's mother turned to go back inside. She was filled with confusion. Song Duanli's visit today had been completely without purpose. He had only asked about her son's whereabouts before leaving. It was baffling.
After Song Duanli got into his car, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Wen Ze, in the driver's seat, turned back to report, "Mr. Song, we've had people check the school and Young Master Qi's home. Miss Jianxi hasn't been found at either location."
"Have people keep an eye on the school and Song Qi's home. She's bound to show up. You can have the others withdraw." He gave the order calmly.
He had calmed down now. She might not go to school, but she wouldn't not return to Song Qi's place.
Song Duanli regained his usual composed and self-possessed demeanor. Thinking of the stack of documents waiting for his approval on his desk, he continued, "Head to the company."
He had already spent too much time looking for her. An adult couldn't possibly place all their focus on romantic pursuits.
Meanwhile, after Shen Jianxi finished eating and said goodbye to Fu Yi, she left the food city.
Raising her hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight, she thought for a moment. She couldn't go back to school or Song Qi's home now. Song Duanli would definitely have people watching those places. She couldn't go to a hotel either. After some thought, she decided to find an internet cafe and wait until Xie Shu finished school before contacting him.
Just as she was about to leave, someone called out to her—
"Wait a moment!"
Shen Jianxi turned around to see Fu Yi hurrying towards her.
"Great, I was worried you'd already left."
"What's wrong?" she asked, confused. She had no idea why Fu Yi would suddenly come looking for her.
"Where are you planning to go?"
"I was thinking of finding an internet cafe to pass the time. Why?"
"It's like this. I'm heading home now. Would you like to come over to my place for a while?" Fu Yi had seen her standing outside for a long time and guessed she had nowhere else to go. He thought this was a great opportunity, so he came out to invite her.
After saying this, he quickly added, "Don't worry, my mom is home too. Please don't misunderstand."
"Is that convenient? Aren't you still running your stall? Would it be too much of a bother to come to your place?" Shen Jianxi hesitated. Although this was a good option, it was much better than spending time alone in an internet cafe and coming away smelling of smoke.
"It's fine. It's time to close up soon. Besides, my mom has always hoped to have my friends over." Fearing she might refuse, Fu Yi gently took her wrist and led her away. His grip was careful, merely encircling her arm.
Fu Yi's home wasn't far from there. Although the building was old, it was very clean.
They climbed to the top floor. Fu Yi took out his key and opened the door. As soon as they entered, he called out, "Mom, I'm back."
A cough came from inside, followed by the sound of slippers dragging on the floor. "Xiao Yi is back."
A slightly aged woman emerged, coughing as she walked, looking quite unwell.
Fu Yi quickly went to the table, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her. He then helped her sit on the sofa before introducing her, "Mom, this is my friend, Shen Jianxi."
Shen Jianxi quickly stepped forward and greeted her, "Hello, Auntie."
"Oh, hello, hello." Fu Yi's mother looked very kind. "Please sit, don't be shy."
As she spoke, she picked up some fruit from the table and offered it to her. "Have some fruit."
"Yes, thank you, Auntie." She accepted it quickly, not forgetting to express her gratitude.
"Sit down, sit down."
Seeing her aunt preparing to move a stool for her, Shen Jianxi quickly found a stool for herself and sat down. Sudancai.com
"Are you and our Xiao Yi classmates?"
"Yes, Auntie."
"That's wonderful. Our Xiao Yi is a bit introverted and hasn't had many friends growing up."
"No, Auntie, Fu Yi is a very good person."
...
Fu Yi's mother's warm hospitality was almost overwhelming. In just a short while, Shen Jianxi felt her face ache from smiling.
Fu Yi, who was standing nearby, suppressed a chuckle. After receiving a glare from her, he quickly stepped forward to intervene.
"Alright, Mom, we're going to my room to study now."
Upon hearing they were going to study, Fu Yi's mother stopped her from talking and urged them into the room, "Go study. Let me know if you need anything."
"Okay, okay, thank you, Auntie."
Shen Jianxi finally breathed a sigh of relief. While she had maintained her manners, she had never been good at handling such enthusiastic elders.
After bidding farewell to his mother, she quickly got up and followed Fu Yi into the room.
Behind them, Fu Yi's mother watched them with a satisfied and gratified gaze.