Spring breeze grants me youth again

Chapter 6 Zhou Huai, do you like roujiamo ?

"No trouble at all. I wouldn't be afraid even if there were 100 more of those thugs."

Zhou Huai strode up to Chen Yao, his tone certain.

Chen Yao lowered her head slightly, her fingertips gently gripping the hem of her clothes. After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly.

"Zhou Huai, is it because you're short of money?"

"Of course not, why do you say that?"

He immediately retorted.

Actually, that small price difference doesn't matter.

Based on the two tasks issued by the Favorability System today, and combined with the novels he had read before, Zhou Huai finally understood.

If Li Wenqiang and the others don't target him, then there will be no mission to complete, and where will they find such an easy villain to deal with?

Moreover, Chen Yao has a gentle personality, a sweet face, a mature figure, and a wealthy family. Being just friends would be a great option.

"Xiao Rou is very well-informed."

Upon hearing his denial, Chen Yao's expression instantly relaxed.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huai pretended to be annoyed and slapped his forehead.

"Oh no, then I'm doomed!"

"Um?"

Chen Yao looked at him with a puzzled expression, tilting her head.

"Director Ma is her father. What if her father asks..."

Zhou Huai feigned concern. In his previous life, he and Ma Yurou were colleagues, and he knew that although she was gossipy, she was not the type to tattle.

"Then I'll tell her for you."

Chen Yao immediately took out her phone, quickly unlocked it, opened QQ, and sent a message to Ma Yurou.

Seeing her like this, Zhou Huai put his hands together in a gesture of gratitude.

"You're such a nice person."

Chen Yao was amused by his earnest yet adorable appearance. Her eyebrows curved into crescents, and two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her exceptionally charming.

"Okay, I want to eat vegetable and lean meat porridge tomorrow morning."

"..."

Her figure was well-proportioned with just the right curves, and coupled with her sweet smile, Zhou Huai was momentarily captivated.

"Am I...am I pretty?"

Chen Yao mustered her courage and asked in a low voice.

Zhou Huai snapped back to reality, his heart pounding. He quickly pinched his thigh to clear his head and stammered in response.

"So...beautiful."

He was puzzled. Chen Yao's attitude was too straightforward. Could it be that she really liked him?

"Zhou Huai, did you hear what I just said?"

Seeing that he was lost in thought, Chen Yao gently reminded him.

"What did you say?"

Zhou Huai quickly composed himself and scratched his head sheepishly.

"I told you I want to eat your vegetable and lean pork porridge tomorrow morning."

Chen Yao spoke slowly and deliberately, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Okay, no problem."

Zhou Huai agreed without hesitation; it was just a bowl of porridge.

"Zhou Huai, are you free right now?"

Chen Yao asked again.

"You're free? What's up?"

"Then come with me to Temple Street. We came during the day before, and it wasn't this lively."

After saying that, Chen Yao strode ahead, her steps light and quick.

Looking at the already darkening sky, Zhou Huai couldn't help but speak.

"Sure, but won't your family worry?"

"It's okay, I'll just call the driver now and tell him I'm having dinner with friends and he can come pick me up later."

"All right."

Zhou Huai said no more and followed behind her.

As Chen Yao walked forward, she made a phone call to communicate with the driver.

Zhou Huai then took out his phone and replied to Sun Yichang's message.

In the chat interface, Sun Yichang's messages kept coming in.

Baby Shark: Zhou Huai, I'm home.

Baby Shark: Zhou Huai, did you go home or to an internet cafe?

Reminiscence, Bai: I haven't gone home yet, nor have I gone to an internet cafe. I'm still wandering around Temple Street.

Zhou Huai casually snapped a selfie and sent it over, but the next second, his phone rang, "918 yuan received via Alipay."

Immediately afterwards, a message from Sun Yichang popped up.

Baby Shark: Zhou Huai, this is all the living expenses I have left this month, you can have it all.

Zhou Huai paused, a wave of emotion welling up inside him, his nose tingling, and his eyes burning.

He quickly replied, "Why are you giving me money? And all of it?"

Baby Shark: Take this to buy food, since you said you'd bring me meals anyway.

Reminiscence, Bai: Idiot.

Baby Shark: You're the stupid one.

The simple conversation warmed Zhou Huai's heart and made him feel bittersweet. He calmed himself down and continued typing, asking, "So what do you want to eat tomorrow?"

Baby Shark: The fried noodles with soybean paste near your house are pretty good.

Recalling, Bai: Xing.

Baby Shark: I have to go now, my mom is urging me to take a shower. I'm going to visit one of my aunts with her later.

Reminiscence, Bai: Okay, then you can contact me again when you have time.

Zhou Huai put away his phone and looked up to see Chen Yao with her hands behind her back, leaning slightly forward, staring at him intently.

"W-what's wrong?"

Zhou Huai felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Zhou Huai, are you chatting with your online boyfriend?"

Chen Yao spoke, her tone tinged with a hint of sourness.

"I don't have an online boyfriend."

Zhou Huai quickly denied it.

"Really? I saw you grinning like an idiot just now."

Chen Yao clearly didn't believe it.

Zhou Huai remained silent for a moment, then spoke with a hint of helplessness.

"I did date someone before, but... never mind, it's embarrassing, I won't talk about it."

"Okay, here's what I'll do: I'll give you one of the roasted corns I just bought."

Chen Yao shook her hands behind her back, revealing that she had been hiding two steaming hot roasted corns.

"Okay, for the sake of the corn, but you can't laugh at me."

Zhou Huai took the roasted corn.

"Um."

Chen Yao nodded emphatically, her face serious.

The two walked side by side in the lamplight of Temple Street, munching on roasted corn as Zhou Huai spoke briefly.

After listening, Chen Yao looked at him with concern. She threw the corn cob she had finished eating into the roadside trash can, then took out her phone and said.

"Zhou Huai, so you don't have a single penny left now?"

"It's not that exaggerated, the money for food is still..."

Before Zhou Huai could finish speaking, his phone rang again with the Alipay payment notification sound, and this time, the sound made him freeze instantly.

"5 yuan received via Alipay".

"Chen Yao, you..."

Zhou Huai looked up at her, his face full of shock, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Actually, it's quite troublesome to transfer it to you every night."

Chen Yao blinked, a sly smile in her eyes, like a clever little imp who had gotten away with something.

"No, you've given me too much. I'll give it back to you."

Zhou Huai quickly took out his phone, wanting to transfer the money back.

"No, just deduct 50 a day as you please. You can ask me for more when you've used it all up."

Chen Yao stubbornly refused, and then turned and ran away, not giving Zhou Huai a chance to decline.

Looking at the transfer records on his phone, and then at her retreating figure, Zhou Huai felt a mix of emotions. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "So, I've become a kept man?"

He had only vaguely suspected it before, but now he was almost certain that Chen Yao truly liked him.

"Zhou Huai, do you like roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)?"

Chen Yao ran a few steps, then turned back and called out to him with a smile.

"I like it, but I'll pay the bill, I'll pay the bill."

Zhou Huai quickly caught up, insisting on paying for it himself.

In the time that followed, Chen Yao was like a child who had found a playmate, and she enthusiastically dragged Zhou Huai to explore all the amusement stalls on Temple Street.

"Zhou Huai, let's go pop balloons."

"it is good."

"Zhou Huai, I want to play that ring toss game."

"it is good."

"Zhou Huai, I want to catch goldfish."

"it is good."

No matter what Chen Yao said, Zhou Huai agreed to it all and patiently played with her.

Temple Street was bustling with people, filled with the aroma of cooking and laughter. The two were immersed in this relaxed joy, and time quietly slipped away.

It was a little after nine o'clock at night.

The two walked out of Temple Street side by side and sat on chairs in front of KFC at the traffic light intersection, each holding an ice cream and eating it slowly.

A cool evening breeze swept by, dispelling some of the heat. Zhou Huai glanced at the time and said softly.

"It's getting late, and you've finished your ice cream. You should go home now."

"I just texted my driver, he'll be here soon, can you stay with me a little longer?"

Chen Yao turned her head and looked at him with a smile, her tone carrying a girlish coquettishness that was so soft and irresistible.

"All right."

Zhou Huai reluctantly but affectionately agreed.

"Zhou Huai, thank you for playing with me tonight. I'm very happy, especially happy."

Chen Yao looked up, the light from the streetlamp falling on her face, her smile sweet and pure.

With just a little bit of ice cream on the corner of her mouth, she looked exceptionally cute.

"As long as you're happy, your lips are stuck together."

Zhou Huai looked at the corner of her mouth and gently reminded her.

"You wipe it for me."

Chen Yao tilted her head slightly, closed her eyes, and looked like she was waiting obediently.

Zhou Huai chuckled helplessly, leaned closer, and just as he pulled out a tissue, Chen Yao suddenly opened her eyes, quickly leaned forward, and gently kissed him on the cheek.

The soft, warm touch was fleeting, and Zhou Huai froze, instinctively reaching out to wipe it away.

"Don't wipe it."

Chen Yao sat up straight, looking smug, her cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes were unusually serious.

"Chen Yao, you before..."

Zhou Huai snapped out of his daze and was about to ask further questions when she interrupted him.

"From now on, call me Yao-mei."

"No, didn't you tell me before that you had someone you liked?"

This Zhou Huai in his previous life has a mouth.

"That person is..."

As soon as Chen Yao spoke, a black sedan slowly pulled up to the side of the road. The driver then got out and respectfully greeted her, "Young Miss."

Interrupted, Chen Yao looked at Zhou Huai with a smile in her eyes and said softly.

"If you want to know, just video call me when you get home, and I'll tell you everything."

After saying that, she immediately got up and quickly slipped into the car.

"Uncle Garen, drive!"

"Yes, Miss."

The driver responded, and the car slowly started and gradually disappeared into the night.

Zhou Huai stood there, his fingertips gently touching the cheek that had been kissed, his heart filled with an indescribable flutter.