Full charm points, inherit game assets

Chapter 724 Cinnabar Mole

A glacier white Bentley Continental GT cruises through the streets of Yancheng.

This attracted a lot of attention.

The car drove along the main road out of the South Second Ring Road, and after turning a few corners, the scenery on both sides of the road suddenly changed.

The high-rise buildings gradually receded into the distance, replaced by rows of bare locust trees, as well as various snack shops, roadside stalls, secondhand bookstores, and jewelry stores.

The crowds coming and going on the roadside have mostly turned into young men and women.

They gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing, their playful antics filling the air with the youthful energy of college students.

The familiar street scene flashed by, and Zhang Yan's shyness and restraint gradually faded away without her realizing it.

"Tang Song, this is outside Yenching University of Science and Technology."

“Yes, the commercial street near our school.” Tang Song turned his head, looked at her almond-shaped eyes that had brightened again, and chuckled, “You used to come here often, it seems.”

Zhang Yan nodded gently, then looked out the window somewhat shyly.

How could she not come often?

She had secretly observed his schedule and knew that he would come to this street to buy food every Wednesday afternoon.

So this street became a place she frequented.

She would time it perfectly, either alone or with Fei Fei and the others, pretending to pass by.

More often than not, I would sit in that little bookstore on the street corner, holding a book I couldn't read at all, my eyes constantly glancing out the window.

Only when that familiar figure appears will she quietly follow behind him, watching which grilled cold noodles he buys and which noodle shop he enters, and then she will secretly try them herself.

It's as if this way, I can get a little closer to his world.

The car slowly came to a stop in an empty space on the side of the road.

"Get off the bus."

Zhang Yan quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and, imitating Tang Song, carefully pushed open the car door.

A whiff of air, a mixture of the aroma of cumin from grilled skewers and the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts, filled my nostrils.

She took a deep breath, tilted her head back, looked at the gloomy sky and the bare treetops, and a radiant smile appeared on her face.

It tastes exactly the same, not changed at all.

Just then, a slender hand reached out in front of her.

Zhang Yan's breath hitched.

She bit her lip, her heart pounding, and lowered her head, tentatively placing her slightly cool fingertips into his palm, little by little.

The warm touch instantly enveloped her small hand completely, and the heat seemed to travel up her arm and burn all the way to her heart.

Her face flushed bright red instantly.

Was this her initiative... to hold hands?
The two walked side by side on the sidewalk covered with gray-yellow fallen leaves, their feet making a "creak, creak" sound as they stepped on them.

Students passing by couldn't help but cast admiring glances at Tang Song.

He was nearly 20 centimeters taller than her. With her head down, she could only see a corner of his dark gray coat and the tips of her shoes as she took small steps.

It was a cloudy day at noon in winter, with no sunshine.

The light was as soft as a quiet landscape painting.

They were just like countless other ordinary college couples walking down this street, yet so different.

"what do you want to eat?"

Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "...the board."

Of all the flavors she remembers of Yancheng, the most vivid is that bowl of steaming hot, authentic Anhui beef noodles covered with bright red chili peppers.

The dry aroma of chili peppers and the chewy texture of noodles are flavors that she, far away in Guangzhou, could never replicate.

"Let's go, it's been a while since I've had this."

He led her by the hand and walked into the small noodle shop with practiced ease.

Around noon, the restaurant was bustling with activity, and luckily, there was still one seat available.

"Wide or narrow? What should we add?"

"Small bowl, wide noodles, and a meatball," Zhang Yan replied softly, as if reporting a secret.

Tang Song gave an OK sign, skillfully ordered his food, paid the bill, and sat down opposite her again.

He didn't look at his phone; instead, he rested his elbows on the slightly greasy table and smiled as he observed his female classmate across from him.

She was wearing a soft, off-white down jacket, and her delicate, clean face was flushed with shyness.

She looked so charming and beautiful.

Even after all these years, he can still see a reflection of himself from junior high school in her.

Back then, she had a neat student-style haircut and wrote very neatly.

He's always quiet and boring.

Tang and Song were somewhat late bloomers.

During junior high school, his world consisted entirely of Naruto, One Piece, and Dragon Ball...

My daily life consists of studying, playing, and reading comics. My biggest dream is to open a comic book store when I grow up and live there for the rest of my life.

(From this perspective, he does indeed have a lot in common with anime fans like Xiaojing and Xu Qing.)
He truly began to care about this female classmate one day in the first year of junior high school.

That noon, neither of his parents were home. He bought fried pancakes and took his comic books back to the classroom, but just then, he saw her through the window, who was also not home.

She sat alone in her seat, holding a plastic bag containing half a steamed bun.

He watched as she sprinkled the powder from the instant noodle seasoning packet onto the steamed bun, nibbled on it in small bites, and then drank a sip of cold water.

At that moment, even though he was still immature, his mind was full of the passion and justice in shonen manga, and he guessed that her family's conditions were not very good.

And so, the boy who was immersed in the world of comics began to play the role of the protagonist.

He would bring her snacks from time to time; when he rode his electric scooter to school and saw her on the way, he would give her a ride without hesitation; if he saw any bad students bullying her in class, he would stand up for her, just like in the comics…

At that time, he firmly believed that he was the protagonist in the comic, and that protecting the weak was his natural duty.

Looking back now, it must have been a sensitive and lonely time for Zhang Yan, who was staying with relatives.

He was probably truly the only light in her world, and the only protagonist.

That's why this unrequited love, which lasted for more than ten years, was both heavy and pure.

Every time I look back on this hidden thread in my youth...

Both Tang and Song poets were filled with emotion and felt boundless love and pity.

She seemed to notice his strange gaze, and lowered her head somewhat shyly, her slender fingers unconsciously playing with the hair that fell beside her cheek.

But I still can't help but sneak a peek at him every now and then.

She really misses him.

……

"One big and one small, two wide noodles, with meatballs and braised pork, all done!"

Behind the stove, the boss shouted at the top of his lungs.

Zhang Yan instinctively reached out to get up and take the food.

Tang Song simply pressed down on her shoulder, "Sit down, I'll do it."

After saying that, he strode to the counter, carrying two bowls of steaming, fragrant noodles in each hand, and walked back steadily.

He gently placed the small bowl in front of Zhang Yan.

Then, with a "snap," he skillfully broke apart a pair of disposable chopsticks, carefully rubbed off any burrs that might be present, and handed them to her.

Zhang Yan bit her lower lip, a gentle tremor rising in her eyes, and said "thank you" before taking the chopsticks.

She looked down at the three pieces of stewed beef in the bowl, tender and flavorful.

After hesitating for a moment, he carefully picked up two pieces with the tip of his chopsticks and put them into Tang Song's bowl.

Then she picked up the smallest piece left, blew on it, put it in her mouth, and whispered happily, "Mmm...it's so delicious."

Her movements were natural, just as she had rehearsed in her mind and dreams countless times over the past days and nights.

Tang Song looked at the two extra pieces of beef in his bowl, then at Zhang Yan across from him who was satisfied after taking only a small bite of meat, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

He suddenly stood up and picked up the bowl of noodles in front of Zhang Yan.

Under her surprised gaze, he strode back to the counter.

"Boss, add some beef."

"Huh?" The owner was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hand somewhat awkwardly, "Handsome, I'm sorry, the beef in this noodle soup isn't sold separately, and it doesn't have a price."

Without wasting any words, Tang Song took out his phone and scanned the QR code on the wall with a "beep".

"Alipay payment received - 200 yuan".

A crisp electronic sound rang out in the noisy little shop.

Tang Song put down his phone, looked at the shop owner, and said succinctly, "One spoonful, please."

"Hey! Alright!" The boss's face lit up instantly. He picked up a large iron ladle and scooped a generous spoonful of tender, fragrant beef from the stewing broth, then spread it all over the bowl of wide noodles.

In an instant, the bright red chunks of meat almost completely covered all the noodles underneath.

Tang Song carried the "deluxe version" of the noodles back and placed it in front of Zhang Yan again.

Looking at her wide, almond-shaped eyes, he smiled and said, "Eat up."

Zhang Yan glanced at him, then at the mountain of beef piled up in her bowl, pursed her lips tightly, and said nothing.

He simply lowered his head silently, picked up his chopsticks, and stuffed the meat into his mouth.

The small noodle shop was bustling with activity and full of lively atmosphere.

The students at the next table are discussing games and novels.

From behind the stove came the owner's shouts: "One bowl spicy, one bowl non-spicy!"

The sounds of slurping noodles rose and fell, mingling with the rich aroma of spices and chili. In the winter, it created a warm yet bustling scene of human warmth.

Amidst this hustle and bustle, Zhang Yan seemed to have created her own quiet little world.

Under his gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she ate with extra care.

At this moment.

"Ring ring—" The cell phone suddenly rang.

Tang Song put down his chopsticks, took out his phone, and glanced at it.

【Lime】

He immediately stood up and said, "Zhang Yan, you eat first, I'm going out to take this call."

"Ah."

Zhang Yan nodded obediently, watching him walk quickly out of the shop. Standing at the bottom of the steps, she answered the phone.

A happy smile instantly spread across his face as he whispered something.

He stood on this street corner she knew so well, his image slowly overlapping with the figure in her memory.

Zhang Yan couldn't resist taking out her phone from her down jacket pocket and secretly snapping a picture of his figure through the glass window.

"Click——"

"Buzz buzz buzz—" Her phone vibrated as she pressed the shutter.

Immediately afterwards, I saw the group message from the "Romantic Trio".

Cheng Xiaoyue: "@Zhang Yan, have you arrived? Did you land safely?"

Zhang Yan felt a warmth in her heart and quickly replied, "We've arrived! I'm with my friends now, and it's perfectly safe."

[Lin Feifei: [Little Cute Flower Shop.map]]

Lin Feifei: "Yan Yan, this is my flower shop. Are you free tonight? Come over and sit for a while. I'll show you my newly cultivated multi-headed roses."

Zhang Yan looked up and secretly glanced at Tang Song, who was on the phone outside the window.

Her cheeks flushed again, and she replied, "Tomorrow, I just arrived today and have some very important things to take care of."

Yes, there's still one huge thing that hasn't been dealt with.

Where is she staying tonight?
Tang Song hasn't said anything yet, and she doesn't dare to ask.

What if... what if I really go to his house?
The conversation in the group chat is still going on.

Cheng Xiaoyue: "Okay, then tomorrow. I also wanted to go to Feifei's flower shop. It's a two-story building with a small terrace, it's so beautiful, and we can have a barbecue tonight. The three of us can finally get together in Yancheng again."

[Lin Feifei: "(Sprinkling flowers.gif) That's awesome! I'll bring out my treasured wine; let's drink until we drop!"]

Seeing her friends' enthusiastic invitations, Zhang Yan suppressed her own ulterior motives.
I replied with an "OK" emoji.

Then I put my phone away and focused back on the steaming bowl of beef noodles in front of me.

However, a small sense of anticipation arose in my heart.

She is actually a very sociable person. Throughout college, graduation, and work, she has always had friendly friends like "Lulu" and "Li Chao" around her.

She had shared these stories with Tang Song on QQ.

It's just that he doesn't know.

……

After lunch, I got back into the car.

Without waiting for his reminder, Zhang Yan quickly and deftly fastened her seatbelt.

Tang Song laughed and said, "You must be exhausted from rushing to catch the plane so early in the morning. Besides, you're prone to feeling sleepy after eating noodles at noon. Let's go back and rest for a bit."

Upon hearing the word "go back," Zhang Yan's body tensed instantly.

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask "Go back to where?", but after glancing at Tang Song's matter-of-fact profile, she swallowed her words and closed her mouth.

The car started moving, slowly rolling over the fallen leaves on the street, and drove along the main road towards the city center.

"Let's go to your alma mater, the Agricultural University, this afternoon, and I'll take you shopping tonight." He glanced at the phone in Zhang Yan's hand and said, "I'll get you a new phone while I'm at it. Your sister Wen Ruan specifically mentioned to me that your phone's memory is almost full and it should be replaced."

Zhang Yan let out an embarrassed "Ah," immediately stuffed her phone into her down jacket pocket, and obediently nodded: "Oh, okay."

She is currently using a Redmi Note 10 that she bought two years ago for 1400 yuan. It has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and the memory is indeed full of various work apps.

But because she doesn't play games and rarely uses it, she's just making do with it.

But being pointed out by Tang Song at this moment still made her feel ashamed and embarrassed.

The streetscape became increasingly bustling, and many new high-rise buildings appeared that were quite different from what Zhang Yan remembered.

She gazed quietly out the window, carefully noting the changes in the city.

The car slowly drove into the underground parking lot of Yanjingtian City.

After getting off the car, Tang Song carried the luggage, while Zhang Yan, holding the bouquet of roses, obediently followed behind him into the magnificent lobby.

Step into the elevator.

Zhang Yan looked at the names on the screen and the constantly changing floor numbers.

Suddenly my mouth started to feel dry.

This... is Yan Jingtian City? This is his home!
With each floor the elevator ascended, her heart beat a little faster.

It felt like it was about to jump out, and my whole body started to feel hot and red.

"Ding—" The elevator came to a stop on the 20th floor.

"arrive."

The two arrived at the dark and solemn armored door. Zhang Yan lowered her head, hugged the flowers tightly, and remained silent.

As Tang Song entered the password, he casually said, "The password for the door lock is my birthday. Come in, here are your slippers."

Zhang Yan walked in and looked at the mansion, which was even more luxurious than a five-star hotel. She stood awkwardly in the entrance hall and obediently changed into slippers.

The sound of suitcase wheels echoed in the spacious, open-plan apartment.

Zhang Yan kept her head down, completely oblivious to the decor or scenery, simply following closely behind Tang Song.

"Click—" It was the sound of the door opening again.

Tang Song put her suitcase into the master bedroom, then turned and said, "Okay, put your clothes in the closet in the walk-in closet later. The walk-in closet is over here."

Zhang Yan finally raised her large, watery almond-shaped eyes and asked timidly, "Which room...which one do I stay in?"

"Of course, I'll stay in my house."

"Then...then..." Zhang Yan's voice trembled, "What about you?"

Tang Song leaned forward slightly, getting closer to her, and said with a smile, "Of course I sleep inside too."

"Ah?!" Zhang Yan exclaimed softly, her body trembling violently, her cheeks instantly turning bright red.

She had originally thought that even if she stayed at his house, she would definitely sleep in the guest room.

But to everyone's surprise, Tang Song actually... actually wanted to sleep with her!
This has completely exceeded her boldest and wildest imagination.

Zhang Yan stammered, taking a half-step back in a panic: "Tang, Tang Song...Is it...not good for me to live here?"

"why not?"

"No, that's not appropriate..."

Do you dislike me?

"No, no! Absolutely not!" She shook her head vigorously.

"Then listen to me." Tang Song reached out and gently ruffled her collarbone-length hair, smiling, "The room is warm enough, take off your down jacket, it's too hot wearing it."

Looking into Tang Song's eyes, which held no room for argument yet were incredibly gentle, Zhang Yan swallowed all her words of refusal.

She lowered her head silently, like a robot given a command, and obediently took off her bulky down jacket.

Looking at my female classmate's submissive, shy, and frightened appearance.

A feeling that was hard to describe welled up in Tang Song's heart.

He couldn't help but recall that future without a system, which he had glimpsed through the [Dream System] during his senior year of high school.

In 2028, when he turns 30.

Through her own hard work, Liu Qingning already earns an annual salary of one million yuan, owns a household registration and a house in the capital, and has become a shining star.

He was laid off by a small company in Yancheng.

Unable to reach high standards or settle for low ones, life has worn down all their edges through repeated setbacks.

Because of his deep-seated inferiority complex and tendency to avoid conflict, he dared not accept the kindness of his beloved.

In that timeline, Zhang Yan's mother should have already passed away from cancer.

She lost the closest connection she had in the world.

Having passed the exam for a public institution in her hometown and finally settled into a stable life, she subtly proposed a blind date to him through a relative from her hometown.

Although he ultimately refused.

But the more he understood Zhang Yan, the more he realized how much courage she mustered to take that step, given her extreme introversion.

If... if things really go according to that script, how will the gears of fate turn?
Perhaps, one day, on some street corner, she will muster her courage again, gather all seven Dragon Balls, and appear before him.

Will they end up together then?

Even if they were together, would he, in the dead of night, yearn even more desperately for the unattainable white moonlight?
In the end, this pure girl in front of him became the cinnabar mark on his heart.

Fortunately, he changed his fate.

The mist of the dream has long since dissipated.

The winds of reality blew that lost red leaf back into his palm.

This time, he will cherish it.

(End of this chapter)