My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 102 Taste
After the concert ended, crowds thronged outside the stadium.

The cacophony of voices mingled with the sounds of traffic on the street, making one's eardrums buzz.

Lu Yuan protected Chen Xiaomiao and finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd and find his electric scooter in the parking lot.

"Get in and sit tight."

Chen Xiaomiao climbed onto the back seat and carefully grabbed the hem of Lu Yuan's clothes at the waist.

The electric scooter merged into the traffic, and the evening breeze carried the coolness of early spring.

"How was it?" Lu Yuan asked loudly as he rode his bike. "How did you feel about hearing this kind of 'opera' for the first time?"

Chen Xiaomiao thought for a moment and gave a fair assessment: "It's alright, but I didn't see him sing as well as he did in the video. There were a few high notes, and I saw his face turn red from holding his breath, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing."

Lu Yuan chuckled upon hearing this: "That was when he was young. Now that he's older, his voice will inevitably deteriorate."

Chen Xiaomiao nodded: "I understand... Just like my master, he got old and his legs became weak. He used to be able to climb over the wall, but now he has difficulty even stepping over the threshold."

This metaphor... is quite apt.

Lu Yuan smiled and didn't reply, then rode his bike into a brightly lit snack street.

The powerful aroma of cumin and chili wafted on the wind, making one's stomach rumble.

"Are you hungry? Let's grab some late-night snacks before we go back."

Lu Yuan stopped in front of a barbecue stall by the roadside.

After the concert ended, many audience members stayed nearby to have a late-night snack.

Many people still had concert merchandise around their necks and were waving glow sticks that had run out of power. They were gathered in small groups, chattering about the performance they had just watched.

Lu Yuan found an empty table, sat down, and handed the menu to Chen Xiaomiao.

Chen Xiaomiao glanced at the bright red pictures on the menu, swallowed hard, and pushed the menu back.

"Okay, whatever you say, I'm fine with anything."

Lu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony with her and ordered some skewers and vegetables as if he knew them well. He specifically told the owner, "Boss, put less spice on these skewers, just a little spicy is fine."

While waiting for the food, Chen Xiaomiao suddenly remembered something and leaned over to ask, "Lu Yuan, Xiao Yao sings on Douyin every day, and more and more people are watching her now. In the future... will she hold a concert like that?"

"It's probably impossible." Lu Yuan shook his head without even thinking.

"Why?" Chen Xiaomiao asked, puzzled. "I think Xiaoyao sings better than the performer on stage."

"People are afraid of being famous, and pigs are afraid of being strong."

Lu Yuan patiently explained, "Being a minor internet celebrity now, with a stable income each month, and living a peaceful life, is enough for her."

If she becomes so popular that she has to hold concerts, all sorts of controversies will follow, which might not be a good thing in the end.

Lu Yuan didn't want his cousin to become the next Want Want Xiao Yao.

Chen Xiaomiao only partially understood what Lu Yuan meant, but she eventually grasped the point.

"You're afraid she'll be bullied."

"more or less."

As we were talking, the owner brought over a steaming hot iron plate, on which sizzling meat skewers were neatly arranged and sprinkled with scallions and sesame seeds.

"Eat your grilled skewers while they're hot!"

The aroma was irresistible. Chen Xiaomiao picked up a skewer of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside beef and carefully took a small bite.

The meat smelled delicious, but the spicy kick quickly rose from the back of my tongue and shot straight to the top of my head.

"Ha...hiss...ha..."

Chen Xiaomiao's face flushed red rapidly, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead. She quickly grabbed the glass of cold water on the table and gulped down more than half of it.

Lu Yuan handed over a tissue: "This boss is something else. I always tell him to put less chili in the food."

Chen Xiaomiao stuck out her tongue and tried to eat another bite of roasted eggplant, but the result was the same. She almost burst into tears after only a couple of chews.

After that, they basically just ate a bite of food and drank a sip of water, and soon they were completely defeated.

She wiped her mouth, glanced at Lu Yuan who was eating heartily beside her, and said sullenly, "Lu Yuan, am I really that useless?"

Lu Yuan was eating a skewer of grilled chicken wings when he heard this, and looked up, startled: "What's wrong?"

People say that a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, whether he's a chicken or a dog.

Chen Xiaomiao lowered her eyes, feeling wronged and annoyed: "I've been here for several months, and I can't even get used to this little bit of spice..."

In her simple view, once a woman is with a man, she should put him first in everything, and gradually adapt to him in terms of lifestyle habits and tastes.

But her tongue is really disappointing.

"Taste is something that varies from place to place and from person to person; it's not something that can be developed overnight. Even the emperor, with so many wives, couldn't eat from the same pot."

Lu Yuan took her soda bottle, replaced it with his own unopened one, and waved to the barbecue stall owner as he did so.

"Boss, two more slices of toast, with plenty of honey, and no spice! Also, toast two steamed buns, and remember, no spice!"

After placing the order, he looked at Chen Xiaomiao again, a smile playing on his lips.

"If you can't handle spicy food, then let's eat something non-spicy. There are so many delicious things in the world, we can't just put all our eggs in one basket, can we?"

"Even a fool like me, tired of dog food, knows to bark at you a couple of times."

Chen Xiaomiao burst out laughing, her eyes and brows relaxing.

"There are just too many fallacies like that."

She said that, but she felt a sweet warmth in her heart, even sweeter than the honey bread she had just ordered.

Soon, non-spicy toast and steamed buns were served.

Chen Xiaomiao picked up a piece of golden-brown, crispy bread and nibbled on it, saying in a serious tone, "Actually, my master calculated my Five Elements and said that I favor metal and dislike fire."

These chili peppers are hot in nature and belong to the fire element, which clashes with my birth chart. Eating too many will bring me bad luck.

Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment, but finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Okay, okay, you're right. It's just that it clashes with your diet, not that you can't eat spicy food."

After a few months, Lu Yuan finally understood that Chen Xiaomiao had to have a "justification" for everything she did. Even her inability to eat spicy food required a plausible reason.

However, as long as this girl is happy, Lu Yuan would accept it even if the five elements clash, or even if the Heavenly King himself clashed with her.

As night deepened, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased.

After finishing their late-night snack, Lu Yuan drove Chen Xiaomiao back into the quiet street.

Chen Xiaomiao sat in the back seat. This time, instead of grabbing his clothes, she tentatively and gently wrapped her arms around his waist.

Her cheek pressed against the man's broad back, she could feel the warmth of his body and the rhythmic beating of his heart.

As the evening breeze brushed past her ears, Chen Xiaomiao drowsily thought, "If only spring could come a little slower."

No, let's hurry up and come.

When the weather gets warmer, I won't need to find an excuse to share a bed with him.

No, no, let's take it slow...

(End of this chapter)