Xiu Gou's Taming Record

Yu Heng stood up, grabbed his coat from the sofa, and said, "Let's go eat. I know a good sauerkraut fish restaurant in the mall."

"Pickled fish?" Qin Ya put away her phone. "Is it spicy?"

"You can choose mild spicy," Yu Heng said, opening the door and glancing back at her. "You can't eat spicy food?"

"Who can't eat spicy food!" Qin Ya immediately retorted, "I can eat a lot of spicy food!"

Yu Heng found it amusing; this girl even had to be competitive when it came to eating.

The two walked to the entrance of the residential area and hailed a taxi. Yu Heng gave the name of the shopping mall.

After the new students officially started school, this place really became lively, and even taxis started coming here.

With the car's air conditioning on full blast, Qin Ya unzipped her down jacket a little, revealing a light gray sweatshirt underneath.

"What kind of meals does your mom usually cook for you?" Yu Heng asked casually.

"That's all," Qin Ya said, looking out the window. "Sometimes she works overtime, so I order takeout for myself."

"Ordering takeout every day?"

"Otherwise what?" Qin Ya turned her head. "She can't cook many dishes, and what she does is terrible."

Yu Heng glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

"My dad can cook," Qin Ya suddenly spoke again, her voice lower, "but he only cooks a few times a year."

Yu Heng didn't reply.

The car was quiet for a few seconds, with only the faint sound of music from the radio.

"What does your dad do for a living?" he asked.

"He's a teacher too!" Qin Ya said, "but he teaches at a high school in the city."

Yu Heng thought to himself, it seems that this girl's relationship with her father is not very good.

Or rather, they simply didn't have much time to spend together.

"So who usually takes care of you?" he asked.

"I'm so old, who's going to take care of me?" Qin Ya said. "I'll just stay by myself."

"So you're so independent now," Yu Heng smiled, "it's all from practice."

"That's right," Qin Ya turned her face away, "I'm an adult now!"

Typical stubbornness.

Yu Heng didn't expose him, and just then the car arrived at the mall entrance.

The two got out of the car and walked into the mall.

At lunchtime, the food area was already quite crowded.

"This is it," Yu Heng pointed to a shop ahead, "Shall we go?"

Qin Ya looked up at the sign, said nothing, and followed him inside.

The waiter led them to a window seat and handed them the menu.

Yu Heng pushed the menu towards Qin Ya: "Order whatever you want."

Qin Ya opened the menu, her eyes scanning the prices. Her finger lingered on a few expensive dishes, but in the end, she ordered the most basic sauerkraut fish set meal.

"That's all?" Yu Heng raised an eyebrow.

"Okay." Qin Ya closed the menu.

"Won't you order anything else?" Yu Heng picked up the menu. "I think the beef rolls look good, and the shrimp paste too..."

"Whatever." Qin Ya picked up her teacup, took a sip of water, and looked out the window.

Yu Heng knew exactly what was going on.

This girl clearly wants to eat something good, but she's too embarrassed to order.

He beckoned to the waiter and added all the expensive dishes that Qin Ya had just looked at, and also ordered a pitcher of freshly squeezed juice.

"Why order so much?" Qin Ya muttered. "We can't finish it all."

"Take any leftovers home," Yu Heng said. "If your mom isn't busy cooking tonight, you can just reheat them and eat them."

Qin Ya paused for a moment, then didn't reply, instead looking down and fiddling with the tableware on the table.

While waiting for the food, Yu Heng took out his phone and saw a message from the design shop saying that the first draft of the poster could be provided before 3 p.m.

He replied with an "okay," then looked up and noticed Qin Ya secretly watching him.

"What are you looking at?" Yu Heng asked with a smile.

"Who's looking at you?" Qin Ya immediately looked away. "I'm looking outside."

There's not much to see outside the window, just the mall atrium with people coming and going.

Yu Heng didn't expose her, and picked up the teapot to pour her some tea: "What do you want to play at the arcade this afternoon?"

"Whatever," Qin Ya said, "It's just a way to pass the time anyway."

"Did you used to go there often?"

"I went there a few times with my dad when I was little," Qin Ya said. "But he never had time after that."

It's about fathers again.

Yu Heng noticed that the girl's tone would become a little awkward every time she mentioned her father.

It's not pure dislike, it's more like disappointment?

"Your dad promised you a lot but didn't keep them?" Yu Heng asked tentatively.

Qin Ya suddenly looked up, her eyes a little fierce: "Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Just chatting," Yu Heng shrugged. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Qin Ya bit her lip and didn't say anything. At this moment, the waiter brought out a steaming big bowl of pickled fish.

"Let's eat," Yu Heng picked up his chopsticks, "Let's not talk about this anymore."

Qin Ya picked up a piece of fish, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.

"How is it?" Yu Heng asked.

"It's alright," Qin Ya said, but her chopsticks didn't stop.

"Here's some shrimp paste," Yu Heng said, placing the freshly cooked shrimp paste into her bowl. "Their shrimp paste is handmade."

Qin Ya glanced at the shrimp paste in the bowl and whispered, "Thank you."

Yu Heng raised an eyebrow. It was rare to hear him say thank you.

Then I put a few more slices of beef rolls on her plate: "Eat more, you need to replenish your energy since you'll be playing for so long this afternoon."

"I'm not a child," Qin Ya said. "You don't need to keep putting food on my plate."

"Fine, fine, do it yourself." Yu Heng said this, but still pushed the dishes that were far away from her toward her.

Qin Ya noticed, but didn't say anything and kept eating.

The two ate for more than half an hour. Qin Ya was clearly full and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her stomach.

"Are you full?" Yu Heng asked with a smile.

"Mm." Qin Ya nodded.

"Let's go then, let's digest a bit."

After paying the bill, Yu Heng carried the takeout box, and the two headed towards the arcade.

As soon as Qin Ya entered, her eyes darted around.

"Want to exchange some coins?" Yu Heng walked to the counter.

"Hmm." Qin Ya followed over, looking at the dazzling array of game coins in the glass cabinet.

Yu Heng exchanged two hundred yuan in currency and filled two small baskets to the brim.

Qin Ya took the basket, weighed it in her hand, and the weight made her smile slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

"What do you want to play?" Yu Heng asked.

"Whatever," Qin Ya said, but walked straight toward the basketball shooting machine.

Yu Heng followed her and watched as she inserted a coin, and the machine started timing.

Qin Ya grabbed the basketball and shot. Her movements were quite standard, but her accuracy was a bit lacking. Several balls bounced off the rim.

"That won't do," Yu Heng said from the side. "You need to use your wrist, not your arm to throw it."

"Mind your own business." Qin Ya threw another one, but it still missed.

Yu Heng couldn't stand it anymore, so he stood behind her and grabbed her wrist as she held the ball: "Look, like this, if you flick your wrist..."

He guided her wrist and made a shooting motion; the basketball arced through the air and swished through the net.

Qin Ya's body stiffened for a moment.

Yu Heng immediately released his grip and took a half step back: "That's the feeling, you try it."

Qin Ya didn't say anything, picked up another ball, and threw it using the same feeling as before. The ball went in.

Her eyes lit up, and she took another shot, which went in.

"Sure, you're learning pretty fast," Yu Heng said with a smile.

"It wasn't difficult to begin with," Qin Ya said, pursing her lips.

At the end of the game, she broke her own record for the highest score.

"Impressive." Yu Heng patted her on the shoulder.

Qin Ya shook her slightly sore wrist, and finally couldn't suppress a clear smile from her lips.

Although he quickly put it away again, Yu Heng saw it.

This girl is actually very easy to coax.

"What else do you want to play?" Yu Heng asked.

"That one." Qin Ya pointed to the dance machine.

Yu Heng raised an eyebrow: "You can dance?"

"Why not give it a try?" Qin Ya had already walked over.

A few young people were gathered around the dance machine. After the previous round ended, Qin Ya inserted a coin and stood on it.

The music started; it was a fast-paced Korean song.

Yu Heng initially thought she was just playing around, but Qin Ya immediately caught up with the rhythm, her footwork was precise, and her movements were quite professional.

People around started clapping and cheering.

Qin Ya jumped even more energetically, the hood of her hoodie swaying with her movements, and her face flushed from the exercise.

After the game ended, she received an A rating and got off the dance machine, panting.

"Sure," Yu Heng said, handing over a bottle of freshly bought mineral water. "Have you practiced before?"

"I studied in a dance class for two years before," Qin Ya said, unscrewing the bottle cap and taking a big gulp. "But then my dad said the tuition was too expensive, so he wouldn't let me go anymore."

It was his father again.

Yu Heng noticed that the girl mentioned her father very frequently today.

Perhaps it's because other children have their parents with them, while she can only go out with a boss she's not very familiar with.

"Do you want to continue learning?" Yu Heng asked.

Qin Ya was taken aback: "Learn what?"

"Let's dance."

"Why learn that?" Qin Ya screwed the bottle cap back on. "It's not like you can eat it."

Typical pragmatist thinking, probably learned from his parents.

"If you like it, just learn it," Yu Heng said. "Not everything has to be for making a living."

Qin Ya glanced at him, didn't reply, and turned to walk towards the claw machine.

Yu Heng followed her and saw her staring at a panda doll inside.

"You want this?" he asked.

"Just browsing," Qin Ya said, but she didn't move.

Yu Heng smiled, inserted a coin into the machine, and operated the joystick.

The first time I missed, the second time I almost caught it, and the third time the panda's claws gripped it firmly, but it loosened its grip when we reached the exit.

"Wow!" Qin Ya couldn't help but exclaim.

She crouched down, took the panda out of the exit, hugged it to her chest, and stroked the plush toy's fur with her fingers.

Looking at her like that, Yu Heng suddenly realized that this girl was actually quite innocent.

A doll can make her so happy.

"Thank you." Qin Ya hugged the panda, her voice much softer than before.

"Don't be so polite," Yu Heng said. "Who else do you want to arrest?"

Qin Ya pointed to the rabbit in the machine next to her.

Yu Heng inserted another coin, but this time he was unlucky and only caught one after five tries.

Qin Ya held a panda in one arm and a rabbit in the other, making her look much softer.

"What else do we need to play?" Yu Heng asked.

Qin Ya glanced at the remaining coins in the basket: "Let's not play anymore. We can save the coins for next time."

They're quite good at planning.

"Okay," Yu Heng nodded, "Shall we go sit over there for a while?"

There was a row of benches in the corner of the arcade, and the two of them went over and sat down.

Qin Ya placed the doll on her lap and took out her phone to check the time.

"It's past three o'clock," she said.

"Your mom said she'd pick you up around five or six," Yu Heng said. "It's still early."

"Mmm," Qin Ya responded, touching the panda's ears.

Yu Heng looked at her profile. This girl's arrogance was a protective facade; she just lacked love and was afraid to show it.

"Yu Heng," Qin Ya called to him.

"What's wrong now?"

"Next time..." Qin Ya's voice was very soft, "Can we come again next time?"

"Come whenever you want," Yu Heng said. "As long as you complete your live-streaming task, you can come anytime."

"Oh," Qin Ya responded, then said sullenly, "Actually, the arcade isn't that fun."

Yu Heng glanced at the time: "Let's go, let's go downstairs to the bookstore and wait for your mom to arrive."

"A bookstore?" Qin Ya looked up. "Why are we going to a bookstore?"

"Just killing time," Yu Heng stood up, "or do you want to stay here?"

Qin Ya stood up, clutching the doll: "Then let's go."