Cultivation Shura Field

Driven by this sense of self-esteem, the girl raised her face slightly and said calmly: "Since I promised to help you, I must learn programming. Let's start from tomorrow."

Xu Zhe gave her a thumbs up: "Okay! Then, do you need my help?"

Shen Lan: "We are QQ friends and we both have cell phones. I will contact you anytime if I have any questions."

"It's settled then," Xu Zhe said with a smile, "What would you like to eat later?"

"What else can be found in the night market? Anyway, there are snacks like barbecue, grilled cold noodles, spicy hot pot, fried skewers, etc. I just ate more instant noodles than you, but I'm not as hungry as you. You should think more about what to eat later."

After Shen Lan said this, she wanted to look away casually, but when they looked at each other, she noticed that he was still staring at her.

Xu Zhe said: "I want to know, what do you want to eat?"

Shen Lan still looked away, but not as casually as expected, but a little flustered.

----

Chapter 94 Hug

2023-09-06

The night market here is just as I remember it, noisy and messy.

The square bricks on the ground were uneven, so you had to be careful with every step to avoid tripping. No matter which stall you walked to, you could smell the lingering aroma of oil - people who were full would find the smell greasy and even nauseating; but for those who were hungry, it was too tempting.

Xu Zhe took a handful of grilled lamb skewers and potato chips and ate them happily.

Shen Lan wanted to restrain herself at first, but he gave her half of it. Then she couldn't help herself after smelling the aroma, and started eating with him.

After both of them finished eating and threw away the empty sticks, Xu Zhe bought two more cups of milk tea.

Shen Lan took the milk tea and took a sip, then suddenly asked, "Do you have enough money?"

Xu Zhe said calmly: "Because I don't have any need to spend money at all. I eat and live at home, and there is nothing I need to buy."

Shen Lan: "Don't you need money to make games?"

Xu Zhe: “I do need it, but I have another account.”

In my dad's stock account, the portion that belongs to him alone is worth more than 10,000 yuan. This is more than enough to cover the initial art and sound outsourcing costs. What's more, the stocks he bought can still rise in value for a few more months, and by then the available funds will definitely be more than 20,000 yuan.

"Account? That's amazing. I only have an old wallet..." Shen Lan sighed.

Xu Zhe glanced at her. He could hear a hint of melancholy in her tone.

He asked, "Are you not full? How about some pancakes?"

Shen Lan shook her head slightly: "I don't want to eat anymore."

Xu Zhe said tentatively: "Then let's go back now? But I feel like you don't seem very happy."

Shen Lan did not respond to this, nor did she say whether she was unhappy or depressed for some reason. She just stared at him, took a sip of milk tea, and chewed glutinous rice pearls silently.

After staring at each other in silence for a few seconds, Shen Lan finally spoke: "I was thinking, since I promised to help you in the future, and you also said that you would treat me as a partner in the future, so, should there be some kind of ceremony..."

Xu Zhe looked confused: "Ceremony?"

Shen Lan: "Just like other people have to sign contracts when negotiating business, bosses also have to prepare contracts when recruiting employees, what about you?"

Xu Zhe: "I can't make it for you with my bare hands right now. How about I wait for me to go back and make a contract?"

Shen Lan shook her head: "We are both minors, not even sixteen yet. Is there any point in signing a contract? I mean, there should be a ceremony. This ceremony does not need to have legal significance, but it must have enough weight for both of us."

It doesn't need to have legal significance, but it has to be heavy enough... These words made Xu Zhe a little confused.

He asked tentatively, "How about a hook and a hang?"

Shen Lan chuckled: "You really think of yourself as a little brother. How old are you? Why are you still making a pinky promise?"

Xu Zhe: "..."

He remembered that he seemed to have complained about Tang Lingfei's father with similar words, but he didn't expect that after so many days, the boomerang would come back.

Seeing him standing there at a loss, Shen Lan took a deep breath, revealed a cool smile that she thought was impeccable, and then took a step forward.

"Hehe... this might give you enough weight, don't you think?"

The girl opened her arms, then closed them and hugged Xu Zhe.

Her hug was hard and intense.

Xu Zhe could even feel her trembling, and immediately realized that her current state of mind was not as relaxed as her expression and tone.

Her ease is pretended.

When and in front of whom would a girl pretend not to be nervous even though she is extremely nervous?

At 8:24:28 on the evening of June 30, this second was the most confused moment for Xu Zhe this year. But in another 42 seconds, reason would return to its original track due to inertia.

Shen Lan whispered, "This is the first time I'm hugging someone like this...what about you?"

Xu Zhe said hesitantly: "Me too."

The girl whispered softly in his ear: "I will remember this. Take it as a ceremony and proof of our promise, okay?"

That's it?

Xu Zhe thought so, but did not dare to ask further, and just replied: "Okay."

Shen Lan took another breath, slow and deep. Xu Zhe also felt her breath, but his own was much shorter, but just as quiet.

Then Shen Lan let him go, took two steps back, and put some distance between them again.

Xu Zhe subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

The girl's heroic eyes squinted and she asked jokingly, "Are you nervous?"

Xu Zhe pretended to be calm and said, "What's there to be nervous about? However, the evidence you asked for was a little unexpected to me. When you first mentioned the contract, I thought you wanted to leave two copies of the physical evidence."

Shen Lan pointed to her chest and said, "Physical evidence is for the court. As for our promise, it's fine as long as we have a clear conscience."

Xu Zhe nodded.

Of course, he also realized that this promise, which was originally just about programming, seemed to have a bit of a wrong color after this hug. He himself hadn't decided whether he should be wary or accept it calmly.

Xu Zhe said: "I will definitely remember it."

The girl turned her wrist, and her scallion-white index finger drew a small half circle, from her chest to in front of Xu Zhe.

She seemed to want to touch something, but after pausing for two seconds, she retracted her touch.

Shen Lan said: "I will remember it too."

The two threw away the empty disposable milk tea cups, started walking again, and walked out of the night market.

The air filled with the smell of fried food and barbecue was left behind, and the messy and slightly glaring lights of the small stalls were replaced by the soft street lights above.

The pace of the two people seemed to have never changed. They walked quietly at almost the same speed and almost the same stride.

Xu Zhe and Shen Lan's homes are both near No. 1 Middle School, but the night market is quite far from the middle school.

Without further ado, both of them knew that it was time to go home. So Xu Zhe suddenly asked, "How are we going to get home? There are buses available now, or we can take a taxi."

Shen Lan said, "Let's walk back."

Xu Zhe: "Walking at night? This..."

Shen Lan: "Do you feel unsafe?"

Xu Zhe: "If I'm alone, it doesn't matter. Even if I run into thugs again, they probably won't be able to outrun me. But with you here..."

Shen Lan suddenly interrupted: "Anyway, you will definitely protect me, right?"

"Correct."

Xu Zhe really felt that it was not safe. After all, unlike later times, the streets were not covered with cameras and the public security was not that good. Although serious crimes were dealt with severely, scattered gangsters still often did things like robbery.

But Shen Lan didn't seem worried. Instead, after hearing his answer, she couldn't help laughing.

"Okay then, let's take a taxi back. I'll pay for the fare."

As she said this, the girl's smile was much brighter and more dazzling than the street lights above her head.

----

Chapter 95 Romance of the Three Kingdoms

2023-09-06

When Xu Zhe returned home, he looked down and saw a pair of pink sneakers, and realized that there was an extra person in the house.

Zeng Jing reminded: "Fei Fei is playing games in the study. She is waiting for you. She has been waiting for a long time."

Xu Zhe: "How long have you been waiting?"

Zeng Jing: "Maybe less than seven? It's already nine now. You said you were going out to relax, but we didn't expect you to be out for so long."

"I also need some personal space without being disturbed. Okay, then I'll take a look at her."

Having said that, Xu Zhe turned and walked into the study.

Hearing his mother say "playing games in the study", Xu Zhe thought Tang Lingfei was playing on the computer in the study. But when he went in, he realized that the girl was actually playing the PSP game console.

Tang Lingfei had already paused the game. She put down her PSP, turned around and said, "I've been waiting for you so long!"

Xu Zhe chuckled: "Bitter? I didn't realize it. You seemed to be having a lot of fun. By the way, why did you come to see me tonight?"

Tang Lingfei said as a matter of course: "I'm looking for you to play! Summer vacation is finally coming, so we must have fun."

Xu Zhe: "Didn't you say you would study hard and try to go to high school in the provincial capital with Ye Zi?"

Tang Lingfei was stunned: "This..."

Xu Zhe said leisurely: "Of course, there is no need to rush when it comes to studying. You should combine work and rest. Since it's summer vacation, you should relax and have fun first."

Tang Lingfei patted her chest and said, "I was so scared. I thought you were going to force me to study!"

Xu Zhe suddenly became curious: "If I force you, will you obey me?"

Tang Lingfei thought for a moment and said, "I don't want to listen to you, but my parents trust you now. If you tell them that I have to study during the summer vacation, they will definitely not let me play. They will definitely take me back and ask you and Xiaoye to watch me study."

Xu Zhe immediately understood: "I understand. If you don't listen to me in the future, I can still talk to your parents."

The girl who suddenly realized that she had just exposed her life: "..."

----

The windows of Shen Lan's house are relatively large, and the windowsills are relatively low, so people can sit on them.

After returning home, the girl stayed in her bedroom, sat on the windowsill, and looked at the night view of the city outside.

She said nothing, her eyes as lonely as the night sky.

Shen Lan was sitting sideways on the windowsill. She took off her shoes and left her left foot with only white socks on. She stepped lightly on the windowsill, and her delicate jaw rested on her left knee.

After standing in this position for a long time, she stretched out her arms, hooked her left shoulder with her right hand, and her right shoulder with her left hand, and hugged herself.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened.

My father stood at the door and asked, "Are you back? You didn't even say hello when you came back?"

Shen Lan turned her head and looked at him quietly.

My father cleared his throat and asked again, "How did things go tonight?"

The girl shook her head slowly.

"How can you fail like this?" The father couldn't help but be a little shocked. "Is that kid too young and hasn't figured it out yet?"

Shen Lan whispered, "No, I think he is more mature than me. Besides, tonight is not a failure."

"How is it possible that he is more mature than you... Wait a minute! He is more mature than you. It is not a failure if you haven't succeeded tonight. Does that mean that boy is an expert in love?"

Hearing her father's speculation, Shen Lan couldn't help but laugh: "What I mean by maturity is not what you understand. He is really a genius, but his talent is not in emotions."

"Then he just didn't understand what you meant. It's okay, this is fine. You are both too young, you can talk about it when you are older. Anyway, you will be going to the provincial capital in a few days. The school leaders have reminded you to go there earlier."

"But, when he gets older, will he still be single? I have no idea..."

The girl looked out the window again, her tone full of hesitation.