Bo Wang shifted uncomfortably in his sleep, his body thudding as he rolled from the bench onto the floor.
"Awake?"
Bo Wang blinked sleepily at Ning Xi and grumbled, "What do you want?"
"Breakfast. We'll be leaving soon."
For once, Bo Wang swallowed his temper.
Ning Xi placed two hard-boiled eggs in their shells before him.
Bo Wang stared in confusion. "What the hell is this?"
Ning Xi looked at him with the gentle patience one might show a simpleton. "Eggs."
Bo Wang had never set foot in a kitchen. The eggs he'd eaten were always fried or steamed—this was his first time seeing them like this.
"Raw?"
Ning Xi picked up an egg, tapped it lightly against the edge of the table, and began peeling the shell with practiced ease.
Having slept through the night, Bo Wang was hungry.
He followed Ning Xi's lead, learning how to peel an egg.
Uncle Xue had boiled the eggs perfectly—soft-centered and just right.
Ning Xi ate with such grace, not a hint of coarseness, even more elegant than those so-called socialites who'd taken etiquette classes.
"Cough…"
Bo Wang, who had been watching Ning Xi eat intently, choked on a bit of yolk.
Flustered, he downed a carton of milk in one go before feeling better.
At 7:30 a.m., the Village Chief arrived in his minivan.
After saying goodbye to Uncle Xue, Ning Xi and Bo Wang got into the vehicle.
Back in the duty room, Uncle Xue spotted the 200 yuan Ning Xi had left on the table.
He shook his head, thinking, Just like her master's disciple.
Ning Xi was exactly like her master—never taking advantage of others.
In the minivan, Bo Wang asked, "Why did you leave money on the table?"
"Dinner and breakfast, 200 yuan total." Ning Xi took out her phone and noted it in her memo app. "Since you can't pay me back now, I'll keep a record."
The Village Chief wasn't familiar with Ning Xi, so they didn't talk much during the ride.
At the county bus station, as they got out, Ning Xi handed the Village Chief 50 yuan.
"Village Chief, thank you for the ride. This is for the fare."
The Village Chief waved it off. "It was on my way. I can't take your money."
Ning Xi gently placed the bill on the dashboard. "Drive safely, Village Chief."
Though he hadn't been Village Chief for long, he already knew the temperaments of this master and disciple. He smiled.
"Alright, take care."
Nowadays, buying bus or train tickets required real-name registration.
Since Bo Wang had no ID, Ning Xi took him to the temporary police station at the bus terminal to apply for a temporary identity certificate.
When purchasing tickets, Bo Wang didn't need prompting this time. He spoke up first, "Ning Xi, could you cover this for now? I'll pay you back once we're back in the capital."
"Fine."
Ning Xi paid for the tickets with her phone.
At 3:30 p.m., Bo Wang and Ning Xi finally boarded the high-speed train to the capital.
As a pampered young master from a wealthy capital family, Bo Wang was used to luxury. He specifically bought VIP business class seats for the train ride.
Ning Xi meticulously recorded every expense in her memo app.
"Hey beautiful, can I get your WeChat?"
As soon as Ning Xi sat down, a man holding his phone approached, preening like a peacock as he tried to charm her.
Ning Xi frowned slightly. "Do you like me?"
The man glanced at Bo Wang sitting beside her. "Yes, I like you."
Ning Xi replied coolly, "I don't like you."
"Then who do you like? This pretty boy?"
This was the first time Bo Wang had ever been called a "pretty boy." His face darkened with fury as he snapped, "Who are you calling a pretty boy?"