Eating Noodles
“Eight years? That long.” Jiang Quqi walked ahead with her arms crossed, while Qin Jiao followed behind carrying his schoolbag.
“…Mm.”
“What a cold person.”
Qin Jiao didn’t make a sound.
Many years ago, Mrs. Qin hadn’t been like this. Back then, she had a loving husband. Although they were poor and had no children of their own, they were both kind-hearted and would use what little money they had to help the children in the neighborhood. Even when they first adopted Qin Jiao, he truly believed it was the luckiest moment of his life. He thought he had finally found a home—one free from fighting, betrayal, and lies.
“What are you thinking about!”
His forehead bumped softly against her palm. Jiang Quqi glared at him. “You almost walked into a pole!”
“Let’s go, watch your step.”
The sun was bright and warm today, shining comfortably on their skin, stretching their shadows long across the ground.
On a whim, Jiang Quqi put her hands behind her back, gave a little jump, and stepped on her own shadow. Then she jumped to the side and stepped on Qin Jiao’s shadow.
Childish. The system complained in her mind.
Okay, maybe it was a little.
She coughed lightly, pretending nothing had happened as she continued walking, and said fiercely to the system, “Shut up. Less talking.”
「┑(￣Д ￣)┍」
“? You can send emojis now.”
「New feature added during last night’s system update ( )」
“Wow, nice, nice.”
For once, the human and the system were in complete agreement.
Sending emojis really is cute!
“You there! Stop right there! I’m talking to you!” The security guard strode over aggressively. “Yes, you! Why are you looking around like that!”
Jiang Quqi froze for a moment, pointed at herself, and turned back to ask Qin Jiao, “Is he talking about me?”
Qin Jiao hesitated for a second, then nodded.
“It is you! I remember you! Didn’t I stop you from coming in earlier? How did you get in! You, you, you! Get out right now!”
The guard then pointed at Qin Jiao behind her. “School isn’t over yet! Skipping class so openly? Go back, go back inside! Class is about to start!”
“…”
“Do you remember the teacher’s number?”
Jiang Quqi put her index finger to her lips to shush him, looking helpless. “Sir, wait a moment. Let me call the teacher to explain. My head is spinning from arguing with you just now. Just a second.”
After a friendly discussion between the teacher and the security guard, Jiang Quqi successfully left with Qin Jiao. She patted the back seat of her electric scooter. “Get on.”
“I was in a rush when I left home and forgot the helmets. Just be careful later. If you see traffic police, get off and walk, got it?”
“…Okay.”
Jiang Quqi had one rule when driving: prioritize stability over speed.
So Qin Jiao sat at the back, watching the scooter move slowly, extremely slowly.
A grandma on a tricycle pedaled past and overtook them.
A little kid on a bicycle huffed and puffed and overtook them too.
The wind blew gently, the vehicle moved slowly, and even time itself seemed to slow down.
The trees along the street drifted past one by one, and the sunlight cast dappled shadows on the ground.
Birds sang loudly from the treetops, and cicadas joined in chorus, their voices rising higher and higher.
At home, Jiang Quqi was always in pajamas and slippers, running around casually. But when she went out, she invariably wore her hair in a low ponytail and paired it with sneakers.
As casual as she was at home, she looked just as neat and sharp outside.
She was a surprisingly strong person—literally. It was obvious from the force of her strikes and her clean, decisive movements when they first met; she had clearly received formal training, and her skills were quite impressive for an ordinary person.
Yet she always acted lazy, preferring to sit rather than stand, and lie down rather than sit. When left alone, she looked completely harmless. Her beautiful, innocent face made her seem soft and easy to bully, the complete opposite of her true personality.
Passing over a speed bump, the scooter wobbled slightly. Qin Jiao suddenly came back to his senses and looked away from Jiang Quqi’s back.
He was thinking too much. It didn’t matter what kind of person she was, as long as she could guarantee him a normal life.
All he needed was a guardian—one who wouldn’t interfere with him.
“Where are we going?” This was clearly not the way home.
Jiang Quqi looked left and right, found a spot, and parked the bike. “Get off. I’m taking you to eat something delicious.”
She hadn’t been idle lately. While chatting with the uncles, aunties, and kids running around the neighborhood, she had found out about quite a few good places to eat.
This noodle shop was famous for big portions, great taste, and being very filling. The noodles were handmade by the grandma who owned the shop, and the soup broth was made using the grandpa’s secret recipe. Every mealtime, the place was packed. Even now, there were far more people here than in other restaurants.
Jiang Quqi had wanted to try it for ages, but every time she passed by and saw the crowd, she got too lazy to wait. Today was perfect.
“Oh right,” Jiang Quqi suddenly remembered. “Are you hungry?”
Qin Jiao looked at her left foot, which was already about to step through the door, and silently nodded.
Jiang Quqi happily ordered two bowls of noodles.
She had to admit, it really smelled amazing.
The noodles varied in thickness. The thin ones were smooth and not greasy, while the thicker ones had just the right chewiness. All the seasonings blended perfectly into the broth, creating just the right flavor.
“Delicious!”
The shop’s grandma smiled at her. “If it’s good, eat more. If you don’t have enough, just ask for more.”
The grandpa sat nearby smiling happily too.
How could they not have enough? The bowls were almost as big as their faces!
As she ate, she somehow finished more than half the bowl without realizing it. She let out a satisfied burp, patted her full stomach, and wiped her mouth with a tissue.
Qin Jiao ate very differently from her. He was fast yet elegant. Somehow, he managed to eat without getting a single speck of oil or sauce around his mouth.
She looked at the oil stain that had splashed onto her own shirt, wiped it silently with a tissue, but it wouldn’t come off. She simply gave up and ignored it.
“Finished? Then let’s—wait a minute!” Jiang Quqi suddenly sat down hard, almost curling up and hiding under the table. “Sit up straight! Don’t move!”