“Hey, young man, you look decent enough, so why are you talking nonsense?” The auntie frying the rice had sharp ears and immediately fired back.
“What do you mean ‘garbage’? This is fried rice with sausage, green beans, eggs, and crispy pork bits—it’s delicious!”
“I guarantee you’ll want more after eating it and come back next time~~”
It wasn’t just her bragging—her little stall had a steady stream of customers all day long.
How could it be considered garbage in this person’s eyes?
Pei Yanqiu was flustered. “I didn’t say it was garbage. I said it was garbage carbs…”
He had learned this term from Shen Xingyao, who had picked it up online and used it to show off to him.
After all, both of them came from small mountain villages—who hadn’t eaten enough fried rice growing up?
Shen Xingyao covered his mouth with her hand and smiled at the vendor. “Oh, sister, don’t listen to his nonsense.”
“How much for a serving of fried rice? We’ll take two!”
The vendor, charmed by her cheerful smile, didn’t press the issue and replied, “Five yuan per serving. Find a stool to sit on, and I’ll serve you.”
Wow~
Shen Xingyao hadn’t seen fried rice for five yuan in years. Judging by the way the vendor piled it onto the plates, the portions were generous.
The prices here were truly a bargain~~
Shen Xingyao paid ten yuan and pulled Pei Yanqiu to sit on two small plastic stools nearby.
In front of them, a large plastic sheet served as a makeshift table.
This was the standard setup for stalls in this neighborhood, giving dine-in customers a place to sit.
And when it was time to pack up, everything could be taken away—plastic stools stacked easily, taking up little space and weighing almost nothing.
The fried rice was ready quickly, as most of the ingredients were prepped. All it took was a quick stir-fry to heat everything up.
Each of them held a large plate, eating with such gusto they almost forgot the world around them.
When people aren’t hungry, they can be picky and find even the finest delicacies tasteless.
But when they’re starving, a plate of fried rice is the ultimate solution.
With oil, salt, and carbs, the moment it enters your mouth, it brings a sense of satisfaction.
The rumbling in Shen Xingyao’s stomach finally subsided. Her eyes welled up with tears—she had finally replenished her energy. It hadn’t been easy~~
She stuffed a big spoonful of rice into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out instantly as she chewed busily, like a hardworking little hamster.
It was the first time Pei Yanqiu had found Shen Xingyao so adorable.
He wasn’t actually close to Shen Xingyao. The main reason he chose her as his girlfriend was for his mother’s sake.
Mother Pei had been hospitalized for years due to kidney failure. Pei Yanqiu had given up his studies to pursue a professional gaming career to earn money for her treatment.
But aside from his mother, he had no other family. Although he had hired a caregiver at the hospital, caregivers could only attend to the patient’s physical needs, not their emotional ones.
Shen Xingyao was from the same village as Mother Pei. When she visited the hospital, she happened to run into Mother Pei, who was sunbathing downstairs. Meeting someone from home in a strange place, they struck up a conversation.
After that, Shen Xingyao visited twice more but gradually stopped coming.
Mother Pei was heartbroken, sighing and moping day after day. So, Pei Yanqiu added Shen Xingyao’s contact information, hoping she would come keep his mother company.
But Shen Xingyao was an esports fan and knew Pei Yanqiu was a star player. She saw an opportunity.
She reasoned that if she were to accompany his mother, she would need a suitable identity, right?
Unless she became his girlfriend, how could she, a stranger with no ties, go and keep his mother company?
Pei Yanqiu originally had no expectations for his future partner, thinking that since his mother was satisfied with Shen Xingyao, he might as well date her.
After all, no matter who his partner turned out to be, he would be tolerant and caring, spending a lifetime together hand in hand.
And so, Shen Xingyao became Pei Yanqiu’s girlfriend, living a life where the moment she opened her eyes, money transfers would come in.
But the good times didn’t last long—before she could even enjoy it for a month, Pei Yanqiu ran into trouble.
Now Shen Xingyao wasn’t happy about it. The only reason she hadn’t run off yet was that she hadn’t found her next target—the one in the game hadn’t been met in person or secured yet.
As for Mother Pei, she hadn’t visited her for over half a month!
To be honest, Pei Yanqiu was not only handsome and kind but also had a bright future ahead. Since she already had him in her grasp, of course she wanted to hold on tight.
But the original owner had no real feelings for him to begin with, and during this time, she had been constantly making trouble and cursing him. Whether she could keep her position as his girlfriend was still uncertain.
Pei Yanqiu cared most about his mother. If she didn’t go and earn some goodwill, that would be downright foolish.
Shen Xingyao put down the half-eaten fried rice and said, “I’m full. Take your time eating. I’ll go over there for a bit.”
Pei Yanqiu was still shoveling rice into his mouth, watching helplessly as she walked into a shop.
It was a flower shop.
Shen Xingyao loved flowers. She had previously said that as her boyfriend, he had to give her a bouquet every time they met.
Now that he was broke, he hadn’t given her any flowers when they met this month.
Was this… a hint to him?!
Pei Yanqiu’s back stiffened, and he sped up his eating.
He even stuffed the half-finished plate of fried rice she left behind into his stomach.
The stall owner, having no customers at the moment, watched this handsome guy eat his girlfriend’s leftovers and smirked with a roll of her eyes.
What was all that talk about it being garbage?
Didn’t he finish it all?!
Hmph~~
Pei Yanqiu’s eyes were fixed on the flower shop, completely missing her sarcastic look.
Once he finished eating, he hurriedly followed her into the shop.
Shen Xingyao was haggling with the flower shop owner: “Make it a little cheaper~~ I’ll come often from now on~~”
A flower shop in this old, run-down neighborhood naturally couldn’t be too expensive.
A medium-sized bouquet for visiting a patient cost only thirty-eight yuan and eighty cents.
But Shen Xingyao was thrifty—if she didn’t bargain, she’d feel like she was losing out, unless it was something like five-yuan fried rice with no room for negotiation.
When Pei Yanqiu had taken her to the mall before, she would buy things without batting an eye. He had never seen her act cute and humble over a bouquet of flowers.
He felt even more guilty now—it was his fault for being useless, making her lower her noble head.
He couldn’t help but promise, “Xingyao, next time—”
Unfortunately, before he could finish, Shen Xingyao, afraid he would mess up her bargaining efforts, covered his mouth.
The owner was a sucker for good looks and had been stealing glances at Pei Yanqiu since he entered.
Seeing they were together, she relented: “Then you have to come often, okay?”
“I’ll give you the member price—thirty yuan.”
Thirty-eight?
After all her efforts, she only bargained down eighty cents?
Shen Xingyao was about to cry: “Sis, the member price is only this much cheaper?”
What?
Girl, are you trying to rip me off?!
The owner almost canceled the deal on the spot, but taking a deep breath for the sake of Pei Yanqiu’s godlike looks, she said, “Fine, twenty-eight yuan and eighty cents! That’s the lowest price!”
Oh wow, now she’s slashing the price herself?
Shen Xingyao didn’t understand, but she promptly paid for the flowers and took them: “Sis, you’re the best sister in the whole world”
Feeling refreshed and cheerful, she pulled Pei Yanqiu out of the flower shop. The fiery sunset clouds were churning on the horizon.
Layers of golden-red, orange-pink, and pale purple spread across the sky, dyeing the entire street with a gentle yet passionate glow.
As the breeze blew, the flower petals lightly brushed against her chin, and even the air seemed to carry a sweet fragrance.
Pei Yanqiu silently vowed in her heart that from now on, she would give her a bouquet of flowers every time they met—the most beautiful flowers she could find.
Shen Xingyao shook her arm: “What are you daydreaming about? Since we have some time now, let’s go visit Auntie~”
“These are Auntie’s favorite sunflowers~”