Song Xinya sat in the car, looking toward the entrance of the vegetable market ahead.
Chen Siyan said, "I've seen guys chase girls at movie theaters, amusement parks, milk tea shops, and cafes, but this is the first time I've seen someone come to a wet market to woo a girl."
"It's like a wedding in the Women's Kingdom—a rare sight indeed."
"The blond young master really doesn't take the conventional route. He's definitely piqued my curiosity. Just who is the girl he likes?"
With a soft click, Song Xinya unbuckled her seatbelt. "Let's go down and take a look, and we'll find out."
Chen Siyan quickly followed her out of the car, and the two walked into the market.
Opposite the tofu stall, Song Xinya and Chen Siyan squatted next to a fruit stand, their two heads blending in with a pile of watermelons.
Chen Siyan whispered, "This idea of mine is brilliant. With our heads mixed in among these watermelons, I guarantee no one will spot us. It's the best disguise of the year."
Smack—a flyswatter landed right on Chen Siyan's head.
His perfectly styled hair collapsed, plastered flat against his scalp.
The stall owner glared at them. "What are you two doing sneaking around? Trying to steal my melons?"
With the flyswatter still resting on his head, Chen Siyan pressed his index finger to his lips. "Shh—"
He negotiated with the owner in a low voice, "We're not stealing melons. We just want to hang out in front of your stall for a bit, is that okay?"
The stall owner replied, "No. Hurry up and leave, don't interfere with my business."
Song Xinya chimed in, "Boss, I'd like to buy ten watermelons."
The stall owner instantly changed his tune. "Stay, stay! Stay as long as you like."
Song Xinya scanned the QR code to pay, and the owner brought out two small folding stools, placing one behind each of them.
"Don't let your legs go numb from squatting, have a seat."
Chen Siyan asked, "Boss, do you have a knife? Could you cut a watermelon for us?"
The stall owner nodded enthusiastically. "I do, I'll cut it for you right now."
Song Xinya and Chen Siyan sat on their little stools, each holding half a watermelon and a spoon, eating as they observed the situation at the tofu stall opposite them.
...
Jin Ruizhi stood in front of the tofu stall. "I'd like to buy a piece of silken tofu."
Hearing this voice, the girl who had been looking down at her book changed her expression slightly.
Without looking up or sparing Jin Ruizhi a single glance, she picked up a face mask, put it on, and said two words: "Sold out."
Zhang Yingying pointed at a block of tofu and raised her voice. "Why are you lying, little girl? Isn't that silken tofu right there? Why did you say you don't have any?"
Jin Ruizhi turned his head to look at Zhang Yingying and said, "Don't be mean to her."
Zhang Yingying was stunned for a moment. "No, Young Master Jin, this girl is lying through her teeth. She's deliberately refusing to sell you the tofu."
Jin Ruizhi replied, "Even so, don't be mean to her."
Zhang Yingying was dumbfounded again. "...Fine."
Jin Ruizhi gazed at the girl, who kept her head down. She had a fair, full forehead, and her ponytail hung naturally down her back. The exposed lines of her slender neck were soft, and her skin was exceptionally pale.
It was even smoother and fairer than the tofu displayed on the stand.
Jin Ruizhi said, "Jian Yiyi, I just wanted to buy two pieces of tofu today. I didn't mean to pester you."
When Jian Yiyi spoke, her voice was naturally soft and sweet, but her words were completely uncompromising. "I'm not selling to you. Go buy it somewhere else."
Jin Ruizhi sighed. "Jian Yiyi, we're classmates. Classmates should be united, friendly, and care for each other. Why do you always ignore me and keep rejecting me?"
Jian Yiyi replied, "I'm only like this with you."
Jin Ruizhi smiled. "I understand what you mean. The way you treat me is what legends call 'favoritism'."
Zhang Yingying looked completely baffled, her eyes wide with shock.
Could the word 'favoritism' really be interpreted like that?
Young Master Jin's reading comprehension skills were... absolutely insane!!
Hearing this, Jian Yiyi turned around, standing with her back to Jin Ruizhi, presenting him with the perfectly round back of her head.
Looking at the back of her head, Jin Ruizhi marveled inwardly at how beautifully round her head was.
Zhang Yingying looked at Jian Yiyi with disdain. This little girl was so poor, just selling tofu in a wet market. Where did she get the nerve to give attitude to a wealthy young master from the capital's elite circle? Shouldn't she feel honored and thrilled to be liked by such a rich heir? What was she putting on airs for? She really didn't know what was good for her.
Zhang Yingying stared at Jian Yiyi and sneered, "Do you even know who Young Master Jin is? He's the eldest son of the domestic food giant, the most famous food brand in the country, Good Fortune."
"His family has so much money that you couldn't earn it even if you sold tofu for a hundred years."
"When summer break ends, you'll be in your senior year of high school. As a student, you have to juggle your studies and running a tofu stall. Where do you find the time and energy?"
"If you got together with Jin Ruizhi, you wouldn't have to worry about money anymore. Plus, Young Master Jin is so handsome. Dating him—why wouldn't you jump at the chance?"
Zhang Yingying sounded just like a madam in an ancient brothel, trying to coax a decent girl into the trade.
Jian Yiyi picked up a plastic water dipper nearby, scooped up a ladle of water, turned around, and splash—threw it right onto Zhang Yingying's feet.
"Ah!" Zhang Yingying shrieked, hopping backward.
"My new shoes! They cost over six thousand yuan! They have sheepskin soles, they can't get wet! If the leather soles get soaked, they're ruined!"
Jian Yiyi scooped up another ladle of water and splash—threw it at Zhang Yingying's feet again, soaking both of her shoes completely.
Zhang Yingying was so furious her eyes could spit fire. Pointing at Jian Yiyi, she yelled, "You little bi..."
Jin Ruizhi turned his head to look at her, letting out a long, warning: "Hmm—"
Zhang Yingying immediately swallowed her words. "You little... Jian Jian. It's fine, the shoes got wet, I'll just wipe them clean."
The people around them noticed the commotion and craned their necks to watch.
Jian Yiyi put down the dipper and urged Jin Ruizhi, "Hurry up and leave. I don't want people treating this like a joke and gossiping about me behind my back."
Just then, a white-haired grandmother rode over on a tricycle.
"Yiyi, come help Grandma unload the tofu."
Jian Yiyi ran out from behind the stall, her voice cheerful. "Okay, Grandma!"
The adolescent girl was already developing beautifully. Her legs, wrapped in jeans, were long and straight, and her figure was tall, slender, and graceful.
A white T-shirt and faded jeans—her clothes couldn't be more ordinary, but worn on her, they gave off the natural, untainted beauty of a lotus blooming in clear water.
Jian Yiyi ran to her grandmother's side and saw five large iron trays filled with tofu stacked layer by layer in the tricycle.
"Grandma, why is there so much tofu today?"
The grandmother replied cheerfully, "A customer said they're hosting a banquet at home and pre-ordered it from me."
The grandmother reached out to move the tofu, but Jian Yiyi pulled her aside to sit down. "Grandma, don't lift it. I can do it."
She skillfully reached out to lift the tofu.
She did this kind of physical labor every day.
Her grandmother was getting old, and she didn't want her to work too hard, so she took the initiative to help with the chores every day.
Jian Yiyi lifted the large iron tray holding the tofu and moved to place it on the stand.
It was very heavy, and her red lips were pressed tightly together.
It didn't matter. She could carry it; it was just heavy.
But she had overlooked the fact that two large ladles of water had just been splashed onto the ground, making it much more slippery than usual.
The soles of her worn-out shoes had long been smoothed flat, offering no slip resistance whatsoever.
Her feet slipped on the slick surface, and her entire body pitched to the side.
Her hands, however, maintained a death grip on the large iron tray of tofu.
The tofu her grandmother had worked so hard to make by hand absolutely could not be dropped.
But some things were beyond her control. She and the tofu were falling toward the ground together.
Suddenly, Jian Yiyi's tilting body was righted, and the large iron tray in her hands was supported by a firm force.
Jin Ruizhi was holding her arm with one hand and gripping the large iron tray with the other.
Jian Yiyi looked up and saw the young man's handsome face. She heard him ask, Jian Yiyi, are you alright?
Jian Yiyi withdrew her gaze, her thick eyelashes drooping. I am fine.
Jin Ruizhi let go of her arm, took the large iron tray from her hands, and placed it on the stand nearby.
The young man bent his lean back, time and time again, taking all the large iron trays out of the tricycle and arranging them neatly on the stand.
After helping her finish the work, he listened to her say, You should go now, and turned to walk away.
.........
Opposite the tofu stand, Song Xinya and Chen Siyan sat and watched the whole process.
The half watermelon placed in front of them had been hollowed out.
Chen Siyan had a watermelon seed stuck to the corner of his mouth. I can tell. The blond young master is just experiencing unrequited love. The little girl does not like him.
Whether she liked him or not was hard to say. The human heart is hidden within the body, and no one can see it clearly.
But there was one thing Song Xinya could see: The little girl never lets go of her book. Right now, she wants to focus on her studies.
Chen Siyan said, After summer vacation, she will be a senior in high school, and then there is a tough battle called the college entrance examination to fight. She really should focus on her studies.
Do they have to date right now? After fighting hard for this year, they will have decades to date in the future.
This blond kid is just too impatient, always in such a rush.
Seeing Jin Ruizhi and Zhang Yingying walk out of the vegetable market, Chen Siyan stood up from his small folding stool and stretched.
Stakeout is over, Teacher Song. Time to get off work.
Song Xinya stared at the little girl with a ponytail by the tofu stand opposite them, looking somewhat dazed.
Although the little girl was wearing a mask and her face could not be seen, Song Xinya inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity toward her, as if she had seen her before...
Teacher Song! After Chen Siyan had called out to her eight hundred times, Song Xinya finally snapped back to reality.
Teacher Chen, what is it?
Chen Siyan said, I was worried your soul had been snatched away by someone else.
You were so entranced just looking at a girl. If I did not know you were with Mr. Qin, I would suspect you had a thing for women.
Song Xinya replied, I just feel like I have seen this girl before.
Chen Siyan said, It is normal if you have. She is a high school student, and we are tutors for college entrance exam prep. Maybe she took your class before.
He looked toward the tofu stand and suddenly realized something was not right. This little girl is wearing a mask. You have not even seen her face. How can you feel she is familiar?
Song Xinya said, It is just a feeling.
The moment she saw this little girl, it was as if some dormant genes in her body had been activated, and she was instinctively drawn to her.
Chen Siyan could not understand this feeling and simply assumed the little girl had taken Song Xinya's class before.
Teacher Song, do not just stand there. Let us go. If I stay with these watermelons any longer, I am going to turn into one.
As the two were preparing to leave, the fruit stand owner said, Do not forget to take your watermelons.
Both of them were wearing formal attire. Chen Siyan was in a suit and leather shoes, and Song Xinya was in a white shirt and a black pencil skirt. Each of them dragged a snakeskin bag full of watermelons as they walked toward the entrance of the vegetable market.
Their appearance was too conspicuous and really attracted attention.
By the tofu stand, Jian Yiyi looked toward Song Xinya and Chen Siyan.
Opposites attract, but at this moment, Jian Yiyi's gaze was fixed firmly on Song Xinya's face.
The woman wearing the white shirt and black pencil skirt looked incredibly stunning and beautiful, with a dazzling and noble temperament that was completely out of place in this dilapidated and gloomy vegetable market.
Jian Yiyi had lived since childhood in this damp environment, filled with rotten vegetable leaves and fruits everywhere, where the air was thick with the smell of mold and dirt, dark and ruined. In her life, there had never been such a glamorous and beautiful woman.
She was very sure that she had never seen this woman before.
But why, as soon as she saw this woman, did a wave of familiarity wash over her...
.........
Song Xinya and Chen Siyan loaded the snakeskin bags into the trunk of the Porsche.
The two looked around; Zhang Yingying's car had already left.
Chen Siyan said, Let us go too. Today's business is probably over.
Song Xinya, however, did not think so. Zhang Yingying said she would help Jin Ruizhi pursue the girl. Did you see Zhang Yingying coming up with any plans just now?
Chen Siyan replied, No.
Song Xinya said, So how could they just let it go?
Chen Siyan asked, What do we do next?
Song Xinya replied, Wait for the rabbit to hit the tree stump.
Chen Siyan agreed, Right, we will just be the tree stump here and wait for the two rabbits, Jin Ruizhi and Zhang Yingying, to crash into us.
There were small restaurants around the vegetable market. Song Xinya walked toward a clean little shop.
Teacher Chen, you have been running around with me all afternoon. Let me treat you to dinner.
Chen Siyan said, I will call Tiantianquan over.
Song Xinya said, Her workplace is far from here.
Chen Siyan said, Fate is something no one can predict. Maybe she is right nearby.
He dialed the number. Hello, Quanquan, are you off work? Want to come over and have dinner together?
Tiantianquan asked, What are you planning to treat me to?
Chen Siyan looked up at the small shop in front of him. Malatang.
Tiantianquan retorted, Seven rounds for a bowl of Malatang? You wish, Teacher Chen.
Chen Siyan said, ...If I told you my intentions this time are purely innocent and I just want to treat you to a bowl of Malatang, would you believe me?
Tiantianquan said, No.
Chen Siyan held the phone up to Song Xinya's mouth. Hello, Quanquan, Teacher Chen and I are working near a vegetable market. There are no big restaurants around, only a Malatang shop that is relatively clean.
Tiantianquan said, Your business scope is quite broad, working at a vegetable market now. Are you planning to give lectures to the radishes and cabbages, enlighten them, and help them cultivate into spirits?
Song Xinya replied, No becoming spirits after the founding of the nation.
Tiantianquan said, Then you guys should work harder and teach better. Properly influence them and let them become immortals.
Chen Siyan said, If I had that ability, I would make myself an immortal first. Hey, are you coming to eat Malatang or not?
Tiantianquan replied, Send me the address. I will see if it is close. If it is, I will go.
Chen Siyan sent the location. It was a complete coincidence—Tiantianquan was doing a house call to give a client face-slimming injections right in the neighborhood.
The three of them sat neatly together in the Malatang shop.
Tiantianquan threw a flirtatious wink at Chen Siyan. This is the first time a man has treated me to Malatang, especially the ten-yuan-a-bowl kind.
Chen Siyan said, This does not mean I am stingy. It just shows that prices here are cheap. You can eat a bowl of Malatang with both meat and vegetables for ten yuan. How touching these prices are.
Under the table, Tiantianquan slipped off her sandals, and her soft, fair little foot crept up the calf of the person sitting opposite her.
With a suggestive undertone, she said to Chen Siyan, "I bought a bottle of red wine today. After dinner, would you like to come over to my place for a drink?"
