After the earlier round of negotiations, it seemed like everything that needed to be said had been said.
Mu Nanqiu didn’t bring up any more topics, and Su Yao obediently sat quietly, waiting until the dishes were served by the waitress.
The first to arrive were some vegetable dishes and soup, while the grilled fish was brought in later by a young waiter.
Su Yao’s eyes practically lit up when she saw it!
The rectangular platter was filled with bright red oily broth, emitting an aroma that immediately whetted one’s appetite.
The red chili peppers were dotted with green onions and cilantro, and the fish, cut neatly into two halves, looked substantial in size.
This spicy, fragrant flavor alone would be enough to go with several bowls of rice! Su Yao thought to herself in awe.
She usually ate instant noodles at home, only cooking proper meals when she had time, making extra portions to heat up later.
She was decent at cooking but definitely not on par with the chefs at restaurants.
This grilled fish looked incredibly delicious.
Su Yao was already swallowing hard, but Mu Nanqiu hadn’t touched her chopsticks yet, so Su Yao felt shy to start.
Once all the dishes were ready, Mu Nanqiu called softly to Su Yao.
“Go ahead and eat.”
Given the green light, Su Yao picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a big piece of fish, placing it in her bowl.
She broke it into smaller chunks and tasted it.
The surface of the fish was roasted to a golden brown, giving a crispy and fragrant sensation, while the inside was tender and juicy.
Combined with the salty, slightly spicy broth, the taste was excellent!
Unable to wait, Su Yao grabbed the rice paddle from the small wooden bucket on the table, ready to dig in wholeheartedly.
Since she was the one paying, she was determined to get her money’s worth!
Meanwhile, Mu Nanqiu was having a bit of trouble.
This grilled fish had been ordered at the mildest spice level, but there still seemed to be quite a lot of chili peppers.
She reluctantly picked up a small piece and tried it.
After tasting it carefully, it was alright—just a bit spicy.
She took a sip of the soda beside her, intending to wash away the heat from her mouth, but the bubbles only intensified the tingling sensation on her tongue.
Mu Nanqiu was momentarily dazed but held back from exhaling sharply.
She rubbed her nose with her index finger and, after Su Yao had finished serving herself, she got up to prepare a small bowl for herself.
Mu Nanqiu quietly ate the stir-fried vegetables and soup.
Su Yao obviously didn’t notice any of this; her full attention was fixed on the large iron platter of fish, determined to eat as much as she could.
After about thirty minutes, Mu Nanqiu was about seventy percent full, while Su Yao had eaten until her belly was visibly round. During the break, she burped due to drinking too much soda, and feeling embarrassed, she stopped eating further.
Setting down her chopsticks and patting her small stomach, full to the brim, Su Yao felt satisfied.
Mu Nanqiu looked on, gratified to see the belly that she had essentially helped fill.
Having eaten and rested for over ten minutes, it seemed like it was time to head back.
Su Yao glanced at the time and saw there was still over half an hour until seven o’clock.
Her face suddenly showed signs of anxiety—she remembered they had been at the restaurant quite a while.
Mu Nanqiu also checked the time and knew it was time to send Su Yao back.
“Let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Hearing Mu Nanqiu’s voice, Su Yao breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She hadn’t expected that one day she would be chauffeured like this.
The two of them left the private room and headed to the counter.
While the waitress went to get their bill, Su Yao grew nervous.
She desperately hoped the meal wouldn’t be too expensive—she could lose weight, but her wallet losing weight would hurt her deeply.
Fortunately, when the waitress quoted 600 yuan, Su Yao’s heart finally settled.
Mu Nanqiu paid.
It wasn’t until they had left the restaurant and walked some distance that Su Yao mustered the courage to speak.
“Senior, let’s just split it. I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Mu Nanqiu looked back at Su Yao, who bit her lip with a determined look.
She nodded, agreeing to the request.
“Alright, we’ll split it.”
“Okay!”
Su Yao happily took out her phone and transferred 300 yuan to Mu Nanqiu face-to-face.
After receiving the money, Mu Nanqiu asked to add Su Yao as a friend, and without hesitation, Su Yao agreed.
After more than half a month, their relationship was mended once again.
Looking at the familiar account, the last bit of guard in Su Yao’s heart, which even she hadn’t noticed, finally fell away.
Mu Nanqiu really was the person who had stood by her through the most difficult and painful two years of her life.
Pocketing her phone, Su Yao took a deep breath and followed Mu Nanqiu’s steps, her gaze lingering on the other’s back.
The imagined image of a man in his thirties gradually overlapped with Mu Nanqiu’s silhouette, then completely vanished, leaving only Mu Nanqiu’s tall and beautiful figure.
Standing by the car, this time Su Yao wasn’t grabbed and pushed inside but opened the door herself and slid in.
Her mindset had clearly changed.
However, halfway in, Mu Nanqiu pulled her back out.
“Sit in the passenger seat. It’s easier for me to see you.”
“?”
Though she didn’t understand why, Su Yao obediently moved to the front passenger seat.
The traffic on the way back was still congested.
They were near a cluster of office buildings, and it was peak evening rush hour.
The snail-paced progress made Su Yao very anxious.
She carefully watched the line of cars ahead, her small eyebrows furrowing and relaxing in a way that was extremely cute.
Mu Nanqiu would normally be annoyed by the stop-and-go traffic, but seeing Su Yao’s eagerness to get back to school made her feel rather pleased.
When they finally arrived back at school, it was already 7:20. Su Yao was furious!
Sitting in the passenger seat, pouting in anger, Su Yao heard Mu Nanqiu say.
“Text me when your class ends tonight. I’ll come pick you up.”
“No need to trouble yourself.”
Su Yao instinctively didn’t want to bother Mu Nanqiu, but Mu Nanqiu was clearly not just being polite.
She teased.
“I’ll wait here. If I don’t see you, I’m not going home. You decide what to do.”
“Ugh… fine.”
Using such a threat was a bit much!
Su Yao thought to herself, but she didn’t feel angry.
Instead, she felt quite happy.
Opening the car door, she got out, and Mu Nanqiu did the same.
Walking around to Su Yao’s side, Mu Nanqiu took off the maroon knitted scarf she had brought and gently wrapped it around Su Yao’s neck.
Su Yao stared blankly at Mu Nanqiu, breathing in the faint, pleasant fragrance from her.
After finishing, Mu Nanqiu smiled warmly and said.
“Go on.”
Su Yao nodded blankly, then shyly turned away.
But she didn’t forget to say goodbye, speaking softly with her back still turned.
Because of her shyness, her voice became sweet and coquettish.
“I’m off now, Senior. Bye~”
“Mm, Junior, bye. Remember to listen well to your teachers at school~”
Mu Nanqiu’s words almost tripped Su Yao up.
After steadying herself, Su Yao ran off, clutching the scarf tightly and taking a deep breath that left her cheeks flushed.
It smelled… kind of nice…