CH 6

Huo Xiang brought Bai Zhen Zhen to a home-cooked eatery.

The eatery was facing the street. Though the space inside wasn’t large, but it was quite clean. As it was barely dinner time, there were not many people. As they walked into the store, there were only three people sitting at a table.

“Do you eat spicy food?” Huo Xiang asked her.

“Yes. I’m not very picky.” Bai Zhen Zhen affirmed.

Huo Xiang smiled: “Then good, this store’s flavors are slightly on the heavier side, but it still tastes very good.”

“However, we still have to order two lighter dishes of vegetables. My dad is going under the knife tomorrow and can’t eat dishes that are too spicy.”

Huo Xiang nodded: “I understand.”

He ordered a plate of chicken, a bowl of meatball soup, a plate of bitter gourd omelette and a plate of vegetables before passing the menu back to the waiter. After that, he went to the self-service counter and poured out two glasses of water and brought back a plate of peanuts.

Bai Zhen Zhen eyed his practiced movements and teased him: “Your service level is pretty good! You should just work here to pay off your bills!”

It might be due to that one thousand dollars that the friendship between the two of them grew to another level. Bai Zhen Zhen suddenly felt that she and Huo Xiang weren’t as unfamiliar with each other as before, and the atmosphere between them had become much more natural.

She could be counted as a “stranger in a strange land” in this world. Other than the system in her head, she had no one else to talk to. Thus, she actively found topics to chat with Huo Xiang.

“Huo Xiang, what other places are there to play around here? I’m talking about holiday areas.” Bai Zhen Zhen asked.

“Holiday areas?” Huo Xiang’s brows shook slightly, “What kind are you looking for?”

Bai Zhen Zhen clasped her hands together, an expression full of longing hung on her face: “Beaches, meadows, all of them are acceptable. I like the feeling of looking into the horizon.”

“If it’s beaches, I heard one of the patients in the room mention that he would go tour the Juldives*, saying that the beaches there were beautiful.”

“Pig (Zhu) ..dives?!” Bai Zhen Zhen suspected she heard him wrongly.

Huo Xiang replied naturally: “Yes, the ‘Zhu’ in ‘Pearl (Zhen Zhu)’. Why? Have you never heard of it before?”

Bai Zhen Zhen retracted her shock, and laughed brightly: “How could I not have heard of it before? Just that, it probably isn’t cheap…”

“I don’t know.” Huo Xiang shook his head, “Poor people have no rights to talk about price. They simply can’t afford to go.”

Bai Zhen Zhen was already calculating in her heart.

If this world had prices similar to her original world, then flying to an island would cost up to ten thousand dollars. She would have to control her daily accommodation and food to five hundred a day, and her yearly expenses to within twenty thousand dollars.

It seems she couldn’t even stay in a hotel…

Or could she rent an apartment?

She would think about it when she reached.

“Why? Are you looking to bring Father Bai on holiday?” Huo Xiang looked towards Bai Zhen Zhen, his gaze seemingly worried, “Shouldn’t Father Bai be recovering after his surgery? The post-surgery care is also very important, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be convenient to go far…”

Bai Zhen Zhen really wanted to tell him that she was going alone. But she was afraid that he would see her in a different “God, how could there be such an unfilial daughter” light.

“I was only casually asking. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to visit one day.” Bai Zhen Zhen brushed aside his worries.

Just then, a huge bowl of piping hot chicken was served.

“Could I also get four take-away boxes?” Huo Xiang asked.

Bai Zhen Zhen already had her soul stolen away by the fragrance of the chicken. She hadn’t eaten properly the past two days. However, tonight, she could finally feast!!

She impatiently raised her chopsticks and picked up a piece of chicken breast. Lifting it to her nose, she first gave it a whiff before placing it in her mouth.

“Wa, it’s really delicious!” Bai Zhen Zhen was close to tears.

It practically captured the chicken’s essence!

Huo Xiang wanted to laugh, but strenuously held it in as he picked up his chopsticks as well.

Bai Zhen Zhen had already eaten three pieces by the time he ate one. Her exaggerated motions held no semblance of any form of femininity.

“Actually, I also know a Japanese store nearby, where the tempura is mouth-watering, but I don’t know if you like Japanese cuisine…” Huo Xiang trailed off.

Bai Zhen Zhen, who had just finished sucking on the bone marrow, immediately looked towards him: “Like! I like Japanese cuisine as well! I like all kinds of delicious food!”

However, the moment Bai Zhen Zhen thought about it, she felt something was wrong: “Good Japanese cuisine always cost quite a bit. You are already being treated here, where did you find the money to eat Japanese food?”

“I was just warded back then, how would I know that I would end up in this state…” Huo Xiang casually gave a reply, even giving others a sense of pity.

“What does that mean?” Bai Zhen Zhen couldn’t understand him.

Huo Xiang’s brows furrowed into a line. He was silent for a few seconds, before explaining: “I could still get by previously when I was working, and had savings. So, when I was just admitted to the hospital, I ate what I wanted. However, I never expected that the treatment afterwards would cost so much…”

Bai Zhen Zhen was enlightened: “That’s why being healthy is the most important thing! It’s not practical to overwork yourself for the sake of money. In the end, not only do you not enjoy life, but the money you earned goes into treating illnesses, such an unworthy deal!”

“You’re absolutely right. Come, let’s drink to that!” Huo Xiang lifted up his cup of tea.

Bai Zhen Zhen refreshingly gave him a toast.

****

Just as the food were all brought out, an electronic “Welcome” rang out from the store entrance. Bai Zhen Zhen happened to be sitting facing the door. Raising her head, she saw two guests, a man and woman, walk into the store.

The man was rather tall, full of muscles, with a curly hairstyle, making his facial features look even more prominent.

The woman was petite, only reaching the man’s shoulders, wearing a dress of black and gold flowers, with her hair tied into two braided ponytails. Her small face was exquisite, just that the expression on her face was too arrogant, making people feel distant.

The two of them sat at a table near the door. The man flagged down a waiter to order, while the woman had a face full of disdain.

“Brother, the good shop you mentioned is this?! It doesn’t look like they have anything good!”

“When the food comes, you will know that it was the right choice to follow me today!”

The woman didn’t reply, but she held her face in her hands and gave a sweet smile to her brother, her eyes full of affection.

Huo Xiang saw that Bai Zhen Zhen was continuously sizing up the two, and asked curiously: “You know them?”

Bai Zhen Zhen shook her head.

Just as she wanted to say “Don’t know”, who knew that the moment she opened her mouth, it changed into a shout: “Senior?”

Even she was surprised by herself.

What the hell is this?! How did that voice come out from her mouth?!

—— Bai Zhen Zhen: “System, what is going on?! Why would I say such a strange thing out of nowhere?!”

—— System: “Host, your body still retains a little memory. That line just now was the subconscious reaction of the body.”

Bai Zhen Zhen’s face crumpled up.

But she immediately regained her senses. Under such circumstances, it could only be a lead character that she met.

—— Bai Zhen Zhen: “So that man is the female lead’s senior? Isn’t that the female lead’s high school secret crush, the second male lead?!”

—— System: “Host, your memory is impeccable! Looks like getting this one-in-a-billion chance experience wasn’t solely due to your luck, but also your sincere feelings towards this novel.”

—— Bai Zhen Zhen: “Heh heh, maybe.”

After all, how many people would seriously read this dog-blood Mary Sue novel?!

Jiang Mu Yang heard Bai Zhen Zhen’s call, and shifted his gaze to her.

He immediately recognized her.

“Zhen Zhen?” Jiang Mu Yang was happily surprised, “How are you here? After so many years, I almost couldn’t recognize you!”

It wasn’t strange that Jiang Mu Yang was surprised.

Bai Zhen Zhen and Jiang Mu Yang were high school schoolmates. Bai Zhen Zhen was one year younger than Jiang Mu Yang, but the two of them worked together in the literature club.

After graduation, Jiang Mu Yang continued his studies overseas while Bai Zhen Zhen had to start working immediately after graduation to support her family.

Counting the years, they hadn’t met for 5 years already.

Bai Zhen Zhen remembered, the original female lead met the second male lead again in a western restaurant. And it was the male lead that brought her there as a form of gratitude for finding his phone. The scene where the male lead and the second male lead met for the first time was rather exciting.

She never thought that even after she diverted from the original plot, she still met the second male lead.

However, the one beside her had changed from the male lead to a Passerby A.

“Brother, who is this sister? You know her?” Jiang Mu Yu followed her brother to Bai Zhen Zhen’s table, a pair of eyes glaring at Bai Zhen Zhen.

“She is the Sister Bai Zhen Zhen that I always mentioned to you.” Jiang Mu Yang introduced.

Hearing the name “Bai Zhen Zhen”, Jiang Mu Yu’s expression evidently froze.

Jiang Mu Yang continued: “Zhen Zhen, this is my younger sister, Mu Yu.”

Bai Zhen Zhen had a relatively deep impression of Jiang Mu Yu.

The worst of the supporting female leads – Bai Meng Ru was first, Jiang Mu Yu was second. The former was a white lotus with deep schemes, the latter was an unscrupulous wild child. One working in the dark, the other working in the light, they came up with a lot of schemes to bury the female lead.

Not good to antagonize.

“So this is Sister Zhen Zhen…” Jiang Mu Yu lip’s hooked up and stretched her hand out, “How do you do, Sister Zhen. My name is Jiang Mu Yu. Brother constantly tells me about you! He said you’re amazing, going out to work immediately after graduating from high school, unlike me, though I studied in the top university in the country, I’m still wasting away at home.”

Bai Zhen Zhen secretly laughed “heh heh”.

Indeed, gunpowder could be smelt on the first meeting.

It was better to have less problems than more. Bai Zhen Zhen didn’t intend to fight back. However, she never expected that the Huo Xiang sitting across her would stand up to Jiang Mu Yu.

“Little sister, the economy right now is very bad. Rather than a prestigious university student who can only talk, most businesses would probably prefer an employee with work experience. However, looking at you wearing so much jewellery, I can tell your family doesn’t lack money. So, it’s alright for you to stay at home your whole life, and you don’t have to envy your Sister Bai as well.”

“You ––” Jiang Mu Yu felt that she was insulted, but she couldn’t think of a rebuttal on the spot.

Jiang Mu Yang’s gaze also shifted to Huo Xiang.

“Zhen Zhen, this is…”

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