CHAPTER 26: SCALLION OIL NOODLES

Tonight, the moon hung beautifully in the sky. Stars dotted the velvet darkness, and a bright, round moon glowed softly overhead.

A light night breeze brushed past, and the ever-delicate Ruan Zhizhi instinctively hugged her arms, shivering slightly.

Shi Yan noticed immediately. Without a word, he unzipped his hoodie and draped it gently over her shoulders.

“…Thank you.”

Ruan Zhizhi tilted her head to sneak a glance at him.
This quiet, reticent man walked calmly beside her, expression still cool and distant. His stride was relaxed yet carried a quiet grace — effortless and natural.

She thought to herself, Shi Yan might not say much, but somehow… he always notices. Even the slightest change in me, the tiniest bit of discomfort — he catches it instantly.

Was this… his special ability?

From the moment they left the bar until now, they had been walking in silence for almost ten minutes, already far from where the parking lot was.
Ruan Zhizhi debated for a long while, unsure if she should ask where they were going.

But then again… what if he hadn’t parked at the lot at all?

Just as she was lost in thought, Shi Yan suddenly came to a stop.

“You just threw up… you must be hungry now, right?”
He spoke as he stopped walking, his gaze falling on the bustling food street across from them.

Hearing the sizzling sounds, the lively cries of vendors, and smelling the rich fragrance of food wafting through the air, Ruan Zhizhi’s mood finally began to lighten.
Before she could even answer, her stomach embarrassingly growled in response.

Shi Yan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Come on. You’re too weak — you can’t afford to skip meals.”

Ruan Zhizhi blinked, slightly dazed, her heart skipping at the sight of his smile.
He’s… smiling so much tonight, she thought.
And every time he did, her calm heart trembled uncontrollably.

This man… was dangerous.

To reach the food street, they had to cross the road. The light was red, so Ruan Zhizhi and Shi Yan stopped with the crowd, waiting patiently.

Sixty seconds.
That wasn’t a long time to wait at a red light…

But for Ruan Zhizhi, who almost never stood beside a man like this — and especially when that man was a dazzling presence like Shi Yan —

Sixty seconds felt impossibly, endlessly long.

As expected, a few girls nearby were already whispering among themselves.

“Look, that guy is so tall and handsome! He’s got to be at least 1.85 meters.”

“And his features are so refined, plus he’s got such a good temperament. Honestly, it’s impossible not to notice him when he walks past.”

“Do you think he’s a model? Or maybe some rookie celebrity who just debuted and hasn’t gotten popular yet?”

Hearing this, Ruan Zhizhi couldn’t hold back a small laugh. Shi Yan, this cold and detached person who keeps everyone at arm’s length, as a “little fresh meat”? Even the most loyal fans would probably run away scared.

“Hey, do you think the girl next to him is his girlfriend?”

“Pretty sure she is. Didn’t you see that she’s wearing his jacket?”

“Ugh… what a shame. He could totally date someone who looks like a movie star. And this girl… what, maybe 1.6 meters at best? How does she even match him?”

Ruan Zhizhi: “…”

Excuse me? She was clearly 1.65 meters, thank you very much — already above the average height of Chinese women!

Just as she was silently complaining to herself, the light in front turned green. The sixty seconds had passed, and by now a huge crowd had gathered around them, all surging forward across the crosswalk.

Very quickly, she was swallowed up by the pressing crowd. Ruan Zhizhi frowned and tried her best to push through the sea of people. The next second, however, a hand firmly clasped hers — the familiar, perpetually cool temperature made it unnecessary to even look up to know who it belonged to.

“You seriously don’t even know how to cross the street properly.”

Using his natural height advantage, Shi Yan frowned slightly and effortlessly pulled her out of the throng, his tone sounding exactly like a kindergarten teacher lecturing a misbehaving child.

Ruan Zhizhi pouted, unwilling to back down. “People as tall as you will never understand the struggles of us short ones.” After saying that, she remembered what the girls from earlier had said and blurted out, “By the way, if you were dating someone, would you care about her height? Or her looks?”

“What do you mean?” Shi Yan frowned slightly, looking as if he didn’t understand her implication.

The crowd was still bustling around them. Since he had taken her hand earlier, Shi Yan hadn’t let go, staying slightly behind her to shield her from being bumped by passersby.

Ruan Zhizhi was speechless for a moment but persisted, “I mean, do you have a preference for a girl’s appearance or height? Like, would your ideal type have to be around 1.7 meters? Or maybe she’d have to look pure and cute?”

By now, they’d already crossed the street and arrived at the entrance of the snack street.

Shi Yan finally stopped walking, let go of her hand, and reached out to touch her forehead. “Is the alcohol still messing with your head? Asking me such pointless questions?”

“Hey, I’m being serious here, okay? And I expect you to answer me seriously too.” Ruan Zhizhi straightened her expression, deliberately pretending to look very stern and proper.

Shi Yan tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes finally turning serious as well. He spoke calmly, “Ruan Zhizhi, when I fell for you, I didn’t even know what you looked like.”

…Was he talking about that time when the power went out in the lab?

It was true — back then, the darkness was absolute; you couldn’t even see your own fingers, let alone anyone’s face.

Wait… did he just say… he liked her?

Her heart instantly started pounding wildly, completely out of control.

“If I really have to say something to make you happy,” Shi Yan’s gaze dropped briefly as he studied her, “then probably… around 165 centimeters, slim build, long hair, big eyes.”

Then his eyes slowly lowered further, finally landing on her chest. With complete seriousness, he added, “And… A-cup.”

Ruan Zhizhi instantly fell silent, her face flushing bright red before draining pale. Finally, she decided it was best to shut up and drop this entire topic altogether.

They walked into the old-fashioned snack street, where rows of shops lined both sides, each one adorned with bright red lanterns that swayed gently in the breeze. It was lively and bustling — the vendors’ loud calls, the chatter of pedestrians, and the rich aroma of food all crashing into Ruan Zhizhi’s senses at once.

For the first time that night, she felt a sense of warmth and liveliness. Being with Shi Yan had always felt strangely surreal, as though he didn’t quite belong to this world. It was like he had his own private realm that no one was allowed to peek into.

As she was lost in thought, Shi Yan stopped in front of one of the stalls and bought a small snack. Curious, she leaned over to see what it was and realized it was a steaming hot bowl of oden.

The stall owner was enthusiastic, carefully placing each item into the paper bowl filled with hot broth.

Ruan Zhizhi remembered that time long ago, when they’d gone to Yunnan, and Shi Yan had also bought her oden. She blinked and asked, a little curious, “Shi Yan, how did you know I like oden?”

“In college, every week, you’d rather take a bus for over an hour just to go to Chinatown and buy it.”

…He even knew that?

Before she could process this, the stall owner’s booming voice interrupted, “Little miss, do you want ketchup on it?”

“Just a little, thank you,” Ruan Zhizhi replied absentmindedly, still lost in memories of her university days.

Back then, she had spent all her energy chasing after Li Sichen. Maybe… she really had overlooked everything and everyone else around her.

The owner handed her the steaming bowl of oden, and Shi Yan naturally paid for it without hesitation. Ruan Zhizhi took the bowl, hesitated for a moment, and finally said softly, “Shi Yan, I have hands and feet. I can take care of myself. You really don’t have to keep paying for me every single time.”

Shi Yan looked at her quietly for a long moment before finally speaking. “Ruan Zhizhi, you don’t always have to be so independent and strong. There are people who are willing to spoil you.”

The bamboo skewer in her hand paused midair, her chest tightening as a wave of unfamiliar emotion welled up inside her.

Ever since her parents divorced when she was little, her father had cut off all contact, and her mother had been too busy with work to care for her beyond sending money. She had grown used to being independent, used to shouldering everything alone, used to pretending to be unshakable in front of others.

Even during the years she’d been with Li Sichen, he had always treated her like one of the guys, assuming she was strong, self-sufficient, and capable of handling anything on her own.

No one had ever truly treated her like a fragile little girl, and no one had ever told her, “You don’t always have to be independent and strong.”

Absentmindedly, she bit into the bamboo shoot from the oden skewer, licking the sauce at the corner of her lips. Not used to this sudden warmth in the atmosphere, Ruan Zhizhi opened her mouth and asked a little stiffly, “Do you… want some?”

She thought he would surely refuse, but to her surprise, he lowered his head, took the skewer straight from her hand, and bit off the remaining piece of bamboo shoot she had just eaten from.

Ruan Zhizhi froze on the spot, completely caught off guard.

They continued walking down the street. When they passed a small noodle shop, Shi Yan insisted they go in, saying one box of oden wouldn’t be enough to fill her up and using her being “too skinny” as an excuse.

The shop wasn’t big, but the owner kept it spotless and tidy. Even though it was already close to ten at night, the place was still lively, mostly filled with couples—probably like them, coming from the bar street nearby.

They went in and found a wooden table to sit at. The owner came over, apologetically explaining that there was only enough noodles left to cook one last bowl. Ruan Zhizhi didn’t mind at all and nodded readily. After all, she was almost full anyway.

Before long, the steaming bowl of scallion oil noodles was served. Shi Yan wiped the chopsticks clean, then carefully picked out all the cilantro from the bowl.

“Eat,” he said, pushing the bowl toward her.

Ruan Zhizhi pushed it back. “I already had oden. You should eat first.”

Shi Yan looked straight into her eyes for a moment, then didn’t refuse. He lowered his head and started eating elegantly, his movements so controlled that the chopsticks barely made a sound against the bowl.

Even here, in this small, bustling alley filled with noise and smoke from the street stalls, he somehow still carried himself with quiet grace. No matter how heavy the scent of the world’s chaos was around him, he remained untouched—dignified and aloof, as though living in his own realm.

Watching him eat was genuinely pleasing to the eye.

“Shi Yan,” Ruan Zhizhi finally couldn’t hold it in anymore, her heart a stormy mess, “just now… you said you liked me, right?”

She sneaked a glance at his expression, testing the waters carefully.

She just wanted peace of mind. Right now, when it came to love, Ruan Zhizhi was like a sensitive, insecure little hedgehog. She needed reassurance—needed to know she wouldn’t be rejected or abandoned—before she could take even the smallest step forward.

Shi Yan glanced at her, then calmly set his chopsticks down. His tone remained composed, as though her question didn’t faze him at all. “Ruan Zhizhi, from any perspective, I am far more suitable than Li Sichen to be your boyfriend.”

The topic shifted so abruptly that it caught her off guard, but his answer was, in its own way, a silent confirmation.

The heart she’d been holding up so tightly finally settled back into her chest, and her mood instantly lifted. She blinked, smiling a little as she teased, “Is that so? And how do you know that?”

“From a family standpoint,” Shi Yan began methodically, “my parents passed away early. If you marry me, you won’t have to deal with any mother-in-law drama. From a financial standpoint, I have a car, a house, and more than enough income to support you comfortably. From a social standpoint, I have mild gynophobia—you never need to worry that I’ll be unfaithful to you after marriage. And lastly—”

He paused, lowering his gaze until his bright, starry eyes met hers perfectly.

“I love you more than Li Sichen does.”

Ruan Zhizhi thought she had already outgrown the kind of impulsive, reckless love she once had in her younger days. But hearing Shi Yan say those words out loud still made her heart pound uncontrollably, her cheeks heating up in spite of herself.

Suppressing the overwhelming urge to say yes right then and there, she forced herself to stay rational. After a moment of silence, she whispered, “Shi Yan, I admit I like you a lot right now. But… I spent four years on him. I don’t know if I’ve truly let go of all my feelings yet. If I can’t give you my whole heart, it would be unfair to you.”

She bit her lip before continuing softly, “Can you give me some time to figure this out? I promise it won’t take long.”

The words tumbled out all at once, and as soon as she finished, Ruan Zhizhi regretted them. The man sitting across from her might be the person who cared about her most in the entire world, and precisely because of that, she didn’t want to hurt him.

But Shi Yan simply smiled faintly, unbothered. “You don’t have to give me an answer now. I’ll give you all the time you need to think about us. But Ruan Zhizhi, there’s one thing you should know—”

He leaned back slightly, his voice steady and firm.

“When it comes to you, I’m determined to win.”