Chapter 6: Return My Spicy Strips (2/2)

Because the sweater’s price of three hundred yuan was nearly half of her monthly salary. Even though it was her birthday, she still couldn’t bring herself to buy it.

Instead, she bought two pounds of pork ribs, pretending to be sick and nauseated by meat, letting Zhao Qingfeng, who was naïve back then, enjoy them all by himself.

Life is full of regrets.

Big or small.

Zhao Qingfeng, living a second time, would not allow anyone close to him to have any regrets.

“…”

Shen Lingyao didn’t speak for a long while.

Zhang Yang was also a bit stunned.

Both felt that the familiar Brother Qingfeng seemed to have changed, no longer heartless and carefree.

“Alright…”

Shen Lingyao unwrapped the ice cream, took a bite, and mumbled, “Since it’s to honor Aunt Feng, then I reluctantly won’t press you for repayment. By the way, I heard from my dad yesterday that your family’s compensation should be coming through soon. When it does, treat me to a bowl of cold noodles at Zhang Yang’s place, and we’ll call it even.”

A few years ago, Zhao Qingfeng’s father had an accident in the workshop.

Getting work injury compensation was not as simple as one might think. If not for the office director Shen Kuo’s intervention, it might have dragged on for three to five years.

A total of fifty thousand.

Not much for Shen Lingyao’s family, but for Zhao Qingfeng, it could alleviate urgent needs.

When his father bought the apartment, he had borrowed some money and passed away before paying it off. Organizing the funeral also incurred debts, leaving his mother alone to support the family, which was indeed difficult.

……………

Soon, they arrived back at the beer factory staff quarters.

It was a residential area with only four buildings.

Shen Lingyao’s father, being a unit leader, lived in a large apartment in building one. The second unit on the second floor, 140 square meters, even with a garage underneath.

Zhao Qingfeng lived in the opposite workers’ building two. Less than sixty square meters, a classic small apartment, on the seventh floor, without an elevator.

Zhang Yang’s family was in building four, even smaller, just over forty square meters.

On the way back, Zhao Qingfeng rode the bike.

Zhang Yang turned a corner to help out at the small eatery.

As usual, after parking in the garage, Shen Lingyao had a mischievous thought.

“Brother Qingfeng, your backpack’s goodies are mine now!”

While Zhao Qingfeng was parking, she snatched the spicy strips from his backpack, bit one, and ran off with the bag in her mouth, singing, “La la la, let’s see how I eat all your spicy strips for bullying me!”

“Stop!”

Zhao Qingfeng hurried after her, but Shen Lingyao, in her panic, ran towards the security room.

Their sudden appearance startled Old Wang, who was reading a newspaper, nearly falling off his chair.

But seeing it was them, he wasn’t surprised, smiled, took a sip of tea, and continued reading.

“Give me back my spicy strips!”

Zhao Qingfeng cornered Shen Lingyao in a corner of the security room.

“Just try and take them!”

Shen Lingyao, spicy strip in her mouth, shook her head defiantly, swinging her fists and making faces.

“You won’t give them back, huh?”

Zhao Qingfeng smirked, suddenly pressed the back of her head with one hand, bit the other end of the spicy strip, and started eating.

They were very close, less than a fist’s distance, and even getting closer.

Their noses were about to touch.

Shen Lingyao’s heart pounded erratically, her breathing quickened, and a faint blush slowly crept up her cheeks and ears.

If Brother Qingfeng kept eating, their lips would touch…

She had imagined a sweet kiss with Zhao Qingfeng in her dreams, like the romantic scenes between Shinai and Dao Mingsi in the recently popular ‘Meteor Garden.’

But she wasn’t ready for it…

Zhao Qingfeng, while eating the spicy strip, took a closer look at Shen Lingyao.

Her slightly moist and bright eyes, skin so pale it was almost translucent, completely poreless, and her lips tender as peach blossoms, exuding a candy-like fragrance.

For the first time, he truly realized how beautiful Shen Lingyao was, like a heavenly fairy.

Why hadn’t he felt this way before? Too familiar?

He cursed himself internally, just as Old Yan had said, blinded and brainless…

At this tense moment, Old Wang suddenly turned around and said something.

“Little Feng, your mom’s back, stop messing around.”