Love and Food Are Irresistible

Zhuang Ziang and the newly acquainted Su Yudie walked side by side along the bustling street.

Every noon, when the school let out, the place became lively.

The streets were lined with snack shops, exuding various delicious aromas.

After experiencing strong emotions, Ziang finally calmed down and realized he was hungry.

He asked Yudie, "Why did you skip class?"

With a naive expression, Yudie replied, "I didn't skip class, I was picking ginkgo leaves."

"Nonsense, it's class time. Why aren't you in the classroom?" Ziang questioned.

"It's our gym class," Yudie explained with a smile.

Ziang was at a loss for words.

He had been too sad earlier to notice if there were students on the playground for gym class.

He only remembered that the ginkgo trees below were very quiet.

"What about you? Why did you skip class?" Yudie asked.

"I didn't skip class either. I asked the teacher for leave; I didn't want anyone to see me crying," Ziang said, feeling aggrieved.

He had hidden so well, thinking no one would find him.

Who would have thought a girl would be hiding in the tree, witnessing all his sorrow?

Yudie was a bit confused but didn't press further. She said, "Let's go eat something delicious. It will make you feel better."

The "delicious" food Yudie referred to was fried potatoes.

Potatoes are truly nature's generous gift to humanity, serving both as a staple and a vegetable.

Their versatile cooking methods result in countless delicious dishes.

The auntie running the snack stall cut the potatoes into small pieces and fried them to a beautiful golden brown.

Then she sprinkled them with pepper salt, cumin powder, chilli powder, green onions, and white sesame seeds.

The exterior was crispy, while the inside was soft and tender.

Yudie, who considered herself a foodie, insisted that fried potatoes must be spicy to be satisfying, so she asked for extra chilli powder.

"Ziang, wait here. I'm going to buy some Coke. Coca-Cola or Pepsi?"

"Coca-Cola."

Everyone knows Coca-Cola is fizzier, while Pepsi is sweeter.

Ziang wanted more fizz right now.

A few minutes later, the two newly acquainted friends sat on marble steps, eating fried potatoes.

The auntie had been generous with the chilli powder.

Ziang's tongue was nearly numb, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Yudie wasn't faring much better, her cheeks flushed from the heat as she gulped down an ice-cold Coke.

"Tell me your sad story to cheer me up!" the girl suddenly said, her big, bright eyes twinkling.

"Are you trying to rub salt in my wounds?" Ziang retorted.

"No, sometimes sharing your sadness makes it less sad," Yudie said, biting her straw.

Ziang turned his head to look at her graceful profile.

Her innocent demeanour made it easy to trust her.

He hesitated for a moment before slowly starting, "When I was twelve, I graduated from elementary school. One summer night, my dad said we were going on a family trip to the beach. I had never seen the ocean, so I was so excited I couldn't sleep and packed my bags overnight..."

"Wow, your dad is so nice. I've never seen the ocean either," Yudie said longingly.

"But when I woke up the next morning, I found they had already left. My dad's idea of family didn't include me," Ziang's eyes darkened.

Yudie was speechless.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Yudie wanted to comfort him but didn't know how.

She speared a piece of potato with a bamboo skewer and held it to his mouth, "Do you want to try mine?"

"Aren't they all the same?" Ziang was puzzled.

"No, this one is special because I'm feeding it to you," Yudie's eyes were as clear as a lake after a spring rain.

He took a bite of her potato, and it tasted just as fiery as his own.

Yet a faint sweetness arose in his heart.

"When I was fourteen, I ranked first in the entire grade. The school held a parents' meeting, and the teacher wanted my parents to speak and share their experience in raising a child. My dad told my mom to go, and my mom told my dad to go. In the end, neither of them went."

As Ziang recalled these memories, his eyes unknowingly reddened.

That was the most awkward afternoon of his life.

His desk was piled with almost perfect test papers, but no one cared.

Despite all his achievements, he couldn't find a single relative to cheer for him.

He felt like a child abandoned by fate, growing more desperate as he yearned for his parents' love.

Even now, with a terminal illness, he didn't know whether to tell his dad or mom.

This sadness was a thorn in his heart, never shared with anyone.

But the girl in front of him somehow inspired his trust.

"Ziang, your nose is bleeding. I'm sorry, it must be these spicy potatoes."

Yudie hurriedly took out a tissue and helped him stop the bleeding.

Her hand gently held the back of his head as she carefully wiped away the warm blood.

He felt a trickle of warmth seep into his skin from her fingers.

The bitterness in his heart gradually dissipated.

After the bleeding stopped, Ziang thanked her, "Thank you. I've been having frequent nosebleeds for the past six months. It's not the potatoes' fault."

Yudie pulled out some money from her pocket, counted it quickly, and handed the rest to him.

Softly, she said, "I'll save some money for the bus ride home. The rest is for you to treat yourself. When I'm sad, I eat a lot of delicious food, and it seems to make me less sad."

Ziang laughed, "In this world, love and food are irreplaceable. But as a guy, let me treat you!"

"No, I'll treat you today. Next time I'm sad, you can treat me." Yudie pouted stubbornly.

"Alright, I'm not one to be shy. I'll gladly accept," Ziang agreed cheerfully.

After finishing their potatoes and Coke, they set off on another culinary adventure.

Yudie bounced along as she walked, her skirt fluttering.

She truly seemed like a little butterfly, dancing gracefully.

But when she saw something delicious, she couldn't resist, her mouth-watering—a true foodie.

They strolled and ate, enjoying skewered lamb, hand-rolled pancakes, oden, and spicy hot pot.

When Yudie's money ran out, Ziang bought her a cup of strawberry milk tea.

He was too full to have any more drinks himself.

"Wow, Ziang, this is so good!" Yudie exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"Lower your voice. Don't act like you've never seen such things," he said, feigning annoyance.

"It's really good. Do you want to try?" Yudie held out the cup.

"How am I supposed to try?" He saw the straw with her teeth marks.

Even if it wasn't chewed up, they couldn't share a straw after just an hour of knowing each other.

Yudie, like a magician, pulled out another straw from behind her back, "I asked for an extra straw when I bought the Coke."

With a pop, she inserted the straw into the cup.

"Here, have a sip."

He stared into her clear eyes, hesitated for a moment, and finally gave in, taking a sip.

The rich flavour of the milk tea blossomed on his tongue, lingering pleasantly.

It was just a regular strawberry milk tea, yet it tasted so much better than usual.

Using two straws to drink the same cup of milk tea was something only couples typically did.

Was she doing this intentionally, or was she just naive?

Ziang thought to himself, that he might be good-looking, but not enough to make such a beautiful girl fall for him at first sight.

So, she must be naturally innocent.

"Ziang, we're friends now, right?"

"Of course. You're the first friend I've made here."

Yudie spoke earnestly, but Ziang didn't understand.

What did she mean by the first friend?