Immature

Chapter 30: 

In the end, the delicious grilled meat rice did not make it into Li Ting's hands, as Fang Hua Ning was in a hurry to get to class.

To avoid waste, she asked Wei Ping to give it to someone else to share. However, it was pointless to mention that she had brought it herself; after all, this food becomes greasy and tasteless when cold, making it uncomfortable to eat. As for everything else, that can be discussed later... When Li Ting returned to the shop, he found a group lamenting how delicious the dishes from Xiangmi Hall were, how expensive they were, and how long the wait for them took. Even his boyfriend might not be willing to invest that much effort. He wondered who could be generous enough to buy this for others; with food like this, who wouldn't want to impress someone? Li Ting chose not to engage in their conversation; instead, he glanced at the large, elaborate takeout box in the trash bin and quietly retrieved the vegetable baozi he had just bought. The busy day passed quickly, and just before closing time, as usual, there was a moment of spare time. Only a few scattered customers remained in the shop. Li Ting stepped out from behind the bar and looked at the corner table by the window. Not long ago, someone consistently chose that spot, mostly appearing in the afternoons and leaving just before closing. While working on his computer, Li Ting would sit just a few steps away, head bowed, earnestly reading materials, the rustling of pages occasionally drifting into his ears, allowing him to sense the other person's presence without even looking back. But recently, that spot had seen fewer visitors.

Li Ting stared at the spot for a while before turning his gaze back to the screen, still reading the electronic document. He had avoided the books that Wang Fuliang had forcefully recommended; his current borrowing situation was complicated enough, and he didn't plan to add to the mess. Besides, the materials he had downloaded from Lemon Tree were sufficient for him for the time being.

The electronic document provided by Fang Hua Ning included sections scanned from the original book. It went without saying whose book it was; it was likely filled with content he had already read. Within it, he could even find the notes Fang Hua Ning had written and the key points she had highlighted, her handwriting beautiful and elegant, reminiscent of the little notes she had written to Li Ting the last time they were at Library A.

Li Ting read intently, particularly the annotations added by Fang Hua Ning, which extended to the footer of the pages. One of them, resembling a signature, caused him to pause for a moment. It was the letter "F." F...

Li Ting opened other documents, and this letter appeared at the end of many paragraphs. After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and opened that very yellow app, flipping through his accounts and notes. As before, all records were solely his, appearing very secure.

He opened other directories of mini-games, and this template bore the marks of someone else, the individual referred to as F. F... Fang... Fang Hua Ning?

Actually, there was no need for much thought; piecing together the clues, Li Ting had already deduced that nine out of ten chances pointed to her. This app was one she had used before, but was she still using it now? Li Ting was puzzled, beginning to seek answers. He opened the games in the app one by one and discovered that the other records were from long ago. Only the two games he had played recently had their leaderboard spots previously held by his L, but for some unknown reason, F had reclaimed the top spot. Was it dissatisfaction with having his record reset that prompted F to reclaim the championship? Does that mean she used the app after giving it to him? Did she see his records? Li Ting couldn't help but speculate. However, compared to that concern, Li Ting was even more speechless about Fang Hua Ning's actions. Caring so much about a trivial game, who needs that? "Immature," Li Ting scoffed.

Today, the spot by the window remained vacant all morning until a young couple occupied it at noon. Standing aside, Li Ting occasionally stole glances at them before turning his head to look at the crowd gathered across the street.

Suddenly, the phone at the counter rang. Lin Ting walked over to answer it; it was a girl's call, expressing her desire to buy his windflower cake. The Windflower Little Cottage's drinks and snacks are all of high quality, with buns and milk tea being the most popular items. However, they only serve in-house food that can be packed but never delivered.

That girl's tone was unusually sincere as she pestered Lin Ting three times to please.

"Send it to the Institute of Calculation, A building, to the shop that's very close to our store, and just turn the corner. I want to buy it myself, but I'm too busy. Please, pretty boy, you just send it over."

Lin Ting remained silent, holding the phone without responding.

Just then, Wei Ping walked over: "Whose phone is this? The supplier's?"

The girl on the phone suddenly recognized Wei Ping's voice.

"It's Wei Ping, isn't it, from your store? Please let her answer the phone."

Wei Ping took the phone but appeared rather uneasy. "It's you... You're putting me in a difficult position... As your classmate, I'm not the boss... I know what you're doing – your intentions are obvious – but this is not a matter of helping or not... Moreover, we don't have any delivery staff available in the shop right now..."

"My go," Lin Ting intervened softly, cutting off Wei Ping's excuse.

Wei Ping looked back to see Lin Ting had already taken off his apron, holding a box of cake in his hand.

Wei Ping was surprised: "You're not going to eat lunch? Are you going to come back and eat buns again?"

Lin Ting didn't respond, simply took the paper with the address from Wei Ping and walked out of the door.

It had been nearly two months since Lin Ting returned to the Institute of Calculation. After stepping into the elevator and reaching the 6th floor, he found himself unable to locate the person who had ordered the goods.

Hóng Yué happened to walk by, noticed Lin Ting, and thought he seemed familiar. After a moment's reflection, he suddenly recognized him.

"Ah, it's you... the student who assisted during the research internship last summer, right? What brings you here? Are you working?"

Lin Ting explained his purpose, prompting Hóng Yué to raise an eyebrow. "Looking for her? She's not here. Come with me; I'm going up."

...

Fáng Xuě Lǐng had been experiencing poor sleep lately and had only managed to eat a small breakfast. He was busy all morning, and by lunchtime, the box of food that had been ordered arrived, looking greasy and unappetizing. He could only manage a few bites.

Yuè Yáo Qíng had somehow heard about this and arrived with a large bag of snacks, taking the elevator up with the intention of letting Fáng Xuě Lǐng choose some.

Fáng Xuě Lǐng had no opportunity to avoid her and ended up getting hit right in the face with the bag. The girl was so polite and concerned that he didn't want to seem rude, so he simply shook his head and declined, stating that he wasn't in the mood to eat anything.

Yuè Yáo Qíng was not offended; she just smiled and walked away.

Fáng Xuě Lǐng thought she had given up, but soon Yuè Yáo Qíng returned to her computer and approached him with it.

"I heard that A graph's system was designed by you, and our student union would like to switch to a new management system... Can you help us out?"

A student passing by overheard Yuè Yáo Qíng and couldn't help but glance at Fáng Xuě Lǐng and then back at Yuè Yáo Qíng with a sympathetic look, saying, "Sis, don't you know how much A graph's system is worth?"

Yuè Yáo Qíng appeared taken aback.

"What do you mean? Do you want to buy it from me?"

The other person shook their head. "You'd better not. Even if you sold everything you'd need to pay for your Ph.D. education, it still wouldn't be enough. Besides, this is Fáng Xuě Lǐng... you can't treat him like a street vendor who copies things for you for free."

Fáng Xuě Lǐng spoke up, "It's not that exaggerated, but you should talk to the finance department about the student union system. They'll arrange it for you."

Yuè Yáo Qíng looked embarrassed and uncertain, standing there without walking away. Fáng Xuě Lǐng rubbed his brow and said, "Forget it; let me take a look. Just a little advice will help."

Yuè Yáo Qíng was filled with joy and quickly handed her computer to Fáng Xuě Lǐng. She leaned in closer, speaking softly, "Actually, don't worry about it. This system isn't urgent... I don't want to trouble you."

The crowd of onlookers was astonished to see Yuè Yáo Qíng asking Fáng Xuě Lǐng to fix her computer...

"Why do you think the Institute's computer experts are going to fix your computer? You're a translator—can you fix a translation machine?"

Fáng Xuě Lǐng quickly turned around and saw that Hóng Yué was standing there, causing his heart to race.

Why is he here?

Fáng Xuě Lǐng was still looking at Lin Ting, ready to ask why he had come, but Lin Ting spoke first.

He took out a piece of paper and read aloud the name.

"Who is Yuè Yáo Qíng?"

Yuè Yáo Qíng suddenly recalled her previous actions and walked over. "Oh, right, I was the one who ordered the cake."

She took the cake box from Lin Ting, showing no sign of embarrassment, and handed it to Fáng Xuě Lǐng.

"That cake is from my favorite shop. I heard that you always go there, so I ordered some for you. You didn't eat lunch, so have something."

Fáng Xuě Lǐng was taken aback, glancing from Yuè Yáo Qíng to the familiar box of cake, and finally at Lin Ting...

His heart skipped a beat.

Did he just see a flash of malice in Lin Ting's eyes?

Fáng Xuě Lǐng's heart raced.

Seeing him still, Yuè Yáo Qíng couldn't help but ask, "…Don't you like it?" "I only like to drink pudding milk tea." Fáng Huaining continued to look at Lin Ting and asked, "Can we still drink it?" Yuè Yáo Qíng was puzzled. Lin Ting met Fáng Huaining's gaze and coldly replied, "No, you came too late." With that, he stylishly turned and left.

Huaining Fang watched, seemingly wanting to run after him, but after taking two steps, he stopped. He wasn't sure what he could say if he caught up—should he continue discussing pudding milk tea with him? Or should he ask, "How on earth can you not break up with your girlfriend?!"

So frustrating!

But what was even more frustrating was yet to come.

When Huaining Fang returned home after a busy day, he couldn't fall asleep after showering and tossing and turning in bed. After replaying various trivial details from the past and that day without any resolution, he reluctantly opened the Little Farm game, only to find that all his previous game records had been wiped clean. The top position that had originally belonged solely to "F" had… completely been replaced by the letter "L" just half an hour ago.

Not a single record left.

Huaining Fang: "......"

Chapter 31 He Doesn't Have This Kind of Partner; This Assumption Is Invalid.

Time slipped into October without notice, and various organizations welcomed a joyful short holiday.

A University and the Computer Science Institute were also on break. Knowing Huaining Fang was resting, Qian Kun and Zhao Bang knocked on his door early in the morning, expressing their desire to game with him. In the past, the three of them often did this; Huaining Fang had two desktop computers and a laptop, all top-of-the-line configurations, making it extremely enjoyable to play.

However, the main player, who usually cooperated well, was clearly not in the right mood today.

They couldn't get through the dungeon, couldn't defeat the boss, and could even fall to their deaths while flying. Qian Kun sensed something was off and asked, "Hey, are you heartbroken?" Huaining Fang lazily glanced at him. Zhao Bang, however, expressed understanding: "Who told you to start this early? We didn't get enough sleep. Oh, right, I forgot you're feeling lonely in your empty room." Qian Kun and Wei Ping had been together since high school, and after a year in the college dormitory, Qian Kun moved out to rent a place with her, leaving only Wang Fu Liang and Zhao Bang in the four-person dorm. Speaking of this, Zhao Bang turned to Huaining Fang and teased, "Huaining, look at this guy. He's just a Hyacinth who hasn't seen his wife for a few days, and he's acting like this. He's a handsome guy, yet look how unambitious he is. How can he even stand living like this?" Huaining Fang: "...…" Qian Kun immediately defended himself: "I'm not saying I can't see her; I just don't want to! You know where she is, right? She's off attending some ridiculous foreign language salon, spending three or four hours talking nonsense. Who could stand that? Ask Huaining; if he had a partner majoring in foreign languages, would he be able to endure it? No matter how much he likes her, he wouldn't be able to take it!" Zhao Bang replied, "He doesn't have that kind of partner; this assumption doesn't apply."

Huating Fang: "..."

Qian Kun looked down at him with disdain: "Anyway, there's no point in explaining anything to you." Zhao Bang tossed the mouse aside: "Fine, I don't see the fun in playing with people like you; it's no fun." Qian Kun wasn't in the mood either. After a moment's consideration, he said, "Why don't we go out for a walk? The weather is lovely today; staying home will only make us loners for life." Zhao Bang shrugged, glancing at Huaining Fang, only to see him lazily getting up and heading towards his room. "You both go ahead; I'll sleep in a bit longer."

Once inside his room, Huaining Fang collapsed onto his pillow, but after thrashing about for a while, he still couldn't fall asleep. His hand rubbed against the sheets as he reached out for his phone on the nightstand without realizing it.

It had been a few days since Huaining Fang discovered that his game records had been erased. On the day of the incident, he was indeed initially surprised, but soon a strong sense of guilt took over.

The truth was that Liting Li probably didn't know that Huaining Fang was the owner of Little Farm. In Liting Li's eyes, Huaining Fang was just another software user. Normal users could view the game rankings but not each other's notes and transaction records, as this was a basic security function of the software. Consequently, Liting Li wouldn't suspect him necessarily.

However, it's also possible that Liting Li had noticed something and snuck into Huaining Fang's room at midnight to give him a warning, cautioning him to avoid prying into other people's affairs.

If that's true, given his finicky personality, he would undoubtedly be very angry. No wonder he hasn't updated any information for several days after that incident.

This was the most frustrating part for Huaining Fang. After arriving at Hyacinth, it seemed that Liting Li didn't work anywhere else anymore. But once Hyacinth closed its doors, Huaining Fang lost direct contact with him and had no opportunities to run into him anymore.

How could he not feel depressed?

Just as he was about to put down his phone and force himself to calm down, a notification suddenly flashed on the screen.

—A new note has been added.

Huaining Fang paused, then was surprised; Liting Li had actually updated again?

To confirm if this was real, Huaining Fang nervously clicked in and found that it was indeed a new note, as if all his previous worries had vanished.

Liting Li really hadn't noticed?!

Huaining Fang was taken aback.

Looking at the content, it was a series of addresses, starting from the A University subway station to the southwest bus stop and then to the shopping street—extremely detailed. However, there were only addresses provided, with no indication of the purpose or the time, leaving Huaining Fang completely puzzled.

That feeling of being excluded from the other person's life—strange and unapproachable—washed over him once again. As he stared at it, Huaining Fang slowly sat up.

Outside the door, Qian Kun and Zhao Bang were discussing what was going on with Huaining Fang—was he overwhelmed or just emotionally unstable? Suddenly, the door opened. Huaining Fang stood there looking refreshed and said, "Let's go." Zhao Bang raised an eyebrow in confusion. Huaining Fang added, "Let's go out for a walk." Qian Kun remarked, "Didn't you just say you wouldn't…?" But Huaining Fang was already out the door, saying, "Listening to you."

Qian Kun, puzzled, asked, "What did I say?" Zhao Bang replied, "The old house is at home, single for a lifetime." ... Qian Kun and Zhao Bang thought they were just going out for a quick errand, but as they continued walking, they soon realized this outing felt more like a marathon. As they circled A University, walking back and forth, by the time they passed the steamed bun shop for the third time at the end of the shopping street, Zhao Bang was already out of breath, and even the athletic Qian Kun couldn't help but ask Fang Huaining, "Are you planning to donate a kidney with all this rushing around?" Fang Huaining cast a final glance at the flower shop that had closed for the night, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes. However, he quickly raised his head and said, "I'm just walking around; you guys can head back first, I'll look around a bit more." "Look some more?!" Ignoring the sighs from the two behind him, Fang Huaining waved his hand and pressed on ahead. As he turned a corner, he spotted a familiar bus approaching.

He hesitated for a moment before boarding when the doors opened. He rode to the outskirts, getting off just as the sun was shining brightly. On non-working days, this place reverted to its cold and desolate state; the empty roads were lined with bleak buildings and rural farmland, devoid of the nighttime's haze and beauty. In Fang Huaining's mind, scenes from that night replayed like a movie as he slowly walked along the path he had taken, recalling the search that had led him in circles. He no longer hoped for a chance encounter with that elusive little scam artist; such an inscrutable character was too difficult for him to figure out. However, he didn't expect to see someone in the fields. A young man, resembling a farmer, was ahead, carrying a water bucket to irrigate the crops. Fang Huaining stepped forward out of curiosity. The farmer noticed the movement and looked up, puzzled to see a clean and refined student standing there. "Are you... looking for someone?" he asked. Fang Huaining inquired, "Is this your land?" Could it be that Li Ting was working for him? That would be too bizarre. The farmer shook his head and pointed into the distance, "That land over there is mine, but this isn't; I'm just keeping an eye on things here." "Helping... Li Ting?" Fang Huaining asked. The farmer was surprised, "You know Tingting? Are you his friend?" Tingting? The name sounded intimate. Fang Huaining frowned, "I..."

"What kind of relationship are we?" Can a somewhat familiar relationship count as friendship?

Fortunately, the farmer didn't probe into his hesitation. Assuming a connection between them and Li Ting, he said, "When Tingting isn't around, I just help keep an eye on things; anyway, the land is all farmed the same."

"This is really his land?" The little landowner is genuinely a little landowner?!

Fang Huaining was astonished.

"Uh-huh," the farmer nodded. "That area over there... and over there too, used to be his, but now it's all ours; he only has this plot now."

"He... used to live here?" Fang Huaining recalled Li Ting's past comments, struggling to distinguish truth from fiction.

The farmer wiped his neck with a towel to remove the sweat. "A long time ago... over ten years now. You're from the city, right? You wouldn't know—this place used to be beautiful, with big yards and small buildings. Rich people often came here for vacations. Later, the land on either side was bought by those big companies, and all the residents moved away, so this place turned into farmland."

Moved away?

Yet Li Ting kept coming back.

Fang Huaining looked at the farmer's profile and gradually recalled that he was the same person who helped Li Ting push watermelons when he was injured.

"Will Li Ting need you to help sell the produce once it's ready?"

Fang Huaining actually asked just casually, but the farmer hurriedly shook his head. "How could that be?

"The fruits grown here," Tingting said, "are only for eating, not for selling." "Only for eating?" "So much? Can you eat it all?" Fang Huaining was surprised; this didn't match Li Ting's usual way of doing things. The farmer replied, "I think the same, so whenever Tingting harvests, he sends us a lot. I told him to take some back, but he said he has no one to share it with." Fang Huaining felt a pang in his heart. "Actually, he's already been very good to us; I'm just helping a little. When his mom and grandma lived here, they took care of us a lot. Now that they're gone, we can't do much except farm..." Feeling like he had said too much, the farmer quickly took a couple of sips of water, nodded to Fang Huaining, and prepared to leave. Just before departing, he muttered to himself, "These fruits will be ripe in a little over a month; I'll need to bring two baskets to pick them..." Fang Huaining listened intently and slowly crouched down, noticing that clusters of small shoots were emerging among the connected seedlings. Some were white, some green, and occasionally there was a hint of red, showcasing their tender youth. Fang Huaining realized that Li Ting was growing strawberries... He mimicked Li Ting, reaching out his fingertip to gently touch those green leaves, wondering if they knew to whom they belonged; at that moment, they all seemed incredibly lovely. So does that mean he should celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with him?

Fang Huaining looked up toward a spot in the fields, as if he could see the figure from that night turned away from him, gazing at the moon. A small landowner guarding his property. A bit lonely, yet also somewhat content...

Chapter 32: Maintain Your Persona, Stay Calm. When Fang Huaining returned to the city by bus, the sky was already dark. Despite being someone adept at organizing his schedule and rarely indulging himself, he had wandered aimlessly throughout the day. Glancing at the time, he noted it was almost eight o'clock. What he should do now was go home, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep. However, he found himself pacing in front of the bus door, unable to resist getting off two stops early near A University. As Li Ting pushed his electric bike past the bus stop, he noticed Fang Huaining standing there motionless, staring vacantly at the passing cars on the road. After watching Fang Huaining for a moment, he finally sensed something and turned to see him, his eyes widening in surprise. However, Li Ting quickly averted his gaze and continued pushing his bike forward, clearly having no intention of greeting him.

His small battery had not worked since it fell, despite his attempts to fix it before taking it back to work; it still wouldn't function properly, as if it were stuck due to the many items on the bike. The minor collision had caused the two large bags on the back seat to fall over.

Lǐ Tíng was about to hastily stop the car to pick it up when, to his surprise, he found that his two hands had already grasped the bag in front of him.

　　"Thank you."

　　Lǐ Tíng instinctively stretched out his hand to take it, but the other party didn't hand it over to him.

　　Fāng Huái Níng stood before him, his eyes fixed on Lǐ Tíng before shifting to the large packages that completely dominated the space, leaving no room for a person to stand. Weighing the object in his hand, he asked, "What is this?" It felt soft and fluffy, like cotton.

　　Lǐ Tíng didn't intend to elaborate, and simply replied, "Merchandise."

　　Fāng Huái Níng said, "You can't put it down; it might fall and get damaged."

　　Lǐ Tíng furrowed his brow, contemplating how to handle the situation.

　　Fāng Huái Níng asked again, "Where are you headed?"

　　Lǐ Tíng responded, "Just ahead."

　　Fāng Huái Níng raised his hand to glance at his watch, as if considering whether he had sufficient time. After a prolonged moment, he reluctantly said, "Since it's not far, I'll help you carry it over." He turned and began walking ahead.

　　Lǐ Tíng gazed at his tall back, before following after him a moment later.

　　Indeed, it was not far, and after crossing the street, they arrived at A Big Shop street. Fāng Huái Níng thought that this little landlord was probably delivering goods to Fēng Xìn Zǐ's small hostel, but Lǐ Tíng had already stopped behind him.

Fāng Huái Níng turned around and looked at him. Lǐ Tíng was lifting the bags from the car with ease and dragging them to a store across the street, where he carefully set them down.

The bag was opened, and its contents spilled out like popcorn, two items rolling down the stairs and landing at Fāng Huái Níng's feet.

Fāng Huái Níng put down the bag he was holding and picked up the objects from the ground. He examined them: they were a toy pig—with a big nose, long ears, and a very fat, ugly appearance.

What kind of thing is this?

A pig?

A rabbit?

Suddenly, Fāng Huái Níng's mind lit up!

Pig rabbit?

200 pieces?

3600 yuan?

Is that it?

He looked at Lǐ Tíng again and noticed that he was already operating a machine outside the store, carefully placing the ugly toys one by one into it, adjusting the angle and position with a serious expression, as if he were writing a thesis.

"You... this..." Fāng Huái Níng stared for a moment before speaking, unsure of what to say.

Lǐ Tíng seemed to understand his thoughts and replied calmly, "I rented it."

"2400?" Fāng Huái Níng asked, his mouth agape in surprise, accidentally biting his tongue. How did he know the exact price?

Lǐ Tíng looked at him strangely. Fāng Huái Níng expected him to ask for an explanation, but Lǐ Tíng merely ignored him and returned to his work. After a while, he remarked, "It's an old machine, so it's cheap."

Fāng Huái Níng sighed in relief and said, "Isn't this a cheaper option?"

Lǐ Tíng nodded, "It doesn't include the costs of debugging and maintenance, and most importantly, there's also the cost of manual supervision." As a newcomer, the placement and hanging rate of the dolls required repeated trial and error, and for the first few days, the machine couldn't be left unattended.

Manual supervision!?

Fāng Huái Níng's mind suddenly lit up; it felt as if a knot had been untied.

He glanced at the dolls in front of him and then turned back to look down the street, suddenly forming a bold hypothesis in his mind.

So, at that time, Lǐ Tíng wasn't observing the person but was...

Lǐ Tíng had finished counting one small bag of toys and realized he was still short by two. He turned back to look for Fāng Huái Níng and saw him intensely gazing at the dolls in his arms, his eyes filled with deep emotion, and the corner of his mouth curved into an unusual smile.

Lǐ Tíng: "..."

Fāng Huái Níng: "You..."

Lǐ Tíng moved closer and quickly took the dolls from his arms.

"You can't just like them," Lǐ Tíng said coldly.

Fāng Huái Níng: "???"

He powered down the machine, and Lǐ Tíng got into the car to head to the next destination.

Since Fāng Huái Níng realized what Lǐ Tíng was doing, he guessed they were likely going to the subway station. As Fāng Huái Níng had to head home, he naturally accompanied him and even offered a bit of help.

Lǐ Tíng didn't refuse and followed him slowly.

They still didn't talk much. In fact, aside from the incident with the wind signal cake, this was their first encounter since the bus incident, and an inexplicable tension lingered between them. It was a strange atmosphere that was hard to describe. Additionally, there was an unexplainable current flowing between them.

Fāng Huái Níng wondered if he was just imagining things. Although Lǐ Tíng's expression was calm and his eyes were as usual, every time their gazes met, it felt like friction—intense enough that if they lingered for too long, it could spark into something fiery.

Fāng Huái Níng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, to dismiss any fanciful thoughts, and not to let his imagination run wild.

They walked a bit further, passed under a bridge, and arrived at the subway station.

This was A Big Station, and due to the holidays, there were fewer people. Still, a few groups gathered around several claw machines, laughing and playing.

The shops on the street were closed, and the dim lighting made Fāng Huái Níng's vision unclear. However, in the bright surroundings of the subway station, he could see that the claw machines were quite popular despite the customers failing to win any prizes; their enthusiasm remained high.

He had initially thought of him as a small landlord, but now he had transformed into a small boss. This transformation was quite rapid...

Fang Hua Ning was speechless, and couldn't praise Li Ting enough.

Li Ting was pushing the cart towards the subway entrance, and Fang Hua Ning was also about to head home. He just walked alongside Li Ting and even lent him a hand a bit.

Li Ting didn't immediately move to the front, but stood quietly on the side, waiting for customers to try out multiple times before finally getting a rabbit doll. Then he took the figure from Fang Hua Ning's hand and walked over to add a new baby doll.

After placing the doll down, Li Ting waited on the side again, and only seemed satisfied after customers had operated the cart normally.

Fang Hua Ning turned around to leave, and his footsteps stopped in their tracks, giving him the feeling that he no longer had a reason to continue with someone else, given that he could just take the subway home.

However, Li Ting took two steps as if realizing that another person hadn't followed him, and looked back at Fang Hua Ning.

Fang Hua Ning's heart skipped a beat.

He heard Li Ting say, "You haven't eaten," in a declarative sentence.

Yes, Fang Hua Ning had been outside all day and had nothing to eat at the Huaxin Industrial site; he was almost starving.

So, what did the small boss mean?

Fang Hua Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of expectation.

Li Ting was about to speak, but suddenly a few loud crashes caught his attention.

Fāng Huá Líng and Lǐ Tíng both turned around to see a young couple standing in front of the pig rabbit machine, with a boy furiously slapping the machine and creating a scene.

"Damn it, what a scam!" he exclaimed.

Lǐ Tíng narrowed his eyes and before Fāng Huá Líng could speak, he walked over to the boy.

"One hundred yuan for one foot, three hundred yuan for three feet," Lǐ Tíng said coldly, addressing the boy's back.

"What?" The boy turned around, his face red with anger as he recognized Lǐ Tíng and burst out laughing. "Oh, it's you, Lǐ Tíng?"

Lǐ Tíng showed no sign of familiarity and instead extended his hand. "Three feet, three hundred yuan."

"You...you...!" The boy's anger boiled over as he resumed slapping the machine. "I tried twice and got nothing! This thing is just scamming me! And you're asking me for money?!"

"You couldn't afford to play before, so you didn't," Lǐ Tíng replied calmly, "but now... you still can't afford it, yet you have to pay."

The boy was taken aback and began shouting curses. "Bullshit, Lǐ Tíng! You want me to pay? Go ahead and try to force me!"

When Lǐ Tíng's gaze fell on him, the boy's tone shifted as he threatened, "You think you can touch me? You're lucky I let you off in school before. But we're outside now, and if you dare lay a finger on me, I'll report you to the police! You're going to regret it!"

Lǐ Tíng remained silent, and the boy thought he had gained the upper hand.

He raised his hand to point at Lǐ Tíng.

"You'd better learn your lesson and not be so arrogant from now on," he said. "This machine belongs to you, right? Don't think I'll let you get away with this..."

He hadn't finished speaking when someone behind him grabbed his hand. The grip twisted his arm, pushing his finger away from Lǐ Tíng's face.

The boy winced in pain as he turned to see a tall figure standing behind Lǐ Tíng, looking at him with a stern expression.

"Is that a proper way to behave?" Fāng Huá Líng asked.

The boy was taken aback and quickly cursed under his breath, trying to shake off Fāng Huá Líng's hold. He exerted considerable strength, but Fāng Huá Líng was not easy to dislodge. Just as the boy was about to break free, something intervened, causing him to falter, and Fāng Huá Líng's grip loosened. Seizing the opportunity, the boy yanked Fāng Huá Líng's hand away from his wrist. In doing so, something in Fāng Huá Líng's hand broke with a loud crack.

Fāng Huá Líng frowned as he looked down to see that his watch had shattered on the ground. The watch face was marred by several cracks.

The figure behind Lǐ Tíng also looked down at the broken watch, his expression grim.

Lǐ Tíng's gaze fell on the watch as well, his calm demeanor shifting to concern.

"That's not my business," the boy attempted to argue as he took another step back.

But before he could retreat any further, he felt a sharp kick land in his stomach.

Noticing that Li Ting was indeed slowly loosening her grip on his hand, Cheng Peng's face instantly turned pale. He realized that she was not joking. With no time to stubbornly hold on, he immediately began to beg for mercy. "I… I'm so sorry, Li Ting… It's my fault, I… I was just saying it, I won't… I won't mess with your claw machine…" Li Ting asked, "What else?" Cheng Peng stammered, "About… about what happened in high school… I… I'll forget it all, I… I won't bother you again… is that okay?" Li Ting frowned, "Did I ask you to say this?" Cheng Peng was panting, afraid to struggle, nearly rolling his eyes in fear. "Then… I'll pay you the three hundred for kicking the machine. I'll pay you, I have money in my pocket… you… you can take it…" Li Ting remained silent and just pushed him forward a bit. Cheng Peng screamed, his hands flailing on Li Ting's body in panic. "I… I really don't have that much cash…" Even if he had it, he truly couldn't afford it. "I really don't… I really don't…" The big boy was so scared that he was on the verge of tears. Fang Huaining was observing closely; Cheng Peng's torso was mostly hanging over the railing. The optical illusion from twisting his head made him feel like he was about to fall off the overpass, but in reality, Li Ting was stepping on his foot, and the waistband of his pants was in Li Ting's hand, so he was quite safe. Li Ting actually wanted to seek justice for her watch, which made Fang Huaining feel quite touched.

However, the sporadic passersby on both sides had already cast sidelong glances at the conflict, and the girl who had accompanied the troublemaker was also crying loudly, drawing even more attention. To avoid escalating the situation, Fang Huaining decided to intervene. "Let it go…" Perhaps his voice was too quiet, as Li Ting didn't budge. Fang Huaining had to step forward and gently tug at Li Ting's arm. Li Ting still remained unmoved. Fang Huaining let out a sigh. "Li Ting…" he called out for the first time, "I'll fix my watch myself, so don't waste your energy arguing with someone like this." As he spoke, he slowly moved his hand from Li Ting's arm to her hand, carefully prying her fingers open one by one. This time, surprisingly, there was no resistance; Li Ting, following suit, loosened her grip, and Fang Huaining managed to rescue the troublemaker. Cheng Peng slumped down on the ground, exhausted; after catching his breath, he struggled to his feet and attempted to flee. "Wait," Fang Huaining said suddenly. Blocking Cheng Peng's path, Fang Huaining reached into his pocket with his other hand and pulled out three bills. "Leave," Fang Huaining said. Cheng Peng looked at Fang Huaining in shock, then at Li Ting, suddenly feeling as though he was being bullied by a pair of thugs. A strong sense of grievance surged within him as he limply left the scene with his girlfriend, hobbling away.

As soon as he received the three hundred, Fang Huaining noticed that Li Ting's gaze hadn't left the bills; he found it amusing. After squeezing the money in his hand, he still held it out in front of her. Unexpectedly, Li Ting didn't accept it right away but instead glanced away. It was only then that Fang Huaining realized he had still been holding her hand, pulling tightly enough that their fingers intertwined, leaving a few red marks. Fang Huaining's face turned red, and he hurriedly pulled his hand back. "Sorry…" Li Ting remained silent, her eyes darting around before settling back on the bills in Fang Huaining's hand. Fang Huaining cleared his throat a couple of times and sympathetically said, "I didn't buy this watch domestically; I can fix it myself during the New Year. I know someone who can help." So he didn't need the money, and since Li Ting's old machine had suffered some damage, she might indeed need to find someone to service it for her peace of mind. After thinking for a while, Li Ting seemed to confirm that Fang Huaining was not lying and finally reached out her hand. After taking the money and putting it in her pocket, her expression suddenly changed as she rummaged through her clothes and pants in search of something. She then bent down to look on the ground around her. Fang Huaining had never seen Li Ting so anxious; he quickly asked, "What did you drop?" Li Ting replied, "My keys… Where are my keys?" "House keys?"

Fang Huaining followed her in searching, "What do they look like? Do you have anything distinctive attached to them?" Li Ting replied, "Yes, there's something attached to it…" Before she could finish her sentence, Fang Huaining had already spotted them, right at the corner of the railing—likely dropped during her earlier altercation with the troublemaker. Fang Huaining picked it up: "Is this it…" Just as he was about to ask, Li Ting snatched the item from him and began inspecting it closely. Fang Huaining noticed her expression; she didn't seem particularly concerned about the keys, but what really captivated her was the keychain—a slightly worn little robot keychain. … A robot? Fang Huaining took a closer look and noticed that the robot's limbs were movable. Although the paint on the surface had chipped away, it was still clear that the original craftsmanship was quite exquisite. For some reason, the more Fang Huaining examined this robot, the more familiar it seemed. He noticed letters like "SMDS" on the back… After a moment of thought, Fang Huaining suddenly understood. "So you have one of these too," Fang Huaining said. Li Ting was taken aback and looked up: "You know about this?" Fang Huaining nodded: "Of course." Li Ting fixed her gaze on him. Fang Huaining continued, "It's from 'The Mysterious World,' right? Subscribers who had been members of this science magazine for over three years used to receive a set of these as a gift."

"Six robots make a complete set; I have one too."

Li Ting continued to stare at him and asked seriously, "Then where's your robot?"

"Uh?" This question caught Fang Huaining off guard. It had been over ten years since he had the toy; he focused for a moment but still couldn't remember, "I don't know where it is."

Upon hearing this, Li Ting's expression fell, and she remained silent.

It felt like an illusion; Fang Huaining sensed a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

Before he could say anything else, Li Ting turned and walked away along the overpass.

Fang Huaining silently watched her retreating figure, feeling as if he had said the wrong thing.

Li Ting took a few steps, then stopped, turning back to look at Fang Huaining with a puzzled expression, his face returning to a calm demeanor. It was as if the previous scene were replaying; he asked, "Aren't you hungry?"

Fang Huaining suddenly remembered that before encountering that annoying guy, Li Ting had seemed to want to treat him to a meal?!

Fang Huaining had helped Li Ting, and since he had lost a watch, treating him to a meal wasn't too much to ask. However, for someone as money-conscious as him, it was an unprecedented act of generosity, especially since he had already treated Fang Huaining once before.

Fang Huaining pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile. He slowly walked to Li Ting's side and replied, "Very hungry."

Li Ting patted his pocket containing three hundred yuan and asked, "Is there anything you don't eat?"

Fang Huaining had many food preferences; he didn't eat strong-flavored items, unusual foods, or overly cheap and questionable culinary choices. Nevertheless, he replied, "Anything is fine."

With three hundred yuan, while they couldn't indulge in a lavish meal, it was sufficient for the two of them to find a decent restaurant and enjoy themselves.

Li Ting asked again, "Do you eat seafood?"

City A was an inland city, and seafood wasn't cheap at this time of year; still, Fang Huaining nodded casually. Cheap was cheap; it didn't matter.

As he considered what seafood restaurants or stalls were nearby, Li Ting had already turned and entered a nearby convenience store.

What did he need to buy first?

Fang Huaining felt puzzled but followed him inside.

Li Ting wandered around the convenience store and stopped at a shelf, briefly comparing items before taking something to the counter to pay. He pulled out three red bills and handed one to the cashier.

Fang Huaining watched Li Ting, his gaze slowly dropping to his hands.

Two cups of instant noodles.

Looking closer...

Seafood-flavored.

The cashier said, "Three fifty for one cup; two cups will be ninety-three. Would you like to add two sticks of hotdog?"

Li Ting replied, "No."

Fang Huaining: "...…"