610. Li Na [4/10]
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After saying goodbye to Zhu Yong Wen, dinner time had already rolled around.
Lin Nan really couldn’t be bothered to go back and spend another hour cooking, so she just decided to join Chen Yao in searching for a small restaurant by the roadside.
But after walking a few steps, they both suddenly glanced at a fast food restaurant in the alley.
“Haven’t been to this place in ages, huh?” Chen Yao suddenly burst out laughing.
This was a Chinese fast food joint—pretty much like the school cafeteria, just with a smaller menu and higher prices, but the taste was leagues above the cafeteria’s. At least this place matched Lin Nan and Chen Yao’s taste buds perfectly.
Because of the higher prices and better flavor, Lin Nan used to treat this restaurant as a special treat for herself. The most anticipated part of her week was eating here with Chen Yao and sipping on a refreshing Cola. It felt like all her weekly fatigue would just vanish.
The restaurant was tiny, with a few tables and chairs set up outside, occupying half the sidewalk. At this hour, it was packed with hungry patrons.
Lin Nan nodded and followed Chen Yao into the alley.
“I wonder if the owner still remembers me; we used to come here every two or three days for a meal.” Chen Yao stuffed his hands into his pockets, leading the way.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t.”
If he did remember, they’d definitely end up in a mini-explanation frenzy.
However, when the two of them reached the entrance and peered inside, they were met with a new sign, and none of the busy staff looked familiar. The only thing that felt remotely nostalgic was the unchanged décor.
Looks like it changed hands.
Lin Nan felt a sense of relief wash over her, but also a twinge of melancholy for the past.
Chen Yao returned with a plate of food, placed it on the table, then turned around to get two bowls of rice.
“Ordered four dishes,” he said, settling down directly across from Lin Nan. He scooped up a piece of sweet and sour pork into his mouth and scrunched up his face. “The taste isn’t as good as before.”
“Guess it’s because of the new owner.”
Lin Nan took a bite as well.
Strangely enough, even though the texture and flavor were exactly as she remembered them, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this sweet and sour pork was significantly inferior to what she had two years ago.
The pair didn’t say much and quietly finished their dinner.
The clouds in the sky were tinged with a yellow hue, layered like a cheese sandwich, as Lin Nan and Chen Yao strolled leisurely down the street toward the shopping district.
Her mother had been setting up a stall for a while now.
Lin Nan was quite worried about her mother. If the stall flopped and her mom ended up in debt, she’d have to work for her own dowry.
Chen Yao ambled along beside her, still laid-back, glancing at her every now and then, clearly sensing that her mood wasn’t great today.
After a moment’s thought, he finally said, “You have no idea what this goofy guy said the other day when you were over for dinner.”
“Hmm?”
“He said if you married him, he’d be fine with having your kid take his surname.” Chen Yao tried to make this predicament sound more amusing.
But Lin Nan’s expression didn’t budge; she weirdly looked up at him and replied, “Doesn’t that make you jealous? What about your girlfriend?”
“What’s there to be jealous about with a joke like that?”
They walked a bit further, turned a corner, and suddenly the bustling crowd around them surged like a tide.
Upon entering the shopping street, Lin Nan’s mood still hadn’t improved; her mind was preoccupied with the fact that nearly everyone grew increasingly distant once they learned about her situation.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so resistant to revealing her true circumstances to anyone.
Interestingly, her class teacher seemed unfazed when he found out she’d become a woman, and neither did her grandfather.
It might be because her interactions with them were always in the context of elder to younger that there was already a natural distance maintained.
After navigating through the crowd for about ten minutes, Lin Nan looked up and then realized Chen Yao had completely vanished. She scanned left and right, only spotting unfamiliar faces passing by her.
She froze for a moment, and just then, her phone buzzed. She immediately answered.
Sure enough, it was Chen Yao.
“I’m at… the entrance of the 聚源 fruit shop.”
“I don’t even know where that is! There aren’t any big stores nearby; I’ll just look around?”
This entire shopping street was lined with four-story bungalows, with the view eerily consistent from end to end. The only notable differences lay in the shops and street stalls on either side.
But all the nearby shops were small and unremarkable; none truly stood out.
This street was just a straight path, but it was overflowing with people; Chen Yao could be just two or three meters away, yet hidden behind a wall of passersby.
Lin Nan felt a bit lost; who knew this could make Chen Yao go missing?
She tried to push her worries aside, scanning for any recognizable large stores or her class teacher’s stall.
After wandering aimlessly for a few minutes, Lin Nan finally spotted a more recognizable establishment—the KFC.
She called Chen Yao again, let him know where she was, and then just stood outside the KFC, waiting.
And then she watched in disbelief as Lilith and Li Na strolled out of KFC together.
They exchanged bewildered glances. Lin Nan’s expression was priceless.
“What are you two doing…?”
“Traveling!” Lilith grinned widely. “We’re starting our world tour right here in this small county!”
“???”
Wait, hold on! One of you is a saint, the other a witch—shouldn’t one be focused on saving the world while the other plots to conquer it? What’s with this travel nonsense?
“Have you two sorted out your business?”
“We literally came to take care of that,” Li Na cheerfully stepped forward, placing a Sprite on the ground and pulling a tiny burger out of her oversized pocket pants to hand to Lin Nan.
It looked tiny, almost like a toy, about the size of a coin, but still carefully wrapped in paper.
Lin Nan accepted the mini burger in confusion.
“If you don’t need magic anymore, just eat it,” Li Na said with a smile. “Once you eat it, you’ll be free from anything related to the other world. But, your magic will transfer to Lilith, and even if you could use magic in the future, you won’t be able to.”
“Look, I think there’s something wrong with my brain,” Lin Nan said, sliding the little burger into her bag. “Why would I just toss away a perfectly good cheat?”
She was used to braving the cold and heat, reacting quickly to anything, and even planned to use magic to earn a living as a teacher.
If a relative got sick in the future, she could at least use magic for simple healing. Whenever someone nearby caught a slight cold, she’d been able to solve it with a dash of magic.
How could she just say goodbye to all that?
Lilith stepped forward, handing Lin Nan her Cola. “Here, take it back.”
“You’re not keeping it?” Lin Nan accepted the noticeably slimmer black cat, and who knows what Cola had gone through during this time?
“It’s not suitable for me to keep it. It’s cumbersome during travels; you just help me look after it for now.”
“So, I’m just your temporary cat-sitter? And I’m not even getting paid?”
Lin Nan vaguely remembered that normal pet boarding usually charged a decent amount each day.
Just then, she heard Chen Yao call out from behind, “Lin Nan!”
Turning to look at him, she didn’t respond right away but continued, “I can’t guarantee I’ll take care of it well, you know…”
But before she could finish her thought, she turned back, only to realize the two she’d been speaking with had vanished without a trace, and even the Sprite left on the ground was gone.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Yao had come up beside her.
“Eh? Nothing really…”
