"Uncle Deng, give me twenty skewers of lamb, twenty skewers of beef, ten skewers of grilled cartilage, two orders of eggplant, two orders of enoki mushrooms, two chicken wings, two grilled fish, a plate of clams, and… another plate of green beans! Uncle Deng, two bottles of ice-cold beer, that's all for now, I'll order more later if it's not enough!"
He Yue rattled off a string of dishes in one breath, speaking very quickly, without even looking at the menu, clearly a regular here.
The middle-aged man standing beside her remembered quickly too. As soon as He Yue finished speaking, he had basically memorized everything.
"Alright, Yueyue, you chat with this young man for a while, the food will be up soon!"
The man gave He Yue an ambiguous smile. As someone who'd been around the block, he knew exactly what was going on between the two of them.
He Yue looked at Ye Xuan sitting across from her and smiled, a sweet smile that made people feel numb.
"Brother Xuan, are you dressed so formally because of me? But your clothes don't really match this place at all."
As soon as Ye Xuan sat down, he heard her words and said in an annoyed tone:
"Isn't it all your fault? You didn't tell me we were eating at a street food stall, so I specially picked out my best-looking clothes. And you're still laughing at me!"
As he spoke, he gently tapped her small head.
He Yue didn't dodge, obediently accepting it, and stuck out her little tongue. "I know, Brother Xuan dressed like this because he values me."
She shyly grabbed Ye Xuan's hand on the table, gently holding it.
Feeling her obvious affection for him through He Yue's bold behavior, he grabbed her small, delicate hand in return, holding it in his palm.
"Lamb skewers, beef skewers coming up!"
Uncle Deng hadn't seen the two young lovers being all lovey-dovey. He reflexively called out the names of the dishes before serving them, but by the time he saw them, it was too late. He coughed to cover up his embarrassment.
He Yue exclaimed in surprise and quickly pulled her hand back. She had actually been seen by an acquaintance, how embarrassing.
Regaining her composure, she said, "Brother Xuan, let me tell you, Uncle Deng's food is really delicious. I used to come here every now and then to satisfy my cravings!"
He had frequented street food stalls like this before, so he naturally knew some of the flavors.
But when chatting with her, he naturally had to maintain curiosity and steer the topic towards the food.
"Yueyue, how delicious are we talking?"
Hearing Ye Xuan ask this, He Yue's eyes immediately lit up.
She had learned some cooking skills from her mother and also from Uncle Deng, so she naturally knew that making food delicious required many steps.
"Uncle Deng's food is the kind that's especially, especially, especially delicious, many times better than what I make. If I had that skill, I wouldn't have to worry about life in the future."
Ye Xuan looked at He Yue with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, showing an expression of disbelief.
"I think what Yueyue makes is the most delicious thing in the world. As for everything else, it can't compare."
Hearing Ye Xuan say this, He Yue naturally knew it was an exaggeration. She was well aware of her own abilities, but her heart was sweet, as if she had eaten honey.
"I know Brother Xuan is praising me, but Uncle Deng's food is really delicious. Try one!"
As she spoke, she personally took a skewer of meat and handed it to Ye Xuan, showing a look of anticipation, hoping he would taste it and affirm what she said.
Ye Xuan didn't stand on ceremony and ate it.
"How is it?"
"Not bad, really not bad!"
Ye Xuan answered affirmatively, without any hint of perfunctoriness. It wasn't like he hadn't been to street food stalls before, but the taste was very different compared to this.
"I'm glad you like it."
He Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, she had already booked a table at a high-end Western restaurant, ready to treat Ye Xuan. Although the prices there were very expensive, she could still afford it now.
But somehow, she ended up here.
Maybe this place held her entire childhood. She had basically been eating here since she could remember.
Even now that she was an adult, she was still eating here.
Perhaps, subconsciously, she no longer regarded Ye Xuan as an outsider, so she came to this place that represented everything to her.
"Brother Xuan, this place runs through my whole life. I grew up here as a child. Although I left when I grew up, I still come back every now and then..."
He Yue rested her chin on her hands and talked about it, and it was not difficult to see the importance of this place to her.
Ye Xuan smiled calmly, taking on the role of a listener.
Because of her mother's car accident before, she had endured countless pains. Now that everything was resolved, it was best to spit out this pressure, so that the whole person would be much more relaxed.
At this moment, a waiter brought over the ice-cold beer, green beans, and clams. He peeled open a green bean, put it in his mouth, and then took a big gulp of ice-cold beer.
As the bottle of beer went down, he immediately felt a cool sensation spreading throughout his body.
He Yue looked at Ye Xuan's appearance, revealing a gentle expression. After saying so much just now, she felt much better. She followed Ye Xuan's example and took a big gulp of beer.
"You little girl, don't force yourself if you can't drink!"
Ye Xuan stood up and gently patted He Yue's back, scolding her softly. From the way she drank, it was easy to see that He Yue had never drunk alcohol before, not even beer.
"Wow, it's so hard to drink, it's like, it's like..."
"Is it like the taste of leftover food mixed with water at home, very bitter!"
When he first drank beer, he almost spat it out in one gulp, naturally unforgettable.
But after drinking it more often, that taste disappeared, and now he felt it was quite delicious.
Hearing Ye Xuan's explanation, He Yue immediately nodded and said, "Yes, yes, that's right, it feels a bit sour."
"Eat something, rinse your mouth!"
Ye Xuan took a grilled skewer and handed it to her, while shouting, "Boss, get a bottle of soda!"
Hearing Ye Xuan order a bottle of soda, He Yue hugged the beer in front of her and pouted, "No, I want to drink beer!"
Ugh, there's really no way to deal with this girl.
Since she strongly wanted to drink, then let her be. After all, beer doesn't have much alcohol content, so drinking some wouldn't matter.
Uncle Deng came over at this time with a bottle of soda, and also had a lot of other food in his hand.
"The food is here."
"Thank you, Uncle Deng—"
He Yue smiled sweetly, very well-behaved.
"Yueyue girl, why are you being so polite with me!"
Uncle Deng didn't leave immediately. He wiped his hands and casually glanced at Ye Xuan.
"This is your... friend?"
"Yes, Ye Xuan is my best, best friend!"
He Yue gently hummed in agreement, generously admitting it, and glanced at Ye Xuan in a way that was both there and not there.
"Really just friends?"
Uncle Deng said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "I watched you grow up, girl. You can't hide your little thoughts from me. This seems to be the first time you've brought someone here, and a male at that. I think this young man is good, Yueyue, you have to hold on tight, haha!"
After speaking, Uncle Deng left.
It is said that old ginger is spicier, and sure enough, that look could tell everything.
He Yue lowered her head, blushing with shame.