Chapter 17: Handmade Fried Skewers

The cobblestone pedestrian street was gradually shrouded in rain and mist, as if draped in a veil of light gauze.

Fine drizzle danced under the warm glow of the streetlights, tapping against umbrellas with a soft, rustling sound.

Holding an umbrella, Zhao Yaqian stepped up beside him, her large eyes blinking as she said, "I was just thinking about calling you to ask if you brought an umbrella, but then I ran into you unexpectedly."

"Thanks." Tang Song looked at her, an uncontrollable smile spreading across his face.

"Don't mention it! Let's hurry over."

"The fried skewer shop isn't far. Just walk to the end of this street and turn left in about 300 meters."

The pedestrian street was bustling with people, filled with noise and the sounds of music.

Yet, sheltered under the umbrella, Tang Song felt an extraordinary sense of peace and tranquility.

The scent of her fresh, sweet body fragrance mingled with the damp aroma of earth, which was incredibly refreshing.

With a slight turn of his head, he could see Zhao Yaqian's exquisite, three-dimensional profile.

Her forehead was full, her slightly slanted bangs rested against her brow, her nose was high and straight, and her lips were rosy and full.

Raindrops, blown by the wind, landed on her thick, long eyelashes; as they trembled slightly, they looked like the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

Tang Song's consciousness seemed to lapse for a moment. His hand reached out instinctively and gripped the umbrella handle.

His right pinky brushed against Zhao Yaqian's index finger, feeling like a current of electricity passing through.

Zhao Yaqian looked over in confusion.

"Um, this umbrella is quite heavy, and there's a wind. Let me hold it."

"Oh, oh, okay!"

Tang Song let out a breath of relief.

If it had been the old him, he would never have had such courage.

...

The name of the shop was very simple: Handmade Fried Skewers.

The shop wasn't large, only about 40 square meters, with six or seven tables.

Against the wall was a row of refrigerated display cases filled with various ingredients.

"The juicy sweet potato skins here are delicious. Let's get two, one skewer each."

"I want both the starch sausages and the Wangzhongwang ones. The veggie steaks are good too, and there are also quail eggs and lamb skewers."

"Oh right, we can't skip the vegetables—cabbage, bean curd skin with cilantro, potato towers..."

Entering the shop, Zhao Yaqian seemed to enter her own territory, busily picking out skewers.

She displayed the lively energy typical of a girl her age.

Soon, the glass basin in her hands was filled to the brim.

Zhao Yaqian beamed with joy. "I haven't been here in almost half a month. I'm going to eat my fill this time. Don't be polite, Brother Song, just take whatever you like."

After all, she had accepted a pair of earrings worth 700 yuan from this friend.

Although Zhao Yaqian didn't have much money, she wanted to indulge herself once, despite the cost.

"That's enough. It's a lot already; we definitely won't finish it all," Tang Song said, pointing to the glass basin.

Zhao Yaqian licked her lips. "Then let's start with this. If it's not enough, we'll order more!"

As she placed the skewers on the counter, the somewhat balding shop owner used a calculator to tally them up.

32 skewers in total, 115 yuan.

Amidst Zhao Yaqian's sweet compliments, the owner generously discounted it by 5 yuan.

However, Tang Song noticed that his friend, the beautician, still showed a look of heartache when she paid.

Clearly, 110 yuan was not a small amount to her.

The two found a table by the window and sat down.

Zhao Yaqian blinked her large eyes as she studied Tang Song for a moment, saying in surprise, "Brother Song, are you on a diet? You look a lot thinner than you did on Sunday."

She had a deep impression of Tang Song's face and could clearly see he had lost a size.

"Yeah, I've been dieting lately. You eat more later; I have to control my intake."

Zhao Yaqian stuck her tongue out sheepishly. "If I had known, I wouldn't have come here."

"It's okay. I'll just pick the vegetarian ones."

The fried skewers were soon served, steaming hot and emitting an enticing aroma.

Zhao Yaqian grabbed a portion of cabbage and handed it over. "Quick, try this. The ingredients here are very fresh and the flavor is great, especially the sauce."

"Thanks, Qianqian."

The rain outside fluctuated between heavy and light, and customers drifted in from time to time.

Zhao Yaqian, with her youthful energy and hot figure, attracted quite a few glances.

The two sat there, eating skewers and chatting.

Aside from skincare, they also talked about life and work.

Tang Song had been chatting with her quite a bit on WeChat over the past few days, so there was no awkwardness between them.

"Try a mild acid first, apply a small amount behind the ear to see if there's redness or an allergic reaction within 24 hours, and then apply it to the face... For the first few days, leave it on for no more than five minutes to ensure the skin..."

"I live in Tiankuo Garden. It's a bit far from here, but the 26 bus goes straight there."

Perhaps because she had left the workplace, Zhao Yaqian seemed much more vivacious.

She didn't care much about her image, eating the skewers quite boisterously, with sauce staining her lips and chin.

...

As they stepped out of the Handmade Fried Skewers shop, the rain had lightened significantly.

Zhao Yaqian shook the bag in her hand and said somewhat sheepishly, "It seems I ate most of it. I even had the leftovers packed up. You barely had a few bites."

Tang Song held the umbrella and laughed. "A taste is fine. I'm almost sick of my fat-loss meals lately—chicken breast, oatmeal, eggs, boiled vegetables. I don't even want to think about it."

"When I get my salary, I'll treat you to a big steak dinner!" Zhao Yaqian patted his shoulder.

While comforting him, she was also comforting herself.

After the other two beauticians in the shop had quit, she was doing all the work alone.

If the boss kept his promise and paid all the back wages next month, she would receive nearly 20,000 yuan at once.

That money would allow her to pay off her loans and rent, leaving her with three or four thousand yuan in surplus.

As they chatted, they unknowingly arrived outside the hair salon.

A man happened to walk out of the salon and called out in surprise, "Yaqian!"

Tang Song looked toward the voice and saw a mature-looking man in his mid-thirties.

He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a side-parted hairstyle.

He was wearing an apricot-colored casual jacket, straight-leg trousers, and casual shoes.

Zhao Yaqian's expression shifted, and she whispered, "President Li."

"Good evening." Li Jingzhong nodded, his gaze sweeping toward the young man standing beside her. "And this is?"

"A friend of mine. Um, President Li, are you here for a haircut?"

Li Jingzhong looked up at the sign for Yizi Beauty & Hair Salon and smiled. "Forget it. Your shop probably won't last many more days anyway, so I won't keep topping up my account here."

Zhao Yaqian's heart skipped a beat. She stole a glance at Tang Song's face out of the corner of her eye.

Her eyes held traces of panic and fear.

She had always known the news that Yizi Beauty was on the verge of bankruptcy.

But when Tang Song had signed up and topped up his card, she hadn't told him. This felt like deception, a betrayal of his trust.

After spending these few days together, she truly considered him a friend and was terrified that he would despise her because of this.

Noticing her unusual expression, Tang Song asked concernedly, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine." Zhao Yaqian didn't know how to begin explaining.

Watching their small interaction, Li Jingzhong raised an eyebrow. "Yaqian, I really admire you. I don't want to see you wasting away in the beauty industry. Think seriously about the offer I gave you. Don't let your future self regret it."

"I'm sorry, President Li, but I won't be considering it." Zhao Yaqian bowed slightly, then looked at Tang Song with timid eyes. "Brother Song, um, I have to go back to work. You can use the umbrella for now; there are several more in the shop."

"Alright, goodbye." Seeing her unease, Tang Song didn't say much more.

Zhao Yaqian whispered a "goodbye" and hurried away.

(End of Chapter)