You know, bro—sometimes we often, despite ourselves... ———Excerpt from Hua Xin’s Anthology.

It was the umpteenth time Hua Xin had gone out, yet she no longer seemed so fearful.  
Exposure therapy could perfectly resolve issues of endurance and low self-esteem—all it took was a Holy Grail…  
Uh… correction—it just takes going outside for practice.

Her gaze was no longer filled with avoidance or fear, but rather curiosity. The myriad shops, billboards, pedestrians, and streams of traffic all seemed fascinating to her.  
Last time she’d gone out to “finish homework,” she hadn’t taken the time to really look around—she’d been too busy running away and gawking at drama.

(KFC~! 🍗 Crispy, fragrant fried chicken! I want it, I want it, I want it!)  
(Mixue Bingcheng! I wanna drink lemonade again 🥤—so sweet and tangy! 🤤)  
(“Men’s Wardrobe”—so fancy! Their clothes must cost a fortune 😨.)  
(Gold… I wanna shoplift it for free 😋.)  
(Steal one backpack full and I’ll never worry about money again—hehe 🤤…)  
(But what if I get shot?! 😰)

Hua Xin gently tugged at Xia Yan’s sleeve. Though her body sat on the motorcycle, her soul had already floated off, captivated by all these dazzling sights.  
Her eyes sparkled like stars.  
The occasional wafting aromas made her stomach growl.  
Having only eaten two packets of biscuits and a carton of milk for breakfast, she simply couldn’t resist the scent of meat. As for lunch—she’d originally planned to sleep until midnight and just eat a late-night snack instead.  
But right as she’d snuggled under her blanket, she’d received a message from this annoying guy.  

It was Monday, after all—she didn’t even have to attend class…  
Going to school extra wouldn’t give her bonus points anyway (pout).  
If Xia Yan hadn’t already shown up at her gate and promised to treat her to a meal, she absolutely wouldn’t be helping him out (tsundere mode activated).  
Until she figured out this sunshine-y, sociable guy’s real intentions regarding her friend’s game, she wouldn’t trust Xia Yan.  
Never!

“Have you had lunch yet?”  
Xia Yan turned his head and shouted while waiting at a red light.  
Surrounded by the roar of traffic, his sudden question startled Hua Xin, who’d been drooling over a jewelry store display.

“Ate… didn’t eat!”  
Free lunch? No way she’d pass that up! Why be polite with him anyway?  
At that thought, Hua Xin swallowed hard.

“Great! What do you feel like eating?”  
Xia Yan glanced at a nearby stall called “Boss Lady’s Box Meals” and added, “How about box meals?”

“Yes please! 🤤 Box meals! Hehe—braised pork, sweet-and-sour spare ribs, twice-cooked pork, Kung Pao pork, stewed pork, steamed pork, fried pork…!” Hua Xin hugged her stomach tightly, as if she’d already devoured all those dishes.

“Huh? Lao Hua, what’d you say?”  
His voice was too soft—or maybe hers was just too tiny—for Xia Yan to catch clearly.

(Lao… Lao Hua?? 😡)  
(Since when did we get that close?! Stop calling me that! 👊🏻)  
(Call me ‘Xin-ge’!! 😡😡)

Hidden behind her mask, her face scrunched up in displeasure—but the promise of free food made her bite her tongue.  
If she yelled any louder, her fake voice would give out. So she scooted closer, pressing against Xia Yan’s back and awkwardly placing one hand on his waist to keep from falling off.  

So… firm. (Referring to his abs.)  
Instinctively, she gave a little squeeze—then instantly jerked her hand back, cheeks flaming red.  

(Wait, wait, wait—that’s not right!)  
(Did I just… touch his abs?!)  
(I heard guys with six-packs are… small down there.)  
—Cool-faced girl internally screaming.

“Hmm?”  
Xia Yan faintly felt her movement but dismissed it as playful teasing.  
A smile tugged at his lips. So in Hua Xin’s eyes, he was already someone she could joke around with? Progress was faster than expected! At this rate, befriending Xiang Guan, Mu Feng, and the others wouldn’t be far-fetched either. 😊

As the light turned green, Xia Yan twisted the throttle and the bike surged forward.

😨😨😨😨  
The sudden acceleration caught Hua Xin off guard—she’d already lifted half her butt off the seat. Before she could speak, she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Xia Yan to stay safe.  
Her whole soft body pressed flush against his back,  
her hands clinging desperately to his rock-hard abs.

Just then, a massive fully-insured semi-truck roared past beside them, its heavy cargo rattling, tires thumping loudly against the road…  
Hua Xin broke into a cold sweat.  
I almost became roadkill…

“Box meal… is fine.”  
“Got it!”  
She trembled slightly as she whispered into Xia Yan’s ear, then quickly let go, returning to clutching his sleeve tightly.  

(It’s too scary out here—I wanna go home 😭😭…)  
(One crash and I’d be giving a speech in the school auditorium as a ghost! 😭😭…)

Head bowed, she stopped looking around entirely, sitting perfectly still and obedient.

Save me, someone save me…

A short while later, the motorcycle came to a stop.  
Xia Yan removed his helmet and dismounted in one smooth motion.  
Seeing Hua Xin still trembling inside her oversized helmet, he chuckled softly and patted her shoulder.  
Even through her clothes, he could clearly feel how bony her petite frame was—though he hadn’t even pressed hard.  
So thin… He withdrew his hand.

“Come pick what you wanna eat.”  
“We’ll take it back to school.”

At the word “eat,” Hua Xin immediately perked up, lifting her helmeted head. Her earlier silence vanished as she eagerly grabbed her backpack strap and hurried to Xia Yan’s side.  
(Food food food food! 🤤)  
Beneath the helmet, her beautiful eyes shimmered with anticipation.

“Boss, how much for the box meals?”  
“Fifteen for two meat + two veg; twenty-four for three meat + one veg.”  
“Two twenties, please.”  
“Eat here or takeout?”  
“Takeout, thanks.”  
“You got it!”

Xia Yan scanned a 40-yuan payment.  
The boss lady, speaking in crisp Northeastern dialect, picked up a ladle and pointed at the array of dishes, asking which ones he wanted.  
Though Hua Xin remained helmeted, Xia Yan glanced at her—and as if reading her mind—knew exactly what she craved.

“Sweet-and-sour pork 🥺.”  
As he spoke, the boss lady scooped a generous portion of golden-brown, crispy sweet-and-sour pork into the container. Hua Xin’s gaze followed the ladle, eyes pleading.

“Braised pork.”  
Her eyes shifted, mouth watering 🤤.

“Sweet-and-sour spare ribs.”  
Her eyes lit up with joy 🥰.

“Spicy shredded pork.”  
Her eyes gleamed with delight 😋.

“Stir-fried bean sprouts.”  
Finally satisfied, she placed both hands gently on her stomach—as if merely hearing the menu had already filled her belly.

“And the second box?” The boss lady packed a heaping portion of rice alongside the dishes.  
“Same as this one.”

A few minutes later, Xia Yan walked out of the restaurant holding two steaming boxes.  
Behind him, Hua Xin trailed like a spirit possessed—her pupils practically shaped like sweet-and-sour spare ribs, saliva pooling uncontrollably in her mouth.

(So fragrant! 🤤)  
(How can this smell better than my thirteen-spice chicken-frame stir-fried winter melon rind rice?! What kind of heavenly dish is this?! 🥺😭😭)