Chapter 12: The Poor Buttocks

“Come on, I’ll take you to eat.”

“I know a particularly delicious private kitchen.”

“It’s authentic Jingshi flavor, you’ll probably like it.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an smiled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”

“Having lived in Jingshi for four years, most of the time I ate at the school cafeteria.”

“When it comes to private kitchens, I am interested in trying them out.”

Seeing her agree so readily, the smile in Li Beichen’s eyes couldn’t be hidden at all.

The bicycle wound through the historically rich alleyways for over twenty minutes, finally stopping in front of the private kitchen restaurant “Song Family Mansion,” its sign eye-catching.

Seeing a familiar face, the owner who had just seen off some guests at the door smiled and came forward to greet them.

“Well, look who’s here! Rare guests!”

“What brings Young Master Li to my place today?”

As he spoke, he also made a gesture of “please.” “Please, both of you, come inside!”

“A batch of excellent Pu’er tea just arrived. Please do me the honor of tasting it.”

Hearing this, Li Beichen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Uncle Song, don’t scare my fiancée.”

He acknowledged the greeting first, then turned his gaze to Shen Yi’an. “An’an, this is Uncle Song from a family friend. You can just call him Uncle Song like I do.”

“He’s not the most steady person and always likes to beat around the bush.”

“Don’t be frightened by him.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an pursed her lips and chuckled. “It’s not as exaggerated as you say.”

Turning to meet the curious gaze directed at her, she promptly greeted the person opposite. “Hello, Uncle Song!”

“First time meeting you, sorry to disturb.”

“Not at all!” Song Chaowen waved his hand cheerfully.

“All who come are guests. In my place, there’s no such thing as disturbing or not disturbing.”

After saying this, he then glanced teasingly at Li Beichen. “This kid has been like this with me since he was little. I’m used to it.”

“Young lady, don’t be reserved.”

After speaking, he pointed behind him. “Come, let’s talk inside.”

“The shop has separate private rooms. It’s quiet, and you won’t be disturbed by others.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an nodded with a smile. “Alright, I’ll listen to Uncle Song.”

The conversation ended, and the three of them entered the private kitchen restaurant one after the other.

After turning two more corners, they arrived at the separate private room Song Chaowen had mentioned.

The elegant decor inside was a sight to behold.

Especially the landscape painting hanging on the wall right by the entrance, which inexplicably gave a feeling of returning home.

Scanning the environment of the private room, Li Beichen’s frequent nods indicated his satisfaction. “Not bad, Uncle Song, you really managed to set this up.”

“I always said your private kitchen was missing just such a quiet spot.”

“Although places to eat should be lively, there are always people who prefer a quieter space.”

After saying this, he looked at the person beside him. “What do you think, An’an?”

Hearing the man’s question, Shen Yi’an, who had snapped out of her thoughts, smiled and nodded. “What you say makes sense.”

“However, people’s preferences are always different.”

“Some people like quieter places, and naturally, some like bustling, lively places.”

“It all depends on the customer’s choice.”

Hearing her say this, Li Beichen shook his head with amusement. “An’an makes a good point. I completely agree with you.”

Song Chaowen, who had been listening to their interaction from the side, suddenly felt like a third wheel.

But he also sensed that Shen Yi’an’s earlier response had been in his favor, so he quickly picked up the conversation.

“You kid, you’re not as good with words as this young lady.”

“My place is for dining. While we emphasize making guests feel at home, you can’t actually treat it like your own home.”

“It’s already quite an achievement to serve unique, one-of-a-kind private dishes.”

After teasing him for a couple of sentences, he finally got back to the main topic. “Alright, enough nonsense with you.”

“After talking for so long, aren’t you going to introduce this young lady to me?”

Hearing this, Li Beichen’s already smiling face lit up with an even brighter, unmistakable grin. “This is my fiancée, Shen Yi’an, a top student at Jingshi Normal University.”

“And of course, she’s also part of the first graduating class after the college entrance exams were reinstated.”

“What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?”

Detecting the smugness and pride in his tone, Song Chaowen chuckled and tapped his finger.

“I knew it!”

“Ever since you joined the military, you’re hardly ever around.”

“Now you finally show up, and with such a lovely young lady—I knew there had to be something going on.”

“So it’s your fiancée! That explains everything!”

He didn’t ask when they got engaged or why he hadn’t been invited.

Instead, he excused himself to fetch a gift, settled the two in their seats, and left the private room.

When he returned, he was holding an ornate box.

“Since you’re Li’s fiancée, I’ll take the liberty of calling you my niece-in-law.”

“Here, this is a little something from Uncle Song.”

“You’re a top student, niece-in-law, so I hope you won’t think Uncle Song’s gift is too materialistic.”

Seeing the box in front of her, Shen Yi’an’s first instinct was to glance at Li Beichen beside her.

Even though they were officially engaged, accepting a gift from an elder so casually still felt a bit presumptuous.

Sensing her hesitation, Li Beichen smiled and nodded. “Take it. When an elder gives a gift, it’s impolite to refuse.”

With things put that way, Shen Yi’an had no reason to decline.

She looked up at Song Chaowen with a smile. “Thank you for the gift, Uncle Song.”

“But I came in a hurry and didn’t bring anything proper. I hope I can make it up to you with a proper gesture next time we meet.”

Hearing this, Song Chaowen waved his hand with a laugh.

“No need for all that trouble!”

“Just don’t forget to invite me to your wedding for a toast.”

The three chatted warmly for a while.

When a waiter came in to say there was something outside requiring the boss’s attention, Song Chaowen took the opportunity to leave the private room and attend to business.

Left alone, Shen Yi’an and Li Beichen sampled the most distinctive Jingshi-style private dishes at Song’s Restaurant.

Dishes like Lord Eight’s Duck Square, Green Pepper Abalone Chicken, Secret Beef Strips, and Imperial Concubine Kung Pao Chicken.

The six dishes served were completely finished by the two.

Naturally, Li Beichen took on the bulk of the clean-up duty, while Shen Yi’an, with her small appetite, couldn’t eat much.

After a satisfying lunch, the two bid farewell to Song Chaowen and headed to Willow Shade Park.

August was the hottest time of the year in Jingshi.

The park was filled with evergreen willow trees, which was the main reason they chose to go there.

Unfortunately, the park was mostly filled with elderly men and women, with very few young people in sight.

Occasionally, they’d spot one or two, but the distance between them was enough to fit two or three more people.

The main issue was the intense, gossipy stares from the elderly. Even young couples who wanted to stay close felt compelled to keep their distance.

If even those directly involved couldn’t stand the stares from all around, it went without saying that Shen Yi’an and Li Beichen, who hadn’t yet entered the public eye, felt the same.

Not wanting to be treated as a spectacle, the two took a detour and left the park via a small path.

Unwilling to part too soon, Li Beichen pedaled his bicycle at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Along the way, several passersby walked past them and instinctively turned back to look at the person riding the bicycle.

Perhaps they also wanted to see if the cyclist suffered from muscle weakness.

But the person in question paid no mind to others’ gazes and continued pedaling at his own pace.

When they finally arrived at the gate of Jingshi Normal University, more than an hour had passed since they left the park entrance.

It was hard to imagine that a five-kilometer journey could take such a long time for a strong laborer.

Jumping off the bicycle’s rear seat, Shen Yi’an really wanted to reach back and rub her bottom.

Heaven have mercy!

In the years before asphalt roads spread across the country, traveling on dirt roads full of gravel was truly unbearable.

Especially when sitting on the back of a bicycle.

But she could also understand why Li Beichen had ridden so slowly, so she tried her best to suppress her inner complaints.

At worst, she could just drink Spirit Spring Water when she returned to the dormitory.

Not only could it relieve the soreness in her bottom, but it might even strengthen her bones once again.

But who was Li Beichen? He was an ace fighter pilot trained by the military.

Just by watching Shen Yi’an struggle to restrain herself from reaching back, he immediately guessed the reason.

His expression instantly revealed a hint of awkwardness and unease.