After another furious round of typing, three hours later, Fang Yi finally uploaded over twenty thousand words.
As he stepped out of the internet café, his stomach gave a faint rumble.
No surprise there—he'd eaten lunch way too early, and it had only been a couple of packs of instant noodles with fried eggs. Zero nutrition. Long since digested.
He randomly picked a noodle shop nearby and ordered a bowl of guogai noodles. While waiting, he mentally tallied up his remaining fortune.
Only 24 yuan left.
Wait—he still had to pay for this bowl of noodles. That's another 1.5 yuan gone.
After the college entrance exam, perhaps as a reward for his good results, Comrade Zhuang Shufen had generously given him a hundred yuan in pocket money.
And now? Just the third day, and he was nearly broke.
Not his fault, though. Internet fees were just ridiculously expensive these days.
According to his timeline, the editors at Rongshu Xia (Banyan Tree) should've noticed Ghost Blows Out the Light by now. So why hadn't they contacted him?
If they didn't reach out soon, he wouldn't even have money left to get online!
Soon, a steaming hot bowl of noodles was served.
Guogai noodles were a local specialty in Jiang Town. During cooking, a small lid floats on the surface of the soup, giving the dish its name.
As for the taste… Fang Yi honestly thought it was no different from regular noodles anywhere else.
He finished the meal sweating from head to toe, paid the bill, and pedaled back home on his bicycle.
He had a date at 6 PM. Just enough time to head home, shower, and freshen up.
—
When he got home, it was already close to five.
After a long, comfortable shower, he put on a clean set of clothes. Then he dug out Old Fang's razor and, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, began shaving carefully.
Just then, the front door opened.
Zhuang Shufen had just returned from work. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of her son preening in the mirror.
"Well, well… who are you getting all spruced up for?"
"Got a date. I won't be home for dinner," Fang Yi replied, checking the time. Just under thirty minutes till six. Time to head out.
Zhuang Shufen froze for a moment, then narrowed her eyes, grinning slyly. "So? Is it a boy or a girl?"
Huh?
Fang Yi burst out laughing. "Wow, Mom, you're more open-minded than I thought! Didn't expect you to be chill with me dating boys!"
"Don't get cute with me. Answer the question!" Zhuang Shufen clicked her tongue.
"Girl, obviously! Alright, I'm heading out now!"
Just as he reached the door, her voice rang out behind him. "Wait!"
She stepped forward and, to Fang Yi's surprise, pulled a crisp 100-yuan note from her pocket and handed it over.
"Be generous out there. Don't make the girl think you're stingy."
Well, well! Look at that!
Old Zhuang really came through—an unexpected sponsor in the art of wooing women.
Fang Yi grinned as he pocketed the money, hopped on his bike, and rode off.
—
Xijin Ancient Ferry was located in the old part of town. It took about twenty minutes by bike to get there.
Back in the day, it had been a real port along the river, with centuries-old architecture still standing tall.
In recent years, the city government had begun developing it into a tourist attraction. This year, it had undergone yet another round of renovations, with new buildings, lanterns, and better landscaping. Word was, the nighttime view was especially spectacular.
By evening, the weather had cooled down a bit.
Once Fang Yi reached the riverbank, the evening breeze hit his face, crisp and refreshing. The riverside was alive with people—families, couples, joggers—all soaking in the scenery and strolling off their dinners.
He parked his bike and looked toward the entrance of the scenic area.
From a distance, he immediately spotted Han Ning.
No way around it—she stood out.
Gone was the plain school uniform. Tonight, she wore a white summer dress, her long black hair straight and silky, cascading over her shoulders.
She looked like she had just stepped out of a painting—ethereal and dreamlike.
Fang Yi approached her, letting his gaze roam up and down, a mixture of admiration and disbelief in his eyes.
Tsk tsk… that face, that figure, that aura…
An absolute goddess!
Yet somehow, this same goddess—who had barely exchanged ten words with him—had agreed to date him.
Even Fang Yi himself found it hard to believe.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked, "Class rep, I've got to ask… what exactly do you see in me?"
His question made Han Ning pause for a moment.
She blinked her big, bright eyes, then answered seriously, "Back in our first year, I saw you fighting someone. And I also learned why you were fighting."
Oh?
Fang Yi instantly remembered the incident she was referring to.
That had been for Zhao Wanqiu.
It was the start of high school, and no one really knew each other yet.
Fang Yi and Zhao Wanqiu had been close since childhood, often joking around and roughhousing casually. But to others, who didn't understand their relationship, it had looked… ambiguous.
Two boys from another class had made some nasty, disgusting remarks about Zhao Wanqiu behind her back.
So, Fang Yi had waited for them after school, cornered them in the classroom, and beat the crap out of them.
To him, it had been no big deal. Zhao Wanqiu hadn't been surprised either.
After all, growing up, Fang Yi had fought for her more times than he could count.
"And then?" he asked, tilting his head.
Han Ning tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "At the time… I was kind of jealous of Zhao Wanqiu," she said softly.
Fang Yi raised an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is… you actually wanted to be my bro?"
Pfft!
Han Ning burst out laughing. She couldn't help herself.