Chapter 58: A "Commoner" Date (Part Two)

Next, Zhao Chen seemed to transform into the most seasoned culinary guide, leading Yu Ling to "conquer territories" within the bustling night market.

The "Waterloo" of the teppanyaki tofu.

"Boss, two portions of teppanyaki tofu! One mildly spicy, one..." Zhao Chen looked at Yu Ling.

"I want mildly spicy too!" Yu Ling chimed in eagerly.

The golden cubes of tofu were fried on the sizzling iron plate until both sides were crispy and golden brown, then garnished with chopped scallions, cilantro, and preserved mustard tuber bits, drizzled with a special sauce, emitting an irresistible aroma.

The two stood in front of the stall, eating with simple little bamboo skewers. Just as Yu Ling was enjoying her food, Zhao Chen was a fraction slower, and a piece of exceptionally crispy fried tofu suddenly "jumped" off the iron plate, landing precisely on the chest of his brand-new gray hoodie! It left an oily, highly conspicuous blotch of sauce!

"Pfft!" Yu Ling looked at his instantly frozen expression—a mix of bewilderment and disarray—and then at the comical grease stain on his chest, unable to hold back her laughter!

Zhao Chen looked down at his "medal," then at Yu Ling, whose eyes were curved into crescents of laughter. He shrugged helplessly, a wry and helpless smile spreading across his face. Accompanied by the good-natured chuckles of the vendor, he self-deprecatingly remarked:

"It seems even this tofu plays favorites, picking exclusively on new clothes to bully!" He casually picked up a tissue from the stall and wiped frantically, his movements clumsy yet carrying the unpretentious sincerity of a big boy, entirely stripped of his usual meticulous elite demeanor. Seeing his "bedraggled" state, Yu Ling laughed even harder.

The "spicy enough to cry" grilled pig brains.

"Lingling, dare to challenge this?" Zhao Chen pointed to a stall with a sign reading "Super Spicy Grilled Pig Brains," his eyes carrying a provocative and eager glint.

Yu Ling looked at the pitch-red chili oil and the brains soaking within it, swallowed hard, and felt her competitive spirit instantly ignited: "What is there not to dare! Boss! Two portions!"

As a result, the two of them were driven to tears and runny noses by the unimaginable level of spiciness. They kept chugging iced plum juice, panting heavily, and pointing at each other's reddened lips and teary eyes, laughing so hard they couldn't straighten up.

Surrounding diners cast good-natured laughs at this visually striking yet completely uninhibited pair of "comrades in misery."

The childlike innocence of sugar paintings.

Passing by an old craftsman's sugar painting stall, lifelike dragons, phoenixes, and little rabbits attracted a crowd of children. Zhao Chen pulled Yu Ling over, squeezing through the crowd: "Boss, draw two for us! I want a dragon! Lingling, what do you want?"

Yu Ling watched the old man skillfully scoop up the piping-hot liquid sugar, his wrists flicking gracefully to trace lines on the cold stone slab, looking like a curious child: "I want a little rabbit!"

When the crystal-clear, lifelike rabbit sugar painting was handed to her, Yu Ling held it up carefully, as if cradling a precious treasure, her face radiant with pure, childlike joy.

Zhao Chen looked at her sparkling eyes and satisfied smile, the tenderness in his gaze practically melting. He pulled out his phone, ignoring her mild reproof, and snapped a series of rapid-fire photos of her and the sugar rabbit.

They were like the most ordinary young couple, squeezing together at a greasy little table to share a steaming bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup; standing by a trash can, unbothered by appearances as they gnawed on sesame-sprinkled grilled chicken wings; playing a childish game of "rock-paper-scissors" over who would get the last bite of grilled gluten on a skewer; repeatedly failing and trying again at the ring-toss stall until Zhao Chen, relying on astonishing hand-eye coordination and sheer "luck," managed to win her an ugly-cute plush little bear, drawing envious gasps from the onlookers...

The brilliant lights of the night market shimmered in Yu Ling's eyes, and the bustling hum of voices seemed to transform into the most enchanting background music.

The smoky aroma of grilled skewers, the chill of iced beverages, the surprise of cheap toys, Zhao Chen's face smudged while clumsily wiping away sweat... All of it carried a raw yet undeniably authentic vitality, washing over the coldness and defenses deep within her heart like a warm tide.

She forgot her elite halo from Stanford, forgot Gu Qianqian's haunting persistence, forgot the flickering eerie light in the study, and forgot that oppressive phone call urging her to have children. She simply followed Zhao Chen, weaving through the crowds, lingering among the delicacies, laughing heartily like a child who had finally broken free from shackles to enjoy absolute freedom.

Zhao Chen kept her hand tightly clasped the entire time, shielding her within the surging crowds. Watching the unclouded, brilliant smile on her face and listening to her crisp laughter, the tenderness in the depths of his eyes threatened to overflow.

At this moment, her pure happiness was his entire world. He clumsily accommodated all her "childish" antics, unbothered by the grease staining his clothes, and even deliberately exaggerated his expressions to make her laugh when she danced around from the spiciness. That carefully maintained mask of "ordinary" seemed to grow genuinely authentic in the warmth of her unreserved smiles.

Late into the night, the crowds in the night market were still surging, though a hint of weariness now laced the commotion.

With one hand, Zhao Chen carried the plush bear Yu Ling had "conquered" along with a few bags of unfinished snacks; with the other, he firmly held onto Yu Ling—who was well-fed, flushed of cheek, and still bright-eyed—as they slowly made their way toward the exit with the departing flow of people.

Yu Ling gave a tiny, satisfied burp, rubbed her slightly overfull stomach, and turned her head to look at Zhao Chen beside her.

The warm, yellowish light fell upon his well-defined profile. A thin layer of sweat coated his temples, the grease stain on the chest of his gray hoodie stood out remarkably under the lights, and his hand comically dangled an ugly-cute toy bear. Looking at him now, where was there any trace of a wealthy tycoon or a tech elite? He looked precisely like an ordinary young man who had accompanied his girlfriend on a night market stroll until he was disheveled, yet relished every single moment of it.

An unprecedented wave of warmth—blended with sweetness, reassurance, and a trace of melancholy—surged into Yu Ling's heart. Subconsciously, she tightened her grip on his hand and pressed her body a little closer to his.

"Are you happy?" Sensing her movement, Zhao Chen turned his head, his amber eyes shimmering with intoxicating tenderness under the lights as he asked in a low voice.

"Mmhmm!" Yu Ling nodded vigorously, a radiant, unmasked smile blooming on her face, her eyes reflecting the dazzling lights with a startling brilliance. "Super happy! I've never been this happy before!" Her voice was crisp, brimming with heartfelt joy and contentment.

Watching her unreserved smile, Zhao Chen felt as though his chest had been filled to the brim by something, softening into an absolute mush. He came to a halt, gently gathering her into his arms, resting his chin against the crown of her head. His voice was low and lingering, carrying the heavy weight of a treasure found after being lost:

"Lingling, as long as you're happy." He paused, tightening his embrace as if trying to trap this ordinary happiness forever. "Remember the feeling of tonight. Remember this... real, simple happiness. No matter what happens in the future, no matter... who I am," he murmured the last three words extremely softly, like a feather brushing against the tip of her heart, carrying an imperceptible gravity, "I will do everything in my power to keep you smiling just like this."

His promise was low and powerful, like a spell woven with magic. At the edge of the receding clamor of the night market, it dropped a seed named "eternity" into the lake of Yu Ling's heart, which was already brimming with happiness.

Resting against his warm chest, Yu Ling listened to his steady heartbeat and felt the strength of his embrace.

The boisterous sounds of the night market seemed to recede into the distance. The world narrowed down to the two of them intertwined in an embrace and the city's night sky overhead, illuminated by lights—not dazzlingly starry, but incomparably authentic. The cold reef deep within her heart seemed to sink a little deeper into this warm tide, subdued for the time being.

She closed her eyes, hugged him back fiercely, and buried her face deep into the crook of his neck—which carried the smoky scent of the night market and a faint trace of sweat—greedily drinking in this reassuring warmth and this stolen, precious "ordinary" happiness.