Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 62: The Atmosphere of Human Life is the Most Comforting to the Ordinary People’s Hearts
They both slept very comfortably. By the time they woke up, it was nearly noon.
When they checked out, the hotel proprietress repeatedly asked if they needed any compensation. Xue Yang explained that they hadn’t been harmed and that the hotel had already given them a free night’s stay, so no further compensation was necessary. Neither Xue Yang nor Lin Xi was greedy. Throughout the avalanche incident, the hotel had maintained a proactive and positive attitude. Besides, it wasn’t something the hotel staff wanted to happen either. Let’s just leave it at that.
"This is our hotel’s VIP gold card, a gift from me to you both," the proprietress insisted. "If you ever want to come skiing again, you’ll get a 50% discount. Please don’t refuse."
Xue Yang accepted the card and said, "Thank you."
He then took Lin Xi’s hand, and they walked toward the hotel entrance.
Watching the two of them leave hand in hand, the proprietress remarked wistfully, "It’s rare to see such good people these days. I hope they’ll be happy."
The hotel manager beside her chimed in, "That gentleman and young lady are both good people. They’ll definitely be happy."
May they always be this happy.
* * *
At the hotel entrance, they hailed a taxi and headed home.
Lin Xi rested her head on Xue Yang’s shoulder. Ever since they’d made their relationship official, she had completely let her guard down. She was no longer shy in public and clung to him affectionately.
"Xue Yang, what do couples normally do when they’re together?"
"There’s a lot we can do. Eat together, go shopping, watch movies... However, you’ve had enough relaxation for one week. It’s time to go home and study."
Lin Xi pouted. "Alright then!"
They were supposed to have gone home last night but stayed at the resort because of the avalanche. Though it had been frightening, Lin Xi felt it was worth it, because she and Xue Yang had finally defined their relationship. They were no longer roommates living together, but boyfriend and girlfriend.
When they arrived downstairs at their building, Xue Yang suddenly remembered they had no groceries. He was about to tell Lin Xi to go up first, but she insisted, "Xue Yang, I want to go with you."
"Then let’s go to the supermarket."
Xue Yang had originally planned to go to the wet market, where the produce was cheaper and fresher. However, Lin Xi seemed to dislike crowds. She would instinctively hide behind him whenever they were in a busy place. Even at the Xiangshan Hotel, she wore a mask the entire time she wasn’t in their room.
"Let’s go to the wet market instead," Lin Xi said playfully, hooking her arm in his. "I’ve never been grocery shopping at one before."
Her eagerness was adorable.
Xue Yang found it hard to imagine how someone could grow up without ever having set foot in a wet market.
"Let’s go," he said.
Their apartment was fairly close to the wet market, only about 500 meters away. They walked hand in hand, like any ordinary couple, strolling through the bustling aisles.
Upon entering, Lin Xi felt as if she had stepped into a completely new world—a world bustling with the energy of daily life, something she had never experienced before. A dazzling array of produce was laid out before her, and for a moment, she was overwhelmed.
"Xue Yang, are these scallions?"
"No, those are garlic chives."
"Then, are *these* scallions?"
"That’s cilantro."
"This must be scallions, then."
"They’re all green. I don’t get why they need so many different names. Can’t they all just be called ’greens’?"
"Well, they are all technically greens, but since they taste different, they’re given more specific names."
"Growing up, the only vegetables I ever saw were the ones already cooked and served on the table," Lin Xi explained. "And we don’t eat these kinds of vegetables at my home."
Xue Yang casually asked, "So what kind of vegetables do you usually eat?"
"..." Lin Xi was about to say they were imported, but she thought better of it and held her tongue.
"I don’t know, either. Let me help you pick some out."
"Forget it, my lady. Just stand aside and watch me."
"Okay."
After buying some greens and a few tomatoes for a tomato and egg drop soup, Xue Yang led Lin Xi to the seafood section. It offered a wide variety: crabs, shrimp, sea fish...
"Xue Yang, I recognize these! They’re shrimp, but they’re so small, and their shapes are a bit strange."
"Those are mantis shrimp. I haven’t had spicy mantis shrimp in a long time. Let’s have that for dinner tonight."
Spicy mantis shrimp was Xue Yang’s favorite. Now that he’d seen some, there was no way he wasn’t buying them.
He squatted down. "Boss, how much for these mantis shrimp?"
"Seventy a pound."
"That’s expensive."
"Young man, these are shipped in. With the weather these days, our costs are high. Seventy a pound isn’t expensive; we’re running a small business here."
Lin Xi leaned close to Xue Yang’s ear and whispered, "Xue Yang, isn’t seventy a pound for shrimp pretty cheap?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
This silly girl actually knew to whisper.
Xue Yang whispered back into her ear, "Back where I’m from, these skinny little mantis shrimp are only fifteen yuan a pound."
Lin Xi’s mouth fell open in shock. "The price difference is that huge!"
"My hometown is near the sea. Every year, when the fishing moratorium ends, the variety of seafood is just incredible. When I was a kid, my friends and I would go foraging at the shore during low tide, catching all sorts of things. It was so much fun."
Just listening to him describe it sounded amazing to Lin Xi, and a look of longing crossed her face.
"I’ve never gone foraging by the sea in my whole life."
"When we get a chance, I’ll take you. I promise you’ll love it."
Lin Xi’s face lit up with a radiant smile. "Okay!"
After finishing their shopping, the two held hands and walked home.
Back at their apartment, Xue Yang put the ingredients in the kitchen.
Lin Xi eagerly rolled up her sleeves. "I’ll wash the vegetables."
"You can’t handle the seafood. I’ll do it. You go study."
"Okay then."
Lin Xi returned to her room and sat at her desk, but she couldn’t focus at all. In the end, she grabbed her literature textbook and went to the kitchen.
Xue Yang glanced back at her. Lin Xi quickly held up the book and grinned.
"Is it okay if I recite my text while I watch you cook?"
Xue Yang didn’t say much and let her be. Besides, if he sent her back to her room, she probably wouldn’t be able to study anyway.
"’The Old Drunkard’s Pavilion’—Ouyang Xiu!" she began.
"Chuzhou is encircled by mountains. Of them all, the peaks to the southwest, with their forests and valleys, are the most beautiful..."
Lin Xi recited her text while watching Xue Yang cook. He was wearing a thick, black, long-sleeved casual shirt with a half-apron tied at his waist. His movements as he cleaned the mantis shrimp were as smooth and fluid as flowing water.
Deveining, splitting the backs, washing... preparing the side ingredients...
"The old drunkard’s heart is not in the wine, but in the landscape between the mountains and water. The joy of the landscape is appreciated by the heart and expressed through the wine..."
The sound of her recitation, the rhythmic chopping of vegetables, and the gentle splashing of water—sounds that should have been unrelated—instead blended into a beautiful and harmonious melody.
The warmth of worldly life is what most soothes the common soul. Though life’s road may be uneven, there is always a home to return to.
* * *
PS: Thank you for reading!!
