Chapter 68: My Whole Life Has Been Worth It
Everyone has a different idea of what a “bare face” means.
Some people think just washing your face and drying it after waking up is already a bare face.
Others think that putting on some foundation and a bit of light cream still counts as a bare face.
And men and women have different opinions too.
Many guys think a bare face means not even wearing sunscreen.
Girls think a bare face means doing eyebrows, nose shading, neutral eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, contour, and highlighter. But just not wearing lipstick.
So, what kind of "bare face" does this girl in front of me have?
As the two walked along, they looked for an empty classroom. Since it was the weekend, the whole building was pretty empty, but there were still some students who couldn’t find a spot in the library and came here to study.
Their rule was that studying comes first.
Lin Yibai said, “If we can avoid disturbing others, we should.”
Xia Changyu smiled, feeling happy to be walking with a girl who was so thoughtful. He praised her, “I already knew you were a kind person, but I didn’t expect you to be so understanding too.”
Lin Yibai didn’t enjoy that kind of praise. She put her hands on her hips and replied, “What nonsense are you saying!”
Not bothering other people who are studying, shouldn’t that be common sense and basic manners? If you think from other people’s point of view, no one wants to be disturbed while studying.
It’s because Lin Yibai understood that.
Even after becoming a girl, she only became more careful about not crossing that line.
They went from the first floor upward. Only when they reached the upper floors did they find a classroom with no one inside.
Lin Yibai finally let out a breath of relief. If all the classrooms here were taken, they’d have to go somewhere else.
Now, time to eat.
Xia Changyu was quite polite. At least, he wasn’t like those “cool and pushy” male leads in dramas or novels.
He didn’t try to act dominant or flirty to take advantage. So, they sat at separate desks.
But Lin Yibai frowned and said in a low voice, “Hey, why don’t you sit next to me? I’m not a monster. I’m not going to eat you.”
Xia Changyu was surprised. “Huh?”
Lin Yibai said, “What?”
Xia Changyu shook his head, then asked, “I mean… sitting next to you, is that really okay?”
Lin Yibai quickly understood what he was worried about.
She smiled and explained, “You probably don’t come to classrooms at night very often, right? I asked you to sit next to me to send a message to others.”
Xia Changyu asked, “What kind of message?”
Lin Yibai said, “It’s kind of an unspoken rule. If people see we’re here to study, and there are no other empty classrooms, they might also come in and find a corner to study.”
“Oh?”
“But usually, there are only two kinds of classrooms people won’t go into.”
“What two kinds?”
“The first is a classroom where it looks like people are hanging out in groups or just here to have fun.”
Xia Changyu asked again, “And the second kind?”
Lin Yibai thought for a moment, then said, “The second is a classroom where it looks like a couple is on a date… I mean, no one wants to be a third wheel, right?”
A... couple?
Even though Lin Yibai said it would only be for show, Xia Changyu’s heart suddenly felt warm.
If this were a play...
He wished it could become real.
His heart was racing, his hands were a little shaky. He picked up his cold noodles and sat next to Lin Yibai, feeling a bit shy, like a teenage boy.
Lin Yibai didn’t think that deeply about it.
She looked at her cold noodles, making sure there wasn’t a single piece of chili on it.
Then she looked at Xia Changyu’s.
Bright red.
Lin Yibai picked up a bite of her cold noodles and asked as she ate, “You added chili?”
“Yeah, I added a little bit,” Xia Changyu said.
“You really seem like someone who can handle spicy food!” Lin Yibai replied.
“Haha.” Xia Changyu laughed and said casually, “I'm just okay with it.”
“I remember telling you that the guy who makes these cold noodles is someone from Jiangxi, right?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Lin Yibai looked deep in thought, like she could see into the future. Then she asked again, “If I'm not wrong, you're also from our province, right?”
Xia Changyu said, “Yes, that’s right.”
Lin Yibai smiled. She looked like she already knew how things would turn out but didn’t say it right away. Instead, she continued, “Great, I’m from here too. Back in high school, I could eat half a chili pepper, that already made me the spiciest eater in my class.”
“Hahaha,” Xia Changyu laughed. “I can eat more than half, so I guess I’m the king of spicy food!”
Lin Yibai just smiled without saying more. “Don’t be so quick to say that.”
“.....”
When she saw Xia Changyu putting the red, spicy cold noodles into his mouth, she smiled slightly. That’s why she had mentioned earlier that the noodle guy was from Jiangxi.
Because in a province where most people can't really eat spicy food, their idea of "good at eating spicy" usually isn’t very realistic.
Just like the first time Lin Yibai tried it...
That’s when she learned there’s a kind of spicy—
The kind that people from Jiangxi call spicy.
In some places, one chili pepper is enough for three dishes.
In other places, even three plates full of chili might not have a single piece of real food!
Lin Yibai had already quickly ordered some other food, just in case she needed to save this “annoying love rival.”
Xia Changyu picked up the noodles.
The first bite went down, and his eyes lit up. He praised, “This chef really knows his stuff! The fresh taste mixed with sour and spicy is perfect for hot summer days. It really makes you hungry!”
Lin Yibai nodded like crazy, fully agreeing. “Yep, yep, you’re totally right… totally! So go ahead and eat some more!”
Xia Changyu hadn’t noticed the smile in her eyes yet. As he took a second bite, he just thought it was tasty and exciting.
The third bite, still tasty, still exciting.
The fourth bite, way too exciting.
There was no fifth bite.
Sweat started pouring down Xia Changyu’s forehead. It felt like the spiciness wasn’t from Earth. It shot straight to his brain.
Hoo~
Hoo hoo~
When Lin Yibai heard him blowing air from his mouth, trying to cool down, she wanted to laugh but held it in and asked, “Huh? What’s wrong?”
“I’m… fine!”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m really fine,” Xia Changyu said, though he was sweating hard from the heat. He tried to stay calm and said, “But I think, um, sssss... I think... sssss... I need to go to the bathroom.”
Just what kind of spice do people from Jiangxi like? Xia Changyu felt like he was dying.
He rushed into the boys’ restroom, and stuck his head under the water tap. But the moment he pulled away from the water, his mouth felt like it was exploding again.
Hiss~~
Hiss hiss~
Hiiiiissssss~
He had only asked the noodle guy to add “a little” chili. How could it be this terrifying?
As someone who had once made the same mistake...
Lin Yibai, now holding a bottle of milk, expressed, ‘It’s really THAT spicy!’
She walked to the boys' restroom.
Seeing that only Xia Changyu was inside, and since no one else was around on that floor, she went in.
She grabbed him and helped him stand up. She saw that his lips were swollen from the spice, and she couldn’t help but laugh a little as she said, “I know it’s super spicy and painful right now… but listen to me. Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”
Xia Changyu had no choice but to follow her instructions. He stuck out his tongue, and then a cool breeze blew across it.
He saw the girl puffing out air from her mouth, trying to cool him down.
Lin Yibai thought for a second…
Should she use the milk to wipe his tongue? If not, this spice might drive him crazy...
But then she shook her head.
No way. That would be way too nice of me!