True Solution of the Sword Dao

About fifteen minutes into their chat, a bedroom door connected to the living room suddenly opened. A fair-skinned, pretty girl walked out of the room, tilting her head to the side, holding a pink phone between her shoulder and cheek, and humming in response. The girl wore a dark purple tank top and black capris, with her hair cut short and styled refreshingly, giving her an especially brisk appearance.

"Yuanyuan, you're out—what's up? Heading out for fun?" Seeing the girl emerge, Chen Jingde stopped talking and asked.

"Yeah, some friends called me out to hang out and grab some late-night food," the girl replied while rummaging through her small black handbag, looking for something. Hearing her dad's question, she quickly zipped up her bag, took off her phone, and answered. It was then she realized guests had arrived at home.

"Hello, Uncle Lin," she said politely to Lin Jianguo, having met him on a few occasions before.

Lin Jianguo smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Jingde smiled and pointed at Lin Fei, "Do you still recognize your brother Feifei? Didn't you just ask how Feifei was doing last time?"

Chen Yuanyuan's puzzled gaze followed her dad's pointing to a fresh-faced Lin Fei. She felt a bit frustrated inside. Last time, she had merely made polite small talk. She didn't genuinely want to meet the older-brother Feifei from her childhood again; she had mentioned him in passing without much thought. Little did she expect her dad to take it seriously.

"Hello, Brother Feifei," Chen Yuanyuan squeezed out a polite smile, but when she first saw Lin Fei's outfit, she almost couldn't help but laugh out loud. That outfit, with a white shirt and black dress pants—was he some rural cadet arriving in the city? Accustomed to seeing more appropriately stylish attire, suddenly having this country-style boy pop into her world, while her dad smirked ambiguously and told her they grew up together, was more than enough to leave Chen Yuanyuan unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Feifei is sitting here feeling bored too, why don't you take him out for some late-night snacks? I'll cover the expenses for tonight," Chen Jingde declared with a wave of his hand, making the decision outright.

***************

The night was bustling with people on the streets of Ping City's snack district.

Barbecue carts continuously emitted thick aromas of grilled meat, accompanied by the sizzling sound of frying oil, with four or five young people crowding around each cart, waiting for their share.

Stalls like those selling fried potatoes and stinky tofu were also surrounded by groups of young people. The stallholders, faces dripping with sweat, constantly stirred the contents of their frying pans.

Such stalls were neatly arranged in two rows, and under the bright lights, Lin Fei and Chen Yuanyuan walked toward a fried ice-cream shop not far along the street, with Chen Yuanyuan silently leading the way upfront while Lin Fei followed behind with a shy, honest smile.

Among the crowds, there were occasionally middle school girls in uniforms with backpacks, holding ice creams and chatting happily. There were also some older students, about Chen Yuanyuan's age, laughing raucously in front of a fried noodle cart. The air was filled with a warm amalgam of aromatic scents.

Every now and then, one could spot a person selling colorful helium balloons.

As Lin Fei followed, he took in the surroundings. In his past life, he had come here for late-night snacks with Chen Yuanyuan, just buying some skewers before heading back. Now, revisiting the place he remembered brought back a surge of inexplicable emotions.

It was evident that Chen Yuanyuan walking ahead did not want to engage with him. If it weren't for her dad Chen Jingde's instructions, it would've been impossible for her to walk with Lin Fei dressed in such country attire.

As they arrived at a place called Vivi's Cold Drinks, three young girls inside—who were probably Chen Yuanyuan's friends—saw her coming and waved energetically. They shouted, "Yuanyuan, over here!"

Chen Yuanyuan saw they had found a place and immediately quickened her pace to approach. She greeted several girls with a smile.

Lin Fei, seeing that they were all girls, didn't feel it was appropriate to join them abruptly and could only stand aside and wait. Actually, he hadn't wanted to come out, but he couldn't stand up to Chen Jingde's firm demands. This scene now was also within his expectations.

The girls all looked stylish and pretty, and judging from their attire and accessories, their family conditions must be quite affluent. People tend to flock together, so those who could socialize on equal terms with Chen Yuanyuan, the daughter of the Ping City Industrial and Commerce Bureau Chief, shouldn't be too far off.

Chen Yuanyuan and her friends had only chatted a few sentences when another tall girl with shoulder-length brown hair entered the store, heading straight for Chen Yuanyuan and the others as soon as she stepped in.

If Chen Yuanyuan and the others were vibrant young girls, this new girl was a delicate and gentle young lady straight out of a Greater China romantic financial movie. Dressed meticulously and solemnly, every move she made was with thick confidence, as if she could stay calm in any situation. The black V-neck sleeveless camisole and the low-rise purple-black jeans simply highlighted her unique confident charm.

Lin Fei stood at the entrance of the store, vaguely hearing Chen Yuanyuan and others calling her Sister Qing. However, this episode only temporarily attracted part of his attention. He stood with his hands in his pockets, scanning the surroundings. He touched the fifty-yuan note his dad had quietly given him when he left the house, the intent being clear—it was for him not to let Chen Yuanyuan pay, but to try and cover the expenses himself.

After surveying the nearby stalls, Lin Fei chose one that looked relatively quiet, ordered a portion of stir-fried potatoes, and then sat down on the bench in front of the stall. He was not going to stand foolishly at the entrance of the store and wait for Chen Yuanyuan like in his past life.

Inside the store, Chen Yuanyuan and her friends were dressed fashionably and attractively, while outside, Lin Fei exuded an earthy air, looking as if both sides were in two different worlds, separated by the continuously flowing stream of people that flowed like a never-ending river.

Chen Yuanyuan, while talking with her friends, kept glancing outside with the corner of her eyes. Clearly, she was keeping an eye on Lin Fei outside. Although she didn't think highly of her childhood playmate, she had been specifically tasked by her father to accompany him for late-night snacks, so she couldn't just brush him off that easily.

"Yuanyuan, is that guy someone special? Don't tell me he is your childhood sweetheart~~~," a girl teased laughing. Chen Yuanyuan had just mentioned she was supposed to look after the guy sitting outside.

"You are actually right," Chen Yuanyuan sighed helplessly and withdrew her gaze. "He's a childhood playmate of mine. My dad specifically mentioned that I should bring him for a late-night snack. It's all your fault for not calling earlier, just as he walked in, you called."

"I knew it, Yuanyuan's taste has never been this bad," another girl laughed.

"That also might not be true; maybe Yuanyuan has a unique taste?" The last girl, sitting at the far end with long hair, chuckled. Her name was Yu Xiao. In their circle, she and Chen Yuanyuan always had some disagreements. There was even an occasion where she had voiced her disdain for Chen Yuanyuan in front of other friends. Among the group, excluding such distinguished ones as Sister Qing, she and Chen Yuanyuan, both similar in family background and appearance, naturally fell into a subtle competition.

"Still, if it were me, I would look for a guy like Chen Yaoxi. Of course, Sister Qing's Zhang Hao isn't bad either," Yu Xiao managed to strike a graceful pose, spoon by spoon, scooping ice cream into her mouth.

Sister Qing, also referred to as Ning Qing, just smiled lightly and said, "Don't be ridiculous, Zhang Hao and I are just friends. It's bad if others misunderstand based on what they hear." She had also noticed the guy Chen Yuanyuan mentioned. From her point of view, while his outfit indeed seemed plain, the guy seemed to emanate an indescribable aura all over, a feeling hard to put into words. It made her slightly remember this peculiar-feeling guy.

Coming back to her senses, she smiled and continued, "I also called Nannan and others over. I need to go back early to review my homework so I can't stay with you much longer. With Nannan and his friends here, they can escort you back."

"It's fine; we just came out to eat something and relax anyway. Besides, with big guys like Brother Nannan and his friend around, we're not helpless if something comes up," Yu Xiao said with a laugh.

The Nannan they were talking about was a boy who often hung out in their circle. His family and those of Yu Xiao and Ning Qing were colleagues.