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"You, you complain that this is too expensive and that is unnecessary. After all the trouble, you still end up with soy noodles." Ryan felt resentful when he thought of it. Kevin was the same. Why did he have a special liking for soy noodles?
Hua raised his head slightly, picked up a piece of beef and put it into Ryan's bowl: "I'm not interested in Western food, and your money didn't fall from the sky. Every penny is precious."
"Do you know where my money comes from?"
"I guessed. After all, you never mentioned your family."
Ryan's expression froze. He didn't expect that although Hua was stupid, he had a smart heart. That's right, although he looked like a rich second-generation, in fact, every penny was earned by making the Fire Moth Black Gloves in the past few years.
As for the family...
"Brother, I know you've been very good to me, and that's why I'm trying to repay you." Hua interrupted Ryan's thoughts and propped up his head, saying, "And I know why you took the time out to come out today. Of course, I have to treat you to lunch, so I can only treat you to noodles."
The girl still looked serious, but it made Ryan feel a little embarrassed. She was considerate, but sometimes she was so dull that it was a headache.
"When did you learn these crooked ideas?" Ryan poked the girl's forehead, picked up the chopsticks, put the beef back first, and then picked up a ball of noodles and stuffed it into his mouth.
Hey, it tastes much better than eating noodles with Kevin!
Ryan suddenly felt that the saying "beauty is a feast to the eyes" was right, and he felt that he had been willing to do it all these years.
This has nothing to do with investing in the Thirteen Heroes or anything like that, nor is it about making any good connections. It's just because Hua is worth it for him to do so.
"Since you are not used to staying in Huaizhong Road, where are you going this afternoon?"
"Brother, you should have asked me earlier."
"Hey, I originally wanted to take you to be corrupt, but since you don't want to, I will just follow your wishes and see if you are living a good life in Canghai."
"Then I'll arrange it. Let's go now." Hua became interested and took Ryan's arm and left.
Neither of them drove. Ryan then noticed that Hua's high school was not far from Huaizhong Road. Because the school was on holiday, he just walked around the gate and then took a photo with the somewhat embarrassed Hua at the school gate.
The photo of the passerby was ugly, even Ryan's eyes were squinted. He wanted to delete it, but he couldn't resist the insistence and had to send it to her.
How can you treat a tattered photo like a treasure? I bought you clothes just now but you refused them, but now you insist on snatching them away no matter what.
Ryan was a little confused about what Hua was thinking at this age. He just looked at the white neck and felt that this was not bad. She was like a piece of white cloth, retaining some things and also painted with a few colors by himself.
At least the color is correct. Even if she can't become as lively as Alicia, at least she won't become bitter and vengeful.
"Tell me, where are you going?"
"There are several things at the snack street next to Canghai University that I want you to try."
Didn’t you just eat noodles?
Ryan glanced at the girl's flat body and let her drag him forward. They ran about two miles and came to a more lively alley.
The alley is very narrow, with mobile vendors on both sides. Most of the diners are young, basically students from the nearby Canghai University. There is no shortage of people wearing hot pants and long legs in June.
The air was filled with a rich aroma. Chicken wings were tumbling in the frying pan, squid was smoking on the iron plate, and sprinkled with spices and chilies, which made Ryan feel a little hungry.
"Brother, I'm going to buy two bowls of ice jelly."
"Well, I'll just find a place to sit." Ryan found a small stool and sat down. It was not in vain. He bought two servings of sweet tofu pudding, and then ate it with a plastic spoon while watching the crowds coming and going.
It had a strong flavor of the city, which was completely different from the battlefield or laboratory where he often stayed. For a moment, he even forgot about the third collapse.
No wonder people prefer to live in seclusion in the mountains or in the city. Who says that noise cannot cleanse the soul?
Ryan had no interest in famous mountains and rivers, but he really liked the flavor of the city, observing the faces that were either ordinary or beautiful, and watching the men, women, young and old, and their joys and sorrows.
There are old couples supporting each other, young lovers bickering, sweaty vendors, women cleaning hard, and delivery guys coming and going in a hurry.
It was this feeling that made Ryan feel that he was truly living in this world, rather than being like a condescending time traveler, pointing fingers at the NPCs, with no room in his mind for anything else except the beauties in The Thirteen Heroes.
Even though he knew that everything before his eyes would soon vanish, Ryan was not depressed. Instead, he tried even harder to remember them in his heart.
"Brother, what are you looking at?"
Hua had sat next to him without him noticing. He scooped a spoonful of tofu pudding and took a bite of ice jelly, with a satisfied expression on his face.
Ryan glanced at the plastic bowl on the table. Inside was something that looked a bit like jelly, with a layer of hawthorn, raisins and peanut crumbs on top.
He took a sip and the brown sugar tasted very sweet. Ryan smiled sweetly and pointed at the bustling crowd.
"Of course I'm looking at people."
Chapter 49: Thunderstorm is coming
Look at people?
Hua tilted his head slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled. What was so good about all the people on the street? They didn't even feel uncomfortable with the crowds.
Fortunately, she was in a very good mood today, and she smiled: "Brother, you are quite gifted as a philosopher, and you always say things that are hard for people to understand."
"You've already mentioned philosophers, do you still want to understand?" Ryan was eating ice jelly and became interested. "Do you want to hear something more impressive?"
"Okay, that sounds interesting."
Hua ate and watched, and her mood became better and better. Ryan seldom took her out to play in recent years. When they were together, he mostly taught her boxing and swordsmanship.
"Hua, do you have any admiration for me?"
Being asked out of the blue, the girl was stunned for a moment, then nodded without hesitation: "Yes, I want to catch up with you and be your strong backing."
The answer is obvious. Among the thirteen heroes, Hua was the one who came into contact with the earliest and was most deeply influenced.
"Well, but don't let your dreams restrict your life. You must know——"
Ryan took off his glasses, stretched out his right hand, and smoothed his bangs to the top of his head, his tone was cold and gentle.
“Admiration is the feeling farthest from understanding.”
The hand holding the plastic spoon stopped, and Hua looked at the man in front of him in astonishment. At that moment, goose bumps appeared on his skin and his mind was blank.
At this moment, Ryan in front of her became extremely unfamiliar, as if he was above the starry sky and she could no longer touch him. Just a short sentence made her feel scared.
Fortunately, Ryan suddenly smiled at this time, wiped his hair down, put on his glasses, and immediately returned to his gentle appearance.
"Isn't it a little confusing?"
It's not just awe-inspiring, it's terrifying when you think about it carefully.
Hua blinked and held his head in a sullen manner: "Brother, it's best to be your usual self. It's better not to play philosopher."
"In fact, there is another philosophy. I won't demonstrate it today because I'm afraid you won't be able to accept it." Ryan coughed lightly, poured the last mouthful of ice jelly and brown sugar water into his mouth, and then threw the plastic bowl away. "Let's go. I think the grilled squid there is pretty good. What's wrong? Do you still want to eat sweet tofu pudding?"
"In fact, salty tofu pudding tastes better." Hua muttered and stood up, "Brother, were you reciting lines just now?"
"Well, these are the lines of a great villain. To be honest, if I hadn't met you guys, I might have had a chance to become him." Ryan shrugged and sighed in his heart.
This sentence is philosophical and half true and half false. He doesn't want Hua to be affected too deeply. Hua should live strong, independent and passionately. It can only be said that care is also a double-edged sword.
Of course, he wouldn't be like a psychopath and stab me in the back and say something like "my stupid junior sister."
"Villain? That's good. Senior brother is definitely not a villain." Hua heaved a sigh of relief and liked Ryan joking with him more because such enthusiasm only belonged to a few people.
"Then what am I?"
"Hero, a hero who marches forward bravely and never backs down!"
"That's a good flattery. Tell me, what else do you want to eat?"
In the middle of summer, the two of them squeezed in and out of the crowded alleys, eating from the beginning to the end of the alley, and by dinner time, their stomachs were basically full.
So Ryan was taken to the milk tea shop in Canghai University again. Hua told him that she worked here last year and liked the environment here very much. She often finished her homework here before going home.
Seeing that the girl was in a good mood and seemed to want him to go into every corner of her life, he did not object and entered Canghai University through the side door.
Ryan looked around and saw that the store was not big and the decoration was fresh and elegant, with white walls, a long wooden table, a few high-quality oil paintings hanging on the wall, and a few bouquets of everlasting flowers as decoration.
The owner was a middle-aged woman who still had some charm. She was wearing a long floral dress and looked very tasteful. She was greeting Hua gently.
"I haven't seen you for a few months, and you found a boyfriend so quickly. Which department is he from in our school?"
"No, manager, this is my senior brother." Hua hurriedly explained, but saw that the smile on the manager's face deepened.
As for the senior brothers, they are the ones who are always trying to attract the junior girls. She has seen a lot of them.
"really not!"
"Okay, okay, I get it. Hua, why don't you make this brother a cup of blueberry milk tea? It'll be my treat."
"Thank you, manager." Hua bowed politely, asked Ryan to wait for a moment, and then went to the bar.
The middle-aged woman smiled at Ryan, nodded to each other, and went back to work.
Have taste and cultivation.
Ryan felt a bit of favor, but he didn't bother to explain about boyfriend or anything like that. He just walked to the small bookshelf next to him, picked up magazines and novels, and finally pulled out a book at random and found an empty seat to sit down.
The sea in June was not too hot, and the afternoon was even more leisurely. Ryan flipped through the novel slowly, and felt that time had also slowed down.
Ryan didn't hate this slow feeling. Just as he told Hua, if you focus too much on something, you will go crazy sooner or later. Only by enriching your life can you have endless resilience.
The so-called fast and slow, movement and stillness, this is a science in itself. Of course, he did not experience the pain and the subsequent impulse to turn evil.
"Dr. Ryan?"
Just after turning a few pages, a voice made Ryan turn his head subconsciously, and he saw a ramen-haired, slightly feminine man standing behind him.
"Dr. Damian, I didn't expect to see you here."
He recognized that this was his former colleague, so he closed the book, stood up and shook hands with him, and without waiting for him to ask, he told him why he came to Canghai.
"To see your junior sister?" Damian glanced at the busy girl, a little confused.
Hua looked like an ordinary high school student. How could she possibly be the junior sister of this genius? She said meaningfully, "Dr. Ryan, you have a good eye."
Another misunderstood person.
Ryan shook his head and didn't bother to explain. They weren't even friends, so why bother talking about personal matters.
"After you came to Canghai, are you still doing research on imaginary numbers?"
"Yes, it's my old profession. Unfortunately, I don't have Dr. Mei's talent. Recently, many of my projects have been at a standstill." He sighed, looking a little depressed.
Only then did Ryan notice that Damian's eyes were bloodshot, his beard was untidy, his shirt collar was yellowed, and he looked like a tired trapped animal.
Doing research is more despairing than fighting, because in fighting you can fight hard, but in academic research you only need the most rational rigor. If you can't do it, you still won't be able to do it even if you smash your head.
"I think you should take a break. Maybe you'll get some inspiration."
Like you, sitting here drinking coffee and reading novels?