CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 79: HAPPINESS LIES IN THE SIMPLE AND UNADORNED

"I’m telling you," Qin Guanglin laughed, revealing a set of white teeth, "I should be the luckier one."

Which is better, to like someone or to be liked by someone?

He couldn’t come up with an answer to the question, he just knew that it was the best when the one he liked liked him back.

He Fang just smiled and looked at his face without speaking again.

Perhaps only she knew the feeling she had when she first saw him from a street corner, covered in mud—when a person is extremely happy, they really can’t smile.

To cry tears of joy was too light a term; no words could describe her feelings at that moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Qin Guanglin’s heart skipped a beat as he was being watched; there was an indescribable feeling in that gaze,

"It’s really nice."

She smiled, took a sip of tea, and then looked up to repeat, "It’s really, really nice."

"What’s nice? Me?" Qin Guanglin began to indulge in his own charm.

He Fang nodded affirmatively, "Having you by my side is really nice."

The definition of happiness keeps getting upgraded. At first, just holding hands or a hug could make one very happy, but after living together for a long time, these things become trivial unnoticed, and it takes more effort to feel happiness.

It’s only after losing and regaining that one realizes happiness has always been in these small things, just inadvertently overlooked.

"You being by my side is really nice, too." Qin Guanglin’s heart bloomed with joy upon hearing Teacher He’s words, deciding to give her a good shoulder rub and back massage when they got back to their place, to take very good care of her.

Tch, where can one find such a good girlfriend? She needs to be cherished and pampered.

As they spoke, the food was placed on the table. The spicy chicken was bright red and looked very spicy at a glance. The roasted pepper snails looked different—dark and still with green peppers.

Roasting peppers means placing fresh peppers directly on charcoal fire until the skin blisters... Forget it, you wouldn’t be able to learn anyway.

"This doesn’t look very spicy." Qin Guanglin carelessly stuffed a mouthful of roasted pepper. Green peppers, after all, even if charred, their nature doesn’t change, how spicy can it be?

"Don’t..."

He Fang had just uttered one word when she saw him freeze.

"Yikes!"

Qin Guanglin frantically gulped down his tea, still inhaling cool air and not feeling any relief, hastily poured another glass to drink.

"What the hell is this?" His face scrunched up—just one bite, is this even edible for humans?

Tsk tsk tsk. He Fang laughed, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head, "You’re the one who ordered it."

"I ordered it for you to eat, not me."

Qin Guanglin gasped and shook his head, never stopping pouring and drinking water, "Who can eat this?"

"I can." He Fang took a bite, chewed twice, and nodded, "It’s pretty good, roasted on charcoal fire tastes better than in a pot."

"..."

Qin Guanglin looked at her somewhat despairingly, "Don’t tell me your family eats this often?"

"No, just occasionally." He Fang smiled, shook her head, and poured water into her own small bowl and passed it to him, "You eat the meat, just dip it in here and it won’t be spicy."

"Really?" He hesitated, dipped a piece of snail in the water, tasted it carefully, "Hmm, it’s effective."

Compared to the spiciness of the green peppers just now, this spiciness was nothing.

He Fang placed some greens in his bowl, "Let’s see if you dare to order randomly next time."

"I dare, I’ll just continue like this." Qin Guanglin dipped the snail in the water again, even discovering a hint of hotpot flavor in stir-fried dishes...

He looked at He Fang’s unfazed demeanor with some surprise, "Do you all in He City have such heavy tastes?"

"Not really."

He Fang shook her head, "My dad is from He City, but my mom is from Bashu."

"No wonder, you’ve grown up eating the food your mom cooked..."

"It’s not that," He Fang said with a laugh, interrupting him. "It has always been my dad who does the cooking."

"Uh..." Qin Guanglin suddenly remembered that night when they watched TV, she mentioned that her mother had passed away quite early.

"When they were together, my dad learned a lot of dishes that she loved to eat. He would cook different varieties for her every day, and eventually, it became a habit for him. He can’t cook without adding a couple of chili peppers."

"I wanted to take care of his stomach and specifically made him a table full of bland dishes, but he got angry, sulked in his room, and wouldn’t even come out for dinner. Later, he got up in the middle of the night and cooked himself a bowl of hot and sour noodles."

He Fang shook her head as she spoke, "Old man is very stubborn."

"Hearing you say that, I need to try even harder." Qin Guanglin suddenly felt the pressure increasing; this prospective father-in-law seemed a bit difficult to get along with.

Would he be driven out the first time he visited?

"You two are quite alike," He Fang said with a smile as she looked at him. "My dad will like you."

Qin Guanglin felt a little surprised for a moment, "In what way?"

"Guess?"

"I can’t guess."

"You’ll find out later."

"Never mind then," Qin Guanglin didn’t ask any further, feeling reassured by her words.

Hmm... not bad, the two of them are now casually discussing meeting the parents; this development is great.

He Fang mentioned that she would take him along the next time she went home, and she also said she would go home once during the summer break. Counting the time, it should be in these two months. Thinking about it, he felt a little excited.

"I’m full." He Fang picked up her bowl and poured the remaining half-bowl of rice into Qin Guanglin’s, then wiped her mouth, deciding not to eat anymore.

"There’s still so much food left." Qin Guanglin stuffed two more mouthfuls of rice into his mouth without a care.

If he could eat the ice cream she had licked, what’s the big deal with some leftover rice?

"Eat more, finish it up."

He Fang watched him eat for a moment, a slight smile appearing on her lips. She took her chopsticks, rinsed some vegetables in the water, and placed them into his bowl.

She really enjoyed watching Qin Guanglin eat. This was what life looked like – simple and warm.

"Okay, I’m full now."

After Qin Guanglin said this, he drank most of the soup before standing up to wipe his mouth and took out his wallet to pay at the front desk.

"Shall we go back?" He Fang asked at the door.

"Tired? If not, let’s just stroll around."

Although he didn’t want to climb the mountain again, since they were out, they should walk around and explore.

He Fang had no objections and held his hand, slowly strolling down the street.

"It’s getting hot. Do you want to buy some summer clothes?" Qin Guanglin suddenly asked her.

"No, I have plenty of clothes."

"Let’s go in and have a look, see if there’s anything you like." He tried to pull He Fang into the clothing store next door.

Since they had started dating, he had only given her a hair tie and a pen. It was only right to buy her some clothes.

"Why bother looking around, the clothes in this store are super expensive." He Fang glanced at the ’R&Y’ sign and laughed, then pulled him forward, "Did you bring money to go shopping?"

"Uh... not much." Qin Guanglin subconsciously felt for his wallet. Cash was running low; he’d have to find an ATM to withdraw some later.

"Then let’s do it, let’s go in and browse."

He Fang made a turn and pulled him inside.

"..."