Chapter 32: This is the Right Way to Eat Malatang

He Huanhuan shook her head. "I don't like anything."

Han Mo didn't say anything, but held her hand tighter. "There's a new mall opening in the old town. I need to check it out tomorrow. Would you come with me?"

He Huanhuan wrinkled her nose in disdain. "Men who are too clingy lose their charm, you know?"

Han Mo smiled and nodded. "Got it. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, okay?"

He Huanhuan gave a perfunctory nod. "Fine."

The next day, when He Huanhuan came downstairs, Han Mo was still chatting with Old Mr. Gu.

A door to the guest room on the first floor cracked open slightly, and Gu Chacha stood carefully by the door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

For an entire hour, the two talked about food, fun, and various trending topics, but never about work.

She thought to herself, Dad really does only intend to cooperate with the Han family, it seems.

Although Han Mo was reliable, without the Han family, he was nothing.

Without massive financial backing, what was a little capability worth anyway?

There were so many people on this land—capability was the least scarce thing.

She gently closed the door and sat back on the sofa.

She opened her phone and sent a message to Han Xuan: Come pick me up from my place later.

Han Mo had already been cut out of the game, yet he was still so sycophantic.

Showing up every day to curry favor with He Huanhuan and her father.

That arrogant fool Han Xuan, ever since he dropped her off two days ago, had vanished without a trace.

If he wasn't even attentive in wooing her, how could he win her over?

After a long pause, the other side replied with a simple "Okay."

Gu Chacha's heart suddenly felt clogged. It was supposed to be him asking her, so how had she become the proactive one now?

She couldn't help but wonder: was her choice really the right one?

Was Han Xuan truly her best option?

She had no confidence, but she also knew she didn't have many choices.

She was greedy. She wanted a lot of money.

Even more money than being the daughter of the Gu family would bring.

She wanted a wild and unrestrained life, no longer under anyone's control.

Her fists clenched unconsciously. She absolutely could not lose.

She waited quietly until He Huanhuan and Han Mo left together.

Until Dad and Mom went out to meet friends.

Only then did Han Xuan finally arrive, late.

Her anger could no longer be suppressed, and she lashed out at him: "What were you doing? Didn't I tell you to come immediately? Why did you take so long? Do you even know what you're doing?"

She cursed in fury, but Han Xuan wasn't the least bit angry.

He grinned, pulling her hand to his lips and pecking it several times. "There's a reason I was late. Want to know? I'll take you to see it?"

His expression was full of barely contained excitement and pride. Gu Chacha looked at him doubtfully. "What mischief have you been up to now?"

She had asked around—the projects he'd cut were costing their company at least several hundred million in losses.

Wasn't he worried at all?

If he didn't land the East City project, he wouldn't have an easy time.

Did he even know what was urgent and important?

To her surprise, Han Xuan laughed smugly. "I know what you're worried about, but don't worry. I've gotten involved in a new project that's guaranteed to make money."

He leaned in close to Gu Chacha. "I won't tell anyone else, just you."

His secretive demeanor piqued her curiosity. "What project? Is it worth more than the East City project?"

Han Xuan's smile grew even more arrogant. "Much more."

Gu Chacha suddenly became interested, sitting up straight. "What project? Is it reliable?"

The car roared to life, and Han Xuan's unrestrained voice drifted into the air: "I'll take you to see it right now. You're going to love it."

Meanwhile, in the new mall in the old town.

He Huanhuan sat bored in the conference room, not knowing why Han Mo had insisted on bringing her along.

What was up with him suddenly being so clingy?

She slumped in her chair, leg jiggling. So boring!

The conference room door suddenly swung open, and Han Mo stood smiling at the entrance. "Bored?"

He Huanhuan nodded. "Extremely! Bored!"

Han Mo asked her, "Want to go downstairs and look around?"

He Huanhuan glanced at him. "Don't you have a meeting to attend?"

Han Mo smiled and shook his head. "Just a work handover. You know, I don't have a job right now."

That was true.

She had just been wondering—since he'd been pushed out, why would he still have a meeting?

They went from the eleventh floor down to the tenth, which was full of trendy lifestyle stores.

Han Mo looked down at her. "Want to check them out?"

He Huanhuan pursed her lips uncomfortably. "I don't know anything about those."

She grew up in the countryside, where there were no such things in the county seat. She'd only seen them online.

Qi Meili and the others really liked them and would occasionally save up to buy one.

She couldn't afford a single one, so she never looked.

When Qi Meili and the others discussed them, she never joined in.

What was there to talk about?

That wasn't a world she could enter.

She only wanted to get a little older, to become an adult, so she could work in a factory.

She heard factory work paid five or six thousand a month.

Five or six thousand—that was a lot of money.

Once the family's debts were paid off, then she could talk about those things with Qi Meili and the others.

Those exquisite, trendy stores—she had never been inside one.

But Han Mo held her hand tighter. "I don't know them either. Let's go get to know them together."

He firmly pulled her hand and step by step led her into the store.

They looked at everything one by one, asking the staff what blind boxes were, what figurines were, what Pop Mart was...

Her heart began to light up little by little. "This big-eyed one is cute."

Han Mo smiled and said, "Then buy it."

"This one's cute too."

"Buy it too."

"..."

All day long, they worked their way down from the tenth floor, floor by floor.

Every store she had never been to or dared to enter before—they visited them all.

And they bought from them all.

Everything was packed up and sent to her third-floor room, filling it up.

It was full, full of her preferences, her presence.

Making her never want to leave.

They kept at it until it got dark, and she waved her hands in exhaustion. "No way, I really can't walk anymore."

After walking all day, even an energetic girl gets tired, huh?

Han Mo sat beside her and asked, "Want to eat malatang?"

"Yes!"

When your body is utterly exhausted, malatang becomes even more irresistible.

She put on a new dress she'd bought and led Han Mo into a malatang shop.

A lolita dress paired with a black suit—very jarring and conspicuous.

But neither of them cared at all.

She pulled Han Mo over to the shelves and told him, "You know why your malatang last time wasn't good? You have to get the yellow noodles. Using the thin vermicelli won't work—it soaks up too much flavor! And also..."

She earnestly shared her malatang experience, and Han Mo listened even more seriously.

For everything she said, Han Mo took one.

Until two plastic baskets were piled into identical little mountains.

He Huanhuan nodded with satisfaction. "That's how you pick it—that's how it tastes good!"

Han Mo carried the two plastic baskets to the counter to pay.

Two bowls of identical malatang were set on the table, and the two, who had been walking all day, started eating in silence.

A mouthful of yellow noodles, a mouthful of cola.

Bliss!