Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

Yan Xi released his hand and turned to walk back.

"I'm leaving. I'm hungry."

Li Chen stood there for two seconds.

Then follow them.

He took three steps. He felt her fingers in the darkness.

hold.

Their fingers were clasped tightly together.

The two walked along the gravel path toward the fishing village.

The stars began to appear overhead.

When we returned to the guesthouse, the owner was lighting a stove in the yard.

A tin stove. A black iron pot sits on top. The water in the pot is starting to bubble.

"You're back just in time. The seafood was just unloaded from the fishing boat today. Just boil it. Don't add any seasoning."

The boss pointed to a red plastic basin next to him.

The creature in the basin is alive.

Shrimp. Clams. Two fish whose names I don't recognize. And a few blue crabs crawling around.

Yan Xi glanced at it.

Her gaze lingered on the crab for a second.

Li Chen caught it.

"You like crabs?"

"I don't dislike it."

In Yan Xi's vocabulary system, "not dislike" means "likes but doesn't intend to make you too proud".

Li Chen squatted down and glanced at the crab's shell color and abdomen.

"Both male and female crabs are available. The females have more roe. Boss, steam the crabs separately. Serve the females first. Turn the heat up a bit."

The boss looked up and glanced at him.

"You even know about this?"

"a little."

"Here, take the stove. I'll go get two bottles of wine. You two can cook for yourselves tonight."

The shop owner dusted off his hands, grabbed two empty bottles from the corner, and left through the gate.

Li Chen placed his backpack on the steps and rolled up his sleeves.

Yan Xi leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking at him.

"You have to cook again."

"You're hungry."

"I mean, from the moment you set off until now, you've been buying breakfast, checking the tides, testing the route, picking me up from the rocks, and now you're cooking. Have you had a break?"

Li Chen scooped a crab out of the basin. He turned it over and examined it.

"I don't get tired doing these things."

Why?

"Because it was dried for you."

He spoke calmly, as if stating a fact. It wasn't flirting, nor was it sweet talk.

Yan Xi tightened her grip slightly.

"You should say things like that less often in the future."

Why?

"I'll get used to it if you keep talking about it. But if you stop after that, I'll feel uncomfortable."

Li Chen put the crabs into the pot and put the lid on.

Then he stood up and turned to look at her.

"Then let's keep going."

Yan Xi stared at him for three seconds.

She looked away first.

"The water's boiling. Here are your crabs."

The pot lid was making a gurgling sound as it was pushed up by the steam.

Li Chen turned back. He lifted the lid. He added a second batch of shrimp.

Yan Xi walked over from beside the door frame. She didn't enter the kitchen area. She stood about half a meter away from the stove.

"Do you need any help?"

"No need. You can sit and wait."

"I don't want to sit and wait."

Li Chen thought for a moment.

"Then could you find me a plate? There should be one in the kitchen cabinet."

Yan Xi went into the kitchen. The cabinet doors opened and closed. The sound of dishes clattering filled the air.

She took out a large white porcelain plate.

"Is this big enough?"

"That's enough. Put it on the table."

Yan Xi placed the plate on the stone table in the courtyard. The tabletop was worn. Several stones were a different color. She ran her finger across the surface.

"Granite. But it's not locally produced. The grain size doesn't match the geology of Haining. It must have been transported from inland areas."

Li Chen walked over carrying crabs. He placed the steamed female crabs on a plate.

"You analyze geological formations at the dinner table?"

"Professional habits".

"Last time in the ancient town you analyzed the mechanical structure of sugar painting. The time before that you analyzed the spacing of the streetlights in the cafeteria. Was there ever a moment when you weren't doing any analysis?"

Yan Xi sat down and looked up at him.

"have."

"When?"

"When you speak."

Li Chen paused for a moment with his chopsticks.

Yan Xi lowered her head, picked up a crab, and began to peel its shell.

Her movements were somewhat clumsy. Her nails were trimmed very short. The edge of a crab shell dug into her fingertips, leaving a faint red mark.

Li Chen put down his chopsticks.

"Give me."

He took the crab from her hand. He quickly cracked open the shell. The crab roe was thick and golden. He used chopsticks to pick out the roe and placed it on the small plate in front of Yan Xi.

Then continue removing the crab legs. The crab meat is extracted intact from the shell. It's white. Arrange the strips one by one along the edge of the plate.

Yan Xi looked at his hand.

"Your crab-peeling speed is abnormal."

"What do you mean?"

"No normal person could peel a crab this fast the first time. You've practiced before."

Li Chen opened the shell of the second crab.

"My grandfather. He used to live in a coastal city. He taught me."

"Your grandfather taught you so much you could make a list. Knife skills. Pottery making. Crab peeling. Hair braiding. What else?"

"Wood carving. Bartending. Appliance repair. That's about it."

Who was your grandfather?

Li Chen paused for a moment.

"I'm retired. I grow vegetables and flowers in my hometown."

Yan Xi did not press further.

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of crab roe, and put it in her mouth.

I chewed it twice.

Swallow it.

"tasty."

Two words. But the tone was softer than usual.

Li Chen continued peeling.

He peeled all the crabs, separating the crab meat from the crab roe. He didn't eat a single bite himself.

Yan Xi discovered it.

Why aren't you eating?

"I'll peel it all for you first."

"Let's eat together."

"You go first—"

"Let's eat together."

The tone wasn't raised the second time, but it carried a more uncompromising tone.

Li Chen picked up a piece of crab meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

Fresh. Absolutely fresh.

The boss is back. He's carrying two bottles of rice wine.

"Homemade. Warm it up before drinking. It's good for warming your stomach in winter."

He placed the wine on the table and glanced at the surface.

"Wow, young man, you're quite skilled. You peeled the crabs cleaner than my wife."

Li Chen smiled.

The boss then turned to look at Yan Xi.

"Girl, you'd better hold on to this one. A man who can cook, peel crabs, and lets you eat first—there aren't many like him these days."

Yan Xi's hand holding the chopsticks didn't stop.

"Know."

Not a single word was said.

But those two words carry a lot of weight.

The boss shook his head and smiled. He went inside.

There were only the two of them left in the courtyard.

The sky overhead was completely dark. The stars were so numerous they looked like scattered fragments of light. The fishing village had few lights. There were only two streetlights, casting a dim, yellowish glow that illuminated just the entrance to the courtyard.

The rice wine is warmed up. The small iron kettle is bubbling and steaming on the stove.

Li Chen poured two glasses.

He handed a cup to Yan Xi.