NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36
Chapter 36: That’s Too Pitiful:
Painting these white sculptures wasn’t difficult since the lines were very clear, helping to distinguish the areas that needed color. With the provided pictures as references, as long as one was careful not to go outside the lines, a sculpture could be completed quickly.
Following the picture, Ji Yan finished her sculpture in about ten minutes.
The little girl had yellow hair and a pink dress, with a sweet, adorable smile.
It was Ji Yan’s first time doing something like this, and she found it quite interesting, involuntarily smiling as she admired her work.
She turned to look at Qin Luo and saw that he hadn’t finished his sculpture yet.
Unlike Ji Yan, who followed the picture, Qin Luo painted freely but with a touch of artistic flair. Anything involving color could be related to painting, and Qin Luo’s previous reward of +1 in painting skills had improved his technique.
Soon, a seemingly extravagant but actually quite stylish little boy appeared before them. His multicolored hair, paired with a yellow shirt and beige pants, didn’t look chaotic but had a unique charm.
Ji Yan, like discovering a new world, blinked and said, “You can paint it like that?”
The young female clerk chimed in, “It’s beautiful! Are you an art student? Many of our other customers’ sculptures don’t look as good as yours.”
“Don’t ask, it’s just talent.” Qin Luo said, admiring his work and nodding in satisfaction.
The young clerk then said, “You can leave the sculptures here for display on our shelf for other customers to see, or you can take them home as a keepsake for an extra 10 yuan each.”
“I’ll leave mine here. What about yours?” Qin Luo asked.
“I’ll take mine home,” Ji Yan decided.
“Alright, please pack hers up.” Qin Luo requested.
“Of course, please wait a moment.” the clerk responded.
As they left the store, Ji Yan held a box with her little girl sculpture inside.
One side of the box was transparent, allowing her to see the sculpture. Though it wasn’t worth much, Ji Yan carried it like a precious toy she had just received from her parents, constantly checking it.
Qin Luo had never seen this cute side of Ji Yan before, feeling like he had discovered a new easter egg in a game.
He checked the time on his phone and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s get something to eat. What do you feel like having?”
“Anything is fine, you decide.” Ji Yan replied.
“Any dietary restrictions?”
“Um… I can’t handle spicy food,” she answered.
Qin Luo nodded and took Ji Yan to a Chinese restaurant.
The restaurant’s decor was upscale, with warm lighting creating an air of understated luxury. The server, stunned by their looks and presence, seemed to mistake them for celebrities or models, smiling even brighter.
The server led them to a booth and handed them two thick menus. “Our specialty today is grilled pork, made by a chef with 35 years of experience. It’s an authentic local dish. You should give it a try if you like. Our black chicken soup and salt and pepper chicken wings are also highly recommended…”
As the server introduced the dishes, Qin Luo listened and nodded, casually flipping through the menu.
Ji Yan did the same but widened her eyes slightly at the prices. The dishes were unexpectedly expensive, falling into the luxury category for typical college students.
The grilled pork the server mentioned cost 288 yuan for a small portion of four pieces. The black chicken soup was 188 yuan for a small pot meant for two. In comparison, the salt and pepper chicken wings seemed cheap at 68 yuan.
Ji Yan wasn’t new to high-end restaurants, but she usually went with her family. This was different since Qin Luo was an average college student from an ordinary family with a monthly allowance between 2000 and 3000 yuan. Such a meal might be too costly for him.
Was Qin Luo unaware of the prices here? Or was he, like some people mentioned online, trying to impress her by bringing her to such an expensive place?
Ji Yan glanced at Qin Luo, who appeared calm while looking at the menu, seemingly unbothered by the prices.
Maybe he came prepared?
Feeling a bit uneasy, Ji Yan couldn’t help but say, “Qin Luo…”
“What’s up?”
“Should we… go somewhere else?”
Qin Luo paused, looked at her, and then smiled, “No need, we’ll stay here.”
Ji Yan nodded, dropping the subject. She usually appeared cold and aloof, but her thoughts were often written on her face, like now, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed in worry.
Qin Luo could guess what she was thinking and couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.
Ji Yan’s emotional intelligence wasn’t high; a more tactful girl would handle this situation differently, perhaps in a subtler way. But her straightforwardness was also part of her charm, fitting her inexperience in relationships.
Considering the small portions, Qin Luo ordered five dishes and a soup, totaling 821 yuan. With a 10% service charge, the final bill was 900 yuan. Nearly 1000 yuan for a meal was indeed extravagant for college students, but for Qin Luo, who now had nearly a million yuan in savings, it was a drop in the bucket.
However, Ji Yan had already assumed that Qin Luo was trying to save face by bringing her here and might be secretly distressed over the expense. She worried he would have to live on instant noodles for a while after this.
That’s too pitiful!
Ji Yan had wanted to pay for the meal herself but feared hurting Qin Luo’s pride. So, she transferred 450 yuan to him via her phone, receiving a surprised look from Qin Luo.
“Let’s split the bill.” Ji Yan said.
Qin Luo looked at her deeply and, after a moment, smiled, “Alright.”