Madam, Please Behave

Chapter 95: Spicy

“There’s no one else around, so don’t hold back. If you want to laugh, just laugh!”

Liu Changqing disapproved of this overly cautious concern with maintaining an image. Life should be lived freely—if you want to laugh, laugh. Otherwise, when death comes, you won’t even be able to laugh anymore.

Lan Yixian was startled by Liu Changqing’s words but soon covered her mouth and chuckled softly. Over the years, she had become accustomed to laughing with her hand covering her mouth, so changing that habit immediately was next to impossible.

Before long, the two arrived at an open-air street stall.

This stall had its barbecue grill set up at the entrance, with square tables scattered around and white plastic stools stacked in piles. Inside, patrons could order cooked dishes, but it was all operated by the same family.

The bustling crowd included several burly men holding beers, their conversations loud and unintelligible. A few, feeling the heat, had even stripped off their shirts, baring their large bellies.

The heavy scent of charcoal smoke lingered in the air, but Liu Changqing didn’t mind it—he had eaten here before.

He vividly remembered picking up a scrappy kid named Feng Shuyan from the roadside and buying her some barbecue. The image of her greasy little hands wiping themselves on his pants remained clear in his mind.

Approaching the boss, who was fanning the grill nonstop, Liu Changqing shouted, “Boss, ten lamb skewers and two pork kidneys! By the way, do you have clams today?”

“Yes, brother! Saved some just for you!” the boss replied warmly, though he didn’t actually remember Liu Changqing.

“Great. Add an order of clams, four skewers of lamb fat, four of cauliflower, two of green peppers, and…”

“Wait…”

Lan Yixian tugged lightly at Liu Changqing’s sleeve. He turned back toward her, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, a gust of smoke from the boss’s fan blew over.

“Cough, cough! That’s… too much! I can’t eat all that!” she said, waving her hand to fan herself.

“I can finish it,” Liu Changqing replied.

“…”

“I’m kidding. Don’t worry, nothing will go to waste.”

With that, he turned back to the boss. “Just these for now. Oh, and bring us two portions of stir-fried rice noodles. Do you eat spicy food?”

Lan Yixian nodded hesitantly. “I can handle some spice…”

“Okay, two medium-spicy portions,” Liu Changqing said.

“Got it!” the boss called out, turning to yell toward the back, “Two portions of extra spicy rice noodles!”

After placing the order, Liu Changqing picked a small table and sat down. The place was busy, with barely any free seats.

Looking around at the scene, Liu Changqing turned to Lan Yixian. “You’ve never been to a street stall like this, have you?”

Slightly startled, Lan Yixian shook her head. “No, I usually cook at home.”

“Street stalls are all about the atmosphere. Eating at a fancy restaurant wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable.”

“That’s… true.”

“Though the environment here is a bit rough—it feels like it’s due for some government cleanup soon…”

“Mm…” Lan Yixian murmured softly, lowering her head and falling silent.

Noticing her unusual behavior, Liu Changqing remembered that Lan Yixian had been acting reserved ever since they arrived at the stall.

Leaning slightly toward her, he asked, “Does it sting your eyes?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been avoiding looking around since we got here. Is it because some of those guys took off their shirts and you’re uncomfortable?”

“…Yeah.”

Her hesitation gave her away. The situation clearly made her uneasy.

Liu Changqing stood up, walked over, and stood in front of her.

“Switch seats with me. Sit where I was, so you don’t have to face them.”

“It’s fine…”

“Come on, move. I’ll sit here,” he insisted, his tone firm.

Liu Changqing had noticed during their interactions that Lan Yixian was a bit timid. A slightly commanding tone often left her with no choice but to comply.

Sure enough, her shoulders quivered slightly as she stood up and switched seats. Sitting in his spot, her hands rested nervously on her lap, clenched into fists, with her head lowered.

Liu Changqing said nothing more, observing her quietly. Unlike his daughter’s sleek, straight black hair, Lan Yixian’s had a slight natural wave that didn’t look bad at all.

She had applied light makeup today, with soft curls framing her face. Her eyebrows were delicate, and her eyes clear—a beautiful woman overall.

It was easy to understand why her breakfast shop was always so popular.

The hot weather and noisy environment were punctuated by their silence. Feeling the heat, Liu Changqing tugged at his collar and glanced back toward the grill. Spotting the boss carrying a tray over, he made room for him to place the skewers on the table.

“Do you have cold beer?” Liu Changqing asked.

“Of course!”

“Bring me a bottle.”

“Coming right up!”

Soon after, the boss returned with a glass bottle of beer and a bottle opener. He placed them on the table and went back inside to bring out two portions of rice noodles, along with disposable chopsticks and cups.

Liu Changqing tossed a pair of chopsticks to Lan Yixian, opened the package on his own set, and snapped them apart. Moving the cups aside, he grabbed the bottle opener, popped the beer open, and took a swig.

“Ahh! Refreshing!”

The ice-cold drink sliding down his throat made him let out a satisfied sigh.

Lan Yixian glanced at him, slightly stunned, before picking up her chopsticks to take a bite of the rice noodles in front of her. She chewed and swallowed.

Time ticked by.

Liu Changqing picked up a lamb skewer, biting it off in one go. Glancing at Lan Yixian, he noticed her stiff posture and her face gradually reddening.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, confused.

“Spicy! Too spicy!”

Her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to endure the heat. She stuck out her tongue, fanning her face desperately with her hands.

Liu Changqing paused for a moment before realizing what was happening. Pouring some cold beer into a cup, he handed it to her.

“Here, rinse your mouth with this!”

“Spicy!” Lan Yixian grabbed the cup without looking and lifted it to her mouth.