Chapter 4: A Bottle Down?

Xia Xinyu had tasted beer before, relatives would tease her for a laugh sometimes, and she'd taken a tiny sip, the taste wasn't bad, just... weird.

Maybe it has to do with drinking beer in winter.

Isn't summer beer said to taste the best?

It looked quite refreshing, too.

So without much thought, Xia Xinyu clinked glasses with the tall boy in front of her, and then gulped down a large mouthful.

Unexpectedly bold.

Chen Yuan hadn't expected this girl to have such a contrasting side, but when she put down her beer, he noticed her cheeks had already turned a rosy red.

Great dish.

Was she the type whose face gets flushed with alcohol?

"Drunk?" Chen Yuan surmised from her slightly flushed cheeks.

"No, it's just a bit bitter," Xia Xinyu shook her head, speaking quite soberly, "But it's quite refreshing."

Indeed, who gets drunk from just one sip of beer?

If such a person truly exists in reality, it would mean they are a high-ranked player pretending to be weak, deliberately hooking young boys, who then find her adorably innocent and pure, sob sob sob.

After toasting, Chen Yuan picked up a chopstick-full of cotton-like, soft and glutinous white lobster meat from the Boston lobster shell, lightly dipped it in the sauce, and then put it in his mouth.

The tender and slippery lobster meat, paired with a slightly tart and sweet sauce, each chew offering immense satisfaction, with a lingering aftertaste and no trace of fishiness — after all, it was fresh Boston lobster that had been frozen seconds after death.

Awesome!

After Chen Yuan had a bite, Xia Xinyu also carefully sent a chopstick-full of lobster meat into her mouth. Then she blissfully closed her eyes.

It was indeed super delicious!

Lucky she got to taste it before dying... Otherwise, what a regret it would have been.

"Cheers," Chen Yuan lifted his beer.

"Cheers," Xia Xinyu was quick to learn this time, also lifting her beer to clink glasses with him, her attitude much more natural, as if she had completely opened up to this stranger.

"The lobster roe is good too."

"Mhm, very tasty."

The gloom on her face completely vanished as if she had discarded all of her burdens; Xia Xinyu was loyally enjoying the food, showing great respect for this Boston lobster that was originally priced at 288.

However, what made Chen Yuan feel a subtle sadness was that even though her mood was quite beautiful at the moment and the emotions were temporarily set aside, her plan to commit suicide the day after had not changed a bit.

It made him wonder, what could have happened to a commuting student like him that would make her so determined to seek death?

The only possibility he could think of was — family.

And now, talking about family would only make her last meal before execution uneasy.

"Chen Yuan, do you often cook for yourself?" Xia Xinyu asked curiously.

"Yeah. But just dinner, breakfast and lunch are provided by the school, and they are cheap."

"Then your cooking skills are amazing, being able to understand how to cook the dishes so well."

"Is understanding how to cook considered amazing? You're giving awkward compliments here."

Chen Yuan knew his own level; she must have tasted it, his skills were just average. If she was saying 'understanding how to cook the dishes', it meant her own cooking skills were very good, at least better than his.

He had already noticed earlier; she was definitely the kind who frequently cooks.

Who knows which little baby will meet Xia Xinyu reborn eighteen years later; lucky him.

"How about, you give me your key for a moment, I'll prepare dinner for you tomorrow. When you come home after school you can eat it... Don't worry, I'll put the key under the carpet," Xia Xinyu suddenly thought of something and suggested.

Yes, I eat the food you cook in 502, you commit suicide in 501.

When the police come and find my whole family's fingerprints all over you, and then ask me what my relationship is with you, I say, "It's not like that; she cooked a

"This..." Xia Xinyu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement, "Okay."

[3]

This guy is dead set on preparing my last meal.

Then, does that mean as long as I don't eat this meal, Xia Xinyu won't go to die?

Just like if Miss Apiao doesn't get her wishes fulfilled, she won't disappear.

Thus, Chen Yuan went even further, "But Friday is club activity day, and I have to play badminton after school. How about Saturday..."

[1]

Damn, this meal wasn't that important after all, can't even wait four days, can it?

"Friday, Friday, make me food on Friday." Seeing the conflicted look in Xinyu's eyes, which was almost reaching the point of grievances, Chen Yuan could only agree to the earlier proposed deal.

Three days.

In these three days, there's enough time to understand her.

Although I might not be able to save her inner world and help her escape this shadow, perhaps I could trigger her procrastination, delaying the act of suicide.

"Have you been skipping school for several days? I haven't seen you around the apartment recently." To avoid seeming too intentional, Chen Yuan deliberately added another sentence as he spoke.

"Yes, I asked for some days off." Xia Xinyu nodded, then continued to eat her rice in small bites.

"How about tomorrow, do you want to go to school together?" Chen Yuan casually suggested, "I think No.11 High School and No.4 High School are on the same line, right?"

"No thanks, I'll take a few more days off." Xia Xinyu shook her head with a slight smile, declining.

"Alright, we'll do it some other time. I still have to do homework on the subway, and I could even ask you for help."

The conversation didn't really take off, so the two silently continued eating and drinking.

Contrary to appearance, Xia Xinyu was small in stature, but she had a good appetite. She had almost finished the leftover dishes from yesterday and the Boston lobster, just like me.

"How much is left?" Chen Yuan shook his nearly empty Snow Beer and asked Xinyu, "Shall we finish it?"

Holding the beer with both hands, she tilted her head down to peek inside, and with her cheeks turning rosy, Xia Xinyu estimated, "Can't tell with the naked eye... based on the weight, minus the bottle, there should be about one hundred milliliters left..."

"If you can't drink it, that's fine."

Chen Yuan felt that she was already kind of tipsy.

"Better not waste it... cheers."

She took the initiative to clink her glass with Chen Yuan's and then gulped down the remaining bit.

Glug, glug.

For her, this mouthful was still too much.

Struggling to finish, she suddenly let out a very light burp.

Her cheeks blushed even more, and Xinyu, feeling embarrassed, averted her gaze and covered her mouth, muttering softly, "Sorry... I don't usually drink."

At this level, you wouldn't make it to the dinner table in our Shandong.

Of course, Chen Yuan wasn't from Shandong either.

He wasn't that good at drinking either, about six bottles of Snow Beer was his limit.

But looking at the girl in front of him, whose eyes were somewhat shaky as she gently slapped her own cheeks in an effort to stay sober, his heart felt very heavy.

An incurable patient could not be saved, he wouldn't listen to me.

An unleashed Atai could not be saved, it was too quick for him.

Even someone suicidal couldn't be saved, her resolve to die was stronger than my determination to rescue her.

"Xia Xinyu."

"...Present!"

Being suddenly called by her name, Xia Xinyu was caught off guard, and without knowing why, she responded instinctively.

"It's not military training, no need to stand at attention here."

"What, what do you need me for?"

For what indeed?

I don't want to encounter Miss Apiao, who greets me in the hallway on a night when I feel like grabbing some beer.

Looking at the girl whose eyes were hazy yet still striving to focus on him, Chen Yuan asked with each word clearly enunciated, "Actually, I've liked you for a long time, would you go out with me?"