naruto-story Chapter 367 Shopping at the mall again!
Chapter 367 Shopping at the mall again!
Xian Zuling stood quietly on the path shaded by sycamore trees next to Ye Fan's dormitory building. Her figure was slender and appeared somewhat frail in the deepening twilight.
As soon as Ye Fan stepped out of the dormitory building, his eyes easily caught her.
He walked over quickly and asked casually, "Are you hungry?"
Xian Zuling shook her head, her voice still cold, but with a hint of barely perceptible relaxation: "Not very hungry, I feel fine."
She ate something in the cafeteria at noon, and it's only a little past five o'clock now, so she's definitely not hungry yet.
Ye Fan nodded without asking any further questions.
He took Li Yifeng and the others to a seafood buffet early. They returned early, and some classrooms on campus still had their lights on, even before the bell rang.
He led the ancestral spirit through the increasingly deserted campus paths and headed straight for the west gate.
Driver Lao Li had already parked the black Maybach S680 steadily under a lush sycamore tree near the West Gate, like a lurking black beast, understated yet undeniably imposing.
The two boarded the car, which was filled with the faint scent of leather and the coolness of the air conditioning.
Old Li drove smoothly away from the campus, merging into the evening traffic of the city, his destination being a large shopping mall nearby.
Stepping into the brightly lit and bustling shopping mall, you are greeted by the aroma of food and the cacophony of various promotional calls.
Ye Fan turned to the girl beside him and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Xian Zuling tilted her head slightly, thought seriously for a moment, and a hint of nostalgia flashed in her clear eyes. She said softly, "I want to eat... rice noodles."
Ye Fan understood.
This is because I miss the taste of home.
He glanced around and pointed to a small shop not far away with a "Xiangweiyuan" sign above its door. The shop was simply decorated but looked quite clean: "This one looks alright, want to give it a try?"
"Yes." Xian Zuling nodded.
As you enter the store, a rich aroma of bone broth and chili fills your nostrils.
Ye Fan directly told the waiter, "One large bowl of Hunan rice noodles, extra spicy and numbing, and one extra serving of all the toppings!"
Soon, the waiter brought over a huge bowl that was bigger than a face.
The bowl is piled high with snow-white rice noodles, soaked in a bright red, oily broth topped with emerald green scallions and crispy soybeans. It is then covered with tempting slices of beef, tripe, pickled cowpeas, and fried eggs... steaming hot and fragrant.
Ye Fan had no doubt about the fighting power of the ancestral spirit.
She used to eat little because of life's pressures, but deep down she's actually a girl who can eat a lot.
Xian Zuling's eyes lit up instantly when she looked at the big bowl of rice noodles in front of her, which was full of the flavor of her hometown. They were like stars.
She picked up her chopsticks, her movements no longer as reserved as before, but with a naturalness and anticipation as if she were returning home. She blew on the hot food and then buried her head in her food.
The slurping sound was filled with satisfaction.
The numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant flavors exploded on her tongue, causing fine beads of sweat to appear on her nose and her cheeks to flush slightly.
In less than ten minutes, she devoured a whole bowl of rice noodles, along with the rich, piping hot broth.
She put down the bowl, then licked her lips, which were red from the spiciness, with a lingering satisfaction. Her eyes narrowed slightly, like a cat that had just finished a meal.
"Are you full?" Ye Fan asked with a smile.
"Mmm! Very full!" Xian Zuling nodded vigorously, his voice carrying a rare hint of joy.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two pushed the shopping cart and officially entered the supermarket shopping spree.
First we arrived at the vegetable section.
Ye Fan carefully selected fresh leafy greens, root vegetables, mushrooms, and so on, while Xian Zuling silently noted down his preferred varieties.
Then we went to the meat section.
Ye Fan picked up boxes of expensive, beautifully marbled beef tenderloin, perfectly marbled pork belly, and tender chicken thigh meat, filling a large bag to the brim.
Next up was the seafood section, and this is the highlight!
Ye Fan waved his hand: a live Boston lobster with its claws outstretched was added to the shopping cart. Plump king crab legs were neatly arranged. Firm prawns, scallops, abalone... all sorts of high-end seafood were continuously added.
Xian Zuling looked at these things with focused eyes.
She is no longer the clumsy novice she used to be when handling seafood.
From strictly following recipes to now being able to experiment with different seasoning combinations and cooking methods based on the characteristics of the ingredients (steaming, stir-frying with scallions and ginger, typhoon shelter style, cheese baking, etc.), her progress has been nothing short of miraculous.
Looking at the seafood Ye Fan had chosen, she was already planning tomorrow's menu.
After buying the meat, I pushed the shopping cart to the refrigerated section and bought some fresh milk, eggs, and yogurt.
Finally, they also replenished the nearly used soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and other condiments.
Ye Fan also grabbed a few bottles of imported olive oil and black pepper.
As Ye Fan passed by the toiletries section, he stopped and looked at the shelves carefully. Then he picked up a basic skincare set (cleanser, toner, and lotion) from a well-known brand and added a gentle moisturizing mask to his shopping cart.
"This...no need," Xian Zuling quickly whispered. She recognized the brand; it wasn't cheap.
Ye Fan seemed not to hear, picked up another box of body lotion, looked at the ingredients, thought it looked good, threw it in, and continued pushing the cart forward: "Try it out, and if it doesn't suit you, we'll change it."
Xian Zuling looked at the exquisitely packaged bottles and jars in the shopping cart, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything in the end. She just silently added "skincare products - about 4000 yuan+" to her mental ledger.
Passing by the snack section, Ye Fan symbolically picked up a few bags of nuts and imported biscuits.
In the end, both large shopping carts were crammed full, almost overflowing.
When it came time to pay, a long bill appeared, the amount of which jumped to over ten thousand.
Xian Zuling stared at the numbers flashing on the cashier screen, especially the exorbitant subtotals listed separately for those skincare products. Her pupils dilated slightly, she gasped, and instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes.
More than ten thousand... how long could that have sustained her before?
Ye Fan, however, swiped his card to pay without changing his expression, his movements smooth and natural.
Pushing two shopping carts that looked like small mountains, Old Li arrived at the underground parking lot, where he had already opened the trunk of his Maybach and was waiting.
Upon seeing Ye Fan and Xian Zuling, he immediately jogged over and deftly and skillfully placed the large and small bags of food and daily necessities into the spacious trunk and under the back seats, ensuring they wouldn't be crushed.
The car drove back into Nanjing University in the night, passed through the quiet campus roads, and finally stopped in front of a detached courtyard house hidden in the bamboo forest.
Old Li once again transformed into a porter, diligently carrying all the purchased items into the house, one trip after another, and neatly placing them in a corner of the kitchen and living room.
"Mr. Ye, everything's put away. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now?" Old Li wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
"Thank you for your hard work, Lao Li. Go back now, you don't need a ride tonight." Ye Fan nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Ye, Ms. Xian, please call me anytime if you need anything." Old Li respectfully withdrew, started the car, and drove away quietly.