From the Bund to People Road, the heart of Modu's sleepless city, many shops are open until dawn.
Lu Liang took Li Manli around and actually found a Japanese restaurant that was open until midnight.
"Is it delicious?" Lu Liang ordered a bowl of ran and looked at all the different types of sushi in front of Li Manli.
Li Manli took a bite of tuna sushi, her face filled with bitterness, "Why isn't it as good as I imagined?"
"Have you never tried it before?" Lu Liang asked.
"No, I just heard people say how delicious it is, so I've always wanted to try it."
Li Manli tried a piece of grilled eel and asked quietly, "Is it my fault? It tastes a bit off."
The teriyaki sauce was cloyingly sweet, and the rice balls were icy cold, especially the icy cold rice balls, which she always found hard to get used to.
"It's not your fault because people who are not used to eating it will naturally find it unpalatable."
Lu Liang slurped a mouthful of ran, which had a strong porky sll, making him seriously doubt whether the pork had been properly processed.
He pulled Li Manli up, "Let's not eat this, let's go, I'll take you to eat sothing truly delicious."
Li Manli looked puzzled, "Leave all this food?"
She hadn't ordered much, but had just glanced at the nu—this al cost over eight hundred.
"Why eat it if it tastes bad?"
After paying the bill, Lu Liang asked with a smile, "Or did you want to take it ho for a late snack?"
Li Manli shook her head vigorously, "No."
Near midnight, the two arrived at Jiangpan Restaurant.
Lu Liang had ordered takeout from here several tis. Their clay pot congee was superb, with very fresh and abundant ingredients.
They ordered a clay pot congee with blood eels for two, a stead red snapper, and a plate of stir-fried preserved egg with pea shoots.
The blood eels were over four hundred per pound, the per capita cost was similar to the Japanese restaurant, but the taste was leagues better.
Even well-preserved chilled fish couldn't compare to freshly slaughtered ones.
"Doesn't it taste good?"
Lu Liang liked the stir-fried preserved eggs with pea shoots here, which seed to be fried with palm oil, giving off a unique scorched aroma.
"It's delicious, this and this, all delicious," Li Manli slurped the congee, her belly round and full.
Suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed, she hurriedly tightened her belly and sat up straight, "I'm full."
Lu Liang chuckled as his phone on the table rang. ng Changkun was calling to invite him to play tennis the next morning.
He happened to have sothing to discuss with ng Changkun, so he agreed, and the two arranged a ti and place.
"Tomorrow's the weekend, do you still have to work?" Li Manli asked quietly, sounding a bit down.
"It's not work, just so recreational activity. Do you want to co play tennis too?"
Hearing Lu Liang's invitation, Li Manli was delighted but then hesitated, "But I don't know how."
"I don't either, just playing for fun." Lu Liang had figured out Li Manli's personality.
Her thoughts were too easy to read. Whenever she said "but," she actually wanted to go, but needed a little more persuasion.
"What ti?" Li Manli asked.
"Let's make it nine-thirty."
"Then I should go ho early to sleep, or I won't wake up in ti."
"Why not stay at my place tonight? There are a few spare rooms, pick any you like."
Lu Liang said calmly, making it sound like he was simply offering Li Manli a place to stay for the night, nothing more.
Li Manli nodded quietly, her voice soft as a mosquito's, "Okay."
After the late-night al, Lu Liang took Li Manli for a walk in an all-night shopping mall.
He bought her several sets of clothes to change into, as well as daily toiletries.
The shopping spree cost over thirty thousand.
By the ti they got ho, it was past one in the morning.
Li Manli, clutching a pile of shopping bags, rushed into the innermost guest room.
Although she had only been here once before, her mind often replayed the scenes from that visit.
Because Tangchen Yipin was the most upscale and luxurious residential area she had ever encountered in her life.
She was well aware of the layout of each room, knew which was the master bedroom, which was the secondary bedroom, and which was the guest room.
"Go to bed early, and wake up early tomorrow."
Lu Liang gently knocked on the door, not playing any childish gas by lingering outside.
Li Manli agreeing to go out for late-night snacks with him and even agreeing to stay overnight at his place was actually no different from getting undressed.
Just that being newly adult, she was still quite shy and couldn't be as direct as Zhang Qian; Lu Liang was willing to spend more ti, playing house with her.
"Okay~"
Li Manli stood quietly behind the door, her voice trembling a bit because she hadn't locked the door and was ntally prepared.
After a long ti, when there was no more sound outside, Li Manli carefully opened the door and tiptoed to the master bedroom where Lu Liang was staying.
Through the door, she heard faint snoring sounds inside and felt a bit disappointed: "Idiot, I even ca ho with you."
Quickly, her disappointnt was replaced by excitent; she tiptoed in the spacious living room, dancing gracefully, and finally walked to the balcony to enjoy the night view.
She took out the Apple 6 that Lu Liang had given her and snapped pictures of the Bund on the opposite shore.
Li Manli was looking for the right angle; she wanted to take a photo that didn't explicitly say she was staying in Tangchen Yipin, but that others could guess.
With much effort, she finally found the best angle at the end of the balcony.
To the far left was the Bund, to the right was Mingzhu Tower, her eyes dreamily gazing into the distance; she captioned it, "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight."
Li Manli clicked send but deliberately blocked Lu Liang because she didn't want him to think she was a vain girl.
Soon, her social dia was buzzing with ssages, and quickly soone guessed that she was staying in Modu's Tangchen Yipin.
With the Bund in the distance, Mingzhu Tower nearby, and staying in a high-rise residence, it was almost giving the answer away.
Back in her room, Li Manli lay on the soft bed, reveling in her friends' envious and jealous comnts, rolling around excitedly.
She even video-called a few close girlfriends, showing off the luxurious and spacious room…
The next morning, just after eight o'clock, Lu Liang knocked on her room door, and Li Manli ca out with slight dark circles under her eyes.
He had personally cooked and made two servings of butter toast: "What were you up to last night?"
"Nothing much, just couldn't sleep well." Li Manli said guiltily, avoiding eye contact, having chatted with her girlfriends until almost dawn.
"Why don't you go back to sleep? I can go by myself and co back in the afternoon to pick you up," Lu Liang said considerately.
"I'm used to staying up late; see, the dark circles have almost disappeared already."
Li Manli quickly lifted her bangs; there were faint dark circles when she had just gotten up, but now they were almost gone.
"Being young is great," Lu Liang couldn't help but remark, recalling how in the past, a few hours of sleep per night was enough.
But as he aged, although he could still stay up late, he'd feel terrible the next day.
"Don't say that, you're not that old either." Li Manli took Lu Liang's hand, becoming more proactive.
Last night, her friend group had given her many suggestions, most of which were unreliable, but there was one she quite agreed with.
A girl's bloom is brief; if an opportunity arises, she should seize it well, perhaps even change her life because of it.
"Your lips are so sweet, did you put honey on them?"
Lu Liang was surprised and noticed the change in Li Manli's mindset, lifted her chin, and kissed her lips: "Tastes like milk."
"I want it too," Li Manli countered, wrapping her arms around Lu Liang's neck and kissing him deeply.
But it was very clumsy, her tongue working ssily, teeth clashing.
"Relax." Lu Liang, acting as a teacher, led her, letting her experience what a real kiss was like.
It was like two tender snakes intertwining, rging, connecting in an unbreakable bond…
Minutes later, they broke apart.
Li Manli's eyes were dreamy, her cheeks blushing with a natural pink.
Lu Liang pursed his lips; although he wanted to go further, there was no more ti: "Go change your clothes, we should leave soon."
Li Manli nodded, and like a little rabbit, dashed back to her room.
"Young is truly wonderful," Lu Liang remarked again.
The first ti was envy for the energy of youth, this ti for the tender beauty unique to a young girl.
During a kiss, it's not just the lips that should be busy; the hands should find sothing to do too.
Unlike Zhang Qian, Li Manli's skin was smooth, her posture soft yet resilient.
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