Blood Neon

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The Fridge Meeting

"Curry, huh..." the girl murmured to herself.

Some past memories quietly surfaced in her mind, leaving her feeling both nostalgic and a little melancholic.

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Ying picked up the box of curry cubes and waved it behind her as she asked,

"Well, want to have curry?"

"Curry?"

Zhang Qiming stood to the side, glancing at the curry in the girl’s hand.

"Ah, that... it was bought quite a while ago. Could it be expired?"

"It’s fine, I checked just now. It hasn’t expired yet."

After double-checking the expiration date, Lin Ying couldn’t help but ask in confusion,

"But how could it be left until it’s nearly expired?"

She was a bit puzzled. After all, this kind of item had a shelf life of up to half a year, and with only one box, it should’ve been finished quickly, right?

"Because no one ever ate it."

Zhang Qiming shrugged. The reason was just that simple.

"They got it on a whim while shopping at the supermarket. Maybe they came across some short video about making curry rice and wanted to try it themselves." He recalled the situation back then.

He was no stranger to his family getting random new ideas after watching short videos online. He continued reminiscing.

"But after buying it, they never got around to actually making it. So it just stayed there like that."

"Doesn’t your family usually eat curry?" Lin Ying asked.

"Nope." The boy shrugged matter-of-factly.

"...It might sound unlikely, but just to confirm—have you ever eaten curry before?" she asked with a somewhat odd expression.

"Nope. Never had it before."

Zhang Qiming admitted honestly.

Lin Ying, clearly finding it hard to believe, pressed further.

"I don’t just mean at home. Not even outside either?"

"No, never ordered curry even when eating out."

Hearing this, the girl couldn't help showing a slightly sympathetic expression as she looked at the boy beside her.

"That’s so pitiful."

She let out a heartfelt sigh, her gaze full of compassion and sympathy, just like how one would look at a stray cat with no home.

Zhang Qiming couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.

"Is it really that serious? It’s just curry."

"Of course. It. Is."

Lin Ying stood up and closed the fridge door, speaking with great seriousness.

"A life without ever tasting curry is an incomplete life."

Holding the box of curry in both hands, the girl looked up at him earnestly, her expression solemn.

.

Zhang Qiming could feel the force of her presence, and it stirred something in him emotionally. It made him start to think—maybe trying curry wasn’t such a bad idea.

No—what he felt was that this curry had to be eaten.

Actually, the main reason was that the expression and angle were just too cute. His mind had already been overrun—not with the word no, but with an endless chorus of Yes yes yes.

And the fact that he could stay calm, objective, and neutral while having such a close conversation with a beautiful girl? He really felt like giving himself a thumbs-up.

So, in order to maintain his usual image of being reliable and steady, he silently averted his gaze and casually asked,

"Is it really that good?"

"It’s delicious. Of course it’s delicious."

The girl patted the box in her hands with an annoyed puff of her cheeks.

He decisively went along with it.

"Alright, then let’s go with your idea. Let’s have curry."

"Good, then it’s happily decided—we’re having curry for lunch today."

The girl broke into a smile, a genuine one that was incredibly infectious. She looked truly happy.

Why did it feel like she was showing so much more expression today compared to the last time they met? Zhang Qiming couldn’t help but wonder.

"Uh, but I don’t know how to make curry."

Still, eating was one thing, but watching was another—Zhang Qiming hadn’t forgotten that when it came to cooking, he was absolutely terrible.

Lin Ying looked at the boy across from her and couldn’t help but think—don’t flatter yourself. Who said you were the one making it?

While curry was indeed a very simple dish, something even beginners could quickly learn to make, this was her long-awaited reunion with the taste of curry. There was no way she would let a novice ruin it.

Obviously, she had to cook it herself—Lin Ying thought with complete certainty.

"It’s fine. Since I’m the one who suggested it, of course I’ll be the one making it."

The girl glanced at him, then added, "You don’t mind if I borrow your kitchen, right?"

Zhang Qiming: shocked.jpg

.

"So, is there still any meat in the fridge?"

It was just a habit to ask—Lin Ying hadn’t really expected him to answer.

She didn’t even turn her head, and instead opened the freezer while speaking.

There were quite a few items inside the different compartments, such as half a box of leftover frozen dumplings from the last meal, and some dumpling as well.

And after rummaging around for a while, she actually did find a piece of rock-hard chicken breast wrapped in a freezer bag, roughly the size of a palm, buried in one of the layers.

She took out the chicken, which was as hard as a stone, and weighed it in her hand. It felt like it was just about enough.

Alright, Ingredient No.1 was ready—no need to buy meat now.

However, after glancing at the empty fridge compartment:

—Potatoes, onions, and such... those would still have to be bought.

As Lin Ying mentally organized her shopping list, she suddenly thought of something and turned to ask,

"You guys at least have rice, right?"

"Rice? Of course. It’s right over there."

The boy pointed to a cabinet next to the fridge, where there was an opened bag of rice.

Lin Ying nodded.

Okay, that meant the staple was covered too.

"Alright then, since we’re out of potatoes and onions, I’m planning to head out and buy some. You’ll be in charge of cooking the rice."

She stepped away from the fridge and handed the meat to Zhang Qiming.

"And while you’re at it, defrost this too."

Facing this girl who was naturally beginning to assign him tasks, Zhang Qiming thought for a moment, then decided not to say anything and just gave up on thinking altogether.

He hadn’t expected that they’d just start preparing a meal together this naturally. He couldn’t tell if it was because she was just naturally sociable, or if she already saw him as a good friend...

Could it be that... she liked him?

No, no, what the hell are you thinking?

He gave himself a light slap on the face. Getting ahead of yourself like that was a bad habit—one he’d had enough of back in middle school.

So this feeling... just treat it as a family member cooking in the kitchen.

But when he took the chicken breast, he hesitated a bit.

"Should I just defrost the meat in the microwave?"

"Hm? Of course you put it in water..."

Er, Lin Ying paused—natural defrosting might not give them enough time?

If she got the groceries in twenty minutes, then yeah, that might be cutting it a bit close.

But since she couldn't be sure exactly how long she'd be gone, after a moment of thought, she said,

"Put it in water first. If it’s not thawed by then, we’ll deal with it."

After saying that, she added,

"If it’s still frozen when I’m back, then use the microwave."

"Alright, I just didn’t really know the details before."

"You’ve never defrosted meat before?" the girl asked.

"If it’s just taking stuff out of the fridge, then yeah, I’ve done that. But anything more complicated than that, I usually have nothing to do with. She always just handles everything on her own."

"Sounds like your family treats you pretty well, huh? Never makes you do these kinds of chores."

Lin Ying said casually. Thinking back to her own childhood, she used to get bossed around all the time—doing this, doing that.

Hearing that, Zhang Qiming gave a bitter smile.

"It’s not really like that. It’s not about being spoiled or anything."

He thought for a moment, then added,

"We’re just... not the talkative type. So I think, if she had to give me orders or tell me to help, it’d probably just feel like a hassle to her too."

To be honest, he kind of envied those kids who were naturally bossed around by their families.

"That’s why doing your own thing, keeping to yourself—that’s best."

Because it was real family, because it was truly close, there was no need to hold back.

"...Sorry, I think I might’ve said something out of line."

Seeing the look on his face, Lin Ying felt a little embarrassed.

"It’s fine, really. I don’t actually mind that much."

Zhang Qiming smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

That made the girl feel a bit awkward.

Uh... it seemed like his family situation was a bit beyond her own experience.

She thought for a second—household affairs are hard to judge, even for a wise official. The more you say at times like this, the more likely you are to say something wrong. As an outsider, it was probably best not to get involved in someone else’s domestic mess.

Standing up a bit awkwardly, Lin Ying decided to pretend like everything was normal and continue the earlier topic.

"Alright then, you stay home and get things ready. I’ll be back soon."

With that, her plan was coming together perfectly—house visit, cooking, free meal. All in one smooth move. Truly, a champion among strays.