Lin Feng decided to walk back to the villa after leaving the crime scene. Coincidentally, on his way back, he passed by Su Qingya's small shop.
It was dinner time, and the skewer shop should have been bustling with customers. However, there were very few people there today.
Zhang Cuihua felt a little unaccustomed to such low customer traffic and was zoning out at the cashier counter.
"Auntie, why are there so few customers today?" Lin Feng asked as he approached the entrance.
"Xiao Lin, you're here. It's because of that food poisoning incident. Although that female captain explained things for us, once the catering industry gets a stain, people inevitably feel uneasy," Zhang Cuihua said with a forced smile, a hint of sadness showing in her eyes.
"Auntie, it's okay. Good wine needs no bush. I'll improve our skewer base recipe later. Nowadays, medicinal cuisine is popular. We can add some health-preserving medicinal ingredients to the base and repackage it with this gimmick," Lin Feng suggested.
"Xiao Lin, that's a great idea!" Zhang Cuihua's eyes lit up. Although she was getting old and couldn't keep up with the times, she had heard of medicinal cuisine. Especially nowadays, elderly people paid great attention to health preservation.
"Auntie, leave this to me. You don't have to worry. Once I perfect the recipe, our little shop will be popular again." Lin Feng comforted her.
"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you. Go find Qingya quickly. Qingya is in her room studying." Zhang Cuihua's face bloomed with a radiant smile. She realized that ever since Lin Feng joined their household, they had a pillar of support when facing difficulties.
Lin Feng went up to the second floor and entered a private room. As expected, Su Qingya was bent over the table, reviewing her coursework. However, Su Qingya wasn't studying books on traditional Chinese medicine; she was studying veterinary medicine.
"Classmate Qingya, why are you reading a veterinary book? Are you planning to switch to our veterinary major?" Lin Feng asked with a smile.
Su Qingya only noticed Lin Feng entering the room then. She pushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen onto her forehead. "Lin Feng, aren't your veterinary exams coming up soon? I thought I'd help you review."
"Help me review?" Lin Feng was a little surprised.
Su Qingya nodded. She had already heard that if Lin Feng failed his final exams this time, he would be expelled from school. Therefore, she wanted to help him.
"Classmate Qingya, you're too kind to me. But I can handle reviewing by myself. You don't need to waste your energy," Lin Feng said, feeling a little touched. It must have been difficult for Su Qingya to voluntarily study veterinary books to help him review.
"It's fine. I've already reviewed my own coursework. Now I'll help you. Sit down, and I'll explain the key points I've marked," Su Qingya gestured for Lin Feng to sit beside her. Lin Feng couldn't refuse Su Qingya's kind intentions, even though he had already memorized the veterinary textbooks.
"Look, these are all exam essentials. You need to memorize every step," Su Qingya pointed to the markings in the book with her fair, slender finger.
Lin Feng sat beside Su Qingya, enjoying the faint, pleasant fragrance emanating from the girl.
"Okay, I'll memorize it," Lin Feng leaned his face closer to Su Qingya, clearly feeling her subtle breaths.
As if sensing Lin Feng's proximity, Su Qingya awkwardly turned her head. Their eyes met, and their lips almost touched. Su Qingya gazed at Lin Feng with a hint of panic. Lin Feng was also gazing at Su Qingya, admiring her stunning beauty and her flawless, rosy lips. His throat felt a little dry.
"Lin Feng, I..." Su Qingya didn't know what was happening to her. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she became shy and flustered.
"Classmate Qingya, the atmosphere has been built up to this point. If we don't do anything, it might seem a bit odd," Lin Feng teased with a smile.
Su Qingya bit her lower lip and slowly lowered her head, not daring to look at Lin Feng.
"Classmate Qingya, lift your face and let me take a good look." Lin Feng gently cupped Su Qingya's chin with one hand.
Su Qingya let out a faint "mm" and, guided by Lin Feng's hand, raised her face. Their eyes met again, and Su Qingya nervously closed her eyes. Her whole body was trembling, yet she felt a sense of anticipation for what was about to happen. According to plots in TV dramas, Lin Feng should be kissing her now, Su Qingya thought to herself, slightly pursing her delicate lips.
"Classmate Qingya." Lin Feng called out softly.
Su Qingya responded with another "mm," feeling even more nervous.
"Classmate Qingya, are your double eyelids natural?" Lin Feng's sudden question caught Su Qingya off guard. She opened her eyes and saw Lin Feng carefully examining her double eyelids. She felt an inexplicable wave of embarrassment. She had thought Lin Feng was going to kiss her and had prepared herself for it, but he suddenly asked such a question.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Su Qingya's face, but she still replied softly, "They're natural. My parents both have double eyelids." After speaking, Su Qingya quickly turned her head away, no longer looking at Lin Feng.
As if overcome by nerves, the pen in Su Qingya's hand slipped and fell to the floor with a clatter.
"It's okay, I'll pick it up for you!" Lin Feng, noticing Su Qingya's current awkwardness, crouched down to retrieve the fallen pen. Su Qingya was wearing a short white skirt today, which didn't even cover her knees. As Lin Feng crouched, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of her exposed white legs. They were fair, tender, and perfectly straight. More importantly, the skirt was too short, and Lin Feng unintentionally saw something he shouldn't have. He had assumed Su Qingya was a very conservative girl and would wear safety shorts or something similar underneath. However, he discovered that Su Qingya had made no such precautions; she was only wearing simple white underwear beneath her skirt, which was subtly visible and quite suggestive.
"Did you pick it up?" Su Qingya asked with a frown when Lin Feng didn't stand up for a long time.
"Yes, I have it. Just a moment." Lin Feng awkwardly stood up from under the table, his face flushing.
"What's wrong with you? Should I turn on the air conditioning?" Su Qingya, seeing Lin Feng's flushed face, thought the room might be too stuffy.
"No, I just held my breath when I was squatting," Lin Feng explained awkwardly, not daring to reveal that he had accidentally seen something he shouldn't have.
"Oh, then I'll continue explaining the exam essentials to you." Su Qingya didn't think much of it. She continued explaining for over an hour. Seeing that it was getting dark, she finally closed the book.
"Let's stop here for today. You should head back and rest early too," Su Qingya said with a smile.
"Okay, I'll be going then. Oh, right, it's windy outside. If you're going to keep wearing that skirt, I suggest you wear longer safety shorts underneath, or the wind might blow your skirt up," Lin Feng reminded her before leaving.
"Ah!?" Su Qingya froze for a moment, and her pretty face instantly turned crimson.