438: Night Market (Part 2)

Shang Wan Ning was amused by this remark and chuckled softly, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her mask covered most of her face, leaving only her eyes visible, which curved into crescents.

"That's ruthless. Truly like you."

Ling Qi turned her head to look at her, her eyes behind the lenses softening. She didn't reply, but instead moved half a step in front of Her Majesty, quietly shielding her girlfriend from the crowd pushing in from behind.

At the next table, a girl in a camisole dress was being teased by her best friends. She slapped the table in defiance, saying, "I just think the brother-in-law is generous. Besides, what's wrong with mooching a little food and drink between friends?"

The girl with the high ponytail scoffed, "Mooching is fine, just don't play dumb when you know better."

While the two were bickering, the owner shouted at the top of his lungs, "Spicy, double-topping snail rice noodles are ready! You two beauties, pick them up here."

Shang Wan Ning pulled Ling Qi over to get their food. As they passed that table, she heard the girl in the camisole shouting, "Later, I'm going to spin a phoenix sugar painting and outdo all of you."

She didn't respond, walking straight to the small table in the far corner to sit down. Even while sitting on a plastic stool, her back remained straight.

The piping hot clay pot was brought over, the red chili oil still sizzling and bubbling, with a high pile of pickled bamboo shoots.

Shang Wan Ning took off her mask, picked up a chopstick full of noodles, blew on them, and slurped them into her mouth. The spice made the corners of her eyes turn red. "Hits the spot."

Ling Qi had been keeping an eye on her. Seeing the short-haired girl at the next table about to bump the clay pot with her elbow while standing up, she immediately reached out to shield the edge of the bowl. "Be careful."

"Sorry, I'm so sorry." The short-haired girl apologized quickly.

Shang Wan Ning waved her hand, not making a fuss. Once that table quieted down, Ling Qi retracted her hand. "Did you get burned?"

"I'm fine." Shang Wan Ning picked up a piece of yuba soaked in broth and handed it over. "Try this, it's very flavorful."

Ling Qi lowered her head to accept it and ate slowly.

The next table was also slurping noodles, and the girl in the camisole was shouting about adding a deep-fried egg. The short-haired girl who had apologized earlier leaned into her companion's ear, not lowering her volume in time. "Hey, seriously."

"Those two ladies over there have such amazing vibes. Sitting there, it's like they have their own aura. You can tell at a glance they aren't to be messed with."

"It's a pity they look a bit plain. If they were more striking, they'd definitely be eye-catching."

The girl with the high ponytail glanced over and agreed, "Yeah, it's a waste of that aura. They look too much like passersby. Otherwise, they'd definitely be the type you notice at a glance in a crowd."

Shang Wan Ning's movement of picking up noodles paused. She lazily lifted her eyelids and swept her gaze toward them. The look appeared calm, yet it made people feel flustered.

"Young ladies," her voice wasn't loud, yet it drifted clearly to the next table, causing the previously chattering table to fall silent as chickens instantly. "Gossiping behind people's backs isn't a good look."

The short-haired girl's face turned red to the roots of her ears, her fingers gripping her chopsticks tightly. Her voice was like a mosquito's hum. "S-sorry..."

The one with the high ponytail panicked too, quickly waving her hands. "We were just saying it casually, we didn't mean any harm."

Shang Wan Ning stopped staring at them, leisurely picking up a piece of pickled bamboo shoot, and added lightly, "Casual remarks require even more discretion. How someone looks is not for outsiders to judge."

Ling Qi, who had been quiet, finally lifted her eyes, her gaze sweeping indifferently over the next table. "Whatever my girlfriend looks like, as long as I think she's good, that's all that matters."

With just that one sentence, the four girls at that table were completely deflated. They all buried their heads in their noodles, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Shang Wan Ning tilted her head to glance at Ling Qi, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. Without saying much else, she picked up a piece of yuba and handed it over. "Eat quickly, don't let irrelevant people ruin your appetite."

Ling Qi lowered her head to accept it, chewing slowly, and added a spoonful of soup to her bowl. "The spice is kicking in, right? Drink some soup to balance it out."

"Mm." Shang Wan Ning sipped the soup. She turned her head and called to the stall, "Boss, add two more deep-fried eggs."

"Coming right up!" The boss responded efficiently, soon bringing over the golden, crispy deep-fried eggs, which sizzled as they soaked in the red soup.

Shang Wan Ning picked up a piece, blew on it, and brought it to Ling Qi's lips. "Try this, it's soaked up the broth and is extra fragrant."

Ling Qi opened her mouth to accept it, nodded, and then pushed the deep-fried egg in her own bowl toward her. "Your Majesty, eat more, otherwise you'll get cravings again in the middle of the night."

The group at the next table didn't take long to pay the bill and leave in a panic. Before leaving, they snuck glances over here, their footsteps as light as cats.

Shang Wan Ning watched their flustered backs and scoffed lightly, "With only this much courage, they dare to gossip about people so casually."

"Why bother with insignificant people?" Ling Qi reached out naturally and wiped the red chili oil from the corner of her mouth with her fingertip. "We're going to spin for a sugar painting later, what do you want to get?"

"A phoenix, of course." Shang Wan Ning slurped a mouthful of rice noodles, her eyes flashing with a competitive spirit. "Didn't that young girl earlier want to spin for one? I insist on spinning for one bigger and grander than hers."

The two finished their snail rice noodles and strolled slowly toward the sugar painting stall. A crowd was gathered at the east end of the night market. The old man at the sugar painting stall was scooping up a ladle of golden liquid sugar. With a light turn of his wrist, a lifelike koi fish took shape. Exclamations of wonder erupted from the surrounding crowd.

"It's our turn." Shang Wan Ning pulled Ling Qi to squeeze to the front. She reached out and spun the pointer on the wheel. The pointer spun around a few times before stopping steadily on the butterfly.

The old man chuckled, "Young lady, a butterfly is quite nice, too. It brings a lucky omen of harmony and beauty."

Shang Wan Ning stared at the pattern of the phoenix with spread wings on the wheel, standing still.

Ling Qi stepped forward and took a few banknotes from her wallet. "Sir, we'd like to pay extra. We want that phoenix."

The old man waved his hand, "That's not appropriate. Everything is done according to the rules; how can I change it just like that?"

"We really like this phoenix." Ling Qi's tone was sincere.

The old man looked at the banknotes, then at Shang Wan Ning's focused gaze, and suddenly laughed. "Fine, I'll do it, since I find you two agreeable."

He scooped up the liquid sugar again, his wrist moving nimbly. The golden sugar liquid flowed on the stone slab, slowly outlining the elegant silhouette of a phoenix. Every feather was clearly visible, and the long tail feathers were elegant and lively.

"Hey, that's really pretty!" someone nearby whispered in admiration.

The old man finished the final stroke and carefully removed the sugar painting, handing it to Shang Wan Ning. "Here, take it. Be careful, it's hot."

Shang Wan Ning took the phoenix sugar painting and examined it carefully against the lights of the night market. The amber-colored phoenix shimmered under the light, looking exactly like it was about to fly away.

"Thank you, sir." A rare, genuine smile appeared on her face.

The old man waved his hand, then suddenly lowered his voice. "Did someone gossip about you earlier? I saw those few young girls run off in a panic."

Shang Wan Ning raised an eyebrow. "You saw it all?"

"I've been setting up a stall here for decades; I've seen everything." The old man laughed heartily. "If you ask me, some people just have poor judgment. The aura you carry, young lady, is even more striking than those stars on TV."

Upon hearing this, Ling Qi's lips curled up slightly.