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Although he became B City Symphony Orchestra’s a.s.sistant chief, Tan Lao didn’t sign a long-term contract with Qi Mu. This surprised him a little, but he knew Tan Lao didn’t want to tie him up.
In Tan Lao’s heart, he hoped that Qi Mu would further his studies. This was normal for traditional elders. They always thought that the young should study before working. Although his idea was different from Qi Mu’s ambition, he still went along with it.
B City Symphony’s contracts usually stood for 3 years, and that was too long.
Having decided to stay in the orchestra officially, Qi Mu planned to move first. The original’s house was too far, and it usually took him half an hour to get there by Zheng-Ge’s car. And if he took the subway. . .
He didn’t want to experience B City’s subway ever again!
That experience. . . to put it delicately, was too outstanding and refreshing!
On the fourth day of him becoming the a.s.sistant chief, Zheng Wei Qiao came early in the morning to help him move. The original Qi Mu’s house was located in a residential area toward the east side of B City’s fourth ring. It was a relatively high-cla.s.s district and also the last real estate that Qi Mu owned. Yesterday, he contacted his relatives to rent it out.
“Xiao Qi, ah, you don’t have to rent it out. After this. . . if you want to come back, what would you do?” They didn’t have much to move. Zheng Wei Qiao held a small box and set it on the back of the borrowed pick-up truck. He continued, “The new apartment you rented is a little too small. Do you want me to find you a bigger one? Will you be comfortable living there?”
Qi Mu gently placed a heavy box onto the truck. Hearing Zheng Wei Qiao’s words, he smiled. Shaking his head, he said, “Zheng-Ge, thank you very much. I think the single apartment is good, and I don’t want to bother you to look for another one.”
Zheng Wei Qiao frowned, struggling with a dilemma. He seemed to want to say something but, in the end, decided not to.
Zheng Wei Qiao was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to live comfortably in that place. He barely survived even in this relatively upscale neighborhood that he abandoned before he lived here.
This, Qi Mu naturally understood. While sitting in the car, he quietly turned his gaze toward Wei Qiao who was driving seriously at his side. There was a trace of grat.i.tude in his eyes.
In fact, Zheng Wei Qiao couldn’t have known that he once lived under a bridge when he was poor at the very beginning. Vienna was really cold in autumn. Although it was quite humid because of the temperate marine climate, once it was nighttime, it was really, really cold.
He spent all his savings to attend school, and he worked hard to earn money. When he finally finished his studies and graduated, apart from the small house owned by his foster parents, he only had a few hundred euros in cash left.
It was impossible for him to sell the house and, although he rented it out, the rent was not high. So in the last ten days before he got his pay from the orchestra, he could only huddle alone under a bridge and most nights, he couldn’t sleep.
This simple apartment, to Zheng Wei Qiao’s eyes, was a paradise compared to that ice-cold bridge in Vienna.
“The traffic jam seems a bit serious today. We’ll arrive soon. Do you want to eat lunch first, Xiao Qi?”
Qi Mu had already seen the seriousness of B City’s traffic jams a few days after his rebirth. Originally, they felt lucky to get on the highway, but after leaving the highway, even if they could see the apartment building, they couldn’t reach it as quickly as they thought.
He looked at the traffic jam that seemed to barely move at all. He laughed helplessly and nodded, “Ok, it’s already noon anyway. Let’s have lunch first, Zheng-Ge.”
They parked the car on the side of the road, found a restaurant at random and went in. There were not many people in the restaurant, and suddenly a beautiful young man entered. They all stared at him in amazement then quietly shifted their eyes away.
This overly good-looking face brought some trouble for Qi Mu but it was not a big deal. When they finished their lunch, Qi Mu hurriedly paid the bill. Zheng Wei Qiao went to use the restaurant’s restroom, so Qi Mu stood at the door of the restaurant to wait for him.
Maybe because it was about to enter winter, but there were no clouds in the sky. There was also no signs of spring’s dust, and the blue sky was like a shallow lake, glowing with a clear light.
Qi Mu was in a good mood when he saw this. Waiting for Zheng Wei Qiao, he turned to look around the surrounding area. He found a small Ouzan supermarket, a good looking gym, a bustling small commercial district, as well as. . .
Qi Mu’s eyes widened.
His eyes were wide in surprise, and he stared in that direction for a long time. Feeling incredulous, he wiped his eyes and looked again. With a sigh of relief, he laughed lowly, “I saw it wrong. How could that man be here. . .”
“Who? Xiao Qi, ah, did you see an acquaintance?” Zheng Wei Qiao came over and looked curiously in the direction he was staring at. He could only see a pa.s.senger truck blocking the entrance and exit of the street while making a turn, almost blocking the entire path.
Hearing the man’s words, Qi Mu looked over again briefly. Then he smiled and shook his head, “It’s nothing, Zheng-Ge. I got it wrong. It’s already quite late, let’s go quickly. It wouldn’t be good if we got stuck in another traffic jam.”
Zheng Wei Qiao nodded. The two checked their things and got in the truck.
What he didn’t see is that just after he left, the huge truck finally moved and turned the corner with difficulty. The s.p.a.ce that it blocked before was completely exposed.
This was an old street and there were many vendors selling various kinds of snacks along the roadside. They spoke in the purest Beijing accent and most of them sold old-fashioned snacks that had been circulating the land for hundreds of years. The whole street contained the most authentic Chinese cuisine of B City so a lot of tourists came over to visit.
Of course, the most popular ones were and .
On the trolley, there were countless scorpions, pupae and other strange things stuck on skewers. In the hot pan, various other things were being fried and this attracted a lot of tourists. Few people dared to try it though.
A blond man bent down halfway and looked at the scorpions that were strung together. His eyes focused on the one at the top, swallowing his saliva, he carefully said, “Cough, cough. . . Min, the Chinese really are daring, they can even eat this thing. Can this really be eaten? Will it not. . . isn’t it poisonous?”
Standing beside Daniel was a tall and handsome man. Min Chen was wearing a high-collared trench coat*, he looked down at the fried scorpions in the oil pan. He didn’t seem to hear Daniel, but his thin lips was growing tighter and tighter.
*Kuroshinji: It says windbreaker but that doesn’t seem like his style. I changed it to trench coat. He’s a haute couture kinda guy, windbreaker must be pleb like to him lol
After a long while, a low and magnetic voice rang out, “I want to eat.”
Daniel was curiously looking at the bunch of scorpions nearest to him, not daring to touch them, looking back and forth. Hearing Min Chen’s sudden words, he was so scared he almost touched the tong full of scorpions.
Daniel stared at Min Chen in horror, “You actually want to eat this ghost!!! Oh my G.o.d, Auston! You’re terrible!!!”
Daniel rarely said the name “Auston Bertram” but, at this moment, he was horrified enough to blurt out a fluent string of English words, completely forgetting where he was.
Min Chen glanced at Daniel and gently said, “You eat.”
“My G.o.d, you actually eat this terrible thing. . . Why would I eat it? Clearly, you’re the one who wanted to!” Daniel shrieked in horror.
Min Chen opened his mouth and lightly said, “I do not dare to eat it.”
“. . .”
Not daring to eat, yet you still want me to eat!!!
Daniel face turned blue, “I don’t dare to eat it! Then what are you going to eat, ah? We’re not eating this ghost!”
Who would expect that Min Chen would raise his gaze and, with a seemingly plain tone, say with a smile, “You’re British*, right. . . Eat it and tell me what it tastes like.”
*Kuroshinji: I knew it! There’s always a jab at British cuisine whenever food is involved lmao
Daniel: “. . .”
I grew up in Germany!
I have never eaten any dark dishes from the Dark Empire, okay!!!
That evening, Qi Mu and Wei Qiao were so busy that they sweat heavily but finally, managed to sort everything out.
And, at sunset that day, after making his will, Daniel, with the appearance of a “righteous and generous man” finally opened his mouth to taste the horrible fried scorpions. After the first bite, Daniel opened his eyes and chewed it again twice.
“Huh?! It’s delicious!!!”
Min Chen: “. . .”
The man voluntarily and spontaneously took two steps to the side, leaving this creature of the Dark Cuisine Empire one meter from him.
But after a moment, Daniel moved to carry a bunch of fried scorpions and cicadas skewers in his hand. While chewing, he looked at Min Chen and said, “Min, it’s very good of you to live so close by! These are all very delicious, we have to come to eat often!*”
*Kuroshinji: Serves you right, Min.
Min Chen: “. . .”
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Translated by Kuroshinji, edited by Betwixted.
Betwixted: This chapter makes me pity and adore Daniel. He"s so funny, but he"s destined to be bullied by the male lead. Of course, Min Chen looks like he"s going to stick his foot in his own mouth on occasion, like today, but this is still hilarious! I wonder how Min"s going to get out of trying those scorpions? (Also, who else noticed that Qi Mu is moving into the same neighborhood as Min Chen? Or, at least, relatively close by considering they stopped for lunch not too far from his new apartment and Daniel says Min Chen lives near to that area too. . .)