Chopped Chili Fish Head is Awesome

The rain had already lightened considerably.

Fang Qi stood under the eaves of the mall entrance, watching that familiar pink "chopped pepper fish head" — a tiny boxy car — turn the corner from the street.

The car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, and Lin Xiaoyou poked her head out of the driver's seat!

"Senior!"

She blinked and waved at him, grinning cheekily.

"Get in already!"

Fang Qi: "..."

Suddenly, there was a certain urge to punch her round little face... What to do...

Tsk.

He pulled open the door and plopped himself into the backseat.

He leaned back fully, still carrying the dampness from being drenched just moments ago.

The seat cushion was still a bit moist — leftover from last night's storm.

"Senior, have you eaten?"

Lin Xiaoyou turned around from the front seat, clutching a paper bag, and shoved it straight into his arms!

"Freshly baked bread, still warm!"

Fang Qi glanced down.

Inside the bag lay a few plump bread rolls, their crusts baked a golden brown, indeed still steaming.

Oh, ho.

This was her peace offering?

Fine, he'd take it.

His wife didn't allow him to skip lunch, anyway.

He tore off a piece and stuffed it into his mouth — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The taste was actually pretty good!

Lin Xiaoyou only then turned back around, gave the steering wheel a twist...

In the drizzling rain, the pink "chopped pepper fish head" silently glided into the lane and drove off.

The rain wasn't heavy.

Fang Qi chewed the bread, watching the fine streaks of rain on the window.

The sky was still gray, but compared to that earlier sudden thunderclap and torrential downpour, it had calmed down considerably.

All thanks to the fact that he'd been muttering in his head for a good while!

— Honey, don't be angry!

— You know how crazy Lin Xiaoyou is; she's just got a sharp tongue!

— Once we get back, I'll fully support whatever you want to do to her!

— Braise her, chop her with peppers, whatever!

And then, the rain lightened up a bit...

Fang Qi felt like he was coaxing the heavens...

No wait, should it be "Heavenly Matron"?

Hmm...

He chewed the bread and leaned back.

Anyway, the goddess seemed satisfied with that proposal.

He didn't say a word.

In the car, there was only the sound of the wipers sweeping back and forth and the noise of him chewing.

Lin Xiaoyou gripped the steering wheel with both hands, sneaking a glance at him in the rearview mirror.

Fang Qi ignored her.

She glanced again.

Fang Qi still ignored her.

"...Senior!"

She finally couldn't hold it in.

"Is the bread good?"

Fang Qi chewed, staring out the window with a blank expression.

This girl, Lin Xiaoyou...

The more he lost his composure, the more he yelled and cursed at her, the more she fed on it!

Like she had some kind of special fetish!

So the best strategy right now was...

Don't talk, play it cool!

The silent treatment!

Sure enough, those almond-shaped eyes in the rearview mirror peeked at him again.

"...Senior? Why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me you..."

In the rearview mirror, Lin Xiaoyou winked at him:

"Don't you want to know what I've discovered these past two days?"

Fang Qi stuffed the last piece of bread into his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, and leaned back into the seat.

"Nope."

Flat tone.

"Hey—"

Fang Qi kept his face blank:

"You'd better start thinking about how you're going to face Liguang when we get back."

"Uh..."

In the rearview mirror, Lin Xiaoyou's neck shrank a little.

She gripped the wheel with both hands, her gaze darting between the road ahead and the mirror.

"Senior, I was doing it for the sake of the perfect world..."

Her round little face instantly broke into a smile:

"I was just saying it for fun, it's not like I actually wanted to do it!"

"Liguang, Liguang, you're so magnanimous, you wouldn't get mad about this, right!"

As she said that, she blinked at him repeatedly!

"WHOOSH—!"

The rain outside suddenly intensified!

Thick raindrops slammed against the roof in a clatter!

The wipers couldn't keep up, and the water on the windshield smeared into a blur!

Fang Qi still kept a blank face.

Lin Xiaoyou's "chopped pepper fish head" almost skidded!

She hastily wrestled with the steering wheel before managing to steady it.

Then she scrunched up her little round face and grumbled:

"Alright, alright, I was wrong..."

"Just... spare my life when the time comes..."

Fang Qi's mouth twitched slightly.

Spare your life?

What were you even hoping for?

He'd already...

Prepared to reset the timeline and revive her after she "hit the chopping block"!

The "chopped pepper fish head" continued on through the rain.

Fang Qi leaned against the seat, watching the rain-washed streets outside.

The leaves of the roadside trees gleamed green, and a few pedestrians hurried past under their umbrellas.

The rainy scenery of this city wasn't any different from the other timeline.

"Come on, Senior, don't be mad."

Lin Xiaoyou's voice came from the front seat, suddenly a few notches lighter.

"I'll take you to that mountain with the 'secret base' right now!"

The car stopped at an intersection waiting for the light. Lin Xiaoyou turned around and grinned at him.

"Isn't it the place you've been wanting to go for ages!"

Fang Qi was momentarily taken aback.

So they were really going to that mountain now...?

To be honest, Lin Xiaoyou agreeing this readily...

He actually wasn't quite prepared.

That shout of "Let's go right now!" in the pouring rain earlier was partly fueled by emotion.

He'd originally wanted to take a few more turns around this city, to show Liguang the sights that might soon "disappear."

After this trip...

Whether they could return to this timeline at all — no one could say for sure.

"...Going straight there now?"

He couldn't help but ask.

"Of course!"

The light turned green. Lin Xiaoyou floored it, and the pink "chopped pepper fish head" silently shot across the intersection.

"Didn't Senior say to set off now!"

Her tone was matter-of-fact.

"Perfect timing — it's still work hours, so my family thinks I'm at the office!"

"If I'd waited until after work to sneak out and find you... that would've been a real hassle!"

"Gotta check in, gotta be home by curfew — such a pain!"

Fang Qi leaned back in the seat, looking at that cheerful round face in the rearview mirror.

Her eyes curved like crescent moons, but her hands on the steering wheel were gripping a little too tight.

"Senior, isn't it weird?"

She kept rambling.

"I'm already working, a grown adult — why does my family still keep such a tight leash on me!"

"My little brother is way younger, and my dad never cares what time he gets home. Why is it just me they restrict? That's so unfair...!"

She just kept complaining!

Fang Qi stayed silent.

Even though Lin Xiaoyou was griping, those almond-shaped eyes in the rearview mirror were still curved.

"...Actually, no need to rush."

He spoke up.

"You could... go back and see them one more time."

Honestly, there was no rush.

Liguang had come back to see him.

Liguang was by his side the whole time.

He could read his goddess wife's mood from the weather.

Liguang was the "goddess" of this world, and her power seemed to be growing?

So right now, he really wasn't in a hurry.

But Lin Xiaoyou didn't say anything.

The car was filled only with the sound of the wipers wiping across the windshield, one sweep after another.

She held the steering wheel with both hands, her eyes fixed straight on the road ahead, her lips pressed together slightly.

Fang Qi leaned back in his seat and turned his head to look out the window.

"I actually... also quite want to meet Mr. Lin Zhouyuan," he said.

This was indeed the truth.

He was really a bit interested in that young ghost whose eye he had shot off with a single bullet.

That middle - aged man in the access card photo, wearing glasses and with a small mole at the corner of his eye.

A researcher under his father and also a friend of Uncle Fang Yi...

...Huh?

Fang Qi blinked.

Fang Yi?

In this world, Fang Yi should still be alive, right? And he shouldn't have been transformed into...

"Hey, senior!"

Lin Xiaoyou suddenly interrupted his train of thought.

Fang Qi instinctively looked at the rear - view mirror.

She pursed her lips and smiled, but it was different from her usual annoying, playful smile.

"Forget it, forget it. What's the point of meeting?

"It's not like it's the last time we'll see each other!"

She said in a brisk tone:

"Later, when I find the perfect world - line, I can see them every day!"

"At that time, I can see them as many times as I want. Why worry about not seeing enough?"

The car stopped at the next crossroads.

In the rear - view mirror, she slightly raised her head, staring at the red light that was still counting down...

The light in her almond - shaped eyes flickered slightly.

"And, senior, I...," her voice softened.

"I'll really be reluctant."

"They are so nice, so nice that..."

She gently pursed her lips.

"So nice that I didn't even dare to stay at home today."

"I'm afraid that if I stay any longer, I really..."

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

"I'll not want to leave."

Fang Qi was silent.

The rain outside the window had become much lighter, pattering on the car roof sparsely.

Lin Xiaoyou, you're really such a contradictory person.

Annoying, yet at the same time, making people want to...

"However, senior!"

Lin Xiaoyou suddenly turned her head!

Her almond - shaped eyes curved again, and the corners of her mouth twitched up!

Fang Qi: "?"

Looking at her expression, he immediately became vigilant in his heart!

This expression...

What are you up to again?!

"You want to meet my dad?"

She grinned at Fang Qi!

"Well, it's not impossible. My dad said yesterday that he wanted to meet you!"

...?

Fang Qi's eyes froze.

Who?

Lin Xiaoyou's dad wanted to meet him?

Why?

Could it be...!

"Does your dad know my parents in this world too?!"

He stared at the chubby, smiling face in the rear - view mirror!

It made sense.

Come to think of it...

Sister An Lian's parents knew his parents in this world - line.

But then again, he still didn't know why the two families knew each other...

But since An Lian's parents - two people who had had no connection with his family in previous world - lines - knew his parents...

Then Lin Xiaoyou's father...!

"I don't know. I didn't ask," said Lin Xiaoyou.

...Huh?

Fang Qi was stunned.

"...What do you mean?"

But Lin Xiaoyou just giggled and blinked her almond - shaped eyes:

"Because yesterday, when my family interrogated me, I said I was with my boyfriend, who is also my senior at the company!"

She said in a self - righteous tone!

"My dad smiled so kindly and said that he wanted me to bring my boyfriend home today and that he would treat him well!"

Fang Qi: "..."

Outside the car window, the sky that had been about to clear up...

Suddenly turned cloudy again!

Several dark clouds drifted over from somewhere and slowly gathered in the sky!

Fang Qi felt a chill down his back!

"Senior actually wants to go back with me to meet my parents!"

Lin Xiaoyou continued to embellish the story:

"If senior really wants to go, it's not a problem either~ Then let's go now...!"

"Go to hell! I'm not going!"

Fang Qi almost flew into a rage again!

Wife, don't be angry, don't be angry!

When we get back, you can deal with her however you want!

I'll raise both hands and feet in approval!

Lin Xiaoyou giggled and stopped talking.

She held the steering wheel with both hands, gently turned the wheel, and the pink "chili pepper fish head" (referring to the car) silently turned onto the overpass.

As for Fang Qi...

He leaned back on the seat, and after his mood gradually calmed down, he squinted and looked at Lin Xiaoyou's back in the front seat.

...He vaguely sensed something wrong.

Why did it seem...

Was she using this way to prevent him from meeting her family?

Or was he just overthinking? Was it simply that she didn't want to go back to say goodbye?

...?

...Forget it.

He shook his head.

It didn't matter anyway.

After all, his wife was a goddess! An all - knowing goddess!

When his wife came back and could talk to him again...

He could just ask his wife directly!

All the secrets would be revealed.

"Sigh..."

He let out a breath, turned his head, and looked at the guardrails speeding by outside the car window.

Well...

It was really familiar.

It was this road again.

Even in a different world - line, he was already very familiar with this road.

If you kept going on the overpass for hundreds of kilometers, then drove on a mountain road after getting off the overpass...

You could reach the foot of that mountain.

It was quite a long journey.

In the previous world - line, this pink "chili pepper fish head" had been heavily modified and could reach a speed of 500 miles per hour on the overpass!

It could get there in just over an hour.

But...

That was a thing of the previous world - line.

Fang Qi glanced at Lin Xiaoyou in the rear - view mirror.

She held the steering wheel with both hands, and her expression was quite relaxed, but the speed at which she was driving...

It was significantly slower than usual.

It made sense.

Now this car was just an ordinary small electric car, quietly driving on the overpass.

At this speed...

Fang Qi slightly frowned and thought.

Once before, he and Liguang took a taxi to that mountain.

It was the time when Liguang was tricked by Lin Xiaoyou's computer and came back to give Lin Xiaoyou a good spanking on her butt.

It usually took about three or four hours to drive there.

It was quite a long - distance journey.

"Lin Xiaoyou, if you get tired of driving, I can take over," he said subconsciously.

"Ah, it's okay, it's okay!"

Lin Xiaoyou immediately waved her hand.

"I'm not tired. It's just driving a car!"

Then she blinked:

"However, senior, I...,"

"I have a little bit of bad news to tell you..."

...?!

Fang Qi's heart skipped a beat!

Bad news?

"What bad news?!"

He immediately asked!

Lin Xiaoyou, don't cause any trouble!

Lin Xiaoyou glanced at him in the rear - view mirror and said sheepishly:

"Senior, you know, this car... hasn't been modified!"

"So, its total range is less than 300 kilometers..."

"And then..."

"I forgot to charge it last night! And I've driven quite a lot today!"

Fang Qi: "?"

"Anyway... senior, now this car only has about 80 kilometers of battery left!"

Her tone was extremely innocent.

"So, senior..."

Lin Xiaoyou blinked at him in the rear - view mirror.

"We may... need to find a charging station on the way to charge the car? Hehe..."

She smiled a little guiltily:

"So, I guess..."

"We won't get there until around five or six o'clock in the afternoon!"

The carriage was silent for a moment.

Fang Qi: "..."

What a "bad news".

Fine.

The "chili pepper fish head" is amazing.