This place used to just be part of Pingcheng Street too, but ever since the redevelopment of Pingcheng New Street, this area naturally became known as “Pingcheng Old Street.”

Second hand appliance stores, retro arcades, packed but tidy used bookstores, old men playing chess¹ in smoky game rooms, and corner shops with those old coin-operated kiddie rides out front—this was Rinka’s so-called “paradise.” Just a few blocks away from Pingcheng New Street, yet here the decline was visible to the naked eye.

“Paradise?” I echoed.

“You probably wouldn’t get it,” she smiled softly, her voice warm. “When we were in elementary school, Grandpa Yan would bring Liuliu and me here every time he came to play chess.”

I actually did get it. Growing up in a neighborhood not too different from this, most of my childhood was spent at the corner store on Mifeng Street with Zhao Zhao and Haitang—buying snack packs, pulling card packs, sipping a one-yuan Coke, and getting fifty cents back when we returned the bottle.

Aside from our parents and teachers, the third most familiar adult was the fathead guy who ran the shop. Well, he’s the Old Fathead guy now.

Still, it was surprising to find such an unpolished street in the middle of downtown—it was like finding a humble jianbing² cart in a Michelin-starred restaurant. So outdated, yet somehow, deeply comforting.

“Not a fan of the date spot?” Rinka asked when I stopped at the street entrance, unsure.

She tilted her head to look at me, black hair falling to one side, catching the light like strands of silk.

“No, no. Not at all—it actually feels kind of nostalgic.”

“Glad to hear it. Come on, let’s eat first.”

Despite saying that, she led me into a tiny noodle shop on the street.

It did sell rice dishes and dumplings too, but the name clearly said “Noodle House,” and with places this old, there’s always a sense of pride. If it says “noodle,” then that’s what they’re best at.

We lifted the thick curtain draped above an old wooden beam above the entrance and stepped into the weathered interior. The wallpaper was yellowing and had faint patches of mold. Definitely hadn’t been renovated in years.

But the standing AC unit by the door was blasting like crazy—so cold it made your head hurt after a minute. A small TV hung in the corner, and there was a fridge by the counter stocked with chilled Coke and other ingredients that needed to stay cool.

The menu was handwritten on bamboo strips, nailed to the wall. Simple, but with quite a variety. Faced with so many noodle options, I froze—decision paralysis.

Rinka, clearly a regular, didn’t even glance at the menu. After a moment’s thought, she called out:

“One fish belly noodle!”

Fish belly? If not cooked right, that’d ruin the whole bowl with a nasty fishy taste.

“Coming up!” a voice called from the back—low and aged, probably a middle-aged woman.

“I’ll have the mushroom stewed chicken noodles. And two Cokes!”

When trying a new place, it’s always best to play it safe. You don’t want your taste buds ambushed.

“Help yourself to the drinks in the fridge!” the voice added.

While the noodles were being made, Rinka picked a seat directly under the AC. I opened the fridge and pulled out two glass-bottled Cokes.

“So, are you here today to reconnect with your innocent, carefree childhood?” I teased.

“Something like that... Hey Kai, how do you think I’ve been doing lately?”

“Just today? Or since Aqua World?”

“Both.”

She looked at me with wide, expectant eyes that made my heart flutter a little. I had to remind myself—the Rinka in front of me was now 100% female.

“Hmm… let me think. Back then, if I’d tried ducking into a bookstore just to enjoy the AC, you’d have dragged me right back out, wouldn’t you?”

Her eyes widened. “Huh?! Why bring that up now? Wasn’t it you guys who told me to just go with the flow and be myself?!”

Whether she was playing dumb or not, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I grabbed the bottle opener from the table, popped her Coke open with a hiss of white mist, and pushed it toward her with a straw.

“I’m just teasing you. Honestly, instead of asking me, maybe ask yourself—do you feel like you’re being true to who you are? How does it feel to act on your feelings?”

“I’ve been trying to be mindful. If I just acted however I wanted, you might end up hating me.”

“Then say it. If you never say it, how would you know?”

“You swear you won’t get mad?”

“I promise.”

She sipped her Coke, eyes wavering for a moment before firming up.

“…I wish you’d ditch those lame, chunky glasses of yours.”

“Denied!!”

“See?! You are mad!”

“….”

She giggled, poking the “#” shaped crease on my forehead while I resisted the urge to throttle her.

“Fish belly noodles and chicken mushroom noodles!” The slightly chubby woman from the back brought out the food, smiling warmly.

“Well, if it isn’t little Rinka! Haven’t seen this young man in a while—getting prettier every time, huh? And your voice has changed too! I didn’t even recognize you just now—thought to myself, who else would know to order our best fish belly noodles?”

Wait—this was their signature dish?

“I’ve changed a lot. Oh! Let me introduce you, Aunt Yu, this is my boyfriend. We’re on a date today.”

COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH—

I nearly choked on my first mouthful of noodles.

“Boyfriend?” The woman scanned me up and down like she had X-ray vision. “Rinka, dear, you better be careful not to get scammed.”

“What? Can’t I have a boyfriend?”

“Well, sure… but that nice Yan family boy is so much better than this one.”

“Hey! I can hear you, you know!” Talk about brutal.

The “Yan family boy” had to be Yan Liuzhuan. So I’m not as good as him, huh?

Sure, I didn’t have his grades, or his money, or his refined taste in art… But I was prettier, okay?!

Wait a sec—was I seriously comparing myself like a decorative vase? A male vase?! This was getting depressing.

I shook my head to snap myself out of it.

“Rinka, I’m not denying the date, but since when was I your boyfriend?”

“Wow, Kai. We’re out here on a date, and you still won’t admit we’re together? What am I to you—just a fling?”

…(rage)

For a second, I seriously wanted to throttle this brat. But judging by the way that auntie casually rolled up her sleeves, if anyone got throttled, it’d be me.

“Alright, boss, I’m just kidding. We’re just friends.”

Ah… at least she had some mercy.

“But I mean, come on—she’s a girl. How could she be my boyfriend?”

And just like that, she snatched off my oversized glasses. The shop auntie’s eyes went wide as saucers. She stared at me like I was some kind of witchcraft, even rubbed her eyes like she didn’t trust her own vision—her mouth so wide open, she would have caught a whole egg in it.

So much for having mercy. Rinka was a literal demon the moment she took off her mask.

“Oh my, you really are a girl! I must’ve totally misjudged—wait here, I’ll go grab you an extra egg.”

As soon as she left, I turned on Rinka, annoyed.

“What the hell was that?!”

“Are you mad? Didn’t you promise not to be?”

She handed my glasses back.

“You did that just to tick me off!”

“Turns out, following my heart might still get me into trouble with Kai-chan.”

“People really do need a little disguise in life…”

The auntie came back and gave both of us a soft-fried egg as a topping.

You think a single egg’s gonna make up for my emotional trauma?

…

It was a runny yolk.

So delicious.