Chapter 5: Can I Treat You to Some Steamed Buns?
After eating, Chen Nanxing used her phone to scan the QR code and pay the bill.
Chen An watched curiously.
After they walked outside for a few steps, Chen An tentatively asked, “Can I take a look at your phone?”
“Here.”
Chen Nanxing had noticed his movements earlier, so she wasn’t surprised. Instead, she patiently explained the phone’s functions and how to use them.
Chen An already knew how to use a smartphone, so he deliberately acted as though he could learn everything after being taught just once.
As a teacher, Chen Nanxing felt quite accomplished.
“Chen An, you’re really smart. You learned so quickly. Have you used a phone like this before?”
“No. My master used to have a phone, and it was much better than yours. It was extremely durable. You could even use it as a hammer.”
As he spoke, he gestured with his hand.
Chen Nanxing immediately realized he was talking about one of those old brick phones with incredibly long battery life.
She became curious.
“If your master had a phone, why don’t you have one?”
“Buried it.”
He said it so casually that Chen Nanxing froze.
Then she realized how stupid her question had been.
They returned to the place where Chen An had been sleeping earlier.
Chen Nanxing hesitated before suggesting, “Um… could you stay here and look at the stars with me?”
“Sure. Even without you, I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway, so I’d have to look at the stars…”
It was a simple sentence, but hearing it made Chen Nanxing’s heart ache.
An inexperienced little Taoist priest with no family or relatives had come to this dazzling, extravagant metropolis.
At night, a park bench was his bed, and the sky was his blanket…
And she had even…
She felt incredibly guilty.
Fortunately, she had managed to overcome that improper thought.
Chen Nanxing, you can’t do that. Absolutely not…
Chen Nanxing and Chen An chatted casually while looking at the stars.
Gradually, Chen Nanxing learned more about Chen An’s life.
She found his unusual upbringing quite fascinating.
“My dad told me that when I was born, there was an especially bright South Pole Star in the southern sky, so he named me Nanxing.”
“Uh… your father really wasn’t very educated, was he?” Chen An said bluntly.
“Why do you say that?” Chen Nanxing asked, confused.
“My master taught me about this before. We live in the Northern Hemisphere, so we can’t see the South Pole Star.”
“Really?”
Chen Nanxing froze.
Curious, she took out her phone and searched it.
She discovered that he was actually right.
She looked at him in surprise.
“Your master really was impressive. He knew so much. I’ve had this name for so many years, yet I never knew this.”
“Ah, just thinking about all the times I introduced myself to other people… that’s so embarrassing!”
Chen An coughed and said,
“Maybe your father simply saw it incorrectly. What he saw might have been the ancient ‘South Pole Star.’ Its full name is the South Pole Old Man Star, which is also associated with the Star of Longevity and symbolizes a long life.”
“Look, it’s that one. See it?”
Following Chen An’s finger, Chen Nanxing saw the star.
Sure enough, it stood out brilliantly among the night sky.
She couldn’t help staring at it in fascination.
“You really know a lot. It seems your master was truly remarkable…”
“Of course. My master knew everything from astronomy to geography. He could predict five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future. His medical skills were also incredible. Everyone within ten miles of our village knew about him…”
Once Chen An started talking about his master, he couldn’t stop.
He told her about all kinds of his master’s glorious achievements.
He even included the story of how he had given the village widow’s pig twice the normal dosage of medicine…
At first, Chen Nanxing listened with great interest.
But the more she listened, the stranger things became.
In the end, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
She covered her stomach and burst out laughing.
In the quiet night, her laughter was loud enough to startle anyone who happened to be nearby.
The two of them chatted happily.
Although Chen Nanxing hadn’t experienced many of the things Chen An talked about, she listened extremely attentively.
She was genuinely glad that she had come out tonight to look at the stars.
Otherwise, she would never have met Chen An.
Thinking about certain things, she couldn’t help fantasizing.
Could it be that Heaven really is looking after me?
Suddenly, a hurried ringtone interrupted their conversation and thoughts.
Chen Nanxing picked up her phone.
It was her mother calling.
She quickly answered.
“Hello, Mom. I’m fine. I just came out to get some fresh air. No, I’m coming back right now. Don’t worry…”
After hanging up, Chen Nanxing was extremely reluctant to leave.
She looked at Chen An.
“Are you really going to sleep here tonight? How about I give you some money and you get a room nearby? Do you have your ID card?”
“Give me money? No, no. I’m fine sleeping here…”
“You said that what you gave me was very precious. A little money is nothing compared to that…”
Chen Nanxing quickly explained.
At that moment, Chen An suddenly froze.
He looked toward the pocket of the suit with a nervous expression.
Chen Nanxing rolled her eyes at him.
“With how careless you are, it’s a miracle you haven’t lost it already.”
Chen An took the box from her.
He carefully placed it against his chest before finally relaxing.
But he still looked at Chen Nanxing seriously.
“Don’t tell anyone about this, understand?”
“Uh, about that…”
“Don’t ‘uh’ and ‘about that’ me.”
“This was something my master told me on his deathbed. This thing was passed down by the successive ancestors of our sect.”
“Apparently, if anyone finds out about it, it will cause a huge bloody storm.”
Seeing Chen An’s serious expression, Chen Nanxing couldn’t help forming all sorts of strange theories in her mind.
Could this be some secret imperial medicine? Something that grants immortality?
Maybe one of Chen An’s ancestors stole it from the imperial palace?
Considering the way Chen An talked about his master, it actually seemed surprisingly plausible…
“Alright, you should go back. Your family will be worried.”
“And remember, you absolutely cannot tell anyone about this, okay?”
“I know.”
“Oh, right. I’ll give you some money. Go find a room nearby. That way, I’ll be able to find you too.”
“Why do you want to find me?”
Chen An looked at her suspiciously.
“Can’t I just find you to chat?”
The two stared at each other.
One had her hand extended, while the other was holding his phone, ready to scan a QR code.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
At least, that’s how Chen Nanxing felt.
“Um… I didn’t bring any cash. How about you wait for me a little while?”
“No need. Go back. I’m going to sleep.”
Chen An waved his hand as though he didn’t care at all and immediately lay down on the bench.
Chen Nanxing looked at him with a mixture of helplessness and conflict.
She stepped forward and draped the jacket over him.
“I’m going back now. But… could you stay here and not leave?”
“I’ll treat you to steamed buns tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Steamed buns? Are they meat-filled?”
Chen An immediately became energetic.
He blinked his big eyes at Chen Nanxing.
“Meat-filled. Pure meat. Don’t worry, and I’ll make sure you’re full.”
Chen Nanxing hadn’t expected the trick to work so well.
She secretly breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Chen An thought for a moment.
Still somewhat suspicious, he gestured with his hands.
“They’ll be this big, right? I can eat six.”
“No problem. Then I’ll head back. Good night…”
Looking at Chen An’s expression, Chen Nanxing suddenly felt inexplicably relaxed.
When Chen Nanxing returned to the hospital ward, her mother was frantic with worry.
But when she saw that Chen Nanxing’s complexion looked much better, her expression became even more troubled.
Thinking about what the doctor had said—that her daughter had at most one week left—
Could this be a final rally before death?
Chen Nanxing had no idea what her mother was thinking.
She simply comforted her with a few words before returning to bed.
She deliberately set an alarm, afraid that Chen An would go hungry in the morning.
Meanwhile, Chen An slept soundly.
After all, there was nothing valuable on him that anyone could steal.
As for the three yuan and twenty cents and the pill, he had naturally stored them inside the system space.
