Li Caiyi got off of the taxi and gazed at the tall building in front of her. She could not believe she was here again.
It wasn't easy for her to find this place. The road, the scenery, and everything were different from what she remembered. Even the apartment building looked much older and smaller than the one in her memory. It was a good thing she asked around, or she probably would miss this place.
Shen Qiang's apartment was a five-level modern-style apartment. However, that same building was initially a two-level apartment during this time. The style was older, but the lawn was more spacious than in the future.
Li Caiyi assumed that this place must undergo a huge renovation before Shen Qiang moved in.
Li Caiyi was skeptical whether or not she could find Shen Qiang in here, but it would not hurt to try. So, Li Caiyi used the stairs to go to the second floor and stopped in front of the second room from the stairs. If everything remained the same, this room should be the one Shen Qiang used later.
With a thumping heart, Li Caiyi pressed on the intercom. A sound of footsteps followed by the voice of a woman resounded.
"Coming!"
The door opened, revealing a woman in her forties wearing an apron. "Yes? Who are you looking for?"
"Euhm, good afternoon, Ma'am. I was going to visit my friend, but I forgot which room he lived in. Is this Shen Qiang's residence?"
Li Caiyi studied the woman's reaction, but she showed no sense of familiarity on her face when she heard Shen Qiang's name.
"No, dear. Are you sure you came to the right apartment? Because I have lived here for a while and know everyone living here, but there is no person named Shen Qiang."
"I-Is that so?" Li Caiyi could not conceal her disappointment. She had expected this, but it was still disheartening when someone directly told her that.
"Yes, it is. How about you call that friend of yours again to make sure the address is correct?"
Li Caiyi nodded her head while smiling politely. "I'll do that. Thank you so much for your help, Ma'am. I'm sorry for bothering you."
"It's alright, dear. Good luck."
When Li Caiyi came out of the building, she made an X mark on her note. It seemed Shen Qiang didn't live here until some time later.
Although it was disappointing, Li Caiyi did not give up yet. She wanted to check on the noodle shop next, so she went to the nearest main street and stopped a taxi.
***
The noodle shop during her high school year looked like your average restaurant. The size was not as big as it was in the future, approximately twenty meters square at most. Li Caiyi looked up at the board name with Yueguang Noodle House written on it.
A delicious aroma wafted through the air. Although the sun was shining brightly on top of her head and it felt so hot, Li Caiyi just could not resist the temptation. She missed the original flavor of her youth, so she didn't hesitate when she entered the shop.
Li Caiyi chose the table in the corner and ordered a bowl of original-flavored noodles, the signature dish of this shop. As she waited, she observed every customer who came and went closely, hoping that Shen Qiang would suddenly appear among them.
Of course, it would not be that easy. When her order arrived, there were barely five customers with her included.
Li Caiyi took a bite and sighed in contentment.
'This is it! This is the taste of life!'
She was so happy she could not stop smiling. The noodles were delicious, and walking around to find an apartment drained her energy, so she was famished. Li Caiyi ate quickly, and when she drank the last drop of the soup, she felt like her rebirth might be a good thing for once.
"Aiyo, you looked like you enjoyed it so much, Miss."
Li Caiyi, who was cleaning the side of her mouth, jumped in surprise when an old man wearing an apron suddenly appeared beside her.
"Did I surprise you? The business is quiet for now, so I came out to take a look. When I saw you eat the noodles so deliciously, I could not help but want to talk to you." The old man smiled, making the wrinkle on the corner of his eyes curve into a crescent shape.
Li Caiyi was a bit embarrassed, knowing someone had witnessed her glutton moment. "The noodles were just too delicious."
"Haha, is that so? My hard work paid off then."
"Are you the cook of this shop, Sir?"
"I'm the cook and the owner of this shop. I'm so tired of having smelly men as my customers, so having a beautiful young lady like you to visit our humble shop is a very joyous thing."
Li Caiyi hurriedly waved her hand. "No, it should be me who has to thank you for making such a delicious dish. I will come here often in the future."
The old man's face got brighter instantly. "Well, that's the best news I heard today. You know, looking at your uniform reminded me of my granddaughter."
"Your granddaughter?" Li Caiyi tilted her head. "Did she also study at S International High School?"
"Yes. She is a clever and gentle child. I think you can be good friends with her."
Li Caiyi had lived her life once, but she never knew that the owner's granddaughter also went into the same high school as her.
Wait, this was not a time to talk leisurely about this. This was an excellent chance to ask the owner if he knew Shen Qiang!
"Excuse me, Sir. Can I ask something to you?"
The old man stroked his beard in a good mood. "What is it? Ask away."
"Do you happen to know any customer named Shen Qiang? He was a boy around my age."
The old man pondered for a bit before he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this old man has gotten so old. I can't say if I know a young man with that name. Maybe you can try asking my granddaughter about it? She sometimes helped around the shop, so she might have seen that young man before."
"Good idea. Can I meet your granddaughter for a bit?"
"Unfortunately, she is currently delivering a customer's order right now. If you wait for a while, she should be back soon."
"Thank you! I'll wait for her, then."
After that, Li Caiyi accompanied the old man to talk about many things. It felt like she was talking to her own grandfather, so Li Caiyi was delighted. Around fifteen minutes later, a girl carrying a metal delivery box in one hand and a helmet in another came into the shop.
"I'm back!"
"Oh, Little Ya! You have returned!" The old man greeted the girl. Meanwhile, Li Caiyi was stunned when she saw the girl who had just come in. That girl was also surprised when she saw Li Caiyi was sitting across from her grandfather.
"Zhou Ya?!"
"Li Caiyi?"