At 5 a.m., the sky over Hong Kong City was still dimly lit. Chen Han Sheng lay wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling. He had hoped that upon waking, there was a chance he would be back in 2019. But when he turned over and saw his copy of the *Dragon Ball* manga on the nightstand, he gave up on that thought.
"It seems like I'm really staying here," he sighed, then started brushing his teeth and washing his face. Liang Meijuan, awakened by the noise, glanced at the clock and said, "Wow, Young Master Chen is up so early today?"
"I'm hungry, Mom," Chen Han Sheng patted his stomach and said.
"Seems like you were woken up by hunger." Liang Meijuan never coddled her son. "If you're hungry, go buy breakfast yourself. Your dad and I are heading to the work canteen, and I need a little more sleep."
With that, Liang Meijuan went back to her room and locked the door, worried that Chen Han Sheng might disturb her again.
Chen Han Sheng was speechless. While Liang Meijuan had often expressed disagreement with Chen Zhaojun's way of raising their son, she unconsciously reinforced that method. Two years ago, when Chen Han Sheng was still in high school, Liang Meijuan proudly told her relatives that even if she and her husband suddenly got into a car accident, 15-year-old Chen Han Sheng would never starve in this world.
This remark had angered his grandmother, who shouted that if they couldn't care for the child, he should be sent back to the countryside.
Since his mother didn't care about him, Chen Han Sheng could only go downstairs by himself to find breakfast. There were few people on the streets, with only a few breakfast vendors setting up their stalls. The air was misty, and there was a chill on his skin, but it felt refreshing.
"Youtiao smells good..."
"Egg pancake looks nice..."
"The dumplings are still steaming hot..."
Chen Han Sheng walked by, his stomach growling. The egg pancake vendor noticed him and called out, "Hey, young man, would you like one?"
"OJBK," Chen Han Sheng quickly walked over, planning to add an egg, but then realized it was 2002, and he had no way of paying without a mobile phone.
"Damn it," he muttered. Liang Meijuan had also forgotten to give him any change, so Chen Han Sheng reluctantly gave up on the egg pancake. He wasn't opposed to paying on credit, but the vendor clearly was.
It was funny to think about how, despite being a millionaire in his past life, he now had no money to buy breakfast. But his attitude was good, and he wanted to adapt to the Hong Kong City of seventeen years ago, so he continued walking along the moat.
Before he knew it, he had walked several kilometers and ended up at the Shuangqiao Park.
There were already many older people doing their morning exercises. Chen Han Sheng had planned to sit for a while and then go home when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure. It was Xiao Rongyu.
She was jogging, wearing sports shorts.
"Xiao Rongyu!"
Chen Han Sheng waved from a stone bench.
Xiao Rongyu was surprised. It was only around 6:30, and Chen Han Sheng should have been sleeping early. Why was he here?
Then, it hit her. She wiped the sweat off her nose and hesitated before speaking, "Xiao Chen, I know how you feel, but I really don't want to be in a relationship while in college."
"What the heck?" Chen Han Sheng was confused. He thought she was talking about love at this early hour.
Seeing his expression, Xiao Rongyu sighed, "Aren't you here early, waiting for me?"
Chen Han Sheng froze.
"Also," Xiao Rongyu pouted, "Yesterday, you pretended not to recognize me. I guess that was to get my attention."
"Han Sheng, you really don't need to do this. I just want to focus on my studies."
She spoke sincerely, her voice gentle.
Chen Han Sheng didn't reply and swallowed hard.
"Not saying anything, huh? Did I guess right?" Xiao Rongyu's eyes sparkled with confidence.
Chen Han Sheng stared at her and then, to his surprise, nodded. "You're really too smart."
"How about this, I'll treat you to breakfast, and we can talk while we eat."
Chen Han Sheng, who had no money, spoke up first.
As expected, Xiao Rongyu shook her head. "Actually, I should treat you. You've always looked out for me when we were in school."
"Okay, then it's settled." Chen Han Sheng happily agreed and even suggested, "There's a bun shop near the police station. It has really good buns, and the soy milk and fried yellow beans are also really appetizing."
"Let's go try it," he said, visibly excited.
Xiao Rongyu was a bit confused by this sudden shift in conversation, her face showing bewilderment. How come it seemed like Chen Han Sheng was more interested in breakfast than anything else? She could only nod in agreement.
The bun shop was indeed popular, and Chen Han Sheng had often come here in his past life. Because it was located near the police station, there were many officers coming in and out. Someone greeted Xiao Rongyu, "Xiao Yu, eating breakfast?"
Afterward, they glanced at Chen Han Sheng, who was munching on his buns in silence.
Xiao Rongyu had a small appetite, and most of the time, she just watched Chen Han Sheng. She probably wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to start.
"Still too young," Chen Han Sheng thought as he ate three baskets of meat buns. He then looked at his belly and said, "You, you really shouldn't eat so much like this. What if you gain weight when you're older?"
Chen Han Sheng said this more out of personal reflection, but Xiao Rongyu found it interesting and asked, "Are you full?"
"Yes, I'm full. Thanks for the meal, I'm heading home now," Chen Han Sheng replied, taking a toothpick from his mouth and slowly walking out of the bun shop.
The shop owner was waiting for him to pay, but Chen Han Sheng had no money. He turned to look, noticing Xiao Rongyu was behind him, tying her hair.
Since she couldn't hear him, Chen Han Sheng joked, "Wait, my girlfriend will pay for me."
Just then, a middle-aged policeman wearing a second-level police rank walked in and overheard.
"Looks familiar," Chen Han Sheng thought. He exchanged a glance with the officer but couldn't recall his name. He simply nodded in greeting.
While waiting outside, Chen Han Sheng noticed the middle-aged policeman affectionately wiping sweat from Xiao Rongyu's face. The shop owner was gesturing toward their direction, muttering something.
"Uh-oh," Chen Han Sheng suddenly realized. He threw the toothpick away and loudly shouted, "Xiao Rongyu, something came up at home, I have to go."
Without waiting for any response, he hurried off.
---
This passage continues the lighthearted yet contemplative tone of Chen Han Sheng's interactions, with humor mixed in with moments of tension.