“Glug.”
The young man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
Was it because the noodles smelled so good?
No, it was because Whitaker Scarlett was so beautiful!
In this small, run-down county, was there really such a stunning beauty?
Her fair skin was dazzling, her eyes sparkled with a watery light, and her pointed chin added to her allure. The plain blue blouse she wore, stretched taut by her full chest, suddenly seemed anything but modest. A white bandage was wrapped around her forehead, and faint traces of blood showed through, making her appear even more delicate and pitiful.
Watching her take small bites of noodles, one couldn’t help but wish to become the noodles in her bowl… In truth, Scarlett had drawn countless admiring glances as she walked through the county today. Elizabeth thought people were staring because the mother and daughter were poorly dressed, but in reality, all those looks were for Scarlett.
The noodle stall lady clanged a bowl heavily, finally snapping the young man out of his trance.
“Are you ordering noodles or not?”
The young man, slightly embarrassed, handed a large food container to the stall owner. “Of course, I couldn’t resist the aroma wafting over from afar. Two servings, please, to go!”
His thick American accent revealed he wasn’t a local.
Scarlett frowned slightly. She had noticed people sneaking glances at her today, but none had been as blatant and daring as this outsider.
She still wasn’t fully accustomed to this face of hers. Having lived for decades with an unattractive one, it was easy to forget just how stunning she looked now. Simply buying a lock didn’t feel safe enough anymore; once she finished eating, she decided to buy a pair of scissors.
The broth boiled on a small stove, the noodles were thin and hand-rolled, and the outsider’s two servings were ready in no time. Even after paying, he seemed reluctant to leave, turning back to look several times as he walked away.
Elizabeth noticed something was off, too, and sped up her eating.
The 30-cent noodles came in large bowls. Elizabeth finished hers to the last drop of broth. People in those days, starved of oil and meat, could eat with abandon—women could easily eat a pound of steamed buns in one sitting.
Afterwards, Scarlett dragged Elizabeth along to buy scissors.
She had wanted to buy a kitchen knife earlier, a stainless steel one that looked of excellent quality and was produced in a major city. However, at 5 dollars apiece, Scarlett had walked away immediately. As good as the knife was, her money couldn’t stretch that far. On second thought, a pair of scissors would do for now.
…
The outsider carried the noodle-filled containers back to his vehicle, but in his reluctance, some broth spilled.
In the driver’s seat sat a man with a crew cut, his face sharp and chiseled. By any era’s standards, he was undeniably handsome.
“Look at you, acting like you’ve never seen a woman before!”
The man who went to buy the noodles protested. “Brother Kay, I swear, I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful. If you saw her, I guarantee you’d be just as smitten.”
America might have countless beauties walking the streets, but he had never seen anyone more striking than the girl from earlier.
She wasn’t the bold, imposing kind of beauty but soft, charming, and alluring—the kind of beauty that captivated men completely.
“We agreed beforehand that this would be your only ride-along, so try to learn as much as you can from this trip. If you can’t handle it, stay behind wherever you like. Or you can settle here in this county and chase after your ‘dream girl,’” Brother Kay teased, using a slang term for pursuing women.
Brother Kay had a slightly roguish air and a bad temper. His companion didn’t dare retort and fell silent. After finishing their noodles, the two drove off in the truck.
No matter how fast one’s legs were, they couldn’t outrun four wheels. After driving through two streets, they happened to pass by Scarlett and her mother again.
“Brother Kay, look quickly!”
