Should I try saying it like this?
"Mr. Tang, I have some questions I'd like to ask you in person."
No way!
With multimedia being so advanced nowadays, what if he replies, "Just call me"? What then?
If I can't explain it over the phone, there's always video calls, right?
Han Qiwu picked up his phone only to put it down again, debated for a moment, then went back to doing physical exercises.
A strong body is the most important thing, after all!
But... I can't exactly use my physique to invite Mr. Tang, can I?
So Han Qiwu spent the next half an hour doing exercises while daydreaming aimlessly.
[Physical Strength Technique Level 0: (66/100)]
Just as Han Qiwu took a break, a message notification popped up.
"How's the research lately? I don't have any classes tomorrow."
On a sparkling, starlit high-rise balcony, Tang Qingying was fiddling with a Lego set while biting her lip.
"Is this going to scare him off?"
"But that mandarin fish was just too delicious. I've tried so many places after I got back, and none of them come close."
"Once you've had the best, everything else feels like settling. How am I supposed to eat fish after this?"
"Sigh… If only I could learn how to communicate with people."
Tang Qingying put down the Lego, glanced again at the guide on her tablet.
The guide's title: How to Mooch a Meal.
"Ding-dong."
Hearing the notification sound, Tang Qingying eagerly grabbed her phone.
"Still researching."
"Okay then, Mr. Tang, get some good rest since it's your day off (big grin emoji)."
Tang Qingying froze in place.
"What kind of guide is this?! Completely useless."
After pondering for a while, Tang Qingying opened a research database and searched for papers related to meal-mooching.
A few minutes later, she admitted defeat.
"Mooching meals is way too hard!" Tang Qingying slumped onto the couch, eyes filled with despair.
"Ding-dong."
Tang Qingying slowly crawled off the couch and shuffled over to the phone, muttering to herself: "What should I eat tomorrow? Should I try cooking again? Worst-case scenario, I'll just renovate the kitchen afterward."
In Water Buffalo Town, Han Qiwu stared nervously at his phone, wishing he could slap himself.
Why did I split the message into two parts?
Couldn't I have sent it all in one go?
What's with the itchy fingers? Why did I have to click 'send'? Why not just press Enter?
It was supposed to be: "Still researching. Mr. Tang, get some good rest, it's your day off (big grin emoji). Why not come over and try some tuna? I just caught one today."
But as soon as he sent the first part, Han Qiwu realized something felt wrong.
Now, after sending the big grin emoji, he didn't know what to say next.
The first two sentences seemed blatantly like a rejection to Mr. Tang.
After thinking it over for a good while, Han Qiwu finally mustered the courage to send the third part: "Why not come over and try some tuna I just caught today."
Staring at his dim screen that still hadn't lit up, Han Qiwu's heart sank along with it.
"It's all the telecom company's fault for upgrading to 5G. Wasn't 2G perfectly fine? The slower speeds gave you time to think. You could even block a message by cutting off the internet. But now, everything's so fast—zoop! They see it before you can even think about unsending it."
Han Qiwu's mind was a chaotic mess.
"Okay, I'll be there at noon tomorrow. I'll also take a look at your research progress." Tang Qingying's reply arrived with her signature personal touch.
"Alright, I'll prep the tuna."
"Yay!"
On opposite ends of the screen, both of them cheered.
But a second later, Han Qiwu sensed something was off.
Wait a second, she said she'll 'take a look at research progress'?
Research progress?
How am I supposed to report this? "Teacher, you might not believe this, but I've obtained a magical farming system. It takes just seven days to grow European carrots, and all my fishing depends on a game."
Han Qiwu worried he'd be sent straight to the Red Mountain Second Hospital.
"Sigh, maybe this is the downside of inviting a teacher to a meal. Something as simple as eating has to get tied to studies." Han Qiwu shook his head as he walked into his house and turned on his computer to draft a rough outline for his paper.
Time flies when you're writing a paper. Before he knew it, it was 11:58 PM.
Han Qiwu stretched and prepared for bed. He'd never stayed up this late since arriving in Water Buffalo Town.
But what other choice did he have? His supervisor was visiting. Could he face her empty-handed?
Just as he lay in bed, he suddenly felt the urge to use the bathroom.
Humans are such troublesome creatures.
After stepping out of the bathroom, it was already past midnight.
As he climbed back into bed, a notification flashed in his vision.
[You've been working for too long. You're overdrawn.]
Han Qiwu: "???" Overdrawn... kidneys?"
His vision went black, and he passed out heavily into sleep.
"Splash splash splash..."
February 5th Log:
Earnings... 660 gold (small yellow croaker)
Earnings... 430 gold (Atlantic herring)
Earnings... 200 gold (sardines)
Total earnings: 1,290 gold
Farming EXP +0
Foraging EXP +31
Fishing EXP +653
Combat EXP +0
Mining EXP +0
Character Affection Changes:
Gongshu Zi: ❤
Current Gold: 1,911
Historical Earnings: 5,434 gold
...
February 6th: One day left until the defensive herb matures.
This time, Han Qiwu didn't hear the rooster's crow. Who knows if it had been stewed or exhausted from the night before.
Either way, he wasn't in the best mood himself.
After sleeping, his stamina only recovered halfway, and he lost five health points.
The reason was simple:
[Due to overexhaustion, one sleep session cannot fully recover your stats.]
It's just a way of saying I should sleep properly and not stay up late anymore!
Fine, I'll change! Happy now?
Did you really have to dock my stamina?
Han Qiwu checked his inventory for anything edible: [Red Dates]×3, [Tuna (Damaged)]×1, [Elaeagnus Berries]×2, [Golden Herring]×1. That's it.
He decided on an elaeagnus berry.
Han Qiwu eyed his pathetic 50 stamina points, which weren't even enough to water all the fields.
The elaeagnus berry was a bright red fruit that looked appetizing at first glance.
One bite, and its milky sweetness burst forth—different from the tangy-sweetness of raspberries. This berry had a creamy sweetness that felt refreshing.
But after eating one, he still felt unsatisfied.
Oh well, I'll water the fields first. If I get hungry, I'll just eat a pancake.
When will I finally be able to farm wheat?
Since Han Qiwu wasn't using system-recognized flour, even if he followed a system recipe to make pancakes, they wouldn't restore stamina.
As he watered the fields, Han Qiwu went through the day's log.
No doubt about it, fishing was incredibly lucrative—over 1,000 gold a day! If it weren't for his attachment to farming, Han Qiwu would be tempted to fish year-round!
After finishing the watering, he spent around half an hour foraging across the map and managed another haul similar to yesterday—though at the beach, he did find three big clams.
Unfortunately, these clams were too large and tough to be stir-fried.
What a shame.
As he passed by the Fisherman's House, Han Qiwu even considered calling out to Brother Jing.
In the end, he decided against it.
Brother Jing's probably happier fishing alone! (Nobody's crashing my chill time, got that?)
On his way back, Han Qiwu bumped into Uncle Huang, who immediately waved at him upon seeing him.