Chapter 205: There’s a Reason for Loving Long Phone Calls

Chapter 205: The Reason Behind the Chaos

Su He paused to think. If she wanted to sit down for a proper talk, she’d probably need to wait until Dr. Fu got off work to lend a hand—only then could she spare some time.

"It’ll probably have to wait until after six." By then, Dr. Fu would be off duty.

"I’ll come back later. If the durians arrive early, save ten for me."

The man had a gentle, refined demeanor and was dressed to the nines—clearly a businessman.

"No problem," Su He replied with a smile.

He glanced at her again, but seeing how swamped she was, he left her to it.

Su He had been swamped all morning, so busy she hadn’t even had a chance to drink water.

Around noon, Su Shiming and Wen Qing arrived, toting lunch boxes.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Su He asked in surprise.

"What are we doing here? Your shop’s a madhouse, and you didn’t even call us to help out," Su Shiming sighed.

"I was swamped! I worked past midnight yesterday—when would I have had time to come find you?" Su He sounded helpless.

"Are you hungry? Mom made lunch and brought it over. Eat first," Wen Qing said sympathetically.

They’d come for the grand opening yesterday too.

They’d caught the lion dance and firecrackers but left early due to other commitments.

Later, a neighbor told Su Shiming that Su He’s shop was doing so well, business was through the roof—no wonder she’d be busy.

So they’d shopped early, cooked, and planned to bring lunch by noon.

Hearing their daughter had been up so late working, it broke their hearts.

"Mom, Dad, have you eaten?" Su He asked offhand.

"We’ve eaten, we’ve eaten. Sweetie, you look skinnier—have you been eating?" Wen Qing fretted, eyeing Su He’s slender frame. Though her daughter had grown prettier, parents always assumed it meant she was overworked or underfed.

"Mom, I haven’t lost weight, really."

Su He didn’t know what to say. She truly hadn’t—her weight had held steady at 103 to 106 pounds.

"I know, I know. Hurry up and eat." See how hungry she’s made you?

Su He: "..."

"Grandpa! Grandma!" Zai Zai and Niu Niu spotted them and came running.

"Come on, let’s eat. Grandma made your favorites," Wen Qing said warmly.

"Let’s go eat, kids. Dad, mind handling the register?"

With that, Su He took Zai Zai, Niu Niu, and Wan Er outside to grab a free table.

Here’s the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

She had placed many tables and chairs outside the door, so the entrance always had a lively atmosphere.

After work or shopping, many people would come to sit and rest at the entrance of her supermarket when they got tired.

Then, feeling it wasn’t right to sit on someone else’s chairs for free, they would buy a bottle of water or some snacks to show they were customers.

"Here, have some more." Su He served rice to everyone and let them help themselves to the dishes.

She saved some food for Fu Yanju but didn’t save any for Fu Tinghua—let him eat at the hospital cafeteria.

"Mom, you should eat too." Seeing Su He busy herself without taking a bite, Zai Zai couldn’t help but say.

"Okay, Mom’s eating too. Good boy."

After setting aside food for Fu Yanju, Su He finally started eating herself.

She wondered if Dr. Fu would bring them leftovers again later. That’s right, his office had a phone.

It suddenly occurred to Su He, and she said to the kids, "You eat first. Mom needs to take care of something."

Then she asked Wen Qing to watch the kids while she went to call Fu Tinghua, worried he might needlessly pack food for them.

Before heading to the payphone, Su He glanced at Su Shiming, who was happily ringing up customers at the cash register. After all, her father was a teacher—no wonder he taught Fu Tinghua to be so quick with numbers.

At the payphone, Su He dropped in a coin and dialed the number.

Soon, the call was answered.

"Hello, this is Fu Tinghua."

The man’s clear, cool voice came through the receiver, making Su He’s skin tingle.

His voice made her weak in the knees—this was their first phone call.

No wonder people had voice preferences. For the first time, Su He realized she wasn’t just into looks but also voices.

With a voice like that, you’d picture a handsome man on the other end.

"Hello?"

Perhaps because Su He hadn’t responded, Fu Tinghua asked again.

"You—don’t get food from the cafeteria after work today. My parents brought over food," Su He hurriedly said.

There was a brief silence before he hesitantly replied, "Su He?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay, I understand."

"Eat at the cafeteria yourself. I didn’t save any for you," Su He added.

A low chuckle came from the other end before he replied, "Roger that."

"Are you calling from the payphone by the supermarket?" Fu Tinghua asked.

"Yes." "Okay, I’ll save this number. Next time it comes up, I’ll know it’s you."

The man’s initially businesslike tone when answering the phone had now melted into a soft, tender tone—all it took was Su He.

Su He suddenly felt her face grow warm.

You know, talking like this over the phone felt—

Kind of... magical.

Now she finally understood why couples in love could talk for hours.

"Oh, okay, I—" Before Su He could finish, the call ended with a *beep*.

Welp, time’s up. A two-minute call cost fifty cents a pop—no wonder hardly anyone used this booth.

As she hung up and was about to leave, the phone rang again.

Su He just knew—it was Fu Tinghua calling back.

Without hesitation, she picked up.

"Su He?" came his voice, tentative.

"Yes, it’s me."

"What were you about to say earlier? I missed it before the call dropped," Fu Tinghua asked.

Su He: "..."

She couldn’t even remember—just small talk.

"It was nothing. You didn’t need to call back. I just wanted to remind you not to bring food from the hospital cafeteria," she explained.

"Yeah, got it. I’ll come find you after work," Fu Tinghua got all clingy out of nowhere.

"Alright." Su He didn’t know why, but the phone booth felt weirdly stuffy.

"I’m gonna hang up," she added.

"Mm."

After placing the receiver back, her chest fizzed with warmth.

Ugh, love turns your brain to soup. Why was she even flustered?

God, she was being ridiculous.