At the school gate, I tossed a cold bun into the trash can and turned to leave. Suddenly, strange words floated before my eyes: [OMG! The Heroine is actually eating a bun out of the garbage!] I whipped my head around just in time to see a skinny, sallow-faced girl fishing my discarded bun out of the bin. She looked at me, terrified. "I... I'm sorry. I thought you didn't want it." I strode over to her, snatched the cold bun from her hand, and threw it back into the trash. 1 [No way! Is this NPC really that evil? He won't even let her eat garbage?] [I feel a profound sense of powerlessness, unable to slap him through the screen.] The girl lowered her head, consumed by shame. "I'm sorry." I flashed a bright smile. "You can't eat stuff from the trash. Come with me, senior's treat. Noodles on me!" She looked like a freshman. The girl froze, her instinct was to refuse. "No, no need!" "My family owns a noodle shop. It's free. Let's go!" I forcibly dragged the girl onto my electric scooter and headed straight for my family's shop. [I take back what I said earlier. NPC Senior is actually a good guy.] [But wait, this plot isn't right!] [Maybe it's an adaptation? But it's good, hopefully the Heroine escapes her misery sooner.] [What if the Heroine falls for this NPC Senior?] [Definitely not. The Male Lead is her canon match. Though NPC Senior might get promoted to Second Male Lead.] On the way, I asked for her name and grade. She was indeed a freshman, named Tara. After getting off the scooter, Tara dawdled, too scared to follow me inside. I had to grab her wrist and pull her in. "Mom, I'm back!" The shop was empty right now. My mom and dad were sitting there on their phones. They looked up, startled. I knew why they were surprised. I had only ever brought guys over to leech food. This was the first time I brought a girl. But they recovered quickly, both beaming with smiles. My mom said, "Hey there, pretty girl! Sit, sit. What kind of noodles do you want? Auntie will make them for you." "We have toppings like ribs, chicken, beef, and spicy intestine," my mom added. Tara sat down nervously, whispering, "Thank you, Uncle, Auntie. I don't like meat. Just plain noodles is fine." [Baby, isn't beef noodles your favorite?] [She just doesn't want the owner to spend too much.] [The Heroine is so good, her life is just too bitter.] I made the executive decision: "Mom, triple portion beef noodles!" My mom smiled and replied, "You got it! Jay, come help me in the back." "Okay." 2 I followed my mom into the kitchen while my dad stayed out front talking to Tara. My mom turned on the stove, her face darkening as she whispered, "What's your relationship with her?" I quickly explained, "Nothing! She's a freshman. I didn't even know her half an hour ago." My mom huffed, "If you don't know her, why bring her to the shop? Is she starving or something?" I sighed. "Mom, she was eating a cold bun I threw in the trash." My mom's jaw dropped. She couldn't speak for a long time. After a while, she raised her hand and smacked me. "Wasting food? You looking for a beating?" I clutched my head, acting pitiful. "You packed too much! I couldn't finish it, and I was scared you'd yell at me if I brought it back!" My mom gritted her teeth. "From now on, take only what you can eat! No waste!" I grinned apologetically. "You got it!" My mom, afraid Tara wouldn't be full, cooked a huge portion of noodles. There was plenty of beef topping left over, so she dumped it all on. I stared at the massive basin of noodles, dumbfounded. "Mom, isn't that a bit much?" "You think everyone has a stomach the size of a thumb like you? Girls her age have huge appetites!" 3 When I placed the basin on the table, Tara looked overwhelmed. "Senior, it's too much, I..." "Whatever you can't finish, just leave!" Tara corrected herself. "I can finish it." "Eat if you can, but don't force yourself. Don't make yourself sick." "Mmh." Tara's eyes suddenly reddened. She lowered her head, staring at the table. "Thank you." My mom smiled. "No need to thank us. Eat up before it gets soggy." [NPC Senior's family are all kind people. Looks like the Heroine won't starve anymore.] [Not necessarily. Helping once doesn't mean helping forever.] [It's still better than her bio mom, who got a new family and completely ignores whether the Heroine lives or dies.] Tara ate the noodles in small bites, but large teardrops fell into the bowl. Seeing this, my parents and I felt a sour ache in our hearts. We all looked away. My mom dragged me back to the kitchen. "What exactly is the situation with this girl's family?" The floating text hadn't revealed enough yet, and having just met her, I shouldn't know too much. I said uncertainly, "Her mom remarried and ignores her. Her dad is probably dead." My mom was furious. "What kind of people are they? Forget it, can't control other people's families! From now on, you bring her breakfast. Lunch and dinner, you get food from the cafeteria for her. Bring her to the shop for supper. Consider it sponsoring a needy student!" I nodded vigorously. "Okay!" 4 My mom was right. Tara's appetite was indeed impressive. She actually finished the entire basin of noodles. My mom loves it when people finish her food. She beamed, "Pretty girl, were Auntie's noodles good?" Tara nodded seriously. "Auntie's noodles were very delicious!" My mom's smile grew even wider. "Then come every day to support Auntie's business! Auntie won't charge you!" Tara looked troubled, seemingly embarrassed. My mom proactively offered, "How about this? You come help out in the shop every night, and Auntie will make you noodles. How does that sound?" "Thank you, Auntie." After Tara finished eating, my parents closed up shop. Tara fought to do the cleaning. She was quick and efficient, helping us tidy up in no time. Afterward, my dad offered to walk her home. Tara refused at first, but she couldn't out-stubborn my dad, so she eventually agreed. However, an hour later, my dad brought her back home, along with a large woven bag. My mom and I looked at each other. We didn't understand, but we welcomed Tara to sit. My dad drank some water, fuming with righteous indignation. "That woman isn't human! To force the kid to drop out and work, she kicked her out of the house. Ignored her completely. This child has been living next to a public toilet for two or three months, surviving on picking through trash!" My mom and I were stunned. My mom recovered, grabbing Tara's hand, tears in her eyes. "Tara, if you don't mind, stay with Uncle and Auntie. We have a spare bedroom." My dad comforted her too. "Don't feel burdened. When you're successful later, you'll have plenty of chances to pay us back." Tara lowered her head, choking back a sob. "Thank you, Auntie, Uncle." "For what? Small thing." My mom glanced at me sideways. "No bullying your sister, hear me?" I was speechless. Why would I bully this poor little thing?
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387333", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel