Feeding Her Archrival Milk Tea Made Him Blush

But the countdown was ticking, and she had no choice.

"I'm a little thirsty." Lu Xiaoxiao took a wet wipe from her small white leather purse and wiped away her sweat. Looking at him, she said, "Let's go get some milk tea."

Shao Enci tucked his chin slightly and glanced at the little white purse hanging from her arm. When they had lined up for the haunted house earlier, he had wanted to offer to carry it for her, but he hadn't known how to find an excuse.

This time, he had the perfect excuse. "You go buy the drinks. I'll carry your purse."

With that, he reached out and took the purse from her wrist. To avoid awkwardness, he slipped one hand into his pocket and walked ahead of her with an air of nonchalance.

Lu Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded by Shao Enci's move.

She glanced at the time on her phone. With no time to think too much about it, she quickened her pace and headed straight for the milk tea shop in Happy Valley's central plaza.

Luckily, the line was short.

By the time it was Lu Xiaoxiao's turn, the blueberry oolong iced tea had sold out, so she casually ordered a peach iced tea and a green grape iced tea.

Just as she was about to pay, Shao Enci popped up from who knew where and paid with a QR code on his phone before she could.

The young woman at the counter gave her an envious look, as if to say, Your boyfriend isn't just handsome. He knows to pay without being asked, too.

A huge question mark hung over Lu Xiaoxiao's head. She looked at the young man beside her, her brows knitting together. "You already bought the tickets in advance. The drinks are supposed to be my treat."

With her white leather purse hanging from his arm, Shao Enci took the two cups of milk tea the young woman had made with both hands. He lowered his gaze to Lu Xiaoxiao, his thin lips moving slightly. "I've never made a habit of letting girls pay."

"..." Lu Xiaoxiao quickly reached for one of the fruit teas in his hands at random and said mildly, "I'll carry one for you."

Without even thinking, Shao Enci handed her the peach fruit tea and said in a low voice, "You'd probably like this flavor better."

Lu Xiaoxiao was taken aback again. How did he know she preferred peach fruit tea?

The two carried their milk teas to the rest area and found a bench to sit on.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, casting dappled light and shadows over them.

Lu Xiaoxiao held her milk tea and took an absentminded sip, filling her mouth with the sweetness of peaches.

In her mind, 037's voice rang out again, carrying the urgency of a countdown: [Time remaining for task 10: 2 minutes and 28 seconds.]

Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and adjusted her sitting position slightly. Looking at the young man's sharply defined jawline, she swallowed and asked, "Is the green grape one good?"

The green grape pulp was still on the tip of Shao Enci's tongue. He lifted his eyes to look at her and replied lazily, "It's okay."

Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding like a drum. Staring into his long, narrow phoenix eyes, she squeezed the words from her throat. "Can I try it?"

The young man's hand froze in midair, milk tea in hand. He lifted his eyes slightly, his thin lips parting. "Should I buy you another cup?"

"But I want to drink the one you're holding."

The moment she said it, Lu Xiaoxiao wished she could bite off her tongue and die.

Shao Enci was somewhat taken aback, his mind going blank for a moment.

Is she... about to start causing trouble again?

Forget it. Let her.

"If you don't mind, go ahead."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the girl snatched the fruit tea from his hand without the slightest hesitation. She lowered her head, placed her lips around the straw he had drunk from, and took a gentle sip. The taste of green grapes melted on her tongue, refreshingly sweet with the faintest hint of tartness.

037's voice rang out right on cue: [Congratulations, Xiaoxiao, on completing task 10. Task 11: Kiss your archrival and share peach milk tea. Time remaining: 4 minutes and 59 seconds.]

Lu Xiaoxiao nearly sprayed the milk tea from her mouth.

She forced herself to swallow it, then choked and coughed twice, her eyes turning red.

This system really knew how to mess with people. It had given her just four minutes, leaving her no time even to hesitate. Couldn't it act like a decent human being?!

Shao Enci's breath caught. The way he looked at her changed, his gaze dark and unreadable, his lips pressed slightly together.

Wasn't this an excessively intimate thing to do?

Only couples did this sort of thing. Lu Xiaoxiao's actions gave him the fleeting impression that they weren't ordinary friends, but something just short of lovers...

Of course, Lu Xiaoxiao had no idea what Shao Enci was thinking. Her mind was full of the task, the numbers of the countdown hanging over her like a death warrant.

She quickly glanced around. There weren't too many people in the rest area, but there weren't exactly few, either. A few people were looking down at their phones, several couples were whispering to each other, and someone occasionally passed by.

Taking advantage of a lull when fewer people were around, she got up and sat down beside Shao Enci. They were pressed so close that she could feel the scorching heat of his body. She leaned slightly toward him and asked, "Shao Enci, do you want some peach fruit tea?"

Her voice sounded a little nervous and awkward.

Shao Enci lowered his head to look at her, his breathing growing heavier without his noticing.

As if bewitched, the young man never took his burning gaze off her. Instead, he readily agreed, his voice a little husky. "Yes."

He didn't know what Lu Xiaoxiao would do next, but a sliver of anticipation quietly rose in his heart.

Under Shao Enci's unwavering gaze, Lu Xiaoxiao picked up her peach fruit tea, tipped her head back, and took a sip, holding it in her mouth without swallowing. Then she put the tea down, turned her head, cupped the young man's cheekbones in both hands, and pressed her lips to his.

Shao Enci's pupils contracted sharply, his eyes full of shock.

With a courage that bordered on recklessness, she gently pressed her soft lips to his and slowly passed the fresh, sweet taste of peach from her mouth to his.

The sweet fruit tea flowed over the front of his tongue, mingling with her scent as it flooded his senses.

Shao Enci froze on the spot, his mind going completely blank.

Lu Xiaoxiao's pretty face was reflected in his eyes, so close he could see each of her distinct eyelashes, smell the lychee-and-rose fragrance on her skin, and feel the warmth and softness of her cherry lips.

How come I never noticed before that Lu Xiaoxiao knew how to play like this?

The question floated up from the depths of his consciousness, only to be quickly drowned out by an overwhelming rush of sensation.

Only after he unconsciously swallowed the last mouthful of peach fruit tea did the tips of their noses bump together, a little awkwardly.

The touch was tentative and careful, like two little animals meeting for the first time, slowly drawing closer out of curiosity.

She knew this was a task, but she didn't want to stop.

Shao Enci was no longer a passive puppet. His hand rested on the girl's waist, his long fingers tightening at their knuckles, unwilling to part from her soft cherry lips.

Lu Xiaoxiao's breathing grew increasingly faint.

She had to admit, Shao Enci's lips really did taste good.

Last time, they had tasted of mint, refreshing and sweet. This time, they tasted of peach, sweet in just the right way, like the sweetest peach of summer.

She knew she shouldn't continue, yet she couldn't resist wanting another taste.

Their kissing drew the attention of quite a few people.

The girl's image was reflected in Shao Enci's jet-black eyes. For a moment, he was too greedy to let go.

Then 037's notification sounded: [Congratulations, Xiaoxiao, on completing task 11.]

Lu Xiaoxiao's unfocused eyes gradually cleared, and she finally came out of her daze. She immediately pushed away the young man kissing her, breathing slightly hard, her face flushed and her red, swollen cherry lips still glistening with a touch of peach-colored moisture.

Shao Enci's dark eyes stayed fixed on her for only two seconds before he leaned forward, cradling the back of her head as he moved to kiss her again.

Lu Xiaoxiao squeezed her eyes shut and suddenly said, "Shao Enci, there are a lot of people here."

With that, she opened her eyes, pushed him away, and moved around to sit across from him. Her face red with embarrassment, she lowered her head, not daring to look at him.