"I'm so full, so full, so full..." Tang Baona said, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Xiang Kun scratched his head and said helplessly, "Unfortunately, I don't have any stomach medicine to aid digestion, nor any tea or coffee."
"It's alright, it'll be fine in a bit. Let's go for a walk, your neighborhood seems quite nice," Tang Baona said.
So the two of them went out for a walk in the neighborhood, and before they knew it, they had left the neighborhood and gone to the park next door where many elderly people were enjoying the cool air, dancing, and playing chess.
"Come to my house sometime next time, and I'll let you try recording a few songs with my equipment. Your singing at the karaoke bar before was really good, very catchy." Tang Baona chatted and the topic turned to Xiang Kun's singing.
"I doubt it will work. I don't have much of a musical talent." Xiang Kun knew his own limitations, of course. His good singing was all due to his live performance skills; the recorded audio would probably exhaust the post-production team.
"Since you were able to sing 'Someone Like Me' with that feeling last time, it proves that you have talent. Musical talent is not just about pitch and timbre; how to tell a story with your singing, how to move others, and how to make them resonate with you are also very important talents!" Tang Baona said with certainty.
Then she talked about how she had considered switching her major to music in college, but she gave up because she knew she couldn't handle the hardship. Moreover, compared to those geniuses, her talent was nothing special, and she could only enjoy it as a hobby.
Besides music, she also loves movies and has dreamed of making her own films someday, becoming a director, producer, or editor. So on Bilibili, most of the songs she sings and the accompanying videos are edited by herself, and she occasionally shoots scenery videos for editing.
As they chatted idly along the way, Xiang Kun couldn't help but feel a little dazed.
Isn't this exactly the kind of life he used to fantasize about?
He has his own house, a stable job, and a good income. When he gets home from get off work, his wife has cooked a delicious meal... He comes home early, prepares a feast, and then they eat together. Afterward, they take a walk in the neighborhood and the park, chatting about all sorts of things, from current affairs to gossip, from their hobbies to work-related matters...
Just then, Xiang Kun suddenly raised his hand to lightly block Tang Baona, then calmly took a step to the side, raised his right hand to catch a mini soccer ball that happened to fly by, and threw it back to the children on the grass.
Tang Baona was stunned for a moment, then said to Xiang Kun with surprise and admiration, "If he were Zhen'er here, he would definitely say that line again: ' Xiang Kun! You still say you don't know martial arts?'"
Xiang Kun smiled and said, "Basic operation, basic operation." Although his thoughts were a bit scattered, he was very clear about what Tang Baona was saying and the various situations around him. His sensory organs were constantly collecting information instinctively, and his brain was constantly analyzing it. He could react immediately to any situation.
The moment one of the children on the lawn kicked the soccer ball hard, Xiang Kun had already predicted its trajectory. If Tang Baona continued to move in the same direction, she would be hit in the shoulder by the soccer ball.
Of course, even if hit, the mini soccer ball and the child's strength wouldn't cause any harm; at most, it would just give them a fright.
"I remember a video where a female reporter was interviewing a baseball player. A baseball flew by and almost hit the reporter, but the baseball player easily caught it with his hand." Tang Baona said, showing Xiang Kun phone.
"That soccer ball couldn't compare to the speed of this baseball," Xiang Kun said modestly after watching the video.
"I think you must have been quite athletic back in school, right? I wasn't. When I played games with my friends as a kid, I always fell down, which made my sister stop wanting to play with me. In junior high, Linlin said she wanted to keep her boyfriend in check, so she dragged me to learn Taekwondo, but I gave up after only half a day because it was too tiring."
At this point, Tang Baona's tone suddenly became somber. "Oh, right, I don't think I've told you yet, Linlin and her husband are getting a divorce."
Xiang Kun glanced at her in surprise. He knew that Linlin, whom Tang Baona mentioned, was the wife of the game company's art director and the guy with the braids from the karaoke room at her birthday party. Tang Baona had introduced them to each other back then; the couple had been dating since elementary school and eventually got married. He had been quite envious at the time, and they seemed very close that night. How could they be getting a divorce so soon?
"Uh, didn't you say they'd had their ups and downs, broken up and gotten back together before? They should just have a fight, and once the anger subsides, they'll be fine, right? They've been together for so many years, it's not easy for them to get married," Xiang Kun said cautiously.
Tang Baona shook her head. "I talked to Linlin, and she said this time is a little different. Actually, it started with a very small thing. When she left the bathroom sink, the faucet wasn't turned off properly, and her husband said a few words to her. They went back and forth, and the argument got more and more heated. In the end, I don't know who said 'divorce' first, and then she went straight back to her parents' house. She said this time it's probably really going to be a separation..."
Xiang Kun was somewhat stunned. He didn't know what to say, after all, he had no experience in this area.
However, at that moment, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Tang Baona, who seemed somewhat downcast and sighing, a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind. It was back in college, when Chang Bin sat across from him and Zicheng in the cafeteria, "popularizing" knowledge about pursuing girls:
"Let me tell you, unless you're devastatingly handsome, or the girl you like initially likes you back, never confess your feelings casually."
Chang Bin had a serious expression, holding a soup spoon in one hand and pinching his fingers into the shape of a chicken's head with the other, as if he were giving a speech.
"Confessing your feelings requires skill and timing. You need to spend time with the girl first, put her at ease, and not put any pressure on her. Win her trust, then use your emotions to soften her, your humor to attract her, and time to get to know her. When the time is right, make your move, and everything will fall into place naturally."
"So, confessing your love is all about timing. Come on, repeat after me: Timing, timing!"
Sitting opposite him Xiang Kun played the perfect straight man. "So, Teacher Chang, how do we know when we've 'discovered' something?"
"That's a good question, Liu. You need to pay attention in class." Chang Bin put down his spoon, cupped his hands into a chicken head shape, and said earnestly, "You need to observe. When a girl lets her guard down in front of you and shows her true emotions, that's when the timing is right. What are true emotions? They're the way she acts, the way she doesn't usually show in front of others. Do you understand?"
Xiang Kun continued, playing the straight man. "So, how should one confess their feelings?"
Chang Bin turned his gaze to Zi Cheng, extended his right hand, and his expression became affectionate. "Sister~"
Zicheng readily grasped his hand in return, her voice filled with deep affection. "Oppa!~"
Xiang Kun next to him, almost choked on his own saliva.
Chang Bin said slowly but firmly, "I want to eat omelets and roujiamo with you, skip class to go to Jacky Cheung's concert, climb mountains to watch the sunset, and then push you on the swing until we're old."
Zicheng blinked and said, "Oppa, making egg pancakes and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)? Isn't that a bit too unromantic?"
Chang Bin flung his hand away. "What do you know! For girls you can connect with on a deeper level, for girls you want to seriously date and love, it's these little moments of tenderness in everyday life that work. When the timing is right, your sincerity will be reciprocated. Do the right thing at the right time, otherwise your sincerity will only be met with indifference."
Xiang Kun nodded. "I GET IT! Just like when we're doing dungeons, we need to study the BOSS mechanics. Most of the time, we just need to survive. As long as we can hold out until a certain stage or time, the BOSS will be in a weakened state. Then we can use the techniques to unleash our full power and take it down!"
Zi Cheng immediately chimed in, "Tanks hold aggro, healers keep healing, everyone else go all out on DPS! Those who slack off won't get loot rolls!"
Watching the two hardcore gamers high-five each other in perfect unison, Chang Bin shook his head helplessly. "Sigh, I have a feeling you two will regret not listening to me later..."
Xiang Kun snapped out of his reverie and glanced at Tang Baona beside him out of the corner of his eye. For some reason, he thought of the "TIMING" that Chang Bin had mentioned.
He knew that if he made the right choices at this moment, he could immediately get closer to Tang Baona, and their existing friendship might take a further step forward.
But he thought of his own situation, his duel with Guo Tianxiang, the nights he had spent drinking blood during his blood-drinking period over the past few months, and the occasional violent thoughts that had crossed his mind.
He knew that he couldn't bear the responsibility of another person's happiness or the establishment of a family, and he wasn't ready to share his secrets with anyone.
"Sigh, anyway, no matter what the outcome, I hope they can be happy." Tang Baona, unaware of Xiang Kun's previous rambling thoughts, pulled herself out of her gloomy mood and looked up at him, saying, "It's almost time, I should go home too. Let's go to your place and pack up that wood carving!"
"Hey? You have a good memory, you even remembered to bring the wood carving."
"That's right, my athletic ability isn't great, but my brain is definitely sharper! Oh, and you still owe me two rabbit meat feasts, don't forget!"
"Don't worry, I won't forget. But next time, it doesn't have to be rabbit meat. I'll prepare some other dishes. I guarantee they'll suit your taste." Xiang Kun said, "I guarantee they'll be to your liking."
If we consider Tang Baona's tastes and preferences for food as a strategy target, then Xiang Kun has probably already won her over 70%.
Next, we need to conduct more comprehensive and multi-dimensional tests using a variety of other ingredients besides rabbit meat, and then make adjustments based on the feedback.
Considering that he had only cooked three meals for Tang Baona in total, Xiang Kun was quite satisfied with his speed in understanding the diners' tastes.
There will be a special Mid-Autumn Festival chapter later.