Xia Liang's Chocolate

The second person to start distributing chocolates was Xia Liang.

Leaving aside Bai Jingxuan, who was puzzled after Larkspur suddenly pinched her cheek, the other two had clearly gotten used to the routine. When Xia Liang went around the table handing out chocolates one by one, even Lin Xiaolu knew to properly reach out and accept them, and even quietly added "thank you."

Compared to the large chunks of chocolate Bai Jingxuan gave, Xia Liang Bai Jingxuan's gifts were much smaller, even just in terms of packaging. Each person received a small box, about the size of a palm, tied with a ribbon and a different style of bow. Next to the bow was a dried flower corresponding to the recipient's code. For example, Lin Xiaolu's gift box had a small dried white rose, Larkspur's box had a paper Larkspur flower, and Bai Jingxuan's box naturally had an edelweiss.

What kind of flower is this?

The lingering pain on her face was quickly overshadowed by curiosity. Bai Jingxuan examined the packaging box in her hand and asked in surprise.

"Your flower? That's your code name, it's Bo Xue, also known as Edelweiss." Xia Liang explained with a smile, "Haven't seen it before?"

"Yes, this is the first time I've seen this."

Bai Jingxuan's gaze was fixed on the artificial flower on the packaging box. "So that's what 'Bo Xue' looks like..."

While she was focused on the artificial flowers on the box, Larkspur was also observing the box that Xia Liang had handed to her.

As always, they were very thoughtful.

This was her first impression when she saw the outer packaging.

Without a doubt, the other party must have already planned ahead and knew exactly what they were going to do before today, which is why they were able to prepare these decorations that corresponded to the teammate's code name in advance.

This is also a very Xia Liang -like approach. If there were an external judge at this time, who would score the chocolate packaging of Larkspur, Bai Jingxuan, and Xia Liang without knowing any extra information, Xia Liang would probably be the one with the highest score.

Of course, this is not to say that Bai Jingxuan did a bad job. Rather, it is to say that compared to Bai Jingxuan's straightforward style of trying to win over a few people with her sincerity and all her might, Xia Liang's best skill is to use carefully prepared works to get the best first impression from everyone.

This stylistic difference is not only reflected in the packaging, but also in the chocolates themselves.

When Larkspur took out Xia Liang's chocolate, she was stunned by its shape: the chocolate was exactly the shape of her Flower of the Heart.

To be fair, although Xia Liang couldn't perfectly replicate all the details on the chocolate due to the complex structure of the Heart Gem itself, at first glance, even Larkspur couldn't pinpoint any flaws in this "replica."

The same applies to Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan's Heart Bud. Compared to Lin Xiaolu, Bai Jingxuan took longer to advance to the Bud Rank, so her sprout is more mature and has already approached the appearance of "growing leaves". Xia Liang also noticed this difference in her daily life and reflected it in the shape of the chocolate.

"It's so good that it makes one feel a little unwilling to accept it."

Holding her chocolate Heart Bud in her hands, Lin Xiaolu couldn't help but mutter to herself. Even though she already knew what kind of chocolate Xia Liang would give, she still felt a little discouraged when she actually received it and thought about what she had made herself.

However, the fact that the other person could notice the difference between her Heart Gem and Bai Jingxuan's, even though they were both Heart Bud, still made Lin Xiaolu a little happy.

Yes, small.

"Thank you, Sister Xia Liang!"

Bai Jingxuan's expression was even more direct. She jumped off her chair, ran straight to Xia Liang's side, and gave her a hug. "But, when the chocolates are made to look this beautiful, it feels a little hard to eat them. I'd like to display them, is that okay?"

"Well... we still have to eat it, after all, chocolate isn't something that keeps well."

Xia Liang gently hugged Bai Jingxuan back. "If it melts because of the high temperature or cracks because it's too dry, this chocolate will become ugly and inedible. That would be the most regrettable thing, wouldn't it?"

"That's what they say, but eating your own Heart Gem... it still feels a bit strange."

Lin Xiaolu also felt hesitant to bite down, so she offered her opinion. "Don't you think it's like biting your own arm? It feels like it will hurt a lot the moment you bite down, it's a bit of a strange feeling."

"Really? It's not like it's real anyway."

Xia Liang tilted her head. "Rather than saying, eating this kind of food would give you a feeling of 'complete self-replenishment,' right?"

"Who would know how?" Lin Xiaolu rolled her eyes at her.

While the group was having a heated discussion about whether or not to eat the Heart Gem- shaped chocolate, Larkspur was rummaging through Xia Liang's chocolate box when she suddenly made a new discovery.

She felt that the box Xia Liang had given her was a bit too heavy. Even after she took out the chocolate Flower of the Heart, the box, which should have been empty, was still quite heavy, as if there was something inside.

After poking around in the box a few times with her finger, Larkspur discovered a hidden compartment inside. And when she opened the compartment, she found a piece of chocolate hidden inside.

It was a piece of chocolate shaped like a delicate leaf, with veins on the leaf entirely composed of runes. And based on Larkspur's past experience, there was no doubt that this shape was also Heart Gem, or rather, Xia Liang's Heart Leaf.

"... Why is this in my box?"

So she took the chocolate out of the box, looked at Xia Liang, and asked her with some surprise.

Lin Xiaolu and the others continued their discussion, so Xia Liang seemed not to have heard Larkspur's question and continued debating with the other two.

"Little Brocade." Larkspur called out again. This time, she could clearly see that Xia Liang's expression was a little unnatural, but she still ignored her call.

This unusual behavior made Larkspur narrow her eyes. After a moment's thought, she picked up the chocolate, stood up, and walked over to Xia Liang, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hello."

"... What's wrong, senior?" This time, Xia Liang couldn't pretend to ignore Larkspur's question any longer.

"So why is this chocolate in my box? This shape must be your Heart Gem, right?" Larkspur asked, staring at Xia Liang's face.

"Ah, this."

Xia Liang blinked, avoiding Larkspur's gaze, and tilted her head slightly. "Because when I first tried making it, I used my own gemstone as a reference, which is why there's this piece of chocolate. Since I've already made it, there's no point in keeping it for myself, so I thought I might as well give it to you..."

"Then why is it for me?" Larkspur persisted.

"That's because you're our senior and teacher, and you're the one we respect the most."

Xia Liang explained with a smile, "This extra piece of chocolate should be given to the most respected person, right?"

"Hmm... it seems so?" Lin Xiaolu pondered and echoed.

"Mmm!" Bai Jingxuan agreed with Xia Liang's statement.

With the support of the other two, Xia Liang seemed to feel confident and spread her hands. "So that's how it is. I gave it to you because I had extra. Just eat it without worry, little senior."

"Is that really so?" Such a high-sounding statement did indeed sound reasonable, but Larkspur felt that something was amiss.

"Is that even a question? Since everyone seems a bit interested in eating the chocolate shaped like their own Heart Gem, why don't you try this one first, junior, and give your opinion on the taste?"

Xia Liang went along with it, saying, "Anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with the shape, but it's a bit of a shame that none of you are willing to try it and comment on the taste. So, junior, why don't you demonstrate for them first?"

How would you rate the taste?

Larkspur raised her eyebrows, feeling somewhat puzzled, but the request also sounded perfectly reasonable, making her wonder if she was overthinking things.

A hint of magic flashed in her eyes, and in an instant, she used her magic to examine the chocolate in her hand. She found that it was no different from any other chocolate, not even Bai Jingxuan's. In other words, judging from the ingredients alone, it was just an ordinary piece of chocolate.

So, this girl really just wanted me to rate the taste?

After some thought, the Larkspur decided there was no need to refuse, so she nodded and replied, "Okay."

As she said this, she raised her hand and brought the chocolate, which was shaped like Xia Liang's Heart Leaf, to her lips.

Because it had been held in her hand for a long time, the chocolate leaf stem melted slightly, and a little dark brown liquid seeped out, sticking to her fingers. The slightly sticky texture gradually seeped into her fingers.

A sweet taste wafted from the tip of the chocolate. Larkspur only slightly opened his teeth and could feel the sweetness already reaching his mouth, even the back of his tongue and the back of his throat.

Xia Liang had been watching Larkspur's movements intently without realizing it. Her expression remained calm, but even she felt her heart racing.

Actually, she herself hadn't quite figured it out, but if Larkspur were to eat the chocolate that was exactly the same as her Heart Gem, wouldn't it be like... wouldn't it be a little...

Xia Liang's mind was in complete turmoil at that moment. Her racing heart made her face flush slightly, and a strange thought made her swallow hard.

Although it was her own suggestion, at this moment she began to experience strange and complex emotions such as "Is this really okay?", "Isn't this a bit strange?", and "I feel a little shy." So much so that when the Larkspur was about to bite down, she felt like her brain was about to evaporate.

And then, right there in everyone's sight—

--"Mm."

Larkspur put the Heart Leaf- shaped chocolate back into Xia Liang's mouth.

"It feels like if I take your share, it'll be like everyone gets a share, and you'll be left out."

Wiping her fingers with a napkin, Larkspur lowered her eyelids slightly and said, "So I've been thinking, if you really want everyone to try it, I'll just eat my own portion."

With that, she turned and walked back to her seat.

"Since Larkspur has said so..." Lin Xiaolu always prioritized Larkspur's opinion, so seeing that Larkspur had made her decision, she turned back to face her chocolate.

"Just now, it looked... it seemed delicious." Bai Jingxuan was moved by the "it looked delicious" atmosphere between Cui Larkspur and Xia Liang. To her, eating delicious food was the greatest respect.

As for Xia Liang herself, she remained frozen in the position of having the chocolate stuffed back into her mouth, stunned for a long time.

After a long while, she slowly closed her teeth and bit the tip of the chocolate into her mouth.

It's delicious and sweet. Looks like I did a pretty good job.

This was her first thought.

I was so happy to be fed chocolate by my junior colleague.

This was her second thought.

Judging from her ears, which were already flushed red, this second thought probably occupied a much larger proportion of her mind than her first thought.

Revising the draft took longer than I expected. I'm late, please forgive me.

It wasn't intentional; the update will be earlier in a couple of days than today.