The lids were lifted from the soul-guided warming platters on the long table.
Steam billowed from the dishes, condensing into little patches of white mist in the ice-blue light. The chill of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal kept the temperature beneath the ice dome neither too cold nor too warm, just comfortable enough to sit in formalwear.
Xie Xie darted out from the left side of the ice platform, pulled out a chair first, and gestured for Xu Xiaoyan to take it. He put on quite a performance, bending slightly at the waist and extending his arm straight out, his expression declaring, See how dependable I am?
Xu Xiaoyan followed him over. She looked at the chair he had pulled out, then at his elaborate pose. The corners of her mouth lifted, and her eyes seemed to say, Oh, look who's grown up.
"Xie Xie, you've finally grown up."
Xie Xie's hand nearly gave way.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing. Hehe." Xu Xiaoyan waved a hand and walked past him, her skirt brushing the ice platform as she sat down. Her lips were still pressed together, her shoulders trembling slightly. Clearly, she had no intention of taking that remark back.
Xie Xie glanced at her, but she was already seated, both hands resting on her knees as she looked at him with perfect innocence.
There was nothing he could do about her, so he could only sit beside her. Before settling into the chair, he lifted the tails of his coat to keep them from creasing.
If they could just keep quiet like this, they really would look the part.
Except Xie Xie's bow tie was still crooked, and quite unapologetically so.
He picked up the chopsticks on the table, spun them once in his hand, and pointed their