While everyone was admiring the "bouquet of roses" Song Yunxing had made, Lu Yiyi turned and bumped Yu Wan's right hand in the camera's blind spot.
Caught off guard, Yu Wan lost her grip, and her phone flew out of her hand.
Yu Wan's eyes widened. For an instant, everything and everyone around her seemed to move in slow motion.
The phone flew almost straight toward Song Yunxing's "bouquet." If it landed inside, the entire arrangement would be utterly ruined.
The shock on Yu Wan's face turned to dismay. She could barely bear to watch.
Everyone around her looked horrified as they watched the phone arc toward the "bouquet."
Just then, a large hand caught the phone firmly, while another arm wrapped around someone who had recoiled in fright.
Still shaken, Song Yunxing checked the creation in his arms. It was only slightly crooked. Safe and sound!
"I'm sorry, Yunxing. I didn't mean to!" Yu Wan looked a little pale, clearly startled herself.
Song Yunxing let out a breath and smiled at her. "It's okay. Nothing's broken. We were going to take it apart to eat soon anyway. I'll let the camera crew photograph it first, then we can all eat it together."
"Yunxing!" The boy's beautiful smile soothed Yu Wan, leaving her visibly touched.
Shen Yanci silently handed the phone back to Yu Wan and said in a low voice, "Please be careful, Ms. Yu."
Yu Wan nodded, her gaze darkening.
She wasn't stupid. Someone had clearly pushed her arm from behind, but neither the other guests nor the cameras had caught it. For now, she could only swallow the grievance.
She glanced sideways at Lu Yiyi, who was turning a plate on the dining table for no apparent reason.
Anyone who dared to use her had better ask whether she agreed first!
Neither the casual viewers nor the fans in the livestream noticed anything amiss. They merely remarked on how well the two got along, and some fans even shipped Xingxing with everyone.
Song Yunxing strode over to the dining table, readjusted the arrangement with his chopsticks, and let the camera crew film it.
Soon, photos of all the guests' dishes were uploaded to the official website at the same time, with the voting link about to be released.
Fans flooded the link to vote for their favorites.
Casual viewers joined in too, voting for the fun of it.
Before long, the topic was trending again.
#True or False Lovers dinner vote#
#Whose dinner is your pick on True or False Lovers#
#Song Yunxing carved roses#
Meanwhile, the guests officially began dinner.
After two days together, everyone had clearly grown much more familiar with one another. The atmosphere at the table was more relaxed too, as they ate and chatted about their experiences that day.
Luo An and Lu Ran were the liveliest of the bunch. Those two jokers kept the whole table entertained.
"...Just when I was losing all hope, a pregnant woman with a huge belly appeared in front of our stall. In that instant, I felt like I'd seen the light!" Luo An recounted animatedly.
"Hahaha! You're hilarious! My Niannian, a whole grown adult, got surrounded by a bunch of kids and couldn't even move! Now that was funny! You..."
Laughter and chatter filled the table, but Song Yunxing took a mouthful of salad while laughing, and suddenly couldn't laugh anymore.
His mouth was full of dry shredded chicken breast and greens, without a hint of flavor!
It was tolerable when he was dieting normally! But now that he had tasted the shrimp, he found it almost impossible to swallow!
Everyone sampled the dishes on the table and politely exchanged compliments, but the truth was that, of all the dishes, the Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp disappeared the fastest.
Luo An in particular kept eating while he talked, taking one chopstickful after another without stopping!
Song Yunxing watched Luo An's grease-slicked face with envy, inwardly weeping tears of regret!
Yet Luo An remained completely oblivious as he excitedly asked Shen Yanci, "Yanci! These shrimp are amazing! How did you make them? Can you share the recipe?"
"Exactly! We all cooked seafood, so how did yours turn out so delicious? I've never had shrimp that tasted like this!" Lu Ran chimed in, still craving more.
Heaven knew she rarely ate carbs, yet today she had eaten an entire large bowl of rice with the shrimp, along with a large bowl of soup!
As a female idol, she had already exceeded her food allowance for the day!
Shi Jinyan nodded in agreement. "The flavor is very authentic. It's similar to what I had at an old restaurant in Harbor City, but with more complexity."
All the guests at the table had eaten their share of fine food. A simple shrimp dish wouldn't normally earn such lavish praise from them.
For a while, everyone watching the livestream was curious about how the dish had been made.
"You're too kind. It's just the usual method," Shen Yanci said calmly, casually placing two large shrimp on Song Yunxing's plate.
"If you don't eat now, there won't be any left. Even if you're dieting, you still need a balanced diet."
Song Yunxing looked briefly startled, knowing Shen Yanci was giving him an easy way out.
He lowered his eyes to the glossy, crisp-fried shrimp, and his last shred of resolve vanished in an instant.
Whatever! This was Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp! Who could say no to Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp?
Freed from that mental restraint, Song Yunxing stopped holding back and began eating rapidly.
He ate quickly, but never looked messy.
As the familiar garlic and sauce flavors burst across his lips, Song Yunxing suddenly felt he could forgive anything. He lost himself in the pleasure flooding his taste buds, unable to pull away.
His furrowed brows relaxed, and a satisfied smile touched his lips. His expression practically said, "So delicious I could ascend to heaven right here."
Beside him, Shen Yanci's lips curved slightly, his eyes growing softer.
[LMAO, Xingxing is literally acting out my life when I'm cutting!]
[Aaah! Look at that adoring gaze! Shen Yanci, your feelings for him are definitely not innocent!]
[Go ahead and keep hiding it! I'll find the sweet moments myself!]
[Xingxing's latest reaction images: (Tastes awful.JPG) (So delicious I could ascend to heaven.JPG) @Shen Yanci, no need to thank me! Just doing my good deed!]
[Solo stans, open your eyes and look! If these two aren't a couple, who is?!]
Lu Yiyi, who had been watching the two all along, pressed her lips tightly together and said nothing.
Yu Wan, who had deliberately sat opposite Lu Yiyi, noticed her expression and concealed the contemptuous sneer on her lips behind the motions of eating.
She had always treated people kindly, and had even given them a ride back today. She hadn't expected Lu Yiyi to be so vicious! The girl had turned around and used her as a weapon!
She had met ungrateful people before, but never one this stupid.
Lu Yiyi's tactics were hardly clever. Yu Wan had seen through her feelings for Shen Yanci at a glance. But since she had dared to provoke her, she couldn't blame Yu Wan for retaliating.
Yu Wan concealed the darkness in her eyes and helped herself to food as though nothing had happened.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sunset's lingering glow stained the horizon red. Inside, warm light filled the room, and laughter rang out without pause.
The meal seemed peaceful and idyllic, yet beneath the calm, a storm was brewing.
Before you continue