System: ...
There was nothing it could say. Even the system could not fix Ji Hanxing's knack for exploiting loopholes.
Go ahead, eat. The system was waiting for Ji Hanxing to fail when it came time to check the results of his ab training.
Ji Hanxing did not care about any of that. He would deal with the abs later. Even if he skipped this meal, he still would not be able to train them into shape.
He lifted his chin, looking reserved. "Since you've put it that way, I suppose I'll reluctantly agree."
After that, Ji Hanxing put his eating-performance skills to work, finding fault with this and that on the surface while actually eating every bit of it.
Yan Jinyue saw through him but said nothing, playing along.
Just as they were about to finish, another dish suddenly arrived. When the plate was brought over, Ji Hanxing's expression turned odd.
Egg... egg fried rice?
"This egg fried rice is..."
Ji Hanxing pointed at the egg fried rice on the table, his tone somewhat hesitant.
Yan Jinyue said, "I like it."
Ji Hanxing blinked several times. Who ate egg fried rice with hot pot?
Then again, what domineering CEO ate hot pot?
It could only be chalked up to this archvillain Yan Jinyue having tastes unlike those of ordinary people.
Yan Jinyue served Ji Hanxing some egg fried rice too and handed it to him. "Try it."
Ji Hanxing took the bowl, his hand accidentally brushing against Yan Jinyue's.
He scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he nodded slightly. "Not bad."
[It tastes good, but the rice is too soft, and the eggs haven't absorbed enough flavor. Compared with my cooking, it's nowhere close.]
Yan Jinyue looked up at Ji Hanxing. "Actually, I've had even better egg fried rice."
Ji Hanxing became interested. "Where?"
[Who was it? If Yan Jinyue praised it, it must be good. I have to try it!]
Yan Jinyue put down his spoon and looked at Ji Hanxing seriously. "A night market stall."
At those words, Ji Hanxing's heart gave a sudden jolt. He could not help wondering whether Yan Jinyue was talking about him.
Hadn't he run into Yan Jinyue yesterday while making egg fried rice at the University A night market stall?
Had that bowl of fried rice been given to him?
Ji Hanxing's gaze met Yan Jinyue's, a little nervous. "What?"
Yan Jinyue's lips curved upward, as though he was still savoring it. "A night market stall on the street behind University A."
"I just had it yesterday. It was delicious."
[Could Yan Jinyue be talking about me?]
Ji Hanxing's eyes widened slightly.
"Egg fried rice from a night market stall was worth savoring that much?" Ji Hanxing tightened his grip on his spoon. He knew Yan Jinyue was talking about him.
Had Yan Jinyue recognized him? Had he come today specifically to test him?
Ji Hanxing's palms slowly grew sweaty.
Yan Jinyue looked steadily at Ji Hanxing, his tone serious. "That egg fried rice really was delicious. I can't forget it. That cook was very skilled."
Having his cooking praised should have made Ji Hanxing happy. But Yan Jinyue's gaze made him uneasy. He kept feeling that Yan Jinyue was looking at him as he said it.
If Yan Jinyue found out that he was the cook making egg fried rice in City A, his character persona would definitely fall apart, and the plot would definitely collapse too. The consequences...
Ji Hanxing imagined himself turning to powder and was so frightened that his back grew a little cold.
He tried hard to stay calm. The system had not given him any warnings or notifications yet, which meant nothing had gone wrong with the plot.
He could not throw himself into disarray.
Ji Hanxing carefully studied Yan Jinyue's expression and cautiously probed, "With cooking skills that good, the cook must have been quite old, right?"
Yan Jinyue waited a while, making sure the time limit had passed and he could no longer hear Ji Hanxing's thoughts, before speaking. "No, he looked very young. Probably only in his twenties."
Ji Hanxing's heart leaped into his throat. His voice rose without his realizing it, and a wariness he had not noticed himself appeared in his eyes. "You saw his face?"
Meeting that look in Ji Hanxing's eyes, Yan Jinyue's heart sank a little, and his eyes darkened. Ji Hanxing did not trust him.
But he was also the one who had frightened him.
Even though he knew Ji Hanxing did not want anyone to know, he still could not help bringing it up, wanting to probe further and learn more about him.
Yet seeing how frightened he was, Yan Jinyue could not bear it.
No rush. Take it slowly.
Yan Jinyue lowered his eyes, hiding the emotion in them.
"No. He was wearing a mask, so I didn't see his face. Judging only by his build, he looked like he was in his twenties."
Ji Hanxing did not notice the change in Yan Jinyue's expression. Only when he heard that Yan Jinyue had not seen his face and was merely making a personal guess did his anxious heart slowly settle.
"Why did you suddenly go to University A?"
Ji Hanxing changed the subject. He had actually been curious since yesterday about why Yan Jinyue had gone to University A.
Yan Jinyue said, "Do you remember my younger cousin, Xie Baotan?"
Ji Hanxing nodded.
"That brat got into a fight over a girl yesterday. His guardian was called in, so he asked me to go bail him out."
Ji Hanxing was suddenly fed a mouthful of gossip. So the Young Master Xie those two girls had mentioned, the one who had fought over Jiang Qianling, was Xie Baotan.
Yan Jinyue then went on to tell Ji Hanxing the details of the incident.
Ji Hanxing ate as he listened. This time, he really ate to his heart's content and successfully stuffed himself.
He touched his nose a little sheepishly. He was the one who had said he did not like the food, and he was also the one who had eaten too much.
Ji Hanxing stole a glance at Yan Jinyue. Only when he saw that Yan Jinyue had no other reaction did he lower his hand. "Let's go take a walk. Crescent Lake is nearby."
At Yan Jinyue's invitation, Ji Hanxing nodded repeatedly. He really needed to walk around, or he would not be able to digest his food tonight.
Looking at Yan Jinyue's back, Ji Hanxing sighed softly. Yan Jinyue was like a worm in his belly, always knowing what he wanted to do.
Yan Jinyue really was just his type. If they were a couple...
As soon as that thought surfaced, Ji Hanxing hurriedly shook his head. He did not even know whether he could survive and live in this world, yet he was still thinking about this?
If he wanted to survive, he had to follow the plot. In that case, there would be no future for him and Yan Jinyue.