Are you sure?
Zhang Zhaomu was a little surprised. "This is very spicy!"
"I'm sure." Xiang Qing nodded seriously. "I can eat spicy food!"
"OK."
Girls from Southern Hunan are known for their spicy food and have a strong tolerance for chili peppers, so Zhang Zhaomu didn't refuse.
He pushed the bag of extra-spicy konjac under the table.
Xiang Qing picked up a lump with her fingers with a hint of anticipation.
"Wait, that piece is a bit—"
Just as Zhang Zhaomu was about to remind her, she had already stuffed it into her mouth and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"... It's too big." Zhang Zhaomu finally finished speaking, "It'll burn you to death..."
Even if it was just to stay awake, he only dared to nibble on it in tiny bites. This stuff, soaked in industrial chili extract, was purely a gimmick by the restaurant to create an "extremely spicy" effect, without any consideration for the diners' tolerance.
Xiang Qing chewed a few times blankly, swallowed, and then asked, "Am I feeling alright?"
"Are you really alright?" Zhang Zhaomu asked with some doubt.
"It's... it's okay!" The spiciness started to rise, Xiang Qing's small mouth opened slightly as she hissed and said stubbornly.
But her performance didn't seem to be any better.
Her lips, which were already very rosy, a naturally beautiful cherry red, began to turn bright red at a visible speed. This blush spread rapidly, quickly turning her cheeks, ears, and even neck red, as if they had been scalded by steam.
Moreover, fine beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead and the tip of her nose, causing her beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows to furrow involuntarily.
"This stuff has a really strong aftereffect," Zhang Zhaomu said. "It's really spicy, don't push yourself."
"No... it's nothing..." Xiang Qing's eyes were misty.
Zhang Zhaomu: "..."
You cried from the spiciness!
Why would such a strange competitive spirit suddenly emerge in this area?
"Then you really can handle spicy food," Zhang Zhaomu had to admit.
"I like..."
Xiang Qing tried hard to speak a complete sentence, but she clearly couldn't anymore. She pitifully raised her hand. "Water..."
Zhang Zhaomu handed the water glass back. "I've already drunk from it, do you want to wipe it first?"
But Xiang Qing couldn't think about any of that anymore; she took the water glass and gulped down a large mouthful.
Zhang Zhaomu: "..."
Oh well, it's not like this is the first time I've done something like indirect kissing.
Several minutes passed before she recovered somewhat. Although she was still breathing heavily with her mouth open and her pink little tongue sticking out, she was finally able to say in complete sentences, "Much better!"
"It's so spicy and delicious..."
There was even a hint of enjoyment in her expression.
"Can I... have another one?"
Zhang Zhaomu's lips twitched, and he quickly stopped her, saying, "No, this stuff isn't healthy. It's not just the spiciness that's bad, but eating too much will give you a stomachache!"
"Okay." Xiang Qing even seemed a little disappointed.
"If you like spicy food so much, I'll bring you some spicy duck necks from the South Gate area next time," Zhang Zhaomu comforted her. "Those aren't made with industrial chili extract, but they're still super spicy."
"Real?"
"Hmm." Zhang Zhaomu nodded, and casually put the spicy konjac back, lest the other party couldn't resist.
Then, remembering what happened last night, he asked casually:
"By the way, are you free this weekend?"
Xiang Qing paused for a moment, then picked up her pen and scribbled, "Is there something you need?"
"I need your help with something," Zhang Zhaomu said. "Go to my friend's house for dinner, you've met her before, Chen Zhenzhen, the girl who came to our class before."
"In your place?"
Xiang Qing was a little confused. "What do you mean?"
Zhang Zhaomu was a little embarrassed, but she still explained the reason in detail.
Upon hearing Zhang Zhaomu mention how Chen Zhenzhen's parents mistook her for a girl, Xiang Qing couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes crinkling into crescents. She wrote, "So, if I'm going, I'll say my Zhang Zhaomu?"
"No, it's Zhang Zaowan." Zhang Zhaomu sighed. "I know this request is a bit strange, but it's okay if you find it difficult."
"It's not difficult at all," Xiang Qing wrote. "I think it's quite challenging, and I'm very interested. However, there's one problem: I have to go straight home this weekend, otherwise my mom will worry."
Zhang Zhaomu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on.
Xiang Qing is a boarding student and comes from a single-parent family, so she naturally has to go home on weekends.
"Then forget it." Zhang Zhaomu waved his hand. "I'll think of another way."
"No." Xiang Qing shook her head, a sly expression appearing on her face, and wrote, "This problem is actually very easy to solve."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Zhaomu was taken aback.
"That method you and Chen Zhenzhen came up with... I can use it too!" Xiang Qing's eyes sparkled. "If Chen Zhenzhen could talk to my mom and ask me to stay home this week, then I'd have time to help you!"
In order to resolve the potential problem of him and Chen Zhenzhen secretly deceiving her family, he first needs to figure out a way to deceive her family with Xiang Qing.
Something seems off about this development...
"It doesn't seem like it's impossible." Zhang Zhaomu thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "You're not going home this weekend... what are you planning to do?"
It can't be like me and Chen Zhenzhen, just playing games all night, right?
"There are so many things I want to do!" Xiang Qing's handwriting even became cheerful. "But everything has to wait until the plan succeeds."
Zhang Zhaomu: "..."
I have a feeling that I've turned on some kind of switch for the other person.
"When is Chen Zhenzhen free? I want to talk to her beforehand about how to convince my mom." Xiang Qing was still writing enthusiastically. "Then, I need to rehearse my story about going to her house for dinner beforehand, so as not to give myself away."
"So, how's it going to be during your break tonight?" Zhang Zhaomu asked.
I had lunch plans with Duan Chan'er, but I really didn't have much time. I couldn't possibly bring everything to Duan Chan'er's house, could I?
"No problem!" Xiang Qing wrote, "However, could you tell me what kind of person Chen Zhenzhen is first? I want to prepare in advance so that she won't dislike me later."
Zhang Zhaomu noticed that she was a little nervous, so he comforted her:
"There's no need for any preparation. She's a very easygoing person and quite approachable. Besides, she needs your help right now and is trying to please you, so how could she possibly dislike you?"
"But... I'm not the kind of person who's likable." Xiang Qing with some worry, "I'm afraid I won't know what to say and she might misunderstand and think I don't want to communicate with her."
"You can bring a notebook and communicate by writing, just like you are now," Zhang Zhaomu said with a smile. " Chen Zhenzhen will definitely find this setup very interesting... but she might say some random things, just don't mind them."
Xiang Qing looked puzzled. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"For example, a withered, faded moonlight, or something like that."
"Ah?"