When the two arrived at the ice cream shop, the popular dessert shop had already been cleared out by the production crew. Almost all the customers in the shop were either staff members of the production crew or passersby who had been arranged to remain anonymous.
Shen Shuangjian hadn't eaten much ice cream before, so she couldn't help but feel curious about the wide variety of ice cream options available.
"Dear customers, we've just launched a new set meal for two, it's a great deal!" The waitress had a sweet smile and was very polite.
"Don't you have a couple's package here?" Xie Jing replied without surprising. He raised his eyes and looked at the clerk who looked awkward for a moment.
"Um... sir, yes, you can pay here."
Even though he had said something outrageous, Xie Jinghui still tried to cover it up with a comment, whether for the sake of the camera or for someone else to hear.
He said, "The couple's package will be much cheaper."
However, Shen Shuangjian didn't care at all, because his attention was almost entirely drawn to the various oddly shaped ice creams next to him.
Having never visited a trendy online store or witnessed any eye-catching creations by merchants, Shen Shuangjian even tilted her head slightly when she saw the ice cream made of three pink pigs stacked together.
Xie Jinghui's heart softened at the sight of his tilted head and questioning expression, and he leaned forward slightly, mimicking Shen Shuangjian's gesture. "You can have either one, but only one."
Ice cream is delicious, but it's also very cold and contains too many industrial ingredients. Xie Jinghui that if he ate too much, he would get a stomachache.
Shen Shuangjian slightly, her gaze shifting again, and she let out a soft, muffled response, "Mmm."
The store has installed many cameras, and the cameras and microphones record the footage, which is then transmitted to the live broadcast room and even to places thousands of miles away.
[Couples' packages are even more affordable (sarcastically)]
[Never mind that. A necklace worth 1.5 million sold for 15 million, and I want a better deal on an ice cream that costs a little over 100. This is called riding a bike to the hotel; save where you can and spend where you can.]
[It has to be Old Huizi, you're really something.]
[Stop banging on the closet door! I know you two are together, I know, I know!]
[For a good life, you still need a man like Old Huizi. He's so rich yet so frugal. Xie Qingchi and Yu Sheng next door should take note.]
[Our Gu Xuanlin has already silently shattered in a corner.]
[The one who knelt on Linshuang seemed to have been dead for a long time, but in fact, he really had been dead for a long time.]
[... Eh.]
[When Gu Xuanlin first started out, I immediately fell in love with his pairing with Shen Shuangjian. Back then, there was no Huijian Shengjian yet, and our Linshuang was far ahead of the competition.]
[Unfortunately, Old Linzi is a disappointment; he's too much of a gentleman. These days, if you don't fight and compete, you won't get a wife.]
[Actually, Gu Xuanlin's fate was the best. Look at Xie Qingchi and Yu Sheng next door; one was sent abroad to work in the coal mines, and the other suffered such a severe backlash from his fans.]
[Those who fight and grab opportunities get ahead, while those who don't end up without a wife. So, is Shen Shuangjian some kind of modern-day femme fatale?]
[... So you're blaming both the female and male friends, huh? Have all the beautiful women offended you guys?]
[ Shuangjian, couldn't you use some tricks to recruit all of them? Otherwise, I'll be heartbroken no matter who's eliminated.]
Are you trying to kill my wife?
[What were you guys doing to my wife at the potion shop? No way!]
While waiting for the ice cream to arrive, Shen Shuangjian down at her phone and sent a message to Shen Sixian.
Shen Sixian: [What are you doing?]
Shen Shuangjian: [Eating.]
However, not long after, Shen Sixian suddenly sent a message that seemed to have no context.
Shen Sixian: [Tone it down.]
Shen Sixian: [This sentence is shown to Xie Jinghui.]
Shen Shuangjian up, and although he was a little puzzled, he still showed his phone to Xie Jinghui.
After Xie Jinghui, he didn't react much. He just smiled slightly and whispered to Shen Shuangjian, "Okay."
Soon, the ice cream I ordered was served.
The one Shen Shuangjian was three little white cats in different poses, overlapping each other. It was very realistic, even the fur on them was lifelike.
When the shop assistant brought the ice cream over, she didn't even know how to address the two people.
"Gentlemen, um... please have your meal."
Shen Shuangjian clearly hadn't realized just how inappropriate her suggestion of a "couples' meal" was.
When he held the spoon and went to eat, his long hair would naturally fall down as he looked down.
Shen Shuang really enjoys testing people when it comes to eating.
This kind of probing doesn't mean he sticks out his tongue to taste it, but rather that he starts by taking a very small bite. If he doesn't like it, he'll most likely never touch it again.
But if he tries it and finds it palatable, or even likes it, then he will return to his normal eating frequency.
However, it was precisely this normal frequency of eating that caused Shen Shuangjian unknowingly suffer a small loss.
He would subconsciously bite and chew, treating the ice cream like a normal food.
The ice cream was very cold, as it hadn't melted yet. Shen Shuangjian noticed something was wrong after only taking two bites.
His teeth were so cold and numb that they made him involuntarily furrow his brows.
Xie Jinghui handed over the handkerchief beside her, asking with concern, "What's wrong?"
Was it because it didn't taste good, or because she wasn't used to it, or because it was too cold, or because Shen Shuangjian really disliked it, which is why she showed such an expression?
So Xie Jinghui inevitably began to hesitate again. This hesitation had nothing to do with inferiority or anything else, but was simply due to habit.
Even though their relationship has reached this point, Xie Jinghui still habitually feels anxious and fearful in every little detail.
Perhaps it was a frown from Shen Shuangjian, or perhaps it was a displeased look from Shen Shuangjian.
On the surface, Xie Jinghui seemed to have the upper hand, but whether he was taking a step forward or a step back, whether he was complacent and self-satisfied or filled with trepidation and speculation, all depended on Shen Shuangjian's decision.
"Without..."
Shen Shuangjian that her tongue was a little numb from the ice, so her speech sounded somewhat unclear.
But the ice cream eventually melted; it tasted like milk with a hint of vanilla.
Not only does it look good and have become so popular, but the food at this restaurant is also delicious, much better than anything Shen Shuangjian remember eating there.
Quite coincidentally, this flavor had appeared in many places in Shen Shuangjian's memories.
Milk and vanilla—it's a familiar taste, the kind of flavor I was rewarded with for eating well in the summer when I was little.
Milk and vanilla, that's a gentle flavor too.