Chapter 3: Preposterous

"Okay, I'll follow your lead."

Wen Tingxia nodded. That obedient, soft look made people want to both protect her and bully her ruthlessly.

He Xulin's dark eyes, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, darkened for a second before quickly returning to normal.

Past six in the evening was peak dinner hour. At this time, any restaurant with even a bit of a reputation would be packed to the brim. You had to wait in line no matter where you went.

He Xulin led Wen Tingxia straight into Qingyu Zhai—the most famous, most popular spot near Qing University—without a single hitch, completely ignoring the sea of people queuing outside for a table.

"S-Senior Brother." Wen Tingxia tugged at the fabric on He Xulin's side, asking timidly, "We didn't make a reservation. Won't we get kicked out if we just walk in like this?"

Eating out was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Wen Tingxia was very certain they hadn't booked a table in advance.

Besides, a popular place like Qingyu Zhai usually required booking half a month ahead. Back then, she and He Xulin didn't even know each other yet.

"No."

He Xulin navigated the place like he owned it, leading Wen Tingxia up to Private Room #1 on the second floor.

They'd barely sat down when a suited-up floor manager knocked on the door. "Young Master is here. Shall we serve the usual?"

He Xulin glanced at Wen Tingxia sitting across from him and replied, "No need. Go handle your business, we'll order ourselves."

"Understood. Just call me if Young Master needs anything."

The floor manager faced He Xulin respectfully, but his eyes kept darting toward Wen Tingxia. Oh my god, Young Master actually brought a girl to eat at the restaurant.

A girl~!

This was a first in his twenty-plus years managing Qingyu Zhai.

He stole a few more glances at Wen Tingxia. The little miss was truly pretty, just a bit too skinny. She looked frail. Wonder if she could bear children...

Pfft, what am I thinking.

Young Master is still young, and the little miss is young too. What bearing children?

"Uncle Zhong."

Seeing that the floor manager still hadn't left, his gaze practically glued to Wen Tingxia, He Xulin spoke up.

"Young Master, I'm here. Any instructions?"

He Xulin said nothing, just tilted his chin slightly toward the private room door.

"I'll leave right away. Hope Young Master and Young Mad—ah, no, and this young lady enjoy your meal."

Once Uncle Zhong left, He Xulin slid the tablet menu in front of Wen Tingxia. "Order whatever you like."

QQ: [Hahaha, I bet that old geezer almost called you Young Madam just now.]

"I heard it. Good thing he caught himself, or it would've been so awkward." Wen Tingxia chatted with QQ while browsing the menu. "I didn't expect the male lead to bring me to a restaurant run by someone he knows. If the female lead finds out later, that'll look really bad."

[Sheesh, why worry about that? Such a top-tier man will belong to someone else in three months anyway. Who isn't a girlfriend? Enjoy yourself while you can, take advantage while you can. Devouring him clean as soon as possible is the real path.]

QQ looked at He Xulin, then at Wen Tingxia. One was tall and handsome, broad-shouldered and long-legged, looking incredibly reliable. The other was delicate and lovely, obedient and soft, making people want to dote on her.

These two—the height difference, the size difference—no matter how you looked at it, they were perfect to ship.

What a shame they weren't the official couple.

[Xia Xia, after the mission is done, have you thought about what kind of boyfriend you want? I've got plenty of supporting male characters here. Male Lead Two is super handsome too. Want me to set you up? Or maybe find you a yandere villain, some rough, burly guy even bigger than the male lead.]

QQ had gradually gotten familiar with Wen Tingxia, and its way of addressing her changed without either of them noticing.

"No, and no need!"

Some rough guy bigger than the male lead? The male lead's build was already scary enough, okay? Wen Tingxia refused repeatedly.

She hadn't planned on dating so early. Plus, she was so shy around strangers and such a coward—she wasn't suited for blind dates or being set up at all.

These things needed to happen naturally.

If she never met the right person, staying unmarried for life wasn't out of the question either.

"Have you chosen?"

The private room had been quiet for a while, so He Xulin cast a glance over.

"Mhm, done."

Wen Tingxia handed the dishes she picked over for He Xulin to see.

Sliced Boiled Pork, Spicy Chicken, Golden Broth Beef, Two-Color Fish Head. Aside from one stir-fried seasonal vegetable, everything was spicy.

He Xulin's eyes shifted slightly. His diet was always light; he never touched food this heavy in oil, salt, and spice.

QQ noticed too, but it didn't remind Wen Tingxia.

So what if he's the male lead? It's not like he's Xia Xia's man. Eat it or don't.

"Did I order badly? Maybe cross a few out and add some dishes you like."

Wen Tingxia realized she'd gotten distracted chatting with QQ. Everything she ordered was what she liked; she hadn't asked about He Xulin's tastes.

"This is fine."

He Xulin didn't say much. He submitted the digital menu, adding a special note: No recipe changes, cook it normally.

The food came fast.

The first dish, Sliced Boiled Pork, was carried in personally by Uncle Zhong. He winked exaggeratedly at He Xulin and specifically explained, "This is a Sichuan dish. Heavy oil, heavy salt, numbing and spicy."

Wen Tingxia didn't get why he was saying this.

With all those bright red chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns in the dish, wasn't that obvious?

Wen Tingxia didn't think much of it, assuming Uncle Zhong was just trying to suck up to He Xulin and making small talk.

The male lead was, after all, the eldest young master of the He family—an old money clan—and the Crown Prince of the capital circle. His status was noble. In all of Jing City, there were far too many people wanting to flatter him.

"No dietary restrictions. Just cook it normally," He Xulin said lightly.

Hearing this, Uncle Zhong had no choice but to leave. Before closing the door, he glanced at Wen Tingxia once more.

Incredible. Young Master actually changed his palate for this little miss. He had to report this to the Old Master immediately. Who knew which rotten bastard started the rumor that their Young Master liked men?

Qingyu Zhai's dishes were incredibly tempting. Wen Tingxia didn't hold back, picking up a slice of meat coated in red chili oil and popping it into her mouth.

Numbing, spicy, and fragrant the moment it hit her tongue.

No wonder it was such a popular restaurant. The food was truly authentic.

Yummy~

"It's so good." Wen Tingxia gave a thumbs up, eating several slices in a row. "I haven't had such authentic Sichuan food in ages."

Eating spicy food was just satisfying. The more you ate, the more you wanted.

Her tongue tip and honey-like lips turned flushed red from the spice, but she still couldn't stop.

He Xulin held his chopsticks, his gaze unconsciously falling on that little mouth going blah-blah-blah. Her peach-pink lips, stained with chili oil, had turned the color of ripe cherries—plump and glossy.

"Why aren't you eating?"

The food suited her taste perfectly. After burying her head in her bowl for a while, Wen Tingxia noticed He Xulin had barely touched his chopsticks and was watching her intently.

Feeling embarrassed under his gaze, Wen Tingxia put down her chopsticks, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her mouth.

"I ate something before coming out. I'm not hungry," He Xulin said faintly, his voice low and pleasant.

"But are you not going to eat at all?" Wen Tingxia lowered her head slightly, thick eyelashes half-drooping. Her plump little mouth—maybe because of the chili—was a bit swollen, making it look even fuller and glossier as her lips parted and closed. "I ordered so much. If you don't eat, I can't finish it alone."

He Xulin's grip on his chopsticks tightened. His gaze moved from the girl's lips to the dishes on the table.

He tried to pick a dish to force down a few bites, but found he couldn't bring his chopsticks down.

Luckily, a waiter knocked and entered just then, placing a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables on the table.

He Xulin let out a breath, picked up a green leaf, and put it in his mouth, his movements slow and unhurried.

Truly a noble young master raised by an old money family. Every gesture exuded elegance. This kind of refined habit, cultivated since childhood, couldn't be learned by ordinary people.

[Xia Xia, eating like this is way too formal. You don't look like a couple at all. Go interact intimately with the male lead.]

[Go on, give him a smooch.]