"How can there be such an adorable girl in this world?"
Lanqi looked as though he had laughed himself exhausted, lifting his water glass and chugging it straight down.
If he didn't take a breather, he felt he might laugh until he passed out today.
Meanwhile, Talia sat beside him, trembling without saying a word.
The more she acted like this, the more amusing he found it.
It was just too hilarious!
"Excuse me, sir."
His amusement far from spent, Lanqi raised a hand, catching the waiter's attention.
"May I help you with something?"
Wearing a black waistcoat and a white apron, the waiter strode over with worldly poise.
"Could we add a few more dishes? I'd like to slightly modify our previous order,"
Lanqi said to the waiter.
"Of course, certainly."
The waiter retrieved a menu again and presented it.
"Thank you."
Lanqi felt that Talia's imitation of Boss Cat's meows earlier had been extraordinarily appetizing—even his own appetite had surged.
Besides, no matter how much he ordered, he was confident Talia could finish it.
This restaurant had brought him so much joy; spending the whole afternoon eating here wouldn't hurt a bit.
"Tata, is that all right?"
Lanqi asked for Talia's opinion.
"...Go ahead and add them."
Talia was so angry she didn't want to speak.
Yet if it was adding food, she would tentatively agree.
*I'll eat this bastard broke!*
"This dish, this dish, and this one..."
Lanqi flipped through the menu page by page, leaning sideways to speak to the waiter.
Talia glanced over, her mood souring further.
The ones Lanqi pointed out were all dishes she wasn't particularly fond of.
"Very good, adding the caviar with lobster jelly, the foie gras mousse..."
the waiter spoke politely and warmly, his silver ballpoint pen already jotting it down.
"What I meant was skip those few, and bring one of everything else on the entire menu,"
Lanqi replied with supreme confidence and certainty.
The waiter's pen halted.
*Wait, can you two actually finish all that?*
He stared at the young man and woman, utterly hesitant.
"Don't worry, we'll finish it,"
Lanqi told the waiter.
For a moment, Talia didn't even know whether she should be angry or not.
Lanqi understood her tastes all too well, but ordering like this was equally outrageous!
"Very well."
The waiter jotted down the order with practiced strokes in his notepad. He hesitated as if wanting to speak, but quietly stepped back anyway.
It was clear he couldn't believe the two of them could finish so much.
Unless one of them had an extraordinary appetite.
Talia kept her head down, remaining silent.
She now felt that eating so much in a moment would actually be a little embarrassing.
The Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant was actually a place she had taken a huge liking to in the gourmet weekly magazine. Being able to clear the entire menu in one meal naturally satisfied her heart, but this Lanqi fellow always carried a damnable aura, making her too embarrassed to spend the entire afternoon eating!
The two waited.
For a rare moment, they didn't speak.
"Isn't it boring to accompany me eating here the whole afternoon?"
Talia muttered abruptly to herself.
In this world, Lanqi was probably the only one willing to sit and eat with her indefinitely, even squandering his time just on "keeping her company."
Time like this should have been exceptionally precious to humans, let alone a human as talented and promising as Lanqi.
"Not at all. Being with you, I never feel bored,"
Lanqi said, his voice carrying an unmistakable cheerfulness.
"..."
Listening to Lanqi's earnest words, Talia felt angry yet at a loss for words.
"Why did you tighten your grip on my hand again?"
Lanqi asked.
"..."
Talia didn't answer.
She was just angry! First, rule out the possibility that "she didn't want to let go of this human." Even now, she felt emotionally unsettled because of Lanqi.
Shortly after.
The sommelier walked gracefully over carrying a crystal-clear decanter, slowly pouring the wine, clear as a ruby, into a tall-stemmed glass.
A rich fruity aroma diffused along with the swaying liquid in the glass. Lanqi lifted the wine glass and gently offered it toward Talia.
Meanwhile, what he received was grape juice specially brought by the waiter.
The two symbolically clinked glasses and each took a sip.
The appetizers were soon served.
"Tata, look at this, doesn't it look like Boss Cat?"
The appetizer was a mini rye bagel, freshly baked and highly acclaimed at this restaurant, radiating the scent of wheat.
Taking a bite, the texture was soft and fluffy, and tearing open the bread revealed occasional sesame seeds scattered within. The guacamole was made with avocados imported from the Western Canberra Kingdom, boasting an even texture, natural fresh fragrance, and a subtle nutty flavor.
"..."
Talia didn't want to humor him, quietly starting to eat.
Whenever she heard "cat" now, she felt Lanqi was hinting at something.
She reached her fork toward the veal. Prime veal shank had been simmered in brown sauce until tender and falling apart, rich in pan juices, pounded repeatedly to yield a silky smooth texture, richly savory with a lingering sweet aftertaste.
As long as she concentrated on enjoying good food, she could forget her troubles.
As they ate, the other dishes were served one after another.
The most eye-catching was Chef Bogus's signature dessert—caramel apple tart with vanilla custard tart. The crisp, golden pastry was coated in a layer of glistening caramel, the sweet and sour notes of apple perfectly balanced, while the rich, creamy vanilla ice cream was the crowning touch to this dessert.
A small plate vanished in under a minute.
Soon, Talia also noticed a problem.
If she was holding hands with Lanqi...
She couldn't eat normally with her right hand.
And using cutlery with her left hand felt awkward.
Lanqi likewise noticed Talia's dining efficiency had dropped significantly.
He observed Talia.
Delicious food was right before her eyes, yet she could only slowly and clumsily enjoy it.
Watching her awkward manner of eating made Lanqi feel rather uneasy too, as if Boss Cat were scratching at his heart.
His direct, unwavering gaze also caught Talia's attention.
She looked toward Lanqi.
That questioning look in her eyes seemed to ask: *What are you looking at me for?*
She couldn't help but concentrate her mind, probing Lanqi's thoughts at this moment.
"How about we let go together for now? Holding your right hand gets in the way of your eating too much,"
Lanqi proposed a truce.
The two of them had been competing the entire day; they couldn't possibly keep holding hands like this the whole day, could they?
Though he really wanted to just feed Talia directly, Talia would definitely never agree.
Besides, after hearing Talia's squeaky cat voice earlier, he had already enjoyed himself to the fullest today.
Suffice to say, he would never forget such a joyous day for the rest of his life.
If Tata really turned into a little kitten, he would certainly be unable to part with her, holding her every day and feeding her non-stop.
"...You really want to feed me directly?"
As if her head had buzzed, Talia dazedly read Lanqi's thought and blurted it out subconsciously.
As for the latter half...
"!!"
She suddenly threw up her hand, clutching her throat tightly, straining with all her might to keep from reciting it out loud.
*Lanqi... he wants to... hold me in his arms and feed me?!*
Talia felt her head whistling like a boiling kettle. With a face full of dread, she looked at Lanqi, even scooting back half an inch as if terrified he would actually make a move.
Instantly, not just Lanqi, but even the surrounding diners turned their eyes toward them.
"..."
Lanqi was dumbfounded too.
Talia's intermittent mind reading had triggered again, and its side effect was blurting things out subconsciously.
And did her reaction have to be so drastic?
It wasn't as if she couldn't guess what he was thinking.
The last time he fed her had been a long time ago.
Back then in South Vantina, when her hand was injured, Lanqi had taken meticulous care of her every day.
After their Q&A at the Golden Bee Amusement Park, both sides knew what the other was thinking.
But that was strictly confined to both of them merely thinking about it.
Both had fully functioning limbs; an adult's sense of shame dictated that they could never bring themselves to actually do such a thing even if it killed them.
"Yes,"
Lanqi simply admitted it outright. Since Talia had already read his thoughts, flatly denying it would only make him look like a circus clown, and Talia would definitely mock him.
"Let me feed you,"
Lanqi gazed earnestly at Talia and requested.
His gamble was that Talia couldn't possibly accept.
If Talia panicked and refused, it wouldn't be his fault.
"No no no..."
Talia was exceptionally sober only at moments like this, shaking her head vigorously.
Being fed like that in broad daylight in public was simply... too much.
Even if she died, she couldn't agree to such a thing!
Meanwhile, the little girl nearby looked over again.
That innocent gaze felt like an interrogation.
Only small children let adults feed them! How long had she lived? She was long past the age of needing to be fed!
"Sigh."
Seeing this, Lanqi let go of Talia's hand.
It sounded like a sigh, yet also like a sigh of relief.
When he raised his eyebrows again, he had become smug once more, his gaze carrying a trace of regret and pity.
Talia's amusing reaction was his greatest trophy today.
Endlessly savored.
An eight-hundred-year-old vintage really did offer a different taste each time it was savored.
"...!"
Talia immediately understood Lanqi's infuriating expression and his psychological game.
It was she, Talia, who had refused.
Now, even if Lanqi took the initiative to let go, it counted as respecting her wishes—equivalent to her admitting defeat.
This fellow had banked on her not daring to continue gambling with him!
She truly... couldn't do it...
A faint blush rose to her cheeks, exposing her inner mortification. She lightly bit her lower lip, as if regretting her failure.
*The more you swallow your anger, the angrier you get when you look back on it.*
*Truly, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.*
Even without looking at Lanqi now, her head felt full of Lanqi's smug, triumphant eyes.
She might not even be able to sleep well tonight.
She threw caution to the wind!
Talia leaned closer to Lanqi. Finally making up her mind, she stood up, sat onto Lanqi's lap, and obediently waited for him to feed her.
*Let's see whether you feel ashamed or I feel ashamed.*
"If you want to hold me, go ahead and hold me. Let's see if you actually dare!"
Her face burning red, she gritted her teeth and whispered into Lanqi's ear.
Talia was fully prepared to perish together.
"..."
Lanqi.
His brain ceased functioning.
He might be dead.
Or he might not.
...
Outside the restaurant, on the surface of the Selena River.
A small wooden boat drifted leisurely across the waters of the Selena River, its bow tipped slightly upward like an elegant swan poised to spread its wings.
Aetio sat at the stern, holding a wooden oar, gently stroking the water to glide the little boat forward.
Rosalinda sat at the bow, clutching binoculars, fixedly peering at the distant restaurant glass wall.
All was peaceful.
Suddenly.
"Waaahhh!"
Rosalinda covered her face, screaming in excitement.
She hadn't expected Tata and Lanqi to be so shamelessly affectionate! This was a public place—did they care nothing for the gazes around them?!
"Holy meow!"
Even Boss Cat was frightened, leaping straight into midair.
"Boss Cat, are they like this in your restaurant too?"
Rosalinda asked, blushing.
"How could that be possible! Wait..."
Boss Cat was about to deny it when it recalled all the previous incidents.
It seemed every single time was more radical than the last.
It didn't know what had happened, only sensing that there must be another misunderstanding between Lanqi and Tata in the restaurant.
Both of them had overly stubborn personalities.
With no one watching over them, they would only take their games further and further until they blew each other up!
Aetio was still snapping photos non-stop.
Such a wonderful scene—when time passed and they looked back at it, they would definitely feel differently.
...
The Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant.
After Lanqi's brain rebooted, he realized Talia had probably read the latter half of his earlier thought.
Yet she had only read half of it.
So it turned into: he wanted to hold her in his arms and feed her!
Cold sweat began pouring from Lanqi like rain.
If he told Talia the truth right now and let her discover she had misunderstood, she might drag him down to mutual destruction.
His story would probably conclude right here.
[The End]
*Wait, don't bring up that kind of subtitle!*
Lanqi felt like he had plunged into a hallucination.
After a bout of mental struggle—spanning from the origin of the universe to a summary of his life—his life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
Having finally grasped the reality of the situation, under absolute mortal peril, Lanqi tremblingly picked up the caramel apple tart with vanilla custard tart and held it to the lips of Talia, who was sitting in his lap.
Talia was trembling just as much, opening her mouth to take the tart Lanqi was feeding her.
And so began Lanqi's sentence in his personal prison.
His face flushed red too.
He had no choice but to feed Talia like this.
"Mommy, Mommy, did Daddy ever feed you like that before?"
the little girl not far away asked.
"Hush!"
Her mother hastily covered her mouth.
This time, her gaze held not just an apology, but deep apprehension that these two would corrupt the child.
Normal people didn't do this sort of thing.
Even if today was a festival day in the Kingdom of Posen, this was still a bit too much.
"..."
Both Lanqi and Talia's faces were flushed crimson.
The little girl's words were like a meteorite crashing into a calm lake, instantly setting their hearts boiling.
Their bodies froze involuntarily. Their panicked gazes crossed and quickly darted away, struck in their weakest spot by that most innocent question.
Talia admitted she had once fantasized about Lanqi feeding her in the Kingdom of Posen, but she had never imagined it would be so... and end up so absurd!
She could only hastily swallow the food Lanqi offered, playing along so they could bring this lunch to a swift conclusion.
If this torment continued, neither of them could take it.
Yet this meal still seemed to have three or four hours left.
Pressed closely together, amid pounding heartbeats and agonizing torment, their thoughts aligned with extraordinary precision:
*We'd have been better off just going on a normal date like usual!*
*Why did it come to this?*
No matter what, today's incident had to be taken to the grave!
Chapter 698