Chapter Ninety-Five: On Eating Spicy Food

The consequence of being absent-minded was that his ear went from being gently pinched to being fiercely tugged.

The pain made Zhou Jingchen howl and beg for mercy.

A waiter came to take their order, and seeing Zhou Jingchen pleading, she could hardly believe her eyes, thinking she must have mistaken him for someone else.

After all, Zhou Jingchen always looked aloof in those candid photos circulating online—who would have thought he’d act so playful in front of this young lady?

But the girl still wore her mask, so her true face was hidden—a tiny regret.

Noticing someone had entered, Yu Qiansong released Zhou Jingchen’s ear. “Ahem, someone’s here.”

Zhou Jingchen instantly reverted to his cold demeanor, reaching for the menu.

The waiter watched him transform from henpecked boyfriend to domineering CEO, unable to bear the sight—it was dazzling!

“Sweetheart, let’s not have spicy food today. If I eat any more, I’ll start breaking out,” Zhou Jingchen said, his tone unconsciously turning soft and spoiled as he spoke to Yu Qiansong. The waiter, expressionless, stood by with pen and paper, waiting for them to name their dishes.

“No. I want it. If you don’t, order something else,” Yu Qiansong rolled her eyes, refusing.

Was he kidding? As a native of Sichuan, how could she not eat spicy food? That would be disgraceful.

“…” Helpless, but how could he refuse his darling anything? He could only indulge her. “Shredded pork with garlic sauce, spicy boiled beef, sweet-and-sour cabbage, and a three-flavor soup.”

After scanning the menu, Zhou Jingchen decided on their meal for the day.

During the National Day holidays, the two ate at this Sichuan restaurant every day. By now, they’d figured out which dishes were good and which weren’t.

The restaurant, too, had learned Yu Qiansong’s tastes.

After all, she was the only one near the film studio daring enough to eat truly spicy dishes. The others? Even if they ordered spicy, it was only a token sprinkle of chili.

The chef always felt his talents were wasted here, but with Yu Qiansong—a true spice lover—he piled on the peppers with gusto.

That’s why Zhou Jingchen claimed he was about to break out.

Menu in hand, the waiter met the manager.

“Those two inside didn’t take their anger out on you, did they?” the manager asked quietly.

The waiter paused, puzzled. “Angry? Why would they be angry?”

“As long as they didn’t. Whew.” He wiped sweat from his brow. “There are so many temperamental stars in this studio. When something goes wrong outside, they come in and vent on the staff. Many waiters have been reduced to tears—I was worried these two would be the same. Luckily, they weren’t. Just now, they were surrounded by a group of idiots outside, something happened, and they got upset before coming in.”

Understanding now, the waiter replied, “They weren’t angry at me. Their attitude was quite gentle.”

“Ah, seems there are still genuinely good-tempered people in this industry.” Shaking his head with a sigh, the manager moved on, urging her to pass on the menu and prompting others to order and serve without delay.

When the food arrived, Yu Qiansong ate each piece of meat with gusto. Looking at the pile of chilies on the plate, Zhou Jingchen felt a twinge in his stomach. He ordered a glass of plain water and rinsed the dishes repeatedly before eating.

“Coward,” Yu Qiansong suddenly looked up and said.

“????” Zhou Jingchen felt challenged. “I’m from Zhejiang. Isn’t it normal I can’t handle spicy food?”

He felt provoked, but his words admitted defeat.

“In the past, I had a friend I met through gaming. She was from Zhejiang, but she could eat spicy food as well as anyone from Sichuan!” Yu Qiansong paused before speaking.

“Who?” Zhou Jingchen asked casually, only realizing after he spoke that Yu Qiansong was referring to her previous life.

“A very wonderful girl. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to meet her again.” Yu Qiansong’s tone was tinged with nostalgia.

“Do you know her name and where she lives? If you do, you could try to find her.”

“I know, but she doesn’t know me now. If I went, she’d just think I was some scammer. Let’s leave it to fate—maybe we’ll meet again in-game someday,” Yu Qiansong replied, tilting her head and smiling with cheerful acceptance.

“Mm.” Zhou Jingchen responded softly, adding more food to her bowl.