Chapter 220: Protective of Food
The four of them found an outdoor table near the fountain and sat down.
The golden sunlight scattered across the curtain of water, refracting into tiny rainbows. It was a beautiful sight.
"Come on, come on! To Brother Mo and Yuqing’s romantic moment on the Ferris wheel, cheers!" Zhao Yuanyuan, ever the troublemaker, raised her sundae cup—which had a small pink umbrella stuck in it—with a mischievous look on her face.
Huang Mao also grinned and raised his glass. "Cheers, cheers! Hope you two make it official soon!"
Su Yuqing had just picked up her small spoon, and upon hearing that, she almost dropped it into her soufflé. She was so embarrassed she wished she could bury her head in her dessert.
Chen Mo picked up his lemonade, a helpless yet indulgent smile on his face. He lightly tapped Zhao Yuanyuan’s cup. "Just eat your dessert. Can’t even a huge cup of sweets shut you up?"
His gaze swept over the tips of Su Yuqing’s crimson ears, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
Zhao Yuanyuan smugly scooped a large spoonful of sundae into her mouth and said indistinctly, "It won’t shut me up, but for the sundae’s sake, I’ll call a temporary truce! However..."
Her eyes darted around, landing on the barely touched soufflé in front of Su Yuqing. "Yuqing, you don’t like sweets? Then let me have a bite, huh? Anything Brother Mo buys must be extra sweet!"
Before Su Yuqing could react, Zhao Yuanyuan’s spoon had already shot out like lightning, aimed directly at the fluffiest peak of the soufflé!
Almost at the same time, another well-defined hand shot out even faster. It firmly grasped Su Yuqing’s wrist, gently pulling it aside and skillfully dodging Zhao Yuanyuan’s "attack."
It was Chen Mo.
His movements were natural and smooth. He set his lemonade aside and casually helped Su Yuqing adjust her position.
Her wrist was enveloped in his warm palm, and the sensation of their skin touching sent a jolt of warmth shooting from her wrist straight to her mind.
Chen Mo didn’t let go of her wrist right away. Instead, holding her like that, he took the spoon from her other hand, gently scooped up a small, clean piece from the edge of her soufflé, and very naturally placed it in her mouth.
Su Yuqing stared at Chen Mo in a daze. Seeing him give her a look, she immediately understood. After tasting the food, she smiled at a dumbfounded Zhao Yuanyuan and commented seriously, "Mm, it tastes pretty good. It really is sweet."
Chen Mo looked at Zhao Yuanyuan and teased back, "None of this for you. If you want some, have your own boyfriend order it for you."
Zhao Yuanyuan suddenly gave a sly smile and pulled her hand back. She hadn’t actually wanted to eat it; she just wanted to tease Su Yuqing.
However, regarding Chen Mo’s comment about her boyfriend, she stole a glance at Huang Mao but didn’t respond.
"Chen Mo..."
Suddenly, a soft whisper sounded by his ear.
Chen Mo turned back to Su Yuqing and saw her looking at him shyly. His gaze immediately fell to his hand still holding her wrist. Then, as if he had only just realized, he let go of her wrist with extreme naturalness.
He picked up his lemonade and took a sip, a faint, breezy smile on his face.
Su Yuqing lowered her head, mechanically poking at her soufflé with her spoon. The wrist he had held seemed to still bear a distinct imprint, carrying a searing heat and an unprecedented sense of intimacy.
That small, possessive and protective gesture concealed his hidden emotions.
After the four of them finished their desserts, they spent the rest of the day happily exploring the amusement park.
The day’s excitement finally began to settle, but the air was still filled with the mixed scents of candy, popcorn, and fresh-cut grass.
"Let’s go. It’s time to head back," Chen Mo said, checking the time and standing up.
His gaze fell on Su Yuqing, questioning.
Su Yuqing nodded and stood up as well. The mix of exhaustion and excitement from the day made her legs feel a little weak.
On the way back, the atmosphere among the four of them had taken on an unspoken warmth and ambiguity that wasn’t there before.
Zhao Yuanyuan and Huang Mao were still bantering back and forth, but they were sensible enough not to tease Chen Mo and Su Yuqing anymore, only occasionally exchanging a knowing look.
Chen Mo and Su Yuqing still walked side by side, their shadows stretching and shrinking under the streetlights.
Silence flowed between them, but it was no longer awkward. Instead, it was filled with a wordless understanding and the anticipation of that solemn promise, just waiting to break through.
When they reached the intersection to part ways, Zhao Yuanyuan, whose route went in a different direction, insisted on dragging Huang Mao away first.
Ostensibly, it was to prevent him from being a third wheel, but whether she harbored other intentions, no one could say.
"See you tomorrow!" Zhao Yuanyuan waved, mouthed "Go for it!" to Chen Mo and Su Yuqing, and ran off with a giggle.
Only Chen Mo and Su Yuqing were left at the intersection.
The night wind carried a chill, rustling the hem of Su Yuqing’s dress and her hair.
She shivered slightly.
"Are you cold?" Chen Mo’s voice sounded especially deep and gentle in the night.
"I’m okay," Su Yuqing said, shaking her head and looking up at him.
The soft halo of the streetlight outlined his features, and his calm, focused expression made her heart flutter.
Chen Mo looked at her, and his Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
The words that had been brewing all day—or perhaps, had been lingering in his heart for much longer—were now on the verge of spilling out.
But the promise of "solemnity" acted as an invisible barrier, making him ultimately just look at her deeply, suppressing all the surging emotions within his profound gaze.
"Today... were you happy?" he asked, his voice tinged with a barely noticeable rasp.
"Yes!" Su Yuqing nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling, filled with starlight and joy.
Her smile was so pure and beautiful, like fireworks blooming in the night sky, instantly illuminating the depths of Chen Mo’s heart.
The urge to confess everything rushed back, almost breaking through the dam of his reason.
The hand at his side curled slightly into a fist.
Su Yuqing also seemed to sense the tense, almost-overflowing emotion in the air.
Her heart leaped into her throat as she waited with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
However, in the end, Chen Mo only raised his hand and, with extreme restraint and infinite tenderness, gently brushed away a stray lock of hair that the wind had blown across her forehead.
His fingertips were careful and gentle, as if he were touching the most fragile treasure in the world.
"As long as you’re happy." He pulled his hand back, his voice returning to its usual gentleness, yet with an added, unusual depth. "Do you want to go out again tomorrow, or study at home?"
"A full day of fun is enough. Let’s go out again next week."
When you enjoy something fun too many times in a row, the excitement level drops significantly.
So, Su Yuqing understood the importance of moderation. It was better to experience wonderful moments like these every once in a while; that way, they would seep deeper into her heart and become more profound memories.
"That’s a good idea." Chen Mo understood this principle as well, and he nodded with a smile.