Chapter 10: Carrot chaos
Hua Jing's grin widened as she watched Zhao Yan's reaction. The slight pause of his chopsticks, the faint stiffness in his posture—it was all the confirmation she needed.
"You really don't like carrots, do you?" she teased, leaning forward slightly.
Zhao Yan said nothing, his face a mask of indifference—literally and figuratively.
Hua Jing's laughter bubbled out, light and mocking. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "The mighty prince, ruler-to-be, brought down by a few humble carrots!"
Her eyes sparkled mischievously as an idea struck her. Without warning, she grabbed the nearest dish containing carrots and trotted over to Zhao Yan's side.
"Well, since you don't seem to know how to appreciate them," she said, plucking a handful of the orange slices with her chopsticks, "I'll help you out!"
"Stop," Zhao Yan said firmly, his tone low and threatening.
But Hua Jing was already in his space, leaning far closer than propriety allowed. She ignored his warning, her chopsticks deftly dropping the carrots onto his plate with exaggerated cheer.
"Try this," she said, her tone sweet as honey. "They're good for your health. Rich in vitamins, you know."
"Hua Jing," Zhao Yan growled, his voice a warning.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not done yet," Hua Jing chirped, darting to another dish. She scooped up another portion of carrots and added them to his plate with a flourish. "Here's some more. Can't have too many vitamins!"