Shen An was chatting idly with Zhao Qingyu when Yu Wen walked over.
He glanced up at the chicken wing in Yu Wen’s hand, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Senior Sister, you’re too kind~”
Yu Wen rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t even think about it.”
With that, she poked Zhao Qingyu’s shoulder. “Haven’t finished chatting yet? We’re one short for cards!”
It turned out she had only come to drag Zhao Qingyu over to play.
“Still need another player?” Shen An asked casually.
“You want to play too?” Yu Wen covered her mouth, teasing. “It’s not impossible, but you’ll have to wait. We’ve got enough people now.”
“Nah, I was just asking.”
Shen An stood up. “You all go ahead and play, Senior Sister. I’ll wander around a bit.”
Once Shen An had left, Zhao Qingyu shot her a sidelong glance, her tone carrying a hint of meaning. “Didn’t I ask someone to take my spot when I stepped away?”
Yu Wen smiled faintly. “They wanted to play a different game. Three’s not enough—you need four.”
“Fine.”
Zhao Qingyu said no more. She stood and left the shade of the tree with Yu Wen.
Shen An sauntered back to the barbecue grill, squatting down and gently draping an arm over Song Rui’s shoulder. Then he looked at Wang Yuqiong. “Hey? Didn’t you grill a few chicken wings for me?”
Wang Yuqiong didn’t even glance at him, focusing solely on the food in front of her.
She had prepared quite a few for him originally.
But the moment they were done, she saw him cozying up to Zhao Qingyu, chatting away. Wang Yuqiong was furious. She’d rather give them away than let Shen An have any.
Not only that—she had even taken the chicken wings Song Rui had grilled and handed those off to others too, leaving not a single one for Shen An.
Song Rui looked aggrieved and said weakly, “I… I grilled quite a few just now.”
She was about to explain the situation when Wang Yuqiong cut her off. “If you want to eat, grill them yourself. What, no hands or feet?”
Well, damn.
Shen An turned his head and whispered to Song Rui, “What’s up with her? On her period? She’s got some serious fire today.”
Song Rui blinked, and in front of Wang Yuqiong, she could only hint at him with her eyes.
At that moment, a chicken wing appeared right in front of Shen An.
To everyone’s surprise, it was Shen Lianyao who held it out!
“I saved one for you. It’s not much, but eat it for now.”
Shen Lianyao looked at him, her tone and expression utterly calm, without the slightest ripple.
Shen An was almost stunned, his outstretched hand trembling a little. “Thanks~”
“No need.”
Shen Lianyao quickly added an explanation for her action. “You were busy for a while just now too.”
“Hah, no, no, it was nothing. Just doing my part.”
Shen An brushed it off casually while sneaking a glance at Wang Yuqiong. “See how thoughtful she is.”
Wang Yuqiong’s lips pursed slightly, and she let out a little huff.
She wasn’t too bothered, just thinking she’d miscalculated a bit, letting Shen Lianyao steal the show.
But she figured it was unlikely for any sparks to fly between Shen Lianyao and him~
That one line from her last time was enough to make Shen Lianyao hold a grudge.
And this guy might seem mild-mannered, but he never bowed his head easily.
Shen An took a gentle bite. The charred and spicy flavor hitting his tongue made his expression twist out of control in an instant.
Wang Yuqiong caught sight of it and quickly looked down to stifle her laughter.
Shen Lianyao frowned. “What’s wrong? Not cooked through?”
“This…” Shen An schooled his expression and said softly, “It’s fine. Just a bit spicy.”
“Oh, you can’t handle spice?”
“Eh, I like sweet foods, but spice? I tend to steer clear.”
Shen An smiled as he spoke, while frantically pinching his thigh.
It was really spicy…
And that charred taste… He suspected Shen Lianyao had loaded it with spice just to cover up the burnt flavor.
Had she grilled it like this on purpose for him?
Song Rui noticed Shen An’s odd behavior and asked, puzzled, “Why don’t you sit down?”
Yeah, the silly girl thought he was just tired from squatting.
“Sure.”
Shen An forced himself to finish the chicken wing through the pain. The moment he tossed the skewer, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
After that, he had Song Rui fetch a few more chicken wings for him.
Wang Yuqiong arched a brow. “Oh? Finally gracing us with your grilling skills?”
Shen An took the wings and said coolly, “Let me show you what real barbecuing looks like.”
“Show-off~”
Wang Yuqiong acted indifferent, but her eyes were glued to Shen An.
Truth be told, she was pretty curious to see it~
Best if he finished grilling and had the good sense to offer her one. Then this young lady might reluctantly forgive him.
Soon, the three women witnessed what true “barbecuing” looked like.
Thanks to the hand speed honed from years of single life, Shen An could juggle several chicken wings at once, brushing on different sauces at each stage.
Each phase sizzled with an exotic meaty aroma, blending together at a level far beyond what the three women could achieve.
Even Shen Lianyao stared in a daze.
In no time, Shen An was done.
In his hands, the chicken wings showed no trace of charring—just golden hues radiating savory scent, with juices seeping from the meat. They looked utterly delicious.
Song Rui couldn’t help licking her lips, staring at Shen An eagerly.
“Don’t rush. Let me brush on some honey first.”
After coating them, Shen An handed one to Song Rui first, then one to Shen Lianyao.
He stood, taking the rest over to Zhao Qingyu’s group.
“Mmm~”
Song Rui dove in without hesitation.
Shen Lianyao took a bite and couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
It really was delicious.
He’d be wasting his talent not opening a barbecue joint.
Wang Yuqiong stared resentfully at his retreating back, then turned to see Song Rui eating with satisfied smacks. She couldn’t hold back anymore. “Let me have a bite too.”
Song Rui chewed with her little mouth, but she didn’t hide it, letting Wang Yuqiong take a bite.
Crunch.
Wang Yuqiong tore off a huge chunk, and Song Rui’s face immediately showed her distress.
Meanwhile, Shen An had arrived at Zhao Qingyu’s spot with the chicken wings.
“Come on, ladies—one for each Senior Sister.”
Shen An distributed them to the four women playing cards. Yu Wen took hers, her gaze teasing. “Oh, this is too kind.”
“If you really think so, how about you grill one for me?”
“Then never mind—I’m playing cards!”
“Heh.”
Qi Taili took a bite. “Mmm~ This is really good.”
Yu Wen bit into hers too. “Not bad at all.”
She looked at Shen An and teased, “Ever thought about opening a barbecue shop?”
“Sure, as long as you provide the startup cash, Senior Sister.”
“Get lost~”
“Alrighty.”
Shen An clapped his hands and turned to leave.
After that, he was quite generous, handing out a wing to almost everyone there.
Once he’d collected thanks and praise from the whole crowd, he returned to his seat, thoroughly satisfied.
The moment he sat down, a gaze pierced him with sharp resentment.
Oh~
Look at that aggrieved stare.
Wang Yuqiong was the sole exception in that “almost.”
She’d watched him hand them out to everyone else the whole time, getting nothing but the view.
“Don’t stare. If you want to eat, grill it yourself. Got no hands or feet?”
Shen An said coolly.
I…
Wang Yuqiong clenched her little fists, grabbed her small bag, and huffed. “Grill by yourself then!”
With that, she turned and stormed off without looking back.
“Hey, Yuqiong…”
Song Rui called after her a few times, but couldn’t stop Wang Yuqiong.
Seeing this, Shen Lianyao couldn’t help reminding Shen An. “If you keep teasing her like that, watch out—she might actually leave.”
“Oh come on, now it’s my fault?”
“It’s always good for a guy to be a little generous,” Shen Lianyao said softly.
“Fine. Then help me peel an eggplant first. I’ll need it when I get back.”
“Eggplant?”
“Yeah. I noticed you all only went for the chicken wings—haven’t touched much else.” Shen An drawled, “Everything has its own flavor, though. It’s all delicious.”
With that, Shen An turned to chase after Wang Yuqiong.
Wang Yuqiong was annoyed, but not truly angry.
So she hadn’t gone far—just far enough to see if Shen An would come “make it up” to her.
She hadn’t walked many steps before glancing back now and then.
When she saw Shen An’s figure chasing after her, she whipped her head forward, her dawdling pace suddenly purposeful.
Shen An didn’t indulge her. Spotting her, he stopped in place and called out, “Stop running—I can’t keep up.”
Wang Yuqiong’s steps faltered.
“Really, don’t run. I’m exhausted…” Shen An panted dramatically, even bracing his hands on his knees.
Wang Yuqiong felt a pang of sympathy. She hadn’t been truly mad anyway…
Seeing him chase after her had worn down most of her annoyance.
But going back just like that… What about this young lady’s pride?!!
Shen An saw her frozen and knew what she was dithering over.
Little girl, he thought to himself, then gave her an out. “Come help me over. I can’t walk.”
Hmph~
You’re the one calling me back.
Wang Yuqiong turned, her little mouth curving up in barely concealed smugness.
She walked up to Shen An and snarked, “Weren’t you full of energy grilling earlier? One for everyone.”
Shen An straightened up. “If I didn’t play tired, how would I lure you back?”
“You…”
Wang Yuqiong’s smugness shattered as Shen An called her out. Blushing with annoyance, she spun around as if ready to leave for real.
Shen An chuckled softly and quickly took her small hand in his. “Why bother competing? Careful, or you’ll get sunburned.”
Wang Yuqiong shook her hand vigorously.
Hmm. She couldn’t shake it free—he was holding on tight.
Satisfied deep down, she turned to face him. Now that they were alone, she didn’t hold back. “Wasn’t it you who made me mad first? Everyone else got some, but not me. Weren’t you just giving me the cold shoulder on purpose?”
Shen An had no interest in debating who had mocked whom first. Such arguments were pointless.
He squeezed her hand gently and said in a soft voice, “If I hadn’t done that, how could I have gotten this chance to be alone with you?”
Eh…
Wang Yuqiong’s heart skipped a beat.
“See? Now it’s just you and me.”
Shen An brushed a lock of her silky hair aside. “Or would you rather be surrounded by a crowd, with everyone watching your every move?”
Blushing, Wang Yuqiong lowered her head, her lips pouting slightly. “We still have to go back…”
Her playfully petulant tone betrayed the delight bubbling inside her.
A woman’s anger or joy often hinged on a man’s words.
Coax her right, and that joy would dance at the corners of her mouth.
“But we can stay a little longer now.”
Shen An tugged her along.
“Where to?”
Wang Yuqiong asked.
“Hmm, somewhere shady.”
“Oh~”
With her hand in his, Wang Yuqiong didn’t even try to pull away.
They strolled along the mountain path, pausing here and there, like a couple out for a leisurely hike.
After a short search, they spotted a shady spot by a stream. Shen An led Wang Yuqiong there and sat down.
No sooner had he settled than he scooped up a handful of clear water and splashed it onto his face.
“Hah~ That’s refreshing.”
He turned to her. “Want to give it a try? Feels amazing.”
But then he noticed her delicate makeup and laughed. “On second thought, maybe not. Wouldn’t want to ruin it.”
“I don’t mind.”
Wang Yuqiong grabbed his wrist. “It’s so hot and sticky. I was already thinking of taking it off.”
With that, she reached into her little bag and pulled out a bunch of items.
“This is all your fault. I wasn’t even planning to wear any makeup~”
She shot him a coquettish glare.
“Alright, alright. I’ll help you remove it.”
Shen An cupped another handful of water, picked up her makeup remover pad, and gently soaked it. Then he dabbed it softly against her cheek.
He wiped with exquisite care, tending to every inch.
After a moment, he set the pad aside and used his fingers instead.
His fingertips trailed slowly over her smooth skin. It looked like wiping, but felt more like deliberate caresses.
Wang Yuqiong sat stiffly—not from resistance, but shyness.
Mixed with nervousness… and anticipation.
Her hands rested obediently at her sides, like a child’s, letting him do as he pleased.
Mmm~
This sensation…
Unbidden, the corners of Wang Yuqiong’s mouth curved up, and her eyes fluttered half-closed.
Her freshly washed cheeks, kissed by the breeze, brought a uniquely crisp coolness as the water evaporated.
But even more singular was the warmth of his fingertips.
She cracked her eyes open for a peek. Tenderness was etched across his entire face.
Whoa…
She hadn’t gotten the chicken wings he’d grilled for her himself, but… somehow, this felt sweeter than chicken wings.
He loved sweets, but he himself was the sweetest treat of all.
