“Cousin Zhen, where should we go play next?”
“Let’s grab some food first and rest a bit. We’ll watch the fireworks tonight.”
“Yay! Then how about the Eight Immortals Residence? It’s got that high upstairs view.”
“What do you think, Cousin Ruyu?”
“Whatever you guys want~”
“Alright then, let’s go…”
With the Dragon Night Platform role-play wrapped up, the rest of the Lantern Festival events passed in a blur. Though the script didn’t detail them much, Yan Zhen still diligently played out this little side plot.
The three of them headed to the Eight Immortals Residence and reserved the best private room on the top floor. They ordered a full table of dishes and ate at a leisurely pace.
Yan Meng’er pulled their chairs close together, nearly forming one long bench.
She sat on Yan Zhen’s right, alternately picking food for him with her chopsticks, feeding him bites, asking him to feed her, and even licking away any grains of rice or bits of oil from his lips.
Yan Zhen had no choice but to oblige her as much as possible without breaking character.
This thrilled Yan Meng’er to no end. She practically glued herself to him, her full, ripe breasts brushing against his arm now and then.
Watching her cousin’s bold advances, Yan Ruyu felt a twinge of embarrassment. But when Yan Zhen responded, she found herself envying the girl and wondering if she acted the same way, would he—
Yet Yan Ruyu only thought about it; she lacked the courage for such brazen moves. That is, until Yan Meng’er gave her a hint. Then it clicked.
“Yan Zhen, thanks for this morning.”
With that, she picked up a big piece of meat and dropped it into his bowl before quickly pulling her chopsticks back.
“It’s a thank-you gift.”
Yan Zhen was a little surprised but smiled faintly anyway.
“No need to be so formal. I was just upholding the City Lord’s Mansion’s reputation.”
Yan Ruyu’s mood lifted instantly. A soft smile curved her lips, her mind filled with one thought: He smiled at me…
Seeing her cousin’s spineless display, Yan Meng’er rolled her eyes inwardly. What a useless ally—her boldness wasn’t even a five out of ten. How could she count on her as a teammate?
Quick as a flash, Yan Meng’er snatched the meat from Yan Zhen’s bowl and popped it into her own mouth.
“I’ll eat this piece. Cousin Ruyu, grab another one for Cousin Zhen. Nom nom~”
“Meng’er!”
Yan Ruyu shot her cousin an annoyed glare, but Yan Meng’er just grinned dopily while her eyes signaled frantically: Feed him! Feed him now!
Yan Ruyu caught on immediately, her heart pounding. After steeling herself for a long moment, she picked up another piece of meat with her chopsticks and held it to Yan Zhen’s lips, her cheeks burning red.
“Eat… eat it.”
Yan Zhen was utterly stunned, wondering if Yan Ruyu had gotten drunk. Why else would she feed him like this?
“I’ll get it myself.”
He refused politely, and Yan Ruyu panicked, on the verge of snapping at him like usual. But a glare from Yan Meng’er stopped her cold, and she changed tack.
“Just eat it already, or Meng’er will snatch it away again.”
Yan Zhen glanced at Yan Meng’er. She batted her sparkling eyes and flashed a mischievous grin, as if to say, “Meng’er the veggie thief strikes again~”
After a brief hesitation, Yan Zhen leaned in and took the meat from her chopsticks, chewing it down quickly.
After all, they lived under the same roof as family. A little closeness now and then wouldn’t clash with his protagonist persona.
Yan Ruyu stared dreamily at Yan Zhen’s profile as he munched away, her heart swelling with a strange happiness. She wanted to keep feeding him more.
No wonder Meng’er kept at it without tiring. It really was that enjoyable.
“Cousin Ruyu, feed Meng’er too~”
Yan Ruyu blinked at Yan Meng’er’s sudden whine and casually picked up a slice of fish her cousin loved, leaning across Yan Zhen to stuff it in her mouth.
“That enough?”
“Cousin Ruyu’s the best~ Now Meng’er will feed you back. Gotta return the favor.”
Yan Ruyu arched a brow, about to refuse, when she caught another pointed look from Yan Meng’er. Dazed, she ate the tender fish belly her cousin offered, then heard the girl’s syrupy plea.
“Cousin Zhen, Cousin Ruyu just fed you some meat. Return the favor and feed her back?”
Eh? Yan Ruyu’s heart raced anew, her delicate face flushing pink as she watched Yan Zhen, tense with shyness and anticipation.
Yan Zhen nodded readily, selected a large shrimp, peeled it, dipped it in sauce, and held it before her.
“Here, returning the favor.”
Yan Ruyu swallowed hard at the sight of the plump, fresh shrimp meat and his slender white fingers. She wasn’t sure which tempted her more.
She wanted it, but it felt so embarrassing.
As she wavered, Yan Meng’er shot her frantic looks, as if yelling, Eat it already, you dummy!
Yan Ruyu bit her lip, squeezed her eyes shut, and parted her lips to bite forward—only to catch Yan Zhen’s finger too. He winced and yanked his hand back, eyeing her warily.
Was this her revenge strike?
“My finger isn’t food.”
Yan Ruyu clapped her hands over her mouth, cheeks bulging like a hamster as she chewed. Her face was beet red, her eyes innocent, as if pleading, “I didn’t mean to.”
Yan Meng’er finally smiled in satisfaction. Cousin Ruyu might be a total noob right now, but she had tons of potential worth cultivating.
They ate from dusk until nightfall, fireworks blooming sporadically in the dark sky.
The trio dragged their chairs to the window, sipping warm rice wine while admiring the display and overlooking the streets below.
Dragon dances, lanterns, vendors, crowds… A sea of lights illuminated the entire city, brimming with revelry and splendor.
“Cousin Zhen, let’s head down and join the fun~”
“Too crowded. I don’t want to jostle through it.”
“Come on~ Cousin Ruyu, back me up!”
“It’s only once a year. Just a quick stroll?”
“…Fine.”
“Yay~”
They left the restaurant and plunged into the bustling streets.
Yan Meng’er grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand and tugged Yan Ruyu to take his other, claiming it was “to avoid getting separated.”
Hand-holding? That was too advanced for Yan Ruyu. She hesitated.
“I’ll hold yours instead, Meng’er.”
Yan Meng’er itched to bonk her useless cousin on the head.
“No can do, Cousin Ruyu. One hand’s for Cousin Zhen, the other’s for holding stuff. No spares left for you.”
Lost for words, Yan Ruyu eventually psyched herself up. She gripped Yan Zhen’s wrist firmly, blushing as she stared at the ground.
Her grasp was a bit too tight, pinching Yan Zhen. He figured this was her payback after all but endured it silently to avoid derailing the plot.
Hand in hand, the three admired lanterns, guessed riddles, chased dragon dances, teased lion dancers… laughing freely the whole time.
As midnight neared and the Lantern Festival drew to a close, massive fireworks lit up across the city.
Still holding hands, they stood by the riverbank, heads tilted skyward.
The booms echoed around them, colorful bursts painting their vision, until their buoyant joy settled into calm.
“Cousin Zhen.”
“Yeah?”
“Mwah~”
“…”
The sneak attack landed perfectly. Yan Meng’er giggled in triumph, then winked slyly at Yan Ruyu on Yan Zhen’s other side: Meng’er got the first move—your turn to step up, Cousin Ruyu~
Yan Ruyu: “/(//o/ω/o//)/”
