lcionline Chapter 274 Getting Flirted With
Chapter 274 Getting Flirted With
The restaurant was dimly lit, and soothing jazz music filled the air. The waiter clearly recognized Zhou Yanchuan and respectfully led them to his private room.
In restaurants like this, if you have money, you can have your own private room. Zhou Yanchuan won't be outdone by Jiang Langche.
Zhou Yanchuan released her hand only after they sat down. Xiao Jiu's fingers curled slightly; his dry warmth seemed to still linger in her palm. Hmm, holding hands felt quite nice.
The menu was handed to her, and Zhou Yanchuan pushed it directly in front of her: "Order what you like." His tone had returned to its usual calm, but if you listened carefully, it seemed a little softer than usual.
Xiao Jiu looked down at the menu, her eyelashes drooping, concealing the smile in her eyes. It seemed that someone had been appeased. She deliberately turned the pages slowly, her fingertips tracing over the exquisite pictures.
Zhou Yanchuan didn't urge her, leaning back slightly on the sofa, his gaze fixed on her focused profile. The warm yellow light in the private room outlined her soft features, the tip of her nose slightly upturned in a cute curve. He noticed that when she looked at the menu, she would unconsciously tap her lips with her fingertip as she thought.
“This looks delicious,” she suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling as she pointed to a beautifully presented dessert. “But isn’t it a bit inappropriate to order dessert before a main meal?”
"Order." Zhou Yanchuan said succinctly, beckoning a waiter over. "Bring this green grape snow jelly first."
"Huh? Dessert really comes first?" Xiao Jiu was a little surprised, then laughed. "Brother Yan Chuan, you're going to spoil me rotten."
Zhou Yanchuan didn't reply, but simply pushed the warm water he had poured towards her. Spoiled? He was rather curious to see what it would be like if she were spoiled. He longed for her to be spoiled by him, imagining her unique temper being visible only to him, and that made his heart burn with desire.
The wait for the food wasn't boring at all. Xiao Jiu seemed to have completely forgotten the little incident at the door earlier, and was enthusiastically talking about what had happened to her at school recently. When she got excited, she would unconsciously gesture with her fingers.
Most of the time, Zhou Yanchuan just listened quietly, occasionally responding to some of her words, which made her eyes light up and she speak even more enthusiastically.
He found himself enjoying seeing her like this, so full of life, her eyes sparkling like stars. It was a stark contrast to the calculating and self-serving world he inhabited.
The dishes were served one after another. Zhou Yanchuan naturally used serving chopsticks to put food on her plate, always choosing the dish she had glanced at a few times. Xiao Jiu's bowl was piled high with food, and after several unsuccessful protests, she could only mutter softly, "That's enough, that's enough, I really can't eat anymore... Brother Yanchuan, I'm not a pig, am I?"
Zhou Yanchuan then stopped eating, but he didn't eat much himself. Most of the time, he just watched her eat and occasionally took a sip of the tea beside him.
"Don't you like it?" Xiao Jiu asked, puzzled. She thought it tasted really good, so why did her brother Yan Chuan eat so little?
"No, I just wanted to watch you eat." Zhou Yanchuan didn't expect Xiao Jiu to notice him while he was eating. This meant that she was also paying attention to him, which meant that she cared about him.
"Here, try this." Xiao Jiu picked up a piece of tender Kung Pao chicken with her chopsticks, but instead of putting it in her own mouth, she turned her wrist and placed it steadily above the bone plate in front of Zhou Yanchuan.
Her eyes sparkled, filled with an undeniable determination: "Sweet and sour with a hint of spice, the chicken is so tender, it's really delicious."
Zhou Yanchuan looked at the chicken cube coated in a bright red sauce and speckled with a few roasted Sichuan peppercorns, then glanced at her stubbornly holding up her chopsticks, and paused slightly. He was used to being in control, used to giving, and rarely in a passive position of receiving.
Especially the way she took care of him. It felt so good that he couldn't help but immerse himself in it.
Seeing that he didn't move, Xiao Jiu moved her chopsticks forward another half a step, almost touching his lips. "Ah, open your mouth, you little Yan Chuan baby who needs to be fed even to eat."
A faint smile flickered in Zhou Yanchuan's eyes at the way she had addressed him. He finally leaned forward slightly and opened his mouth to take the piece of chicken. The perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce and the tender chicken instantly spread across his taste buds; it was indeed delicious.
It wasn't just the delicious taste of the chicken, but also her intimate attitude towards him, which proved that she truly considered him her close boyfriend, and that it wasn't all just wishful thinking on his part.
"How was it?" Xiao Jiu asked expectantly, like a child waiting for praise.
"Mmm, delicious," Zhou Yanchuan nodded, his words concise but his expression relaxed.
Xiao Jiu seemed encouraged and began serving him food with renewed enthusiasm. She said, "No one can resist delicious chicken. Foxes love chicken, and I hope my future partner will have the same taste as me."
"Try this chicken soup, it's incredibly delicious." Xiao Jiu ladled a bowl of chicken soup and placed it in front of Zhou Yanchuan. She liked to share delicious food with people who shared her tastes.
Under her expectant gaze, Zhou Yanchuan picked up the bowl of chicken soup and took a sip.
Although the word "really fresh" was limited, Xiao Jiu seemed very satisfied. He acknowledged the delicious food he had shared with him, and his eyes curved into crescents with joy.
“That’s more like it,” she said, watching him eat while forgetting to pick up her own chopsticks. “How can you get full just by watching me eat? Mr. Zhou, you’re not a god.”
Zhou Yanchuan swallowed the food in his mouth, picked up a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth, and suddenly looked up at her with a deep gaze:
"Watching you eat is a different kind of satisfaction."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a hook, gently scraping against Xiao Jiu's eardrum.
"Brother Yanchuan, are you flirting with me?"
Zhou Yanchuan's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly as he gripped the chopsticks.
Xiao Jiu's gaze was direct and clear, without the slightest evasion. Her "Brother Yanchuan" was spoken softly and gently, with a slight upward inflection at the end, like the tip of a feather lightly scratching the most sensitive spot on his heart. She even tilted her head slightly, a sly yet innocent smile playing on her lips, awaiting his answer.
Instead of the expected blush and embarrassment, it was he who, under her open gaze, involuntarily swallowed hard. The tension in the air seemed to instantly shift, blurring the lines between prey and hunter.
He was momentarily speechless. His business acumen and strategic maneuvering at the negotiating table were utterly useless now. Faced with her unexpected and direct approach, Zhou Yanchuan realized that his seemingly effortless flirting had actually fallen short.
His silence might have lasted only two or three seconds, but in the quiet air of their eye contact, it seemed to stretch out infinitely. The background noise of the restaurant and the sounds of traffic outside the window blurred into distant noise.