Chapter 116

Chapter 116

The next morning, to promote the importance of exercise, the production team organized the guests for a mountain hike.

There were several large mountains in the shooting location, each lush and verdant with beautiful scenery.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian wore matching parent-child sportswear and had on a pair of sneakers.

Standing side by side, the big one and the little one looked full of vitality.

The group started climbing from the foot of the mountain, appreciating the scenery as they went.

The path up the mountain was made of stone steps, some areas covered with moss, primitive yet rustic, adding a unique charm.

Although Huo Mianmian was small, he climbed seriously, step by step, occasionally mumbling to himself.

The cameraman moved closer to Huo Mianmian, trying to capture his words.

Huo Mianmian kept mumbling as he climbed.

"One step, two steps, three steps..."

"Puff puff~ So tired."

"No, I'm not tired, I'll keep climbing."

The live-stream audience was instantly amused by his cute muttering.

"Hahaha, so Mianmian was saying this all along."

"Wow, kids talking to themselves are just too adorable."

"Is Mianmian hypnotizing himself? Telling himself he's not tired."

"I love these self-soothing babies."

At first, Lin Yi couldn't hear what Huo Mianmian was saying, but when he did, he couldn't help but laugh.

Just then, they reached a relatively open area.

So Lin Yi called out to Huo Mianmian, "Sweetie, let's rest here for a bit."

Huo Mianmian nodded immediately. "Okay."

Lin Yi walked over to a large rock and sat down.

Seeing this, Huo Mianmian heaved himself up onto the rock and sat next to Lin Yi, swinging his dangling feet.

The place where they rested was very picturesque.

Sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, casting dappled light on the ground.

Sitting on the rock, Lin Yi faced a relatively flat area covered with green grass and some unknown wildflowers.

Occasionally, a butterfly would flutter among the flowers.

After resting, Huo Mianmian became interested in the butterflies.

He carefully slid off the rock and tried to catch them.

One colorful butterfly landed on a white flower.

Huo Mianmian tiptoed closer.

But as soon as he approached, the butterfly flew away.

Undeterred, Huo Mianmian moved towards another butterfly.

That one also flew away.

Huo Mianmian: "..."

Sigh.

Butterflies are hard to catch.

Lin Yi sat comfortably on the rock, watching Huo Mianmian with a smile.

After failing twice, Huo Mianmian gave up on catching butterflies.

Instead, he squatted down and began picking wildflowers.

Huo Mianmian, being small, almost disappeared into the flowers, like a little bee exploring a sea of blooms.

In no time, he gathered a large bunch of fragrant wildflowers.

These flowers were small but highly aromatic.

Huo Mianmian happily carried the flowers forward.

Then something peculiar happened.

The butterflies, attracted by the scent of the flowers, followed Huo Mianmian, fluttering around him.

This scene was straight out of a fairy tale.

Curious, Huo Mianmian watched the butterflies circling him.

Lin Yi, seeing this, jumped off the rock and came to Huo Mianmian's side, teasing him with a smile. "When did our Mianmian become so popular with the butterflies?"

Huo Mianmian didn’t understand it himself and looked at the butterflies in confusion. "I don’t know why they keep flying around me."

Lin Yi smiled and said, "It must be because Mianmian smells so good. That’s why these butterflies like following you."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian’s eyes curved into a smile.

At this moment, the other groups of guests also arrived one after another.

When they saw the butterflies dancing around Huo Mianmian, they were all amazed.

Xiao Niangao ran to Huo Mianmian in just a few steps, excitedly saying, "Little Brother Mianmian, when did you raise so many butterflies? You’re so amazing!"

Song Yutao also came to Huo Mianmian’s side, his eyes full of surprise.

Huo Mianmian answered his little friends honestly, "I don’t know why these butterflies are following me either. Maybe they think I have something tasty on me."

"Hahaha, children’s thoughts are really innocent and cute."

"Mianmian, it’s because you have a bouquet of flowers in your hand."

"If I were a butterfly, I’d be willing to fly around Mianmian too."

After that, everyone stopped climbing further up the mountain, as there were three children in their group.

So, they soon started heading down the mountain through a small path.

Throughout this process, the butterflies kept flying around Huo Mianmian.

Only after Huo Mianmian had played with all the wildflowers in his hand did the butterflies slowly disperse.

Seeing this, Huo Mianmian let out a small sigh of relief. "These butterflies have finally flown away. If they kept following me, they might not find their way home."

The adults couldn’t help but laugh at the child’s innocent words.

"Our little Mianmian is so kind, thinking about whether the butterflies can find their way home."

"Mianmian is so obedient, cute, and kind."

"Wah, he’s like an angel."

The journey down the mountain was much easier than going up.

Lin Yi walked leisurely, occasionally looking around to appreciate the scenery.

However, at one point, he discovered something magical.

In the grass nearby, there was a white object that looked like a small umbrella.

Was it… a mushroom?

Lin Yi curiously approached the grass.

Seeing Lin Yi suddenly veer off the path, everyone else stopped.

Shen Feng asked, "Where are you going?"

Lin Yi replied, "I think I found something amazing."

He took a few steps forward and then plucked a huge mushroom from the grass.

When Lin Yi held up the mushroom, everyone present gasped in shock.

What was this thing?

A mushroom?!

Could mushrooms be this big?!

"Holy crap! My eyes widened instantly!!"

"Is this really a mushroom?"

"This mushroom might weigh a pound or two!"

"I’ve learned something new today."

Lin Yi held a giant mushroom, which was nearly half a meter tall, with a massive cap.

The mushroom was entirely white and looked very beautiful.

Lin Yi carried the mushroom back onto the path.

Huo Mianmian immediately came to his side, looking at him expectantly. "Dad, let me carry this mushroom."

After all, he had never seen such a large mushroom before and was very curious.

Lin Yi smiled and said, "Sure, here you go. Be careful though."

Huo Mianmian took the mushroom.

The mushroom was so big, and the stem was so thick that he could barely hold it with both hands; he could only hug it.

For a moment, Huo Mianmian looked like he was holding an umbrella.

"I can’t express my shock right now."

"Actually, Mianmian suits carrying this mushroom. It could be used as an umbrella to block the sun."

"One mushroom could feed us for several meals."

Huo Mianmian held the mushroom happily and walked down the mountain.

He had already treated this mushroom as his new toy.

The adults fell behind a bit, chatting as they walked.

Sun Hua had been stung by an insect yesterday and had calmed down for a while, but now he was back to his old ways.

He rolled up his sleeve to show the wound from the insect sting and then shared his life philosophy: "A life without scars is incomplete. I should thank that insect from yesterday; it gave me a badge of bravery."

Everyone else: "…"

Sun Hua continued, "But that's nothing, really. It was just a tiny insect. Think about when I explored a swamp and encountered a crocodile over two meters long. I subdued it all by myself. I just don't talk about these things much. If I did, I could go on for days. I'm actually quite humble."

Zhou Ke walked beside Sun Hua, listening with disbelief written all over his face.

Seeing this, Sun Hua accused him angrily, "What? You don't believe me?"

Zhou Ke wasn't one to argue, so he quickly said, "No, I didn't mean that."

But Sun Hua wouldn't let it go, "Don't think just because you can't do anything, others can't either. Just because you couldn't subdue a crocodile doesn't mean others can't. It's too narrow-minded to think like that. You weren't there when I ran away from the crocodile, but that doesn't stop me from boasting about it now."

Zhou Ke, being soft-spoken, apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you."

Seeing Zhou Ke apologize, Sun Hua was satisfied.

Then he turned to Lin Yi, "By the way, Lin Yi, have you ever done something similar? Care to share?"

He deliberately called out Lin Yi because he was sure Lin Yi hadn't had such experiences, which was an area where he surpassed Lin Yi.

He wanted everyone to see that he was far more capable than Lin Yi, and those who admired Lin Yi were blind.

Lin Yi, however, lazily countered, "Weren't you crying and screaming when you got stung by an insect yesterday?"

Sun Hua was taken aback, "…"

After getting stung yesterday, he had indeed screamed and lost his composure, which was why he was trying to regain his dignity today.

Now that Lin Yi brought it up again, he felt embarrassed.

But even when caught in a lie, Sun Hua could still talk his way out, "I was just caught off guard yesterday, which is why I acted a bit poorly. But I can subdue a crocodile with one hand, which proves my exceptional abilities."

Lin Yi replied coolly, "Is that so? There's a place nearby that raises crocodiles. Why don't you spend some time with them and show your courage?"

Sun Hua panicked, "N-no need for that, right?"

Lin Yi continued, "You said you can subdue crocodiles. Show us your skills."

Sun Hua, realizing his bluff was exposed, started sweating, "No one wants to see that, I'm sure no one does."

At this moment, the other guests chimed in together, "We want to see it."

Lin Yi was the soul of the group, so naturally, everyone sided with him.

Sun Hua: "…"

Lin Yi continued, "Let's go to the crocodile park."

Sun Hua's voice trembled, "Um, I suddenly feel a bit unwell. Let's do it another day."

Lin Yi remarked, "How convenient of you to feel unwell."

Sun Hua: "…"

He didn't dare say anything else.

"If you're so brave, don't chicken out."

"I love seeing Sun Hua get humiliated when he brags."

"Good job, Lin Yi!"

"How dare Sun Hua brag about subduing a crocodile alone? He's not even enough to fill a crocodile's teeth."

"Understandable, some people show off what they lack. Maybe Sun Hua was scared away by the crocodile and made up a story to fool himself."

"Haha, just thinking about Sun Hua running from a crocodile makes me laugh."

They continued walking down the mountain.

Everyone else was smiling, but Sun Hua's face was stiff.

He never expected Lin Yi to challenge him like this, making him lose face.

Since Lin Yi was being unreasonable, he wouldn't be either.

At noon, they returned to their residence.

Huo Mianmian carried the large mushroom all the way back to the thatched hut and placed it carefully as a keepsake.

He was slightly out of breath from carrying the mushroom, and his cheeks were flushed.

Lin Yi noticed and handed him a bottle of milk, "Our Mianmian worked hard. Drink some milk to replenish yourself."

Huo Mianmian took the milk, inserted a straw, and drank it eagerly.

As he drank, he sat on a chair, swinging his short legs.

Lin Yi patted his head gently. "Then you should rest here for a while. I'll go see what we're having for lunch today."

Huo Mianmian nodded. "Okay."

Lin Yi went over to the production team and inquired about lunch.

The director said, "We won't be going to a restaurant today. Each group will prepare their own food."

After saying this, he called over the other guests and then took out several slips of paper. "There are five slips of paper here, each with a different dish written on it. Everyone will draw a slip, and whatever dish is on it, that's what you'll cook."

Shen Feng grumbled, "We could just eat at a restaurant. Why do we have to cook ourselves? It's so troublesome."

The director ignored Shen Feng.

Shen Feng: "…"

At this moment, Lin Yi had already walked over and drawn one of the slips.

Seeing that Lin Yi had drawn his slip, Shen Feng reluctantly went over and picked one as well.

Sun Hua didn’t want to cook either. After all, he considered himself a brilliant artist. What artist would deal with such mundane things? It would ruin his image.

As for Zhou Ke and Zhao Jin, they were always compliant. If the production team wanted them to cook, they would do it.

Soon, all the guests had drawn their slips and were preparing to cook.

Lin Yi opened his slip.

It read "Flower Pastry" and "Mint Beef."

Lin Yi: "…"

So, what exactly were these two dishes?

Fortunately, the production team had thoughtfully provided raw materials and instructions. With these two things, making the dishes wouldn’t be too difficult.

Lin Yi first took out a bag of rose petals provided by the production team.

These rose petals had been picked during the blooming season, dried, and carefully preserved until now.

Even after drying, the roses still emitted a pleasant fragrance.

At this time, Huo Mianmian, who had rested, came over to the stove.

He stood on tiptoe, looking at the rose petals Lin Yi had taken out, his big eyes full of curiosity. "Dad, what are you going to do with these petals?"

While searching for other ingredients, Lin Yi explained, "Make flower pastries."

Huo Mianmian was even more surprised. "Can you eat petals?"

Lin Yi replied, "Yes, you can."

Upon hearing this, Huo Mianmian immediately took a petal from the bag, put it in his mouth, and chewed it.

In the next second, his expression changed.

Seeing this, Lin Yi laughed. "Did you eat it directly? How does it taste?"

Huo Mianmian stuck out his tongue and honestly said, "A bit yucky."

Lin Yi laughed heartily. "Of course it tastes bad right now. Wait until Dad makes the flower pastries; they’ll be delicious."

Huo Mianmian looked forward to it. "Then Dad, do your best."

"Yes, I will."

"Haha, I didn’t expect him to eat the petals directly."

"What’s wrong with our Mianmian eating petals? Let him eat!"

"How adorable! Maybe he grew up eating fragrant petals!"

Lin Yi laid out the instructions on the stove and followed the steps to make the flower pastries.

Although he wasn’t particularly skilled in cooking, fortunately, the instructions were detailed enough that anyone who could read could make the pastries.

After a while, Lin Yi successfully shaped all the flower pastries.

Basically, adding rose petal filling to flatbread made the flower pastries, though both the flatbread and the rose petals needed some processing.

Lin Yi placed the shaped pastries into the oven, set the temperature and time, and left the rest to the oven.

Huo Mianmian came over to the oven and watched the flower pastries intently, eagerly anticipating their taste.

"Haha, when I was a kid, I did the same thing, watching the food impatiently."

"Flower pastries! My favorite!"

"I’m opening my online shopping app right now. I want to try the same pastries."

While waiting for the pastries to bake, Lin Yi started making the mint beef.

Honestly, he had never eaten this before.

Mint? Beef? What kind of magical combination would this be?

Despite his confusion, Lin Yi followed the instructions step by step.

After preparing all the ingredients, he poured oil into the pan, added chili peppers, green onions, and ginger, stir-fried them briefly, and then tossed in a handful of fresh mint leaves.

"Hahahaha, Lin Yi's cooking movements are like he's conducting an experiment."

"He's probably also hesitating about what kind of food this mint beef is."

"Let me tell you from experience, mint beef is super delicious. I've been in love with the taste ever since I tried it once."

"I've had mint ribs before, but it's all meat, so I imagine mint beef tastes similar."

"Hmm, I'm a bit hesitant to try it."

Lin Yi flipped the ingredients a few times with the spatula, deciding the mint was ready, and then added the beef, continuing to stir-fry.

Before long, the mint beef was done.

He scooped it up and placed it on a plate.

Meanwhile, Huo Mianmian was still standing by the oven, watching intently.

Lin Yi called out to him, "Mianmian, come over and taste Dad's cooking."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian ran over quickly.

Lin Yi picked up a piece of mint beef with his chopsticks, blew on it, and fed it to Huo Mianmian: "Ah, open your mouth."

Huo Mianmian opened his mouth like a little bird, accepting Lin Yi's feeding.

He chewed a few times.

As he chewed, his movements paused.

Lin Yi hurriedly asked, "How does it taste?"

Huo Mianmian finished chewing with a puzzled expression and replied, "It feels really cold. Is the beef freezing in my mouth?"

Lin Yi: "Hahahaha! That dramatic, huh?"

After saying that, he took a piece himself and put it in his mouth.

What can I say?

The taste of mint beef is truly magical, with the aroma of beef but mostly the refreshing flavor of mint.

One bite is incredibly invigorating.

"Feed me some!"

"Whoever sees gets a share. Can I have a taste too?"

"I wasn't hungry, but now I'm suddenly curious about the mint beef. I really want to try it."

At this moment, the flower cakes were also done baking.

Lin Yi took the flower cakes out of the oven.

Then he handed one to Huo Mianmian: "Try this too."

Huo Mianmian took a bite of the flower cake and said with a smile, "So sweet~"

Lin Yi laughed, "If it weren't sweet, it wouldn't be called a flower cake."

Saying that, he took a bite himself.

Indeed, the flower cake was delicious. The outer layer was crispy and flaky, while the rose filling inside was soft and sweet.

Taking a bite felt like tasting the essence of spring.

"So tempting! Can't you feed me a bite?"

"I don't have any flower cakes here, just a few cold steamed buns. Waaah, such a stark contrast."

After finishing his two dishes, Lin Yi prepared to go out and check on the other groups.

As soon as he stepped outside, he heard a commotion coming from Shen Feng's house.

Lin Yi walked in, puzzled.

Shen Feng's task was to make fried fish.

As soon as he put the fish in the oil, it started sizzling loudly.

He jumped back, not daring to get close, shouting, "What is this? It must be poisonous!!"

Just then, the temperature in the pot was too high, and flames suddenly shot up.

The fire leaped out of the pot, creating a dangerous situation.

Seeing this, Shen Feng panicked.

Without thinking, he scooped up a ladle of water to pour over it.

After all, their place was a thatched hut; if the fire got bigger, it might burn down the thatch roof.

In this emergency, Lin Yi shouted, "Don't move!"

Shen Feng stopped abruptly and turned to look at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi calmly walked to the stove, quickly covered the pot with its lid, turned off the heat, and opened the window to let the smoke out.

His actions were smooth and efficient, textbook handling of the situation.

Shen Feng held a dipper of water, still not reacting. "Can't we use water to put out the fire?"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. "If you really poured water, it would be a big problem."

Shen Feng continued to ask, "Why?"

Lin Yi: "Google it yourself."

Shen Feng: "…"

Even though he was puzzled, he found Lin Yi's series of actions just now very charming.

Especially in such an urgent situation, Lin Yi remained calm and composed, showing how strong his mental fortitude was.

"Lin Yi's mindset is unbelievably strong!"

"Lin Yi's cool composure is so impressive."

"Lin Yi is incredibly reassuring. It feels like even if the sky were falling, he could handle it calmly."

"How can anyone not like Lin Yi?"

"Another day of envying Lin Yi's partner."

In the end, after much fumbling, all the guests finished making their food.

However, some groups' creations were clearly inedible, so the production team had no choice but to bring out a few boxes of instant noodles to distribute.

But perhaps because everyone hadn't eaten instant noodles for a long time, they enjoyed them quite heartily.

"Haha, eating instant noodles occasionally to change the taste is actually pretty good."

"Yes, I get cravings if I don't eat instant noodles for a while."

"I love putting instant noodles in hot pot or dry pot; it's absolutely delicious."

"In grilled fish too, it's great."

"Is it because my stir-fried noodles aren't worthy of instant noodles?"

"Then what about my fried instant noodles? How do you respond to that?"

"You guys are making it so complicated. I just eat the instant noodles dry; efficiency is key."

"Haha, everyone is so funny."

Time quickly passed into the evening, and the day's filming ended.

Of course, for Lin Yi, after filming, he naturally continued to practice the piano.

He soon left his residence and headed towards the city.

What Lin Yi didn't know was that someone had already noticed his movements.

Sun Hua had long been annoyed by Lin Yi, and now seeing him always mysteriously heading to the city, he thought this might be a good opportunity to catch Lin Yi in a mistake.

With this thought, he quickly contacted a marketing account.

At ten o'clock in the evening, Lin Yi finished his training and drove back to his residence.

While in the car, Huo Jihan called him.

Lin Yi couldn't answer the call and hung up.

After getting out of the car and walking towards his residence, he returned the call to Huo Jihan.

Soon, Huo Jihan's deep voice came through the phone, "Busy again just now?"

Lin Yi smiled. "Yes, didn't I say I'm working on something important recently? But don't ask, it's a secret."

Huo Jihan's voice also carried a hint of amusement. "Mm, wasn't planning to ask."

As Lin Yi walked forward, he asked, "How about you? Finished work?"

Huo Jihan: "Not yet."

Lin Yi clicked his tongue. "Mr. Huo is slacking off, not working and instead making calls."

Huo Jihan: "I'll talk to you first, then go back to work."

Lin Yi teased, "Are you sure you got the priority right?"

Huo Jihan chuckled deeply. "No, you're the more important one."

Huo Jihan's voice was naturally magnetic and pleasant, and when he lowered it to laugh, it sounded like the strings of a cello being plucked, deep and charming, making Lin Yi's ears tingle.

Lin Yi instinctively moved the phone away, rubbed his ear, and switched to listening with the other side.

He couldn't help thinking that if Mr. Huo used that voice to seduce someone, it would be almost guaranteed to work.

The two continued talking.

Lin Yi felt his steps become lighter as he walked.

Was this the feeling of being in love? Feeling light and buoyant.

Lin Yi kept talking to Huo Jihan until he entered the house.

After practicing the piano for a long time, he felt hungry and couldn't help saying, "I should have bought some food back from the city earlier."

Huo Jihan asked him, "What do you want to eat?"

Lin Yi walked toward the bedroom and said, "I want to eat lemon shrimp. I heard that the lemon shrimp here is really delicious. I also want to eat a hand-catch pancake with lots of soft shredded potatoes inside..."

Lin Yi listed several dishes one after another, and the more he talked, the hungrier he became.

He said somewhat painfully, "Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore. If we keep talking, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Huo Jihan was amused by him and smiled.

At this moment, Lin Yi had already reached the bed.

Huo Mianmian was obediently waiting for him on the bed.

Lin Yi sat on the edge of the bed, pinched Huo Mianmian's cheek, and said, "Mianmian, say hello to your dad."

After saying that, he took out his phone and pressed the speaker button.

Huo Mianmian spoke softly into the phone, "Dad."

Huo Jihan: "Hmm."

Huo Mianmian, eager to share, continued, "Dad, today I brought home a huge mushroom."

Huo Jihan played along, "Is that so?"

Huo Mianmian excitedly said, "Yes, it was a super big mushroom, like a giant in the mushroom world!!"

Huo Mianmian's description was quite vivid.

Huo Jihan: "It sounds pretty big from what you're saying."

Lin Yi laughed beside them.

Then, Huo Mianmian continued, "And I ate some flower petals today..."

Children's words are always innocent and full of fun.

Lin Yi and Huo Jihan, as adults, chatted with him.

The three of them didn't know how long they talked.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside.

Lin Yi was puzzled; who could be looking for him at this hour?

He told Huo Jihan and got up to open the door.

When Lin Yi opened the door, he was stunned.

He saw two staff members in uniforms, each holding a few boxes and handing them to him.

One of them said, "Mr. Lin, this is your dinner. Enjoy it."

Lin Yi, confused, replied, "I didn't order any takeout."

The staff member answered, "Mr. Huo asked us to deliver it to you."

Lin Yi: "!!"

He suppressed his shock and took the boxes. "Thank you, you've worked hard."

"You're welcome. If there's nothing else, we'll leave now."

After saying that, the two staff members left.

Lin Yi carried the boxes, closed the door, and returned to the bedroom.

At this moment, Huo Jihan, hearing the commotion, asked, "Did you get the food?"

Lin Yi was still in shock. "You sent it over?"

Huo Jihan: "Yes, didn't you want to eat?"

Lin Yi was still dazed. "But it's quite far from the city. How did you manage to have it delivered?"

Usually, they couldn't even order takeout since they were in the suburbs, several kilometers away from the city's outskirts, and the shops weren't conveniently located right at the edge.

Therefore, their location was outside the delivery range.

Huo Jihan simply said, "Just pay more money."

Lin Yi: "..."

What a straightforward reason.

Nevertheless, Lin Yi was still quite excited.

He quickly opened the boxes containing the food.

Everything inside was exactly what he had mentioned to Huo Jihan earlier—lemon shrimp, hand-catch pancakes...

This meant that when he had casually mentioned these things, Huo Jihan had listened carefully and remembered them.

Thinking about this, Lin Yi felt a surge of emotion.

He paused for a moment before opening the chopsticks, handing one pair to Huo Mianmian and taking another pair for himself.

Lin Yi picked up a lemon shrimp and put it in his mouth.

The quality of this shrimp is exceptional, with a firm and bouncy texture. It's clearly top-notch shrimp, and the mix of lemon's sourness and the spiciness of some small chili peppers makes it a feast for the taste buds.

Lin Yi found this flavor to be better than anything they had eaten in recent days and couldn't help but ask, "Did you order from a top-tier restaurant? How can it taste so good?"

Huo Jihan answered truthfully, "Something like that. I ordered from a private kitchen."

Lin Yi, hearing this, picked up another plump shrimp and fed it to himself, "No wonder it tastes so good."

Huo Mianmian also seemed to have become addicted to the delicious flavor, devouring several shrimps in quick succession.

For the rest of the time, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian enjoyed their late-night snack, occasionally exchanging a word or two with Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan seemed to be busy with work, as the sound of typing could be heard now and then. Despite this, he always managed to hear what Lin Yi was saying and responded promptly.

After finishing their delicious late-night snack, Lin Yi felt thoroughly satisfied.

As he was tidying up the boxes, he said to Huo Jihan, "We're done eating. Are you finished with your work?"

Huo Jihan replied, "Almost. Just a bit more to wrap up."

Lin Yi put away the empty boxes and said, "Oh, then..."

His voice paused as he noticed a rectangular box at the bottom while tidying up.

This rectangular box was black and gold, tied with a red ribbon.

Due to its distinct appearance compared to the other boxes, he had initially overlooked it, as no one would typically pack food in such a long box.

Lin Yi picked up the box, puzzled, "Why is there still a rectangular box? Is there food inside this one too?"

The sound of Huo Jihan typing paused briefly before he said, "Open it and see."

Following his words, Lin Yi untied the ribbon on the box and opened it...

In the next moment, his eyes widened slightly.

Inside was a bouquet of vibrant red roses.

Looking at the roses, Lin Yi was first taken aback, then smiled, "Mr. Huo, your late-night snack service is quite comprehensive. Do you include flowers as well?"

Huo Jihan's voice was deep, "Do you like them?"

Lin Yi's voice was filled with barely contained amusement, "Would it be inappropriate if I said I didn't like them?"

Huo Jihan replied, "It wouldn't matter even if you didn't like them."

Lin Yi: "Huh?"

Huo Jihan continued, "If you don't like them, I'll find another way to express my feelings."

Lin Yi's tone rose, "Then you don't need to change anything because I really like these."

Huo Jihan's voice was full of affection, "Good, as long as you like them."

Lin Yi couldn't help but smile again.

How could he keep smiling like this all night? Would he end up sleeping with a smile on his face?