Chapter 415: Day 20 into the Mary Sue Story

Chapter 415: Day 20 in the Mary Sue Story

An Yi felt a familiar wave of helplessness wash over him.

He knew it!

This was practically the same trick that played out every time he landed in a modern world!

Every time he saw one of these suddenly popular, heavily hyped, flashy-named "creative dishes" or "internet-famous restaurants," he couldn't help but give in to curiosity and try it—only to be disappointed nine times out of ten.

Yet the next time he encountered one, he'd still cling to that faint sliver of "maybe this time will be different."

He fell for it every single time, and it was always the same trick.

No matter which world he was in, suddenly viral creative dishes almost never lived up to the hype.

Lu Lu looked at An Yi expectantly. An Yi met his slightly drooping puppy-dog eyes and suddenly broke into a smile. "It's delicious! You should try it!"

Lu Lu's ears flushed red at his smile, his head spinning dizzily.

He immediately cut a large piece of the wagyu beef with eager anticipation and put it into his mouth.

He chewed quickly and hopefully at first, then suddenly froze mid-chew. Those always-damp puppy-dog eyes went wide, full of disbelief and total confusion.

He forced himself to swallow the beef, his Adam's apple bobbing once, his face taking on a weird look.

Not ready to give up, he tried the "cherry" next—and his face got even more pained. He quickly chugged a big glass of water to wash down that sweet, fishy mess.

He... he had invited An Yi to this restaurant because he'd heard the ambiance was nice, it was creative, and perfect for a date. Although... he didn't dare call it a date outright, he really had wanted to give An Yi a wonderful dinner experience.

And yet... it ended up being this bad?! So bad that An Yi took one bite and put his fork down!

This was the worst invitation ever!

Absolutely terrible!

Lu Lu felt like an idiot who'd carefully wrapped a gift only to realize he'd brought the wrong one. He wished he could rewind time, go back to the moment he made the suggestion, and slap his hand over his own mouth.

He looked at the exquisite dishes before An Yi that had barely been touched, then at the equally disappointing food on his own plate. His heart felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton—heavy, suffocating, and clogged up.

Would An Yi think he had no taste? Would he think Lu Lu couldn't even choose a decent restaurant? Would he... not want to have dinner with him ever again?

But... An Yi had even lied and said it was good. That was... still so cute!

Lu Lu completely deflated, shoulders drooping as he looked at An Yi with a hurt expression.

Watching Lu Lu like this—his frustration so obvious—An Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud. The candlelight danced in his eyes with tiny, warm flickers.

When An Yi laughed, Lu Lu froze for a second. Then, instead of fading, his hurt feelings burst out even harder, like a balloon popping with a "pfft."

He pouted, his eyes getting even more watery, practically screaming "How can you laugh at me—I'm already so sad!" His voice came out all clingy and dejected without him realizing it: "An Yi..."

An Yi laughed even harder.

Lu Lu: "..."

An Yi cleared his throat and held back his smile.

He set down his napkin and said calmly, "Looks like this place's 'creativity' is a little too ahead of its time for our taste."

Lu Lu watched An Yi looking so happy—and even though the food sucked, if it made An Yi smile, that was still a win!

So he smiled too.

He glanced at the dishes again and said sincerely, "An Yi, the food here really does seem too avant-garde. How about... we go somewhere else? Somewhere you like?"

An Yi nodded and winked at him. "Good idea."

Lu Lu's head was spinning. An Yi winked at him!

An Yi winked at him!

How was An Yi so smooth?!

His heart was about to burst out of his chest!

He was so in love!

The two paid and left.

At the door, Lu Lu remembered something and posted those photos to his Moments. He didn't try to subtly brag—just said the food was great and highly recommended it.

An Yi couldn't even look at it and let out a helpless laugh.

Lu Lu looked at him, heh heh~

An Yi and Lu Lu went to a different restaurant.

----------

Compared to the gimmicky creative restaurant from before, this place clearly focused more on the natural flavors of the ingredients and the precision of the cooking. As soon as An Yi sat down, his mood relaxed a lot.

The two had been here twice before, so they ordered with practiced ease.

While waiting for the food, Lu Lu carefully watched An Yi's expression. Seeing him relaxed, his brows soft as he looked at the old street outside the window, Lu Lu quietly let out a breath. The heavy weight in his heart had finally been lifted halfway.

This invitation wasn't a total failure!

There was still plenty of hope!

He poured tea for An Yi attentively, his tone even more bubbly than the tea flowing from the pot into the cup: "An Yi, let me pour for you."

An Yi took the cup. As Lu Lu pulled his hand back, his fingertips accidentally brushed the back of An Yi's hand.

Lu Lu's fingers were warm—almost hot to the touch.

An Yi's expression didn't change, as if he hadn't noticed. He just lowered his head to smell the tea and took a sip.

But Lu Lu's heart skipped a beat from that brief touch, and the tips of his ears went warm. He quickly poured himself a cup and chugged it.

Then a flicker of disappointment hit. Brushing the back of the hand didn't work—should he try the palm instead?

That's how it was written in the books.

He was still too inexperienced. He needed to test things out on An Yi more. He had plenty of bolder moves he hadn't tried yet. What a great book!

Lu Lu amused himself thinking about things that were absolutely never going to happen.

An Yi watched him, a barely noticeable smile flickering in his eyes.

The dishes came out one after another, piping hot, and the two began to eat.

Lu Lu saw how much An Yi was enjoying the food, and that made him happy too—his appetite kicked in, and he ate with real gusto.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded: "An Yi? Lu Lu? What a coincidence, you two are eating here as well."

An Yi and Lu Lu looked up at the same time, and saw Shen Muyu walking over and stopping a short distance from their table.

Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes showed just the right mix of surprise and warmth, and two others followed him—An Yi recognized them as fellow students from school.

Shen Muyu's gaze moved swiftly and naturally from the dishes on the table that had barely been touched, to the faces of the two sitting across from each other, and finally lingered on An Yi's calm, composed features and Lu Lu's face, which had instantly tensed with obvious displeasure.

A faint glint flickered behind his glasses, but his smile grew even more gentle and cordial, as if he were genuinely delighted to run into old friends.

"It seems I've interrupted you."

His tone was natural, with just the right hint of apology, but deeper still was a familiar intimacy: "I just finished a meeting with my classmates and came over for dinner on the way. I didn't expect to run into you two."

His gaze swept over their table once more: "If you don't mind..." His words were polite, but his gaze shifted to An Yi, asking a silent question.

"I do mind."