In the brief silence, a passionate undercurrent of ambiguity surged and leaped freely within the narrow, enclosed carriage.

Huo Yeshuo didn't speak, but just stared silently at Lin Zhenzhen's face.

First the eyebrows, then the eyes, down the bridge of the nose, and finally the lips.

His gaze lingered on that last part for a very long time, as if he were meticulously tracing the shape and texture of those delicate lips in his mind.

The look in your eyes when you like someone is impossible to hide, just as the desire to kiss or possess someone is impossible to conceal.

Faced with such intense gazes, Lin Zhenzhen gently clenched her fists, then felt a thin layer of sweat on her palms.

Lin Zhenzhen refused to admit that she was nervous, attributing her sweating to the bright sunshine and stuffiness in the car.

Also, Huo Yeshuo's eyes are too lustful.

His gaze wasn't direct or blatant; rather, it was restrained and suppressed.

Like the calm sea before a storm, with only occasional gentle waves lapping at the surface, it makes one's heart pound and legs go weak.

Lin Zhenzhen was also unsure how she should react, although she wanted to close her eyes and accept the kiss full of love and desire.

But I shouldn't act so familiar, at least not before my current persona collapses.

Lin Zhenzhen's eyelids twitched, and she was about to turn her head slightly to avoid his gaze.

Before she could do anything, Huo Yeshuo spoke up first: "No, I don't know what beachcombing is."

Lin Zhenzhen chuckled, surprised that the man could still pick up where they left off after such a long silence.

His meticulousness and seriousness are almost endearing.

"I only have a vague understanding of it myself. I saw it while scrolling through short videos online and thought it was very interesting, so I wanted to do it with you."

Huo Yeshuo lowered his eyes and nodded: "I understand."

What do you know?! Why are you being so serious and formal again?!

Lin Zhenzhen pouted, seemingly disappointed. "What? You don't want to come with me?"

"Of course, I know you're very busy, but even the busiest person needs to rest. You don't need to go too far, just the next city. It will take two days to go there and back. If you really can't find the time, one day is fine too."

Lin Zhenzhen's voice grew softer and softer, and by the time she finished speaking, her chin was almost touching her collarbone.

Huo Yeshuo stared at her restless, waving fingers.

The nails on her right hand were pink and rounded, and neatly trimmed. The base of her left thumb and index finger was thin and white, and thin, bluish veins could be faintly seen.

At that moment, she was pinching the web between the thumb and index finger of her left hand with the nail of her right hand, using an unknown amount of force, leaving behind crescent-shaped, rounded lines that were glaringly red.

Huo Yeshuo grabbed her hand, stopping her from this self-harming behavior.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"Huh?" Lin Zhenzhen looked up blankly and replied obediently, "It doesn't hurt, I pinched it lightly."

"She's already quite famous." Huo Yeshuo said succinctly, then took Lin Zhenzhen's hand in his own and gently rubbed his thumb against the web of his hand.

His hands were large, easily enveloping Lin Zhenzhen's hands completely; his palms were dry and radiated warmth.

Huo Yeshuo looked at her: "I can take my annual leave in August. Do you have any other plans for that period?"

In August, Lin Zhenzhen silently counted down the days. There were still two months left. She should be able to hold on until then.

"Approximately how long into August?"

"Can you give me the entire month?" Huo Yeshuo pursed his lips, his gaze softening. "I want to take you to meet my mother."

-

The car was parked in the mall's underground parking garage.

When Huo Yeshuo asked Lin Zhenzhen what she wanted to eat for dinner, she thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anything.

She has mild decision-making anxiety, especially when it comes to food.

It's not because I'm a picky eater, but because I have such a good appetite that I want to eat everything I see. After picking and choosing, I end up not knowing what to eat.

Huo Yeshuo pondered for a moment: "Would you like to come to my house? I can cook for you."

"You can cook?" Lin Zhenzhen's eyes lit up. "Your cooking skills must be pretty good, right?"

Her eyes sparkled, and the undisguised adoration within them greatly pleased Huo Yeshuo.

He pursed his lips and said reservedly, "It's alright."

Foreign food is notoriously bad, and coupled with his obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness, he doesn't like eating out.

Over the years, he has honed his culinary skills.

“Okay.” Lin Zhenzhen smiled, her eyes crinkling, looking extremely happy. “Then it’s settled, we’ll go to your house.”

For the rest of the drive, Huo Yeshuo kept asking Lin Zhenzhen about her dietary preferences, as if he were treating it as a serious and important matter.

Do you like beef? Can you eat eggs? Do you like fish?

"eat!"

"Do you eat onions, carrots, and green peppers? Can you accept lettuce and scallions?"

"able!"

Do you prefer Chinese or Western food? Do you like strong flavors?

"I'm fine with either."

Are there any dietary restrictions?

"No." Lin Zhenzhen thought about it carefully, and it seemed that there really wasn't anything. She could eat anything and had always been a good girl who wasn't picky about food since she was a child.

But once she said that, it made her seem particularly unrefined, as if she loved to eat everything and was extremely greedy.

Lin Zhenzhen added softly, "Actually, I quite like sweet things, like glutinous rice balls."

The second half of the sentence came out of her mouth completely subconsciously. By the time Lin Zhenzhen realized it, Huo Yeshuo had already memorized her words.