The temperature inside the hot pot restaurant was very high, and ice cubes were being stirred in plastic cups with straws, making a not-so-crisp sound.
Wen Shuqiao took off her coat and put it aside, revealing the black sweater she was wearing underneath.
The shop assistant thoughtfully brought her two aprons. Wen Shuqiao tied one on and handed the other to Shen Jiazhou.
Shen Jiazhou glanced at it and said, "No, it's so ugly."
"What if the clothes get dirty?" Wen Shuqiao said, "President Shen looks so good in this dress, it would be such a waste if it got dirty."
Shen Jiazhou glanced down and muttered, "They're all old clothes."
But she reluctantly took the apron and put it on herself.
Wen Shuqiao couldn't help but chuckle, then looked up and said, "Come on, President Chen, let's test your ability to handle spicy food."
She glanced at the dishes on the table; almost everything was there.
First, put some ingredients that need to be cooked for a long time into the pot, saying as you do so, "I'll put some in both sides. If you can't handle spicy food, then have the tomato broth. They're all bright red, so they're pretty much the same."
What do you mean "not much different"? They're practically identical!
Shen Jiazhou took a sip of lemonade, then picked up a slice of brisket and put it into the hot pot without changing his expression. He then looked up at Wen Shuqiao sitting across from him and asked, "Who do you think you are?"
Wen Shuqiao gave him a thumbs up: "Jia Zhou is amazing."
Shen Jiazhou placed the cooked meat into the oil dish, stared at it for several seconds, and then, with a look of grim determination, put the meat into his mouth.
Chew, chew, chew.
Hmm...it's actually not that bad, not as spicy as I imagined.
Wen Shuqiao suppressed a laugh and asked, "How was it, President Shen?"
Shen Jiazhou swallowed the meat in his mouth: "It's not spicy."
Just then, a waiter passed by and heard Shen Jiazhou speak. He stopped and said, "If you two don't find it spicy enough, we can add medium or extra spicy for free!"
Wen Shuqiao smiled and thanked her, "No need, this level of spiciness is fine."
The waiter said, "You can call us if you need anything."
After saying that, he left. Shen Jiazhou asked in confusion, "Wasn't it already super spicy? Why...?"
Looking at Wen Shuqiao's smiling face, he instantly understood: "You're lying to me."
Wen Shuqiao's smile deepened: "It's not a lie. You want to walk out crying, but I don't. Next time, you can experience it with President Gu, and I won't experience it with you."
Shen Jiazhou scoffed and muttered under his breath, "Who wants to be all teary-eyed with Gu Xingyuan?"
Wen Shuqiao didn't hear it. She was also hungry, so she picked up some meat and started eating it.
Looking at the bubbling pot, Shen Jiazhou asked, "Did you often eat hot pot before?"
“Not often.” Wen Shuqiao also looked down at the bubbling red pot: “Expensive.”
She met them when she was in college. Her roommates were very nice and always had a thousand reasons to give her food and other things. She felt embarrassed, so when she had extra money, she would treat them to hot pot.
The hot pot restaurant next to their school was affordable and delicious, and they went there together many times, but every time it was her turn to pay, she always spent very little.
The soup pot was bubbling, and wisps of smoke rose, as if a blurry "veil" separated him and Wen Shuqiao.
But Shen Jiazhou wanted to see her clearly, so he opened his mouth and called her name.
Wen Shuqiao looked up in confusion: "Huh? What did you say?"
She didn't hear what Shen Jiazhou was saying, only vaguely hearing him speak.
Shen Jiazhou said, "Sit inside a bit."
Wen Shuqiao was puzzled, but she listened to him and moved a little further inside. She then saw Shen Jiazhou hand her his lemonade.
She took it: "Isn't it good? Should I order you some more..."
Before Wen Shuqiao could finish speaking, she saw Shen Jiazhou stand up with his bowl and chopsticks, walk out of his seat, and reach her side in just one long stride.
Shen Jiazhou sat down next to her.
Wen Shuqiao turned to look at him, but Shen Jiazhou said without changing his expression, "The music in the store is so loud, I can't even hear you."
But her ears turned shamefully red, and her heart pounded so hard she didn't dare look at Wen Shuqiao at all.
Fortunately, Wen Shuqiao didn't say anything. She said, "Most shops outside are like this; it sounds lively."
It certainly didn't have the same ambiance as the restaurant where Shen Jiazhou ate, since it featured live violin and cello performances.
While eating hot pot, Shen Jiazhou replied, "It's great, lively and atmospheric."
Wen Shuqiao chuckled softly but didn't reply.
Shen Jiazhou finally turned to look at her: "What are you laughing at?"
Wen Shuqiao said, "It's nothing, it's just a little strange to hear the word 'lively' from you."
"Stop teasing me," Shen Jiazhou said. "Don't think I can't tell. I'm not Cancan."
"No, no, eat up, eat up," Wen Shuqiao said. "The meat you cooked is going to get overcooked."
Shen Jiazhou picked up his chopsticks and asked, "Besides hot pot, what else do you like to eat?"
Wen Shuqiao thought for a moment: "There's nothing I particularly like."
"Everyone has preferences," Shen Jiazhou asked. "What do you think?"
Wen Shuqiao thought hard for a moment, and finally said quietly, "I'm not a picky eater."
“That’s not right,” Shen Jiazhou said. “You don’t eat cilantro or celery.”
Just as Wen Shuqiao was about to retort, she noticed the oil dishes and bowls that she and Shen Jiazhou had prepared, but Shen Jiazhou's bowl had a lot of cilantro in it.
"How did you know?" Wen Shuqiao was a little surprised. She did seem to not eat these things. Even when she was hungry as a child, she would not eat them.
"Once, Auntie cooked boiled fish and added some cilantro and celery as garnish. You picked them out without saying a word." It was a completely subconscious action, but halfway through picking them out, she suddenly remembered that Can Can and he might still be eating, so she put her chopsticks back.
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