A choking spicy aroma filled the air, and Bao Shaojin clenched one hand tightly, covering his mouth, coughing intermittently. An Yin looked up blankly, staring straight at the man, "What’s wrong?" "It’s nothing." Responding briefly, Bao Shaojin glanced at the waiter nearby, "Bring a bottle of water." "Sir, there’s some on the table..." the waiter kindly reminded, but upon meeting the man’s cold gaze, quickly realized he was probably a neat freak and didn’t want the free water on the table, "I’ll get a bottle right away, sir." The waiter turned and left quickly. "Are you thirsty?" An Yin asked weakly, looking at the man’s firm face. "Let’s go make some dipping sauce then." An Yin stood up, her innocent eyes resting on him. Shouldn’t the waitstaff prepare this? Bao Shaojin pondered silently. But seeing the young girl already on her feet, he slowly stood up with his tall posture, "Lead the way." Bao Shaojin never knew that eating something at a hot pot restaurant could be so troublesome. The hot pot restaurant’s decor was quite trendy, with popular phrases written in ink on the walls and colorful banners, making the place more vibrant, perfectly catering to the tastes of young people today. An Yin walked to the condiment area, picked up a small bowl, and scooped her favorite condiments into it. After preparing her dipping sauce, she instinctively looked up at the man. Bao Shaojin mimicked her stance, taking a bowl, but seeing the array of condiments, his expression grew darker. "Just scoop a bit of the condiments you like into the bowl." In An Yin’s mind, the man was strong and decisive, never as gloomy as now. "Can’t we just eat straight from the hot pot?" Bao Shaojin frowned. "Well, you could." An Yin answered with difficulty, slowly saying, "Eating hot pot without dipping sauce is like losing its soul." "What a ridiculous notion!" Bao Shaojin retorted. "That’s just how it is." An Yin started persuading, "Why don’t I make you a dip like mine, and you try it?" The young girl’s eyes curved like slender willow leaves, clear and bright, as they met Bao Shaojin’s gaze, his aloof expression slightly softened. Hearing the man’s words, An Yin handed her dip to him, "You take this first." Bao Shaojin held the bowl, still slightly warm from the girl’s touch. An Yin was eager to start eating, hastening her sauce preparation. Once they returned to their seats, Bao Shaojin’s gaze fell upon the bubbling hot pot, "Let’s eat." An Yin was already hungry, and at his words, she picked up the communal chopsticks to grab some meat, "Let’s start with some beef." "Whatever you decide." Bao Shaojin’s lips parted subtly, but upon seeing the bright red broth, there was a hint of gloom in his eyes. An Yin tipped the whole plate of beef in. The waiter, carrying the restaurant’s most expensive bottled water, gently placed it beside the man. For some reason, the waiter’s hands trembled under the man’s naturally intimidating demeanor, not daring to bring cheaper water. Bao Shaojin picked up the bottle, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, washing away the sweet milky tea flavor from his mouth, his face visibly relaxing. With elegance, he placed the water bottle down, meeting the young girl’s eager gaze. "The beef is cooked. If you leave it too long, it won’t taste good." An Yin spoke while placing two pieces of beef into her dish, signaling him to take some as well. Bao Shaojin’s cool face bore a hint of complexity. Without delay, he picked up the communal chopsticks, grabbing a piece of beef simmering in the red oil and placing it into his dish. An Yin couldn’t wait any longer, diving into her meal with enthusiasm. The Sichuan hot pot was extremely spicy. Instead of hurriedly eating the beef in his bowl, Bao Shaojin squinted at the young girl. She was eating enthusiastically; when the spiciness hit, her lips puckered, followed by a swift sip of milk tea. Bao Shaojin assumed the role of waiter, helping her by adding side dishes to the pot. Once they were cooked, he’d place them in her bowl. When An Yin lowered her head to eat, she noticed the food in her bowl had increased. Looking up at him, their eyes met, the man continued helping her spontaneously. An Yin licked the chili oil from her lips, swallowed the food in her mouth, and looked at him in a daze, "Bao Shaojin, you should eat too." An Yin noticed the piece of beef in his bowl was untouched since the beginning. Her gaze was sincere, and under her watchful eyes, Bao Shaojin picked up the beef and put it in his mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing. The man was skilled at concealing his emotions, always maintaining a blank face. Through his expressionless countenance, An Yin couldn’t deduce if he liked it, "Is it good?" "It’s okay." Bao Shaojin mumbled indistinctly. "I think so too." An Yin immediately chimed in, smiling at him, "Have more." Out of politeness, An Yin used the communal chopsticks and placed some meatballs into his bowl. Bao Shaojin looked up at her. Under the light, the young girl’s fair face held a smile, and what’s more, she personally served him food. The young girl was so attentive, he didn’t want to reject her goodwill. The hot pot meal lasted more than half an hour. When it was time to pay, An Yin watched him warily. Bao Shaojin, seeing her cautious demeanor, reassured her, "Don’t worry, this time it’s on you." An Yin also realized she was being overly concerned, shyly lowering her head. As she approached the cashier, the waiter glanced at the computer, smiling at the man, "Sir, your total is two hundred and seven." "I’ll pay." An Yin quickly interjected. The waiter’s smile turned somewhat awkward, looking at the young girl, "Alright, please open your payment code, and I’ll scan it." Seeing the well-dressed man, the waiter couldn’t understand why a young girl had to pay for the meal. There was a hint of sympathy in the waiter’s eyes as she glanced at the young girl. The young girl was beautiful, but she had bad taste in men, picking a stingy one? An Yin silently opened her payment code. Behind her, Bao Shaojin, keenly aware of the waiter’s contemptuous gaze, glanced at the waiter briefly, causing them to quickly lower their head, visibly trembling upon closer inspection. After paying, An Yin turned and left, unaware of the strange atmosphere around her. Over two hundred dollars. An Yin’s heart ached, but she comforted herself, feeling she’d repaid Bao Shaojin a tiny bit of her debt. As they walked onto the street, dusk fell. An Yin looked up at the sky, noticing it was still midday, but ominously cloudy. She worried aloud, "Looks like it’s going to rain." The source of thɪs content is 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝙣𝙚𝙩