Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 147 I'm Serious (Eighth Update)
Right now, he just wants to focus on the present.

He focused on the dinner celebrating his promotion, and on the vibrant, talkative junior colleague beside him who could temporarily pull him out of his heavy memories.

As for the deeper secrets, the unpaid "favors," and the storms lurking in the future...

Let's wait until we've had our fill of food and drink before making any further plans.

"Hurry up, senior brother! I'm starving!" Chen Zhiwei urged from ahead, his figure blending into the warm sunset.

"coming."

Xu Yan responded and quickened his pace to follow.

Following Chen Zhiwei through a maze of twists and turns, the two finally arrived at the legendary charcoal-grilled bullfrog restaurant.

Before even entering, a powerful aroma, a blend of smoky, spicy, and garlicky notes, wafts over you, instantly awakening your dormant taste buds.

The store entrance was filled with people waiting on small plastic stools. The noise, the calls for numbers, and the loud clatter of woks being tossed around in the kitchen all blended together, creating a lively atmosphere that was sure to invigorate anyone.

"Luckily, I was smart and got a number on my phone on the way!"

Chen Zhiwei proudly waved her phone, then pulled Xu Yan through the waiting crowd, her enthusiasm even greater than when she dealt with the data remnant spirit.

The restaurant is lit with warm yellow lights, and the walls have a rough industrial design, covered with various handwritten slogans and notes left by diners.

The tables were set up close together, and the place was bustling with noise. A waiter was carrying a huge stainless steel basin filled with a small mountain of bullfrogs and side dishes.

They moved with incredible speed, and the air was thick with a fiery, mouthwatering atmosphere.

The two sat down in a booth against the wall.

Chen Zhiwei immediately snatched the menu, her eyes shining, and her fingers flew across the page:

"Signature Perilla Charcoal Grilled Bullfrog, medium spicy! Add a serving of rice cakes, a serving of lettuce, and a serving of konjac knots! Oh, right, senior, their ice jelly is self-service, unlimited! I'll go get two bowls first!"

Watching her dash towards the self-service area like a happy little sparrow, Xu Yan chuckled. The gloom in his heart brought by A Zhe and the "Tower of Babel" seemed to be diluted a lot by this rich atmosphere of everyday life.

He picked up the old aluminum teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of slightly bitter buckwheat tea. The warm taste slid down his throat, bringing a strange sense of calm.

A short while later, Chen Zhiwei returned with two bowls of ice jelly, so full of ingredients that they were almost overflowing. The bowls were topped with hawthorn pieces, raisins, peanuts, and fermented rice.

"Try it! Their brown sugar is exceptionally well-made!"

Just then, the main character made his appearance.

A stainless steel basin, bigger than a face, was placed with a clatter on the portable gas stove in the center of the table.

The red oil in the pot was boiling and sizzling, with deep purple perilla leaves, bright red chilies, white garlic cloves, and plump, tender bullfrog leg meat all mixed together.

The unique smoky aroma of charcoal, mixed with the exotic fragrance of perilla and the burning sensation of chili, swept over their senses like a storm.

"Wow! It looks delicious!"

Chen Zhiwei cheered and eagerly picked up a piece of frog leg meat covered in soup, blew on it, and carefully put it into her mouth.

"Mmm—!" She squinted her eyes in satisfaction, her cheeks instantly flushing red from the spiciness. She gasped for breath as she mumbled her praise, "Delicious! The meat is so tender! It's numbing and spicy, so incredibly satisfying!"

Xu Yan also picked up a piece.

When you bite into the frog meat, you first experience the slightly charred aroma from the charcoal grilling, followed by the unique fragrance of perilla that cuts through the greasiness. Then, waves of numbing spiciness surge up, dominating all your taste buds.

The meat is firm and chewy, easily falling off the bone between your teeth. The delicious juices mixed with the scalding spiciness make you break out in a light sweat, but you still can't stop eating.

"Eat slowly, no one will compete with you."

Seeing that she was sweating from the spiciness but still fighting on, Xu Yan couldn't help but remind her and pushed the ice jelly next to her towards her.

"No, no, this spiciness is too amazing!" Chen Zhiwei gulped down a mouthful of ice jelly, the contrast of hot and cold making her even more excited. "Senior brother, do you think if we take on a silver-level side job in the future, the pay will be enough for us to eat here every day?"

"Dream on." Xu Yan chuckled, then placed another piece of rice cake, soaked in broth, on her plate. "Silver-level missions are much more dangerous. You think money is so easy to earn?"

"I know..."

Chen Zhiwei muttered to herself, picked up a rice cake and stuffed it into her mouth. She was immediately scalded and spit out a mouthful of iced plum juice. Her cheeks puffed out, like a little hamster stealing food.

The spiciness and coolness mingled in her mouth, causing tiny beads of sweat to appear on the tip of her nose.

But her emotions came and went quickly; she soon cheered up again, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the bubbling red oil in the pot.
"Anyway, life will definitely get better and better in the future! Once we reach the Gold level, we'll go eat even more expensive food!"

Seeing the pure longing for the future shining in her eyes, Xu Yan felt a slight stirring in his heart.

Isn't this kind of ordinary, down-to-earth happiness one of the things he wants to hold onto firmly if he can do it all over again?
Chen Zhiwei picked up another piece of frog meat with her chopsticks, carefully blowing on it as she did so. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she raised her eyes, her gaze flickering with curiosity and a barely perceptible shyness, and asked indistinctly:

"By the way, senior... when Ah Zhe was in that elevator at the center today... why did you suddenly say that I was your... fiancée?"

After asking the question, she immediately lowered her head, pretending to focus on the food in her bowl, but her slightly reddened ears betrayed her inner turmoil.

She originally thought that it was just an excuse her senior brother made in a moment of panic, in order to act more realistically and protect her better, a kind of "protector of flowers" act.

Xu Yan paused slightly as she picked up some food.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up a tissue, and slowly wiped the corner of his mouth.

He had not been unaware of this problem.

There was indeed a well-thought-out consideration behind what I said at the time.

On the one hand, it is to completely eliminate any unnecessary interests and troubles that a tech geek like A Zhe might cause;

But more importantly, at that moment, he realized that this was not just a temporary measure, but his truest feeling deep inside—he didn't want to miss out again, nor did he want to keep her by his side in any ambiguous capacity.

He raised his eyes, his gaze calm yet unusually serious as he looked at the girl opposite him, whose neck was beginning to flush pink. He didn't avoid the question, nor did he try to brush it off with jokes. Instead, he asked in a clear and gentle tone:
"Yes, I'm serious. Do you... agree?"

This straightforward response, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up a tidal wave in Chen Zhiwei's heart!

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open, unconsciously chewing a small piece of frog meat, and froze completely.

(End of this chapter)