Listening to Uesugi Akizuki's soft and adorable voice, Su Ze was trying hard not to laugh.
What a cute little goofball.
In the end, Situ Jiajia gave up and muttered to herself, "Akizuki, do you know how many types of delicious food there are?"
Uesugi Akizuki didn't respond, quietly listening.
"There are three types! Good! Very good! Super good!"
"Have you ever eaten glutinous rice balls? If not, blow three times."
The little goofball didn’t know what glutinous rice balls were. Although she had never seen them, for some reason, as soon as Situ Jiajia mentioned them, an image of the delicious treat formed in her mind.
Even though the imagined picture was completely different from reality, it came from her heart. This was what she considered delicious food. Just the thought of it made her itch with anticipation.
"Hoo hoo hoo."
"That’s such a pity! You must have Su Ze take you to try them someday! They’re so delicious—soft, chewy, and white, melting in your mouth like cotton..."
Su Ze wasn’t sure what she was up to, but it was clear that she had successfully lured the food-loving little goofball.
As Uesugi Akizuki listened to Situ Jiajia’s detailed and enthusiastic description of the food through the phone, her taste buds felt like parched land in need of moisture.
Her gaze was vacant, lost in her fantasy, and a thin line of drool slowly trickled down. She absentmindedly wiped it away with the large sleeve of her shrine maiden outfit.
Her watery eyes, filled with anticipation, stared at Su Ze while she listened to Situ Jiajia’s vivid descriptions. Her innocent face clearly conveyed two words: "I want it."
The deeper meaning was, "Can you take me to eat it?"
Su Ze couldn’t resist the shrine maiden’s adorable and longing gaze. He turned on his phone’s recorder, placed it beside her, and walked out.
Given the current situation, he couldn’t possibly take the little goofball to eat these things. After all, it was unknown when the Qiongnu would invade.
If they both survived the calamity, Su Ze would definitely take her.
During this phone call, even though Uesugi Akizuki didn’t say a word, Situ Jiajia wasn’t discouraged at all. Instead, she spoke with great enthusiasm and eloquence, listing and describing countless delicacies in detail.
Uesugi Akizuki kept swallowing her saliva.
Su Ze had no choice but to make some snacks for the little goofball to satisfy her cravings.
Half an hour passed, and Su Ze didn’t gain any useful information. Uesugi Akizuki, on the other hand, was drooling so much that her sleeve was soaked from wiping her mouth.
At times, Uesugi Akizuki gently tugged at Su Ze’s sleeve, her pure and longing eyes making it impossible for him to resist.
He hung up the phone directly and prepared a lavish dinner for Uesugi Akizuki that evening. Although it was delicious, Uesugi Akizuki still couldn’t forget the delicacies Situ Jiajia had described.
After dinner, holding Su Ze’s hand as she lay in bed, those delicacies kept surfacing in her mind.
The little goofball, dressed in her red and white shrine maiden outfit, was so tempted that she couldn’t sleep. She kept staring at the ceiling but was considerate enough not to beg Su Ze to take her to eat.
Su Ze really did let Uesugi Akizuki talk to Situ Jiajia. He also gazed at the ceiling, gently squeezing the little goofball’s soft hand.
He didn’t dare make any promises to the little goofball, as he wasn’t sure if he would survive the calamity.
It seemed the saying "If you yearn for something deeply enough, it will come true" really held weight.
The next day...
The sky, which should have been clear blue, was covered in a gray haze. The wind gently swayed the tree branches, and the small river rippled with tiny waves.
The crisp sound of the doorbell rang. Su Ze, still groggy from sleep, opened the door and was instantly shocked.
In front of him were stacks upon stacks of... food containers!
"Don’t just stand there, help me!" Situ Jiajia’s lively and pretty face peeked out from behind the containers, grinning as she spoke.
"What are you..." Su Ze quickly understood and stepped aside to let her in.
As Situ Jiajia began arranging the containers on the table, the little goofball seemed to sense something and poked her head out from the room.
"Akizuki, Akizuki! Come try this, it’s really delicious!" Situ Jiajia seemed to have already become good friends with Uesugi Akizuki, calling out to her warmly.
The little goofball hurried to the table. Situ Jiajia opened the containers, and the aroma filled the air—all the delicacies she had mentioned the day before.
Uesugi Akizuki’s eyes lit up with joy. Seeing the food that matched her imagination, she hopped around, clapping her hands happily.
Then, her expectant gaze turned to Su Ze, who was carefully inspecting the food. He quickly concluded that it was safe.
"Don’t worry! It’s not poisoned," Situ Jiajia said with a smile.
Su Ze nodded. "Go ahead and eat."
Uesugi Akizuki eagerly picked up the fork Situ Jiajia had brought for her, speared a glutinous rice ball, and offered it to Su Ze.
Su Ze was momentarily stunned. Seeing the little goofball, who was clearly drooling, offering the first bite to him warmed his heart.
After he ate the rice ball, the little goofball began stuffing food into her mouth, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster’s, her goofy smile as warm as the spring sun.
Every time she tried a new dish, she always gave the first bite to Su Ze. Even if it was a larger portion and Su Ze only took a small bite, she happily finished the rest.
Su Ze turned to Situ Jiajia. "Join us."
"I’m full, I’m full!"
Situ Jiajia shook her head, continuing to sit quietly on the sofa, her eyes filled with delight as she watched the scene.
Had they already reached this level? It seemed like she wouldn’t need to put in much more effort—just a little nudge, and things would fall into place!
"What’s your motive?" Su Ze approached Situ Jiajia, still somewhat suspicious of her intentions.
"I’m Situ Jiajia, a Forerunner, your senior. What motive could I have?"
Situ Jiajia confidently opened her phone, showing her basic identification documents. "I just want to be friends with Uesugi Akizuki. Is that not allowed?"
Su Ze was speechless. He didn’t really have a reason to stop Situ Jiajia from befriending Uesugi Akizuki.
If someone was willing to be friends with Uesugi Akizuki, Su Ze wouldn’t stand in the way.
Besides, Situ Jiajia was a Forerunner. Although the two of them had some past issues, Su Ze didn’t think she would harm Uesugi Akizuki.
If there were too many suspicions between people, living in this world would be exhausting.
When seeing Situ Jiajia off, the light drizzle had turned into a heavy downpour. Su Ze casually picked up an umbrella by the door and handed it to her. "Thank you, Senior. Feel free to visit often."
Su Ze’s words were meant as a polite gesture, but he had no idea he was digging a hole for himself.
"Really? I’ll come back this afternoon!" Situ Jiajia said cheerfully, holding the umbrella as she ran off. "Remember to make something delicious! I want to chat about life with Akizuki!"
Su Ze: "..."
That afternoon, Situ Jiajia indeed returned, pulling Uesugi Akizuki to sit on the sofa and chatting animatedly. Although the little goofball didn’t say much, she was an attentive listener, nodding occasionally when she found something reasonable.
Situ Jiajia had a lot to share, from basic everyday life and pleasant school experiences to arcades and amusement parks. She even patiently explained common knowledge to Uesugi Akizuki.
Su Ze realized something—Situ Jiajia was teaching Uesugi Akizuki basic life skills!
He concluded that she knew something about Uesugi Akizuki’s background.
Su Ze also prepared many delicious dishes to entertain Situ Jiajia, but he didn’t plan to address the unspoken truth just yet.