Chapter 293: This Is a Reward
Yan Huoshui bought three flavors of ice cream from the ice cream truck and held them out before Shi Lan.
Shi Lan’s eyes were still red and swollen from crying. She blinked away the tears clinging to her lashes and took the ice cream with both hands, satisfied.
She started eating right away, taking a bite of each of the three flavors and alternating between them. ’The coffee-flavored one is the best.’
His heart ached as he looked at her eyes. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away her lingering tears.
’He had been wrong. He’d wanted to use a lie to distract her from her fear, but he’d also wanted to test the depth of her feelings for him. He’d forgotten how much a tactic like that could hurt someone who truly loved him.’
’He had really scared her.’
’Yan Huoshui had rarely seen Shi Lan cry; in fact, he couldn’t recall ever seeing it happen.’
’Now that he finally had, a dull ache of regret bloomed in his chest.’
’Thankfully, Lanlan wasn’t actually ignoring him.’
He put away his handkerchief. Shi Lan, munching on her ice cream, shot him a cool glance and mumbled, "Don’t think I’ll share my ice cream with you just because you wiped my tears. Hmph."
"I won’t eat any. Lanlan said this was my punishment, and I accept it."
His expression was earnest, his attitude perfectly apologetic.
Seeing this, Shi Lan didn’t say anything more.
Still, three ice creams were a bit much. After she finished the coffee-flavored one and licked her lips, she was left with the other two, both half-eaten and starting to melt.
She was about to throw them away, but then she glanced at the man standing beside her—the one who had just thrown away the wrapper for her coffee ice cream—and a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "I can’t eat anymore. As your punishment, you have to finish them. It’s your fault you messed up, right? Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to eat three."
Her reasoning was perfectly sound, and she didn’t feel at all like she was being unreasonable.
Yan Huoshui’s gaze fell to the ice cream in her hands, his eyes growing dark and inscrutable.
Shi Lan kept her eyes on him. Seeing his dark red eyes and the faint crimson tint at their corners, she just assumed he was unhappy, or perhaps furious.
She instinctively looked down at the two remaining ice creams in her hands.
’Ahem... They really were a mess. A good portion had melted into a sticky puddle at the bottom. Plus, they were my leftovers, covered in spit... He must be disgusted. He probably thinks I’m deliberately trying to humiliate him.’
’She couldn’t help but reconsider. While this would certainly make him remember his mistake, making someone eat her leftovers did seem a bit cruel.’
’I clearly said he just had to watch me eat ice cream, which he did. I shouldn’t be so aggressive.’
With that thought, Shi Lan was about to find an excuse to throw them in the trash can. But before she could, the weight in her hands vanished. Yan Huoshui had taken the two remaining ice creams and devoured them in a few bites, even drinking down the melted liquid.
After he was done, he threw away the trash, licked his sweet-tasting lips, and looked at Shi Lan again. "Can Lanlan forgive me completely now?"
Shi Lan nodded in a daze, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... Really, you didn’t have to eat it if you didn’t want to..."
"It’s fine. Lanlan never has to apologize to me."
Yan Huoshui ruffled her soft, dark hair. His ruby lips, still glistening from a moment ago, curved into a smile. "It was sweet. To be honest, I really wanted to eat it."
"Lanlan, you’re so kind. Even when you’re angry, you still worried about me not getting any ice cream."
’What she considered a punishment was, to him, simply a reward.’
’He liked it a lot.’
’But regardless, he would never again make that kind of mistake to earn it.’
Shi Lan’s expression soured. "So you really know you were wrong?"
’He really is a freak. You can’t think about him like a normal person.’
Yan Huoshui’s attitude was sincere as he nodded solemnly. "I truly know I was wrong. So, I should be the one apologizing, not you."
"Fine. In that case, we’ll drop it for now. We rarely get to come out and have fun like this, so let’s go try some other rides."
"Okay."
The two went on a few more thrill rides, but this time Shi Lan would only relax after carefully checking both of their safety harnesses.
After they were done, the two went to ride the Ferris wheel.
"This park’s Ferris wheel is said to be the biggest one around. Its highest point is about six hundred meters, and a full rotation takes about thirty minutes."
Yan Huoshui explained slowly. A nearby staff member overheard and chimed in, "Yes, the gentleman is correct. In that case, you must also know the legend of our park’s Ferris wheel, right?"
"I’m not just spinning a yarn, you know. Every Beastman couple that has ridden our Ferris wheel has stayed deeply in love. Not a single one has ever gotten divorced."
"So let me be the first to congratulate you and your wife. I wish you two a long and happy life together."
The staff member said with a beaming smile.
Shi Lan was still very shy in front of strangers. Her face flushed, and the hand held in Yan Huoshui’s seemed to grow a little warmer. "Thank you for the well wishes."
The two boarded the Ferris wheel. As they passed the staff member, Yan Huoshui, with a pleased look in his eyes, casually tossed him an Energy Stone.
It was one of the more common types of Energy Stones, more plentiful than Blue Crystals, but even an ordinary item from his hands was worth over a hundred thousand Star Coins.
The staff member was so excited his eyes went red. He even gave the stone a foolish little bite.
"It’s true what they say, the big planets are full of opportunities."
The Ferris wheel began its slow ascent.
Inside the transparent crystal cabin, Yan Huoshui and Shi Lan sat on the same side. In the cramped space, Yan Huoshui’s long, slender legs unconsciously tilted in her direction. The floral fragrance that seemed to cling to him filled her senses.
Before she knew it, Shi Lan found herself enveloped by his presence and suddenly felt flustered and hot.
They had only been inside for a moment, but the cabin was too quiet. Unable to bear the oppressive feeling of being gradually enveloped by his overwhelming masculine presence, Shi Lan was the first to break the silence.
"Did you research all this beforehand? Is that why you specifically chose this amusement park?"
’She was the one who had suggested the Ferris wheel, of course. After all, they were already here, and this park’s wheel was very distinctive. The dynamic images flashing in the central display were very eye-catching.’
’Still, she had a reasonable suspicion that this had been Yan Huoshui’s target all along.’
Faced with his partner’s direct stare, Yan Huoshui only hesitated for a second before praising her generously, "Lanlan is so clever."
"But I didn’t know about the legends. I just heard the view from the Ferris wheel here was beautiful and wanted to bring you."
’Who was he trying to fool?’
Shi Lan hmphed, clearly skeptical.
’He could state the Ferris wheel’s exact height; there was no way he hadn’t learned the story behind it.’
However, she didn’t press the issue. Instead, she turned her head to look out the window again. They had only risen a few meters, but the view was already lovely.
She focused on the night scenery outside, occasionally taking out her chip to snap a photo.
Yan Huoshui didn’t disturb her, instead watching her reflection in the crystal pane in front of her.
Her palm rested lightly on the crystal pane, her cheek only a few centimeters from the surface. The glass clearly reflected her face and her full, rosy lips.
She was watching the scenery outside, and he was watching her.
Wiping her tears.
Watching her eat ice cream.