Forge a path to success.

Chapter 261 A Memorable First Date (The End)
"It's rare to get a 20% discount on photos, what do you think, Ah Kong?" Ji Huaisu said with a smile.

Chu Heng struggled with a sliver of hope: "I won't participate, I can pay in full..."

"Wow, it's such a waste not to take advantage of the discount..." Ji Huaisu said with a disgusted face, "What a spendthrift man!"

“That’s right, Young Master Chu, earning Flowing Pearls is not easy~” Qingxia chimed in.

Chu Hengkong wanted to smash his face into his bowl of noodles. He knew this was another deadly question, because no matter how he answered, it was a dead end. If he said he wouldn't participate, he'd be considered extravagant and wasteful; if he stubbornly said he would, he'd be accused of taking advantage of someone before they were even officially together… He was roasted alive either way; any answer was a headlong rush towards death. How was anyone supposed to choose?!

"That photo of yours..." Chu Hengkong took a deep breath, "How was it taken..."

"We have some sample photos here; if either of you gentlemen is interested, you can take a look."

Qingxia conjured up a sample photo, and Chu Hengkong almost fainted when he glanced at it.

The layout of this color photo reminded him of arcades and amusement parks from the early 2000s, those quick-photo booths for trendy young couples and kids taking souvenir photos after school. A huge heart was encircled by a sea of ​​rose-red, with space for a person's head on each side—it was incredibly tacky. If that were all, it wouldn't have been so bad, but Qingxia had thoughtfully found someone to be the model: the left half of the heart featured an unknown silver-eyed demon tied to a stick, and the right half…

On the right side is a large grilled squid from a street vendor, sprinkled with chili powder... and a plastic bow is stuck to it...

"This is torture! There's no light left in Vande's eyes! What did it do wrong to deserve this torture?" Chu Heng slammed his fist on the table.

"Wow, so cute!" Ji Huaisu exclaimed.

"Why do you think that?! Open your eyes and take a good look! You should be saying how perverted you are right now!" Chu Hengkong roared.

Ji Huaisu clasped her hands together and swayed from side to side, saying, "Ah Kong, I want to take a picture of this~ Let's take a picture, let's take a picture~"

Chu Hengkong sighed deeply, feeling utterly drained of strength: "Miss Ji, you don't actually enjoy taking photos; you just enjoy torturing me."

“Yes, yes.” Ji Huaisu nodded.

"This is so much fun!" Qingxia exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay, let's film..." Chu Heng's voice was barely audible, "Let's film..."

He forced himself to walk to Ji Huaisu's side, forcing the stiffest smile he'd ever had. Qingxia gave them a thumbs up, fiddled with her camera for a while under Chu Hengkong's murderous gaze, and then looked down at it.

"Wait a minute, the lens cap doesn't seem to be open..."

"That's enough, I'll take the picture myself! Give me the sugar water!"

"Young Master Chu has resigned himself to his fate."

Click!

In the end, Detective Chu's mischievous wrist turned into a selfie stick, helping the two complete this arduous challenge. Miss Ji's smile in the heart-shaped photo resembled that of a swamp dweller suffering from the aftereffects of accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms, forming a stark contrast with the zombie-faced detective.

Chu Hengkong finished his sweet soup in one gulp, leaving Liuzhu to pay the bill before grabbing Ji Huaisu and fleeing on the spot. Qingxia cheerfully waved to the two of them: "Welcome back next time~"

She turned around and asked, "How is it?"

Qingye poked its head out, carrying Fande, whose tentacles were still wrapped around the grilled squid. While sucking on the squid, it said, "Not bad, didn't mess things up. I was worried you might mess it up and piss him off."

"Chu Hengkong's temper is easy to control. You need to get him to do something he doesn't dislike but is still embarrassed about, that way it will go smoothly. If you make jokes that offend him, he'll really get angry~"

Qingxia took off her monocle and handed it, along with Liuzhu, to the restaurant manager: "Here you go, thanks for your cooperation. They both seemed to be enjoying their meal!"

"Not at all, it's all for serving our guests, it's our duty," the manager smiled. "It's not lunchtime yet, would you gentlemen like something to eat?"

Qingxia's eyes lit up: "Give me two servings of both the eggplant and the meat!"

"Three portions!" Qingye raised her hand.

After the manager finished writing down the bill and preparing the food, he hurried back to the front desk and asked in a low voice, "How much did our esteemed guest spend before?"

"640 beads after discount".

"After the chefs' meeting this afternoon, we'll launch a simplified version of the set meal next week. The full price for a two-person meal is 800 yuan."

The young soldier doing the accounting stared blankly: "Manager, are you kidding me? Who would buy this 'soft-shelled turtle' meal?"

The manager found an old-fashioned camera and proudly stroked the tip of his mustache.

"Couples get a 20% discount after taking photos, and the price after discount is 640 RMB including a grilled squid. It's the same romantic meal for two that the detective enjoys."

The little soldier stood at attention: "A business opportunity, a business opportunity!"

The "Blue Holiday" branch achieved record-breaking sales during its opening season on its 7th branch, subsequently becoming a popular spot for couples in Huilong City to take photos. Later, eating grilled squid on dates even became a local custom. Rumor has it that the future city lord and his wife also experienced the same ordeal here, with Lord Huilong's gloating laughter bearing a striking resemblance to his adopted daughter…

But that's all hindsight. Detective Chu had no idea he had inadvertently created a brand new business opportunity for the local catering industry. He was still suffering from one new kind of torment after another. This included, but was not limited to, carrying bags of all sizes for someone in a bustling shopping mall, carrying bags of all sizes to the workshop area and being exposed to the scorching sun, and not having a chance to fish because there were too many tourists fishing that day.

"I must give Youyou my feedback when I get back," Chu Hengkong said, his face ashen. "It's too unsafe to open the site to tourists for salvage. Can you allow tourists like the Fufu Clan to come into contact with foreign relics? What if there's pollution from outside sources? What if they salvage inappropriate books?"

"Exactly, exactly, what if they take away the fishing opportunities from the local fishermen?" Ji Huaisu imitated his tone perfectly.

"Don't judge a gentleman by your own petty standards."

"Don't worry, do you really think these are relics that come with the trend? The ones that tourists can catch are all 'fakes' that have been aged and put in by workshops. They are essentially official gashapon machines."

Chu Hengkong scoffed, "Pre-made relics, huh?"

"How can you open a fishing pond without prefabrication?" Ji Huaisu said lazily. "If you don't guarantee safety, tourists won't want to come."

Come to think of it, in the world of aquatics, safety always comes first. He tossed his bags and packages onto the boat and boarded the cruise ship first. The little swan at the bow was bathed in the orange-red light of the setting sun. He tried to call Ji Huaisu aboard, but found the girl grinning foolishly at the photos she had taken at noon.

So he couldn't help but laugh, thinking that it wasn't so bad to do something silly like this once in a while.

Ji Huaisu jumped onto the boat, and with a stroke of the oar, the small boat slowly moved towards the center of the lake. This floating island was undeveloped land reserved by the city lord's mansion, and he had applied for the right to use it for the afternoon under the pretext of a routine inspection. The whole process was legal and compliant, a small perk within the Resurrection Force. "Do you remember when we went out for the first time, we also went boating?" he said casually.

"I remember, after playing the game, we went to the small lake in the courtyard... There were quite a lot of people around at that time, it was so noisy that I didn't really enjoy the atmosphere."

“So this time I found a quiet place so we can chat slowly.” Chu Hengkong put down the oar and let the wind carry the small boat. “There are no other plans after this. I’m afraid you’ll get bored if we play for too long. We can talk about any places you want to go later.”

"No need, I had a super fun day," Ji Huaisu grinned. "There's just one small problem though~"

Chu Hengkong smiled wryly: "Still looking for trouble..."

"It's not a prank, we're being serious."

She sat on the edge of the swan boat, reaching her hand out over the water. A gentle evening breeze blew across the lake, ruffling the girl's golden hair. Strands of her hair brushed against her face, and her purple eyes flickered in and out of view, like a golden beast hidden in the forest.

"—Ah Kong, why did you suddenly ask me out?"

Chu Hengkong felt a sudden tightness in his chest for no apparent reason. He had considered this possibility and had even written down how to respond in his plan, after all, his partner was always so perceptive. But when he actually spoke, he was still a little nervous: "Because..."

But Ji Huaisu didn't give him a chance to speak at all. She continued, "A-Kong, you are immature in every way, but you are very mature in this aspect. You may be slow at times, but you are not really a blockhead."

I imagine you didn't feel anything when we first saved Huilong City. But after Jinye City, you actually had a vague sense of it. And when we returned from the wilderness, you knew perfectly well how everyone, including Qingxia, viewed you.

Ji Huaisu smiled slyly, "After all, you've shared a bed with me, so even if you're slow on the uptake, you should have realized it by now, right?"

"What else can I say?" Chu Hengkong smiled bitterly.

“So I find it a bit strange. Given your personality, Ah Kong, matters of the heart are always very important to you, and even if you find out, you won’t rush to deal with them. But after returning from the wilderness, you suddenly took the initiative to ask me out. Although it was neat and efficient, it was not like you at all,” Ji Huaisu said. “And during our date today, I realized that you were really serious about preparing. You did a lot of things that you’re not good at, and you wholeheartedly wanted to make me happy.”

"It's like making a promise to yourself that you must complete this task well."

Chu Hengkong could only manage a bitter smile.

When a man's thoughts are completely exposed, there's nothing he can do but smile bitterly.

"That's a rather strange way of thinking, so I guess it might not be like that~"

Ji Huaisu touched her lips with her fingertips.

“Ah Kong, after you came out of the wilderness, you felt that things in this world are unpredictable. You don’t know when we will be separated again. Now that you know my feelings for you, you must respond. You can’t let me wait in vain without receiving any news.”

"Your invitation to the date is a manifestation of this sense of responsibility, in other words—it's an 'obligation' you feel you should fulfill, isn't it?"

“Sometimes I really wish you weren’t so perceptive,” Chu Hengkong said.

"What a pity, I'm not an idiot when it comes to love!" Ji Huaisu said smugly.

He wanted to offer an explanation, but didn't know how to begin. His upbringing had taught him that men should take responsibility, yet he had never truly been a lover or a husband. He didn't know what normal romantic relationships were like, but his intuition and heart told him that now that he knew these feelings existed, he couldn't pretend not to see them.

Having gone through so much together, he should treat Ji Huaisu well.

He didn't dislike Ji Huaisu; rather, he liked this brave and upright girl very much.

Then he should strive to be a good boyfriend and a good husband.

Because this is his responsibility. It is his duty that he must face.

At this moment, the swan boat drifted to the shore, and Ji Huaisu jumped off the boat first. Chu Hengkong stood on the shore and took a deep breath.

"Ji Huaisu, I hope you won't be angry," he said softly. "My personality is rather eccentric, but I like you..."

"No, no, I'm really not angry," Ji Huaisu said with a sly smile. "Do you know why you feel guilty and awkward right now?"

"……I have no idea."

With her hands behind her back, she skipped and hopped closer, saying, "Because you only like me, but you haven't fallen in love with me yet!"

Her face suddenly magnified in Chu Hengkong's eyes, and she gently kissed the man's lips.

It was a light kiss, neither deep nor long, fleeting like a dragonfly skimming the water, yet leaving a thunderous shock in the man's heart. He froze, staring blankly at the girl's face. Her cheeks were flushed with shyness, but her eyes held no confusion, only a straightforward sincerity.

Ji Huaisu raised his hand and pointed straight at him.

"But it doesn't matter, because I love you," she said confidently. "I'll make you fall in love with me too, Chu Hengkong!"

"I had a great date today, next time it's my turn to ask you out!"

She leaped away as if flying, jumping off the small dust island and returning to the courtyard where they lived. Chu Hengkong remained frozen in place, motionless for several minutes. His mind was blank, his heart pounding wildly, but it was very different from when he was out of control before. It seemed to be urging him to do something, but when he really wanted to act, he hesitated and shrank back.

He slowly sat down against the tree trunk, gazing up at the starless night sky. After a while, he realized it was time to go home. Only then did he notice the large bags and packages he hadn't taken from the swan boat.

That girl must have been quite shy, right? That's why she rushed off and forgot her things.

He smiled at the ship, a smile tinged with foolishness. He took his spoils back to his dormitory and placed them at Ji Huaisu's doorstep. Then he sat down on the sofa, his mind filled with the kiss of that evening.

He grew increasingly restless, pacing aimlessly around the living room, wanting to go next door to say something, yet feeling there was no need to speak. But the blonde girl continued to haunt him, like a wisp of hot fog that he couldn't shake off. Finally, he threw himself onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hey buddy?" Vande waved his tentacle at him. "How's it going? Can you hold on?"

"I don't know how to describe it..." Chu Hengkong's headache worsened. "I feel like... I just... don't know..."

"It feels like a mess," he said blankly. "What's going on?"

"How strange," Van der said in a strange tone, "What's going on?"

(End of this chapter)