Ye Jinzhi sat back down, resting his cheek on his hand. Surprisingly obedient, he didn't touch his chopsticks and just watched her at his leisure.
Seeing her eat with such a satisfied expression, her brows relaxing, the young man's lips unconsciously curled upward.
Bella felt completely unnatural under his gaze. She took a bite of her chicken leg, raised her hands like little claws, and threatened him with a bared-teeth posture:
"Little Ye U•ェ•U, stop looking at me. Shoo, shoo, go mind your own business and do something else."
Ye Jinzhi was amused by her little teeth-baring display and let out a low chuckle.
So cute.
He didn't look away. Instead, he propped his face up with both hands and gazed at her lazily.
"So fierce?"
"You know it, yet you're still staring."
She muttered a complaint, glaring at him as she took a vicious bite of the chicken leg.
Ye Jinzhi didn't say a word, the smile on his face slowly spreading.
"Alright, I won't look at you."
Even after saying that, his gaze still didn't shift away.
Bella: "..."
Then, she tilted her head at him and blinked her eyes.
Ye Jinzhi naturally understood what she meant. He raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips hooking up, and spoke with absolute righteous confidence:
"I said I wouldn't look, but I never said I'd actually keep my word."
Upon hearing this, a popular internet meme immediately popped into Bella's mind:
Cao Cao flipping his rice bowl.
She really wanted to do that.
Bella looked at the food in front of her and ultimately suppressed the impulse.
She decided to ignore him, happily eating her meal and leaving him out in the cold.
She was going to eat it all and not leave a single bit for him.
Seeing her cheeks puffing in and out, Ye Jinzhi's gaze unconsciously fell on a spot of sauce on the corner of her mouth.
Before Bella could react, he had already reached out and gently wiped it away for her.
"What are you doing?" she looked up instinctively.
Ye Jinzhi didn't answer. He simply raised his finger and glanced at the sauce.
She thought he was going to wipe it off with a napkin, but the next second, she saw him bring that finger to his lips.
He lifted his eyes to look at Bella. Under her watchful gaze, the tip of his tongue gently curled out and licked the sauce away.
The movement was casual and natural, and he even let out a light "tsk" sound, as if he were truly savoring some delicacy.
"Not bad."
Bella: "!!!"
Is this okay?
Is this okay?
Is this okay?
For a moment, thousands of words were stuck in Bella's chest. Her expression was complex and hard to describe.
Don't think she couldn't tell; this guy was seducing her.
His previous action was as smooth as flowing water. The way the tip of his tongue curled against his finger pad oozed an indescribable eroticism, not to mention his eyes and that frivolous little sound.
Glancing at his expression, she could roughly guess what kind of flirty remarks he was about to say next, and she absolutely refused to let him say them.
His lips parted slightly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and just as he opened his mouth to speak...
Bella quickly reached out, decisively cutting off his dangerous speech.
She pushed her plate in front of him, speaking with feigned calmness, even deliberately squeezing out a reluctant expression:
"Child, come, there's more here. Don't go hungry."
A second before he could speak, she shoved the remaining half plate of braised meatballs and ribs in front of him with a loud clatter.
Smiles never truly disappear; this one simply transferred from the corners of Ye Jinzhi's mouth to Bella's face, which now wore a look of "caring for the mentally challenged."
The words that had been on the tip of Ye Jinzhi's tongue were shoved right back down by the food in front of him.
Looking at the half-eaten chicken leg in front of him, he raised his head to look at the concerned Bella, who even seemed to want to reach out and pat his shoulder. His voice carried a helpless amusement.
"Bella."
Bella looked completely sincere and even thoughtfully shoved the chopsticks in front of him into his hand.
"Hurry, child, eat more. You're still growing."
After saying that, as if feeling it wasn't enough, she held back a laugh and added a few more words:
"Although our family isn't super rich, we really aren't poor either. We don't have to... we don't have to be this frugal."
She deliberately emphasized the word "frugal."
As she spoke, she cast a disgusted glance at his finger. That little look was exactly like looking at a poor wretch who had to lick up every last drop of sauce because his family was too poor.
The law of conservation of smiles was still at work.
Bella's face was glowing with triumph, her whole demeanor screaming "I won." She peeked at Ye Jinzhi's face, and upon seeing his expression clearly, the corners of her lips couldn't help but rise.
Ye Jinzhi facepalmed. The girl's glaringly obvious smile was entirely mocking his failed attempt at flirting that had completely backfired.
"Bella."
Ye Jinzhi ground his back teeth, laughing out of sheer exasperation, and simply put down the chopsticks that had been shoved into his hand.
He leaned in close. This time, he didn't play any feinting games of ambiguity. Instead, he reached out directly and pinched her smug little face.
With a slight squeeze toward the center, he squished her mouth into a comical "O" shape.
"Having fun, are we?"
He lowered his voice, a hint of danger laced in his tone.
"I didn't get a taste of the real 'flavor' just now. Are you intentionally... provoking me?"
After saying that, he glanced at her lips.
Bella's previously smug smile froze. With her lips squished into a pout, she immediately let out a sound of protest.
"Yew lemme gow righn now!"
She waved her little claws, trying to pry his hand off, while struggling to voice her protests through her deformed mouth.
Unfortunately, her originally fierce tone, hampered by the slurred pronunciation, sounded entirely devoid of lethality and instead came across as whining.
"Wu— Yeh Din-dzee! Lew gow!"
Seeing that this guy wasn't reflecting on his actions at all and was instead admiring her plight even more,
Bella accurately moved her two little hands to his chest. Through the layer of fabric, she dug her fingertips in, pinched a piece of flesh hard, and twisted it three hundred and sixty degrees!
Twist~
"Hiss—"
Ye Jinzhi's teasing expression instantly shattered. He sucked in a breath of cold air, his fox-like eyes widening in sharp pain.
This girl was absolutely ruthless.
Ye Jinzhi reluctantly released his grip, not forgetting to give her smooth cheek a gentle pinch at the end.
Then, he covered his chest, trying to soothe the burning skin through his clothes.
Regaining her freedom, Bella rubbed her cheek. Looking at Ye Jinzhi's defeated appearance, she burst into loud laughter.
Watching her laugh so hard she was rocking back and forth, Ye Jinzhi stepped forward and ruffled her hair, which was already a mess from her laughing fit.
"Laughed enough?"
His fingertips hooked a strand of her hair. "Once you're done laughing, pack up your personal items. Leave the rest for the others, alright?"
Bella reined in her laughter and met his eyes. Feeling a bit shy, she turned her head away and muttered softly:
"I know... I'll go pack right now."
"If you don't mind, I can help."
"In your dreams."
Bella didn't even turn her head back, rejecting him cleanly and decisively.
Letting him help pack her intimates... just imagining the scene made Bella feel so awkward her toes could curl hard enough to dig out a whole university campus.
This guy already had perverted tendencies. If he were to slowly and methodically comment something like "the color suits you" or "the size seems a bit small" while packing, she would absolutely spontaneously combust right on the spot.
"Don't even think about it!"
Bella darted into the room, slamming and locking the door behind her with a loud bang. Her voice carried through the heavy wood, laced with exasperation.
"You stay out there! If you dare come in, you'll be sorry!"
