As the last note slowly faded, he bowed slightly. The venue remained silent, as if still immersed in the melody that had just played. Yi Xing maintained his bowing posture, a little uneasy. Why hadn't he heard any applause? Could it be that his playing skill had declined?
After waiting quietly for a while, Ju Jingyi, who was in the middle of the crowd, seemed to come to her senses and started clapping. This applause was like a signal, bringing everyone back to reality. In an instant, thunderous applause, cheers, and shouts of approval erupted in that area, one after another.
"One more!" someone shouted, leading the charge. Immediately, the people around responded, their calls growing louder and echoing throughout the entire street.
Yi Xing straightened up, returned the violin to the woman beside him, and then raised both hands, pressing them down to signal for quiet. Once the cheering had subsided significantly, he smiled and said sincerely,
"Thank you all for such a warm reception. I truly didn't expect to be so popular. Since I have other commitments, I won't be playing another piece. I hope you all understand. Finally, thank you again to everyone here for your support!"
Hearing him say this, everyone nodded in understanding, then made way for him to pass smoothly, no longer needing to make excuses as he had when entering.
He waved to Ju Jingyi, and she quickly came to his side. He took his savory pancake from her hand. When he received it, he felt that the weight inside was not quite right; it seemed a little lighter. He raised an eyebrow but didn't investigate immediately. Instead, he waited until they had walked out of the crowd before teasingly asking,
"Xiao Ju, did you secretly eat my pancake while I was performing? It feels so much lighter!"
"No, I didn't! I was listening very carefully. Maybe it got crushed when we were squeezing through the crowd."
"Really?" Yi Xing stared at her, half-believing, half-doubting, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone carrying a hint of jest.
"Of course!" Ju Jingyi puffed out her chest, looking absolutely certain, her eyes full of innocence, as if she truly had nothing to do with the pancake's reduced weight. To deceive others, one must first deceive oneself.
If it weren't for a small piece of chili still clinging to the corner of her mouth, he really would have been fooled by her.
The two looked at each other for a long time. Yi Xing, seeing the piece of chili, couldn't help but burst out laughing. He reached out and gently tapped the corner of her mouth.
"What are you doing?!"
She was startled by the sudden contact and instinctively took two steps back, her face full of wariness. But soon, when she noticed what was in his hand, she lowered her head, her flushed ears betraying her inner shame and indignation. She hadn't expected a piece of chili to expose her.
"The evidence is in my hand. Are you still going to pretend? Confess and be lenient, resist and be severe!"
"Alright, alright, I admit it, okay! I just wanted to try the difference between the two flavors, so I tasted a few pieces. Is that not allowed?"
"Hahaha. Of course it's allowed. Since you've tasted both, which one do you think suits your taste better?"
Ju Jingyi hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the one in Yi Xing's hand. Ever since she had tasted a bit of spice when eating with him last time, her inherent nature as a Bashu area of Sichuan person had emerged. She was gradually becoming more and more interested in this flavor.
Because she didn't know how spicy the spicy pancake was, she had ordered the original flavor. After tasting it, she found it was within her acceptable range. Now, given a chance to choose again, she would naturally choose the spicy one.
"Okay, then this one's for you, and your portion is for me," Yi Xing said, then handed over the pancake in his hand. The flavor wasn't very important to him; making the person accompanying him happy was enough.
Perhaps it was his sense of responsibility at play. As long as he initiated the invitation, he would not allow anyone to be in a bad mood or not have fun during that outing; that would be a form of disapproval of him.
Ju Jingyi quickly took it, simultaneously handing over the one in her hand. Both seemed to have forgotten something quite important: the skewers had not been exchanged. She was currently using the one Yi Xing had used. If they had been careful, this kind of indirect kiss wouldn't have happened.
She was completely oblivious, still eating with relish and occasionally letting out satisfied exclamations.
Yi Xing inadvertently glimpsed the skewer in her hand, and this detail flashed through his mind. He smiled knowingly. He had originally intended to remind her directly, but the words caught in his throat.
Her happy expression made him somewhat reluctant to disturb her. He thought, 'If I say something, will it ruin this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere? Anyway, she's already eaten several pieces, so let it be.' He decided not to speak up for now and wait for her to discover it herself.
Ju Jingyi noticed that his gaze was constantly on her and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. Could she have chili on her face again? She quickly took out her phone and used the screen as a mirror to check herself carefully. Nothing was different; she was still so beautiful.
"Why are you staring at me? The path isn't written on my face."
"You're so good-looking, and I'm not allowed to look?"
"No, you're definitely hiding something from me."
This slightly teasing remark made her a little shy, but she quickly reacted. Based on her time with Yi Xing, this didn't sound like something he would say. She tilted her head, squinted her eyes, and scrutinized the person in front of her from top to bottom.
"What's there to hide? I just genuinely think you're very beautiful. Can't I look a few more times?" Yi Xing was a bit exasperated by her demeanor, wondering if he should confess what happened. But looking at her adorable expression, he wanted to continue teasing her, feeling very conflicted.
Clearly, Ju Jingyi didn't believe what he said and kept slowly approaching him. As she took a step forward, he took a step back, until his back was against the wall of a nearby house. He had no retreat, and she still hadn't stopped moving.
"Quick, confess honestly. Don't try to fool your way through." At this point, the distance between them was extremely close; they could even feel each other's warm breath.
Yi Xing looked at the beautiful face so close to him, her fair skin glowing softly in the moonlight. Her bright eyes were now fixed on him. That unusual feeling reappeared, and his heart involuntarily quickened. He swallowed and said,
"Actually, it's nothing major. It's just that the skewer in your hand is the one I used."