At the veteran's barbecue stall outside the neighborhood, Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun sat in the back, chattering away.
"Three skewers of whole chicken wings, four skewers of hot dogs, four skewers of chives, a dozen roasted oysters, three corn on the cobs, a handful of mutton skewers, plus an eggplant and stir-fried river snails... Isn't this a bit too much? I don't think we can finish it."
"Can't even finish this? Just because you're a weakling doesn't mean my sister and I are."
"Shen Nian, you jerk, get lost. You're paying for this meal."
"I'm broke. You pay."
"Then you'd better be more polite. Believe it or not, I won't give you a single bite later. Even if you get down on your knees and beg me, it won't work."
Xia Yanchun poked Shen Nian in the chest. It was all this guy's fault for saying he wanted to eat barbecue on the last night of the year. That alone cost over eighty bucks. Barbecue is so expensive nowadays.
Shen Nian pinched her finger, taking the opportunity to wrap her entire hand in his to help her warm up. He chuckled, "If I call you Big Sister, do I get to eat?"
"I'll have to think about it."
"Damn, even that trick didn't work? Looks like you're really mad. I really don't know what to do with you." Shen Nian straightened his posture and said in a deadpan tone, "Then I have no choice but to sacrifice my body tonight to please you."
"Get lost! Who wants that from you!"
"Hehe, go pay the bill, Big Sis."
Xia Yanchun didn't react for a moment. When she finally realized Shen Nian had called her Sister, her mood instantly soared. Big Sis was still a Sister. She happily went to pay the bill.
Shen Nian rubbed his nose. One sentence, and I made a woman spend a hundred and six bucks on me.
The barbecue was packed into a massive bag, the handles slightly greasy. Xia Yanchun had Shen Nian carry it straight to the car.
"Eating all this high-calorie food is definitely going to give us internal heat tomorrow. Boil some monk fruit tea for me to take to your fishing spot."
"No problem, no problem. Whatever you say."
"Hmph, listening to your big sister is never wrong."
"Alright, alright."
They had a smooth ride home. Because of the holidays, Shen Yue was still on the couch watching variety shows. They could hear faint laughter before they even walked through the door.
Xia Yanchun followed Shen Nian inside. Having already showered, she planned to ring in the New Year at Shen Nian's place tonight.
"Ooh, smells good. What delicious food did you buy?" Smelling the aroma, Shen Yue immediately sat up.
"Barbecue. I even bought a portion especially for you. You can thank me now."
"Little bro, you're the best. I could cry!"
"I paid for this!" Xia Yanchun quickly chimed in. She couldn't let Shen Nian steal her credit.
"It's the same no matter who pays," Shen Nian said.
"No, it's not. You're so shameless."
To Shen Yue, it really didn't matter who paid, as long as there was food. While the two kids were still bickering, she had already pulled out a whole chicken wing and started devouring it.
Xia Yanchun also sat down and began to chow down. Out of all the food, her favorite was the same as Shen Yue's, the whole chicken wings. She ordered them every time she had barbecue.
Shen Nian grabbed some yogurt for the two older girls, then squeezed himself onto the seat right next to Xia Yanchun.
He ate the chives first, two skewers of them, and then moved on to the roasted oysters. With this kind of food, if there was no set rule on how many each person got, it was every man for himself.
Out of a dozen, Shen Nian ate eight.
"How could you eat them all!" Xia Yanchun furrowed her little brows. Who could understand the utter despair of seeing the oysters almost entirely gone before she had even finished a single chicken wing? Seeing that Shen Nian was planning to continue, she knew if she didn't stop him, there would truly be none left.
"Snooze, you lose, guys." Shen Nian grabbed another one. "There are three left. Two for my sister, and one for you."
"Hmph, then your chicken wing is mine."
"Hey, hey, there are only three chicken wings. One for each of us, alright?"
"We were supposed to get four oysters each, but you ate so many yourself, and you have the nerve to complain." Xia Yanchun took Shen Nian's wing in her hand, her little tongue licking the seasoning off it. She claimed the chicken wing as hers.
"Blegh, you're not getting any."
Shen Nian gave her a side-eye. "Look at you. Fine, you can have it."
Xia Yanchun hummed in triumph, ignoring Shen Nian as she buried her head in her food.
Naturally, her one allotted oyster was polished off by Shen Nian.
Shen Nian ate the vast majority of the food. Xia Yanchun thought he was like a gluttonous beast; she didn't even know how much he had packed away this meal, especially that eggplant, which was loaded with garlic and oil.
If Shen Nian dared to lean in for a kiss later without brushing his teeth and rinsing his mouth, she would stuff the socks she was still wearing right into his mouth.
The corn on the cob was saved for last. Xia Yanchun held the bamboo skewer, nibbling at it bit by bit with her front teeth, gnawing a full circle just to get a proper bite.
The roasted corn had a fragrant, slightly charred flavor. Eating happily, Xia Yanchun kicked off her slippers and casually rested her white-socked feet on the coffee table, just like Shen Nian.
Shen Nian's feet were quite a bit larger than hers.
"Aren't you cold without socks?"
"It's fine at home. My lower body doesn't really get cold. Haven't you noticed I always just wear a single pair of pants?"
Xia Yanchun reached out and pinched Shen Nian's pants. Even in seven or eight-degree weather, Shen Nian got by with just one layer, whereas she had to wear long johns underneath.
This guy had a built-in heater in his body.
Was being unfazed by the cold a sign of a strong, robust body? She had heard that people with weak constitutions couldn't handle the cold.
"I'll give you that."
"Ugh, I'm getting sleepy right after eating." Having worked all day, Shen Yue was already starting to yawn. "I'm going to brush my teeth and head to bed. Make sure to lock the door when you two are done."
With that, she went into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her.
Shen Nian nudged Xia Yanchun's little feet with his own and asked in a low voice, "Are you staying over tonight?"
Xia Yanchun pursed her lips, her small hands tucked into her pockets. The toes of her feet, still resting on the coffee table, curled up as she lightly scratched the top of Shen Nian's foot through her socks.
She gave a tiny nod, her breath tickling Shen Nian's ear as she whispered, "I'm going to go back and brush my teeth first."
Shen Nian needed to brush his teeth too. Otherwise, after eating such a messy mix of food, his breath would be unimaginably bad tomorrow.
After Shen Yue finished brushing her teeth, she went back to her room. It was almost midnight by the time Shen Nian finally saw Xia Yanchun tiptoeing over.
"What took you so long?"
"I washed my feet."
The girl had just rinsed her mouth, and her words carried a faint scent of lemon and mint, which smelled incredibly nice.
Shen Nian glanced at his sister's tightly shut bedroom door, his mind racing. He reached up, cupped Xia Yanchun's soft, cool face, and quickly planted a kiss on her lips.
"Lemon flavored, hehe."
Xia Yanchun's eyes curved into a smile. A little jasmine flower bloomed in her heart, exuding the same jasmine fragrance that lingered on Shen Nian's lips.
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rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!

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