Feeling unfairly treated, Hu Tao naturally protested. Was she not pretty or lovable enough? Why did Yaoyao get a phone right away, while she had to have her picture taken in an unflattering way?
"Children should be spoiled," Lin Ze said. "If you call me 'Big Brother,' I'll give you one for free."
"Then I'll pass."
Hu Tao calling Lin Ze "Big Brother"? Absolutely not.
Though she was a social butterfly with a naturally familiar demeanor, Hu Tao had dared to playfully pat Lin Ze's shoulder during their second meeting. But to call someone her peer "Big Brother" after only two encounters? That was unacceptable.
Besides, three other people were also being subjected to unflattering photos. In contrast, none of her peers would ever call Lin Ze "Big Brother."
"Between two evils, choose the lesser," Hu Tao declared. "I'd rather have my picture taken. Now, what do you want me to do?"
Lin Ze had tacitly confirmed Xiangling's earlier guess: their unflattering photos wouldn't be shared with anyone else. For a first-edition phone, Hu Tao was willing to go all out.
It wasn't that Hu Tao disliked being on social media for a few days. Rather, she believed that Lin Ze's handcrafted phone, though made with slightly inferior materials, would undoubtedly be of higher quality than the mass-produced versions from Liyue.
"Let's wait until tonight," Lin Ze said. He had a brilliant plan to unearth the embarrassing secrets he craved.
With the deal settled, the girls began exploring the phone's applications.
Lin Ze, meanwhile, was engrossed in a game.
Yun Jin, however, seemed distracted.
After waiting patiently for a long while, she finally seized her chance when Hu Tao excused herself to the restroom.
"Mr. Lin Ze," Yun Jin began, "you've been mentioning 'tonight' repeatedly. Are you planning to use Hu Tao's Yoyo's Grand March? To keep the flavor unchanged and watch us embarrass ourselves?"
Yun Jin's words successfully triggered Xiangling and Xinyan's DNA. Instantly, both girls looked up at Lin Ze.
Even Yaoyao joined in, her face etched with alarm.
Lin Ze was momentarily stunned. *Is Yun Jin really this perceptive?* he wondered. *I haven't said a word, yet she's pieced together my plan from the smallest clues?*
*Gulp! Could Yun Jin have guessed right?* Xinyan swallowed nervously, suddenly regretting her earlier enthusiasm.
"Maybe you should just take some embarrassing photos now, Mr. Lin Ze," she suggested. "Hu Tao's Yoyo's Grand March... Wait, is Hu Tao planning to make Yoyo's Grand March for tonight's dinner?!"
The legend of Yoyo's Grand March loomed large among Liyue's youth. Even those without Visions had heard tales of its infamous reputation.
Not to mention those who were close friends with her.
"No way! I'm going to make extra dishes tonight, anything to keep them from getting a chance to taste Yoyo's Grand March!"
Xiangling was terrified. She had even cooked Slime into dishes, constantly experimenting with new recipes. Having tasted her own failed creations, she was particularly fearful of Yoyo's Grand March.
At one point, Xiangling even suspected Hu Tao had created the dish as revenge for Xiangling making her try Slime cuisine, which had left Hu Tao with a psychological trauma.
"Since you've figured it out, fine, fine. I won't use Yoyo's Grand March tonight. I'll stick to our original agreement: secretly alter the flavors and remove the toxins."
Seeing his scheme exposed, Lin Ze had no choice but to abandon his plan.
He began pondering how best to collect his reward.
His personal preference was to catch them off guard, naturally capturing embarrassing photos to use for pranks later when he had the time.
Now he'd have to find another way.
"Whew~ Thank goodness you're so clever, Yun Jin, and figured it out!"
Xinyan and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief as Lin Ze abandoned his plan.
They were fortunate Yun Jin had been sharp enough to deduce Lin Ze's intentions in advance.
Even with Lin Ze's assurances, Yun Jin and the others remained wary.
Given Lin Ze's mischievous nature, could he really refrain from pulling any pranks?
When Hu Tao returned, they even warned her that Lin Ze might tamper with the evening's dishes, making them taste awful or worse.
They urged her to be cautious.
Spending most of the day in Wanmin Restaurant's backyard, the group remained on edge, anticipating a prank at any moment.
Upon arriving at Lin Ze's house, they became even more cautious, fearing hidden traps or tricks he might have set up.
Fortunately, everything proceeded smoothly. Yaoyao, Yun Jin, Xiangling, Hu Tao, and even Xinyan personally took charge of the cooking.
Lin Ze, meanwhile, was completely barred from the kitchen, not allowed to set foot inside.
This left Lin Ze both amused and exasperated, feeling that Xiangling and the others were seeing enemies everywhere.
He genuinely had no intention of tampering with the food this time!
Once all the dishes were ready, Lin Ze kept his word, replacing the flavor of Hu Tao's "Yoyo's Grand March" and removing any toxins.
Then he brought out the drinks he had prepared.
"Is this also cola?" Yaoyao asked. "It looks much safer than the black cola. Even though it's fizzy, at least it's clear."
Since Lin Ze hadn't explained the name, Yaoyao naturally assumed it was another type of cola. In her eyes, this one looked far more appealing than the dark variety.
At least, it didn't look poisonous!
"This is Sprite, a different drink from cola."
"Alright, everyone, let's dig into this feast!" Lin Ze urged with a faint smile.
Xiangling and the others cautiously tried the nearest dishes, manually testing for poison.
After confirming Lin Ze hadn't tampered with anything, they exchanged glances and finally relaxed.
The atmosphere at the table gradually livened up until Lin Ze raised his glass.
After taking a sip of Sprite, Xiangling and the others finally realized what had happened.
"So, he replaced the Sprite with baijiu, and he did it so quietly!"
"Too bad for him. We can handle baijiu just fine. We just don't drink it often because we don't really like the taste."
Hu Tao set down her glass with a triumphant grin.
As it happened, they had mischievously tried baijiu when they were very young.
Later, they would occasionally drink a few cups on a whim when the opportunity arose.
Their alcohol tolerance was quite good; they simply didn't drink often.
"So, the sisters' Sprite was replaced with baijiu?
Yaoyao's is still Sprite, and it's delicious!"
Yaoyao, who had been spared, looked at her Sprite with relief.
*Thank goodness Lin Ze really spared me! I've never had alcohol before. I would have been so embarrassed!*
"This is completely unexpected..."
....
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