CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71: CRAVING HOT POT... DROOLING +10

He Fang washed up faster than Qin Guanglin had expected, taking just about fifteen minutes before she came to the bed in her slippers, shuffling along.

"Didn’t wash your hair?" Qin Guanglin noticed her hair was still dry.

"Yeah, it takes too much time, I’ll wash it after we eat," He Fang picked up her phone and dialed a number back.

"Dad, is something the matter?"

He Fang’s first words confirmed Qin Guanglin’s guess, it was indeed her dad!

"Yeah, no... don’t worry."

"I’m not stupid, stop worrying so much, I’ll send you a picture sometime."

"Yeah."

"Really, nothing is wrong, got to go eat now, bye."

After hanging up, He Fang let out a sigh and saw Qin Guanglin staring intently at her, she couldn’t help but laugh, "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Qin Guanglin held back and did not ask further, since it’s not nice to pry into someone’s phone call.

"He’s worried you might eat me, told me to protect myself," He Fang said with a smile.

"Why would I eat you..." Qin Guanglin said instinctively, then quickly added, "I’m not that kind of person."

"Really?" He Fang was in the mood to tease him, leaning close to him and staring, "Don’t you want to?"

"..."

Qin Guanglin leaned back, originally wanted to say he didn’t want to, but swallowed his words seeing her gaze, "Any normal person would..."

He Fang pecked him lightly, "It’s okay to want, but you have to control it."

"Just don’t keep tempting me," Qin Guanglin sighed, lay back on the bed and after a moment, he sprung up again, "Let’s go, let’s eat."

He knew why He Fang would sneak over in the middle of the night and act distant during the day; she was afraid to cross the line when unable to control herself.

These things need mutual consent when both are sober, otherwise, regrets are bound to follow from impulsive actions crossing boundaries. Whenever he felt impulsive, he always reminded himself to stay calm and not touch the boundaries.

It was some kind of unspoken agreement; she was willing to trust him, so she rented a room, and to avoid impulsiveness, they chose separate beds, all because they feared losing control once the fire started.

"What do we eat?" He Fang asked while putting her phone and wallet on her, making sure nothing was left behind before heading out.

"Up to you."

"I’m fine with anything, you pick."

Throwing the decision back and forth, such matters are common among couples, it just lacks someone to make the decision.

Qin Guanglin didn’t push further, catching the question thrown back at him, "Let’s go down and see what’s available."

He wasn’t picky, although he had a unique taste and didn’t prefer meat, he could still eat it, just wouldn’t choose it when alone, but could compromise when with someone else.

Uncertain if He Fang’s taste was exactly like his, he needed to test it out. They wandered half the way downstairs when he pointed at a buffet hotpot restaurant ahead and asked He Fang, "How about that?"

"Sure," He Fang’s agreement meant she truly was fine with anything.

Buffets were definitely a losing deal for He Fang, but with Qin Guanglin by her side, he could make up for what she didn’t eat.

Eating was all about happiness, but over a hundred per person for just a few bites always felt unworthy, it had to be balanced.

The yin-yang pot bubbled, Qin Guanglin marveled at the amount of chili in He Fang’s dipping sauce, "You really like it spicy?"

"Do you want some?" He Fang tasted with her chopsticks and found it alright.

"I’m good," Qin Guanglin declined.

"Just try it," she coaxed, "You might like it."

Thinking it over, he hesitated, "Maybe just a bit?"

He Fang scooped a big heap with her chopsticks, handing it to him, "Chili is the soul of a hotpot."

Qin Guanglin mimicked her and tried a bit, found it almost unbearable, "Didn’t know you could handle so much spice."

"I’m an all-rounder; I can handle bland and take the heat, like both sweet and savory," He Fang boasted, "I wouldn’t eat it this spicy if it weren’t for hotpot."

"The red soup base is enough for me," Qin Guanglin started transferring vegetables into the pots, half on each side.

He Fang laughed watching him, "My family eats quite spicy, you need to practice."

"Is that so?" he paused, then added more food into the red pot, "Then why at my place..."

"I like bland too, like both," He Fang helped him add more food, "It’s not that I can’t eat bland if I eat spicy, as long as it’s well-cooked."

"So that’s it." Qin Guanglin felt something was amiss but couldn’t pinpoint it at the moment.

"You’ll be like me eventually," He Fang smiled, tossing some meatballs into the pot, "When two people are together, their tastes gradually change and eventually converge."

"So you mean I’ll be able to eat very spicy and very bland?" Qin Guanglin was skeptical.

He Fang nodded seriously, "Yes, exactly like me."

"Then let’s start from now," he divided the chili He Fang had given him into another bowl and diluted it with some broth.

That was too spicy earlier; this should make it more tolerable.

"What does your dad like to do?" Qin Guanglin suddenly asked.

"My dad? He likes to drink, play cards, sometimes chess."

"Drink and play cards..." he frowned slightly; that didn’t sound like good habits.

"It’s not what you think," He Fang noticed his thoughts instantly, "He’s not an alcoholic or a gambler, he’s a good man, you’ll see when I take you to meet him."

"Hehe, looking forward to meeting him."

Qin Guanglin’s mood lightened, unexpectedly happy sitting in front of the hotpot discussing meeting the parents... Ah, just the thought was soothing.

Whether he’s an alcoholic or a gambler didn’t matter, seeing He Fang’s demeanor, he knew she was doing well, no need for worries.

He picked up his chopsticks and resumed his role as a Taste tester, grabbed some vegetables and tasted to see if they were cooked, then called out to He Fang, "It’s ready, you can eat the bean curd skin."

"Okay," He Fang also started eating, "Is that tofu skin cooked?"

"It’s still a bit raw, needs more time," Qin Guanglin tasted and commented, then continued trying other items.

With a buffet, you’d never know how much you could eat until you push yourself. Qin Guanglin was not only a Taste tester but also a Leftover Guard, anything He Fang left untouched on the table was his responsibility.

Boyfriends are for that, after all.