A few steps away, a voice from a server reached him, mixed with reluctance and curiosity:

"Sir, your logic just now was reasonable... But, you're definitely not from Henan, are you?"

"I'm not any less of a Henan man! You great egghead! What are you talking about? Why would you say I'm not from Henan?" Lin Li turned around, frowning slightly.

"Because..." The server adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her sharp gaze piercing through everything: "Sir, you just smiled, and since ancient times... smile and seriousness can't coexist!!!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"So, a genuine Henan person... would absolutely never smile!!"

Lin Li: "(;☉_☉)?"

If it were only Lin Li dining today, that single remark would merit a good review.

Unfortunately, Ying Bao was not satisfied now, and in this situation, nothing would do.

"Brilliant reasoning!" Although he couldn't change the review, Lin Li didn't hold back his praise and gave the server a thumbs-up: "I didn't realize my slip was there; you've taught me well; I am indeed a wild version, next time I will be careful."

"But, we can only give an average rating because..." Lin Li explained the shortcomings of the dishes sincerely.

"Let's settle the bill for the extra dishes just ordered."

"No need, sir," the server at the front desk quickly waved when Lin Li arrived, her smile much more genuine, "Your suggestions have been quite helpful to us; that omelet will be on the house."

"We won't change the review because of this," Lin Li emphasized.

"That's not what we meant," the server was very polite, "An average review can also spur us to improve. Take care, and we welcome you back next time!"

Leaving the restaurant, the evening breeze carried the hustle and bustle of the city. Lin Li raised an eyebrow: "The front desk and servers of this place sure know how to handle things."

"Uh-huh."

"Too bad the back-of-house staff doesn't."

"How did you figure that out?"

"Didn't you taste it out? Normally, a considerate chef wouldn't have bad culinary skills; Hannibal is a gourmet, and even if he's not considerate, he's a culinary expert, but this place doesn't make the cut."

"As for being considerate~ forget it!"

With a cheerful smile, Chen Yu Ying quipped while holding Lin Li's arm.

The minor annoyance from the subpar dinner had vanished amidst their playful banter and the store's decent response, leaving their mood light and bright again.

Let's go shopping with Lin Li~

...

"Is someone pushing you?" Lin Li asked with a smile, noticing the girl's slightly frowning face.

"Yes and no, not asking me to go back right now, just reminding me it's getting late and time to prepare to go home."

Chen Yu Ying, replying to a message on her phone, looked up and sighed.

After dinner, it was almost seven, and now it was just before nine; they had only been roaming about the Puchun shopping district for about two hours.

Those two hours were purely for leisurely strolling: checking out any interesting shops they came across, browsing, and buying what they liked.

They casually entered everything from budget stores to luxury counters, regardless.

They didn't encounter a typical snobby sales assistant from novels, and even when just browsing without buying, the service, while not overly enthusiastic, maintained basic politeness and distance.

Time flew by quietly during this relaxed and enjoyable exploration, and feelings of fatigue or irritation were nowhere to be found on them.

"It is indeed getting late," Lin Li checked his phone, "Even if we call a taxi now, it'll almost be ten by the time we get home."

Chen Yu Ying locked her phone's screen and grasped Lin Li's hand tightly again, her tone both urging and tinged with reluctance: "There's no rush to call a taxi just yet; we still have twenty minutes left, so let's make the most of it."

"Sure thing." Lin Li smiled and nodded, "Where to next?"

Chen Yu Ying's eyes sparkled with excitement as she made a decision: "I want to buy you a gift."

"Oh? What gift?" Lin Li's interest piqued.

"You'll find out soon," the girl teased, tugging Lin Li with determination back in the direction they had come.

A few minutes later, they stood in front of a brightly lit, fragrant cosmetics store.

Lin Li touched his chin: "Is this where you plan to buy my gift?"

"Yes," Chen Yu Ying nodded excitedly and headed to the lip gloss and lipstick section: "I plan to get you a lip gloss."

Amused at the sight of the girl seriously comparing and choosing among the colorful shelves, Lin Li asked with a smile: "Miss Chen Yu Ying, what's the use of buying me a lip gloss?"

Chen Yu Ying turned around, her gaze clear and expression earnest:

"This way, when you have a girlfriend in the future, and if she forgets to bring her lip gloss when going out, pulling out my gift at that moment will surely make her very happy and grateful to you."

"I see—" Lin Li was amazed, not expecting Ying Bao to be so considerate, and the realization dawned on him with awe:

"I was being foolish; I'll rely on you for my future relationship with my girlfriend! Thank you!"

"No problem!"

The girl happily accepted the task, then proceeded to apply several testers on Lin Li's thumb knuckle—no one dared to apply these public testers directly onto their lips.

Once done, she took Lin Li to the bright makeup mirror, lifting his hand to her cheek to seriously compare and appreciate the effects under different shades.

"Since it's for you, I have to ask for your opinion. Which of these three colors do you think looks best?"

"I'm not very knowledgeable about shades, so how about I phone a friend?" Lin Li pulled out his phone for help, "I'll ask my girlfriend; she's more knowledgeable."