The daylight grew increasingly dim, and the number of people coming to the seaside to digest their meals and take a walk gradually increased.
Huo Chengye petted Xiao Ye for a while, then pretended to look at Ji Xingjian casually. “Did Professor Ji have dinner yet?”
Ji Xingjian did not understand the intent, so he answered honestly, “Yes, I ate.”
Huo Chengye felt a slight sense of disappointment. It seemed the plan to invite Professor Ji to dinner had fallen through. Just as he was about to search for another topic, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of the bottled yogurt and sweet roll packaging at Ji Xingjian’s feet. “Is this by any chance your dinner?”
Ji Xingjian followed his gaze downward, picked up the yogurt on the ground, and nodded. “Yes.” He was not good at cooking, so he usually either ordered takeout or ate instant food. He had no appetite tonight, so he only bought a bread roll and yogurt.
He had fed most of the bread roll to the seagulls, and he had only taken two sips of the yogurt. Come to think of it, Ji Xingjian was not really lying; he had eaten dinner, but just very little.
Huo Chengye could not help but tease, “You eat even less than a cat. No wonder you do not have much meat on you. Holding you feels all bony.”
“Ahem, ahem.” Whether choked by the yogurt or provoked by the Alpha’s words, a layer of red flush bloomed across Ji Xingjian’s face.
When he finally caught his breath, Huo Chengye suddenly leaned in, resting one hand on the back of the chair behind him with a hint of a smile at the corner of his eyes. “Professor Ji, eating only bread will not put any meat on you. There is a restaurant over there, want to go grab a bite together?”
“No, I am not hungry.” Ji Xingjian stiffly tilted his head backward, his eyes dodging to avoid eye contact with Huo Chengye as much as possible. To him, Huo Chengye was merely a stranger from a one-night stand. Being stared at so closely by a stranger made him feel completely ill at ease.
To avoid any physical contact with Huo Chengye, Ji Xingjian even started holding his breath.
His reaction fell entirely into Huo Chengye’s eyes, drawing a low chuckle.
In Huo Chengye’s understanding, artists were either aloof and proud, fanatically free-spirited, or unkempt, but the appearance of Professor Ji shattered this stereotype. Clean, gentle, and easily embarrassed, he was clearly panicked to death yet still forced himself to look calm. It was truly interesting.
Fearing that Ji Xingjian might actually suffocate himself, Huo Chengye backed away slightly, and sure enough, he saw him let out a stealthy sigh of relief.
“You have to eat even if you are not hungry. You are my sugar daddy right now; if your health collapses, who is going to support me?” Huo Chengye said with a natural air, then shook the leash twice. “Let’s go, time to eat.”
Upon hearing the word “eat,” Xiao Ye immediately stood up. Its eyes darted around, first glancing at its owner and then looking at the “new friend” who had given it treats. After pondering for two seconds, it decisively chose to leave with the “new friend.”
“Xiao Ye.” Ji Xingjian tried to appeal to Xiao Ye’s conscience, but Xiao Ye had only food on its mind. It even turned back to bark twice at him, signaling him to hurry up and follow.
Ji Xingjian was utterly helpless. Figuring he could take the opportunity during dinner to explain everything clearly to Huo Chengye, he quickly finished the yogurt, threw the bottle and empty bread bag into the trash can, and hurried over while carrying the snacks Huo Chengye had given for Xiao Ye.
Even though the restaurant clearly stated outside that pets were allowed, Ji Xingjian still chose an outside table. He was not afraid that Xiao Ye would scare the children inside, but rather that those children would crowd around and pet Xiao Ye until its fur stood on end.
The colorful lights outside the restaurant turned on right on schedule, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.
After wiping his hands with a wet towel, Ji Xingjian smiled politely at the waiter. “Thank you. Please give the menu to him.”
Huo Chengye let out an almost imperceptible hum, took the menu handed over by the waiter, and flipped through it. “Any dietary restrictions? Red wine or freshly squeezed juice?”
Since they had already come to the restaurant, it would seem overly pretentious if Ji Xingjian still insisted on eating nothing. He pressed his lips together, shook his head, and said, “No dietary restrictions, anything is fine.”
“Are you sure?” Huo Chengye felt like he was just humoring him. People who said “whatever” or “anything is fine” were usually the hardest to please.
“Yes.”
His expression did not look like he was lying or just brushing him off.
Huo Chengye’s gaze fell back onto the menu, the corners of his lips curving upward as he commented, “Not picky, easy to raise.”
Ji Xingjian: “Why did that sound so awkward? Whether he was easy to raise or not had nothing to do with Huo Chengye.”