Chapter Ninety: The Taste of Love

“Long time no see, Sister Rose.” Yang Xiaoyu walked over and gently hugged Rose, then pointed toward the backstage entrance. “May I go in?”

Rose looked at her with an unusually tender gaze, so warm it almost felt maternal, like the way a mother looks at her child. I could not help but feel puzzled. Back when Rose had described Yang Xiaoyu to me, she had always called her something like a strange girl, so I had never imagined the two of them were actually this close.

“Of course you can, now that you’re here. Use whatever ingredients you want.”

After Rose gave her permission, Yang Xiaoyu pushed open the door and went into the kitchen behind the shop. I stayed at the entrance, looking at the poised and mature Rose, and said with an apologetic smile, “Sorry to trouble you. I’m borrowing your place so she can try her hand at it.”

Rose only smiled and waved it off to show she did not mind.

I had just been about to follow Yang Xiaoyu into the kitchen and take a look when Zhang Jiaxin, who was behind me, suddenly ran forward and threw herself into Rose’s arms. That move left me staring in shock. If I remembered correctly, Zhang Jiaxin had only met Rose once, hadn’t she? When had the two of them become so familiar?

“Be good, Xiaoxin. It’s been a while since I last saw you. Why have you gotten thinner again?” Rose now seemed to have truly become an older sister, holding Zhang Jiaxin lightly and rocking her with a gentle sway. Then she looked up at me and asked, “Yang Chen, you punk, you haven’t been bullying my little Xin again, have you?”

“How could I dare...” I avoided Rose’s gaze a little awkwardly. I knew she was only joking, but it still packed a certain punch for me.

Seeing the embarrassed look on my face, Rose patted Zhang Jiaxin on the back. Only after Zhang Jiaxin straightened up did Rose point to the seat beside them and say politely, “You two sit here for a while. That girl doesn’t like other people watching her work.”

Zhang Jiaxin nodded obediently. Rose reached out and lightly pinched her cheek, smiling as she said, “Actually, the way things are now is already very good, isn’t it? The more you chase after, the more you end up losing. Cheer up.”

“I will be happy. Sister, you have to be happy every day too!” Zhang Jiaxin rubbed her reddened eyes, then looked at me with a complicated expression.

Seeing the faint resentment in Zhang Jiaxin’s eyes, I did not say anything. I only gave Rose an apologetic smile, because by now anything I said would only be unnecessary explanation.

I walked into the inner seating area, and before I had even sat down, my phone vibrated again. When I took it out, it was a message from An Ye.

Seeing the bank account number in the message, I suddenly remembered that An Ye had borrowed money from me before. I quickly told Zhang Jiaxin, who had just sat down, to get up again. I tossed out a hasty “I’ll be right back,” and before Zhang Jiaxin could follow, I ran out of the shop.

Standing on the sidewalk, I looked around. There did not seem to be any cash machine nearby. I was not familiar with the south side of the city; I only knew the area around the train station a little better, and I knew there were plenty of banks there. But it was still some distance from here, so I simply hailed a cab and told the driver to take me to the nearest place with an ATM.

That decision, however, made me regret it immediately, because there was a bank around the corner from that row of pedestrian streets. After handing the smiling driver a six-yuan starting fare, I walked into the ATM area in frustration, took out Luo Qing’s bank card, and inserted it.

After entering the password, I chose the transfer option and keyed in the number from my phone. Once I saw the words indicating that the transfer was complete, I put away the card and called An Ye. Fifty thousand yuan was already a huge sum to me, and I needed to make sure he had received it before I could relax.

But after waiting for a long while, no one answered. I could not help growing anxious. Had I acted too quickly and sent the money before thinking it through? Could that message have been a scam? Or had that brat been tricked into something by some swindling gang?

It was a ridiculous thought, and yet it was not impossible. An Ye had been far too mysterious lately, appearing and disappearing without a trace, worrying both Sister Shi Yu and me. His series of abnormal actions was more than enough to make me suspicious.

I found You Qin’s number, hesitated for a moment, and still called her. The main reason I had never phoned her before was that An Ye had been pursuing her all this time. If I called her rashly, she might overthink it and even come to believe that An Ye’s behavior was caused by me. That would have been hard to clean up. And if he and I ended up in a conflict over it, that would be even worse.

The call connected after only one ring, and I hurriedly asked, “Is this You Qin?”

“Mm, it is.” Her voice was still as clear and pleasant as ever.

“Well... I wanted to ask if you’ve seen An Ye recently? You know, the handsome guy with the side-swept bangs and a pretty pale face.” I thought about it and gave a rough description of him, though no matter how I phrased it, he still sounded like some pretty-boy pretty face...

At my description, You Qin gave a light laugh and said, “He’s in the shower... though I don’t think he’s handsome at all.”

“In the... shower?” I was so shocked I nearly dropped the phone. “You two are together?”

“Mm. We’re planning to take a train out of here in a little while. Didn’t he tell you?” Her voice remained soft, and aside from that brief laugh, I could not hear the slightest change in her mood.

“Oh... as long as he’s fine. When he comes out, have him send me a message.” What I really wanted to ask at that moment was: what exactly is going on between you two? Are you dating? How far have you gotten? It was a little nosy, sure, but that was genuinely what I was thinking. I still could not ask it, though. If they were only ordinary friends, asking would only make You Qin feel awkward, and it might even create a rift between them. That would not be worth it at all, and when An Ye came back, he would probably beat me to death.

“Okay.”

After ending the call with You Qin, I could not help admiring that brat An Ye a little. He had mastered the art of slow, relentless persistence to an uncanny degree. From what he had told me before, there had not seemed to be any real breakthrough yet, but his patience and pressure were truly impressive. The only question was whether You Qin would give him a chance. And to think she even knew he was in the shower... could it be that they were in an inn together? And... sleeping together?

“Pah!” I spat at myself and could not help cursing inwardly for being so shameless. What was I imagining for no reason? I had my own pile of messy problems to sort out, and I still had the mind to worry about other people...

Not long after I left the bank, I received a reply from An Ye. It contained only two words: “Received.”

“Damn it, that little bastard doesn’t even know how to say thank you!” I was only grumbling idly, though. With the way An Ye and I were, if he really did thank me, I would probably have scolded him even harder. Among brothers, there is no such thing as who owes whom. No repayment, no thanks. When trouble comes, you help each other out a hand, and that is enough.

When I returned to the cold drink shop and stepped inside, the atmosphere felt strangely off. After looking around carefully, I was surprised to discover that all the customers were eating the very same kind of ice cream.

When I walked further in, I saw Yang Xiaoyu sitting arrogantly across from Zhang Jiaxin. The moment she spotted me, she smiled in triumphant satisfaction. Zhang Jiaxin, sitting beside her, said nothing when she saw me come back; she only pointed at the cold dessert on the table and blinked at me.

“Try it. Xiaoyu made it.” Rose spread her hands at me with a helpless smile. Seeing how resigned she looked, I suspected that while I was gone, Zhang Jiaxin must have told her about the bet between her and Yang Xiaoyu.

Looking at the ice cream quietly sitting on the table, I asked, “Why does everyone else have it too?”

“Since it was made anyway, why not let everyone else taste it as well?” Yang Xiaoyu took off her hat and set it on the table, then looked at me smugly. “As for certain people, don’t go back on your word later.”

Zhang Jiaxin pouted but said nothing, only looking at me as if urging me to taste it quickly.

I studied the ice cream carefully. Judging by the colors, it seemed to be divided into three layers: red, yellow, and white. At the very top sat a clean, fresh strawberry, making it look rather tempting.

“I’ve named it ‘The Taste of Love.’ Please, try it.” Yang Xiaoyu’s tone was full of confidence, but I could still see nervousness and anticipation in her eyes.

In the end, she was still not confident enough. I smiled, picked up the spoon, and first ate the strawberry, then started from the top layer and worked my way down.

What began as something ordinary gradually changed in flavor, until finally I reached a traditional milk-flavored ice cream. With a sincere desire to taste it properly, I finished the entire cup.

“How is it?” Zhang Jiaxin asked nervously, and Yang Xiaoyu across from her had also grown tense, watching my expression back and forth.

“Let me not say whether it’s good or bad first. Listen to my evaluation of this cold dessert and see if I’m right.” I deliberately dragged it out, which earned me a vicious glare from Yang Xiaoyu.

“First, the strawberry on top is very well designed. It’s fresh, but not overly sweet. I think you wanted it to express a heart that is pure yet yearns for love. But because it has never truly been tasted, it leaves only freshness and curiosity, and not much flavor. Then comes the first layer—I’ll call it that for now. The ingredients in the first layer are all on the sweet side, mixed with bits of different fruits. That deepens the texture while also letting people feel the sweetness of lovers who have fallen into love. Those fruit bits represent the little bumps and stumbles of a couple in love. Though complicated, they are still beautiful.”

Seeing Yang Xiaoyu’s expectant gaze, I smiled and went on, “The second layer is what I appreciate most. Overall, it emphasizes a kind of sourness. It should be mixed with orange juice, right? Its deeper meaning is the mindset of a man and woman after a breakup. Sour, yes, but without the complexity of before. What remains is only the longing for the feelings of the past, and the ache in the heart.”

“The third layer is no different from ordinary milk ice cream. Pure, refreshing, and sweet. It represents people who have already passed through unforgettable love and gradually grown mature. In the end, their state of mind returns to calmness. No longer hoping, no longer lingering. The ending of love does not lie in pursuit, but in letting things follow their natural course.”

I nodded at Yang Xiaoyu, which counted as acknowledging her ability. But even now, I still felt a little uncomfortable, because this meant Zhang Jiaxin had lost the bet.