Chapter 5: Shockingly Delicious

“Isn’t this a bit too close—”

“What’s the problem? At least now you won’t walk too fast again, right?”

Mu Wan said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, pressing herself almost completely against Lisiluo’s side. Her black twin-tails brushed against Lisiluo’s wrist, tickling her skin.

Lisiluo stood stiff as a board, not daring to move her arm even an inch for fear of touching something she shouldn’t.

Mu Wan, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care at all. She leaned her face against Lisiluo’s arm and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Mmm~ Junior’s body is so cool. Leaning on you feels really nice.”

Boom.

Lisiluo’s face exploded with color.

This kind of intimate contact was far too lethal for someone like her, who had been single her entire life.

“S-Senpai?! We can’t walk properly if you’re this close…”

Lisiluo’s voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. Her eyes darted around wildly.

She held the parasol so low it almost touched the top of her head, trying to hide her burning face behind the canopy.

Is there anyone I know up ahead?

What about the left? The right?

Thankfully, no one was passing by at the moment. Otherwise, Lisiluo really might have wanted to disappear on the spot.

“Hmm… You’re right. How about this instead?”

Having achieved her goal, Mu Wan straightened up and switched to linking arms with Lisiluo using just one hand.

“How’s this?”

Lisiluo nodded rapidly.

“You still dare to walk fast?”

Lisiluo shook her head like a rattle drum.

“Hmph. Good that you know.”

They continued walking. Lisiluo didn’t dare look at Mu Wan and could only stare at the ground, her ears so red they looked ready to drip blood.

This time, she deliberately slowed her pace, making sure every step was one Mu Wan could easily match. She was terrified of making her unhappy again by walking too fast.

Mu Wan, meanwhile, hung onto her arm with light, cheerful steps. Her black twin-tails swayed back and forth with her movements.

Passing students occasionally glanced their way, but the moment they saw it was the young lady of the Mu family, they quickly looked away.

Who knows who provoked that little devil this time. Better stay far away.

That was what they were all thinking.

—— —— —— —— —— ——

The shop door opened with a cheerful ding-dong from the wind chimes.

The dessert shop was small, with soft lighting and the sweet aroma of pastries filling the air.

The moment they stepped inside, Lisiluo quickly scanned the room and let out a quiet breath of relief.

There weren’t many people, and no familiar faces.

Still holding onto Lisiluo’s arm, Mu Wan strode confidently toward a booth near the back.

“Welcome. What can I get for you two?” A waitress in an apron approached and handed them a menu.

“This one, this one, and this one— Hmm, two of the limited fruit mille-feuille as well. And extra sugar in the drinks.”

Mu Wan ordered with practiced ease, rattling off a long list.

Lisiluo quietly folded the parasol and shrank into the inner side of the booth.

She secretly looked around.

Patterned wallpaper, elegant decor, and various dessert models on display.

She had never been to a place like this before.

Normally, she would return to the dorm to handle breakfast and dinner, and just buy some bread from the small shop for lunch.

Sitting in a soft booth like this, waiting for delicate desserts to be brought to her… it felt far too novel. She wasn’t used to it at all.

“Junior, what do you want to eat?”

Mu Wan pushed the menu toward her.

“Me? I don’t need anything…”

“No way. Since this is a date, of course we have to eat together. I’ll pay, so don’t worry.”

Mu Wan rested her chin on her hand and winked at Lisiluo.

Lisiluo looked down at the menu. The prices made her eyelids twitch.

And the names—tiramisu, mont blanc… She had never even heard of most of them. What were these things?

Her finger hesitated on the menu before finally stopping at the cheapest item she actually recognized.

“Th-Then… I’ll have one of the plain puddings. That’s all.”

“All right. Please wait a moment.”

Once the waitress left, Mu Wan stopped holding back and burst out laughing.

“Pfft~ Can you even fill up on just one pudding, junior?”

“Eh? I’m not that hungry today, so this is fine…”

Of course, that was a lie.

She had only eaten a piece of bread today, and after everything that happened at noon, she had been starving ever since.

But this was a dessert shop. If she ordered a bunch of unfamiliar things and ended up not liking them, it would be humiliating.

Besides, wolfing down sweets in public would probably leave a weird impression.

Thinking this, Lisiluo lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers.

A while later, the desserts started arriving one after another.

Lisiluo soon realized something was wrong. There were so many desserts that they covered more than half the table.

“Eh?! Senpai, are you going to eat all of this by yourself?”

Mu Wan-senpai looks so small… Does she actually have that big of an appetite?

“Of course not. Do you think I’m a slime?”

Mu Wan picked up a spoon and waved it in front of Lisiluo.

“I only eat a little of each dessert. I like to try everything.”

“Then the rest…”

She’s not going to throw it all away, is she?

Whoa… What a wasteful way of eating. As expected of a merchant family’s young lady…

“Isn’t that why you’re here? I’ll have to trouble you to finish everything~”

“Eh?! M-Me?”

Mu Wan scooped up a bite of the fruit mille-feuille and put it in her mouth. Her eyes curved into happy crescents.

“Mmm~ This new item isn’t bad. Worth coming here for.”

She then pushed the mille-feuille toward Lisiluo and handed her the spoon.

“The rest is up to you.”

Looking at the fruit mille-feuille that had only been slightly damaged, Lisiluo hesitated. She looked up at Mu Wan with a questioning gaze.

“This… Can I really eat all of it?”

“Of course. I already told you, there’s no need to ask about these little things.” Mu Wan waved her hand and started on the next dessert.

Lisiluo carefully took the spoon, scooped up a small piece, and put it in her mouth.

“…It’s good.”

She said it softly, a hint of surprise flashing through her red eyes.

The outer layer of the fruit mille-feuille was thin and crisp. Layers of golden fruit and white cream stacked together, sweet and sour with a refreshing coolness.

It was no exaggeration to say this was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.

One bite. Another. And another.

Lisiluo became completely absorbed, not noticing the way Mu Wan was watching her.

By the time she finished the last piece, she actually felt a little reluctant to stop. She kept the spoon in her mouth, savoring the lingering taste.

“Tastes good, right? You like it?”

“Yeah… Hm?!”

Lisiluo suddenly looked up and saw Mu Wan smiling at her with a look that said just as I expected, as if she had been observing her for a while.

“N-No! I just meant I really like this dessert! There’s no other meaning—”

Lisiluo quickly pulled the spoon out of her mouth, her face turning red all the way down to her neck.

“A-Also, I usually eat very slowly! It’s just because this was so good, so…”

“I didn’t even ask. What are you so nervous about?” Mu Wan rested her cheek on her hand and teased with a mischievous grin.

Lisiluo froze again, her face burning.

She lowered her head and poked at the pudding in front of her with the spoon, not daring to look up.

A moment later, a partially eaten tiramisu was pushed in front of her.

“Keep going~ There’s still a whole bunch left for you to deal with.”

This time, Lisiluo had learned her lesson. She sat up straight, scooped up a spoonful, and carefully tasted it.

Before long, she found herself smiling again without realizing it. Her shoulders relaxed as she became completely immersed in the desserts.

Wuuu… It’s so good. So incredibly delicious…

How can there be food this tasty in the world?!