You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Yan Yiyun stared blankly at the spoon being handed to her and instinctively opened her mouth.

A spoonful of icy cold frozen yogurt was fed into her mouth. Qi Zhen looked at her with a bright smile and asked, “Is it cold?”

Yan Yiyun’s cheeks were chilled, her tongue filled with the sweet taste of red beans and watermelon. She widened her eyes and said, “Not cold.”

After speaking, she swallowed the yogurt and sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Just a bit too cold for my teeth.”

Qi Zhen quickly apologized, “Sorry, I scooped too much.”

Yan Yiyun felt a little dazed. Why was she apologizing?

Qi Zhen had just fed her yogurt—how wonderful was that! Even if it was just a small gesture, it made her feel incredibly close, like their relationship was warm and familiar, just the way she imagined it would be.

There was no need to apologize just because the spoonful was a little big!

Qi Zhen put down her own spoon and pushed the cup of frozen yogurt toward Yan Yiyun, looking like she didn’t plan to eat any more.

Yan Yiyun was still basking in the sweetness of that one bite. She pulled the cup closer, took another scoop and popped it into her mouth, confused. “Why does it not taste as sweet now?”

“Maybe you didn’t scoop enough red beans?” Qi Zhen put her phone down and leaned over. “Red beans are sweeter.”

Yan Yiyun took another scoop. “I don’t know… Maybe there aren’t as many red beans now?”

Qi Zhen simply took the spoon from her hand, turned the cup, and carefully gathered the red beans and watermelon into one area. She scooped a spoonful and offered it to Yan Yiyun, who immediately opened her mouth cooperatively and bit down on the spoon, her eyes crinkling with a bright smile.

“So sweet.”

Qi Zhen was dazzled by her smile and suddenly realized—what she just did… might not have been appropriate.

That gesture made their relationship seem ambiguous.

Qi Zhen knew that girls could be more physically close in their friendships, but given that she had feelings for Yan Yiyun, feeding her like that seemed a bit too forward… almost frivolous.

She handed the spoon back to Yan Yiyun and smiled, “Got it now?”

Yan Yiyun, still eating the yogurt, absent-mindedly replied, “Yes.”

Her thoughts were a little all over the place.

Qi Zhen had fed her! It really felt sweet—not just the yogurt, but the moment. Frozen yogurt wasn’t usually that sweet, but it was different when Qi Zhen fed it to her. But… why only two spoonfuls?

There was still half a cup left. They could’ve shared it all together.

Yan Yiyun knew she was getting greedy—once she got a little sweetness, she wanted more.

But people are like that, especially when the other person is as gentle as Qi Zhen.

After finishing the cup, she checked the time and stood up, saying to Qi Zhen, “It’s about time, let’s go have afternoon tea.”

Qi Zhen really liked this kind of eat-a-bit-then-walk-a-bit style. It suited her, someone who ate little but got hungry fast. Unfortunately, she could only eat a few bites of every delicious thing—not enough to feel fully satisfied.

The dessert shop Yan Yiyun had reserved was two blocks away. Walking would take about twenty minutes. The afternoon sun was warm, so they decided not to call the driver and just stroll over.

Yan Yiyun held up her phone with the map open, frowning as she turned in circles at a crossroad, muttering to herself, “This should be it… but which way do I turn?”

She was famously bad with directions and always had to study that little arrow for a long time. Sometimes, she even had to spin around at intersections to determine her orientation based on the arrow’s movement.

Qi Zhen stood beside her, watching her hold up her phone into the air and earnestly study the route. She thought—Yan Yiyun was just too cute.

She held out her hand and asked, “Want me to take a look?”

Yan Yiyun replied, “No! I can figure it out!”

Then she continued studying the phone.

Qi Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. Good thing they weren’t in a rush to catch a movie—otherwise, with Yan Yiyun’s sense of direction, they’d definitely miss the opening scene.

After spinning around at the crossroad for a while, Yan Yiyun finally figured out the direction.

She held up her phone confidently and said to Qi Zhen, “Got it. Let’s go!”

Qi Zhen followed behind her, watching her walk while glancing nervously at the buildings around her, afraid she’d go the wrong way. She chuckled, “Your sense of direction is even worse than mine.”

“No, it’s not!” Yan Yiyun immediately defended herself. She had just figured out the route, how could she still be called directionally challenged?

Qi Zhen smiled. She realized she really liked teasing Yan Yiyun—seeing her get flustered and pouty was endlessly amusing.

This little crybaby had grown a tough outer shell over the years, but deep down, she was still as soft and sweet as ever.

So adorable.

But if it were anyone else teasing Yan Yiyun like this, Qi Zhen would never allow it.

The dessert café that Yan Yiyun reserved was decorated in pastel macaron colors. All the furnishings were creamy whites, soft pinks, and light yellows, creating a dreamy, girly atmosphere.

Yan Yiyun clearly loved it. After sitting down, she started taking pictures of everything with her phone.

She had pre-ordered a set menu when she made the reservation. The kitchen was preparing their order while soft French music played in the cozy café.

Qi Zhen sat at the table and quietly took a photo of Yan Yiyun while she was taking pictures, saving it in her gallery. She felt like Yan Yiyun was radiating excitement and joy—and it made her want to capture that moment forever.

When Yan Yiyun finished her photo tour and returned, she said excitedly, “It’s so cute here, everything’s macaron-colored!”

Qi Zhen chuckled. These colors were definitely attractive to girls.

At work, Yan Yiyun always wore bold red lips and glamorous waves—she looked very powerful. But in private, she was a sweet and soft girl. Today, she wore a light blue dress with a beige cardigan and a string of pearls on her neck—elegant yet adorable.

Totally Qi Zhen’s type.

It made perfect sense that she’d love a dessert café like this.

Looking into her bright, sparkling eyes, Qi Zhen asked, “Want me to take a picture of you?”

“You’ll take one for me?”

Yan Yiyun handed her the phone and posed with a sweet, natural smile.

She used to be a selfie queen in her friend circle, and Qi Zhen was one of the best designers in the company—she must take great pictures, right?

And she guessed right.

Two minutes later, she had the most beautiful photo of herself in her life.

In the picture, a three-tiered dessert stand sat in front of her, filled with colorful mini cakes and egg tarts. A glass of sparkling pink drink glowed in the sunlight. The pale blue wall behind her made her fair skin and crescent-shaped smiling eyes stand out even more.

Yan Yiyun immediately set the photo as her phone’s lock screen, exclaiming again and again, “It’s so good! So, so good! Zhenzhen, how did you take such a perfect photo!”

Qi Zhen smiled, “It’s because you’re beautiful.”

She didn’t tell Yan Yiyun that she had secretly taken a candid shot earlier—one that was even better, more natural.

She was afraid if she told her, Yan Yiyun would ask her to delete it. Then she wouldn’t even have a private photo of her.

After admiring the photo, Yan Yiyun happily began eating the mini cakes.

They were exquisitely made—white fondant shells decorated with pink flowers and pearly sugar balls, like tiny works of art.

But after one bite, her expression changed.

“So sweet!”

She held the cake awkwardly—not wanting to eat it, but also feeling guilty if she didn’t. After all, this whole afternoon tea plan was her idea. She couldn’t just quit after one bite.

Qi Zhen loved sweet things. She took a bite and looked at Yan Yiyun with a gentle smile. “That’s fondant—it’s always that sweet.”

“I can’t…” Yan Yiyun pouted and looked up at her. “Can I switch to another one?”

“Of course,” Qi Zhen examined the tray and picked out a tuna-pea salted egg tart for her. “This one isn’t sweet.”

Yan Yiyun took the tart, and it was indeed much better—mildly sweet and perfectly savory.

“This one’s good. How did you know?”

Qi Zhen had just finished another fondant cake and was now nibbling on a macaron. She answered, “I’ve been here before. Their desserts are good.”

Yan Yiyun watched her pick up another cream-covered strawberry tart and sighed, “You really can handle sweets…”

Qi Zhen considered for a moment and said, “I don’t think it’s that sweet.”

Yan Yiyun was speechless. Qi Zhen had zero awareness of how sweet the food was—she was eating it like it was normal cake.

The three-tiered stand mostly had overly sweet cakes and tarts. After Yan Yiyun claimed all the savory sandwiches and flaky puffs, she wouldn’t touch another sweet bite.

So she simply rested her chin in her hand and watched Qi Zhen eat.

Qi Zhen didn’t eat quickly. She seemed to know exactly how to handle each dessert. For example, she cracked open a hollow egg-shaped cake to reveal blueberry milk cream inside.

She ate gracefully and cleanly, never getting whipped cream or sugar all over the table—watching her was a pleasant experience.

But when she ate the cream-topped strawberry tart, a little whipped cream clung to the corner of her lips. Paired with her rosy lips, it looked… very tempting.

Yan Yiyun’s heart skipped a beat. Somehow, she felt that Qi Zhen looked a little different right now.

…She couldn’t explain how, just that she seemed more alluring than usual. Her gaze seemed glued to Qi Zhen, unable to look away.

“Um…”

She spoke, only to realize her voice was dry.

“You have cream on your lips.”

Qi Zhen blinked. She was about to put down her fork and reach for a napkin when Yan Yiyun suddenly leaned in, coming close to her face and gently pressed a finger to her lips.

Her fingertip was a little cool. The soft touch against her lips made Qi Zhen shiver slightly.

Yan Yiyun was very close—so close that Qi Zhen could see her own reflection in her eyes.

She looked innocent, her gaze pure, as she said softly, “Almost done.”

Qi Zhen didn’t dare to move.

She was afraid her breath would betray her—afraid it would expose the emotions she tried so hard to suppress. The feelings were rising out of her control, making her heart pound and her breath grow hot.

And yet Yan Yiyun, with such a pure expression, had no idea what she was thinking.

No idea that Qi Zhen’s feelings had already crossed a line, that it was impossible to see her as just a friend anymore.

She felt guilty… but also longed for Yan Yiyun to come even closer.

A flame she couldn’t name had ignited in her chest and instantly burned her heart clean.

Yan Yiyun’s finger gently slid across Qi Zhen’s lips, wiping away the playful bit of cream.

Then she brought the finger to her own mouth, licked it clean in a circle, and smiled with squinted eyes.

“So sweet.”