Persist? How?

Although the park was deserted, it was the perfect place for Xiao Luo and Sun Yu to eat roasted sweet potatoes.

The potatoes were crusty on the outside and tender on the inside. They tasted quite delicious. In front of Xiao Luo, Sun Yu was usually more mindful of her appearance—for instance, her posture and smile. However, she didn't dare exaggerate her behavior too much. So when she couldn't resist the temptation of the roasted sweet potato any longer, she ripped off the skin and gobbled up the entire thing. Meanwhile, the one in Xiao Luo's hand wasn't even half-eaten.

She smiled at Xiao Luo embarrassedly and asked, "Do I look really awful?"

Xiao Luo shook his head. In fact, Sun Yu's directness was what was he found most attractive about her. He said, "Well, in the first place, you don't have to worry so much about your looks when you're eating roasted sweet potatoes. Just like when I was a kid, and I used to wolf them down."