Chapter 45: I-I— HAHAHA—
Operation: Visual Bait – Overtime Edition
The restaurant was buzzing with activity, customers filling the space thanks to Feng Hao's genius plan of using his friends as living advertisements. Xuan Jing, unfortunately, was one of those unwilling advertisements, and he was just about done with it.
"Excuse me… can you help me out with—"
A young woman tugged at Xuan Jing's apron, causing him to halt mid-step. His expression remained unreadable, but his brow twitched in irritation. Without hesitation, he pinched her hand—gently but firmly—as if she were some contaminant that had dared to touch him. Then, with deliberate ease, he guided her hand away from his clothing.
"Find someone else," he said plainly.
Feng Hao, who had been watching from nearby, felt his soul ascend in sheer terror.
Before the situation could escalate into a full-blown customer repellant event, he practically teleported between them, laughing awkwardly. "Ahaha—! Sorry about that! He's just… shy!"
Xuan Jing scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned away, clearly uninterested in whatever else was happening.
The woman, meanwhile, blushed at Feng Hao's smooth intervention. "Oh, I see… um, can you help me then?"
"Of course!" Feng Hao instantly switched into business mode, flashing one of his signature grins.
Before Xuan Jing could escape too far, a small hand grabbed onto his wrist.
"Jing-ge! C'mon, let's go!"
It was none other than Yíng Yíng, grinning ear-to-ear as he physically dragged Xuan Jing across the street. Wei Lin and Jiǎn Lí followed behind, mostly out of curiosity, while Feng Hao—still in mid-conversation—got yanked along as well.
"Where the hell are we going?" Jiǎn Lí asked flatly.
Yíng Yíng pointed excitedly at the glowing sign across the street.
"Photo booth!"
---
Capture the Chaos
The small, old-fashioned photo booth stood on the sidewalk, decorated with bright neon lights. Yíng Yíng practically bounced as he handed over a few paper bills—currency he had finally learned to use properly thanks to Wei Lin's constant teaching.
"Alright, everyone in!"
They crammed into the tight space, bodies awkwardly pressed together as they adjusted themselves in front of the camera.
"Smile!" Yíng Yíng chirped.
The results were… tragic.
Xuan Jing maintained his usual emotionless poker face.
Jiǎn Lí looked unimpressed, his deadpan expression completely unchanging.
Feng Hao had a stiff, awkward grin—clearly trying to look natural but failing miserably.
Wei Lin, already regretting his existence, had an expression of utter disgusted annoyance.
Yíng Yíng looked at the camera preview and immediately rejected reality.
"This won't do!"
The others groaned.
"Then take it yourself," Wei Lin muttered.
"Nooo, we gotta look good together!" Yíng Yíng pouted, tapping his chin in thought. Then, as if struck by divine inspiration, his eyes sparkled. He turned to Xuan Jing with the most devious look.
"I'll give you Tanghulu~"
Xuan Jing's head snapped toward him so fast it was a miracle his neck didn't break. His usual blank expression wavered for the first time that day, a tiny spark of genuine interest flickering in his eyes.
"…You have Tanghulu?"
Yíng Yíng nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh! The really sweet ones with extra syrup!"
Silence.
Then—
"…Fine."
Feng Hao gawked. "No way. You bribed him?!"
"Of course." Yíng Yíng beamed proudly.
---
Disaster Strikes (Perfectly Timed)
With newfound motivation (and the promise of his beloved snack), Xuan Jing actually tried this time. He relaxed his expression ever so slightly—not exactly smiling, but at least looking less like he was being forced at gunpoint.
Yíng Yíng gave a thumbs-up. "Much better!"
As the countdown began on the screen—
3… 2…
Yíng Yíng, in his excitement, took a small step back—
And slipped.
His foot slid out from under him, and in his panic, he instinctively grabbed onto whatever was closest for support. That happened to be—
Jiǎn Lí, who immediately lost balance and crashed into Wei Lin.
Wei Lin, caught off guard, instinctively shoved against Jiǎn Lí—
Which sent everyone into a chaotic domino effect.
Xuan Jing—still standing still—suddenly found a human landslide collapsing into him.
FLASH!
The camera went off at the perfect moment.
---
The Aftermath
When the photo was printed and they finally got a chance to look at it—
- Xuan Jing's eyes were widened in sheer, unexpected shock.
- Jiǎn Lí was caught mid-stumble, arms flailing like a cat pushed off a table.
- Feng Hao's expression was priceless—a frozen mix of panic and laughter.
- Wei Lin had a very murderous glare, aimed directly at Jiǎn Lí.
- And Yíng Yíng? He was in mid-fall, mouth open in an "oh no" expression, arms stretched out like he was reaching for divine intervention.
Silence.
Then—
A burst of laughter erupted from the group.
Feng Hao doubled over, wheezing. "OH—MY GOD—"
Yíng Yíng, still half on the floor, clutched his stomach. "I-I— HAHAHA—"
Even Jiǎn Lí, usually composed, had to cover his mouth to contain his laughter.
Wei Lin shook his head, exhaling sharply. "This is… stupid."
But there was a hint of amusement in his tone.
Xuan Jing, who had been staring at the photo, finally let out a tiny, almost invisible smirk.
"…I want another copy."
Feng Hao gasped, gripping his chest. "Did—Did you just appreciate something?!"
Xuan Jing rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
As they stumbled out of the photo booth, still laughing, Yíng Yíng triumphantly handed over the promised Tanghulu.
Xuan Jing immediately snatched it and took a bite, looking content for the first time that day.
Feng Hao, wiping a tear from his eye, suddenly got another devious idea.
"…What if we hang this in the restaurant?"
Everyone immediately turned to him with a collective, "No."
But it was already too late.
The moment they got back, that perfect disaster of a photo was proudly taped up near the register for all to see.
Customers loved it.