On the way back to the hotel, they stopped at a candy store, and Yun Xi noticed that many young pretty girls were holding bouquets of rose on the street. Only then did she remember that it was Valentine’s Day.
Western society celebrated Valentine’s Day in a much more romantic, flamboyant way than her own country did.
Women with roses and gentlemen carrying roses wrapped as presents were a common sight. Yun Xi, who was still wearing her little black dress, received a few roses herself as she got out of the car.
The smiles of the men in this foreign country were kind and warm and didn’t seem to have any hidden agenda. They seemed to be true Western gentlemen.
Mu Feichi’s countenance fell when he saw the joy she had gotten upon receiving these roses.
Stepping into the candy store, Yun Xi noticed the logo on the counter. She knew that this was a 100-year-old store that only produced high-quality cocoa and chocolate.
As it happened to be Valentine’s Day today, the business in the store was booming. Holding onto Mu Feichi, Yun Xi managed to squeeze them up to the front of the store where there were rows of shelves. She picked up a piece of chocolate from a plate offering samples and brought it near to the mouth of Mu Feichi.
“Give it a try?”
Mu Feichi pursed his lips, looked at the dark square, and frowned, “Isn’t this the stuff that you girls like?”
“Don’t you bring chocolate with you in case you’re hungry during a battle?”
That was what she’d seen on TV. They also often brought along bars of Snickers to satiate their hunger.
“It’s true that chocolate is high in calories, but we have rations when we’re in a battle. Not everyone fancies such stuff.”
“Just give this a try!” Yun Xi stuffed the piece of chocolate into his month as he was talking.
Mu Feichi humphed and hawed, and, with a hen-pecked husband look on his face, took it, not daring to spit it out, and slowly savored it.
It was rich, accompanied with a hint of bitterness. It was not overly sweet, but had a unique sweetness that arose from its bitterness.
“How is it?” She took a bite, not forgetting to ask for his opinion.
“Not bad.”
She presumptuously took his comment as its highest possible rating and asked the salesperson to nicely pack some in a gift box.
Mu Feichi insisted on paying with his credit card, but Yun Xi looked at his black card, smiled, and pushed it back toward him.
From her bag, she took out a few U.S. dollars that she had exchanged at the hotel and paid for the chocolate. As soon as they’d left the shop, she passed him the box of chocolates that was so nicely wrapped.
“Young Marshal, Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Although Mu Feichi had guessed that she was going to give it to him, he was still slightly astonished when he heard what she said. He could not help but tease her, saying, “Babe, do you know what it means to give gifts on Valentine’s Day?”
Yun Xi nodded her head, “Yes, I do.”
“Are you mentally prepared to be my woman?”
With a glistening look in her eyes, she turned away, a little unsure and a little panicky. His question had caught her off guard, as she had not given much thought to it when she gave him the gift.
Facing her spontaneous act and his questioning, she clenched the gift as though it was scorching her hand, gulped, and asked, “Do I have another choice?”
She had simply wanted to give him a gift on Valentine’s Day. She’d neither given much thought to it nor wanted to put too much emphasis on it.
“Before you wished me Happy Valentine’s Day, you still might have had a choice. Now that I have accepted your gift, you have no choice.”
He grabbed the box of chocolates out of her hand and led her into the car before she had a chance to change her mind.
“…” Yun Xi was in a daze. Mu Feichi seemed very happy. The significance of a Valentine’s Day gift was like a calming pill, giving him reassurance. It made him happier than receiving the title of Commander had.
Yun Xi turned and saw beside her a man who was as happy as a little child. She was also affected by his good mood and forgot that he had not given her any present yet.