Xiangxiang and Yuanyuan simultaneously lowered their heads, their gazes focusing on Little Taotie, whose eyes sparkled brightly, innocent and filled with longing.
Xiangxiang: Oh no, oh no, I forgot she was here too!
Yuanyuan: Little Taotie really is my soulmate! Great minds think alike!
Standing not far away, Hua Jinyan: A tycoon? She likes this sort of thing?
Um... seems kind of challenging.
Hua Jinyan lowered his eyes, falling into a state of self-imposed isolation.
Xiangxiang reached out to cover Little Taotie’s ears, "Forget it, forget it all!"
Yuanyuan: "If you cover her ears, she can’t hear your prattle."
Xiangxiang released her hands from Little Taotie’s ears, squatted down to meet her gaze, "You’re still too young; you don’t need to understand all that messy stuff."
Little Taotie’s eyes shone even brighter, her voice milky and sweet: "The tycoon is so nice! He takes the female lead to eat delicious foods she’s never had before, and he takes her to a banquet. At the banquet, there’s a buffet where you can eat as much as you want! He’s really nice!"
This is bad! Xiangxiang lamented: "Him taking the female lead to eat delicious food she’s never had before could make her feel a gap in status with him, leading to feelings of inferiority. Strictly speaking, it’s a kind of humiliation."
"Taking her out for good food... is humiliation?" Little Taotie’s eyes were full of confusion. If that’s humiliation, then... please, humiliate me more!
Xiangxiang nodded: "Typically in Tycoon stories, the female lead might be moved and happy in the moment, but when she gets home, she’ll feel unworthy of the Tycoon and fall into endless self-deprecation."
Little Taotie was even more puzzled: "If you eat good food that someone else treats you to, you can just treat them back next time. Why feel inferior?"
Xiangxiang petted her little head, which felt incredibly nice to the touch, took another pat, and patiently explained: "Girls in love may become silly, very sensitive, and prone to overthinking."
"I see..." Little Taotie muttered: "Love is scary, it can make you stupid. I don’t want to become a little dummy, I don’t want to fall in love!"
Xiangxiang felt a chill run down her spine, turned stiffly, and met Hua Jinyan’s deep and abyss-like gaze. She shivered, coughed dryly, "I need to use the restroom. Excuse me for a moment."
Xiangxiang made her escape to the restroom, while Yuanyuan, belatedly sensing danger, said, "I... I’m hungry, I’m going to find something to eat!"
And Yuanyuan ran off too.
Little Taotie took out a singing lollipop and started to eat it, shaking her little head to the melody and humming along.
Hua Jinyan’s eyes drooped slightly, shading the darkness within them.
Little Taotie turned around, bouncing, "Oh, Hua Jinyan, when did you get behind me?"
Little Taotie extended her small hand, smiling brightly, "You came just in time. You haven’t given me today’s lollipop yet!"
Since the time he promised her a lollipop every day, Hua Jinyan had not failed to deliver.
Hua Jinyan took out a lollipop from his pocket and handed it over.
Little Taotie held the tiny lollipop with a puzzled look: "It’s not a singing lollipop?"
"Sometimes it’s good to change flavors. The singing lollipops are fun, but their taste isn’t the best. This lollipop doesn’t have music, but it tastes very good; it’s made with pure juice."
Little Taotie scrutinized the lollipop’s packaging, which bore round, chubby characters she couldn’t understand, likely from a country known for its good living.
Seeing grapes pictured on it, Little Taotie asked, "Is it grape-flavored?"
Hua Jinyan nodded: "Tomorrow I’ll give you a different flavor."
Little Taotie looked left and right, then stretched out her chubby fingers to show a two, her voice soft and milky, "Tomorrow, two~"