Justin Battleson glanced at the overflowing plate of crayfish in front of him, frowning subtly. But as he met the enigmatic gaze from Charlotte Thompson after a brief second, he paused, smiled and said, "Okay."
He didn’t hesitate; he grabbed a plastic glove from the edge of the table, and slipped it on. He then casually picked up a crayfish from the plate, and calmly began to peel the shell.
His pale fingers against the orange shell highlighted his elegant manner, a vibrant harmony between the two attracting the eye.
Charlotte found herself momentarily entranced.
Only when the man put a juicy piece of crayfish into his mouth did she suddenly snap back to reality. She masked her awkwardness with a light cough. As if nothing had transpired, she went back to peeling the crayfish.
Neither of them said a word, enjoying their meal in silence. Despite the quiet, they served as the most vivid and enticing sight in the entire restaurant. A group of young girls at the adjacent table took notice, stealthily whipping out their phones to snap pictures, their faces displaying their amusement.
Charlotte was indifferent to the attention. Even after they finished eating, with people still coming and going in the bustling eating place, she felt cheerfulness bubbling in her heart, a pleasant smile playing on her lips.
From where he was, Justin too noticed the cheerful feeling around them. He showed a faint smile, then removed his plastic glove. And like he was asking for her opinion, he asked, "It’s not that late, shall we stroll around?" Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NovelHub(.)net
Opposite him, Charlotte who had a rather full stomach was contentedly wiping her mouth. At his words, she hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually, she gave a nod of approval.
After all, a walk after a late-night snack isn’t a bad idea.
When they exited the restaurant, they were greeted with the bustling activity of the street – the city’s most famous night market that attracted countless young people.
Under the bright lights of the night market, there were numerous small food stalls along the way. The tantalizing aroma drew Charlotte to a stall for a while, but remembering howmuch she had already eaten, she tamped down her cravings, forcing herself to move on.
Trailing behind, Justin found her indecisiveness amusing. A flicker of laughter flashed in his eyes as he kept pace with her.
A few minutes later, they reached a densely crowded spot. Charlotte’s eyes brightened up; she moved deftly, weaving through the crowd, prompted by the passionate cheers in the vicinity, a wider smile replacing the small one on her lips.
The stall owner was passing rings to customers who had paid. He announced loudly, "There’s a discount for everyone today due to the crowd. Seize the opportunity, there might not be another after this!"
Cheers answered him from the crowd. Many were eager to try their luck, paying and taking a ring from the stall owner, focusing their attention on ring-tossing competitions a few meters away.
Whoever got the ring over the target could win a stuffed toy, a keyring, a hairpin among other small prizes. But most weren’t interested in the prize; they were just playing for fun.
Many left after they finished their games, leaving fewer people behind. With crossed arms, Charlotte was contentedly observing when the observant stall owner noticed her. He handed her a ring, asking, "Miss, want to give it a try?"
Charlotte was startled but then she smiled, "Sure."
She paid, took the ring, and started to focus on this intriguing game of ring toss.
Not until she was sweating profusely did she cheerfully step away, a toy in her arms.