103 Ice Cream (2/2)

Ye Jiayao joked, ”I don't want to give you any chance to win it back. You've lost to me now. That's going to my achievement belt.”

He laughed at how easy she figured him out. ”Alright, alright. I admit I lost to you.”

”Well, you don't have to sound so miserable about it!”

”I don't sound miserable.” Xia Chunyu frowned. ”Do I?”

Ye Jiayao nodded, smiling mischievously.

He made a show of clearing his throat before saying, ”Yaoyao, I lost to you. There. Does that sound better?”

Ye Jiayao giggled, liking this playful side of Chunyu. ”So, if you lose, the money you earn later would belong to me. Can you handle that?”

”I already belong to you, why can't I handle that?” Xia Chunyu smiled at her.

Ye Jiayao flushed red. Was he just teasing or was he actually serious? What? No! What are you thinking, Ye Jiayao? Of course, it was a joke!

”Or we can play pick up stones?” she suggested. She saw Jiang Yue play it before and Ye Jiayao had also been an excellent player when she was young.

Xia Chunyu shrugged. He was willing to do whatever makes her happy.

Ye Jiayao ran in and borrowed a handful of peach stones from Jiang Yue for their game.

”How do you play this?” he asked. He actually knew the rules but he wanted her to tell him.

”It is very simple.” Ye Jiayao then proceeded to demonstrate the game to him.

”Do you get it now?” she asked him.

Xia Chunyu nodded. ”Almost. You go first. I'll learn from your moves.”

Ye Jiayao hadn't played this for a while, but going through a round wasn't a problem. What she didn't expect was for him to be good at this, too. Every time she would progress to one level, he'd follow at her heels. He just wouldn't lose!

When it was the turn to cut the vegetables, Ye Jiayao played smartly. She put a few peach stones enough to only span the width of her palm. If she dropped her palms and touch the peach stones, she would lose. Her palms were slender and his were thick so there was no way he'd pass this round.

Xia Chunyu saw right through her attempt to thwart him and smiled faintly. He picked up the peach stones agilely, quickly and accurately cutting in the gap.

Ye Jiayao looked at him closely. ”Have you played this before?”

Xia Chunyu shook his head. ”No, but this is such an easy game.”

Easy? Ha! Bring it on, Dumb Donkey.

The final round was one dragon which consisted of putting the peach stones in a line or a circle. The difficulty depended on the distance or the circumference of the circle.

Ye Jiayao intentionally made a huge circle. Xia Chunyu shook his head and said, ”That's is too easy.”

You're too arrogant. Ye Jiayao huffed, ”You do the placement then.”

Xia Chunyu placed a peach stone at each corner of the table and put two in the middle before gesturing for her to start.

Ye Jiayao's brow furrowed. How would she catch that?

”What? Do you want to give up?” Xia Chunyu mocked.

Ye Jiayao glared at him. ”Who said anything about giving up? This time, you go first.”

Xia Chunyu smiled calmly and stood up. He threw the peach stones in the air, and with his long arm painting a circle, he leisurely caught each stone.

Ye Jiayao was speechless. This guy was amazing.

”Do you want to see something more powerful?” Xia Chunyu smiled.

Ye Jiayao nodded blankly.

Xia Chunyu casually threw his arm, flipping his palm, and the peach stones shot out.

Dong!

Yes, just one sound.

Xia Chunyu pointed to the pole inside the room. ”Go and check it out.”

Ye Jiayao complied and was stunned by what she saw. There were six peach stones mounted on the pole. There were five in a circle and one was perfectly placed in the middle.

How on earth?

”Chunyu, you are awesome! How many years did you study Kung Fu?” Ye Jiayao also wanted to learn this!

”That was just children's Kung Fu,” Xia Chunyu answered coolly, breaking Ye Jiayao's newfound dream.

Accepting her loss, Ye Jiayao then went to gather some refined cream from the cold room. She stirred it in with her cooled egg and milk mix before transferring it into a porcelain bottle to freeze in the ice room.

”Is this the tasty stuff you are talking about?” Xia Chunyu asked doubtfully.

Ye Jiayao grinned. ”Playing pick up stone might be your strong suit, but making food is mine. Please don't doubt me just like I'm not doubting your Kung Fu.”

Xia Chunyu coughed twice on his fist. He shouldn't have questioned her.