Ephraim had spent the rest of the day weaving through vendor stalls, snapping pictures and sampling snacks. Truth be told, he'd never really visited a night market before—not without constant anxiety, nor with the boldness to walk around so freely. So naturally, he made up for lost time by indulging in every stall that caught his eye, stuffing food into an already full belly that had earlier polished off a table's worth of delicacies.
By the end, he looked like a content little beast, cheeks puffed out, lips glistening with oil.
{0002: Little Fox, I believe he is abusing Ling Xiaoyu's once-disciplined appetite and previously well-maintained weight. His cheeks are about to fall off.}
{0511: Hon, believe me, I tried telling him. Some people only learn when the consequences hit—but that's beside the point, babe. I sense your presence nearby. Don't tell me your boy's here too?}
{0002: That he is. Just arrived at the entrance of the market. He was going to head home, but it seems a little stall caught his eye. A woman doing nail art as a side gig.}
Rachel blinked, then read the message again, just to be sure. She tilted her head.
{0511: …He's interested in getting his nails done?}
{0002: Little Fox… I have no words. I used to understand the boy—even with all his antics. But now, without his memories? I've lost half my compass. I can't begin to guess what's going on in that little head of his.}
Rachel paused, then chuckled softly to herself. Her voice chimed through the interface, reaching Ephraim's ears like a whisper through silk.
[Rachel: Sweetheart, I'm hearing whispers of a little show near the market entrance. Quite the spectacle, apparently.]
Ephraim perked up mid-bite, chewing thoughtfully on a skewer of meat from a creature he'd rather not name.
[Ephraim: Oh? What kind of show?]
[Rachel: Mmm… wouldn't you like to know~?]
[Ephraim: Ohoho, Miss Mysterious. Alright then, I've got time before the taxi I called shows up. Let's see what the fuss is about.]
Still humming to himself, Ephraim bought another skewer—this one glistening and suspiciously fragrant—and began making his way toward the market entrance, curiosity glittering in his eyes.
To others though, It was a very, very beautiful "woman" strolling down the night market alone, dressed impeccably from head to toe—high-fashion meets street-chic, every inch of her a vision of sophistication. Or so it seemed, until you noticed the three bulging bags of street food hanging from one hand and the large, oily meat skewer clutched in the other.
Naturally, heads turned. A full 10/10 score.
Ephraim, for his part, assumed it was just his beauty doing what it always did—turning the world into a catwalk. And like any self-deluded drama queen newly blessed with main character syndrome, he smiled dazzlingly at everyone he passed. When he saw someone particularly handsome, he even tossed them a little wave, just to share the blessing.
That was the exact moment Shen Yizhou looked up from the nail technician in front of him—only to be met with the sight of Ling Xiaoyu, radiant with joy, carrying what looked like a sample platter from every food stall in the market, waving at strangers like royalty on parade.
'Was the AI right after all? Was he lonely...?'
That was the first thought that came to Shen Yizhou. He seemed to be putting genuine effort into connecting with passers-by—who mostly looked more concerned than charmed. But why would he feel lonely? It had only been a single day since arriving, hadn't it?
A few theories spun in Shen Yizhou's mind, but they scattered when Ling Xiaoyu came right up to him, chewing on his skewer mid-step. He paused beside them, looked between Shen Yizhou and the nail artist, swallowed, and grinned wide.
"Mister Shen~! Hello~! What a surprise, seeing you here. Are you into nail art? Is it fun? Is it cute? Do your hands feel prettier now? Do you always approach random nail artists like this? In front of a night market, no less? By the way, Miss, you're amazing. Super talented. I love the dolphin design!"
The woman looked up at him, pleasantly amused. "Thank you, Ma'am. Is he your boyfriend?"
"Yes," Ephraim replied without hesitation, looping his voice with unshakable confidence. "Isn't he cute?"
"Oh, super cute," the nail artist giggled. "He was hanging around nearby just when I was about to regret opening this little stand last minute. I mean, it's not exactly a flashy setup, right? I didn't expect anyone to actually come by... but then this mister walked up like it was the most natural thing, and he looked so genuinely curious. It cheered me right up. And now, look! A few more people are stopping to stare."
Ling Xiaoyu—no, Ephraim—glanced around, then picked up one of Shen Yizhou's hands and waved it in the air like a proud sales assistant.
"Look, look! Isn't she amazing? Even my man couldn't resist trying her out first-hand. 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed! You all should give it a go!"
Shen Yizhou hadn't even gotten the chance to speak.
He stood there with both hands obediently outstretched, enduring the curious gazes of passersby while Ling Xiaoyu happily chatted away with the nail artist. By the end of it, the two had exchanged numbers like old friends, and only then did Xiaoyu finally turn to him.
"Mister Shen, can I go home with you today? That is, if you brought your car."
He had.
Shen Yizhou had driven himself today, intending to get some extra practice behind the wheel. Zhou Gao had been utterly baffled when he insisted on driving. After all, the president never drove himself—why now?
But all of Shen Yizhou's quiet plans had unraveled the moment the person he least wanted to chauffeur flashed him such a sweet, hopeful smile and made the request with such casual intimacy.
"…I will drive us home," he replied, resigned.
Ling Xiaoyu beamed. He pulled out his phone.
"What are you doing?" Shen Yizhou asked, glancing over.
"Wiring some money to the taxi service I booked earlier," he said, tapping away. "They've probably already started making their way here, since it's almost pick-up time. But since I'm riding with you now, I won't be needing them… Oh! By the way, Mister Shen, you never answered my question—why did you get your nails done?"
They walked together toward the car. Shen Yizhou opened the door for him, his tone calm and straightforward.
"Your nails weren't done, despite the effort you put into the rest of your appearance," he said. "It looked like you tried, but… the results were somewhat lacking. So I assumed you might not know how to properly do them. I thought I'd try learning it myself to help you. And then I saw that stall while on my way home. I asked that lady about it, and she misunderstood—she thought I wanted mine done. By the time I realized, she was already too enthusiastic to stop."
Ling Xiaoyu—Ephraim—paused in his step.
He looked down at his own hands, quiet for once, staring at the faint remnants of scratches from his attempts to neaten the tips a bit.
Shen Yizhou was right.
Ephraim had always been good at dressing himself well—meticulous, stylish, and adaptable. Even in his past life, he could slip into any look or persona with ease. But nails? He'd never had much luck with those. In his old job, even if he did manage to get them done, they'd be ruined within a day. When it mattered, he used to ask a friend to do them for him—he liked them neat, polished, perfect.
'Friend…'
The thought made Ephraim pause for just a heartbeat. But then he smiled, a soft one, and looked up at Shen Yizhou with his bottom lip caught gently between his teeth. His nose scrunched up a little as he chuckled, eyes gleaming with warmth.
"Is that so…? Mister Shen, that's so sweet of you… Thank you for thinking about me."
Shen Yizhou's gaze shifted ever so slightly. His heart gave an odd little flutter.
'What a cute laugh.'
On the drive back—down what suspiciously seemed like another unnecessarily bumpy road—Ephraim didn't really notice the exaggerated ups and downs. He was too busy grinning, suppressing little giggles that kept threatening to escape.
[Epharim: Rachelllll!!! He is sooo cute. My future hubby is so cute. What do I do? I am feeling so fidgety all of a sudden.]
Rachel, who had been quietly laughing to herself throughout the nail stand debacle, smiled softly at the message, ready to offer her usual teasing advice—
But before she could speak, Shen Yizhou beat her to it.
"Little Yu."
Ephraim blinked, glancing over.
"Yes?"
"Are you free Saturday evening?"
Ephraim tilted his head in thought. Saturday... That was three days from now. Did he have plans?
…Nope. Just his usual daily quest of bothering Xu Jinyao.
But for his darling, that could absolutely be rescheduled.
"I am," he said brightly. "What's the matter?"
Shen Yizhou's grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly.
"Then… may I invite you to dinner? A proper one. Somewhere nice. Anywhere you like."
Ephraim's brain screeched to a halt.
[Ephraim: Rachel… He's asking me on a date, right? Or am I losing my mind?]
Rachel, in turn, turned to her wife in their private network chat.
{0511: Sweetie. Is he asking my boy out on a date or what?}
{0002: Not quite. Or… maybe. He saw Ephraim's post earlier today and now believes the kid's feeling lonely. He also thinks Ephraim got ghosted by his friends at lunch—which, fair—and, since he takes his responsibilities seriously, especially Ling Jialei's request to look after her brother, he probably just wants to keep him company. Cheer him up a little. A dinner invite seemed appropriate.}
{0511: …So he doesn't know he's asking him on a date?}
{0002: Nope.}
{0511: Got it.}
Rachel flipped the comms back on.
[Rachel: Yes. Yes, he is inviting you on a date.]
Ephraim lit up like the Fourth of July.
He leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Yes. I'd love to go on a date with you."
Shen Yizhou blinked, a beat of silence stretching between them.
'Date?'
This wasn't… Well, whatever. This boy had already announced to the world that Shen Yizhou was his. If he wanted to see it as a date…
Shen Yizhou didn't usually care what others thought.
But this time, a warmth bloomed quietly in his chest.
"…Mn," he said, voice low. "I'm glad."