Jiang Yue had barely recovered from the embarrassment of discovering Li Zhenkai's secret sketchpad, despite spending the day with him after, when her mother called.
"Yueyue," her mother's warm voice floated through the receiver. "Your father insists we have a proper family picnic this weekend. No excuses. You've been too busy chasing deadlines and dodging disasters."
Jiang Yue laughed softly. "Dodging disasters is my full-time job."
> [System Alert: Correction. It's our full-time job. Also, picnic probability of accidental fire, tripping, or bee attack: 73%.]
"Shut up," she muttered under her breath, covering the receiver with her hand.
"What did you say, dear?" her mother asked.
"Ah, nothing! I'll be there," she said quickly.
But she hadn't expected her parents to extend the invitation to everyone.
Which was how she found herself standing in the middle of a sprawling park two days later, staring at the surreal scene unfolding before her.
Her father was arguing with jainyu over the best way to grill chicken. He insisted on using some "celebrity chef technique" he saw on YouTube, while her father threatened to take the tongs and do it "properly."
Tessa was loudly arguing with yunze, who sat under a tree with a book.
"You can't just sit there at a picnic!" she accused, hands on her hips.
"This is my contribution," yunze deadpanned, flipping a page.
"By what, blessing the air with your silence?"
Zixuan was, naturally, in charge of "fun." He had already dragged half the kids from nearby families into a game of improvised soccer, dramatically narrating each move as if he were the commentator for a world cup match. The kids adored him.
And Jiang Ruhan? He was setting up a makeshift surveillance perimeter with small drones, scaring off curious pigeons in the process.
Jiang Yue blinked. "This… is insane."
Beside her, Li Zhenkai stood with his usual icy composure, though the twitch of his lips suggested he was trying very hard not to grimace. "You call this a picnic?"
"It's… my family's version," she said sheepishly.
> [System Alert: High romance opportunity detected. Large social gathering + natural sunlight = perfect hand-holding scenario.]
[System Suggestion: Initiate "casual picnic intimacy." Step one: reach for his hand. Step two: blush adorably. Step three: profit.]
Jiang Yue groaned. "Profit? Really?"
"What?" Zhenkai asked, raising a brow.
"Nothing!" She plastered on a smile and shoved her hands firmly into her pockets.
Lunch turned into a circus. Her brother, freshly back from school, declared himself "the referee" of Jianyu and her father's grilling war. Tessa managed to knock over an entire jug of lemonade, soaking Yunze's book, which earned her a glare so sharp it could've killed small animals.
Meanwhile, Zixuan returned from soccer triumphantly carrying a child on his shoulders. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the MVP of the match! This tiny warrior has more skill in her pinky toe than Yunze does in his whole existence!"
"Stop dragging me into your theatrics," Yunze muttered, blotting his damp pages.
Everyone laughed. Everyone except Zhenkai, who stood off to the side, arms crossed, surveying the chaos like he was guarding a battlefield.
Jiang Yue nudged him with her shoulder. "Relax. No one's going to stage a hostile takeover here. The only thing under attack is the chicken."
He gave her a look, sharp but softened by the faintest curve of his lips.
> [System Alert: Ohhh, he almost smiled. Quick, Host! Offer him food. Feeding someone is peak romance bonding.]
Jiang Yue rolled her eyes but obediently picked up a piece of slightly charred chicken. She held it up. "Here. Try it. I promise it's not poisonous."
He hesitated, eyes flicking from her hand to her face. Then, slowly, he leaned forward and took a bite directly from her fingers.
Her breath hitched.
His lips brushed her skin for just a second too long.
The world seemed to pause.
> [System Squeal: AHHHH!!! Direct lip-to-finger contact! Host, congratulations, you've just advanced to semi-domestic intimacy level one!]
Jiang Yue nearly choked on air. She yanked her hand back, face scarlet. "W-Why would you do that?!"
"You fed me," he said calmly, chewing. "I accepted."
"That's not how—!" She buried her face in her hands. "I can't with you."
Zixuan, of course, noticed. He sauntered over, grinning like the devil himself. "Well, well. Feeding each other already? Should I start preparing wedding invitations?"
"Zixuan," Zhenkai warned, voice dangerously low.
Zixuan winked at Jiang Yue. "Don't worry, Yue. I'll make sure the invites are printed on recycled poetry paper."
She wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
---
Later That Day
As the sun dipped low, painting the sky orange and pink, the group gathered in a circle with blankets and leftover snacks. Someone, probably Tessa, I bet it's definitely Tessa, suggested they all share one story about their most embarrassing moment.
It was chaos. Jianyu admitted to falling into a fountain during a first date. Zixuan confessed he once wore mismatched shoes on live TV. Tessa proudly recounted a moment of tripping down the stairs at school and making it into a dance move.
Then all eyes turned to Zhenkai.
He froze. "…No."
"Oh, come on," Jiang Yue coaxed, her eyes sparkling. "You must have at least one."
His lips pressed into a thin line. For a long moment, it seemed he wouldn't budge. But then, almost reluctantly, he muttered, "When I was ten, I… tried to bake a cake for my mother. I miscalculated the sugar."
"And?" Zixuan leaned forward eagerly.
"…It turned into caramel cement. It took two days to clean the oven."
Silence.
Then everyone burst into laughter. Even Qin Yuze cracked a rare smile.
Jiang Yue laughed until her sides ached, her eyes glistening with tears. And when she glanced at Zhenkai, he was staring at her but not with annoyance, but with something softer, affection deeper.
The system hummed smugly.
> [System Alert: Warning. Host is dangerously close to falling head over heels. Proceed with caution.]
[System Suggestion: Or don't. Proceed recklessly. Kiss him already.]
Jiang Yue buried her face in her knees to hide her blush.
When the picnic finally ended and everyone dispersed, Zhenkai offered to drive her home. The car ride was quiet, comfortable, the air tinged with the scent of grilled food and summer grass.
She leaned her head against the window, smiling faintly. "It felt like a dream."
His gaze flicked to her, then back to the road. "…Not a dream."
Her heart fluttered.
> [System Sigh: Host, if you don't kiss this man soon, I will.]
She groaned inwardly.
But for once, she didn't argue with the system.