The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

The waiter turned around, glanced at Xu Xi's petite figure, then at her youthful and innocent face, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. He quickly apologized politely, "I'm sorry, beautiful lady, I made a mistake. I'm so sorry."

As she spoke, she picked up the walkie-talkie again and added, "To correct you, it's table 26, one adult and one little adult."

Xu Nian looked up at the kitten with its fur standing on its shoulder, her shoulder trembling slightly as she couldn't help but chuckle.

It's no wonder the waiter mistook her; Xu Xi looks incredibly young, as if she's frozen in time at eighteen. To conceal her identity, she even wore a thin layer of light makeup, which made her look even more charming and girlish, like a beautifully sculpted child star.

In addition, she was petite, and when she stood next to me, we looked like a father and daughter going out to eat, so it's no wonder the waiter misunderstood.

The waiter's remark angered Xu Xi again, and she desperately straightened her chest, trying to prove that she wasn't a child.

No matter how high she stood up, when she lowered her head, all she could see was her bare chest.

She instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, her little head drooping, her face full of grievance, even the corners of her mouth drooping.

The waiter led the two to an empty table by the window. Xu Nian squatted down and carefully placed Xu Xi on the chair.

The waiter handed over the menu. Considering that Xiaoxi liked spicy food but he couldn't eat spicy food, Xu Nian ordered a half-and-half hot pot base and then pushed the menu in front of Xuxi so that she could choose the hot pot ingredients.

Xu Xi took the menu, her beautiful eyes darting around slightly, a cunning glint in them, and a malicious smile curling at the corners of her lips.

She flipped through the menu for a while, then suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled. She beckoned the waiter to lower his head, leaned close to the waiter's ear, and whispered something. She would occasionally steal a glance at Xu Nian, looking all mysterious.

After listening, the waiter smiled slightly, nodded, and turned to leave.

Xu Nian couldn't help but move closer to Xu Xi and asked curiously, "What did you say to her?"

Xu Xi propped her head up with one hand, dangling her legs under the chair, and smiled mischievously: "It's a secret."

Xu Nian shrugged, but a sense of unease crept into her heart. A chill ran down her spine, and she had a bad feeling.

Soon, the waiter brought out the dishes: Sichuan pepper beef, spicy chicken gizzards, pickled lotus root slices, spicy tripe... all spicy ingredients.

Even the tender beef and mutton rolls were brushed with a thin layer of chili sauce, making them a bright red color that made your mouth water just looking at them.

Xu Nian's lips twitched as she looked at Xu Xi, who was grinning mischievously. It seemed that this girl knew he couldn't handle spicy food, so she ordered a table full of spicy dishes, hoping to see him make a fool of himself.

He chuckled lightly and said dismissively, "Xiaoxi, you think you can make me burn from the spiciness? You've miscalculated. No matter how spicy the ingredients are, I'll just dip them in the hot pot and they won't be spicy anymore. You can't make me burn."

Xu Xi did not respond, but a confident smile still lingered on her lips.

Not long after, the waiter came over carrying a huge iron pot.

The moment the lid was lifted, a burst of scalding hot steam hit my face, and a rich, spicy aroma instantly filled the air.

The "Yuan Yang" hot pot is a hot pot with two different flavors. A partition separates the left and right sides, each holding a different broth. It perfectly solves the problem of how people who love spicy food and those who don't can enjoy hot pot together at the same table.

The two types of broth meet in the same pot, separated by a thin partition, just like a loving couple. They are completely different, yet irresistible and inseparable.

Xu Nian looked at the bottom of the pot on the left. It was a spicy hot pot with red oil floating on top and decorated with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. It was obviously Xu Xi's favorite flavor.

He nodded, then turned his gaze to the other side, but the next second, he was completely stunned, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

On the other side of the hot pot, there was another pot with a bright red broth, and this one was a much deeper red. It was filled with a dense array of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, and even a few bright red bird's eye chilies. Just smelling the steam emanating from it made one's throat feel choked and the spiciness rush straight to the top of one's head.

He quickly raised his hand and called to the waiter, "Wait a minute! Didn't we order a half-and-half hot pot? Why is it all spicy? Did you bring the wrong one?"

The waitress maintained her polite smile, pointed at Xu Xi, and said to Xu Nian, "Sir, this is what this lady requested: half spicy broth and half extra spicy broth. We didn't make a mistake."

Xu Nian stiffly turned her neck and looked in Xu Xi's direction.

At this moment, Xu Xi was slapping her thigh hard, laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight, and tears were almost streaming down her face.

Looking at the sea of ​​red on the dining table, Xu Nian felt her scalp tingle and was speechless for a long time, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

The waiter seemed to realize that the young girl was teasing the man beside her, and couldn't help but smile. He gently comforted her, "Sir, please don't mind. Our restaurant specializes in spicy flavors. The spicy broth is more authentic and delicious than other flavors. Why don't you give it a try? You might love the taste. Besides, eating a little spice can even whet your appetite."

Xu Nian swallowed hard, her heart filled with fear.

If he were to take a bite of such a spicy broth, he'd probably turn into a fire-breathing dragon on the spot, his throat hoarse from the spiciness.

But if we don't eat it, this whole table of food will probably go to waste.

He said, trembling, "Then bring us some drinks."

"Okay, sir." The waiter nodded and asked with a smile, "What kind of drinks would you like? We have specialty chili soda, Sichuan pepper lime tea, and spicy plum juice, all of which are excellent to pair with spicy hot pot."

Xu Nian's face darkened: "Do you have any non-spicy drinks?"

The waiter shook his head apologetically: "I'm sorry, sir. Our Shuxiangyuan is an authentic Sichuan-style hot pot restaurant, and all our drinks are paired with the characteristic flavors of Sichuan cuisine. We don't have any non-spicy drinks at the moment."

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian almost fainted.

Fortunately, shopping in the mall was convenient. He went downstairs to the supermarket and bought two bottles of Coke to relieve the spiciness. He sat back down at the table and, with the relatively mild broth in the pot, slowly cooked the ingredients and ate them in small bites.

Even so, he would still occasionally stick out his tongue from the spiciness.

Xu Xi, who loves spicy food, doesn't have as many concerns.

That half of the devilishly spicy hot pot broth became her exclusive domain. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed some ingredients, and shoved them all into her mouth, chili peppers and all, until her mouth was covered in red oil. Her face was full of satisfaction. She even ordered a glass of chili soda to drink with the hot pot, showing no signs of being burned by the spiciness. A happy smile always lingered on her lips.

......