Minutes later, the waiter appeared with a tray.
On it sat two towering servings of the Triple Deluxe Limited Edition Ice Cream Cake.
Calling it cake felt almost disrespectful.
It was a small frozen mountain layered with soft sponge, thick vanilla cream, chocolate biscuit crumble, ribbons of caramel, crushed nuts, and glossy berry syrup that ran down the sides like edible lava.
A scoop of ice cream sat proudly on top, crowned with whipped cream, chocolate shards, and a tiny gold flag that served no purpose except to announce wealth, drama and impending brain freeze.
The waiter placed both desserts on the table with the reverence of a man presenting royal tribute.
The crowd turned at once.
"Hey! Didn't you say it was finished?"
"Where did this come from?"
"What the—this is unfair!"
"Unfair, my ass," the waiter sneered, turning on them. "Can't you see these are respectable customers in this dignified establishment? Please comport yourselves, or I'll be forced to throw you all out."
Everyone, "…"
Then, very quickly, dignity returned to the masses.
"So I'll take the coffee."
"Mm. The chocolate cake isn't bad."
"Caramel latte with ice, please."
The crowd shifted their attention elsewhere.
Café Café was popular for its excellent coffee and desserts.
It was equally famous for having customer service dragged straight out of hell, and everyone knew it.
The waiter turned back to Mo Fei and Zhang Yichen with a smile so polished it almost shone.
"Your Triple Deluxe Limited Edition Ice Cream Cake, my good sir." He bowed politely.
Mo Fei,"…"
Did seeing a black card grant this waiter a British accent too?
What was with this sudden five-star restaurant behaviour?
Yichen looked at the dessert in front of him. "This is a lot."
"Yes, sir, it is," the waiter said smoothly. "But don't let the size fool you. One bite and you'll crave another."
Mo Fei raised his hand, quoting him with his fingers. "How did you get this out? Didn't you say it was 'unavailable'?"
"Yes, sir, I did." The waiter turned to him. "But seeing how exquisite and distinguished you both were, how could I refuse to humbly serve your request?"
Mo Fei looked at him.
One black card, and the man had transformed into a servant of the crown.
Unfortunately, Mo Fei could not even be properly angry.
He also respected money above many earthly concepts.
Deep down, he understood the waiter's religion.
"Are you done bullshitting?" Mo Fei asked.
"Yes, I am." The waiter lowered his head. "I'll leave now."
"Mm."
Mo Fei watched him go, then turned back to the dessert in front of him.
His eyes brightened as he licked his lips.
Yichen noticed. "You seem pleased."
"Of course I am." Mo Fei picked up his spoon, eyes glinting. "I've been craving this all month."
"What's so special about this trash heap?"
The entire café turned towards him in horror.
Mo Fei paused and looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
Somewhere in the kitchen, a tray clattered to the ground.
A crying child in his mother's arms suddenly went quiet.
Even he turned to stare at Yichen.
Yichen noticed the atmosphere around him change.
Slowly, he raised both hands in defence.
Mo Fei quickly turned to the crowd.
"Excuse my friend. It's his first time. He lost his taste buds in the past, you see."
"Ohhh."
The crowd nodded in understanding and returned to their business.
Yichen looked at Mo Fei.
Mo Fei ignored him. "You can't say that without tasting it first."
Yichen picked up his spoon, then hesitated.
The dessert looked strange to him.
Too big. Too sweet and definitely too dramatic.
Mo Fei sighed. "Just try it. It's not going to kill you."
"Says the guy with zero survival instinct." Yichen frowned "You are not qualified to speak on safety."
Mo Fei clutched his chest. "Touché. That was one time. Let it go."
Yichen shrugged, scooped a small amount onto his spoon and brought it to his mouth.
Mo Fei watched him closely.
Yichen ate... Swallowed.
"So?" Mo Fei leaned forward. "How is it?"
"Not bad," Yichen said plainly.
Mo Fei clicked his tongue. "Not bad? Tsk. You have horrible taste in things." Then he scooped up a spoonful large enough to concern public safety and swallowed it whole.
Yichen blinked
For a moment, he wondered how deep and wide Mo Fei's throat was.
Mo Fei, completely unaware of the damage he had just caused to Yichen's mental stability, kept eating.
One bite.
Then another and another, the world slowly lost importance.
The noise of the café faded, crowd disappeared.
Even Yichen became background decoration.
Mo Fei's attention narrowed entirely onto the frozen mountain in front of him.
Bliss softened his face with every spoonful. His eyes curved slightly. His shoulders relaxed. A small, satisfied sound escaped him before he could stop it, and he immediately took another bite as if the dessert had personally promised him salvation.
Yichen watched him quietly.
At first, it was because Mo Fei looked ridiculous.
Then it was because he looked happy.
Too happy, really, over something as simple as ice cream cake.
Yichen looked down at his own dessert.
Then back at Mo Fei.
Mo Fei swallowed another spoonful.
Yichen gulped. Heat crept up his neck. His cheeks flushed faintly.
Mo Fei finally looked up. "Huh? Did you get brain freeze?" His expression turned concerned. "It's really cold. You should be careful."
Yichen looked away at once, suddenly finding the view outside the window very interesting. "Yeah. I will."
This idiot.
How did he not notice?
Brain freeze, my ass. If you keep eating like that, how am I supposed to hold myself back?
Yichen closed his eyes briefly.
"Are you going to eat that?"
He opened them.
Mo Fei was pointing at his dessert. His own bowl was already empty.
"Huh?" Yichen glanced down, then pushed his bowl towards him. "No. You can have it."
Mo Fei's face lit up.
"I don't do well with cold things," Yichen added.
Mo Fei wasted no time digging in. "Thanks." His eyes flashed with such pure joy that Yichen's hand paused on the table, he withdrew it slowly.
Mo Fei ate happily, cheeks full, completely absorbed in his second victory against life's many cruelties.
Yichen sat beside him in silence.
The café remained noisy. People passed their table. Cups clinked.
The waiter terrorised someone near the counter.
None of it seemed to matter.
Yichen simply watched him.