Today at the hotel, she had reviewed the footage and realized that most of what she shot yesterday was about the food and fun around the hotel. She hadn't really filmed the kind of lovey-dovey scenes her viewers most wanted to see. Even in yesterday's footage, the two of them had behaved quite stiffly, not at all like a newlywed couple should. If she posted this video, those sharp-eyed netizens would surely see through them at a glance. Being exposed by netizens wasn't a big deal, but if that ex-boyfriend who still harbored feelings for her found out...
Thinking of this, Yu Wanwan decided to make up for the missing content from now on. She pulled out her phone from her bag and started filming again. "Okay, so... how do we exchange gifts?"
Seeing that Yu Wanwan, who had been so resistant to giving away her hair just moments ago, now suddenly agreed without hesitation, a flicker of doubt crossed Zhang Jingxu's eyes.
Before he could think further, he heard the girl say, "I'll first cut a lock of your hair, then weave it into a bracelet. The bracelet is free, you only need to pay a craftsmanship fee of ten yuan."
"Fine." Yu Wanwan said, picking up a strand of her hair and handing it to the girl, then pointing to a conspicuous red bracelet.
In no time, the girl quickly braided her lock of hair with the red string into a bracelet and handed it to her.
Just as Zhang Jingxu was about to pay, the girl suddenly added, "Um, have you two eaten yet?"
"Not yet." Yu Wanwan took the opportunity to ask, "We're looking for a restaurant. You're a local, any recommendations?"
"Yes," the girl said, pointing to an antique-looking restaurant in front of them. The restaurant was called 'Five Flavors Inn,' and all the staff were dressed like waiters in period dramas. She said, "You can try this place; it's run by my cousin. You can taste all the local specialties here. They also have a couple's challenge event. If you succeed, today's meal and hairpin costs are on the house."
Yu Wanwan's curiosity was piqued, and she caught a whiff of good content. She immediately asked, "What kind of challenge?"
...
The girl led them into the inn and deliberately picked a relatively quiet spot for them to sit.
Before long, the owner came over with a signboard that read: 'Soul-Crushing Wings: So Spicy You'll Cry.'
The owner began explaining the challenge: "The challenge is that your boyfriend must finish our secret-recipe Soul-Crushing Wings within 3 minutes and 30 seconds, without drinking any water during the process. If he succeeds, all today's expenses are waived. Plus, we'll give you a free meal voucher for next time, and you can pick a pure silver hairpin from my sister's stall."
Yu Wanwan looked at the chicken wings on the signboard. To be honest, the wings looked quite appetizing.
She asked, "Is this... really challenging?"
The owner smirked and said, "We've had this event for two years, and no couple has succeeded yet. To be precise, no couple has finished two wings."
The girl chimed in, "A while ago, a blogger did finish the wings, but he exceeded the time limit and didn't clean the bones properly."
Yu Wanwan thought: Seems like these wings pack quite a punch?
Realizing this was great material, Yu Wanwan shot a deceptively sweet smile at someone and began to coax: "Want to give it a try?"
The girl also chimed in: "Want to win a hairpin for your beloved?"
Zhang Jingxu looked at Yu Wanwan's suggestive big eyes and fluttering lashes, and since his purpose for coming out was to provide her with footage, he agreed without hesitation: "Sure."
The owner then sternly declared: "Before the challenge officially begins, I need to ask: Is your stomach okay? Do you have any gastric issues? Because these wings are really, really spicy. If you have a weak stomach, we won't allow you to participate."
"No gastric issues."
"Alright then. First, have some normal food to line your stomach, then start the challenge. If you succeed, today's entire meal is free. If you fail, you only need to pay for the food."
After the owner left, Yu Wanwan began to worry belatedly. As the saying goes, the more innocuous something looks, the more dangerous it is. Remembering that when they were kids, his spice tolerance couldn't even match hers, she wondered if it had improved after years abroad. She asked softly, "Can you handle spicy food?"
Zhang Jingxu replied casually, "Not bad."
Yu Wanwan took a sip of cola, her expression a bit worried. She asked again, "Can you succeed?"
"Let's give it a try."
"Alright." Hearing that, Yu Wanwan stopped worrying. She just said, "If you feel like you can't take it, just give up."
They ordered a full table of local delicacies recommended by the hairpin girl. After eating their fill, Zhang Jingxu began the 'Soul-Crushing Wings' challenge.
But just as the owner brought the secret-recipe wings to the table, Yu Wanwan felt a sense of impending doom.
Even before tasting them, the wings had a strong smell of artificial chili extract.
The owner placed the wings in front of Zhang Jingxu, repeated the rules, and said, "If you're ready, we'll start the timer."
Zhang Jingxu took a sip of the water on the table and said, "Begin."
The owner pressed the timer on his phone. As soon as the challenge started, a crowd of waitstaff and curious diners with their phones gathered around.
Yu Wanwan also raised her phone and aimed the camera at him.
At first, Zhang Jingxu wore a relaxed expression. After the second bite, his expression remained calm.
But then the fierce spiciness suddenly erupted like a volcano, surging straight to his crown without any transition. Zhang Jingxu's forehead started to bead with sweat, and his eyes quickly reddened.
Better to endure the pain than prolong it. He ate faster and faster, racing against time. His breathing quickened, and he couldn't help gasping from the heat.
The owner urged, "One minute, twenty-five seconds! You can give up anytime if it's too much!"
Even though he felt like he was on fire, Zhang Jingxu held onto the chicken wing stubbornly, unwilling to quit.
He stuffed the last tip of the wing into his mouth and finally finished one wing.
As soon as Zhang Jingxu took a bite of the second wing, the intense spiciness caused a ringing in his ears and a dull pain in his mouth. The crowd's cheers were cacophonous, but he couldn't hear a thing. His vision blurred, and he could only vaguely make out Yu Wanwan holding her phone in the crowd.
He blinked hard, shook the sweat from his hair, took a deep breath, and continued eating with determination.
"One minute, thirty-nine seconds! One down, just the last one left! Come on, young man! You're about to succeed!" The owner glanced at the time and started cheering him on.
As for Yu Wanwan, she had shifted from wanting to capture the moment to feeling worried, even unconsciously tensing her face with concern.
Through the lens, Zhang Jingxu's forehead veins bulged slightly, his eyes were red from the spiciness, and his Adam's apple rolled with difficulty as he swallowed.
The crowd's excitement grew, but her smile gradually faded. The phone in her hand suddenly felt heavy.
She remembered the time when he was a kid—he'd eaten a spicy duck neck and burst into tears, and even though the spiciness made him crush the milk carton, he didn't let go. Back then, she would laugh out loud and even mock him.