"We're outside," Erina Nakiri said, trying to stay calm. She spoke steadily, "It might take us a while to get back. Why don't you find a hotel for now?"
"Huh?" Alice Nakiri's voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding quite ethereal. "There aren't any good hotels nearby, and I don't like staying in them."
"It's more comfortable staying at Erina's place."
"I'll just find a cafe for now. Call me when you get home," Alice Nakiri said with a smile. "I even brought Rina a small gift."
"Would it be convenient for Rina to answer the phone?" Alice Nakiri asked softly. Another one trying to snatch my daughter?
"Sorry, no," Erina Nakiri refused expressionlessly.
"Oh dear, Erina is so stingy," Alice Nakiri said helplessly. She half-jokingly added, "It's truly impressive that someone as stingy as you could find a partner and even get married."
"Poor Renz."
"Um, when you get home, remember to call me..."
Before she could finish, Erina Nakiri had already hung up.
"Who was that?" Renz asked.
"My cousin, Alice Nakiri. She wants to stay at our house tonight. Right now, she's waiting for us in a cafe," Erina Nakiri delivered the bad news. While Erina wasn't particularly welcoming of Alice Nakiri's arrival, it wasn't about whether she welcomed her or not. Alice Nakiri was, after all, her cousin, and even if she wasn't welcomed, she still had to be received; it was a matter of courtesy.
"Auntie is staying at our house today?" Rina exclaimed excitedly. "That's great! Auntie definitely brought me a new gift!" Rina didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
But Renz did. Children were relatively easy to fool, but adults could easily spot anomalies from subtle clues. Alice Nakiri staying at their house would be a huge challenge for their fake marriage.
"Should we go back now?" Renz paused and asked.
"Otherwise?" Erina Nakiri blinked, her expression a little sour. Why did her daughter cling to everyone but her mother? What kind of logic was that?
"We can't really just leave her out there and not let her in, can we?" Erina Nakiri added.
"My idea is, why don't we take Rina out to eat together first?" Renz inquired. He nonchalantly picked up his phone again, sending a text. "And we can brainstorm some ways to deal with your cousin on the way." This was their secret. A secret they had to keep even from the children.
"Good idea!" Erina Nakiri's eyes lit up. She was very unhappy with Alice Nakiri's attitude just now but hadn't thought of how to 'get back' at her. Renz had given her a good idea. Let Alice Nakiri wait in the cafe for a while.
And Renz was right. Going back now would rely entirely on improvisation. Going back later would give them time to discuss some countermeasures on the way.
"Let's go for a barbecue buffet," Renz decided on his own. Erina Nakiri wasn't particularly fond of barbecue buffets. For someone with the God's Tongue, buffets tasted like chewing on wax. However, Erina Nakiri didn't reject Renz's idea because Rina and Haruki's eyes lit up as soon as they heard "barbecue buffet."
Erina Nakiri deeply doted on these two little ones in her heart. Seeing Rina's joyous smile, Erina Nakiri also smiled. However, she suddenly thought of her God's Tongue, and then thought that Rina might also have a God's Tongue like hers. She abruptly recalled some unpleasant memories, and her expression worsened.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it? We can eat something else," Renz said, looking at Erina's face, quickly waving his hand. "I forgot about your sensitivity to taste. Buffets might not be that good in terms of flavor."
"It was inconsiderate of me."
"No, it's not," Erina Nakiri shook her head, hiding her inner turmoil. "Let's eat barbecue!"
She would definitely take good care of and protect Rina and Haruki's childhood. She wouldn't let the tragedy that happened to her repeat itself.
---
"Welcome!" A female waitress at the entrance bowed with a sweet smile. "How many?"
"Four," Renz said, holding up his fingers. His professional habit of saving money made him choose the most cost-effective restaurant, which had high ratings and reviews. It seemed this barbecue buffet restaurant was having some kind of anniversary event today.
"Wow, are they your children?" The waitress was initially surprised to hear "four," then looked down and saw a cute little girl and a little boy, letting out a soft gasp.
Renz said calmly, "Yes." This kind of thing was nerve-wracking the first couple of times, but after a while, he became numb to it. And since they were his own children anyway, why deny it?
"Today our restaurant is having an anniversary event, and we happen to have a suitable set menu for two that's 50% off. Would you two like it?" the waitress asked softly.
"What kind of event, 50% off?" Renz asked.
"Um, it's a family buffet parent-child package, but... for the two of you to get 50% off, you need to take a photo to keep here as a souvenir." The waitress continued with a smile. Nearby was a photo wall. Dozens of photos, large and small, were pasted on it. This small event not only gave customers a discount but also indirectly used the activity to gain some local renown.
And the people in these photos — all exuded sweet and happy smiles. Simple and warm. Renz and Erina Nakiri exchanged glances. This is exactly the opportunity we needed to show affection! This is a godsend!
Photo opportunities like this were a clear way to display affection. And this level of affection, at least for the short term, would be enough to shut others up.
"Let's take the picture," Renz and Erina Nakiri said almost simultaneously.
"Okay, follow me," the waitress said with a smile, while another waitress took over her position. The server led them to a small private booth where a photographer was finishing up with another group.
This round of photos quickly concluded. As the photographer put away his camera, he noticed Renz and Erina Nakiri together. The lenses of his glasses glinted slightly in the light; these two newcomers had a very high quality.
"How would you two like to pose for the photo?" the photographer asked. "Do you have any specific poses in mind?" Both of them froze.
A photo... What kind of poses would look good? To be honest, neither Renz nor Erina Nakiri knew what poses would look good for a photo. Renz shook his head. Erina Nakiri also shook her head.
"Alright, do you prefer a photo with a strong sense of happiness or a slightly more ordinary one?" the photographer said, a bit puzzled. He glanced at them, noting they had brought two children. With children, they must be an old married couple already. And they don't know what poses to make for a photo?
How will Renz and Erina, with their complete lack of posing experience as a couple, manage to produce a "happy family" photo that convinces everyone, especially Alice? What will be their chosen pose, and will it truly convey the affection they need to fake?
---Support with power stones