41: Delicious ice cream

Gulp.

The simultaneous sound of swallowing saliva made Baba Le and Xiao Hu exchange a glance, then both put their mouths to their straws and took a strong sip.

The next moment, a magnificent symphony played on their tongues.

First, the initial sourness.

As their tongues touched the bright acidity of the lemon, it was like the fresh burst of biting into fruit peel, instantly awakening their taste buds and dispelling a night's worth of anxiety and fear.

Then, a lingering sweetness.

After the sourness receded, the mellow richness of the tea base and the gentle sweetness of the syrup subtly emerged, creating a soft balance.

Finally, a long aftertaste.

Swallowed in one gulp, the fruity aroma of the lemon and the tea's lingering charm enveloped their mouths, like a breeze passing through a citrus grove, leaving a fresh and sweet finish.

Baba Le and Xiao Hu simultaneously closed their eyes in intoxication, feeling the refreshing aroma of lemon and tea envelop their entire bodies, with a gentle interplay of ice and fire in their mouths.

As the coolness of the ice cubes intertwined with the warmth of the tea, the initial taste was a crisp impact, but the aftertaste was a comforting warmth.

And the granular texture of the lemon pulp colliding with the smoothness of the tea, their tongues seemed to dance in light foam.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

When Baba Le came back to his senses, the large cup of lemon tea was already empty.

He stared blankly at the cup, his confused eyes slowly coming into focus.

Then he sighed deeply, partly regretting the fleeting nature of happy times, and partly feeling fortunate to have enjoyed such ultimate deliciousness.

"This cup of lemon tea is the brightness of sight, the carnival of taste, and even more, the poetic essence of summer captured in a moment."

Xiao Hu, beside him, was also lost in thought, wanting to say something sophisticated like Baba Le, but due to his lack of education, he could only say with a troubled expression:

"Me too, I feel the same!"

Their expressions were fully captured by the camera placed on the stall.

The viewers in the live stream raised their fingers on their keyboards, then slowly lowered them, wanting to say something, but ultimately, at a loss for words, they typed out a string of ellipses.

They had a lot of complaints to make, but didn't know where to start.

They admitted that this cup of lemon tea did look good, but didn't all lemon teas taste the same?

Was there a need for such exaggerated expressions?

This streamer was really getting more and more showy, bad review!

However, at this moment, Baba Le and Xiao Hu no longer cared about the live stream's reaction.

All they could think about now was having another cup!

No, ten more cups!

Fortunately, Xiao Hu still had some sense, pulling back Baba Le, who was about to speak, and reminded him:

"Ba Ge, the Little Boss's stall also has ice cream, mung bean paste, and double-skin milk! Save some room!"

"Oh, right!"

Baba Le suddenly realized.

If the "Delicious lemon tea" was so delicious, what would the other three items, also prefixed with "Delicious," taste like?

Thinking of this, Baba Le immediately shouted impatiently:

"Little Boss, two portions each of the ice cream, mung bean paste, and double-skin milk, to start!"

Xiao Hu looked at Baba Le gratefully, then turned his head, looking at Lu Chuan with similar anticipation.

Lu Chuan nodded, pushed the cutting board on the small cart aside, revealing the built-in pull-out freezer.

Beneath the transparent glass window, on one side was ice cream, mostly buried in a pile of ice, with only a corner exposed.

On the other side were neatly stacked, layer upon layer, boxed mung bean paste and double-skin milk.

"Wow, this small cart design is pretty good!"

Baba Le and Xiao Hu looked at the exquisitely designed small cart, which was simple on the outside but complex on the inside, and praised it endlessly.

After tasting the ultimate deliciousness of the lemon tea, they now looked at everything through a filter.

Lu Chuan's mouth twitched, but he said nothing, grabbing the tongs and reaching in to sweep away the surface ice, picking out two portions of ice cream and placing them on a plate to hand to Baba Le and Xiao Hu.

At this time, the moonlight was hazy, reflecting with the diffused lamplight.

In the distance, cicadas chirped and frogs croaked, and nearby, a gentle breeze blew; the summer evening scene was intoxicating.

However, at this moment, Baba Le and Xiao Hu had no summer in their eyes, only the stunningly shaped ice cream in front of them.

It was like a miniature torch enchanted by magic, extending upwards in a smooth conical shape.

The outer layer was coated with a rich dark chocolate crisp, reflecting an amber-like luster under the light.

Amidst it, sparkling golden patterns flowed, as if sparks were dancing between the sugar frosting.

The overall effect intertwined to create a dynamic beauty like burning orange-red and golden flames.

And the delicious main body at the very top presented a static beauty of black flames fiercely burning and blossoming.

But observing it from a slightly different angle, one would surprisingly find that this black was not monotonous; colorful sparks enthusiastically bloomed within its small space.

Additionally, scattered caramel bits and almond crisps were like scattered stars, adding a touch of fairytale atmosphere to the "torch," creating a visual feast of flowing flame colors.

Holding the cool ice cream, the cold texture colliding with the visual warmth made one eager to take a bite immediately.

But everyone appreciates beauty, and even Baba Le, who usually acted roughly, was reluctant to actually destroy this exquisite work of art at this moment.

"If you don't eat it soon, it's going to melt ~"

Ultimately, it was Lu Chuan's words that made them decide.

Baba Le and Xiao Hu looked at the ice cream, which was already showing signs of melting, and their eyes showed anxiety.

Finally, they reluctantly averted their gaze, not daring to look again, fearing they would get lost in it once more.

Nom.

With a bite, the crisp "crunch" sound made their ears twitch slightly, as if brushed by a feather duster.

Then, the wonderful taste and rich texture completely exploded in their mouths, signaling the start of a multi-layered taste bud adventure.

The intertwining fusion of ice and fire, from outside to inside, three distinct temperatures and textures danced on their tongues.

The outer layer was a handmade dark chocolate crisp shell, with a slight bitterness and rich aroma bursting on the tongue, followed by the sweet richness of caramel seeping in, neutralizing the depth of the chocolate.

Inside was a perfect blend of vanilla and caramel sauce, with a smooth and delicate milky fragrance wrapped in strands of caramel warmth, slowly melting in the mouth, like a summer breeze passing by.

But the biggest surprise was hidden at the bottom.

The moment they bit into the crushed almonds and hazelnuts, the crispness of the nuts and the softness of the ice cream collided between their teeth, and the thousand-year-old grievances of steel and silk became irrelevant at this moment, adding a lively rhythm to this taste journey.

They couldn't stop at all.

Baba Le and Xiao Hu were like travelers about to die of thirst in the desert, who, after finding sweet water, began to instinctively take more and more.

Every bite of ice cream was like exploring a sweet treasure.

The combined multi-sensory experience of sight, sound, touch, and taste made them feel as if they truly held this "glowing torch," tasting layer upon layer of sweet surprises.

But beautiful scenery is fleeting, and deliciousness also comes to an end.

As the last bite of ice cream went down, Baba Le and Xiao Hu looked blankly at the paper cup in their hands, feeling an unspeakable emptiness.