Chapter 842: 841 all the way with you Chapter 842: 841 all the way with you “They’re all fakes.”

“The covers look like regular albums, but inside, it’s actually this brother’s own recordings. Trust me, he might’ve even recorded a whole album himself.”

Talia whispered into Li Wei’s ear. Only then did Li Wei realize just how clueless he had been. He had no idea there could be tricks like this.

Li Wei stared at Talia in stunned disbelief, then once more at the man in front of him — thick lips, dreadlocks — his thoughts tangled into knots.

Talia clung to Li Wei’s arm, leaning in even closer.

“Look, Taylor, Ed, Beyonce — you happily take them home, only to find every single one of them is just this guy’s hip-hop tracks.”

Pfft.

Li Wei couldn’t hold back and almost burst out laughing. Instead, he sifted through the stack of vinyl before picking out a Drake album. “Then let’s go with this one. At least it’s the same genre.”

This time, Talia couldn’t hold it anymore. She buried her face into Li Wei’s arm, muffling her laughter.

Even though she hid her voice, her shoulders trembling gave her away.

The man with dreadlocks noticed the odd behavior and looked at Li Wei. “That one’s fine too. Or, fifteen dollars for two — you can’t put a price on love, right?”

Li Wei met his gaze with utter seriousness. “Sorry, I’m from Kenny-G’s camp.”

Kenny-G, the saxophone virtuoso, also one of North America’s most famous jazz artists.

The man froze for a moment. “Oh, his album? I’ve got that too. Hold on.”

Li Wei: That’s a thing?

Talia finally cracked. “Run!”

She grabbed Li Wei’s arm and bolted, stumbling as they ran.

The two of them sprinted away, while the vendor’s voice trailed behind them, reluctant and persistent. “Three for twenty! Three for twenty! You sure you don’t wanna reconsider?”

Haha, hahaha.

Talia and Li Wei burst into laughter as they ran, and before long, Talia found herself lagging behind. Naturally, it turned into Li Wei pulling her along by the hand.

His broad, warm palm fully wrapped around hers, and laughter scattered into the wind as they sped through the streets.

It wasn’t until Talia couldn’t keep running anymore and stopped that she noticed the heat of his hand. Her cheeks flushed as her pounding heartbeat became impossible to ignore. For a moment, she couldn’t quite make sense of the whirlwind of feelings. Shyly avoiding Li Wei’s gaze, her eyes darted away in a flustered attempt to control herself.

“Ah, pizza.”

Talia’s gaze landed on a nearby shop, her face lighting up as she skipped toward it in delight.

Standing at the pizza shop’s entrance, Talia looked inside with yearning eyes and involuntarily swallowed.

Li Wei caught up, following her gaze inward but seeing nothing particularly special.

Talia eagerly began her explanation. “This is a hand-tossed pizza place that’s super famous in this part of town — hand-tossed, wood-fired, and authentic Italians. Places like this are rare now. They stick to the original flavors and use top-notch ingredients. It’s super famous.”

“Look at the walls inside. Half of Hollywood knows about this place! Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence — you couldn’t count them all.”

“And occasionally, if you drop by late at night, you might even run into these actors. People share their encounters on social media all the time.”

“You’d think this place runs on hype, but it doesn’t. It’s been around for over seventy years, still refusing to do delivery.”

Li Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued. He knew Italian-Americans had always been a cornerstone of New York’s community, but hadn’t quite experienced it in this depth. Thinking back, in Manhattan, Chinese and Italian food always topped the delivery charts — it was woven into the city’s rhythm. Not surprising at all.

Li Wei smiled faintly. “So you secretly hope your photo ends up on that wall one day?”

Talia blushed, uncharacteristically shy. “If it could happen, it’d be amazing, of course, but there’s no need to force it. I know how difficult it is. Constantly aiming for fame and fortune sounds so dull.”

Li Wei studied her closely. “Come on, let’s see what this famed hand-tossed pizza is all about.”

Talia hesitated. “No, I can’t. I need to watch my weight.”

Despite her words, her gaze kept drifting back into the shop, betraying her cravings.

Li Wei smirked knowingly. “Constantly aiming for fame and fortune sounds so dull.”

Saying that, he casually pushed open the pizza shop’s door and walked inside.

Talia bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. In the end, she couldn’t resist and followed Li Wei inside.

“Anything you’d recommend?” Li Wei asked the chubby middle-aged man behind the counter.

The man looked up. “Margarita and Salami are timeless choices, but today, I’d especially recommend Naples. We just got a batch of fresh tomatoes straight from Italy — they’re exceptional. I can’t get enough.”

His exaggerated Italian hand gestures betrayed his enthusiasm and excitement.

Li Wei made his decision without hesitation. “One of each, please.”

The man busily prepared their pizzas, glancing at Li Wei curiously. “Has anyone told you that you look just like Li Wei? You know, Kansas City’s running back.”

Li Wei hadn’t expected this comparison, turning to Talia. “That’s the second time tonight. Thought I’d nailed my disguise.”

The man beamed with surprise. “To be honest, it’d be harder *not* to recognize you now. Incredible game, by the way — and thanks for beating New England.”

Li Wei replied calmly, “Let’s hold off on the praise for now. One game at a time. There’s still another match ahead.”

The man laughed heartily. “No wonder everyone likes you. Sorry if this seems intrusive — I don’t want to interrupt your date, but could you leave us an autograph before you go?”

Initially, Li Wei had planned to deny it, not wanting misunderstandings. It wouldn’t bother him, but any rumors spreading could become a burden for Talia. Yet hearing that last sentence sparked an idea.

“Of course, it’d be an honor.” Li Wei flashed a brilliant smile. “But you know, I think you should grab an autograph from the lady behind me too — she’s Hollywood’s next big thing! You don’t want to miss out.”

Talia blinked in disbelief. “Li Wei!”

The man, however, was quick and effusively agreeable. “Absolutely, I wouldn’t want to miss that! Miss, could you leave an autograph for our shop too?”

Talia froze, caught between joy and nerves, uncertainty and excitement. She glanced at Li Wei, mouthing silently, “Really?”

Li Wei gave her a reassuring nod, his gaze full of encouragement.

Talia swallowed hard, gathering her courage as she nodded emphatically. “Of course, it’d be my pleasure.”

As she carefully took the card offered by the shop owner, Talia realized her hands were trembling slightly. She’d never signed anything for anyone before.

Then, a warm, low voice came softly from her side. “Dear Talia Ryder, may I ask for your precious signature first?”

Looking up, Talia found herself caught in Li Wei’s bright, starry gaze — like an endless sea of constellations.

Her heart skipped a beat.