At that moment, Ji Liuyue instantly understood who had sent her the other heart-flutter text message she’d received the night before.
She hadn’t expected it to be Cen Yu.
After all, during the first blind date, Cen Yu had gone out with Wang Aitian. But when it was the girls’ turn to choose, Wang Aitian had taken the initiative to invite Xu Jinsi, creating a faint sense of awkwardness between the two of them.
So Cen Yu was planning to get to know some of the other female guests a little better too?
And now, he was showing interest in her.
Wang Aitian wasn’t stupid. The moment she heard “sweet-and-sour spare ribs,” she almost immediately understood what he meant.
Her smile became strained.
Still, she didn’t take it out on Ji Liuyue. After all, this was simply a change of direction on the male guest’s part—and it was only the third day of the dating show.
She smiled and said, “Sure, Chef Cen. We’ll be looking forward to your sweet-and-sour spare ribs.”
Cen Yu smiled and left.
The atmosphere between Wang Aitian and Ji Liuyue became somewhat delicate. It was Ji Liuyue who took the initiative to break the silence.
“Tiantian, I…”
Wang Aitian hurriedly waved her off and said with a beaming smile, “All right, Yueyue. I understand.”
“It’s not a big deal. I think the relationships in the house are open, and it’s perfectly normal for everyone to spend time getting to know one another.”
Ji Liuyue responded with equal ease. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen and admire Chef Cen’s cooking.”
The others gradually returned as well.
Zhang Weiyi and Ji Mingtian ran into each other at the entrance. Hearing voices coming from the kitchen, they walked over together.
Wang Aitian greeted them enthusiastically. “Yiyi, Mingtian, are you both done with work?”
Zhang Weiyi nodded and corrected her with characteristic precision. “Strictly speaking, I’m done with school.”
Ji Mingtian’s gaze swept around the kitchen.
“Where’s Yezi?”
Ji Liuyue gave him a helpless look.
Oh, big brother. He certainly looked sharp, but his eyesight was seriously lacking.
Of all the people he could like, why did it have to be Liu Qingye?
Still, she answered him, “I saw her come downstairs during breakfast. She should be resting in her room now.”
Speak of the devil.
The next second, Liu Qingye appeared leisurely outside the dining room, looking at the crowd that had gathered.
She rubbed her eyes, looking slightly drowsy—a hazy, ethereal beauty.
In a sweet voice, she asked, “Oh, you’re all done with work? I took a nap in my room just now, and my alarm didn’t even go off. What time is it?”
Ji Mingtian told her the time.
Half past seven.
Liu Qingye glanced around and said, “Looks like someone still hasn’t come back to the house.”
Zhang Weiyi was sitting in a dining chair, drinking strawberry milk.
It was the carton Ji Liuyue had just handed her. Zhang Weiyi didn’t like sweet drinks, but when faced with the sparkling expectation in Ji Liuyue’s eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
She set the carton down and said, “Only Lu Nanxun and Xu Jinsi are still missing.”
Liu Qingye’s gaze instinctively fell on the strawberry milk carton, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
Originally, her liking for strawberry milk had been a persona she created for herself on the show. It made her seem a little cuter.
It was bad enough that Ji Liuyue had ruined that image from the very beginning. Now she was even handing strawberry milk out to everyone in the house?
As they spoke, the sound of new footsteps came from the foyer.
Liu Qingye said excitedly, “They’re back.”
Without waiting for anyone else, she immediately trotted toward the living room.
There was a faint weariness on Lu Nanxun’s face.
An emergency surgery had been added to his schedule that day, so he’d gotten off work late. On top of that, the house was located in the suburbs of Hai City, quite a distance from the hospital. Even under normal conditions, the drive took forty minutes, and rush-hour traffic made it take even longer.
After changing into his slippers, he raised his head—and met Liu Qingye’s gentle, smiling eyes.
The sight left him momentarily dazed.
In truth, he was probably the male guest most eager to start a family. He wanted a gentle, considerate wife and adorable children, and he wanted to spend his evenings with his family after work each day.
The faint smile on Liu Qingye’s face fit perfectly into the scene he had imagined.
That was why he was momentarily lost in thought.
The uncertainty in his heart, which had been somewhat scattered, surfaced once again.
He liked Liu Qingye.
That was what he told himself.
As for Ji Liuyue, perhaps it was simply because her personality and the way she did things were so different from his that she had aroused his curiosity.
But it was only curiosity. Perhaps she was like a mischievous, immature little sister.
He had always thought of himself as the head of the family, which was why he occasionally paid attention to everything Ji Liuyue did.
Yes. That had to be it.
“Yezi,” he called.
Liu Qingye’s original targets had been Xu Jinsi and Lu Nanxun.
Although he hadn’t been greeted by her first choice, Xu Jinsi, her second choice, Lu Nanxun, wasn’t bad either.
“Did you leave very early this morning? I didn’t see you all day.”
“Yeah.” Lu Nanxun nodded and explained, “My hospital is a long way from here, and I was worried about getting stuck in the morning traffic, so I left a little after six.”
Liu Qingye couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. “Six? That early? You must not have gotten much rest.”
“I’m fine.” Lu Nanxun smiled.
“Wait here a moment.”
After saying that, Liu Qingye ran off.
Just as Lu Nanxun was wondering what she was doing, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the hallway. Liu Qingye came running back with a small blue bag in her hand and held it out to him.
Lu Nanxun was a little dumbfounded.
Liu Qingye smiled. “A little gift for you.”
He hesitated for three seconds, clearly unsure whether he should accept it.
Liu Qingye thoughtfully explained, “It’s nothing expensive. They’re just steam eye masks, so you can fall asleep more quickly at night.”
A faint smile appeared on Lu Nanxun’s lips.
“Thank you, Yezi.”
Liu Qingye shyly looked away.
Her voice was soft, quiet enough for only the two of them to hear.
“You’re welcome. I have a selfish reason for giving it to you, too. I want you to think of me every night before you go to sleep.”
Liu Qingye had received only one heart-flutter text message the night before. After confirming that neither Lu Nanxun nor Xu Jinsi had sent it to her, she had been devastated.
Today, she had done her homework.
This fish that had slipped through her net—Lu Nanxun—had better obediently come back to her!
Just as the two of them were talking, the sound of the door opening came from behind them.
Xu Jinsi had sharp eyes. Even though Lu Nanxun quickly hid the gift bag behind his back, Xu Jinsi still caught sight of it.
With a bright smile, he said, “Sorry. Looks like I’ve come at a bad time.”
A flash of embarrassment crossed Liu Qingye’s face.
Oh no!
How had she been caught fishing for one fish by another fish?
Xu Jinsi didn’t say anything else. He simply nodded at the two of them before heading toward the kitchen.
The kitchen was in full swing.
Cen Yu was cooking, while Ji Mingtian had volunteered to help. Unfortunately, after pouring in the oil, he had nearly burned the pot.
Wang Aitian had given him a thorough scolding and dragged him out.
Ji Liuyue and Zhang Weiyi sat in their chairs, watching the spectacle.
Xu Jinsi poked his head into the kitchen.
In front of everyone, he called out, “Ji Liuyue, come out for a moment.”
Everyone’s gaze immediately turned toward them, their faces lighting up with the excitement of spectators who had just found fresh gossip.
