Ji Liuyue was called to the doorway of the cottage’s media room.
A smile flickered in Xu Jinsi’s charming, almond-shaped eyes as he stared straight at her without saying a word.
Finding it a little strange, Ji Liuyue asked, “Did you need something?”
Xu Jinsi said, “Are you free tomorrow?”
“I think so.”
At some point, Xu Jinsi had produced a pale pink bag. He handed it to her and said, “Here. Take it.”
“What is it?”
Puzzled, Ji Liuyue accepted the bag and found an exquisite jewelry box inside.
Xu Jinsi said, “Open it.”
When she opened the red velvet box, a crystal-clear peach-pink bracelet lay quietly inside.
Ji Liuyue was somewhat surprised.
“This is…”
Xu Jinsi’s gaze had already slid away from her face. In a casual tone, he said, “Since you accepted my gift, let’s go on a date tomorrow.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Ji Liuyue was left standing there, utterly bewildered.
At the same time, all the other male guests in the cottage received a text from the production team.
[The cottage’s second round of invitations is about to begin. This time, the men will be the ones taking the initiative.
To issue an invitation, give a female guest a gift you have chosen. If she accepts it, the invitation will be considered successful.
Note: A female guest who has already received an invitation may not be invited again.
Invitations must be completed by ten o’clock tonight. Any invitations made after the deadline will be invalid.]
Ji Mingtian was thrilled when he read the message.
He did not even bother finishing his meal. Instead, he dashed back to his room, grabbed the white gift bag he had prepared in advance, and hurried off to find Liu Qingye.
At the same time, Lu Nanxun stared hesitantly at the steam eye mask Liu Qingye had given him, which sat on the desk in his room.
Whether because of his own feelings or because she had given him a gift, he felt that he ought to invite Yezi.
Yet he still hesitated, unable to understand where that hesitation came from.
In the end, he took a deep breath.
He picked up the black gift bag he had prepared long ago, summoned his courage, and opened the door.
But the moment the door opened, he happened to run into Ji Liuyue, who was returning with her pink bag.
Their rooms were next to each other. As neighbors, they could clearly hear and see each other’s every movement.
When Ji Liuyue saw him, she simply smiled in an open and natural manner. “Heading out?”
“Yeah.” Lu Nanxun’s gaze grew complicated as it fell on the bag in her hand. Almost without thinking, he asked, “Have you already received an invitation?”
“Yes.”
Ji Liuyue raised her fair wrist and showed him the pale pink crystal bracelet.
Lu Nanxun lowered his eyes, hiding every emotion in them.
Ji Liuyue continued, “I’m going back to my room to rest for a while. See you in the dining room later.”
Lu Nanxun hesitated and took half a step forward, but Ji Liuyue had already slipped into her room and closed the door.
He took a deep breath.
Then, with firm steps, he headed toward the room at the end of the corridor to find Liu Qingye.
Knock, knock, knock—
Liu Qingye opened the door, a perfectly measured look of surprise appearing on her face.
“Nanxun, what brings you here?” She bit her lip, her smile carrying a hint of shyness.
“Thank you for the gift. This is my return gift.”
Lu Nanxun handed her the black bag.
“Oh, there’s no need to be so polite…” Liu Qingye began, trying to refuse.
Then she heard him continue, “That’s how the invitation works. If you accept this, I can invite you. Are you free tomorrow night?”
“Yes!”
Liu Qingye had originally intended to put on a little act.
But the moment she heard that she had to accept the gift before accepting the date, she immediately took the bag with a radiant smile.
The instant she closed the door, Liu Qingye could no longer contain her excitement.
She had known it. With just a little maneuvering, this fish would obediently swim right back to her.
In a good mood, she opened the gift box.
Inside was a finely crafted fountain pen.
The smile at the corners of Liu Qingye’s lips twitched when she saw it.
What kind of hopelessly clueless man gave a girl a fountain pen?
She had wanted to toss the gift box aside in disgust, but remembering the cameras, she simply stuffed it into the very back of her suitcase.
Knock, knock, knock—
There was another knock at the door.
Liu Qingye hurried over to open it.
Sure enough, it was Ji Mingtian.
He stood there with his head lowered awkwardly, fidgeting and unsure of himself as the door opened. Then he scratched his head and looked at her expectantly.
“Yezi…”
Liu Qingye waved her hand with practiced restraint. “I’m sorry, but I already…”
“Ah, looks like I got here too late.” Ji Mingtian gave a hearty laugh, though the disappointment in his eyes was impossible to hide.
The moment he had seen the text, he had dashed upstairs to his room to get the gift. Who could have guessed that someone else would beat him to it by the time he hurried back down?
He was disappointed and regretful.
“Well, then I won’t bother you.” Ji Mingtian turned away dejectedly.
Liu Qingye’s voice came from behind him.
“Ji Mingtian, I really do want to get to know you. It’s just that it’s still too soon. You understand, don’t you?”
Ji Mingtian instantly became energized. Those few words filled him with renewed motivation.
He turned around and nodded vigorously, grinning like a fool.
“Yezi, I understand. Next time I’ll be faster. I’ll find you before anyone else.”
“Good.”
Liu Qingye smiled and waved goodbye.
And just like that, even this less important fish had fallen into her pond.
The final dates were Xu Jinsi and Ji Liuyue, and Lu Nanxun and Liu Qingye.
Because Liu Qingye’s comforting words had thoroughly bewitched him, Ji Mingtian chose to give up this opportunity.
Cen Yu also came to invite Ji Liuyue. When he learned that she had already received an invitation, he left with perfect courtesy and turned around to invite Zhang Weiyi instead.
What happened next was somewhat unexpected.
Wang Aitian kept saying that it was fine, that it didn’t matter. But when she thought about how she had been left without a date for the second round—and that none of the male guests had invited her—she went up to the open-air balcony on the second floor of the cottage, hugged a blanket, and silently shed tears.
Liu Qingye appeared at precisely that moment.
“Tiantian, are you all right?” she asked, putting on a concerned expression.
Then, pretending to be considerate, she carried a blanket over and said, “It’s windy on the balcony at night. Here, cover yourself with this.”
Wang Aitian wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her eyes slightly red.
“Thank you.” She took the blanket and draped it carelessly over herself.
Liu Qingye began her sinister little sing-song:
“Tiantian, I actually think you’re sweet-looking and lively. So many people should like you. I’m surprised you didn’t receive an invitation.”
“If I were your good friend, I’d definitely feel awful for you. At a time like this, I should be staying by your side instead of playing games with the male guests downstairs.”
Her words carried an unmistakable implication.
Wang Aitian wiped away the last of her tears and stared at Liu Qingye with suspicion and confusion.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
Liu Qingye hurriedly shook her head. “I don’t mean anything. I’m just concerned about you.”
Wang Aitian was perfectly clearheaded and rational. She replied, “Thank you for your concern. Whether I received an invitation has nothing to do with anyone else. It’s my own business.”
“If you’re genuinely trying to comfort me, I’ll appreciate it. But if you’re trying to…”
To sow discord between her and the others, then she had picked the wrong person.
