Ji Liuyue discovered that Xu Jinsi’s biggest flaw was his stubborn mouth.
Faced with her relentless questioning, pretending to be dead didn’t work. In the end, he said, “I don’t know. I think Wang Aitian has a pretty good personality, and Zhang Weiyi is very intelligent. As for Liu Qingye…”
He deliberately paused.
A murderous look surfaced in Ji Liuyue’s eyes.
Xu Jinsi said calmly, “I’ve already gotten to know her, so there’s no need to get to know her a second time.”
Although he had phrased it rather subtly, the meaning was clear: he had no intention of getting to know her any further.
Ji Liuyue was satisfied.
She pulled out her phone and said, “Your payment QR code.”
Xu Jinsi froze. “What for?”
Ji Liuyue said seriously, “We’re splitting the bill.”
Xu Jinsi shook his head, clearly opposed to the idea. “No need. How could I split the bill when I’m treating my date to a meal?”
Ji Liuyue took a firm stance and waved her fist, looking just like a tiny kitten baring its teeth. “Don’t worry about it.”
If they didn’t split the bill, then after the show aired, those overly critical viewers might use the 3,888-yuan meal as ammunition to judge her.
…
That evening, everyone gradually returned to the house.
Some came back in pairs after their dates, while others, having spent the entire day at work without a date, returned carrying plenty of delicious food.
Wang Aitian noticed that Ji Mingtian was carrying a large bag and went over to help him with it.
Ji Mingtian shifted away and said, “No need. I can carry it myself.”
“Did you buy ingredients?” Wang Aitian asked.
“Um… no…” Ji Mingtian moved the bag behind his back.
The truth was that he hadn’t had a date that day, so after work he had passed by an accessories shop and spotted a beautiful bracelet.
It was a light-green tourmaline bracelet.
The color immediately reminded him of Liu Qingye’s name, so he had bought it on the spot.
He was looking forward to giving it to her when she returned to the house.
Wang Aitian saw through his simping behavior at a glance and drew out her response. “Oh——”
Ji Mingtian pressed his palms together. “Please, just pretend you didn’t see it.”
Wang Aitian knew exactly how to twist the knife. “Fine. You’re pretty pitiful, too. Yezi went on a date with Dr. Lu today, right…”
Ji Mingtian looked sorrowful. “Yeah.”
Wang Aitian encouraged him, “The early bird gets the worm. Keep it up!”
Actually, she had originally wanted to say, “The silly fish gets there first,” but she was afraid of hurting his self-esteem, so she changed it.
How could a fish in the pond realize that no matter how hard it worked or how desperately it struggled, if it was swimming in the wrong direction, all that effort would be useless?
Because the person setting the bait had cast several lines at once.
When Ji Liuyue and Xu Jinsi returned to the house, they saw Ji Mingtian dutifully cooking in the kitchen while Wang Aitian sat at the dining table eating freshly washed blueberries.
When Wang Aitian saw them return, she exclaimed in surprise, “You’re back! I thought all the people who went on dates would eat dinner out.”
Ji Liuyue smiled and walked over.
She sat down beside her.
“We ate out at noon, but that meal lasted until the afternoon. I’m not hungry at all.”
“Huh? What kind of meal takes that long?” Wang Aitian asked curiously.
Ji Liuyue said, “That’s a long story…”
Xu Jinsi leaned against the kitchen cabinet and watched Ji Mingtian cook with surprising skill. He muttered, “How come you can cook, too?”
Cen Yu could cook, Dr. Lu could cook, and even Ji Mingtian, an athlete, could cook. So apparently, he was the only one who couldn’t.
Ji Mingtian gave a sheepish grin.
“Track-and-field training used to be really tough, and we got hungry very quickly. So, in order to secretly make extra food for ourselves, we all learned to cook. They were only simple dishes, though.”
Xu Jinsi studied the tomato-and-egg stir-fry in the pan and said thoughtfully, “Do all girls like men who can cook?”
Ji Mingtian scratched his head.
“Not necessarily. Look at me. I can cook, but no one’s asked me out either.”
Xu Jinsi reminded him, “Chef Cen has been cooking ever since he entered the house, and he already has a date.”
Ji Mingtian fell silent.
That one hurt, brother.
Xu Jinsi picked up a cup and prepared to go to the living room to get some water, but Ji Mingtian called out to him.
“Hey, man.”
“What is it?”
Ji Mingtian fidgeted awkwardly. “Why hasn’t Dr. Lu come back yet?”
“Because he’s on a date.”
“Yeah… But why is their date taking so long? I wonder if they’ve had dinner.”
Xu Jinsi understood what he was implying and smiled. “Then make a little more food. Enough for all eight of us.”
A smile spread across Ji Mingtian’s face. “Okay!”
The spatula in his hand seemed to gain even more power.
…
Liu Qingye and Lu Nanxun’s date was scheduled for the evening.
Dr. Lu was busy during the week. He couldn’t cancel several surgeries that had been arranged in advance, so they could only go on their date after he got off work.
Lu Nanxun had originally thought that, as the man, he should drive over to pick Liu Qingye up first.
But she was considerate enough to say, “If you come pick me up first and then we go to the date location, we’ll waste a lot of time going back and forth. Why don’t we just meet at the restaurant?”
That was right. Their date was taking place at a romantic Western restaurant lit by candlelight.
When Lu Nanxun arrived at the restaurant, Liu Qingye, who was sitting by the window, noticed him. She rose with a smile and waved at him.
Her gaze lowered.
Today, Liu Qingye was still presenting herself as a gentle, timid little white flower.
She was wearing a teal modernized Chinese qipao that outlined her slender, delicate figure.
Her long, straight black hair fell to her waist, with the ends curled slightly. Her eyes were innocent and pure.
When she saw Lu Nanxun, her eyes sparkled with admiration, and the corners of her lips lifted accordingly, as though she could barely contain her excitement.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
Lu Nanxun handed his black suit jacket to the approaching attendant and quickly walked over to the table.
Liu Qingye smiled faintly and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Not at all. Weren’t we supposed to meet at seven? Let’s sit down first.”
Lu Nanxun raised his left wrist and glanced at his watch.
In a low voice, he said, “It’s already seven oh-three. I’m three minutes late.”
“It’s all right.” Liu Qingye propped her chin in her hand and looked at him with open admiration. “Did you just finish surgery? You’re really amazing.”
Lu Nanxun nodded.
Liu Qingye’s eyes shifted as she covered her lips with one hand and continued praising him despite herself.
“You’re the first doctor I’ve ever known personally, and your work is truly noble. You save lives.”
“If you can save even one more life, then I wouldn’t mind you being thirty minutes late for our date, let alone three.”
As she spoke, she also glanced toward the camera.
This angle showed off her profile to its best advantage.
Liu Qingye could already imagine that once this segment aired, the viewers in the comments would surely praise her for being “understanding and compassionate.”
Her public image would rise along with it.
After receiving such lavish praise, Lu Nanxun was taken aback at first. But he didn’t look happy or excited.
His tone remained calm as he said, “Being a doctor is my job. It’s nothing special. I’m only doing my duty.”
“As for being late to meet you, that’s a separate matter. I failed to plan ahead for the traffic after work. I should be the one apologizing.”
Watching him maintain such a rigidly serious expression, the smile at the corners of Liu Qingye’s lips stiffened.
What was going on?
This man is impossible to get through to.
He certainly wasn’t like this on our first date.
