Ji Liuyue froze.
The original plot had never included Ji Xizhou at all.
When he first appeared on the dating show, he had indeed shown special interest in the original host, but he was soon drawn to Liu Qingye instead. After his pursuit ended in failure, he quietly stepped aside and offered them his blessings.
He and the original host had never developed any romantic storyline.
A secret crush?
Her?
Ji Liuyue decided to pretend she hadn’t heard that for now.
Xu Jinsi silently folded down one finger.
Then he said, “I’ve never had a secret crush on anyone.”
He was using his own words against him.
Ji Xizhou, who had just claimed that he had secretly loved someone for over a decade, could only silently fold down one finger as well.
He now thought Xu Jinsi was exceptionally crafty.
At last, it was time for the decisive round.
Ji Xizhou racked his brains. What did he have that Xu Jinsi didn’t?
A hobby? Childhood experiences? Or perhaps something related to romance?
The staff urged him to answer quickly. It was already getting late, and they couldn’t let this affect the heart-flutter text segment later.
Seeing how deeply Ji Xizhou was thinking, Xu Jinsi smiled calmly.
“If you can’t think of anything, why don’t I go first?”
Both of them had one finger raised now. Whoever spoke first would definitely have the advantage, and Xu Jinsi wasn’t foolish enough to give it up at a moment like this.
Ji Xizhou shook his head. “Give me thirty more seconds.”
He said thirty seconds, but he only needed twenty to think of the perfect topic.
“I have a PPL license.”
The PPL he mentioned was a Private Pilot License, roughly equivalent to a C1 driver’s license for aircraft. It allowed the holder to fly between airports, but not to carry passengers for profit.
Although Ji Xizhou wasn’t a flight attendant by profession, he was very interested in aviation and had even gone out of his way to obtain the license.
When he finished speaking, he looked at Xu Jinsi proudly.
He figured that most ordinary people—or even aviation enthusiasts—would at most obtain an SPL, or Sport Pilot License.
Unexpectedly, Xu Jinsi still kept his one finger raised.
He gave a faint smile.
“What a coincidence. I have one too.”
He even pulled out a photo of his PPL license on his phone.
Ji Xizhou fell silent, looking at him with a complicated expression.
Was this guy seriously that impressive?
“It’s my turn now.” Xu Jinsi put away his phone. A hint of disdain flashed through his eyes as he slowly continued, “I don’t just have a PPL. I also have a CPL.”
A CPL was a Commercial Pilot License, roughly equivalent to a Class B driver’s license for cars. Someone holding one could serve as the captain of a small jet or the first officer on a passenger aircraft.
In other words, Xu Jinsi could apply to become a pilot at any major airline, with an annual salary that could reach the million-yuan range.
Of course, to most people, it would be an impressive qualification. To him, it was merely a personal hobby—a pastime he pursued for fun.
Ji Xizhou accepted his defeat and silently folded down his last finger.
The undisputed winner of the game was Xu Jinsi!
After the game ended, everyone remained immersed in shock.
Ji Mingtian joked, “Brother, I thought the house had gotten a flight attendant, but it turns out the real pilot had been among us all along.”
The look Liu Qingye gave Xu Jinsi became even more complicated.
It contained admiration, regret, remorse, and unwillingness all mixed together.
Xu Jinsi was even more outstanding than she had imagined. Unfortunately, such an exceptional man had now escaped her fishpond.
Ji Xizhou had originally only wanted to show off one of his strengths. Instead, he had cast out a brick and drawn forth jade, making Xu Jinsi look even more impressive.
Tonight’s little game had turned out to be incredibly interesting.
Soon, it was time for the heart-flutter texts.
As expected, Ji Liuyue received three messages.
—I want to take you somewhere tomorrow. Where would you like to go?
It was from Xu Jinsi. He was the only one with the right to initiate a little date.
Unfortunately, Ji Liuyue’s heart-flutter text that evening wasn’t for him.
—The person I like is sitting beside me.
Lu Nanxun repeated what he had said during today’s game. Back then, his words had been meant for everyone to hear. Now, the text was meant for her alone.
—You may not remember, but we’ve known each other for a very, very long time.
It was obviously from Ji Xizhou.
Ji Liuyue didn’t really care about the newcomer, Ji Xizhou. From beginning to end, her targets had been Lu Nanxun and Xu Jinsi.
And after Ji Xizhou’s provocation, Xu Jinsi’s favorability, which had been stuck at 72 percent, rose to 75 percent. Lu Nanxun’s increased even faster, reaching 80 percent.
Of course, the reason Lu Nanxun’s favorability had risen so quickly was that accidental game in which they had clasped hands and gazed into each other’s eyes for thirty seconds.
…
On the second morning at the island house, everyone was still asleep.
Only Ji Xizhou had gotten up early and gone to the kitchen to make breakfast. Under the cameras, the sight of the muscular, puppy-like man in a white linen tank top and dark apron, frying eggs with a spatula, created quite a striking contrast.
Fifteen minutes later, he carefully plated the fried eggs, heated toast, and a small serving of fruit. Once everything was done, he carried it to the door with satisfaction.
Knock, knock, knock—
He gently tapped on the door.
But no one answered.
Remembering that she was probably still asleep, Ji Xizhou returned to the kitchen and wrote a note.
It explained that this was a loving breakfast he had made for Yueyue. But when he excitedly brought the finished note back to the room, the breakfast he had left outside the door had already been taken inside.
Ji Xizhou’s face lit up with delight. Naturally, he assumed Yueyue had gotten up and seen it.
But he had overlooked one very important detail!
The island house didn’t have many bedrooms, and Liuyue shared a room with Liu Qingye.
A minute earlier, Liu Qingye had heard the knock. Since her bed was closer to the door, she had sleepily gotten up and opened it.
She had only managed to make out a blurry figure walking away, along with the breakfast sitting outside the door.
Assuming that one of the male guests had prepared it for her, she naturally picked it up and closed the door.
The sound of the door opening and closing woke Ji Liuyue as well. She rubbed her eyes and happened to see Liu Qingye carrying a plate of breakfast into the room.
A little surprised, she asked, “You’re up so early to eat?”
Liu Qingye glanced at the heart-shaped fried egg and the washed fruit in her hands, a hint of smugness showing on her face.
“I didn’t make it. Someone else prepared it and brought it over.”
“Oh.”
Ji Liuyue nodded silently. Her first instinct was that it had probably been sent by the devoted Ji Mingtian.
After all, everyone had noticed how attentive he had been toward Liu Qingye these past few days. Liu Qingye, meanwhile, enjoyed being pursued. She neither accepted nor rejected him, simply keeping him dangling.
Some people had kindly tried to warn Ji Mingtian, but he had already become too caught up in it. Spending so much time together in the house made it even easier to sink into the illusion of romance. All he said was that what he did was his own business.
As for whether Yezi accepted it or not, that was her choice.
It was like Zhou Yu and Huang Gai—one willing to take the beating, the other willing to give it. Since they had already said all they could, everyone could only watch as he continued to play the devoted fool.
But Liu Qingye was somewhat displeased by Ji Liuyue’s simple “Oh.”
What kind of attitude was that? It was as though she didn’t care at all.
“It wasn’t from Ji Mingtian,” she said, gazing expectantly at Ji Liuyue and waiting for her to ask who had sent the breakfast.
