Around six in the evening, Ji Xie and Xu Yizhu went together to the hotel to pick up Ji’s father and Ji’s mother for dinner. By the way, they also had Zhou Yi bring his girlfriend along.
The restaurant Xu Yizhu had booked was a Jiangnan-style eatery, which online reviews claimed was quite good.
“I wasn’t sure if Uncle and Auntie had any dietary restrictions, so I just ordered a random assortment of dishes.”
Ji’s father laughed heartily, “We’re very easygoing; anything is fine.”
Ji’s mother chimed in, “Everything is good, everything is good. Overseas, it’s simply impossible to find such authentic Chinese cuisine.”
Xu Yizhu let out a sigh of relief, “As long as the two elders like it.”
Ji’s mother then looked over at Zhou Yi’s girlfriend, smiling with gentle kindness, “This must be Mr. Zhou’s girlfriend. Such a pretty young lady.”
Lin Jing was somewhat introverted. Being praised so warmly by Ji’s mother made her face flush a bright red, and she said shyly, “Auntie, you’re the truly beautiful one, and you’re so well-preserved.”
It was also Xu Yizhu’s first time meeting Zhou Yi’s girlfriend. She had an oval face, large eyes, a petite figure, and a remarkably gentle demeanor.
“Zhou Zhou, you’ve got yourself quite a blessing,” Xu Yizhu teased.
Zhou Yi’s face flushed red as well, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Everyone smiled and offered their blessings to the couple.
Sitting right beside him, Ji Xie leaned in sideways, closed the distance, and murmured in a low voice, “Look, even Zhou Yi has a girlfriend. Why don’t you consider me too?”
Xu Yizhu picked up his chair and scooted a bit further away, saying coldly, “Not considering it.”
“Don’t be like that~”
The hand beneath the table was firmly grasped by him. Xu Yizhu felt as though he had been lightly electrocuted, a tingling sensation spreading across his entire body.
“I like you so much.”
Once again, such a direct, unreserved confession.
Xu Yizhu tried to pull his hand back, but it wouldn’t budge; instead, it was held even tighter.
The contact of warm palms pressed together had worked up a layer of sweat, tickling his skin. Xu Yizhu couldn’t help trying to yank his hand away once more.
“If you move again, I’m going to hold your hand right on top of the table,” Ji Xie threatened.
Xu Yizhu stopped moving, letting him hold it. He only secretly bit down on the tip of his tongue, the sudden wave of pain instantly washing away the strange sensations in his body.
“Xiao Xie, what are you two up to over there?” Turning her head, Ji’s mother caught her son huddled close to someone else, whispering secrets.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just asking Mr. Xu what he wanted to eat so I could help dish it out for him.” His reply was delivered with absolute solemnity.
Xu Yizhu: (Hypocritical to the core.)
Seemingly recalling something, Ji’s mother spoke up, “Speaking of which, Xiao Zhu clearly said a few days ago that he was your boyfriend. How come this morning you said you still haven’t won him over?”
Xu Yizhu’s heart tightened, and he lowered his gaze to mask the emotions in his eyes.
“Did I?” Ji Xie smiled, “He still hasn’t agreed to be with me yet.”
Ji’s father gave a dry cough and steered the conversation elsewhere, “Xiao Zhu saying it that way back then was just to put our minds a bit more at ease.”
“Is that so?” Though slightly befuddled, Ji’s mother still smiled and said to Xu Yizhu, “Xiao Zhu, Auntie likes you a lot. If this brat manages to win you over, I’ll be thrilled.”
“Of course, if you feel he isn’t someone worth entrusting your life to, don’t let anyone else’s suggestions influence your own feelings, you hear?”
Xu Yizhu felt a stirring of emotion. This was the first time an elder had ever told him that other people’s suggestions didn’t matter, and that his own happiness was what truly counted.
“Alright, I know. Thank you, Auntie.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Once the meal ended, Ji’s father and mother refused to let the younger ones tag along. Feeling a bit uneasy, Xu Yizhu insisted on seeing them safely back to their hotel.
“Alright now, do you really think we’re going to get lost? You young folks go do whatever you need to do; stop trailing after us, where’s the fun in that?” Ji’s father waved a hand, coaxing them to leave quickly.
“Alright then. Uncle, Auntie, watch yourselves on the way.”
“Off you go, off you go.”
The elderly couple flagged down a taxi and departed without once looking back.
Watching the car vanish into the distance, Zhou Yi remarked, “The two elders certainly don’t drag their feet when they make a decision.”
“After all, it’s a place they lived in for over forty years, they won’t get lost,” Ji Xie said. “Shall we go grab a drink?”
Glancing at the time, Lin Jing spoke up, “I won’t be coming along; I still have a document that needs revising tonight.”
Seeing this, Zhou Yi wanted to accompany her back, but she declined: “Go have fun, just don’t drink too much.”
“I’m not going either. I’ll go home and keep you company,” Zhou Yi said.
“I’m not going either,” Xu Yizhu added. “I still have work to finish.”
Ji Xie didn’t press the issue. “Alright then, we’ll save the drinks for another day.” He turned to Xu Yizhu and said, “I’ll take you back.”
“No need!” Xu Yizhu blurted out a refusal instinctively. “Don’t bother, I can get back by myself.”
Zhou Yi watched the scene unfold with clear understanding, though it wasn’t his place to interfere, so he simply said goodbye and left first with Lin Jing.
The remaining two stood deadlocked on the side of the road.
“You really don’t need to drive me. I can make it back,” Xu Yizhu broke the silence after a long moment.
Without answering, Ji Xie grabbed Xu Yizhu’s wrist and hauled him straight toward the parked car across the street.
His attitude was domineering, leaving zero room for refusal.
“I’m driving you back,” Ji Xie said. “I won’t force you into a relationship with me.”
Ji’s complexion looked somewhat displeased, as if he were slightly annoyed by his own overbearingness just now.
“Sorry, did I squeeze your wrist too hard?”
Xu Yizhu flexed his wrist, which had been reddened by the grip, and replied with absolute detachment, “I’m fine.”
The cramped space and the confrontational atmosphere pressed heavily on Xu Yizhu, making him feel suffocated.
“I’m taking you back. If you don’t want to see me, I won’t bother you,” Ji Xie’s voice was soft and light, carrying a faint trace of sorrow. “Xu Yizhu, I like you. I can’t even explain why, but the very first time I saw you at the bar, I liked you.”
“The moment you walked in, I noticed you. Then you ordered a fruit wine and didn’t even drink it, just sat there quietly, occasionally looking down at your phone.”
“When the light hit you, you felt as serene as a statue, entirely undisturbed by the outside world, completely absorbed in your own universe. I was drawn to you right then and there.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Xu Yizhu lowered his head and listened quietly as he poured out his feelings.
Recalling something, Ji Xie gave a soft chuckle and continued, “When the power went out, you looked like a startled rabbit, your eyes filled with panic and unease. I have no idea why you’re afraid of the dark, but the moment you pulled yourself into my arms, you were shaking all over, practically trying to burrow straight into my body.”
Xu Yizhu’s ears burned fiercely, dyed a bright shade of pink.
“And when you were crying secretly by the roadside, and when we were in bed…”
“Stop right there!” Xu Yizhu’s cheeks were scorching hot, and his breathing began to quicken.
“Don’t say another word!”
Looking thoroughly amused, Ji Xie feigned a look of complete innocence and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Stop talking!” Xu Yizhu wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. Having lived twenty-seven years in vain, he found himself reduced to a blushing, heart-pounding mess by just a few casual remarks from someone else.
“But I haven’t finished reminiscing yet.”
“You are not allowed to reminisce!” Xu Yizhu snapped viciously, “Everything after that was an accident!”
Beaming with doting affection, Ji Xie complied obediently, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
The atmosphere inside the car began to grow ambiguous and hazy. Xu Yizhu gripped his seatbelt tightly, sitting on pins and needles.
“Weren’t you going to take me back?” Xu Yizhu feigned composure, “Let’s go.”
A subtle twitch of Ji Xie’s brow went unsaid as he engaged the engine, “Alright.”
Throughout the entire journey, neither of them spoke another word. When Ji Xie parked the car right at the entrance of the residential complex, Xu Yizhu muttered a quick thank you and bolted out like a streak of smoke, terrified that Ji Xie might catch him.
Watching the familiar figure flee in a panic yet again, Ji Xie smiled helplessly.
The moment Xu Yizhu got home, he locked himself in his bedroom. Ji Xie’s unstrategized, direct confession packed far too much impact.
If things kept going this way, he would crack sooner or later and surrender entirely.
Discarding any stray thoughts in his mind and calming his focus, he booted up the computer he hadn’t touched in days.
Thank goodness he had the habit of keeping a buffer of saved chapters, or else this month’s full-attendance bonus worth several hundred would have gone down the drain.
As expected, romances really did severely interfere with earning money.
Xu Yizhu published today’s chapter, taking a brief glance at the reader comments along the way.
Fortunately, there weren’t too many negative reviews.
At worst, people were just complaining that the plot was dull, that there were too many stumbling blocks in the romance between the male and female leads, and that it wasn’t satisfying enough.
Xu Yizhu’s mental state was always as steady as a mountain, immune to major disturbances. However… his buffer chapters were running low. He needed to pick up the pace and write.
Shutting down the computer, he grabbed his pajamas and headed for the bathroom.
By the time he emerged with damp hair, his phone’s notification chime was blowing up with a flurry of messages.
Zhou Yi: A-Zhu, Ji Xie seems like a decent guy. If you two don’t have any major misunderstandings, why not give it a shot? Staying single forever isn’t a solution.
Next came Ji Xie.
X: I’m home. X: Don’t be mad anymore. X: Waiting for your reply. If you don’t reply, I’m not sleeping.
Xu Yizhu chuckled. (So childish.)
The final message was from Xu Man. Texting him late at night definitely meant nothing good.
The slight upward curve of Xu Yizhu’s mouth flattened instantly.
Xu Yizhu replied to her text: What is it?
Before ten seconds had passed, a voice message call came through.
“Son?”
“Speak.”
“Don’t be so cold!” Xu Man cajoled flatteringly, “Mom wants to start a small business with a friend, and you—”
“No money!” Cutting her off before she could finish, Xu Yizhu gave a blunt refusal.
Under normal circumstances, hearing him take that tone would have sent Xu Man flying into a tantrum, but today she did a complete about-face: “Listen to me finish first!”
“Go ahead,” Xu Yizhu steadied his emotions.
“It’s like this. Mom met a new friend who says he’s opening a fried chicken shop and wants Mom to buy a stake in it. It’s not much, just a hundred thousand.”
“Wonderful. Go ahead and invest.”
“The problem is I don’t have that much cash, Son~” Xu Man began acting coquettishly, “Good son, Mom really wants to turn over a new leaf this time. Help Mom out.”
Xu Yizhu didn’t believe her, but he didn’t care to crush her spirits either: “I’ll think about it.”
“Alright, alright! Think it over carefully then. Mom will call you tomorrow. Get some rest early, don’t work too hard.” Xu Man’s mouth split wide in an excited grin.
“Got it.”
Hanging up the phone, Xu Yizhu saw that Ji Xie had sent him a whole string of messages.
X: Can you bear to keep me awake all night? X: As expected of the person I like, truly ruthless! X: I’m in this state, and you still refuse to reply to me?
Too lazy to type out a reply, Xu Yizhu sent a voice message back: “Are you annoying or what? Harass me again and I’m blocking you.”
Ji Xie replied promptly, also sending a voice message back.
“You promised my mom, how can you be like this!”
His tone carried a shameless, aggrieved cadence, like a child denied candy.
Xu Yizhu froze, failing to process the claim for a second.
He asked, “What did I promise?”
“You promised to make her happy.”
If this brat manages to win you over, I’ll be thrilled.
Alright, I know…
Taking things completely out of context and completely shameless.