The fish Zhou Guchuan grilled was perfectly cooked in color, aroma, and taste. Since Yin Lan didn’t eat the skin, he removed it all, placing only the tender flesh into her bowl.
Zhou Guchuan said, “Try it. It’s been a while since I last made grilled fish.”
As the sea breeze swept by, it seemed Zhou Guchuan’s grilled fish was the most fragrant around. Several tables of guests had already been glancing their way repeatedly.
Some women couldn’t help feeling envious. While others’ fish wafted an enticing aroma for miles, the men they brought along either burned or charred theirs, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths.
Ignoring the admiring glances from all sides, Yin Lan picked up her chopsticks and took a small bite of the fish.
The moment the meat touched her tongue, her eyes lit up. “Delicious!”
His culinary skills passed the test. He could make baby food at home in the future.
“But speaking of which, how did you become such a good cook? Did the Zhou family deprive you of food and drink? Did you have to cook for yourself every day?”
“No, I worked part-time at a restaurant during university.”
That should be an acceptable explanation, right? He had invested in the food and beverage industry during college and picked up some skills along the way. That could count as part-time work, couldn’t it?
“Part-time? You had to attend classes and work every day back then. That must have been tough.”
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past.” It wasn’t too hard, Zhou Guchuan thought carefully. In fact, he had earned quite a lot back then.
To Yin Lan, his words sounded like resilience and diligence—qualities well-suited for parenting.
After eating her fill, Yin Lan leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes to enjoy the breeze, and swung her feet gently.
The fish bones on the table had already been cleared away by the server, replaced with a plate of freshly cut fruit.
“Excuse me, could I have some wet wipes?” Zhou Guchuan waved to the server.
The server bent slightly. “Of course, sir. Please wait a moment.”
Yin Lan didn’t pay much attention to why Zhou Guchuan wanted wet wipes. Perhaps his cleanliness obsession was acting up, and he needed to wipe his hands?
It wasn’t until a cool sensation touched her feet that Yin Lan abruptly opened her eyes. There, the man was half-kneeling on the ground, cradling her foot and carefully wiping away the sand and dirt.
Yin Lan instinctively pulled her foot back. “What are you doing?”
He had already drawn enough attention with his grilled fish earlier. Now, with this move, they were once again the center of attention.
So many female guests were barefoot, yet the other men remained indifferent. Only Zhou Guchuan was wiping her feet.
“Darling, my feet are dirty too.”
“Baby, other people’s boyfriends are so considerate. You’re so cold to me.”
“I don’t care. I want to wear my shoes clean too.”
“Could you ask the server for wet wipes as well?”
The tranquil seaside suddenly descended into chaos.
Yin Lan received envious looks from all the women, while Zhou Guchuan was met with hostile glares from every man.
Everyone else was perfectly content being lazy—why did he have to be the only diligent one?
Zhou Guchuan remained unperturbed. “Let me clean them for you. Once they’re dry, you can put your shoes back on and walk home. Walking barefoot might chafe your soles. Or I can carry you back. You choose.”
“Fine, go ahead and wipe them.”
Compared to being carried all the way back, she’d rather endure a brief foot-wiping session.
With her permission, Zhou Guchuan wiped even more meticulously. He had noticed it that day at the Yin residence—the woman’s feet were exceptionally beautiful.
Yin Lan’s feet were small and plump, with smooth, elegant arches. Her skin was as fair and delicate as fine jade. With every slight lift and movement, they exuded a soft, alluring charm, full of grace.
Such exquisite feet—and he had let her walk barefoot on the road for so long earlier. What a sin. He should have carried her from the start.
Zhou Guchuan’s face was filled with regret.
Yin Lan’s soles tingled from the man’s gentle wiping. Even the sand between her toes was meticulously cleaned away.
Yin Lan wiggled her cute toes. “Just wipe them off casually. Once I put on shoes and walk around, sand will get in anyway.”
“It won’t. We’ll take a different route—cement pavement.”
“Alright.”
The sandals Yin Lan wore had a strap design. Zhou Guchuan studied them for a while before helping her put them on.
He tied beautiful bows on both sides. The feet before him were as perfect as works of art.
Zhou Guchuan stared for a few seconds, his gaze deepening.
“Let’s go, let’s go, back to the hotel.”
Yin Lan just wanted to leave this envy-inducing place as quickly as possible.
Zhou Guchuan, being pulled along by her, appeared exceptionally obedient. Wherever she said to go, he followed, not even caring if it was the way back to the hotel.
After walking for about ten minutes, Yin Lan began to look confused. Why was it getting livelier and more crowded around them?
“Guchuan, I think I took a wrong turn. Maybe we should…”
Before she could finish, a dark-skinned woman approached and grabbed Yin Lan’s arm.
“Beautiful lady, would you like to experience our tribe’s beautiful blessing for lovers? It works every time.”
Yin Lan wasn’t interested, but Zhou Guchuan perked up.
“What kind of blessing?”
“Couples blindly select a color from a color chart. If both choose the same color, it means you are destined for two lifetimes. Just dye a strand of hair at your temples with that color, and the fate will continue into your next life.”
Yin Lan initially thought it was a scam, but the more she listened, the less composed she felt.
Including her rebirth, she and Zhou Guchuan now shared a bond spanning two lifetimes.
“Should we give it a try?” Yin Lan asked, half-believing, half-doubting.
“Sure, I’ll join you.”
The dark-skinned woman was overjoyed, grinning to reveal a set of white teeth. “Don’t worry, we don’t deceive people. This activity is completely free. We just hope everyone can meet the right person.”
Yin Lan and Zhou Guchuan were led to the activity center, separated by a partition. Everyone in the square watched as they selected their colors.
Since the activity began, no couple had chosen the same color yet.
There were 64 colors on the chart, and both had to pick the same one simultaneously—quite a challenge indeed.
Yin Lan scanned the color chart and checked off her favorite color.
Zhou Guchuan, on the other hand, chose even faster than Yin Lan, making his selection as soon as he received the chart.
The dark-skinned woman announced with a smile, “I’m sure everyone is eager to see if this attractive couple will choose the same color. Let’s reveal the gentleman’s choice first—he was the fastest to decide.”
“Before we announce it, let’s interview him. Why did you choose this color?”
Zhou Guchuan’s voice was clear and gentle, his words reaching Yin Lan’s ears one by one.
“This is the color the world presented when I first met her.”
Yin Lan was full of questions. The first time he met her—was it in the side hall of the Yin family? What color was the side hall again?
Oh no, they couldn’t be this out of sync, could they? With so many people watching, it would be embarrassing.
“Wow, so the gentleman chose the color that made his heart flutter. Let’s see what color it is—Number 17, blue-violet.”
Hearing “Number 17,” Yin Lan’s eyes widened suddenly, her eyelashes fluttering lightly, and her lips parting slightly.
How could it be? Zhou Guchuan had chosen the same color as her!
“Alright, now let’s see what color the beautiful lady chose.”
“What a coincidence—it’s also Number 17, blue-violet. Congratulations to this couple for receiving our tribe’s blessing.”
Cheers erupted from the crowd, but Yin Lan still hadn’t snapped out of her daze. How on earth had Zhou Guchuan guessed correctly?
She loved jacaranda flowers. To be precise, these flowers weren’t exactly blue or purple, but rather a bluish-purple hue. Her choice had been based on that.
But what was Zhou Guchuan’s reasoning?
The event continued, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.
The dark-skinned woman announced, “Now we invite the two of you to dye each other’s hair.”
Yin Lan: ??? Dye hair? To bluish-purple? Wouldn’t that be a bit too… alternative? At the company, she maintained a strong, professional image.
But meeting Zhou Guchuan’s expectant gaze, the words of refusal stuck in her throat.
Damn it, why did he have to be so good-looking?
Who could resist a pair of clear, gentle eyes?
To make matters worse, the corners of his eyes drooped slightly, filled with a soft, warm light—so tender it was almost unbearable to look directly at him.
And Yin Lan was a complete sucker for that!