Chapter 33: The Night of the Date

Unlike the previous two evenings, tonight the guests no longer needed to return to the Pink Cottage for dinner together.

Tonight belonged to the first one-on-one dates between the men and women of "Switch? Exes."

At exactly 7:00 p.m., outside the Jinghua Long New District Courthouse, Ye Fangfei stepped out of the car and immediately spotted Xu Junze waiting at the main entrance in a formal suit, not far from the production crew's cameramen.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise—so he was the man who had once gone on a courthouse date with his ex.

Before arriving, Ye Fangfei hadn't known who her date would be tonight. For her, as long as it wasn't Zhang Chen, she was fine with anyone. Still, though she hadn't expected much, she couldn't help but be curious: who would choose such an unusual venue as a courthouse for a date?

Xu Junze noticed her arrival and hurried over with a smile.

"Hi! You're here," he greeted, handing her a bouquet of roses he had prepared in advance. "These are for you."

Ye Fangfei accepted them graciously, her smile sincere. "How thoughtful! You even brought flowers—thank you!"

"I'm glad you like them," Xu Junze replied, his demeanor clearly nervous. Inside the villa, he'd barely had a chance to speak with her, let alone have a private conversation. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he felt that Ye Fangfei was a woman out of his league—at the very least, not someone he could easily win over.

There was something captivating in her aura—she drew the eye effortlessly, yet there was also an untouchable distance about her, a sense of "admire from afar, but do not approach."

Xu Junze was used to gauging his chances before acting; he'd only make an effort if he felt at least a forty percent chance of success. With Ye Fangfei, he doubted he even had thirty.

Of course, he'd joined the show not to find new love, but to rekindle things with his ex—and maybe drum up some publicity for his company in the process. Until his ex made it clear that reconciliation was impossible, he wasn't going to shift his attention elsewhere.

So for tonight's date, Xu Junze had no inappropriate expectations—he simply wanted to complete the date as assigned, come across well on camera, and reinforce his image as a loyal, devoted man.

"I'm rather curious—what exactly is our date tonight?" Ye Fangfei glanced at the solemn courthouse ahead, arching an eyebrow with a teasing smile. "Don't tell me… we're going in to observe a trial?"

Xu Junze scratched his nose, embarrassed. "Actually, yes. There's a trial tonight involving a couple's divorce dispute… Are you interested in observing it with me?"

"Divorce dispute…" Ye Fangfei's lips twitched, her expression hard to put into words. "That's certainly a unique choice for a date… When you and your ex came here, was it to sit through a divorce trial together as well?"

If so, she could only marvel: there truly is nothing too strange for this world.

"No…" Xu Junze couldn't help but laugh at her expression, explaining, "Back then, it wasn't exactly a date. I accompanied her to attend her own hearing—she won the case. We were so happy that we went out for dinner, and somehow, that night, we became a couple. It left a deep impression on me, so the courthouse became a place of special significance."

Ye Fangfei made a sound of understanding. "Put that way, it's almost romantic."

"You suggested this place to the producers because it meant something to you both—so you were hoping she'd choose it for the date?"

She caught him off guard with her perceptiveness. Xu Junze's eyes lowered, and he offered a helpless smile. "Yes, but she didn't pick it."

Seeing the lingering feelings in his eyes, Ye Fangfei patted his arm gently, a silent gesture of consolation. She had no interest in prying into others' emotional entanglements; instead, she shook the bouquet in her hand and raised an eyebrow. "I have a question—if I bring flowers into a divorce trial, isn't that a little inappropriate?"

Her reminder made Xu Junze laugh awkwardly. "Ah, I didn't think that far ahead."

Ye Fangfei shrugged and left the flowers in the car.

The two entered the courthouse at the designated time.

It was, in a way, a special date—the time passed surprisingly quickly, and after an hour and a half, it was over. Listening to the divorce case only reinforced Ye Fangfei's belief: two people who were never truly compatible from the start, forced together by circumstance, would only grow more miserable as time went on.

After the hearing, Xu Junze suggested dinner at a nearby restaurant, but Ye Fangfei declined, citing her special status and reluctance to eat out.

Not wanting to insist, Xu Junze accompanied her back to the Pink Cottage, where they ordered takeout and called it a night. There was no trace of romantic tension between them—more like two colleagues working late.

Still, by the end of the evening, they were much more at ease with each other—at least, no longer awkwardly silent.

Meanwhile, at another venue—a mountaintop fine-dining restaurant.

Chu Yao had taken special care with her appearance, suspecting she might have matched with her preferred date. She wore a rarely-seen black lace backless slip dress and had her long straight hair curled for the occasion.

Tonight, she radiated a sensuality she seldom showed.

Getting to the mountaintop restaurant required a cable car journey. As she rode up, looking down at the neon-lit city, her heart was a bundle of nerves and anticipation.

She hoped the man awaiting her would be Zhang Chen. She repeated the wish silently.

At the restaurant entrance, a courteous server led her along a long wooden walkway, illuminated by twinkling lights that created a dreamy, romantic atmosphere. At the end, they turned a corner—and there, a specially decorated outdoor table appeared.

Gentle, romantic music floated on the breeze, stirring the heart.

Zhang Chen sat at one end of the table, dressed impeccably, the candlelight flickering in the mountain wind, casting a soft veil over him. Behind him, the city lights glittered like a sea of stars.

A true gentleman of distinction.

That was Chu Yao's first impression.

The entire restaurant was empty except for them.

He had reserved the whole place!

Tonight, every staff member was there solely to serve them.

Chu Yao's heart fluttered—perhaps this was the allure of wealth. What woman could refuse such a date? Probably none.

Zhang Chen heard the sound of heels approaching, turned his head, and, seeing Chu Yao so exquisitely dressed, smiled.

Suppressing her excitement, Chu Yao walked toward him as gracefully as she could. "Isn't this a bit too grand?" she said, her gentle smile tinged with delight, breaking the silence.

"Grand?" Zhang Chen swept his gaze around the mountaintop restaurant, unfazed. "Then you should have seen the first time I brought her here—tonight is nothing in comparison."

Chu Yao's smile froze. "Her?"

She realized at once that by "her," he meant his ex.

The awkwardness struck without warning. Chu Yao could only broaden her smile to cover her discomfort.

"Sit, try the food here—the chef is excellent," Zhang Chen said, rising with a gracious smile and pulling out her chair.

"Thank you," Chu Yao replied.

He returned to his seat. They sat face-to-face across the table. By candlelight, Zhang Chen studied her carefully, not stinting in his praise. "You look beautiful tonight."

Chu Yao blushed and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

A man complimenting your looks was usually a sign of interest, Chu Yao thought.

Zhang Chen snapped his fingers for the waiter to serve the dishes.

The first course was brought out by the restaurant owner himself. Clearly on good terms with Zhang Chen, the owner joked in front of Chu Yao, "So, you've changed girlfriends again?"

Chu Yao: "…"

Zhang Chen made as if to kick the owner. "Do you ever think before you speak? Not exactly the right occasion."

The owner dodged nimbly, offering Chu Yao an apologetic smile. "Don't mind me, just kidding. Normally, Zhang only brings women of substance here. The last one he brought was—"

Zhang Chen cut him off with another kick. "Will you just be quiet!"

"Alright, I’ll stop playing third wheel. You two enjoy yourselves," the owner said, hastily retreating.

Though the place was beautiful and romantic, Chu Yao suddenly wished to go elsewhere for the date. It felt as though the shadow of Zhang Chen's ex hovered perpetually between them.

Still, since she was here, she might as well make the most of it.

She thought, if she wanted to win over a wealthy man like Zhang Chen, she needed to be open-minded. If she couldn’t shake off the ex’s presence, she might as well talk about her directly.

"May I ask—why did you two break up?" she asked as casually as she could.

Zhang Chen took a sip of wine, smiling. "She said I was too boring."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at Chu Yao. "Do you think I'm boring?"

Her hand paused on her glass, but she smiled, eyes crinkling. "Boring? Not at all. Usually, if someone finds another boring, they probably just haven’t found common interests yet."

Zhang Chen nodded. "I think so too. That’s why I’m working on finding some shared hobbies."

Chu Yao: "???" So that’s not over yet?

Zhang Chen glanced at his watch. "What do you think the others are doing on their dates?"

Chu Yao: "…"

"I don’t know, but I imagine everyone’s doing something different. Like the haunted house—it has to be at an amusement park, right?"

She tried to keep smiling, hiding any sign of dismay.

"I'm curious how the courthouse couple's date is going," Zhang Chen mused, gazing at the city lights below.

… I’m not curious at all, nor do I want to talk about them, Chu Yao thought to herself.

By now, the dishes had all been served, and the two began eating and chatting.

"Mmm! This is delicious!" Chu Yao exclaimed after a bite of Wellington steak.

Watching her, Zhang Chen found her cutely gluttonous and couldn't help but laugh. "Then have some more."

Finally, their conversation shifted away from the awkward subject of exes to lighter topics—food and personal interests.

In stark contrast, another date venue was the haunted house.

As the name suggested, the date's agenda was clear.

Worried that a skirt would be inconvenient, Li Jiayan had swapped her usual dresses for casual wear—a playful camisole with light high-waisted jeans—still charming.

She didn't know which male guest she'd be meeting, but she hoped it would be Zhang Chen. All the way there, she kept repeating to herself: please, not Lu Zhou…

Li Jiayan had no desire to date her ex, Lu Zhou. They had long since broken up, her parents had always thought he was beneath her, and now he was doing even worse than before—there was no chance for them anymore.

Why waste each other's time? Better to meet someone new.

She got stuck in traffic and arrived at the haunted house some ten minutes late.

"Ugh, first date and I'm late—what a terrible impression…" she muttered, quickly getting out of the car and jogging to the entrance.

The male guest was already waiting, with the cameraman nearby.

She slowed as she took in his athletic silhouette—hands in denim pockets, tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, with a strikingly attractive build.

A buzz cut…

Well, now she knew who it was.

Li Jiayan paused, a flash of disappointment in her eyes.

Her date was not Lu Zhou—thankfully—but neither was it her preferred Zhang Chen. Instead, it was Wen Yiming.

Could she say he was the one male guest, apart from Lu Zhou, she least wanted to date?

Why? He was handsome, owned two fitness clubs, had a great body—he should have been her type. But instinct told Li Jiayan that Wen Yiming was probably a playboy.

He was equally enthusiastic with every woman, so much so that it made little difference.

"Sorry, I was stuck in traffic. Hope you weren't too impatient?" Li Jiayan greeted him, giving his shoulder a friendly pat.

"No worries—waiting for a beauty is never a chore," Wen Yiming grinned, radiant.

"Did you guess it would be me tonight?" he asked, eager.

Li Jiayan smiled politely—one had to give face after all. "I had a feeling it might be you."

"Really?"

"Mm."

"Have you done this before?"

"Uh… yes, actually."

"So you won’t be too easily scared?"

"If it’s too terrifying, I probably will. Are you the brave type, not afraid of this stuff?"

"Depends on the theme. If it’s too realistic, I get scared too. But overall, I’ve got a strong heart—don’t worry, I’ll protect you."

Li Jiayan decided to play the damsel, giving a faint, helpless smile. "Then I’ll count on you."

Chatting as they walked in, they learned the theme was a hospital.

After signing a waiver, their haunted house adventure began.

The darkness was thick with a terrifying atmosphere—impossible to predict what awaited them.

They entered a dark corridor, lined with closed doors.

Suddenly, Wen Yiming brushed her hand. "If you get scared, you can hold onto me."

"I’m alright for now," Li Jiayan replied, deftly avoiding his hand, eyes darting around, not daring to drop her guard.

His attempt at physical closeness thwarted, Wen Yiming took the lead, pushing open a heavy fire door with a creak.

Pitch blackness greeted them. He shone his flashlight around.

Suddenly, a shadow moved in the corner—a wild-haired, white-eyed female ghost.

Caught off guard, Wen Yiming shrieked and stumbled back, clutching Li Jiayan.

Startled by his reaction, Li Jiayan stumbled herself. "…"

The ghost lunged at them, baring her teeth.

Li Jiayan pushed Wen Yiming aside, raising her flashlight to shine directly into the ghost’s eyes. "Don’t come any closer! That’s enough, who do you think you’re scaring?"

Blinded by the light, the staff member playing the ghost shielded her eyes and retreated to the corner.

Wen Yiming: "…"

Li Jiayan turned to him, smiling. "Looks like you’re more scared than I am. I’ll lead the way."

Wen Yiming: "…"

Calmly, Li Jiayan led the way with her flashlight, inwardly complaining: Who’s protecting whom, exactly…

Wen Yiming cleared his throat awkwardly, laughing. "You seem experienced—do this often?"

"Every Halloween, I go to a haunted house to celebrate."

"…"

In the end, it was Li Jiayan who led Wen Yiming to the end.

After a quick meal at the amusement park, they returned to the Pink Cottage.

On the way back, Li Jiayan stared out at the neon lights, wondering who the others had ended up dating.

Meanwhile, Wen Yiming kept sneaking glances at her, thinking: She looks so delicate, but who knew she’d be so brave at the critical moment! Such a reversal—utterly charming! I’m smitten!

In stark contrast, another date venue was the seaside.

The sound of a live band and the cheers of the crowd surged in waves against Lu Zhou's ears.

In the throng, he stood alone, his figure somehow more solitary.

He had been waiting on the beach for his date for nearly two hours, but she still hadn’t arrived.