Chapter 50: Why Choose Him?

In another part of the city, on Huaying Street, Qi Jiajia and Xu Junze were out on a date.

Xu Junze wasn’t the person Qi Jiajia had originally wanted to date; in truth, she wasn’t especially excited about this meeting. She had chosen a location she knew well—a street she was familiar with. Huaying Street was a crossroads of exotic cultures, frequented by many foreigners; it boasted a selection of authentic international cuisine.

The two wandered from one end of the street to the other, buying small gifts and sampling a variety of snacks. To Qi Jiajia’s surprise, Xu Junze was more considerate than she had imagined; he paid attention to many small details. For instance, he’d heard from his ex’s recording that Qi Jiajia liked to film vlogs when she went out, so throughout their date, he took the initiative to help her with photos and videos. Wen Yiming, by contrast, had never been so proactive in documenting her outings. For this alone, Qi Jiajia felt Xu Junze deserved extra points.

They sat down in a restaurant for dinner. While waiting for their meal, Qi Jiajia suddenly felt inspired and began to imitate, in English, the mannerisms of foreign restaurant waiters. Her impersonation was so vivid that Xu Junze couldn’t stop laughing.

“I think you could start an account dedicated to imitating foreigners—you’d definitely go viral,” he said.

“If it doesn’t, will you take responsibility?” Qi Jiajia joked.

“Haha, I wouldn’t mind,” Xu Junze replied, and he meant it.

After the food arrived, Xu Junze looked at Qi Jiajia and smiled. “I’m a little curious—why did you pick me for your second date?”

Qi Jiajia lifted her hand to cover her face, embarrassed. “Ah, why bring that up? It’s so awkward. Couldn’t you just pretend you don’t know I was ever eliminated?”

“Haha, I was just curious. Forget I asked.”

Qi Jiajia let it go and answered candidly, “I hadn’t dated you yet, so I thought I should get to know everyone while I have the chance. If you’ve already got your mind set on someone else, then just consider me an intruder!”

“I did, but now I don’t,” Xu Junze replied with a bitter smile.

Qi Jiajia was surprised by his answer. “You gave up so quickly?”

Xu Junze shrugged and didn’t elaborate.

From his brief reply, Qi Jiajia could guess the gist. She smiled and raised her glass to clink with his. “The next one will be better.”

Xu Junze drank his glass in one gulp.

…

A little after seven in the evening, on the second floor of a well-known restaurant in Jinghua City.

Wen Yiming entered the private room to find Ye Fangfei dressed in hip-hop style, a black baseball cap pulled low over her brow. She sat lazily at the table, absorbed in her phone.

“Hello!”

Wen Yiming closed the door behind him, flashing his signature bright smile.

Ye Fangfei looked up at the sound and smiled quietly, “You’re here.”

The table was a bit too big for just the two of them; Wen Yiming hesitated for a moment, unsure where to sit. Facing her across the table seemed too distant, but sitting beside her might be improper. Well, never mind—closer was better! As he was about to take his seat, Ye Fangfei gestured to the spot opposite her. “Sit.”

Wen Yiming: “…”

With that, he could only sit across from her.

“I’m treating tonight—order whatever you like,” Ye Fangfei said as she handed him the menu.

Her tone gave Wen Yiming a strange feeling.

After the waiter came in to take their order and left, the room was left quiet, just the two of them. This was Wen Yiming’s first time alone with Ye Fangfei. Back at the villa, with everyone around, he was always quick to warm up to others, but now, suddenly alone, he wasn’t sure what topic to bring up.

Odd. This wasn’t like him.

He was supposed to be good at breaking the ice! Was Ye Fangfei’s aura too strong, making him feel outmatched?

Ridiculous—how could a woman intimidate him?

With that thought, a smile crept onto his lips. He moved his mouth to speak, “Uh…”

Just then, Ye Fangfei spoke as well. “Awkward?”

Wen Yiming: “…”

“Haha! Not at all.” Wen Yiming scratched the back of his head, trying to cover the immense awkwardness with a hearty laugh.

“You can be honest,” Ye Fangfei said calmly. “I think it is pretty awkward.”

“???”

Wen Yiming was momentarily stunned—this wasn’t the conversational flow he expected…

“Haha, it’s fine. Once we’re used to each other, it won’t be awkward.” He quickly steered the conversation to a new topic. “You’ve been busy with work lately? You didn’t stay at the villa last night.”

“I worked until midnight yesterday. It got too late, so I didn’t go back,” Ye Fangfei replied with a smile. To keep the atmosphere from getting too uncomfortable, she introduced a new subject as well: “Did I miss anything exciting?”

“If you were there last night, it would’ve been fun. We played a game where we guessed who was lip-syncing. The boys lost to the girls, so they had to make breakfast this morning.”

“If I’d been there, you might have lost even worse.”

“Not necessarily. Lu Zhou was pretty good at guessing. If it was four against four, it could’ve ended in a tie.”

“Oh? Really? Didn’t you include him last night?”

“He stayed in his room and didn’t join.”

“Oh.”

With the conversation opened up, the atmosphere began to warm. They chatted casually, mostly about the others at the villa and about their work.

When the dishes arrived, they switched to discussing the food. The meal didn’t last long.

At the end, Wen Yiming tried to pay the bill, “Let me get this.”

“Your total is 3,268 yuan,” the waiter announced.

“I said I’d treat,” Ye Fangfei replied, pulling out a VIP card and handing it to the waiter.

Wen Yiming smiled. “Alright, then I’ll treat next time.”

Ye Fangfei didn’t respond.

They took the elevator down to the underground parking lot. Wen Yiming checked the map and saw there was a skating rink nearby; he suggested they go, since it was still early.

“I’d like to, but I’m just too tired. I stayed up last night, and worked all day today—I really don’t have the energy,” Ye Fangfei replied.

With that, Wen Yiming couldn’t insist on prolonging the date and simply said goodbye.

According to the show’s rules, the guests on today’s dates couldn’t return together to the Pink House, so they had to go their separate ways.

Sitting in his car, Wen Yiming felt dazed.

What kind of date was that? It felt like he’d just eaten a luxurious meal, and even their conversation barely scratched the surface—not a hint of depth.

It was as if the whole evening had been empty.

Wasn’t she the one who’d chosen him for the date? He’d spent all night looking forward to it, and this was all?

Why was she so indifferent, if she’d chosen him?

Why?

In another car heading in a different direction, Ye Fangfei had fallen asleep against the window.

In truth, her reason was simple—because Wen Yiming had tried to invite her to dinner that day. She thought, since she had to choose someone for the date anyway, she might as well treat him to a meal, fulfill the task, and give him a clear idea.

It was a win-win.

She was clever—far too clever!

…

The guests, having finished their dates, were on their way back. Meanwhile, Lu Zhou returned to the villa around eight in the evening, finding it empty and delightfully peaceful.