Chapter 70: Forced Date – The Third Date Confession Begins

Gu Si raised an eyebrow at him, his voice brimming with arrogance.
“What? Getting anxious already?”

Wen Shijin’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, his voice calm and steady.
“I advise you not to set your sights on Xiaoyan and bring her trouble.”

The last word, “trouble”, made Gu Si’s previously smug expression freeze for a moment. But he quickly returned to normal, scoffing with a raised eyebrow.

“And what position do you have to meddle? If you’re just a friend or some so-called ‘big brother,’ you have no right to interfere in personal matters of the heart, do you?”

These words struck Wen Shijin’s sore spot directly. His fingers curled slightly, and his usually gentle gaze flickered. Yes, even if he had sensed Gu Si’s hidden feelings for Ning Qingyan, what right did he have to stop it?

His heart wavered, but on the surface, Wen Shijin remained composed and serene. Turning away, he walked toward the living room, leaving behind a light remark.

“She’s straight. She likes girls. That makes you a problem. Know your place.”

The statement was simple and direct, yet it struck Gu Si right where it hurt. His expression darkened, and after a long silence, he muttered under his breath, almost inaudibly—

“So what if she’s straight? I’ll just bend her myself…”

As he spoke, the door opened.

Ning Qingyan, who had just stepped out, saw Gu Si leaning against the wall at the entrance, lost in thought. Then she vaguely caught the word “bend”, and her heart skipped a beat.

Their eyes met.

Without hesitation, she slammed the door shut with a loud “PAH” and immediately locked it.

Gu Si: …?

Damn it! This was annoying!

Staring at the locked door, Gu Si pursed his lips tightly, his expression dark as he turned and stomped back into his bedroom.

Looking at the neatly arranged gifts on his desk—the ones he had carefully chosen for Ning Qingyan—he suddenly found them extremely eye-searing.

She definitely heard him saying he wanted to bend her! That cowardly reaction, slamming the door shut like that, was enough proof!

Taking a deep breath, Gu Si shoved the packaged gifts into his cabinet and slammed it shut. Out of sight, out of mind.

But after thinking for a moment, he still took out the desserts and placed them in the refrigerator in the living room.

Back in his bedroom, he yanked off his outer jacket with one hand, revealing a loose inner shirt. Without another thought, he grabbed his boxing gloves from the hook and began pounding relentlessly on the hanging sandbag. He didn’t stop, letting his sweat pour freely.

—

Meanwhile, on the other side of the apartment…

Huo Qi, who had been buried in work day and night, was finally on his last video conference call.

“Boss, I’m all set on my end.”
“Same here.”
“Market predictions look good. No major issues.”

Huo Qi nodded, issued the final command, and closed the meeting.

After working so hard for days, it was finally time to reap the rewards. He let out a deep breath, reaching for his water cup—only to realize it was empty. The kettle, too, was completely dry. His stomach, long ignored, growled in protest.

Closing his eyes, he rubbed his temples, got up, and walked into the kitchen in the dark.

Before, he would’ve just grabbed some dry bread and gulped it down with hot water. But now, staring at the instant noodles hanging on the wall, he unexpectedly decided to boil some water and cook himself a bowl of noodles.

That time on the island… Ning Qingyan had spoiled his taste.

Now that the project was wrapping up, tonight was a rare moment when he wasn’t busy.

For the past few days, work had kept him from dwelling on personal matters. He had forcibly restrained his emotions, keeping his mind cold and clear. But now, as he watched the boiling water bubbling in the pot, his thoughts suddenly drifted to those warm nights when Ning Qingyan cooked noodles for him.

—

Ning Qingyan arrived home in the late evening. By the time she unpacked everything, it was already nighttime.

She hadn’t eaten dinner, nor had she touched the desserts in the fridge. Rubbing her hungry stomach, she fumbled through the dark toward the kitchen.

And there she saw Huo Qi, boiling water for noodles under the soft glow of the warm kitchen light.

“Ge! Cook an extra portion for me too!”

Her voice snapped Huo Qi out of his daze. He turned to see her standing in the kitchen doorway. His cool gaze flickered slightly—

That’s when he remembered.

Tonight was the night all the show’s participants were supposed to gather.

He had been so buried in work that he had completely forgotten.

Retracting his gaze, he added another portion of noodles into the boiling water. His voice was calm.

“This much okay?”

Ning Qingyan nodded. He stood silently by the stove, watching the noodles cook.

Looking at the plain, watery noodles, she fell into silence.

Without a word, she started washing vegetables, cracking eggs, and grabbing seasonings…

Before long, the aroma of fresh, savory vegetable and egg noodles filled the kitchen. Swallowing her saliva, she served two bowls—one for each of them.

After days apart, the first thing they did upon reuniting was share a midnight snack in the kitchen.

Huo Qi glanced at Ning Qingyan happily eating. Then he looked down at the egg in his own bowl. A complicated emotion flickered in his eyes.

—

[Green Tea System: Huo Qi’s Favorability +1]

—

The two ate in comfortable silence, the atmosphere oddly warm and peaceful.

Ning Qingyan was already used to Huo Qi’s quiet nature, so she continued chattering about random stories from her past few days. Of course, she made them up—just like she had with Gu Si.

She talked about how her poor family had to move from the capital to a lower-cost second-tier city after the show, just to throw them off in case they tried to find her afterward.

Huo Qi listened quietly, occasionally nodding or murmuring in response.

—

[Green Tea System: Huo Qi’s Favorability +1]

—

Strangely, Huo Qi, who usually ate as fast as possible, was now eating slowly and savoring each bite.

By the time Ning Qingyan had finished her bowl, he still had half left. Only then did he quickly finish it in two bites.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he picked up her empty bowl, stacked it on his, and went to wash the dishes.

Ning Qingyan, full and satisfied, licked her lips and called out,
“Thanks, Ge! I’m heading to bed now.”

Huo Qi, still washing dishes, paused slightly before responding in a low voice,
“Mm.”

Once she was gone, he finished washing the dishes but didn’t leave the kitchen.

Instead, he sat down at the small dining table, spacing out.

He hadn’t slept well for days. Every time work ended, his mind was filled with thoughts of Ning Qingyan.

Now that work had slowed down, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he went back to his room.

Yet somehow, sitting right here in the kitchen, he felt inexplicably at peace.

Even though it was summer, he wrapped his arms around himself, resting his head on the clean tabletop, and let his mind drift.

—

The next morning, Ning Qingyan finally woke up at noon.

The moment she opened her door, a group of men in black masks, black sunglasses, and black caps immediately grabbed her and carried her outside.

She was about to scream when an earpiece buzzed with the director’s voice.

“You have been forcibly chosen by Sheng Mingzhu for a mandatory date. You are not allowed to resist. Follow the staff to the designated location.”

…

The livestream chat exploded:
“LMAO, they’ve been playing cards outside her door for HOURS waiting for her to wake up.”
“Sheng Mingzhu has been choosing gifts for the date for so long, she’d be so pissed if she knew she had to keep waiting.”
“Finally, the date begins! Time for some romance!”