Song Xi hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward.

With the atmosphere already set, she decided to ask her question fully, despite a hint of embarrassment.

Song Xi nodded lightly, “Yes, now please start your answer.”

For some reason, Shang Fuyan felt like laughing at her words but managed to keep his expression composed.

Laughing at her now would be impolite.

Shang Fuyan paused, then countered, “What do you want to hear?”

Song Xi’s eyes twinkled mischievously, “If I find out I’m not your ideal type, I can back off early, right?”

“No.” Realizing his tone was a bit harsh, he softened it, “You haven’t even started, and you’re already backing off. Are you scared?”

Perhaps the challenge worked.

Song Xi responded, “To disappoint you, I’ve never been afraid of anything in my life.”

The more challenging something was, the more she wanted to overcome it, to climb, to change, to experience the thrill of the unknown.

Hearing this, the corner of Shang Fuyan’s lips curled slightly, and his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses sparkled with a hint of interest.

“Song Xi, what is your ideal type?”

“Used to be unsure, but now I know. My ideal type… is someone like you.”

Shang Fuyan admitted that he was a bit charmed by this young woman. He kept his expression neutral and said, “I am honored.”

To his surprise, Song Xi changed the tone, “But don’t get too excited. Who knows, maybe one day I won’t like someone like you anymore.”

At that moment, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, bringing him back to reality.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Song Xi noticed this and, after a moment of contemplation, said, “Professor Shang, do you want to hear a story?”

Seeing him nod, Song Xi organized her thoughts and narrated calmly, “It’s said that insufficient kidney qi can lead to kidney deficiency, causing symptoms like visible veins.”

Shang Fuyan: “…”

He glanced down at his hands. The visible veins were clearly due to excessive exercise, not kidney deficiency.

Seeing his silence, Song Xi continued, ” Jinkui Shenqi Pills and Qiju Dihuang Pills are quite effective.”

At that moment, Shang Fuyan really wanted to teach her a lesson.

But the timing wasn’t right, and he didn’t want to scare her away.

Shang Fuyan calmly asked, “Where did you hear this?”

“I write novels…” Song Xi quickly corrected herself, “I read it online.”

“Seeing is not always believing. Only personal experience can truly convince you.”

Song Xi sensed that he was a bit upset. Her choice of words might have been inappropriate, and she shouldn’t have questioned his dignity as a man.

But it was too late to take it back now. She decided to let it go.

Perhaps sensing the tension, Shang Fuyan changed the topic, “Where is your rented apartment?”

“In a high-rise apartment at Yijin Garden.”

The man nodded, acknowledging.

Song Xi searched on her phone and asked, “Professor Shang, can you eat spicy food?”

“Sure, I can handle it.”

“How about we have hot pot for dinner?”

“Alright.” The man had no objections.

Song Xi immediately placed the order for a two-person set meal online. This way, he wouldn’t have the chance to pay for the meal in advance.

When they arrived, they were warmly and politely escorted to a private room.

The spacious room alleviated any awkwardness they might have felt while being alone together.

It was still early, and they were the first customers to arrive. The surroundings were unusually quiet, with only the occasional footsteps of the staff.

Shang Fuyan took a call, spoke a few words, and hung up.

While waiting, Song Xi liked to browse Weibo and read the comments from her fans.

They were both amusing and touching.

She also jotted down her thoughts and insights.

Many times, when she had inspiration, she would write it down in a notebook she always carried, which was beneficial for her writing.

With Professor Shang sitting across from her, even if she had the thickest skin, she wouldn’t dare take out her densely written A7 notebook.

Instead, she opened her phone’s notes app and typed in her thoughts quickly.

Shang Fuyan watched her quietly, not interrupting her train of thought.

Once she finished, Song Xi looked up and met his gaze, “How long have you been watching me?”

Shang Fuyan smiled, “From my angle, I can’t see anything.”

Song Xi felt relieved, put her phone aside, and started to set up her chopsticks.

She hadn’t felt hungry at noon, but now her stomach was growling, partly due to the allure of the food.

Speaking of hot pot, its origins can be traced back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, where bronze tripods and pottery jars were considered the early forms of hot pot.

Song Xi was familiar with this, having studied archaeology for a semester and being naturally interested in the subject, which led to her accumulating more knowledge.

Just then, a waiter pushed a cart of condiments over.

Song Xi looked at the man, “Professor Shang, do you want me to get the condiments for you?”

“I can do it myself. You go ahead.”

Song Xi didn’t hesitate and used a spoon to scoop out sesame paste, followed by ground peanuts, beef sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili powder, scallions, and a few spoonfuls of cilantro.

There was no doubt that Song Xi loved cilantro.

She wished the world was filled with green cilantro, so the breeze would carry its fragrance.

Seeing him scoop cilantro too, Song Xi mentally gave him extra points.

If they had similar tastes, living together in the future would be much easier.

Song Xi scolded herself for thinking too far ahead. They hadn’t even started, and she was already thinking about the future. Who gave her the courage?

Shang Fuyan, unaware of her inner thoughts, assumed she simply loved hot pot.

He guessed a few girls wouldn’t.

This was Song Xi’s first dinner date with Shang Fuyan, so she ordered a yuanyang hot pot to accommodate both their tastes.

She especially liked soaking the oil sticks in the broth. There was a legend about oil sticks, related to the couple Qin Hui and his wife in the Southern Song dynasty.

When she dunked the oil stick in the spicy broth, she felt immense satisfaction.

She then dipped the cooked oil stick in the sauce, which instantly satisfied her taste buds.

Shang Fuyan had never seen this way of eating before.

He didn’t like greasy foods and usually avoided oil sticks altogether.

“Professor Shang, try it. It’s really good, trust me,” Song Xi said sincerely.

The corner of Shang Fuyan’s lips curved, and he used the communal chopsticks to cut the oil stick and place it in the spicy broth. Following Song Xi’s method, he dipped it in the sauce and put it in his mouth, swallowing it slowly without changing his expression.

“How is it? Is it good?” Song Xi asked eagerly.