The Only Choice - 10

The people nearby turned at the sound of his voice. Seeing it was Guan Yuanbai, they didn't immediately grasp his meaning; their first thought was to step forward and greet him.

But the next second, seeing the girl standing beside Guan Yuanbai, they realized their earlier conversation had been overheard, and it was highly inappropriate.

Instantly, no one dared to utter another word.

Guan Yuanbai's expression was displeased, though it wasn't entirely about defending Zhou Fanfan's honor. He simply disliked this kind of backbiting gossip.

Moreover, this situation was a mutual decision between him and Zhou Fanfan. Letting her take the brunt of the gossip alone was quite unfair.

"The main hall has fine wine for the guests. Since you all have time to gossip here, perhaps you should go and sample it. At least this evening wouldn't be a complete waste."

Guan Yuanbai's tone was excessively cold. The individuals were deeply embarrassed and quickly scurried away.

Witnessing this, Zhou Fanfan quietly lowered her cake plate.

Guan Yuanbai looked rather intimidating when he was serious.

"Is it tasty?" Guan Yuanbai glanced at her sideways.

Zhou Fanfan made a soft sound of acknowledgement, followed his gaze to the cake in her hand, and quickly said, "Yes, it's delicious."

"Then why did you stop eating?"

Zhou Fanfan breathed out imperceptibly. Because I just stabbed myself with the fork. It hurts.

"...I'm still eating."

"Don't take to heart what those people said," Guan Yuanbai said.

Zhou Fanfan looked at him for a moment longer. "Oh... I didn't take it to heart. I don't even know them, so I don't mind."

Really don't mind? Then why did you look so upset just now?

Guan Yuanbai felt she was just putting on a brave face, probably not wanting to make things awkward for him.

Thinking this, his tone softened slightly. "Why are you eating alone out here? Why not go to the main hall?"

Zhou Fanfan said, "I just came out for some air. And... there are too many people in the main hall and the garden. No one's really there to eat. It wouldn't look good if I was the only one stuffing my face."

Guan Yuanbai smiled faintly. "Are you that hungry?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded honestly, almost instinctively. "I haven't eaten dinner yet. I'm quite hungry."

Guan Yuanbai thought for a moment and said, "Come with me."

"Huh?"

Without further explanation, Guan Yuanbai headed towards the main building. Puzzled, Zhou Fanfan followed him.

They passed many people along the way. Zhou Fanfan stayed a few steps behind, watching others greet him and exchange a few pleasant words.

Guan Yuanbai was adept at social interactions, skillfully concluding conversations in just a few sentences before leading her further inside.

Finally, they reached the inner part of the villa. Compared to the bustling extravagance outside, it was much more low-key and quiet here.

"Yuanbai, what brings you in here?" A middle-aged woman in her fifties emerged from the kitchen area, wearing the same uniform as the staff outside, but her tone suggested she was a long-time employee of the Guan family.

"Feeling a bit peckish," Guan Yuanbai replied, then glanced back at Zhou Fanfan. "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Zhou Fanfan was too embarrassed. "No, no, it's fine. I can just grab a bite outside."

Auntie Ming looked from Guan Yuanbai to Zhou Fanfan, understanding dawning on her face. She smiled and said, "The food outside looks nice but isn't very filling. How about I cook you both a bowl of noodles?"

Zhou Fanfan: "It's too much troub—"

"That works," Guan Yuanbai said. "I haven't eaten either, so we can share a meal."

"Alright, just wait a moment. It'll be ready quickly." Auntie Ming beamed and went into the kitchen.

Guan Yuanbai casually took a seat on a nearby chair. "Auntie Ming usually cooks for my grandparents. Her skills are excellent."

Zhou Fanfan: "But... is this really okay? Me suddenly coming here to eat noodles?"

Guan Yuanbai said, "Guests won't come in here. No one will know."

"...Oh."

Truthfully, Zhou Fanfan still felt a bit awkward. Although she was usually boisterous around friends, Zhao Dezhen had taught her proper etiquette. Coming to the host's kitchen for noodles during a banquet might seem somewhat impolite.

But Guan Yuanbai was already sitting there. Refusing further would seem ungrateful.

Forget it... It's not like I invited myself. Guan Yuanbai brought me. It should be fine.

Zhou Fanfan stole a glance at Guan Yuanbai. Even though their relationship was just a cooperative pretense, she thought he was really kind.

Auntie Ming's noodles were ready quickly. Just as she brought them out, footsteps approached from outside the door.

Then came a voice full of surprise, "Yuanbai, sneaking in for a private feast?... Eh? This young lady is! Fanfan!"

Zhou Fanfan set down her chopsticks. "Hello, Mr. Guan."

She had met this man at the Nanjue Hotel before—Guan Yuanbai's cousin, Guan Ziyu.

Beside him was a radiantly beautiful woman. Zhou Fanfan recognized her; she was not only Guan Zhiyi's cousin but also a very popular travel blogger.

The Guan family's fourth child, Guan Xi.

It wasn't surprising to run into them here at a time like this.

"Fanfan, oh... I see." The stunning woman extended a hand towards her. "Hello, I'm Guan Xi."

As she approached, her hair shifted slightly, and Zhou Fanfan caught a whiff of a delightful fragrance.

She absolutely adored beautiful women.

Zhou Fanfan shook her hand, trying to contain her admiration. "Hello, I'm Zhou Fanfan."

"What's with you all, sneaking in one by one? Is no one hosting outside?" Auntie Ming looked at them, amused.

Guan Xi said, "I sent Jiang Suizhou to handle it. It's fine."

Guan Ziyu: "Oh, Auntie Ming, I just haven't been here in a while and missed your cooking. Come on, make me a bowl of the same noodles. I'm hungry too."

Auntie Ming: "Alright, alright. And Guan Xi? Do you want anything?"

Guan Xi shook her head. "No noodles for me. I'm dieting. Just a chicken breast sandwich, please."

"No problem. Wait a moment."

"Okay."

Soon, the four of them were sitting facing each other.

Guan Yuanbai calmly started eating his noodles. Zhou Fanfan, however, felt a bit embarrassed and didn't touch her chopsticks.

After chatting with Guan Ziyu for a moment, Guan Xi turned and saw Zhou Fanfan. "Go ahead and eat, don't mind us."

Zhou Fanfan: "Okay..."

While she ate, Guan Xi scrutinized her for a moment. "For some reason, you look very young."

Zhou Fanfan swallowed the mouthful of noodles. "I'm not that young. I'm twenty-three."

Guan Xi glanced at Guan Yuanbai. "A bit older than I imagined. But still, Brother, you're quite the old cow eating tender grass."

"Cough, cough—" Guan Yuanbai put down his chopsticks and glared at her. "Shut up."

Guan Xi, used to getting her way, wasn't the type to obediently fall silent. Curiously, she asked, "Fanfan, you're so pretty and cute. How did you end up agreeing to a blind date with him?"

Guan Ziyu: "Yeah, yeah."

Guan Yuanbai: "?"

Being disparaged by his entire family regarding his love life was nothing new, but it was still incredibly annoying.

Zhou Fanfan blinked a couple of times, glanced at Guan Yuanbai, then looked at Guan Xi, somewhat puzzled. "Mr. Guan is very good. Going on a blind date with him... it's not a loss for me, is it?"

Guan Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? What's so good about him?"

Zhou Fanfan thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "He's very handsome, tall, successful in his career, has a good personality, and is especially gentlemanly and polite. Hmm... And he's understanding and very sincere..."

Zhou Fanfan listed a bunch of qualities, her expression completely serious, making her words seem genuine and straight from the heart.

In short, her demeanor left Guan Xi and Guan Ziyu speechless.

Guan Yuanbai, meanwhile, curled his lips imperceptibly into a smile and shot the two across from him with a smug look.

Guan Ziyu: "Fine, I'll just go eat my noodles..."

Guan Xi also silently stood up, skipping the topic and heading into the kitchen. "Auntie Ming, make mine a smaller portion. I can't eat much."

Guan Yuanbai's smile grew even brighter. It was rare to see them so stumped.

After eating a few more bites of his noodles, he said cheerfully to Zhou Fanfan, "The pastry chef hired for today made strawberry puffs, his specialty. He's even won international awards for them. Would you like to try some?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded. "Yes, please! I didn't see them earlier."

"I'll take you to get some after we finish the noodles."

"Thank you, Mr. Guan."

"You're welcome."

—

Although she didn't get to see her idol that night, Zhou Fanfan still felt very happy, not just because of the delicious pastries but also because of Guan Yuanbai's hospitality.

A few days later, it was almost time for her friends from the group chat to arrive in the capital.

As the host, Zhou Fanfan had been thinking about where to take them to eat. When she asked in the group chat, Liu Liu and Qi Qi immediately declared they wanted somewhere expensive.

Having known each other for so long, Zhou Fanfan knew Liu Liu and Qi Qi were mostly just talking big. But she figured since she'd never treated them to a proper meal, she might as well take this opportunity to splurge on a fancy dinner.

She usually loved exploring food and restaurants, but she wasn't that familiar with the most expensive and delicious restaurants in the capital.

Her outings with friends and classmates usually involved considering student budgets, so their choices rarely included the absolute top-tier establishments.

She initially considered taking them to restaurants she'd visited with her family, but upon reflection, those places weren't necessarily the tastiest.

After thinking it over, she suddenly remembered Guan Yuanbai.

Someone like Guan Yuanbai, who ran hotels, must have insights into the food scene. He probably dined at expensive restaurants often and knew which were the best.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Zhou Fanfan opened his contact and sent him a text message.

[Mr. Guan, could you recommend any particularly good, high-end restaurants here? I have friends visiting from out of town and want to treat them to a meal.]

So far, they still haven't added each other on WeChat.

Guan Yuanbai hadn't suggested it, and Zhou Fanfan didn't dare ask directly.

About ten minutes later, Guan Yuanbai replied: [What type?]

[Delicious. And if possible, the fancier the better.]

[There's a restaurant called Senruo that's quite good. You could try that.]

He even sent a reservation phone number afterward. Zhou Fanfan looked at the name; it didn't ring a bell, so she probably hadn't been there before. But since Guan Yuanbai recommended it, it must be excellent.

Zhou Fanfan thanked him and immediately called the restaurant to make a reservation.

On the day her friends arrived, Zhou Fanfan and Xu Xiaoqian went together to the airport to pick them up.

"Liu Liu! Qi Qi! Over here!"

Spotting two familiar figures, Zhou Fanfan waved energetically.

They had known each other for years and were aware of each other's real names. Liu Liu was Ren Hui, and Qi Qi was Xue Min'er.

The nicknames Liu Liu and Qi Qi originated from their early online chats. Liu Liu had mentioned it casually once, and Xue Min'er had followed up, suggesting she be called Qi Qi. Thus, these became their fandom nicknames and stuck.

"Fanfan! Xiaoqian!"

The four of them converged, hugging each other, leaving their luggage momentarily forgotten.

Such enthusiastic reunions weren't uncommon at the airport, so no one paid them much mind. After laughing and chattering for a bit, they picked up their luggage and got into Zhou Fanfan's car.

"Damn, your car is so nice! Listen to that engine sound! And the interior! So cool!" Xue Min'er asked, "How much did it cost?"

Zhou Fanfan said, "I'm not really sure. My grandmother bought it for me to use for school."

"Ugh, comparisons are odious! Driving this to school!"

Xu Xiaoqian laughed. "Get used to it. Fanfan is the most down-to-earth rich second generation we know. We gotta cherish her."

Ren Hui added, "Yeah, yeah, gotta cherish her, gotta cherish her."

The three of them good-naturedly teased Zhou Fanfan for a moment, but soon the conversation shifted to fandom matters.

Like the latest about Guan Zhiyi, updates on Guan Zhiyi's competitors... they talked until they were practically hoarse. As for the 'rich second generation' topic, it wasn't really worth discussing for them.

They arrived at Senruo during the prime dinner hour.

The four of them walked in, unable to resist looking around. The restaurant had an antique, elegant charm, a distinctly upscale vibe. It was clearly no ordinary place.

"Hello, do you have a reservation?" a server greeted them.

Zhou Fanfan said, "Yes, under Zhou Fanfan."

"Miss Zhou, right this way."

"Thank you."

All the private rooms were fully booked when Zhou Fanfan made the reservation, so she had to settle for a table in the main dining area. However, the table was excellent, facing a broad lake view with a fantastic outlook.

"I was just joking in the group chat, Fanfan. You really brought us somewhere this expensive? The dishes here... wow, these prices are insane," Ren Hui was shocked by the menu in her hands.

The other two hurriedly leaned over to look and also wore expressions of disbelief, as if wondering if the food would grant them immortality.

Zhou Fanfan smiled. "It's fine, order whatever you want. It's our first gathering here; of course I want to fulfill your wish."

"Wuwuwu, Fanfan, you're the best!"

"I can't bear to order. One dish here could buy me several nice meals outside."

Despite their words, their ordering was merciless. "This looks delicious! This one looks great too!"

"Damn, I'm starving! I'm ordering these two meat dishes even if the Emperor himself shows up!"

...

Zhou Fanfan rested her chin on her hand, waiting for the three to finish ordering. After they were done, she took the menu, added a few dishes she wanted to try herself, and handed it to the server.

While waiting for the food, the four launched into their essential meet-up activity, exchanging self-made merchandise.

Ren Hui was great at making dolls. Xue Min'er specialized in various keychains, acrylic clips, and similar trinkets. Zhou Fanfan contributed her artwork, and Xu Xiaoqian brought pins she had made at a specialty shop.

None of these items were expensive, but they were all handmade.

And every item incorporated elements related to their idol, Guan Zhiyi. For fangirls, these things were more precious than gold or silver.

After the lively appreciation of each other's contributions, the food arrived.

They took photos for social media content, then dug in.

Ren Hui praised the food between bites. Suddenly, her gaze fixed on something, and her movements halted.

The other three were still eating and chatting and didn't notice her strange behavior.

Ren Hui opened her mouth but made no sound, just stared wide-eyed towards the restaurant entrance.

At that moment, the server was welcoming a group of three or four people. The restaurant was quite busy tonight, with a constant flow of patrons who all looked wealthy or influential. But only this particular group made her freeze!

"Liu Liu, what's up? Eat." Zhou Fanfan, seeing her staring dazedly in one direction, called out to her.

Ren Hui took a deep breath, abruptly turned back, and made exaggerated facial expressions at the other three, gesturing for them to look towards the entrance.

Puzzled, Zhou Fanfan turned to look.

Seeing the person who had just entered, she also froze.

Even though Guan Yuanbai had recommended this restaurant, she never expected to run into him here today. By the looks of it, he was here with friends or clients for a meal.

"Holy crap, Guan Yuanbai. It's Guan Yuanbai," Xue Min'er whispered, her heart nearly stopping with excitement upon recognizing the newcomer. Her hand under the table frantically tugged at Zhou Fanfan's clothes.

This was their darling daughter's brother!!

What luck! On their very first day in the capital, they run into him!

Jolted back to reality by the tugging, Zhou Fanfan felt a wave of panic. She immediately glanced at the table, where a chibi-style doll of Guan Zhiyi sat prominently.

"..."

Zhou Fanfan felt a wave of suffocation. She quickly reached out to move the doll away. But just then, she heard that familiar voice.

Warm, magnetic, tinged with a hint of surprise.

"Miss Zhou. Are you dining here today?"

---

Author's Note:

Fangirls can't have a meal together without their merch.

---

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