The Only Choice - 22

Guan Yuanbai didn't know what he was thinking at this moment. Or perhaps, he wasn't thinking anything at all.

He just looked at her flushed cheeks and, in a daze, nodded.

Then, the whole way, she stuck to him like a conjoined twin. He took a step, she followed; he moved one way, she moved with him.

He half-carried, half-guided her into the house like this. It wasn't until the front door closed that his brain slowly started working again: Why were they walking like that?

Once inside, Zhou Fanfan immediately relaxed. She slumped bonelessly onto the carpet, burying her head in the sofa cushions, muttering about whether her baby girl had seen her.

Guan Yuanbai stood quietly to the side, only then realizing her foolishness was just an attempt to hide from someone.

But why had he just gone along with her foolishness?

Ding ding—

His phone rang from his pocket. Guan Yuanbai took it out, saw the caller ID, and walked to the side to answer.

"Hello."

"Xiao Wu is worried about her little fan and insists I call to ask if you need any help." Qi Chengyan's voice, laced with amusement, came through the phone.

Guan Yuanbai glanced at Zhou Fanfan, who was now squirming on the carpet. "...No need."

"Alright, if you say so."

"Yeah, I'm hanging up."

"Wait." Qi Chengyan suddenly said, "Guan Yuanbai, don't you think you're acting a bit strange?"

Guan Yuanbai was taken aback, only to hear Qi Chengyan continue, "Since when are you so patient? Bringing a drunk person home to take care of them?"

Guan Yuanbai frowned. "What else was I supposed to do? A young woman drunk out in public, should I just pretend I didn't see her? She was, after all, a girl Grandma introduced to me before, she..."

"Then why have I never seen you so concerned about other drunk women before?" Qi Chengyan chuckled lightly. "Okay, even if you're just being purely kind-hearted, what's with forcing her to stay at your place, saying she has to cook for you and such? Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?"

"..."

"I'm saying, with all these excuses, you're not just trying to keep her by your side, are you?"

Guan Yuanbai felt as if his throat had been gripped.

And Qi Chengyan, seeing he couldn't answer, became more certain. "Is that really it? Well, well. So you've fallen for this girl. Before, you were saying she's too young, that you don't raise kids. Looks to me like you're quite happy to 'raise' one."

Guan Yuanbai's pupils constricted slightly, as if a hidden thought had been guessed, leaving him with a flustered sense of confusion. He suppressed his voice, "Piss off. If you can't guess right, don't guess."

"I'm not guessing, I'm confirming. No need for pretense between us, right? Talk to me properly..."

"Talk about what? I don't have time. Hanging up!"

Guan Yuanbai hung up quickly, seemingly afraid of hearing any more nonsense from Qi Chengyan.

He stood still for a moment, then walked back to the sofa.

By now, Zhou Fanfan had moved from the carpet onto the sofa, one foot propped on the edge of the coffee table, her head tilted against a cushion. Seeing someone approach, she mumbled, "Yiyi said in an interview before that she doesn't like people who get dead drunk. She didn't see me just now, did she? Did I look bad? Will she hate me?"

Guan Yuanbai looked down at her. Her hair was disheveled, splayed across the sofa, reminding him of how it felt when she had pressed against him earlier—fuzzy, stray strands tickling everywhere.

Like...

Qi Chengyan's voice from the call echoed in his mind. Did he like her?

Guan Yuanbai's brow furrowed slightly. When he first found out she had approached him to chase her idol, not because she liked him, he had been genuinely angry. That's why he wanted to make things difficult for her...

But as Qi Chengyan said, this method was particularly absurd. Since when had he ever been so petty?

Guan Yuanbai was quiet for a long while, remembering the way his heart had pounded when she was in his arms earlier.

Actually, deep down, there was an answer. He just found it unbelievable himself.

When did it start? And why did it start? He didn't know.

So, as long as no one mentioned it, no one pointed it out, he let it pass, just thinking that teasing her, making things a bit difficult for her, was... quite fun.

"Guan Yuanbai... Tell me, is this bad? Will Yiyi hate me?" Seeing that no one answered her, Zhou Fanfan reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

Guan Yuanbai's gaze lowered. He let out a soft breath. "Yeah, this isn't good. She'd hate it."

"You're talking nonsense! She definitely didn't get a clear look at me just now!!"

"...Oh."

Zhou Fanfan muttered for a while longer before finally tiring herself out and falling asleep mid-sentence.

Guan Yuanbai sat beside her. After she fell asleep, he silently covered her with a blanket.

---

When Zhou Fanfan woke up again, it was three hours later. Someone was patting her forehead. The warm palm against her brow didn't hurt, but it was annoying.

She frowned and opened her eyes. "Grandma, what are you doing...?"

"You've been sleeping long enough. Don't sleep anymore."

As she heard the voice, her vision gradually cleared, and Zhou Fanfan realized it was Guan Yuanbai.

He was right beside her, holding a glass of water.

Slowly, she sat up, remembering how he had brought her back from the KTV earlier. She hadn't expected to fall asleep.

"I didn't cook..." The first thing she thought of upon waking was this.

Guan Yuanbai was momentarily stunned, then laughed in amusement. "Right, you didn't cook. You passed out as soon as you got here."

Zhou Fanfan touched her cheek in embarrassment, checking that she hadn't drooled. "Had too much to drink."

"Are you sober now?"

"Yeah."

"Then get up quickly. I'll take you home."

Zhou Fanfan checked the time; it was already 11 p.m. Her phone also showed several missed calls.

"Your grandmother called. Because she kept calling, I answered the last one."

Zhou Fanfan was shocked. "You answered! How did she react?"

"She didn't react much. I said you'd had too much to drink and were at my place for now. She just said to thank me for looking after you."

Zhou Fanfan was sure her grandmother would read too much into it. She quickly got up. "Let's go then, I should get back."

"Drink the water first."

Zhou Fanfan was indeed parched. She took the glass from him and gulped it down. "Thanks."

Guan Yuanbai didn't say anything, just picked up his car keys and signaled for her to follow.

Zhou Fanfan put down the empty glass and followed him out the door.

---

After Zhao Dezhen's call was answered by Guan Yuanbai, she was very pleased. However, worried because Zhou Fanfan was drunk, she hadn't been able to sleep and waited at home.

Hearing a car pull up outside the courtyard, she hurried out.

"Grandma."

Zhao Dezhen went to meet them, gave Zhou Fanfan a light pat, and said to Guan Yuanbai, "Yuanbai, thank you for your trouble."

Guan Yuanbai smiled faintly. "No trouble at all. She fell asleep earlier, which is why I'm bringing her back so late. Sorry to have worried you."

"No worries, no worries. With you there, how could I worry?" Zhao Dezhen said. "Would you like to come in for a while, Yuanbai?"

"It's too late. I won't disturb your rest. I'll visit you properly next time."

"Alright, alright, that works too... Drive safely on your way back."

"Okay, I will."

After Guan Yuanbai left, Zhao Dezhen pulled Zhou Fanfan inside.

"You're together, aren't you? Huh? You must be together now?!"

Zhou Fanfan felt helpless. "What are you talking about... We're not together."

Zhao Dezhen didn't believe it. "After all this, you're still not together? You got drunk, were with Yuanbai, even slept at his place, and you're telling me you—"

"If we were together, I probably would have stayed until tomorrow morning, not come back now, right?"

Zhao Dezhen swatted Zhou Fanfan's back again. "Oh, you! Is that something to say!"

"Well, it's true." Zhou Fanfan coaxed her. "Grandma, don't overthink it. He just happened to run into me while I was out drinking... We're really not together."

"If you're not together now, you will be soon, right? You've been in contact for so long. Don't you feel anything?"

Zhou Fanfan thought that unlike the younger generation, the elders weren't as gossipy. They definitely didn't know about her and Guan Yuanbai's situation, nor the fact that she had approached Guan Yuanbai to get closer to her idol and had been found out.

He was her creditor now...

What being together?

"It's just... maybe we're not fated?"

Zhao Dezhen's face fell immediately. "I thought you two were a great match. How can you say there's no fate? Fanfan, are you deliberately trying to upset your grandmother again? Is it because you don't like blind dates, so you're causing trouble?"

"Grandma! I'm not causing trouble."

"Really??"

"Really!"

Zhao Dezhen narrowed her eyes, indignantly saying, "Fine! You say there's no fate, right? In that case, Grandma won't force you anymore. Coincidentally, I heard about two other very outstanding young men recently. Find some time in the next couple of days to meet them."

Zhou Fanfan's eyes instantly widened. "More meetings! Grandma, have mercy..."

"Oh, Fanfan, why are you so unreasonable? You're the only descendant of our Zhou family line. Grandma won't live much longer, I can't protect you forever. If you don't have a good partner, I won't be able to rest in peace. How can I feel at ease seeing you like this, Fanfan?"

Zhou Fanfan: "..."

Here we go again.

Zhou Fanfan felt her head swelling. After numbly listening to her grandmother's lamentations, she received the two photos of men her grandmother sent her.

"If things really are hopeless with Yuanbai, then go meet someone else... Losing Yuanbai as a prospect already makes me very sad. Don't make me even sadder."

"..."

With Zhao Dezhen's nagging still ringing in her ears, Zhou Fanfan entered her room, slammed the door shut with a thud, and collapsed onto her bed in despair!

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!

Why! Does it have to start again!!! Blind dates ahhhhhhh!!!

Ding—

Just then, her phone chimed. It was a message from Guan Yuanbai.

[Did your grandmother say anything?]

After all, he had brought her home so late at night, Guan Yuanbai was concerned the elder might have thoughts.

Zhou Fanfan ran a hand through her messy hair and replied: [No, she just sent me photos of two handsome guys, that's all.]

Guan Yuanbai: [?]

Zhou Fanfan explained: [She thought our relationship had progressed... Of course, I said it hadn't, don't worry. So then she introduced me to two new ones, wants me to go on blind dates.]

Guan Yuanbai didn't reply with a message this time. Instead, he called directly.

Zhou Fanfan was a bit surprised to see the incoming call and answered it. "Hello, Mr. Guan? What's up?"

Guan Yuanbai: "Your grandmother wants you to go on blind dates? When?"

Zhou Fanfan sighed. "In the next couple of days. Sigh... I actually expected this. Once things didn't work out with you, she was bound to arrange the next round."

Guan Yuanbai paused for a couple of seconds, then suddenly said, "I never got around to telling my family... and I forgot to mention it to yours as well."

"Mention what?"

"That our blind date arrangement has been terminated."

Zhou Fanfan: "I see. No wonder my grandmother still asks if we're, you know, that."

Guan Yuanbai was driving back home. Hearing Zhou Fanfan's voice through the car speakers, his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.

"You don't want to go on these blind dates, right?"

"Of course not! Who wants to go on blind dates?!"

A deeper light flickered in Guan Yuanbai's eyes as he looked at the endless road ahead. He spoke, "If you really don't want to go on those blind dates... you could use me as an excuse. Like before, just say we're still in contact."

Zhou Fanfan was taken aback and immediately sat up on her bed. "But last time you said you didn't want that. You said you were worried the families would interfere more and more."

Guan Yuanbai pressed his lips together. "The reason I said that before was actually because..."

"What?"

Guan Yuanbai opened his mouth, but still couldn't bring himself to say, 'I thought you liked me back then, and I thought I shouldn't let you keep chasing after me, letting you fall deeper.'

After all, thinking about it now, it was just face-slappingly ironic.

"...Because I was annoyed with my grandmother at the time, said it in a moment of anger." Guan Yuanbai moderated his tone, trying to sound relaxed. "Anyway, if you need it, you can say we're still in contact. I... wouldn't mind the peace. It means I won't get arranged into blind dates either."

"Are you sure? Is it really okay? Really, truly okay? You won't go back on your word, will you?!"

Guan Yuanbai: "...I won't go back on my word."

"Then it's settled! I'll use you as my excuse tomorrow to tell Grandma I'm not going on any blind dates!"

Zhou Fanfan genuinely disliked blind dates, to the point of having a near-phobic reaction. Now that she didn't have to go, her voice was filled with extreme delight.

Guan Yuanbai found himself smiling along with her, seemingly happy for himself too.

But in reality, he knew he just didn't want her to go on those blind dates.

The moment he heard her say she was going, calling to stop her had been an almost subconscious reaction...

---

Author's Note:

Yuanbai: Intercept! (The sound of face-slapping is loud and clear)

---

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