The Only Choice - 24

Guan Yuanbai wasn't wearing formal attire today, looking more casual than he did at the office or on important occasions.

But anyone with eyes could tell there was a world of difference between this man and their group of students.

"Not a disturbance at all!" Xu Xiaoqian suddenly stood up. "Mr. Guan, we'll leave Fanfan in your care."

Guan Yuanbai remembered Xu Xiaoqian; they had eaten together before. "Of course. Then we'll take our leave."

"Okay, okay."

Guan Yuanbai took Zhou Fanfan's bag from her.

Her hand now empty, Zhou Fanfan glanced at him somewhat awkwardly, but his expression was perfectly normal, as if it were common for a boyfriend to chivalrously carry things for his girlfriend in public.

Zhou Fanfan felt a bit embarrassed but still followed Guan Yuanbai out of the restaurant.

After the two left, the dining table gradually came back to life.

"Babe, who was that? You know him too?" Yang Cheng asked.

Xu Xiaoqian was also very shocked internally. Having recently reconciled with Yang Cheng and been busy with her relationship, she hadn't asked Zhou Fanfan much about Guan Yuanbai lately. She hadn't expected them to have gotten so familiar behind the scenes.

Goodness, he's even picking her up now!

Despite her internal surprise, on the surface, Xu Xiaoqian covered for Zhou Fanfan. She glanced at Chen Ke and said, "That's the blind date Fanfan's family introduced to her. His family background is quite impressive, and he's so handsome. Our Fanfan probably likes him quite a bit."

The girl who had been discussing Zhou Fanfan in the restroom earlier seemed visibly relieved. When she spoke again, her eyes held only envy. "He really is very handsome. Fanfan is so lucky."

Xu Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Mr. Guan is lucky too. Our Fanfan is so adorable."

The girl said, "Yes, yes."

Yang Cheng added, "If the family introduced them, they must be well-matched, right?"

Xu Xiaoqian: "Absolutely."

Everyone started discussing it, even the boys couldn't help but ask Xu Xiaoqian about Guan Yuanbai's background. After she gave a brief explanation, they all picked up their phones to search.

The only one at the entire table who didn't speak was Chen Ke.

Yang Cheng saw the situation clearly and quietly sat down beside him, offering consolation. "I told you before, that girl is definitely not easy to pursue."

Chen Ke had no rebuttal now. He glanced at Yang Cheng, looking dejected.

---

After leaving the restaurant with Guan Yuanbai, Zhou Fanfan got into the car with him.

A driver was at the wheel today, so they both sat in the back.

Once in the car, Guan Yuanbai handed her bag back to her. Zhou Fanfan took it and said, "Thank you."

"I thought you would have waited for me outside," Zhou Fanfan said.

Guan Yuanbai replied, "You told me about that love triangle situation. Weren't you hoping that I'd come in and help dismantle it?"

Zhou Fanfan was taken aback. "I didn't mean to trouble you like that. I just wanted an excuse to leave early. Leaving would have been enough. I'm not really familiar with him anyway, and we won't have any future interactions."

"Not familiar, yet you went to watch him play basketball," Guan Yuanbai said mildly.

"I was accompanying Xiaoqian. Her boyfriend was playing, otherwise I wouldn't have gone." After saying this, Zhou Fanfan muttered under her breath, "And it wasn't even that interesting to watch."

The car was quiet, Guan Yuanbai heard this clearly.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and his mood suddenly improved.

"Did you eat anything in there?"

"No. I was really just keeping Xiaoqian company. And I didn't feel like eating all that heavily spiced food today." Zhou Fanfan pointed to her mouth and sighed. "I'm feeling a bit inflamed, got a canker sore."

"..."

Now she's sharing even this.

Zhou Fanfan was being serious. Although the restaurant today was good, the food was predominantly spicy. She had eaten too much spicy food recently, which was why she had developed the painful canker sore.

Guan Yuanbai glanced at her. "So what can you eat?"

"What can I eat? Lots of things, actually. Today I kind of feel like having foie gras, escargots, maybe some red wine-braised..."

Halfway through, she noticed Guan Yuanbai was still looking at her. Zhou Fanfan quickly stopped herself and said seriously, "But don't worry, Meal Number 9 is still happening today."

Guan Yuanbai was puzzled. "What Number 9?"

Zhou Fanfan: "Today is the day for the ninth meal I owe you! I've numbered all hundred meals, counting them down one by one. Ninety-one left!"

"..."

"What's wrong, Mr. Guan?"

Guan Yuanbai met her gaze, which held a ‘strong desire to see these hundred meals vanish’. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Let's not eat at home today."

"Huh?"

"Let's go have foie gras and escargots." Guan Yuanbai said, "Hearing you talk about it, I suddenly don't feel like homemade dishes either. I want to eat those."

Zhou Fanfan's eyes lit up, but she felt a bit conflicted. She muttered quietly, "If we don't eat at home, then we can't check off Number 9 today..."

Guan Yuanbai inhaled softly and said, "I happened to hear Guan Xi mention a new French restaurant that opened in the south part of the city. Many top food critics have been and given it rave reviews. I wanted to try it today. If you don't want to go, that's fine, I can take you back to campus now—"

"I'll go, I'll go! I want to go!" Zhou Fanfan was quickly defeated by her culinary desires. Besides, a restaurant like that probably required reservations with a long waiting list, but Guan Yuanbai could surely get a prioritized booking. It would be a waste not to take advantage!

Zhou Fanfan leaned forward, tilting her head to look at him. "Let's postpone Number 9 until next time. Any day will do, right? Let's go for French!"

A slight smile touched Guan Yuanbai's lips. He glanced at her sideways. "Oh, are you sure?"

"Absolutely!"

"Then sit properly."

Zhou Fanfan leaned back happily.

Guan Yuanbai promptly said to the driver, "Lao Gao, head to the south city."

Driver: "Yes, President Guan."

That day, Zhou Fanfan happily ate the dishes she had been craving, and in the end, Guan Yuanbai picked up the tab.

Zhou Fanfan figured that getting a free, delicious meal like this was well worth not checking off Meal Number 9.

However, she kept thinking about it afterward—not just the hundred meals, but also about Guan Yuanbai visiting her home.

Ever since he brought her home last time, her grandmother, Zhao Dezhen, had been constantly nagging about having Guan Yuanbai over for a meal.

Eventually, worn down by the nagging, Zhou Fanfan mentioned it to Guan Yuanbai.

Guan Yuanbai was surprisingly agreeable. A few days later, he actually came to the Zhou residence to visit Zhao Dezhen.

That day, the two of them got along splendidly, and he even stayed for dinner.

Zhao Dezhen grew more and more satisfied with him the more she saw him. Before the current meal was even finished, she was already discussing the timing for his next visit.

After dinner, Zhou Fanfan saw Guan Yuanbai out.

She was very grateful that Guan Yuanbai had come to reassure her grandmother this time. So, when he mentioned he had a banquet the following evening and wanted her to accompany him as his plus-one, she readily agreed.

Helping each other out, give and take—she understood!

---

The next day, Zhou Fanfan put considerable effort into her appearance.

When Guan Yuanbai came to pick her up a little after 6 p.m., he was momentarily stunned upon seeing Zhou Fanfan emerge in a cocktail dress. For a second, he felt he was seeing the Zhou Fanfan from their very first meeting.

"What's wrong? Doesn't it look good? Or does it not match your outfit? Should I go change?" Zhou Fanfan, being very ‘professional’, noticed his look and quickly inquired.

Guan Yuanbai said slowly, "No need to change. I was just thinking that when you dress up properly, you can still be quite deceiving."

"?"

Guan Yuanbai let out a light laugh, tinged with teasing. "What I mean is, like on our first meeting, your appearance misled me into thinking you were gentle and introverted."

Zhou Fanfan was dumbfounded.

But Guan Yuanbai didn't elaborate further. He turned and walked towards the car.

Zhou Fanfan looked at his retreating back, then down at her clothes, the temperature in her ears rising a few degrees. "I-I am gentle and introverted, even without dressing up!"

Guan Yuanbai glanced back at her, his eyes still carrying a hint of a smile. "Don't lie through your teeth. Come on."

"..."

---

Half an hour later, their car arrived at the venue for the evening's banquet.

Zhou Fanfan still didn't care for these opulently luxurious social occasions.

Tonight's event was hosted by the chairman of a certain conglomerate. Zhou Fanfan had heard of him but didn't know him personally. Guan Yuanbai, however, was very familiar with him. Upon their arrival, the chairman personally came out to greet them and spoke with Guan Yuanbai for a while.

Zhou Fanfan stood to the side. She tended to zone out in these settings. Right now, she wasn't taking in a single word, her eyes solely occupied with the handsome men and beautiful women coming and going around them.

"Bored?"

After the chairman left, Guan Yuanbai asked her.

Zhou Fanfan hummed in agreement. "Aren't you?"

"I am."

Zhou Fanfan had only asked casually, not expecting Guan Yuanbai to find it boring too. She looked at him in surprise. "I thought you liked these kinds of occasions."

Guan Yuanbai: "Why?"

Zhou Fanfan explained, "Because you look so at ease."

"It's just habits." Guan Yuanbai said, "If you're bored, let me take you to the side first."

Zhou Fanfan nodded repeatedly. "Okay."

---

Yan Chenghuai and Song Li were also there tonight, representing their families. They had been chatting with a few acquaintances when Guan Yuanbai and Zhou Fanfan unexpectedly joined them.

The whole group was momentarily stunned by this pairing.

The story of these two was quite peculiar even within their circle of young elites. First, it was said Zhou Fanfan pursued Guan Yuanbai relentlessly and was rejected. Later, rumors spread that Zhou Fanfan had only approached Guan Yuanbai to get closer to his sister, Guan Zhiyi, whom she idolized...

It was as bizarre and twisty as a TV drama, with a touch of comedy.

Originally, everyone thought that after all that drama, this Miss Zhou would completely disappear from Guan Yuanbai's life. But surprisingly, here they were, appearing together as a pair.

"Fanfan, long time no see." Song Li was the first to react. After giving Guan Yuanbai a knowing look, he smiled and greeted Zhou Fanfan.

Zhou Fanfan had only met them once before, but she remembered their faces. "Hello, long time no see."

She then glanced at the person next to Song Li. "Mr. Yan, long time no see too."

Yan Chenghuai also smiled and greeted her.

"Brother Yuanbai, I didn't expect you to come with someone today," a woman nearby interjected.

Zhou Fanfan looked over and saw a beautiful woman in a red dress.

Guan Yuanbai said, "What about it?"

The woman glanced at Zhou Fanfan, her expression unreadable. "Nothing much. I just didn't expect you to attend with Miss Zhou. But I heard before that you had rejected this blind date arrangement, and also that she approached you just to..."

She paused at just the right point, then asked again, "Why did you come together?"

Actually, everyone was curious about this. After her question, the atmosphere took on a hint of anticipation for some drama.

This woman in the red dress was named Yao Ruo. Everyone present knew she had feelings for Guan Yuanbai. Once, their families had even tried to arrange a match between them, but Guan Yuanbai had refused.

So, seeing Guan Yuanbai attend such a banquet with Zhou Fanfan, Yao Ruo's displeasure was a given.

"When did I ever reject her?" Unexpectedly, Guan Yuanbai dropped this bombshell.

Yao Ruo was taken aback. "But someone heard..."

Guan Yuanbai said coolly, "Who heard it? Spreading rumors is as easy as opening your mouth."

To be honest, the person who initially spread the story might have genuinely overheard the conversation between Guan Yuanbai and Zhou Fanfan outside the theater, but without a recording, it was all hearsay. Now that the person involved was denying it, there really was no way to refute it.

"Don't take hearsay as fact," Guan Yuanbai added somewhat sternly.

Yao Ruo's face instantly paled slightly. The others were surprised, while Song Li and Yan Chenghuai, being closer to Guan Yuanbai, exchanged a meaningful look.

"Right, right, don't take hearsay seriously. Our Fanfan is so adorable, why would anyone reject her, right?" Song Li jumped in first and even reached out to put an arm around Zhou Fanfan's shoulder, but was intercepted midway by Guan Yuanbai.

Song Li shot him a look. "Aiya, looks like this blind date is making some progress. How's the mutual understanding going lately?"

Guan Yuanbai: "None of your business."

"...Don't be so distant."

Guan Yuanbai couldn't be bothered with him and signaled to Zhou Fanfan. "Let's go over there and get something to eat."

Zhou Fanfan was also feeling a bit self-conscious under so many gazes. "Okay."

Guan Yuanbai led Zhou Fanfan over to the dessert area. The others didn't dare follow, but Song Li and Yan Chenghuai, as his friends, naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Seeing there were no outsiders around, Song Li followed him and asked, "What's going on with you?"

Guan Yuanbai: "Like I just said."

"You think I believe that... You really did reject her before, okay?"

Guan Yuanbai glanced at Zhou Fanfan, his expression becoming slightly awkward.

Song Li didn't pick up on it. Seeing Guan Yuanbai remain silent, he turned to Zhou Fanfan. "Forget it, let's hear it from our Fanfan. Didn't you give him gifts because you liked Xiao Wu? Weren't you not interested in him? How did you two get back on good terms?"

The fact that the ‘idol fandom matter’ was known to everyone made Zhou Fanfan feel embarrassed. She quickly shook her head. "No, no, we're not 'back on good terms.' We're just maintaining the blind date arrangement..."

She glanced at Guan Yuanbai and, seeing he didn't stop her, understood these two were his friends and she didn't need to hide too much. She continued, "...Because this way, our families won't pressure us so much..."

"So that's how it is." Song Li patted Guan Yuanbai. "So you've made peace with the fandom thing? Not angry anymore? But you were really mad before—"

Guan Yuanbai's expression stiffened, and he glared at him.

Song Li wilted a bit under the glare and coughed lightly. "Alright, fine, it's good you're not angry anymore. I... also think there's nothing to be angry about."

Zhou Fanfan sighed quietly to herself. Who said he wasn't angry? He was furious back then, to the point where I still owe him a hundred meals because of it.

"Alright, alright, let bygones be bygones. Stop asking so many questions." Yan Chenghuai pulled Song Li back. "Miss Zhou, don't mind him. Would you like something to eat or drink?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded. "Sure..."

Just then, someone spotted Guan Yuanbai and called out from a distance, "Yuanbai, been looking for you for a while. There you are."

The person greeting him was a senior figure in the industry. Guan Yuanbai nodded in acknowledgment, then looked back at Zhou Fanfan. "I need to go over for a moment."

Zhou Fanfan: "Okay, go ahead."

But Guan Yuanbai's eyes held a clear trace of concern. He even glanced at Song Li, who saw it perfectly clearly and frowned. "What's that look for? I'll just joke around with her a bit, I'm not going to eat her."

Guan Yuanbai said, "Keep the nonsense to a minimum."

Then he said to Yan Chenghuai, "Keep an eye on her."

Yan Chenghuai replied calmly, "Got it."

Song Li was indignant. "Hey, why is it 'keep the nonsense to a minimum' for me, but 'keep an eye on her' for him? You're clearly playing favorites."

Guan Yuanbai ignored him and looked at the person standing beside him. "Zhou Fanfan, if you're bored, eat more, but don't drink any alcohol. I'll come back for you later."

Zhou Fanfan: "Okay.”

---

← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →

0