The Only Choice - 3

The meal passed uneventfully, on the surface, at least.

Internally, Zhou Fanfan was a whirlwind of emotions. One moment, she was gazing with almost maternal fondness, utterly captivated by the face across from her, and the next, she was gripped by the fear that Guan Yuanbai would deliver a final, crushing rejection, perhaps even refusing the possibility of friendship.

Fortunately, by the time the dinner concluded, things hadn't spiraled into that worst-case scenario.

"Miss Zhou, let me see you home," Guan Yuanbai offered as they were leaving.

Zhou Fanfan was too embarrassed to accept. "No, no, it's quite alright. I can just take a taxi."

Though he had zero personal investment in this blind date, Guan Yuanbai still had his manners. "Taxis aren't very convenient around here. Please, allow me."

He began walking towards the restaurant's exit. Not wanting to refuse again, Zhou Fanfan followed.

"Where do you live?" he asked once they were in the car.

After fastening her seatbelt, she replied, "Jing University."

"You're still a student?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded.

Guan Yuanbai was momentarily taken aback, then let out a brief, quiet laugh. It wasn't one of amusement, but rather of sheer disbelief, as if he found the situation utterly absurd.

Zhou Fanfan didn't catch the nuance behind his laugh; she was too busy appreciating the pleasing sight. Because when he smiled, the resemblance… it jumped from twenty percent to a solid thirty.

Love for the idol extended to his brother. Her heart felt like it was melting, softening into a helpless puddle.

He was just… so good-looking. Wuwuwu.

They arrived at Jing University a little past eight in the evening.

Zhou Fanfan got out of the car and leaned down slightly to look through the window. "Thank you for the ride, Mr. Guan. I appreciate it."

The university gates were brightly lit, the warm yellow glow of the streetlights making the girl's features appear even more lively.

And undeniably youthful.

Guan Yuanbai gave a slight nod. "Go on in."

"Okay. Goodbye, Mr. Guan."

"Goodbye."

Guan Yuanbai didn't drive off immediately. His car remained idling at the gate for a moment, only starting to move again after he saw Zhou Fanfan disappear completely through the entrance.

Just then, his phone rang. The screen displayed ‘Xiao Wu’.

Guan Yuanbai answered, and the caller's voice came through the car speakers. "Brother!"

Hearing the background noise of loud music, he asked casually, "It's so noisy there. What are you up to?"

"Me? I'm at a small music festival over here. It's really lively!"

Guan Yuanbai rolled up the car window, a hint of disdain in his tone. "Then why are you calling me? Enjoy your honeymoon. Don't bother showing off."

Guan Zhiyi giggled. "I'm not showing off! I heard from Grandma that you went on a blind date today. I figured it'd be about over by now, so I had to call and ask. So? How did it go? How old is she? Is she pretty?"

Pretty?

Guan Yuanbai recalled the girl's appearance from tonight. To be fair, she was quiet, elegant, and quite good-looking.

But that age…

He frowned. "Next time, tell Grandma not to push someone so young my way. I'm not here to raise a child."

"A child? How old is she?"

"One year younger than you."

Having practically raised Guan Zhiyi himself, she had always been a 'child' in Guan Yuanbai's eyes. Even now, with his sister married, he couldn't shake that mindset.

So, being presented with a blind date candidate even younger than his little sister? He could only conclude that his grandmother wanted him to run a charity.

Guan Zhiyi murmured, "A seven-year age gap… So, it didn't work out this time?"

Guan Yuanbai couldn't be bothered to continue this conversation. "No, it didn't. I'm hanging up."

"Alright. I guess a young girl like that would naturally find someone your age a bit unappealing."

Guan Yuanbai's finger, poised to end the call, froze. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, nothing! Just that you're a bit older, that's all." Guan Zhiyi knew when to quit. "Well, brother, keep it up, okay? I'll just—"

"She likes me."

"What?"

Based on what was said at dinner, Guan Yuanbai felt he understood the situation clearly. That girl had come with feelings; she'd already taken a liking to him.

Guan Zhiyi sounded skeptical. "She likes you?"

"But I turned her down." Guan Yuanbai gripped the steering wheel, his tone calm yet deliberately laced with a hint of feigned bewilderment and a touch of boastfulness. "Even so, she hasn't given up. Said she wants to be friends. What do you think of that?"

—

The night air at Jing University was heavy with mist. The teaching buildings were shrouded in haze, and a slight chill hung in the air.

Zhou Fanfan pulled her coat tighter. Her high heels made her wobble precariously with each step.

Thank goodness the blind date only involved sitting. She hadn't had to walk far in these wretched shoes… they were truly impossible to walk in!

She finally stumbled back to her dorm room, where she found Xu Xiaoqian playing a game.

"Xiaoqian—" Zhou Fanfan wailed, stumbling towards her.

Xu Xiaoqian immediately put the game down and rushed over. "Whoa! You're back! That ended pretty quickly!"

"It's over… My heels are killing me." Zhou Fanfan plopped down onto a chair and kicked the shoes off.

"So? How did it go today?"

Zhou Fanfan sighed. "He's not interested. Got rejected."

Xu Xiaoqian was shocked. "He didn't go for it, even with you all dolled up like that?!"

Zhou Fanfan nodded gravely, then added with a spark of hope, "But I suggested being friends, and he didn't refuse."

Xu Xiaoqian was speechless.

She looked at her friend's naive, hopeful face and, after a moment, sighed and shook her head sadly. "Of course he wouldn't be that harsh to your face. Our good son has manners, you know."

Because he was Guan Zhiyi's brother, most of the 'mom-fans' had unofficially adopted Guan Yuanbai as one of their own ‘child.'

Zhou Fanfan blinked her large, watery eyes. "So you're saying… it was just politeness? There's really no hope for me?"

Unable to bring herself to say 'yes' outright, Xu Xiaoqian just gave her shoulder a comforting pat.

Zhou Fanfan instantly deflated again. Ah… So it had indeed veered into the worst-case scenario after all.

Zhou Fanfan and Xu Xiaoqian spent the evening sighing and lamenting her fate. However, the next day, news broke that one of Guan Zhiyi's web dramas had been successfully acquired by a major satellite TV station for broadcast. The two instantly forgot the sorrows of the previous night, rushing into the large fan group chat to celebrate with their fellow fans.

After all, when measured against their idol's career milestones, something as trivial as a failed, or successful, blind date was utterly insignificant!

Buzz buzz buzz—

Her phone vibrated in her bag as the last class of the afternoon ended. With one arm linked through Xu Xiaoqian's, Zhou Fanfan fished out her phone with her other hand and saw Zhao Dezhen's name on the screen.

Zhou Fanfan and Xu Xiaoqian exchanged a look, stopping in their tracks. "It's my grandma," Zhou Fanfan said.

Xu Xiaoqian nodded. "Answer it, answer it."

"Okay."

Zhou Fanfan stepped aside and accepted the call.

"Grandma."

"Finished with classes?"

"Yes, just finished."

Zhao Dezhen got straight to the point. "I was busy yesterday and didn't have time to ask. How did it go with Yuanbai? You didn't sneak away halfway through dinner yesterday, did you?"

Thinking of yesterday, Zhou Fanfan felt like sighing again. "I didn't leave. I stayed for the whole meal."

Zhao Dezhen sounded relieved. "Good. You, behave yourself. Don't pull any of your strange antics and scare the young man away."

"As if I would!" Zhou Fanfan thought. If anything, she'd want to be extra nice to Guan Yuanbai! How could she bear to scare him off?

Hearing the dejection in Zhou Fanfan's voice, Zhao Dezhen mistakenly assumed she was upset about being forced into another blind date. "Fanfan, don't blame Grandma for being so anxious. You know our family's situation. I don't want to pressure you, I'm just afraid I won't be able to protect you in the future."

Zhou Fanfan felt a familiar helplessness. "Alright, alright, I understand all that. You don't need to keep saying it."

"Sigh… Anyway, if you and Yuanbai didn't hit it off, don't make a fuss. Just tell me properly, and I'll find you the next one. I'm sure you'll find a good match eventually."

"No, no, please, no more!" Zhou Fanfan was genuinely traumatized by the endless setups. The words tumbled out before she could stop them. "We… we didn't not hit it off either. But you have to give me some time to get to know him better properly, right?"

Zhao Dezhen perked up immediately. "Really? You're interested in getting to know Yuanbai better?"

Zhou Fanfan decided she had to commit now. "Of course! We made some progress yesterday. Grandma, please, don't go looking for anyone else…"

If she absolutely had to have a designated blind date candidate in this world, she hoped it could be Guan Yuanbai. After all, not only was he her darling daughter's biological brother, but he also had no real interest in dating either.

This way, she wouldn't dislike interacting with him, and he wouldn't inexplicably keep trying to chat her up like the previous men had.

She knew it wasn't a permanent solution, but if it could pacify her grandmother for a while and buy herself some peace and quiet, it was worth it.

Back in the dorm, Zhou Fanfan lay on her bed, wrestling with her thoughts for a long time.

After much deliberation, she felt she should probably inform Guan Yuanbai about this. Otherwise, if her grandmother happened to check with his family, wouldn't the whole charade be over?

So, she found his number in her phone and carefully composed a text message.

[Hello, Mr. Guan. This is Zhou Fanfan. I've been thinking a lot since our dinner the other night. You mentioned you're often pressured by your family to go on blind dates. I actually face the same problem. I was wondering if you might consider not informing your family that things are impossible between us just yet? Perhaps we could stay in touch? That way, it might keep our families off our backs for a while. (If this isn't acceptable, please just ignore this message. Sorry for the disturbance.)]

She sent the long, carefully worded message.

But there was no reply.

Zhou Fanfan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until the deep of the night.

Consequently, she was the only one left in the dorm the next morning, dead to the world in her bed.

Ring ring—

The sharp sound of her phone shattered the room's silence.

Zhou Fanfan let out a pained groan, fumbled for her phone, and pressed it to her ear, answering with a weak, sleep-slurred voice. "Hello…?"

"Miss Zhou. This is Guan Yuanbai."

Zhou Fanfan's eyes flew open. "Ah… H-hello."

"My apologies. I was quite busy with matters yesterday and only just saw your message."

Zhou Fanfan sat up in bed, still somewhat disoriented from sleep. "That's alright…"

On the other end, sitting in his office, Guan Yuanbai paused for a moment before asking, "You said you also wish to avoid being pressured into constant blind dates, and you'd like to pretend we're still… getting to know each other?"

"Yes, my grandmother keeps pressuring me," Zhou Fanfan said softly. "Are you willing? If it would cause you any trouble, then forget it. Please don't feel obligated."

"Trouble? Not really."

"So… you agree?"

Lately, the blind date situation had been a major source of irritation for Guan Yuanbai as well. So, Zhou Fanfan's proposal wasn't a bad deal from his perspective; there was no reason for him to disagree.

Even if he was aware that the girl might still have some… personal interest in him.

Guan Yuanbai thought it over for a moment, then said slowly, "I'm willing if it means less pestering from the elders."

"That's great! Thank you!"

"Mutual assistance, that's all."

Delighted, Zhou Fanfan said, "But I'm still very grateful. How about… I treat you to a meal tomorrow!"

---

Author's Note:

Fanfan: I'll treat you to a meal.

Yuanbai: It's no longer she ‘possibly’ has a personal interest in me, it's 'definitely'!

---

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