The Only Choice - 34

Zhou Fanfan hurried to finish her assignment. About ten minutes later, the three of them walked out of the library.

The sunlight was just right today, warm and gentle, lending a lazy, tender feel to the air.

Zhou Fanfan's mood lifted with the weather. Xiao Heng mentioned wanting pizza, so she took him out for some. Guan Yuanbai joined them, though she suspected he wasn't a big fan of that kind of food, as he barely ate a few bites the whole time.

After the meal, Fang Ting's errands were mostly done. Since Zhou Fanfan needed to meet her advisor that afternoon, they dropped Xiao Heng back at Nanjue Hotel.

After leaving the hotel room, Guan Yuanbai and Zhou Fanfan headed down together. Waiting for the elevator, Zhou Fanfan suddenly asked, "Does Nanjue offer any special birthday celebration packages?"

Guan Yuanbai: "Simple or elaborate?"

"Elaborate, I think. I want to book out a restaurant. It's my mom's birthday the day after tomorrow. She came back so suddenly this time, I haven't had any time to prepare."

Understanding, Guan Yuanbai suggested, "The rooftop restaurant is good for birthdays. The atmosphere is better. Quite a few guests have celebrated there before."

"Really? Do you have any particularly romantic ideas or services?"

Guan Yuanbai thought for a moment. "Custom decorations for the restaurant, a live band, cake... We can even arrange a drone show."

"A drone show sounds great! I'd love to do that for my mom!"

Guan Yuanbai smiled slightly. "Alright. I'll have the manager contact you. You can tell him directly what you have in mind."

"Great, that's perfect." She paused, then asked, "But this is so last-minute... Will your rooftop restaurant even be available for a private booking?"

He paused briefly, then said, "It will be. Don't worry."

"Awesome. I'll go pick out a gift tomorrow then."

The elevator arrived. Guan Yuanbai lightly gestured for her to enter first.

Once she was inside, he followed. Casually, he asked, "Any idea what you want to get her?"

"My mom likes nice jewelry. I need to think about where to get something special for her."

"Jewelry? I can actually recommend a place."

"Where?"

"A private studio owned by a designer friend. Xiao Wu and Guan Xi used to go there quite often. If you'd like to take a look, I can take you there tomorrow afternoon."

Zhou Fanfan didn't usually buy such things often and lacked experience. Hearing Guan Yuanbai's suggestion, she was definitely interested.

A designer friend of his, and one that Guan Xi and Guan Zhiyi frequented? The pieces must be special and of guaranteed quality.

Zhou Fanfan asked tentatively, "But... are you free? Won't it be trouble for you?"

Guan Yuanbai was texting on his phone. Hearing her, he said, "It's fine. I was thinking of getting a gift for my grandmother anyway. We can go together."

"Deal!"

In the parking garage, they got into their respective cars.

One was heading to the main company for a meeting, the other back to campus.

Before driving off, Guan Yuanbai received a call back from the Nanjue restaurant manager, responding to the message he'd sent earlier.

Manager: "Mr. Guan, the rooftop restaurant is fully booked for the day after tomorrow. Other guests we can manage, but Chairman Jiang from Hengchuan has reserved our VIP room to host some important clients... What should we do..."

"Arrange for the other guests to be seated in other restaurants that day, complimentary, with gifts. Figure out the specifics. As for Chairman Jiang, I'll call him personally."

"Understood. I'll make the arrangements immediately."

Guan Yuanbai: "Also, regarding the phone number I sent you, coordinate with her on all the details for the birthday celebration she wants."

"Yes, Mr. Guan."

After getting in her car, Zhou Fanfan also called Fang Ting, telling her to keep the evening free the day after tomorrow for a birthday dinner together.

Fang Ting happily agreed.

Driving to campus, Zhou Fanfan felt happy the whole way, thinking about the specific details for Fang Ting's birthday celebration while also reflecting on how genuinely nice Guan Yuanbai was.

After her initial ulterior motives for getting close to him had been exposed, he'd been very angry. She had been panicked and scared back then, and had agreed to treat him to a hundred meals without hesitation.

But it felt like... recently, his anger had completely dissipated. Guan Yuanbai not being angry was simply angelic.

The next day, after returning from her advisor's office, Zhou Fanfan stopped by her dorm room.

Xu Xiaoqian was also there. Since the semester started, aside from classes, she hadn't spent much time on campus, having found a part-time tutoring job for a middle school student.

"I thought you had tutoring today. Why are you in the dorm?" Zhou Fanfan asked casually.

Xu Xiaoqian said, "The kid caught a cold. His family let him rest for the day."

"Oh..."

Xu Xiaoqian asked, "Want to get dinner together tonight?"

"Can't do tonight," Zhou Fanfan apologized. "I'm meeting Guan Yuanbai later. I need to buy a gift for my mom."

Xu Xiaoqian looked at her meaningfully. "Oh? Why with him? Are you two getting a bit too into your little act?"

"Don't overthink it! He knows a designer. I need to look for suitable jewelry for my mom, and he wants to buy something for his grandmother too."

"Is that so..." Xu Xiaoqian said. "So... you and Guan Yuanbai are pretty close lately, huh?"

Zhou Fanfan felt they had been in contact quite a bit recently, but 'pretty close'... probably not that close.

"It's okay... Why?"

"No reason." Xu Xiaoqian brought it up as if casually. "I remember you said that guy Song Li you met at the bar last time is Guan Yuanbai's friend."

"Yeah, probably." Zhou Fanfan suddenly became wary. "Wait, why are you bringing him up? Did he contact you afterwards?"

"Uh... well, sort of."

Zhou Fanfan immediately went to her side. "Contact you for what? Let me tell you, even though Song Li is Guan Yuanbai's friend, I've heard he's a real player."

Xu Xiaoqian cleared her throat. "I didn't say anything. Whether he's a player or not, what's it to me..."

Zhou Fanfan: "Anyway, he's completely unreliable when it comes to relationships. If he contacts you again, you can't pay him any attention, okay?"

Xu Xiaoqian laughed. "Alright, got it, got it."

Even though Xu Xiaoqian agreed, Zhou Fanfan still felt a little worried.

When she met up with Guan Yuanbai later, she couldn't help but ask if Song Li currently had a girlfriend.

Guan Yuanbai had known Song Li for years, but his behavior regarding relationships was something Guan Yuanbai always looked down upon. He changed girlfriends far too quickly; Guan Yuanbai never really knew when he was single or attached.

"Not really sure. Why do you ask?"

Zhou Fanfan said discontentedly, "Next time you see him, can you tell him for me that he should stay away from Xu Xiaoqian? Xiaoqian takes relationships very seriously; she's not the type to fool around. If he dares to mess with her or hurt her, I'll make him sorry."

This was the first time Guan Yuanbai had seen Zhou Fanfan show her prickly side.

It was a bit sharp, but not overly so.

Paired with her face, even her fierce expression seemed soft.

Guan Yuanbai glanced at her again, finding it cute, but he took her words seriously. "Song Li is still in contact with your friend?"

"From what Xiaoqian said, it seems so."

Guan Yuanbai nodded. "Alright, I understand. I'll call and ask him about it later."

"Okay!"

Seeing her relieved expression, Guan Yuanbai smiled slightly. "You're quite the loyal friend."

"Of course. You have to have a sense of loyalty towards people you consider important."

Half an hour later, Guan Yuanbai brought her to his friend's private studio.

The studio was quite spacious, located in a small western-style townhouse, with staff on each floor.

After Guan Yuanbai entered, the owner and lead designer, his friend, personally came out to greet them. He was a man around thirty-five or thirty-six, with long hair and a retro-inspired style, very distinctive.

"So this is your little girlfriend," the man said with a smile.

Even now, Zhou Fanfan still felt a bit awkward with the title 'Guan Yuanbai's girlfriend'.

Guan Yuanbai, however, remained perfectly calm and introduced, "Yes, this is my girlfriend, Zhou Fanfan. Fanfan, this is Qiu Yuan."

"Hello, Mr. Qiu."

"Hello. Shall I show you around?"

"That would be great, thank you."

Qiu Yuan gave them a tour, briefly introducing various categories.

Zhou Fanfan was dazzled and unsure what to choose, so she mentioned her budget and Fang Ting's usual style preferences, asking Qiu Yuan for recommendations.

Qiu Yuan had them sit on a sofa and soon had staff bring over a selection.

"These are brooches. Here we have necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Based on what you described, I've selected pieces that are feminine yet have a touch of contemporary design flair. They'd serve as excellent accent pieces in everyday wear," Qiu Yuan explained.

Zhou Fanfan was instantly captivated by the sparkling jewelry. "They're all so beautiful."

Qiu Yuan smiled. "You can take your time looking through these. Think about which style your mother might prefer."

Zhou Fanfan looked them over and her eyes immediately landed on one necklace. It was a very understated design, the pendant a small disc set with a pink diamond in the center.

"This one is so pretty and delicate."

Qiu Yuan said, "This necklace features a 1.13-carat pink diamond. Here's its GIA certificate. Argyle pink diamonds over one carat are quite rare. It really is beautiful."

"It is..." Zhou Fanfan couldn't help but look at it a few more times.

Noticing her apparent fondness for it, Guan Yuanbai asked, "Do you want to buy this one?"

"It's beautiful, but that's just my personal taste. This is a bit too youthful and pink for my mom. She prefers greens or blues."

Qiu Yuan said, "Blue and green tones do tend to be more elegant and sophisticated. You could take a look at these two bracelets then..."

Qiu Yuan began introducing the bracelets to Zhou Fanfan. Guan Yuanbai glanced at the pink diamond necklace once more but didn't comment.

Since Zhou Fanfan was buying a gift for her mother, he didn't offer his opinion.

In the end, Zhou Fanfan chose to buy a bracelet set with green diamonds.

Guan Yuanbai bought a jadeite ring. He hadn't actually come to buy a gift for his grandmother today, but having used that excuse, he picked one out anyway.

After leaving the townhouse, Zhou Fanfan went straight to the Nanjue Hotel with Guan Yuanbai.

She met with the restaurant manager to discuss the kind of birthday setup she wanted.

With the event the day after tomorrow, time was tight. Zhou Fanfan practically lived in Nanjue for the next two days. Besides spending time with Fang Ting and Xiao Heng, whenever she had a moment, she would sneak upstairs to coordinate with the restaurant staff.

She was involved in every detail—from the menu and decorations to the band, drone show, and even the cake.

The last time she had celebrated a birthday with Fang Ting was five or six years ago.

She had specifically flown to the US during a school break.

Over the years, they had spent more time apart than together. She cherished every day with Fang Ting and hoped Fang Ting felt happy when they were together.

So, for this rare shared birthday, she naturally wanted to put her whole heart into it.

Soon, Fang Ting's birthday arrived.

Zhou Fanfan had everything ready. She even arrived at the restaurant kitchen three hours early to learn how to decorate the cake from the pastry chef.

Fang Ting was still completely in the dark, probably thinking tonight's birthday dinner was just a simple, small gathering.

"You're making the cake yourself?" she had just finished the cake and walked out when she saw Guan Yuanbai entering from outside.

Zhou Fanfan had a smudge of cream on her cheek and hair, completely unaware. She grinned at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Had a meeting here this afternoon. Thought I'd see how your preparations were coming along."

"Just like this. Looks good, right? I blew up those balloons myself."

Guan Yuanbai scanned the room. The restaurant was already filled with a strong birthday atmosphere. It was clear she had put a lot of effort into it.

"Mm, not bad."

"This cake is even better. I can make one for you to try next time."

Guan Yuanbai's eyebrow lifted slightly. Then he heard Zhou Fanfan add, "But it'll count towards one of the owed dinners."

He chuckled. "You're quite the shrewd accountant."

Zhou Fanfan: "Have to be! Mr. Guan, just let me know when you feel like having dessert—"

Right then, her phone rang.

Zhou Fanfan said "Hold on" to him and answered. "Hi, Mom."

"Fanfan, are you at school?"

Still wanting to keep the surprise, Zhou Fanfan said, "Yeah, I am. But I'll come find you guys later. We'll go have dinner at the rooftop restaurant."

"Um, Fanfan, honey..." Fang Ting's voice was apologetic. "I'm afraid I can't make it to dinner tonight. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Something urgent came up with your stepfather. Xiao Heng and I are on our way to the airport now."

"What..."

"Sorry, so sorry. I didn't expect it to be so sudden either. I'm only telling you now because it's confirmed."

Guan Yuanbai had been idly waiting nearby, but now he watched as Zhou Fanfan's face fell from a beaming smile to complete blankness.

He couldn't hear what was said on the other end, only Zhou Fanfan's very soft replies: "But you said you'd be here for a week... Why are you leaving early?... Can't you at least stay for this meal? ... Okay, I understand... Got it. Happy Birthday, Mom."

She hung up, looked down at the cake, and her expression suddenly seemed lost.

Guan Yuanbai had pieced together enough. "Your mother left?"

As if remembering he was there only then, she looked up and gave him a small smile, shrugging. "Yeah. Went back to the States. Suddenly."

Guan Yuanbai fell silent. He knew how hard she had worked these past two days, all for this surprise birthday celebration for Fang Ting.

And now, so unluckily, the guest of honor was gone.

He pressed his lips together briefly, offering comfort. "There will be other chances."

"Mmm... I suppose. But all this will go to waste." Zhou Fanfan let out a soft sigh. "And no one will eat the cake now... Why did it have to be so urgent?... Forget it. I need to tell the chef not to prepare the dishes."

She just seemed a bit regretful, not overly upset.

Guan Yuanbai felt a silent wave of relief. "I'll have the manager inform them."

"No need, I'll do it."

Zhou Fanfan turned and walked towards the kitchen. Guan Yuanbai didn't stop her, standing still as he watched her retreating figure.

He kept watching until she stopped at a corner, standing there completely motionless.

Guan Yuanbai called her name, but she didn't respond, didn't turn her head.

Frowning, he walked over to her. "Zhou Fanfan."

She still didn't turn around.

Guan Yuanbai reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her slightly towards him. He meant to ask what was wrong, but the words died in his throat when he saw her face.

Her eyes were rimmed red, her lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

Guan Yuanbai was stunned. "You..."

"I really want to drag her back," she said, her voice hoarse, thick with unshed tears.

A pang struck Guan Yuanbai's chest. He realized then that her previous composure had just been a front.

She was heartbroken. And far more so than he had anticipated.

A wave of heartache washed over him. He bent down slightly, his voice soft. "You want her to come back? Should we try to catch her at the airport?"

"We can't..." Zhou Fanfan looked up at him, as if a final thread had snapped. Her words tumbled out, disjointed. "Why does it have to be like this? Why is it always like this? I hate it! Guan Yuanbai, I just want to drag her back here…”

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