The Only Choice - 35

Guan Yuanbai had seen girls cry before.

Back in his student days, it was classmates. Girls would confess to him, and at that age, his words lacked tact; he was much harsher than he was now, rejecting them without leaving any room for hope. The girls would cry pitifully in front of him. He felt a bit sorry, but more than that, he felt annoyed.

Then, there was his younger sister, Guan Zhiyi. When she was little and couldn't finish her homework or got scolded by him for something, her cries were louder than anything. He didn't know how to comfort her and couldn't be bothered to try. He would either pawn her off on their dad or call Qi Chengyan over to handle it.

He had never encountered someone whose tears would make him feel as tense as he did now.

It was as if he would do anything, anything at all, just to make her feel better.

The restaurant staff looked over, unsure what was happening, but seeing their boss comforting her, no one approached to disturb them.

"Don't cry. If you want to go to the airport to find her and bring her back right now, I'll take you. If you don't, that's fine too. Nothing today is wasted. The food can still be prepared. Let's just treat it as... having a nice meal. I'll keep you company."

Zhou Fanfan clenched her fists tightly, filled with disappointment and a profound sense of loss.

Because she cherished it so much, every time she felt she lost it, every time she wasn't chosen, she easily broke down.

All along, she had never said it out loud, never admitted it: she missed Fang Ting terribly and wished she could stay by her side.

But Fang Ting couldn't. She had Xiao Heng now, and a new family.

Actually, she liked this little brother too; the child was adorable. But at the same time, she couldn't control her jealousy. Every time she saw Xiao Heng appear in Fang Ting's social media posts, seeing her accompany him everywhere, she felt jealous.

Fang Ting rarely returned to the country. This time, Zhou Fanfan was so happy, cherishing every minute by her side. And of course, she really wanted to show her how much she cared for her and missed her.

Deep down, she knew she couldn't blame Fang Ting this time, as she herself had kept the surprise preparations a secret. But she still felt hurt.

The balloon filled with resentment finally burst at this moment. She couldn't control her grievances.

Yet, even so, when Guan Yuanbai suggested going to the airport to find her, she shook her head.

She couldn't bring herself to call Fang Ting and selfishly demand she come back, to ignore the urgent matters in the US.

In front of her mother, she had always played the role of the well-behaved, sunny child.

Guan Yuanbai soon realized she just needed to vent. He didn't try to persuade her further, just placed his hand very lightly on her back, patting it in a comforting manner.

His own thoughts were a bit scattered, but amidst the confusion, he suddenly understood what had felt off about Zhou Fanfan that day in the Nanjue children's area.

The look in her eyes back then had been one of envy.

She was envious of the child, Xiao Heng.

Zhou Fanfan didn't let herself fall apart for long. After crying for just a few short minutes, she came to her senses. Looking up and seeing Guan Yuanbai, she suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Sorry..."

She stopped her tears, her voice hoarse and suppressed.

Guan Yuanbai said gently, "There's nothing to apologize for. It's perfectly normal."

Zhou Fanfan didn't know what to say. Her heart felt empty.

Guan Yuanbai said, "It's almost dinnertime anyway. This cake of yours looks good. Shall I have a couple of bites?"

Zhou Fanfan glanced at the cake she had put so much effort into and gave a muffled nod. "Then you have it... It's yours."

Having said that, she turned to leave.

Guan Yuanbai frowned and reached out to stop her. "Weren't you going to eat this cake yourself earlier? I can't finish it alone. Let's eat it together before you go."

Zhou Fanfan hesitated. Guan Yuanbai didn't wait for her refusal. In her current state, he didn't know what might happen if she left. So he directly led her to a table by the window and sat her down. This spot was the best seat in the restaurant.

Guan Yuanbai said, "Look outside. Sitting here, you can see the best night view of the city. Her not being able to have this meal today is her greatest loss."

Zhou Fanfan gave a soft "Mm," then added, "She didn't mean to miss it... If she knew how seriously I prepared this birthday celebration for her today, she would definitely have stayed for this meal, right..."

Guan Yuanbai looked at her intently and said slowly, "Of course. No one would intentionally let you down."

Zhou Fanfan looked up, feeling slightly more settled.

Guan Yuanbai smiled at her. "Don't be sad anymore. Let's have some cake. It's delicious. It definitely won't go to waste."

"Mm..."

The two ate the cake quietly for a while. Soon after, the dishes from the kitchen were served, enough for two. Zhou Fanfan took a deep breath, thinking she shouldn't let the carefully selected meal go to waste, and buried herself in eating.

Throughout the meal, she and Guan Yuanbai didn't talk much. But perhaps just knowing someone was there with her, her heart gradually calmed, losing that initial feeling of complete collapse.

After the meal, more than half of the cake remained.

Of course, the cake she made was sized for about four people. There was no way two could finish it all at once.

Still, Zhou Fanfan was very grateful to Guan Yuanbai. She didn't know if he had any meetings or social engagements tonight. His sudden decision to eat here might have disrupted his plans.

"Mr. Guan, thank you for having this meal with me today."

"Don't mention it. I needed to eat anyway."

Zhou Fanfan said, "Mm... Well, I'm finished. My grandmother just messaged me. I should head home. What about you?"

Guan Yuanbai: "I'll drive you."

Zhou Fanfan shook her head."No need. I've already taken up enough of your time. You should go attend to your own matters. I'm fine. My car is downstairs... And, I think I'd like to go home by myself right now."

Seeing she had calmed down, Guan Yuanbai felt less worried.

Perhaps she needed some space for herself now.

Guan Yuanbai didn't insist further. "Send me a message when you get home."

"Mm."

Zhou Fanfan left first.

After she left, Guan Yuanbai also put down his fork, not eating anymore. He sat for a while longer before the restaurant manager approached.

"Mr. Guan, can we clear these things away?"

"Go ahead."

"Yes."

Guan Yuanbai glanced at the table and suddenly said, "Wait."

The manager paused.

Guan Yuanbai said, "Pack up this half of the cake properly. I'll take it with me later."

The manager was momentarily surprised but quickly replied, "Certainly. Please wait a moment."

—

Guan Yuanbai drove back to Xinghe Bay. As he reached his door, he ran into Guan Zhiyi and her husband returning from a walk.

"Brother! You're back." Guan Zhiyi's work had been in the capital recently, so she could come home most evenings to be with Qi Chengyan.

Guan Yuanbai nodded.

Guan Zhiyi, sharp-eyed, asked, "What did you bring? Cake?"

The cake box was transparent. Upon closer look, she realized it was a half-eaten cake.

Guan Zhiyi looked at Guan Yuanbai in surprise. "Half-eaten? You packed it up and brought it home?"

"Mn."

"It must be a really delicious cake. Where did you get it?"

Guan Yuanbai wasn't entirely direct. He simply said, "Brought it from the hotel."

Hearing this, Guan Zhiyi naturally assumed it was made by the hotel's pastry chef, and that her brother, being meticulous, wanted to bring it back to taste it properly, perhaps for research on new hotel menu items.

"Let me try some! I just finished dinner and feel like having a little dessert."

However, Guan Yuanbai refused swiftly. "No."

Guan Zhiyi was taken aback."Huh?"

Guan Yuanbai gave a light cough."...You can go taste it at the hotel another time."

"...?"

With that, as if guarding some treasure, he took the half-cake and went inside.

It took Guan Zhiyi a moment to process this. She looked baffled at Qi Chengyan beside her. "Why not? He's treating it like such a treasure."

Qi Chengyan thought for a moment and smiled. "Probably... it's rather special."

Having known Guan Yuanbai for so many years, Qi Chengyan noted that recently, Guan Yuanbai had been acting out of character more often than ever before. And the reason for these abnormal occurrences invariably traced back to that young lady from the Zhou family.

Tonight was likely no exception.

Sure enough, late that night, Guan Yuanbai suddenly called him.

Qi Chengyan wasn't asleep yet. The person in bed had said she was thirsty and wanted water, so he had gone downstairs to pour some. It was then that he received Guan Yuanbai's call.

"What's up so late at night? Can't sleep?"

Guan Yuanbai: "I need to ask you something."

Hearing his serious tone initially, Qi Chengyan thought it might be something important and became attentive. "What is it?"

"What do you usually do when Xiao Wu gets upset or sad about something?"

Qi Chengyan was thoroughly stunned. After a good while, he said, "That's your question?"

Guan Yuanbai: "Is it hard to answer?"

"It's not that it's hard to answer...You're asking this... You're not trying to comfort someone, are you?"

Guan Yuanbai said discontentedly, "I'm asking you a question, why are you countering with so many questions? I've seen you coax Xiao Wu with a whole bag of tricks. Surely you can give me a few pointers."

This was the first time Qi Chengyan had witnessed this side of Guan Yuanbai. Seeing this 'iron tree bloom' was particularly novel. "These things vary from person to person. You could take her to do things she likes. Think about what Miss Zhou likes to do first."

"What she likes to do..."Guan Yuanbai paused, then added, "Did I say it was Zhou Fanfan?"

Qi Chengyan said playfully, "It's not? Then I won't say anything. I'm hanging up."

Guan Yuanbai took a deep breath. "Alright, alright, fine. It's her, it's her. Just be direct. Tell me what you usually do."

Qi Chengyan knew it would come to this. He chuckled triumphantly for a moment before thinking seriously. "What I do isn't important. It depends on the person, on their preferences. In Miss Zhou's case, I think... why not accompany her while she chases her stars?"

Guan Yuanbai: "?"

Qi Chengyan said,"Let me give you a suggestion. On the 16th of this month, Xiao Wu has a commercial performance. It's a show gathering over a dozen actors and singers. The audience tickets are officially sold, first-come-first-served for seats. If you think it's a good idea, I can have her agent get two tickets from the organizers. You can take her to see it live then."

"..."

"Yuanbai?"

Guan Yuanbai said through gritted teeth, "This is the method you came up with?"

"Yes, I said you need to cater to her interests." Qi Chengyan said leisurely, "The person you like happens to be fond of your sister. Aren't you the one who knows that best?"

"..."

—

After Fang Ting arrived in the US, she called Zhou Fanfan long-distance to apologize again.

Zhou Fanfan paused for a moment, said it was okay, and mentioned she had bought her a gift, which she would have someone bring over to her in a few days.

Fang Ting, unaware of her daughter's emotional state, happily thanked her.

After a brief chat, they hung up.

Zhou Fanfan was already calm. Facing Fang Ting, she had hidden all her emotions securely.

It wasn't that she didn't want to express them, but she felt it wouldn't change anything. Fang Ting was her mother who lived far away, and also her beloved mother. Her mother hadn't really done anything wrong, so she couldn't bring herself to blame her, much less act like a child, throwing a tantrum and demanding she come back.

Even though she had calmed down, her mood was still affected.

Moreover, her complete breakdown in front of Guan Yuanbai at the restaurant felt increasingly mortifying in hindsight.

So, for the next few days, she remained listless.

[The Spring Song Gala is the day after tomorrow! So upsetting! Couldn't get tickets at all! And this gala isn't the broadcast kind! We can only rely on footage from fans who are there...]

A ding sounded in the group chat. It was Qi Qi wailing.

Zhou Fanfan, sitting in the study room, saw the message and sent a small emoji in response.

Qi Qi: [Fanfan, you didn't get tickets either, right? Sigh! So many stars, fans from different groups all trying to get them. Getting one would be like winning the lottery!]

Zhou Fanfan looked down and replied: [Didn't get any.]

Liu Liu:[I really want to go! Darn it!!!]

Xu Xiaoqian: [Will there be scalpers lurking outside the venue...?]

Qi Qi: [There definitely will be, but they'll be crazy expensive! And even if they were cheap, we shouldn't buy from them! Yiyi said not to give scalpers any chances!]

Xu Xiaoqian: [True... Hey, the program list just came out! Yiyi is singing 'Zhaoyang'!]

Qi Qi: [OMG OMG!!! Really?!]

The song "Zhaoyang" was one Guan Zhiyi hadn't performed live since the promotional period for the TV drama ended. But this song held special meaning for her fans, as it was the character song for the role that made her famous.

They had always dreamed of hearing Guan Zhiyi sing it live again. And now she was, but they hadn't managed to get tickets!!

When Zhou Fanfan heard Xu Xiaoqian mention this, she quickly went to Weibo to check the freshly released program list. It really was "Zhaoyang."

Instantly, her already low spirits sank even further.

Zhou Fanfan let out a long sigh: [Let's hope the people who get to go record a good clip for us...]

The others in the group agreed, continuing their lamentations.

Zhou Fanfan didn't reply further in the group chat and was about to put her phone down to continue studying.

Just then, her phone vibrated again. This time, it wasn't a group message.

Guan Yuanbai's profile picture popped up.

Zhou Fanfan paused and clicked into it.

Guan Yuanbai: [Xiao Wu has a commercial event the day after tomorrow. She happens to have two tickets. Do you want them?]

---

Author's Note:

Picking up subtle techniques for pursuing someone.

---

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