The Only Choice - 5

The powder-blue box was meticulously wrapped, tied with a delicate silk ribbon into a perfect bow. It was clear the giver had put considerable care into it.

Guan Yuanbai glanced down at it but didn't reach out. "Miss Zhou, this arrangement benefits us both. There's no need for gifts."

Fearing he would refuse, Zhou Fanfan quickly insisted, "But you're really helping me a lot. Even if it's mutual help, I still want to show my gratitude. And Mr. Guan, it's just a painting I made. It's not valuable at all."

"But…"

"Or… do you dislike something so trivial?"

She hung her head, her voice soft, looking utterly dejected and pitiful.

Guan Yuanbai fell silent.

"Well, well, Yuanbai. What are you up to here?" A man's voice came from nearby.

Zhou Fanfan looked over. It was a man around thirty, with narrow eyes, giving off a bit of a 'Korean actor' vibe. He wore a navy blue wool coat with a silver-grey bee-shaped brooch pinned to the lapel.

Guan Yuanbai turned. "Second Brother? What are you doing here?"

Second Brother.

Zhou Fanfan took another look. So this was the Guan family's second young master, Guan Yuanbai's cousin, Guan Ziyu.

"I stayed here last night." Guan Ziyu yawned, his gaze settling on Zhou Fanfan. "And who's this young lady?"

Zhou Fanfan offered a polite smile. "Hello, I'm Zhou Fanfan."

"Zhou Fanfan?!" Guan Ziyu's expression sharpened with recognition. "I remember now. You're the match Grandma set up for Yuanbai, right?"

Zhou Fanfan gave an embarrassed smile. "Yes…"

Guan Yuanbai's interaction with his older cousin seemed informal, his tone blunt. "Second Brother, you can leave if you've got nothing else."

"Leave? Why would I?" Guan Ziyu looked curious, scrutinizing Zhou Fanfan for a moment. "The young lady is quite lovely… Fanfan, are you here to see Yuanbai today?"

Zhou Fanfan glanced at Guan Yuanbai. "Yes."

Guan Ziyu grinned. "At this hour… heading out on a date?"

Zhou Fanfan stammered, "Ah? No, I—"

Before she could finish, someone pulled her gently.

Caught off guard, Zhou Fanfan bumped lightly against Guan Yuanbai's arm. She looked up at him, startled. He met her gaze calmly and said, "We were just about to go get some food. Care to join us?"

Zhou Fanfan: "Huh?"

"I wouldn't dare crash." Guan Ziyu gave Guan Yuanbai a knowing pat on the shoulder. "It's a miracle you're finally going out with a girl. If Grandma found out I third-wheeled, she'd skin me alive."

Guan Yuanbai said, "In that case, we'll be going."

Guan Ziyu nodded vigorously, looking pleased. "Yes, yes, go on. Enjoy your meal. No need to hurry back."

"…"

The lobby of the Nanjue Hotel was opulently decorated. Zhou Fanfan, slightly dazed, followed Guan Yuanbai across the vast space towards the elevators.

As an elevator arrived, he took a phone call. While speaking to the person on the other end, he lightly held the door open, gesturing for her to enter first.

Not wanting to disturb him, Zhou Fanfan stepped in quietly. Guan Yuanbai followed, pressing the button for the B2 level.

The underground parking garage was lined with luxury cars. Guan Yuanbai's coupe occupied a spacious spot by itself.

She followed him to the car and waited obediently nearby until he finished his call.

"Get in," he said, turning back to her.

Zhou Fanfan was surprised. "I drove here myself today. You don't need to take me home."

Guan Yuanbai opened the passenger door for her. "I'm not taking you home. We're going to eat."

"Ah?"

"My second brother is the best at reporting to Grandma, and he's incredibly nosy. Since he saw us, we might as well go eat. For all we know, he's hiding somewhere watching us right now."

Zhou Fanfan immediately looked around nervously. "But what about your work?"

She asked earnestly, genuinely concerned about disturbing him.

Guan Yuanbai chuckled. "It's finished. I'm free now."

Only then did Zhou Fanfan relax and nod, settling into the car.

Guan Yuanbai got in as well, started the car, and then glanced at her. "How long are you going to hold onto that?"

Zhou Fanfan didn't understand at first, then followed his gaze to the gift box in her hands. "Oh! Can I put this in the back seat?"

At this point, Guan Yuanbai couldn't very well say 'no.' It would make him seem like he genuinely looked down on a handmade gift.

"Suit yourself."

Zhou Fanfan made an affirmative sound and quickly turned to place the gift box carefully in the back.

Guan Yuanbai watched her visibly pleased expression and found it somewhat amusing. "What do you feel like eating?"

Zhou Fanfan said gently, "What would you like? I promised to treat you last time, so… whatever you want."

Guan Yuanbai replied, "I don't mind. Choose something you like."

Zhou Fanfan thought for a moment. "Then… how about near my university? Do you eat spicy food? There's a Sichuanese place there that's really delicious."

Guan Yuanbai had no strong preferences for this dinner. Since she had a place in mind, he went along with it. "Sure. Give me the address."

"Okay!"

There was a famous Sichuanese restaurant near Jing University. The owner was from Sichuan and had run the place for over twenty years.

While the restaurant wasn't huge, it had a nice atmosphere, and the food was genuinely excellent, so much so that it had even been featured on a national TV food program.

Zhou Fanfan had been coming here with friends since her undergraduate days. If anyone asked for a restaurant recommendation, she wouldn't suggest fancy, expensive Western places; she'd recommend this one.

"The portions here are large, so I didn't order too much." After they were seated, Zhou Fanfan ordered the dishes she thought were the best. "Mr. Guan, please see if there's anything else you'd like."

Guan Yuanbai said, "This should be enough."

"Okay."

Zhou Fanfan called the server over to place the order.

It was the weekend, so the restaurant was busy, and the service was a bit slow. While they waited, Zhou Fanfan stole occasional glances at Guan Yuanbai but didn't initiate much conversation.

It wasn't that they had nothing to talk about—Guan Zhiyi, for instance.

But Zhou Fanfan didn't dare bring that up. First, she didn't want to pry into her idol's private life. Second, she was afraid that once she started talking about her, she wouldn't be able to stop, which would seem strange to Guan Yuanbai.

Since Zhou Fanfan stayed quiet, Guan Yuanbai didn't try to make small talk either.

The silence didn't feel awkward to Guan Yuanbai. In fact, he thought it was just as well if the young lady was introverted or ‘too nervous to speak’ around him.

After all, he was just playing along. Too much conversation might give her the wrong idea, leading to more… inappropriate thoughts about him.

After about half an hour of mutual silence, the food finally arrived.

Mapo tofu, boiled beef slices in chili sauce, Kung Pao chicken, cold chicken in chili oil… A vibrant sea of red, looking incredibly appetizing.

Zhou Fanfan's mouth watered. With practiced ladylike restraint, she ordered two bowls of rice.

She cleared her throat and said, not entirely truthfully, "I'll only need half a bowl. Mr. Guan, if one bowl isn't enough for you, you can have this other half. It's untouched."

Guan Yuanbai: "Thank you, one bowl is enough."

"Alright."

So much delicious food! If Guan Yuanbai weren't here, she could easily polish off two bowls herself!

What a shame, what a shame.

Guan Yuanbai, being in the hotel business, naturally had an interest in the food and beverage industry. So when Zhou Fanfan mentioned how famous this place was, he was curious to try it.

But he hadn't expected the food to be so much spicier than he'd anticipated. The first bite of the boiled beef left him momentarily breathless.

"Hiss…" A sharp breath caught in Guan Yuanbai's throat, followed by a sudden, violent cough. His face instantly turned red.

Zhou Fanfan was alarmed and quickly put down her chopsticks. "M-Mr. Guan! Is it too spicy?!"

Guan Yuanbai coughed, head lowered, and waved a hand dismissively, looking rather embarrassed.

Zhou Fanfan hurriedly poured him a glass of water. "Here, drink this!"

Guan Yuanbai took it and drained the glass in one go.

"How are you? Are you okay?!"

"It's… fine…"

His voice was hoarse, his face still flushed an unnatural red. When he looked up, his eyes were watery from the physical reaction.

Seeing his damp eyes, Zhou Fanfan's heart gave a sudden, hard thump.

So cute… No! So pitiful!

What have I done!

"I'm so sorry, so sorry! It's my fault for not warning you. Their food is spicier than most other Sichuan places. Do you not usually eat very spicy food?"

Guan Yuanbai frowned deeply. "It's alright. I just choked on it."

Zhou Fanfan: "I'm really sorry… Let me order some other dishes for you."

"No need." Guan Yuanbai took another sip of water. "It's fine. Let's just eat this."

"Oh…"

Once Guan Yuanbai was prepared, he wasn't caught off guard by the spice again. Still, the dishes were a bit too fiery for his palate.

Zhou Fanfan, who had been watching him closely, could tell he was struggling.

"Server!"

Someone came over promptly. "Yes, hello."

Zhou Fanfan said, "Could you bring me another set of bowls and chopsticks, please?"

"Certainly. One moment."

The server brought the new utensils. Zhou Fanfan poured a bowl of hot water. Using the new chopsticks, she picked up pieces of food, swished them through the water to rinse off the excess spice, and then placed them on a small plate.

She repeated this several times until a small mountain of rinsed food sat on the plate.

"Here, you can eat this." She pushed the plate towards Guan Yuanbai.

Guan Yuanbai was taken aback, looking at her with surprise.

Zhou Fanfan didn't think it was a big deal and explained, "Rinsing them like this makes them much less spicy, but they still have flavor. My roommate did this the first time she came here. And… these bowls and chopsticks are brand new, just brought over."

Of course, he knew they were new; he'd seen her ask for them. He had assumed she was doing this for herself because she also found it too spicy.

He never expected it was all for him.

Guan Yuanbai felt an uncharacteristic flicker of… something. As the older brother in his family, he was always the one taking care of others; no one ever took care of him.

This was the first time someone had looked after him during a meal, and it was a young girl.

"Thank you," Guan Yuanbai said, clearing his throat slightly and taking an awkward sip of water.

Zhou Fanfan: "No problem. Go ahead and eat. I'll keep rinsing some for you."

"That's not necessary. Please, eat your own food."

"…Alright."

Guan Yuanbai didn't end up eating much more. He found the act of eating the food she had rinsed for him… strange. Besides, if he actually finished it all, he feared it might send her the wrong signal.

Zhou Fanfan, however, wasn't overthinking it. Her actions were purely motivated by not wanting him to suffer from the spice.

Her fondness for his sister naturally extended to him; looking out for him and taking care of him was almost ingrained in her DNA.

Seeing that he really wasn't eating much, she started thinking the food here genuinely didn't suit his taste. She'd have to find him something else to eat later…

The winter night was bitterly cold, the wind sharp and piercing.

Stepping out of the Sichuan restaurant, a wave of dry, frigid air hit them, seeming to instantly sap the moisture from any exposed skin.

Zhou Fanfan squinted against the cold and turned to Guan Yuanbai. "There's a food street near our university with lots of great eats. Should I take you for a walk there?"

Guan Yuanbai: "You're still hungry?"

"I'm full, but you didn't eat much. You probably aren't." Zhou Fanfan said, "I can take you to get something that's not spicy."

Her face seemed even paler in the cold wind.

From this distance, Guan Yuanbai could see her eyelashes fluttering slightly, veiling a hint of nervousness and uncertainty in her eyes.

"I was supposed to treat you tonight, but you ended up paying just now…" she continued, seeing his silence. "I'd feel really bad if I let you go home hungry on top of that."

"I'm not hungry."

"Then let's just go try some tasty snacks? It's really close, just a short walk away."

Her eyes were full of sincerity, and the note of anxiety in her voice grew stronger, as if she would truly be consumed by guilt if he refused.

Guan Yuanbai looked at her for a moment and suddenly found he had no will to refuse.

Fine. I don't have anything else on anyway. Might as well humor this kid.

"Alright, let's go."

Zhou Fanfan immediately brightened up, nodding repeatedly. "Follow me."

She took a few quick steps ahead but then seemed to remember something, suddenly turning back to look him up and down.

Guan Yuanbai was puzzled. "What now?"

"It's really cold today. Aren't you dressed a bit lightly? You might get cold."

"It's fine."

Zhou Fanfan completely ignored his "It's fine." She was thinking that since she was taking him to eat, she couldn't let him catch a chill. If he got sick, how could she ever face her darling daughter?

So, she pulled two round, egg-shaped objects from her pocket and pressed them into Guan Yuanbai's hands. "Hand warmers. You can keep your hands warm in your pockets."

Guan Yuanbai looked down at them, momentarily at a loss.

But Zhou Fanfan felt it still wasn't enough. She thought for a second, then took the scarf she had draped over her arm and placed it around his shoulders.

He was too tall, and she didn't dare wrap it around his neck herself. "This scarf is new. I only wore it for a minute when I left home, just a minute. It's very clean. It's too cold out. Please wear it properly. Don't catch a chill."

It was a fluffy, pink-and-white scarf. As it settled on his shoulders, Guan Yuanbai caught a faint whiff of a woody scent, blended subtly with a hint of sweet, milky fragrance.

It was a pleasant smell, but also a completely unfamiliar one.

The scent seemed to momentarily freeze him in place.

"You…"

"Let's not just stand here. Come on, let's go~"

The person in front of him looked up, her expression utterly guileless and thoroughly satisfied.

---

Author's Note:

Fanfan: No matter how old you are, you're still one of my ‘child’ (Not really).

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