111. An Inauspicious Start, the Bullied Bachelor

Li An had no reason to refuse such a request.

Especially when he turned to see the playful glint in her eyes, which perfectly illustrated how quickly a woman can change her demeanor. One moment it could be brewing storm clouds; the next, a clear, sunny sky with a touch of sweetness.

However, although Chen Xuan’s smile was sweet, it didn't feel entirely natural. Having spent the last four months side-by-side, day in and day out, Li An could still make subconscious judgments based on the curve of her lips. What was bothering her? Li An pondered; her mood had been fluctuating since this afternoon.

Chen Xuan summoned the courage to finish what she wanted to say, then stepped into the back of the taxi first. Li An followed and sat down beside her.

"Jiangbei Plaza."

Once they were seated and the car pulled away, Li An gave the instruction to the driver. Seeing the pair, the driver immediately pegged them as another young couple heading out for the Qixi Festival. He asked enthusiastically, "Are you two going out for a meal or just to have some fun?"

Chen Xuan had never been on a date and wasn't entirely sure of the proper etiquette. She only knew she was starving, wanted to have fun, and was aware that consumption near Jiangbei Plaza was quite high.

But that didn't matter. She had intended to split tonight's expenses anyway. Furthermore, after spending so much time together, she could tell that Li An’s financial situation wasn't exactly flourishing. She didn't believe anyone would enjoy eating instant noodles every single day at lunch.

If they split the bill tonight, it would be easier on him. She would much rather he use the money to improve his diet—eating better meals instead of instant noodles or plain dried noodles—than spend it all on a single overpriced dish.

"Let's eat first."

Li An ultimately decided to head toward Jiangbei Plaza. The restaurant and cinema he had originally chosen were located there. Even though the dining plans had changed, the rhythm of dinner followed by a movie didn't have to. He had already scouted the nearby restaurants; they were quite tasteful. As for the movie tickets he had already booked, he could just change the showtime.

These were minor issues. What mattered was that this was his first formal date with Chen Xuan, and he felt it should be a place filled with memorable moments.

Jiangbei Plaza overlooked the river, bordered by lush, tree-lined paths. On either side of the riverbank stood a recently completed commercial complex featuring European-style architecture. According to Li An’s research, there was going to be a music-themed fountain show tonight for the Qixi Festival.

He imagined that after dinner, while waiting for the movie to start, they could stroll along the river to digest their meal, enjoy the river breeze, watch the fountains, and listen to the music. If, years from now, they were to look back on this night, it would surely be a beautiful memory.

Li An’s reverie hadn't even lasted past the first intersection when the car suddenly came to a halt. A traffic jam.

The driver, peering through the windshield, offered a well-intentioned warning: "Traffic is going to be a nightmare around Jiangbei Plaza at this hour. It’ll probably take at least until 7:30 to get there. Will that ruin your plans?"

The two in the back seat looked at each other, their eyes silently asking, *What now?*

"Are you hungry?" Li An asked softly.

Chen Xuan nodded, then added, "Or I could not be."

The driver chuckled, "Neither of you sounds like a local. Have you been to Chengnan Alley? It’s perfect for young people—the whole street is packed with snacks and all sorts of entertainment. Plus, it’ll save you a lot of time."

Chen Xuan was swayed by this suggestion. She had heard Wang Panpan mention the rice rolls there in the office and had been wanting to try them. Without overthinking whether this conflicted with Li An’s plans, she blurted out, "Let's go eat rice rolls."

Seeing the anticipation in Chen Xuan’s eyes, Li An smiled to himself, thinking, *You really know how to save money,* before letting out a soft sigh.

Chen Xuan then realized her suggestion might have clashed with Li An’s agenda, so she quickly added, "Whatever you want."

Li An smiled and turned to the driver: "Chengnan Alley, please."

Chen Xuan beamed, her mind already racing with all the things she might get to eat. She didn't usually care much for food, but in the current atmosphere, she couldn't help but want to try things she had never tasted before. It was as if the knot of tension that had been tightening all afternoon had suddenly unraveled.

After rehearsals finished earlier, she had felt a bit guilty, fearing that a perfect Qixi night had been ruined because of her. She felt bad for Li An. But now, she thought: *If things go wrong, I’ll just make it up to him by spending next year's Qixi with him too.*

She was stunned by her own thought. So, this was what "involuntarily falling" felt like.

"Chen Xuan, don't forget to send the last rehearsal video to the parents' group so you don't forget it tonight. Also, remind Li Chengyu’s parents that he needs to practice those two lines I circled for him earlier today once he gets home."

Chen Xuan felt a momentary dampening of spirits, followed by a surge of warmth. The warmth washed away the disappointment in a second. If Li An hadn't reminded her, she probably wouldn't have thought about work for the rest of the night.

Pulling her phone from her yellow duck-shaped bag, she saw a voice message from Sun Yuman. After sending the video and the message to the parents, she opened the voice clip and let it convert to text:

*‘Where are you guys? Hehehe.’*

Looking at the text, she could easily imagine the mischievous smirk Sun Yuman was hiding behind her screen.

*Ye Zi: We just got into a taxi, heading to dinner.*

*Sun Yuman: No way, big sister, you’re only just leaving??*

Just as Chen Xuan was about to type an explanation, Sun Yuman called.

"Is it inconvenient to answer?" Seeing Chen Xuan hesitate with the phone, Li An smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't eavesdrop."

*As if there was anything to worry about!*

Chen Xuan picked up the call and began by explaining, "We just got off work."

Li An then heard a sweet female voice through the receiver: "Are you two kidding me? What are you doing? What time is it? Didn't you guys finish at five?"

Chen Xuan continued to explain, "My program had a few small issues, so it took some extra time."

On the other end, Sun Yuman felt this was the second most speechless event she had heard all year. She clicked her tongue and teased, "I give up. There was already one workaholic, and now you’ve added another who voluntarily works overtime on Qixi? You two really are a perfect match."

Chen Xuan felt a bit embarrassed, but she wasn't one to back down easily, so she retorted, "Yeah, well, he was willing to stay with me, and I’m quite happy about that."

Li An touched his nose and looked out the window, his heart blooming with joy.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Xiaomi, you’ve changed." Sun Yuman sighed on the phone, then shifted her tone, raising her voice with feisty energy: "Hey, hey, hey! Mr. Li, are you listening? If you can hear me, don't just sit there enjoying yourself. Please rein in Ms. Chen—her words are wounding the fragile hearts of us lonely singletons!"

Before Chen Xuan could reply, Sun Yuman giggled and hung up.

Sun Yuman tossed her phone aside, feeling content. *It’s already so late and they still haven't gotten into the groove? Looks like I have to give you a little push.* She turned over and went back to binge-watching *Empresses in the Palace*.

It wasn't that no one had asked her out today; it was that she didn't want to see any of them. She didn't know why—she used to always pester Chen Xuan to find a boyfriend, but now that her friend had found someone suitable and someone she actually liked, she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.

She was happy for her, of course, but she felt a little bittersweet. Perhaps it was time she stopped messing around.

Just then, the taxi finally cleared the first traffic light, made a U-turn, and headed toward Chengnan Alley.

—

"That was Xiao Yu."

"Mm-hmm, her full name is Sun Yuman, she plays the oboe."

With that smooth transition, the two seemed to have found their first topic of conversation for the evening.

"She must come from a pretty well-off family."

"Yes. The place I’m living in now was rented for me by her. I’ve tried to withdraw the rent money and stuff it into her car several times, but she just drives me to an ATM and makes me deposit it back into my own account."

Beyond work and music, they had never really delved into the lives behind their names until now.

"Having a friend like that is a stroke of luck."

Li An remarked with genuine emotion. He certainly didn't think Sun Yuman's actions were unrelated to her financial status, but over the years, he had seen plenty of wealthy "iron roosters"—people who called you brother to your face but wouldn't part with a single cent in private.

"Yes," Chen Xuan agreed, feeling the same. "Xiao Yu is my best friend."