“Ah, what’s wrong?”

“Why did you zone out?”

“I’m just a bit tired...”

Bai Yue’er’s mood suddenly turned somber.

“Alright then, let’s do as you say and not shop anymore,” Xu Xiuwen glanced at the time and said, “It’s about time. Let’s go grab something to eat.”

“Okay,” Bai Yue’er responded softly.

Xu Xiuwen then led Bai Yue’er to a Michelin-starred French restaurant along the Bund.

The restaurant’s design incorporated a lot of light cream and pale green tones, creating an atmosphere that was both inviting and elegant. In the center of the restaurant stood a large bouquet of fresh flowers.

If it were ten years later, this place would become incredibly popular with young women, many of whom would come here just to take pictures and check in.

Elegance is key in French dining.

Upon entering the restaurant, men are expected to prioritize the ladies, such as pulling out a chair for them as a gesture of gentlemanly behavior.

In the spirit of “when in Rome,” Xu Xiuwen naturally played the gentleman, which made Bai Yue’er smile shyly in response.

Once seated, the waiter handed them the menus.

French dining typically begins with aperitifs, followed by appetizers, intermediate courses, main dishes, and desserts.

This restaurant offered a wide variety for each course.

Aperitifs:

Xu Xiuwen chose champagne for both himself and Bai Yue’er. In French dining, aperitifs, also known as pre-dinner drinks, are served to stimulate the appetite before the meal. Light-bodied wines with high acidity, such as champagne, cocktails, sparkling wines, or fruit-forward dry rosés, are often chosen. Champagne, with its light body, doesn’t overwhelm the palate, making it a common choice.

Appetizers:

Bai Yue’er ordered the egg with caviar.

Xu Xiuwen chose foie gras terrine with sour cherry glaze and pistachios.

Intermediate Course:

Bai Yue’er opted for Icelandic halibut with crab mushrooms and lemongrass consommé.

Xu Xiuwen chose crispy crab cakes with honey bean aioli.

Main Course:

Bai Yue’er ordered roasted chicken with asparagus, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese sauce.

Xu Xiuwen went for seared Wagyu beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and miso mustard butter.

Desserts:

Bai Yue’er picked chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.

Xu Xiuwen chose citrus pavlova with tangerine cream and blood orange sorbet.

After placing their order, the sommelier approached with a bottle of red wine and asked, “Would you like to taste it?”

Xu Xiuwen waved his hand and said, “No need.”

The sommelier, after confirming, began pouring the wine.

Once the sommelier stepped away, Bai Yue’er looked into Xu Xiuwen’s eyes and asked, “Why did you bring me here for dinner?”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gazed into Bai Yue’er’s eyes and asked, “Do you not like it?”

Feeling the warmth in Xu Xiuwen’s smile, Bai Yue’er’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly averted her gaze and said, “I don’t dislike it.”

Raising his glass, Xu Xiuwen said, “You’ve been working hard lately, so I brought you here to relax. Don’t overthink it.”

Bai Yue’er nodded slightly, then raised her glass and took a sip of the champagne.

Soon, the dishes began to arrive.

The first was lye bread, followed by black truffle cheese balls.

Next came the appetizers.

Bai Yue’er’s choice was the egg with caviar, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Inside the eggshell was buttery scrambled egg, topped with vodka milk foam and caviar.

Xu Xiuwen’s foie gras terrine was served with candied pistachios and sour cherries on top, toasted brioche underneath, and surrounded by a ring of port wine jelly. It was visually appealing.

Bai Yue’er scooped a small spoonful and tasted it. Her face remained expressionless.

Xu Xiuwen took a bite of his foie gras terrine, savoring the tangy sweetness and rich wine aroma. The taste was decent.

After he finished, he looked up and noticed Bai Yue’er’s expression.

“Does it not taste good?” he asked.

Bai Yue’er was about to respond, “It’s okay,” when Xu Xiuwen said, “Here, try mine. I’ll taste the caviar too.”

As he spoke, he pushed his plate toward her.

Bai Yue’er was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure. Seeing that Xu Xiuwen had already offered his plate, she couldn’t refuse and accepted it.

Xu Xiuwen brought the egg with caviar closer, unbothered that Bai Yue’er had already tasted it, and scooped a spoonful directly into his mouth.

After tasting it, he finally understood why Bai Yue’er had looked so indifferent.

For a dish touted as a signature appetizer, it was, in fact, rather underwhelming. The taste left little room for any expression other than disappointment.

Seeing that Xu Xiuwen didn’t mind eating after her, Bai Yue’er’s heartbeat quickened slightly.

She lowered her head and hesitated for a few seconds before picking up her knife and fork. Cutting a small piece of foie gras terrine, she brought it to her lips.

The flavor was excellent.

After taking a bite, Bai Yue’er smiled for the first time that evening.

“Pretty good, right?” Xu Xiuwen asked, noticing her smile.

“Mm,” Bai Yue’er nodded.

After a pause, she said softly, “Xu Xiuwen...”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Nothing...” Bai Yue’er hesitated and decided not to say anything further.

Next came the intermediate course: Icelandic halibut and crispy crab cakes. Both dishes were visually appealing and tasted quite good.

Before the main course, Xu Xiuwen ordered another glass of port wine.

When the main dishes arrived, Xu Xiuwen’s choice was seared Wagyu beef tenderloin. He cut a piece, tasted it, and nodded approvingly.

So far, this was the best-tasting dish of the night for him.

Carefully, he sliced the beef tenderloin into bite-sized pieces, then said to Bai Yue’er, “Yue’er, try this. It’s really good.”

He handed his plate over to her.

Bai Yue’er’s main course was roasted chicken with asparagus, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese sauce. It wasn’t bad in terms of flavor and texture, but it didn’t have any standout surprises.

Since it wasn’t their first time exchanging dishes, Bai Yue’er didn’t refuse this time either.

However, when she saw how attentively Xu Xiuwen had cut the beef into small, manageable pieces, her heart couldn’t help but flutter.

She glanced up at Xu Xiuwen.

Xu Xiuwen’s face carried a gentle smile, and his gaze was incredibly soft.

For a moment, Bai Yue’er found it difficult to associate the man before her with the Xu Xiuwen from the Boys Over Flowers set.

She still remembered how much she used to dislike him back then.

In the crew, he always refused to give in to her, constantly opposing her at every turn.

He often teased her, leaving her fuming.

But now, this same person not only took her shopping for clothes but also brought her to a nice restaurant, thoughtfully ensuring she enjoyed herself throughout the meal.

Bai Yue’er finally couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked,

“Xu Xiuwen... Why are you being so nice to me?”

Xu Xiuwen hadn’t expected such a question from Bai Yue’er and was momentarily stunned.

When he came back to his senses, he noticed the look in her eyes.

How to describe it?

It was as if she was looking at something she cherished deeply.

Her bright, starry eyes seemed to sparkle just a little.

Xu Xiuwen met her gaze for three seconds before he looked away on his own.

Lowering his head, he began cutting his chicken and said softly, “Don’t overthink it. I’m like this with everyone.”

Hearing this, Bai Yue’er felt a wave of bitterness in her heart.

Unwilling to accept it, she pressed on, “Is that really the case? There’s no other reason?”

“Yes,” Xu Xiuwen replied.

Bai Yue’er stared at him for a full thirty seconds before finally looking away.

The atmosphere at the table grew noticeably quieter. Neither of them said another word.

The warmth and sweetness of the earlier part of their dinner seemed to have vanished.

After finishing their meal, Bai Yue’er and Xu Xiuwen left the restaurant, one walking slightly ahead of the other.

The bill for the meal came to over 3,000 yuan—enough to cover a typical person’s monthly salary.

Under normal circumstances, a man and a woman sharing such a fine dining experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant should have felt closer to one another, their connection deepened.

But in reality, Bai Yue’er was angry.

The most obvious sign of her anger was her walking speed—it had increased by 50%—and her complete silence.

Of course, Xu Xiuwen knew why Bai Yue’er was upset.

But what could he do?

Was he supposed to admit that he liked her? He knew that was what Bai Yue’er wanted to hear.

But he couldn’t say it. He didn’t dare to.

After all, Bai Yue’er was the fiancée of his roommate, Shi Xiangming.

And he... already had several girlfriends.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to.

It was that he simply couldn’t.

Watching Bai Yue’er’s retreating figure, Xu Xiuwen let out a helpless sigh.

Since Bai Yue’er was upset, she no longer felt like enjoying the views of the Bund.

So, Xu Xiuwen hailed a cab, and the two of them returned to the hotel together.

Naturally, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t share a room with Bai Yue’er, nor could he room with her assistant, Ban Chan.

So, he booked another room.

His room was on the same floor as Bai Yue’er’s, but one was on the east side, the other on the west.

To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Xu Xiuwen didn’t visit Bai Yue’er’s room after they returned to the hotel.

Instead, he stayed in his own room, texting his girlfriends.

In 2006, Qixi Festival had fallen on July 31—the day before.

Since smartphones didn’t exist yet, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t send red envelopes or transfer money digitally.

Sending gifts was even more difficult. After all, one was in Chongyu, another in Guilin, and yet another in Hangzhou.

There was no way he could visit all of them in a single day.

Yesterday, Xu Xiuwen had stayed in Jinling all day and didn’t make a special trip back to Langya District to see Xiao Youran.

It wasn’t because he didn’t like Xiao Youran anymore.

The issue was that if he went to see her, with her personality, she would likely brag about it to Cheng Lu when school started.

As the saying goes, “It’s not scarcity that’s worrisome, but inequality.”

Because they weren’t in the same city, Cheng Lu could understand why Xu Xiuwen couldn’t spend Qixi Festival with her. She wouldn’t hold it against him.

But if he spent the entire Qixi Festival with Xiao Youran, even the most tolerant Cheng Lu wouldn’t be able to accept it.

After careful consideration, Xu Xiuwen chose the safest option: staying in Jinling and not spending the day with anyone.

Xiao Youran was, of course, upset.

She had been looking forward to Qixi Festival for nearly a month, hoping to meet Xu Xiuwen that day.

She usually understood when Xu Xiuwen said he was too busy with work to spend time with her.

But even on Qixi Festival, he couldn’t make time?

Xiao Youran was angry.

However, her anger didn’t last long.

Even though Xu Xiuwen didn’t go back to Langya to see her, he still sent her a gift, which was delivered to her door.

The gift was a pair of Tiffany earrings—delicate and expensive, the kind of jewelry every girl would fall in love with at first sight.

When she received the gift, all of Xiao Youran’s dissatisfaction instantly disappeared.

She immediately grabbed her phone and called Xu Xiuwen.

On the call, Xu Xiuwen chatted with her for over an hour.

In the end, it was Xu Xiuwen who made an excuse to end the call, reluctantly hanging up while Xiao Youran’s voice was still full of longing.

Of course, he didn’t actually have anything urgent to do.

It was just that there were only so many hours in the evening.

He couldn’t spend the entire time talking to Xiao Youran and neglecting his other girlfriends.

After all, he hadn’t visited any of them or sent them gifts.

If he didn’t even make a single phone call, that would be too heartless.

Even Xu Xiuwen wasn’t that kind of person.

So, last night, Xu Xiuwen called each of the women he was close to, one by one.

The first was Cheng Lu.

As his official girlfriend, Xu Xiuwen often felt guilty toward her.

He still hadn’t figured out how to handle the situation between Cheng Lu and Xiao Youran.

He had always told Xiao Youran that he would confess everything to Cheng Lu.

But he never did.

This had made Xiao Youran quite unhappy.

However, out of consideration for Xu Xiuwen’s feelings, she never pushed him.

Still, Xu Xiuwen could sense from her words that she didn’t want to keep their relationship a secret any longer.

She wanted to be with him openly.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t sure how much longer Xiao Youran would wait.

At the very least, before she reached her breaking point, he needed to come clean to Cheng Lu.

He sighed.

“One step at a time,” he thought.

The second call was to Tang Weiwei.

After accompanying her back home and gaining the approval of her grandmother and relatives, Tang Weiwei’s heart was now fully devoted to Xu Xiuwen.

Whenever Xu Xiuwen called Tang Weiwei in the past, if he said a few sweet or flirtatious words, Tang Weiwei would always get shy and hastily end the call to calm herself down.

But last night was different.

Even though Xu Xiuwen sweet-talked Tang Weiwei for quite a while, and she was clearly still shy, she showed no intention of ending the call.

Instead, when Xu Xiuwen checked the time and said it was time to hang up, Tang Weiwei’s tone of reluctance was hard to miss.

The last call Xu Xiuwen made that night was to An Shishi.

Since An Shuishui didn’t have a phone, calling An Shishi was effectively the same as reaching An Shuishui.

As Xu Xiuwen’s lover, An Shishi fully understood that on a day like Qixi Festival, Xu Xiuwen would definitely need to contact Cheng Lu, Xiao Youran, and Tang Weiwei.

So she didn’t disturb him and waited patiently.

It wasn’t until after 11 p.m. that she received his call.

When she picked up, she didn’t sound upset about the late hour. Instead, she immediately teased him.

Hearing her playful remark, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a touch of warmth in his heart.

An Shishi’s easygoing and non-competitive personality was something he deeply appreciated.

They chatted for about half an hour.

Since she was the last person he called that night, there was no need to rush their conversation.

But then, An Shishi suddenly chuckled and said, “Let me hand the phone to Shuishui. She’s been dying to talk to you.”

Before Xu Xiuwen could respond, he heard An Shuishui’s voice on the other end, playfully complaining:

“Big Sis, don’t say that—”

“Ha ha...”

An Shishi laughed joyfully, clearly enjoying the moment.

The call then switched over to An Shuishui.

Xu Xiuwen awkwardly rubbed his nose.

Having both sisters as lovers was, admittedly, a bit much.

And now, on Qixi Festival, he was even calling them one after the other.

Even someone as thick-skinned as Xu Xiuwen felt a little embarrassed.

There wasn’t much for him to discuss with An Shuishui.

He simply asked a few questions about how she was doing.

One noteworthy detail came up during their conversation:

An Shuishui had received her university acceptance letter.

In the end, she chose a prestigious university in Beijing and was successfully admitted to Qinghua University.

This meant that for the next four years, An Shuishui—his “sister-in-law”—would be studying in Beijing and wouldn’t be in Jinling.

When Xu Xiuwen heard this, he felt a mix of disappointment and relief.

With An Shuishui in Beijing, far from Jinling, his chances of seeing her would naturally decrease.

At the same time, her being away also made it less likely for their relationship to be exposed.

Unless Xu Xiuwen admitted it himself, none of his girlfriends would likely find out about his connection with An Shuishui.

As for what would happen after An Shuishui graduated from university, Xu Xiuwen hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Back to the present.

After returning to his hotel room, Xu Xiuwen spent the evening chatting with his girlfriends over the phone.

Soon, it was 11 p.m., and feeling a bit tired, Xu Xiuwen set his phone aside and prepared to go to bed.

But just as he was about to lie down, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

The crisp sound of knocking echoed clearly in the quiet night.

Xu Xiuwen was puzzled.

Who would be knocking at his door so late? Could it be the assistant, Ban Chan?

Surely, it couldn’t be Bai Yue’er.

Curious, Xu Xiuwen got up and walked to the door to open it...