CHAPTER 48: A DATE

The conversation went back and forth as both of them enjoyed their meals. Qi Jianyi glanced at Song Chengfeng, her perception of him subtly shifting.

She had always assumed he was an aloof, distant type who found small talk a bother. Yet here he was, engaging in conversation with surprising ease, even though his responses never stretched beyond three sentences at a time.

Still, his brief replies had weight to them, always carefully measured, carrying more depth than one might expect. He’s not as disinterested as she thought, feeling the stirrings of curiosity toward this quiet young master.

However, what Qi Jianyi didn’t know was that her newfound impression of Song Chengfeng would be shocking—perhaps even laughable—to those who had suffered under his notoriously sharp tongue.

If word got out that she thought Song Chengfeng was good at conversation, some might even spit out their drinks in disbelief. After all, this was the same Song Chengfeng known for delivering blunt, cutting remarks with precision, leaving his so-called "victims" reeling from the sheer honesty of his words.

How could the man who had once reduced countless people to silence with a single sarcastic comment ever be described as someone who "talks nicely"? It was almost unthinkable.

Qi Jianyi took a last sip of her juice, gently dabbing the corners of her lips with the napkin in a graceful gesture. Across from her, Song Chengfeng quietly placed his chopsticks down, signaling the end of their meal.

"Are you done?" he asked, his tone casual but attentive.

"Yes," Qi Jianyi replied, nodding her head. She reached for her bag, still savoring the taste of the dishes they had just shared. "The food is so delicious. I think I’ll come here often in the future," she admitted with genuine appreciation.

A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Song Chengfeng’s lips, as though her words were a subtle victory. He gave a slight nod and stood up, ready to leave. "Let’s go then," he said.

Qi Jianyi followed him out, still thinking about the meal and how unexpectedly good it was. Lost in her thoughts, she wondered how far the restaurant was from her university, considering how often she might come back.

By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, she realised Song Chengfeng had already reached the counter. Before she could react, he had smoothly handed over his card to pay. Alarmed, Qi Jianyi quickly tried to intervene.

"Young Master Song, what is this? Didn’t we agree that today’s lunch is on me?" she exclaimed, a note of distress creeping into her voice. She had ordered quite generously, basing the meal entirely on her preferences, and had done so under the assumption that she would be footing the bill. Now, she felt guilty for letting him pay, especially given the quantity and quality of the food.

Without hesitation, she reached for her credit card and placed it on the counter. "Swipe this card instead of his," she said firmly to the cashier.

But Song Chengfeng, quick and composed, retrieved her card from the counter with an ease that made it clear he had no intention of letting her win this battle. "Don’t bother with it, let me pay," he said in his usual calm tone, turning to the cashier and adding, "Just swipe mine."

The cashier, clearly not wanting to get caught in the middle of their back-and-forth, swiftly swiped Song Chengfeng’s card, perhaps believing that it was more appropriate for the man to pay. Whatever argument might unfold afterward wasn’t his concern.

Qi Jianyi, realising she had lost this round, shot a glare at Song Chengfeng, frustrated yet amused. She took her card back from him with a firm tug, trying not to let her embarrassment show.

"Young Master Song, why don’t you let me pay?" she asked pointedly as they walked out of the restaurant.

With his hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket, Song Chengfeng gave her a cool smile. "Why should I?" he replied, clearly unfazed by her irritation.

"You said I owe you dinner, and yet you paid for lunch," Qi Jianyi stopped walking and turned to face him, her tone edged with mild accusation.

Song Chengfeng shrugged, completely unbothered. "I said you owe me dinner, not lunch," he replied matter-of-factly.

Qi Jianyi’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She blinked at him, momentarily speechless. Was this his plan all along? Did she just fall into a cleverly laid trap to spend more time with him?

"Are you playing with me now?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. There was a subtle seriousness in her tone, but she was also intrigued by his audacity.

"No," he said shortly, but his nonchalant tone made it difficult for her to tell whether he was teasing or being earnest. "You can treat me to dinner later," he added, as if it were the most natural conclusion.

Before Qi Jianyi could respond, he cut her off with another question. "Do you have any plans after this?"

Her curiosity piqued, she hesitated for a moment. "What’s wrong?" she asked, avoiding the question, wondering what he had up his sleeve this time.

"Do you?" he repeated, his gaze steady. Clearly, he wouldn’t tell her his intentions unless she gave him a direct answer.

With a sigh, she relented. "No, I don’t have any plans after this."

Satisfied, Song Chengfeng nodded and began walking to his left. Qi Jianyi stood there, confused, watching him. The car was parked in the opposite direction. Where was he going?

"Let’s go," he called back over his shoulder when he noticed she wasn’t following.

"Where are we going?" she asked, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer.

"To the mall," he replied without turning around.

Qi Jianyi quickened her pace to catch up with him. "What are we doing at the mall?" she pressed, bewildered by this sudden change in plans.

Song Chengfeng glanced at her briefly before responding, "Watch a movie."

Qi Jianyi’s eyes widened in surprise. "What?" she exclaimed, completely caught off guard. How had their lunch turned into a casual movie outing? She hadn’t agreed to this!

Song Chengfeng, calm and composed as ever, merely continued walking. To him, it seemed like a perfectly reasonable progression of events, but to Qi Jianyi, it felt like she had unknowingly been swept up into a spontaneous date.

However, Qi Jianyi wasn’t one to keep her thoughts and curiosity bottled up for long. Without hesitation, she posed the question that had been simmering in her mind. "Young Master Song, are you asking me on a date?"

Her bluntness, so characteristic of her, cut through the air like a blade, halting Song Chengfeng in his tracks. For a moment, the composed man, who always seemed a step ahead, was visibly taken aback. His stride faltered, and the cool, effortless demeanor he carried with such ease cracked ever so slightly. He stopped walking, frozen in place as if her words had thrown him off balance.

Qi Jianyi, on the other hand, stood opposite him with wide, curious eyes. There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment in her expression. To her, this was a simple, logical question—one that needed an answer, regardless of what that answer might be. Her directness left no room for ambiguity, as if whatever he said next would roll off her like water on stone.

"Why do you think so?" Song Chengfeng asked, his voice slower now, as though he were treading carefully on unfamiliar ground. Truthfully, he didn’t know the answer himself. The invitation had slipped out of him without much thought.

Watch a movie? It wasn’t exactly something he did often. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he willingly went to the cinema.

Qi Jianyi tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowed in confusion. Why was her question being bounced back at her? "If it’s not a date," she reasoned, "then why should we go to the cinema together?"

"To watch a movie," Song Chengfeng replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Together?" she echoed, her tone skeptical, her eyes narrowing just a bit. There was something amusing about the way he tried to sidestep the underlying meaning, and it only fueled her curiosity further.

What followed was a curious dance of questions and answers that left them both standing there, neither willing to back down nor clarify. For a moment, it seemed they might remain at an impasse forever, caught in this strange limbo between casual banter and something more.

But then, Song Chengfeng made the move that would break the stalemate. With a swift nod of his head and a certain gleam in his eye, he gave a simple but decisive answer. "Then, it’s a date."

He said it with such calm certainty, as if he had made up his mind in that very second. His voice didn’t waver; his gaze didn’t falter. For all intents and purposes, it was a statement of fact, not open for debate. And just like that, the tables turned again—this time in his favor.