Chapter 15

Ning Xi dug at her ear.

The other people in the villa didn’t even change their expressions, continuing with their own business.

They seemed already used to it.

At ten o’clock, the male guest arrived first at the dating location, waiting for today’s date.

The female guests also set out from the villa one after another.

“Ms. Ning Xi, are you looking forward to who your date will be today?”

In the car, the cameraman asked.

Ning Xi put on a pained expression. “I really can’t choose.”

One was a faithless fiancé, the other a seemingly gentle and refined man who was actually a lurking psycho.

She’d rather hang herself.

Ning Xi cried – well, she was just pretending.

Because she remembered that in the plot, the Program Team would tell her halfway through the drive that she didn’t need to go on a date today, and then she would spend all the money the Program Team had prepared for her date, having a great time.

That’s what Ning Xi was thinking, when she realized the car had stopped near a beach.

Then, from a distance, she spotted a familiar silhouette standing on the beach…

“I must be seeing things, dizzy, and lacking vitamin RMB if I’m actually seeing someone standing on the beach,” Ning Xi said with a bitter smile, rubbing her forehead.

The cameraman said, “You’re not seeing things. That’s your date for today.”

Ning Xi: ?

How was this different from the plot she knew?

Ning Xi asked, “Did Mingyue help Shen Yibai pick me as his date?”

The cameraman was initially surprised that Ning Xi could recognize Shen Yibai from behind, then explained, “No, Ning Mingyue chose Jiang Sheshe as Mr. Shen Yibai’s date, but Mr. Wei Xuan used his Privilege Card to arrange for you to go on a date with Shen Yibai today.”

Wei Xuan’s Privilege Card allows him to freely arrange a pair of guests for a date.

Although the Program Team was puzzled by Wei Xuan’s sudden use of the Privilege Card, they were happy to see it happen.

After all, Ning Xi’s livestream room has the highest popularity and most loyal fans. If they really let Ning Xi be left out today, the Program Team would definitely be flamed by netizens.

“Are you satisfied with this arrangement?”

“Satisfied. Satisfied to death.”

Ning Xi let out a dry laugh, her tone tinged with resignation.

She just knew she shouldn’t get happy too soon, or fate would immediately know how to mess with her.

And Wei Xuan, right?

Just wait – sooner or later, she’d save up and hire a crew to teach him a lesson.

At that moment, Shen Yibai on the beach turned around casually and saw Ning Xi.

His jaw instantly tightened, his dark gaze fixed on her.

Deep. Heavy.

But it only lasted a moment before he looked away indifferently, as if he’d just seen a stranger.

Ning Xi silently muttered, “Strong.” (T/N: Chinese internet slang meaning ‘impressive’ or ‘bold move’.)

If he wanted to pretend they were strangers, he should have at least given her a fake, casual greeting.

Deliberately turning his head away as if he hadn’t seen her would just make netizens suspicious, thinking there was some kind of history between them.

But Ning Xi couldn’t be bothered to remind Shen Yibai.

Anyway, now they were just cold colleagues on the same variety show.

Even if Shen Yibai claimed the sun rose at night, Ning Xi would just play along and say, “Brilliant, Master.”

[These two don’t seem happy to see each other at all]

[Why did Wei Xuan pair them up? They don’t seem close at all]

[Am I the only one who thinks their personalities are a good match? Cold-faced young master x goofy beauty]

Still, even if she was just playing along, Ning Xi waved and greeted Shen Yibai.

Shen Yibai paused, then nodded.

After that, he actually brushed right past Ning Xi and walked in the opposite direction.

Ning Xi: ?

“Was my greeting not sincere enough? Did I hurt his feelings?”
“Yanzi, where are you going, Yanzi? Take me with you, Yanzi!”

Ning Xi shouted playfully at the camera. Even though her words showed she was curious about what Shen Yibai was up to, she didn’t move a step.

After all, if Shen Yibai just walked away, she could clock out early too.

But in the next moment, a sun umbrella appeared over her head, blocking out the blazing sun.

Ning Xi looked up, her gaze landing right on Shen Yibai’s cold, sharp Adam’s apple.

And then she realized-

Shen Yibai hadn’t left in a huff for no reason. He’d gone to get her a sun umbrella?

[Ahhh Shen Yibai is so thoughtful! He doesn’t say much, but he does so much!]

[Who else got that idol drama vibe when Shen Yibai suddenly showed up with the umbrella?]

[I used to find him annoying, but now he’s got that quiet, obedient big dog energy]

[I have a feeling there’s going to be a twist in Shen Yibai’s date today]

The shippers barely had a second to get excited before Ning Xi’s next words threw everyone for a loop.

“Stand back. Don’t block my sun.”

Ning Xi frowned and stepped out from under the umbrella.

[…Sis, are you allergic to romance?]

[Why are you sunbathing in the middle of summer? Ning Xi, you’re such a block of wood!]

Shen Yibai paused, then silently put the umbrella away.

He didn’t argue at all.

Seeing him like this, Ning Xi suddenly felt a wave of irritation.

Silent again.

Back when Shen Yibai fell for Ning Mingyue, he was like this too-silent, but still treating her well, just like before.

So even when she sensed something was off, Ning Xi never suspected Shen Yibai.

After all, they’d been part of each other’s lives for so, so long.

Long enough that she remembered how Shen Yibai went from the pampered young master of the Shen Family, to a pitiful boy ignored by his father and tormented by his stepmother, and then step by step became the heir everyone in the Shen Family had to respect.

Even if there was no love, they’d been friends for sixteen years, and were engaged in name.

If Shen Yibai really found someone he liked, she’d happily give up her fiancée status to someone else.

After all, the engagement between the Ning Family and the Shen Family only happened because Mother Shen passed away and Shen Yibai needed the Ning Family’s support, so she was pushed into the role.

They were only nine and eleven years old at the time, and didn’t understand what it meant to like someone.

So even after they grew up and she sensed Shen Yibai’s vague affection, she still wondered if it was just habit or real love between them.

Until-

She accidentally saw a photo of Ning Mingyue on Shen Yibai’s phone, and noticed that his pinned chat on WeChat was also changed to Ning Mingyue.

That was when Ning Xi realized that what they had was just a deep friendship.

So she waited for Shen Yibai to bring up breaking off the engagement. After all, the late Mother Shen had been kind to both the Ning Family and herself, so she couldn’t and wouldn’t expose that Shen Yibai had fallen for another daughter of the Ning Family, making things awkward for both families.

But Shen Yibai still treated her well.

On her birthday, he personally made longevity noodles and set off fireworks all night; when she was busy with work, he would visit her comatose birth mother on her behalf; when she took photos with Fans, he would patiently act as their photographer.

To this day, she’s the only one who can go to Shen Yibai’s house, the only one who can leave traces of herself in his obsessively clean home.

Ning Xi couldn’t understand Shen Yibai.

She didn’t get why, for Shen Yibai, liking or not liking someone was so hard to say out loud.”}