Fishing?

It was around one o'clock, and three or four tables in the restaurant's dining room were still occupied.

Tang Zhi Chu and Jiang Lan sat by a window.

Jiang Lan noticed that Tang Zhi Chu's restaurant seemed to have quite a few servers. A different person brought out each dish.

Seeing Jiang Lan looking around, Tang Zhi Chu asked, "Are you done with work?"

Jiang Lan shook her head. "I'll never finish it all, but everything has to get done eventually. I use the time I spend on easier tasks to make up for the time I spend on the busy ones, and I take breaks whenever I can."

"Then hurry up and eat!" Tang Zhi Chu said irritably.

Jiang Lan turned her attention back to the table and picked up her chopsticks, thinking that he was stingy.

Upstairs, a group of people crowded around the top of the stairs, peering down. Whenever the person at the front got a look, they'd beam and nod to the people behind them, only to be dragged aside and replaced by someone else who could get a better view.

Once everyone had gotten a good enough look, they finally went into the private room, satisfied.

As soon as they entered, they found Tang Chao sitting there in a daze.

"What's wrong?" Tang Mao Cai asked.

Tang Chao shook his head and said through gritted teeth, "Seeing my good buddy's love life finally looking promising makes me so happy!"

"Of course you're happy. That brat has finally wised up." Tang Mao De seemed to perk up considerably. After sitting down, he even picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat.

"This is great news—wonderful news! That young woman looks like she has such a lovely presence. Second Brother, you're always worrying about Zhi Chu, but look, here she is! You couldn't find a girl this good even if you tried." Tang Xiuju smiled.

They'd only caught a few glimpses, but they were all pleased, and the compliments kept coming.

Tang Mao De finally let out a huge sigh of relief. He'd always worried his son might have autism or depression or something.

Tang Mao De had never been one to follow convention. Everyone assumed he wanted grandchildren, but they didn't realize he couldn't care less about that.

He didn't expect Tang Zhi Chu to have children. He only wanted his son to be able to live well, even after he was gone.

"Don't get ahead of yourselves. She drives a G-Class." Seeing everyone get carried away, Tang Chao suddenly threw that out there.

"A G-Class? What's that?"

"A Mercedes. The kind that costs a few million."

Tang Xiuju's eyes widened. "So what? Is our Zhi Chu not good enough?"

Tang Chao's sudden dampener put everyone in a bad mood. Even his father, Tang Mao Cai, glared at him.

Couldn't he have picked a better time to rain on their parade?

Tang Chao laughed. "I'm just keeping you in the loop. What are you getting worked up for? Of course I have confidence in my brother. I even let him drive my car because I was worried he wouldn't feel confident otherwise."

Only after hearing Tang Chao say that did everyone relax.

Tang Mao Cai was taken aback at first, then patted Tang Chao on the shoulder.

They also started discussing what to do next. Tang Mao Cai had probably had a bit to drink, because he told Tang Mao De not to worry. If things really got as far as discussing a bride price, they'd all chip in.

Tang Chao pursed his lips. They hadn't even gotten started yet, but he couldn't rain on their parade again.

Anyone could see what was going on. They were all trying to cheer Tang Mao De up.

Tang Chao suddenly tugged on his father Tang Mao Cai's sleeve.

Tang Mao Cai looked over.

"Dad, you know I'm at a pretty crucial point in my career, right? I gave Zhi Chu my car, so now I don't have one to drive. How about... how about lending me the Mercedes you use at home for a while?"

Once they left the restaurant, Tang Zhi Chu got into Jiang Lan's car.

Jiang Lan waited until Tang Zhi Chu had fastened his seat belt before starting the car.

Tang Zhi Chu had thought Jiang Lan would set their date somewhere like her office, but they ended up on the highway.

He didn't believe Jiang Lan had joined the show for love.

If not love, then it had to be business.

Unlike Zhou Yun, Jiang Lan ran a business that made actual products. She had plenty of confidence in her work and had never once proactively pushed for product placement or anything of the sort.

"Are you tired?" Jiang Lan suddenly asked.

Tang Zhi Chu shook his head.

Jiang Lan smiled, hinting at something. "We're already halfway through filming the show."

Tang Zhi Chu understood what she was reminding him of.

"Sister Lan."

"Hm?"

"If you really met someone you especially liked on the show, what would you do?"

Jiang Lan thought about it, then smiled. "What else? I'd go for him! I'm not like you young people, always guessing and second-guessing. If you like someone, you should take the initiative and spend time together. If you still like each other after that, just go get your marriage license!"

"What if it conflicted with your career?"

"Then I'd have to think it over carefully. But the chances of that happening to me are tiny. How could it conflict? Unless I met a man with bad intentions—but I don't think I'm stupid, do you?" Jiang Lan glanced at Tang Zhi Chu after saying that.

Tang Zhi Chu smiled. "You're not."

"Exactly. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. If your love life conflicted with your career, which would you choose?"

Jiang Lan really wasn't stupid. She'd realized the question was about the problem between Tang Zhi Chu and Chen Si Yang.

If Tang Zhi Chu and Chen Si Yang ended up choosing each other, it might not affect Tang Zhi Chu's career much, but what about Chen Si Yang?

It could mean the two of them would end up going in completely different directions. Jiang Lan figured Tang Zhi Chu wasn't stupid either. He must have noticed, or he wouldn't be asking her these questions.

Tang Zhi Chu said as if he were joking, "I'd definitely choose my career."

Jiang Lan shook her head. "I don't believe you."

If he chose his career, would he be so good to Chen Si Yang? He'd drawn Zhou Yun's attention to himself, not to mention the crayfish and the QQ candy.

Anyway, Jiang Lan didn't believe him. Looking across the entire dating show, she hadn't seen another male contestant like him.

The recipe for QQ candy wasn't complicated, but its design was ingenious. Jiang Lan had held several meetings with people at her company over this snack.

A snack with the potential to become a bestseller, invented by a man for a woman—it already sounded romantic.

Jiang Lan felt a little dazed. Why had she never met a man like that?

Why did she always end up meeting "domineering CEOs" like Huang Ze Jun?

After a turn, the car climbed into the mountains and finally stopped at a place that looked like a bed-and-breakfast.

The staff nearby immediately picked up their cameras.

Tang Zhi Chu got out and looked around.

It was April, with lush trees and grass coming into bloom.

The sunlight was just right, stirring the part of a person that longed for beautiful things.

Tang Zhi Chu took a deep breath. The air was so fresh.

Jiang Lan pulled a large bundle out of the trunk.

"What's that?" Tang Zhi Chu asked curiously.

"Fishing gear!"

Past the bed-and-breakfast was a reservoir so vast its far end was nowhere to be seen.

A breeze ruffled the water, and the reflected clouds stretched into the distance, like a mirror about to shatter.

Tang Zhi Chu carried Jiang Lan's fishing gear to the water's edge with her.

There were fishing platforms, as well as lounge chairs and sun umbrellas.

Tang Zhi Chu shook his head. "I really didn't expect us to go fishing."

Jiang Lan opened the fishing bag. "There's more you haven't expected yet."

Jiang Lan casually set up the rod stands and the keepnet, then mixed up some bait without much fuss.

"You start fishing. I'll go get something."

With that, Jiang Lan headed back toward the bed-and-breakfast.

Tang Zhi Chu rarely went fishing, but it didn't seem that hard.

Wasn't it just a matter of pinching bait onto the hook and tossing it out?

Tang Zhi Chu had set up both fishing rods by the time Jiang Lan returned, carrying two sets of blankets.

"Here, this one's for you."

Jiang Lan handed Tang Zhi Chu a set.

Jiang Lan reclined on a lounge chair and draped a blanket over herself. She didn't even glance at the fishing rod, but smiled at Tang Zhi Chu instead.

Tang Zhi Chu followed her example and lay down on the lounge chair beside her.

With tranquil water and a blue sky spread out before him, fishing? What a load of crap!

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