The filming venue for "I Am a Singer" was very close, and the restaurant's prices were reasonable, which was why Sister Hua, the assistant, had brought them here.
Although Shen Jin was bundled up tightly, Sister Hua still felt uneasy. After Shen Jin sat down, Sister Hua kept looking around warily, checking for stalker fans or anyone else suspicious.
After making a circuit, she found no one particularly suspicious, but she spotted a man near the floor-to-ceiling windows, his head lowered as he listened carefully to something on a phone.
He looked a lot like Yun Xiaoran.
Sister Hua had only seen Yun Xiaoran in photographs and during their first meeting yesterday. His handsome features and tall build made him perfect model material, so she had paid particular attention to his appearance.
After all, he might very well be a stalker fan!
Was that Yun Xiaoran?
Sister Hua rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then narrowed them to take a closer look. Good grief! It really was Yun Xiaoran.
"What's wrong, Rongrong?"
Shen Jin sat elegantly in her seat, studying the exquisite menu. When Sister Hua went silent for so long, she asked in confusion, then followed her gaze. She had been debating what to eat, but the moment she spotted Yun Xiaoran, her composure vanished.
"Get down! Your man-your man's here!"
Sister Hua crouched behind the partially concealing screen in front of them and whispered to Shen Jin.
At that, Shen Jin instantly lost her composure. Having been perfectly relaxed a moment ago, she whispered warily to Sister Hua upon hearing that all-too-familiar name, Yun Xiaoran:
"What's a stalker fan like him doing at this restaurant? His clothes are so cheap, too."
"I don't know, but I'm sure it's him. He's wearing exactly the same clothes as in the photo you sent me, and that profile-I couldn't possibly be mistaken."
Shen Jin frowned slightly, then asked:
"Who else is there? He can't be alone."
"I can't see clearly. It looks like a girl holding her phone beside Yun Xiaoran's ear."
"A girl?"
Shen Jin furrowed her brows slightly and narrowed her eyes.
Why would a poor stalker fan who couldn't even hold a conversation come to this restaurant alone? So he was here on a date!
Shen Jin took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and quietly aimed its camera at Yun Xiaoran. With a click, she took a photo.
Influencers and celebrities often frequented this restaurant, so Yun Xiaoran's purpose in coming here was obvious. Worst of all, the man was actually pursuing one woman while keeping an eye on another.
"Watch him. Report back if anything happens."
With a cold expression, Shen Jin sat elegantly in her chair and began ordering at a leisurely pace, but her ears stayed alert to every stir in the restaurant.
"Absolutely. Sure enough, men who are too handsome are always scumbags. Jin, you must keep your eyes open in the future. Don't let romance in this flashy world blind you."
At another table.
Yun Xiaoran knew nothing of this. He merely pretended to listen intently to the song playing on Zhou Yanqi's phone.
"Hmm, the violin doesn't convey enough emotion in this song. A piano would be better. If the entire intro were played on piano, it would take the effect up a whole notch."
"As for the song itself, a woman should sing it. Otherwise, a man's deep, full voice would overwhelm its distinctive flavor."
After listening to the entire song, Yun Xiaoran gave his earnest assessment.
He remained completely unaware of his newlywed wife and her best friend-no, her enemy-in-friend's-clothing-at a nearby table.
Zhou Yanqi knew nothing about music, but to win over this stubborn little mule, she had forced herself to sit through the six-minute song.
Beneath her long lashes, her bright eyes shone as she gazed at Yun Xiaoran. She nodded like a child and exclaimed delightedly:
"I never expected this, Yun! I had the same feelings about the music, but I could never find the words. Those few comments of yours hit the nail on the head."
Shen Jin was eating a dark chocolate truffle. Hearing the unfamiliar girl offer such praise, she glanced at Yun Xiaoran out of the corner of her eye in surprise.
Would a woman really go this far for a stalker fan?
There was no need to think about it. How could Zhou Yanqi, a textbook beauty with wealth and fair skin, ever pursue a career in music? In truth, she knew nothing about it.
She was only putting on this act to win over this inexperienced little mule.
When someone whose background, wealth, and insight outclassed yours in every way suddenly told you that your tastes resembled hers, it was hard not to feel elated and think you had finally made it.
But...
An almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corners of Zhou Yanqi's mouth as her alluring eyes fixed on Yun Xiaoran.
How could you possibly resist this bait?
Meanwhile, Sister Hua, who was eating chocolate while watching the pair closely, finally got a full view of Zhou Yanqi. She turned to Shen Jin and said:
"This girl's a regular here. She comes often, and she's even asked you for an autograph before. Her family background seems pretty good, too."
Shen Jin could no longer stay calm.
If the girl had been an ordinary person and Yun Xiaoran had only come here to pretend he could afford more than he really could, Shen Jin could have laughed at him.
But...
It seemed, apparently, probably, that he was a man living off a woman!
Yet judging by the girl's attitude toward Yun Xiaoran, she seemed to be the passive one, while he held the initiative throughout.
What could she say? That Yun Xiaoran had good taste?
For some reason, Shen Jin felt a jumble of emotions. Her pearly teeth bit hard into the steak in her mouth before she took a deep breath and said:
"Let's not come here anymore."
"Why?"
"The food here is pretty awful..."
Yun Xiaoran sat in the restaurant and looked at Zhou Yanqi across from him. "Miss Zhou, I only have a little insight into music. I'm nowhere near a master."
Yun Xiaoran trusted Zhou Zeyu to keep his secret. Right now, he simply wanted to shake off this woman's pestering as quickly as possible.
He still had to finish recording "Blue and White Porcelain" that afternoon before his newlywed wife returned.
If he wasted half the day here, it wouldn't be worth it.
Zhou Yanqi opened her mouth but said nothing, unsure what to say.
This guy really was hopelessly dense. He didn't understand romance at all!
Sister Hua, who was watching in secret, noticed this and found it very strange.
"Muge, is he like this when you're with him, too?"
Why did this ridiculously handsome man seem a little clueless?
"Oh, I think so?"
Shen Jin nodded blankly, full of doubt and utterly bewildered. Logically, with a woman like this making such an aggressive move on Yun Xiaoran, someone as inexperienced as him should have been scrambling to agree with her.
Was this an even more sophisticated, perfectly mastered game of playing hard to get?
Who could have imagined it?
Shen Muge, Asia's number-one diva and the nation's goddess, appeared to be elegantly eating the food on her plate, but her small, fair ears were constantly tuned in to her newlywed husband's conversation at the next table!
Who would believe it if word got out?
When Zhou Zeyu returned to the private room after using the restroom, the two people inside had already changed their demeanor.
"Qi, you're at it again."
Zhou Zeyu greeted her and sat down beside Zhou Yanqi.
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