After thinking it over carefully, Ji Chi looked back at his phone screen.
The waiter had cleared the dining table again, and the two had returned to their seats.
Zhou Siyu continued asking the other man questions, with Xie Zhengci occasionally asking some of his own.
"So what type do you like? Someone like Jiang Ye?"
Xie Zhengci had watched the livestream. He knew very well that before he arrived, Zhou Siyu had been more interested in Jiang Ye.
Zhou Siyu was in a completely different state from earlier. Now he was like a cooked shrimp, flushed red and curled in on himself.
"I like someone a little more mature... who can take care of me a bit in everyday life, and is sunny and outgoing sometimes... with a youthful feel? Someone energetic, I guess."
Zhou Siyu worked at a large company and was surrounded by mature men, which had suddenly begun to change his tastes toward sunnier, livelier, more energetic guys.
Xie Zhengci looked down at his own suit and polished shoes, the complete opposite of the youthful energy the other man described. After years steeped in business drinking parties, he was already far removed from anything youthful or energetic.
He lowered his eyes in thought, and his resonant voice landed in the other man's ears again.
"Jiang Ye doesn't look very sunny or energetic."
Zhou Siyu pressed his lips together and sighed softly. Why did he always have to pick on Lawyer Jiang?
"Mm, but he really loves life, and he's sunny sometimes. Youthful, like he was today."
[That's observation. You have to observe carefully. You can tell President Xie watches the livestream. See how he brought up Lawyer Jiang both times? That means he knows his current enemy is Jiang Ye.]
[You have to know who your enemy is before you can fight!]
Know who your enemy is?
Ji Chi propped his cheeks in his hands and began to think. Who were his enemies?
[Then who do you guys think Ji Chi's enemies are?]
[Lots. Lawyer Jiang-he needs to watch out for him. He looks like the biggest threat right now!]
[And Jiang Yu. He's in second place!]
[Maybe Xiao Yu too? I think something's off with those two as well!]
"?"
Ji Chi really couldn't figure out what connection those two people mentioned in the comments had with Wen He.
The three of them...?
What did that mean? The situation had suddenly become murky.
[Hear me out. Jiang Yu looks like a little bottom right now, but haven't you noticed how much of a top he is when he's with Male One?]
[Hiss... seems like it. Sometimes I really do think he's a pretty-boy top.]
[And you have to go by the current situation. The Hygiene CP is definitely unshakable now, so that leaves Ji Chi, Wen He, Jiang Ye, Zhou Siyu, and Xie Zhengci. Those five are clearly tangled up together. Who's the only one left on his own?]
Ji Chi tentatively typed on the screen.
[Jiang Yu?]
[Bingo~ Correct! Guess who he'll make a move on!]
[Male One.]
[Correct! No prize, though, no prize. He knows Male One best, so is it possible he'll get together with Male One? And don't forget, Male One said at the very beginning that he was a top.]
[Hiss-Master, I see the light...]
Ji Chi seemed to see the light too... He suddenly felt that this person made a great deal of sense.
When he first arrived at the house, that guy had kept flirting with Little Wooden Head... Looking at it now, he was trash too.
But that was fine. He didn't take someone like Jiang Yu seriously at all. The guy couldn't even measure up to one of his fingers, let alone compete with him for someone.
Jiang Yu was another useless loser.
[Master, then what's the deal with Zhou Siyu? Doesn't he like Jiang Ye, and have something going on with the newcomer?]
[You fools, listen up and listen good~ Who still remembers the scene at the amusement park yesterday when Xiao He got splashed with water?]
The information that suddenly appeared in the comments made Ji Chi's heart ache, like a needle prick. Just once, but it left a deep impression.
He had never seen him look so dejected...
[Xiao He was obviously looking for Ji Chi back then. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone all that way to that attraction without even going on it. He left looking so dejected. Don't forget who made him smile.]
[It was Zhou Siyu!]
[Right. So do you think it's possible he could fall for him?]
[I don't think so. They seem like good buddies, besties.]
[You fool, I said you have to eliminate every enemy. Does that make him a threat or not?]
[I guess it does.]
[There you go!]
[Hey, hey, hey! Do I get a turn to speak? Are you guys done yet? If you want to analyze, go do it in the comments on the official website, okay? This is Xie Zhengci's livestream! I've been watching you post all this for ages! Are you done yet?!]
[Sumimasen, sumimasen~]
Ji Chi didn't read the comments that followed. He only felt a sudden emptiness inside, and whenever he remembered the sight of the other man's retreating figure yesterday, his chest felt clogged.
So... had he really come looking for me yesterday?
The dormant seed in his heart seemed to have sprouted, growing wildly and bringing a little more excitement. A moment later, Ji Chi gave another self-mocking smile and raised a hand to touch the tiger-head blue diamond on his earlobe.
"No way... Little Wooden Head is just a block of wood. There's absolutely no way... definitely no way."
Despite what he said, Ji Chi felt uneasy inside.
The little panda on the bedside table was once again clenched tightly in a large hand. He returned his fingertips to the screen and, with a trembling hand, opened yesterday's livestream replay...
Wen He went with Jiang Ye, the two driving all the way to an open-air restaurant.
The restaurant was by the sea. A gentle sea breeze blew over, lifting the loose clothing on Wen He's body.
The sea breeze at night was still a little chilly. Jiang Ye got up and draped the jacket he had prepared in advance over him.
When booking the restaurant, he had thought it might be a little cold, so he had prepared early.
Wen He pulled the jacket the other man had placed over him closed. His health was poor, and he couldn't catch a cold.
The doctor had said so.
A faint laundry-detergent scent enveloped Wen He, without the scent of Jiang Ye's cologne, which meant the other man hadn't worn the jacket...
Wen He wrapped the oversized jacket more tightly around himself. He liked clothes that hadn't been worn; they didn't make him uncomfortable.
Soon, the waiter brought the dishes out one by one, along with a glass of milk.
Jiang Ye had driven there, so there was no alcohol on the table. He had juice, while Wen He had milk.
Noticing his slight reluctance, Jiang Ye added, "You took a nap this afternoon. Have some milk now, and you won't have trouble sleeping tonight."
"Mm..."
Wen He obediently took a sip, not forgetting to lick the milk from the corner of his lips.
Fresh milk. Its mild flavor tasted very good.
Soon, their food was brought out: steaming chicken curry, a large pot of borscht, and a spicy beef hot pot.
Wen He wasn't particularly fond of curry... Looking at the chicken coated in curry, he inexplicably saw something else in his mind... Mm...
He chose to give up on that dish. Apart from these, there was also a dessert: rainbow sticky rice.
Jiang Ye called the waiter over to bring them pineapple rice.
Wen He picked up a little sticky rice with his fork. It was very sticky... colorful, too, and very sweet, in a cloying way.
After just one bite, he didn't want any more.
Jiang Ye's gaze had never left him. Seeing that he didn't like it, he moved the sticky rice aside and pushed the beef hot pot and borscht in front of him.
"I saw this restaurant online too. It had lots of good reviews, and I thought you might like it, so I booked it."
Wen He scooped up some pineapple rice and slowly chewed it.
"Mm-hm, this rice is good..."
It actually wasn't, but Wen He didn't really want to disappoint Lawyer Jiang.
The rice also carried a hint of pineapple's fresh, fruity scent, but he didn't like it this way... He preferred fragrant plain white rice.
Seeing that there was something he liked to eat, Jiang Ye quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried about messing up today's date.