Chapter 61
At 7 p.m.
The show’s car stopped at an exclusive, members-only high-end restaurant.
As soon as they walked in, soothing, elegant music began to play. The romantic, refined dining hall was empty of other guests; only the table in the very center was lit with a few flickering candles.
Xie Mi’s dream of eating Haidilao hotpot was shattered.
In fact, what she wanted most tonight was hotpot.
“Miss Xie, please have a seat.” The waiter guided her to the table and then slowly withdrew.
The lights in the restaurant were kept dim, with only the candle flames swaying to set the atmosphere.
Xie Mi suddenly remembered the original story.
In the novel, when the new male guest first appeared and invited Xu Shuangrong out, he took her to a Thai restaurant.
But clearly, this place was a Western restaurant.
“……”
She had a bad feeling.
As the music swelled to its climax, a figure slowly stepped out of the darkness, his refined features illuminated by the candlelight.
Xie Mi’s faint hope was utterly extinguished.
[Ahhhhh he’s so handsome!!!]
[Oh my god, did the production team finally listen to me? I’ve been begging on their official page for a little puppy-type boy.]
[So obedient, so sweet!!]
The boy was pale and delicate, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Behind the lenses, his eyes were bright and clear, yet carried a natural chill.
“Hello, sis, I’m Yu Jinzhe.” (Recap Chap. 38)
The very Yu Jinzhe who, in the original novel, was supposed to become entangled with Xu Shuangrong outside of the dating show — the supposed “antagonist” — had now replaced the fourth male guest and entered the show.
Xie Mi couldn’t even laugh.
She thought Shen Yanqing was already outrageous enough, but here was someone even more absurd.
After all, Yu Jinzhe’s character in the book was set as emotionally detached.
He only became linked to Xu Shuangrong because one time, when Xu Shuangrong came to his school to film an advertisement, he accidentally saw her secretly throwing away gifts from fans.
Gentle and kind in public, but cold and cruel in private — this contradiction sparked his obsessive interest.
That was how his storyline began.
Which meant, at this early stage, Yu Jinzhe was absolutely not someone who’d be interested in love, let alone join a romance reality show.
And according to the timeline, he and Xu Shuangrong shouldn’t even have met yet.
So why was he here?
“Sis, are you planning on ignoring me again today?”
While she was thinking, Yu Jinzhe had already sat down across from her.
The candlelight painted his features, and his black eyes curved as he smiled. On the surface, it was gentle, but underneath lurked surging intensity.
At his words, Xie Mi suddenly understood.
In the original, Yu Jinzhe wasn’t just obsessive — he held grudges.
That day at the mall, when he greeted Xie Lian, he’d also casually greeted her. She remembered she had answered rather perfunctorily…
Case solved. It was because of that.
“Not that serious, really not.”
Xie Mi let out two dry laughs. “I was playing a game that day, so I didn’t pay much attention. Mainly, I didn’t want to interrupt you two chatting.”
Of course she wouldn’t admit she simply wanted no involvement with a character like Yu Jinzhe.
After all, later in the book, he turned pretty crazy.
[Wait, you two know each other?!!]
[Ahhhhh at first I thought he was just a fanboy chasing his idol on the show, but turns out they’re old acquaintances. This storyline is even juicier!]
[This banter feels like a quarrelsome-but-fond vibe. So sweet!]
[Sorry, but an older-sister/younger-brother romance hits my soft spot. I’m switching ships!]
[No way!! I’m guarding Shen’s spot! Anyone who dares ship this, I’ll fight you!!!]
“Is that so?”
Yu Jinzhe tilted his head slightly, lips curved in a playful smile. “I don’t remember.”
…Yep. Definitely holding a grudge.
“The director told me I could invite one female guest I’m interested in. The one I’m most interested in is you, jie. So tonight, let’s have a proper date.”
His smile grew even more obedient.
“……”
Forget it.
Xie Mi resigned herself.
Anyway, the storyline had already collapsed multiple times. Even dragging an antagonist from outside the romance show into it didn’t surprise her anymore.
“Then let’s just eat. When’s the food coming?” Xie Mi relaxed completely and glanced toward the kitchen.
Yu Jinzhe smiled and clapped softly. A waiter wheeled in a cart.
Two plates of steak were placed in front of them.
“Sis, let’s eat.”
As soon as Yu Jinzhe finished, Xie Mi didn’t hesitate. She picked up her knife and fork and sliced down.
Blood seeped out.
Xie Mi: “?”
Across from her, Yu Jinzhe chuckled softly. “I like my steak rare. Sis doesn’t mind, does she?”
In the dim light, paired with the blood pooling on the plate, the romantic atmosphere instantly turned eerie.
Most people would have been stunned. But Xie Mi instantly shot back, “Of course I mind. What does your liking rare steak have to do with me?”
Then she turned to the waiter. “Hey, can you take this back and cook it through? I want mine well-done, preferably seared until it’s a bit crispy. Thanks.”
Yu Jinzhe: “……?”
He hadn’t expected her to respond without even a second of hesitation.
But fortunately, he had already instructed the waitstaff in advance, so things wouldn’t go her way.
“Miss, usually only people who don’t understand steak order it well-done. It wastes premium cuts. Would you consider medium-rare instead?”
Xie Mi smiled politely but firmly. “Well-done. If your chef can’t do it, give me the pan and I’ll show him how. I only eat well-done, got it?”
Yu Jinzhe’s obedient façade nearly cracked.
[Sister Xie is amazing, what nerves of steel. I’d have been intimidated ages ago.]
[No, but seriously, I once ordered my steak medium-well, and the waiter sneered, saying there’s no such thing, only medium. My friends laughed at me like I’d never seen the world. Excuse me? I paid for the food, why should I take that attitude? Can’t they just cook it a little longer? Why is there even a “steak hierarchy”? So exhausting.]
[Exactly. My stomach’s weak, so I need well-done. What, is that a crime?]
[Old Xie, you’re speaking for me!!]
Under Xie Mi’s unyielding stance, the waiter eventually had no choice but to take the steak back. When it returned, it was seared to a crisp well-done, with a much stronger aroma.
Xie Mi wasted no time. She raised her knife and fork and dug in, basically turning it into a live mukbang performance — even making Yu Jinzhe, who was eating rare steak, hungry.
Yu Jinzhe: “……”
Usually, when he used this tactic on the naïve girls at school who tried chasing him, they would be scared off and flee.
But this woman…
Not only did she finish the steak in a few bites, she even confirmed the dinner was on the show’s tab, then boldly ordered another plate.
What a powerful mental world.
