Chapter 36 [VIP]

It's true that he needed emergency assistance, but the excuse of inviting his future daughter-in-law to dinner was false.

But whether it's true or not, as long as I can get money from my dad, that's good.

As it turned out, Pei Xingzhi's tactic was very effective. Pei's father usually deliberately waited two or three hours before replying to his messages, but today, less than a minute after he sent his message, Pei's father transferred the money.

[Sponsor]: [Transfer]

[Sponsor]: Treat that young lady to a nice meal, don't make her feel wronged.

[Sweetheart Bunny]: Got it.

[Sponsor]: Have you chosen a restaurant yet? Or can I pick one for you?

Seeing his father so enthusiastic, Pei Xingzhi couldn't help but point and comment on the screen. He usually deliberately ignored his father's messages, but he was more enthusiastic about this kind of news than anything else.

If he knew that the "daughter-in-law" his son had found for him was a tall, high-quality Alpha, wouldn't he be so angry he'd faint on the spot?

[Sweetheart Bunny]: No need, I've already ordered.

[Sponsor]: Which restaurant did you book? Let me check it out for you. You don't have much experience, so it would be better if your mom and I gave you some advice.

Since his father had spoken, Pei Xingzhi just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, so he forwarded the link Chu Ling had sent him to him. With the money, Pei Xingzhi immediately canceled his original mid-range meal reservation and changed it to a more popular high-end restaurant.

With the restaurant reservation finalized, Pei Xingzhi clapped his hands and got up to buy his clothes. Xie Nanyi was dressed so formally; if he dressed casually, it would seem disrespectful to her.

Pei Xingzhi, a vibrant college student, mainly had clothes in his wardrobe that reflected his youthful energy. His wardrobe consisted almost entirely of hoodies and jeans; there wasn't a single item that matched Xie Nanyi's outfit. Pei Xingzhi, with a pained expression, buried himself in his wardrobe and rummaged through it for a long time. Finally, he pulled out a suit he had prepared when he joined the choir at the beginning of the semester from a corner.

Pei Xingzhi really wanted to kneel down and thank his mother this time. Thankfully, Ms. Qin had always been meticulous about the quality of his clothes. This outfit was custom-made for him, and wearing it to dinner with Xie Nanyi wouldn't be too embarrassing. At the time, he thought his mother was too nagging, but now he truly appreciated her foresight in giving him a decent set of clothes.

Xie Nanyi seemed to be looking forward to the meal, and was waiting in the living room early in the morning. When Pei Xingzhi came out after changing his clothes, Xie Nanyi's glasses lit up noticeably.

Pei Xingzhi, unusually, combed his bangs back and neatly tucked his shoulder-length hair behind his ears. This image was different from the usually carefree Pei Xingzhi, making him appear more mature than usual. And... the well-tailored suit perfectly accentuated Pei Xingzhi's slender waist.

Xie Nanyi coughed lightly and stepped forward.

"You look great in this outfit."

"Thank you, you too." Pei Xingzhi replied politely, following Xie Nanyi's lead. Xie Nanyi's gaze was too intense for Pei Xingzhi to bear. "Let's go."

*

The restaurant Chu Ling recommended was indeed good; apart from the somewhat eerie ambiance, everything else was excellent.

Pei Xingzhi lowered his head and took a sip of wine. When he looked up, he saw Xie Nanyi's eyes, which were full of a strange meaning.

Xie Nanyi looks very handsome, or rather, extremely handsome.

Logically speaking, people of this age wearing suits should give off a comical feeling, like children wearing adults' clothes, but Xie Nanyi doesn't have this problem at all.

Or perhaps this kind of clothing better accentuates his figure.

Speaking of body shape... a blurry image suddenly flashed into Pei Xingzhi's mind. Did he and Xie Nanyi take a shower together in the bathroom?

Pei Xingzhi looked down and brushed away these strange thoughts. What on earth was going on here? Could this eerie atmosphere be contagious?

"Is the food here not good?" Pei Xingzhi asked, forcing himself to speak. Xie Nanyi shook his head, indicating that he liked the place very much.

"If you like it, why are you making that weird face?" Pei Xingzhi thought to himself, grumbling at Xie Nanyi, while glancing suspiciously at the band that had been playing all sorts of strange tunes around them since earlier.

This restaurant is really weird.

They were just having a meal, but they acted like a couple on a date.

"Speaking of which, I don't even know what you like to eat. This restaurant was found for me by Chu Ling. I don't know if you can still get used to the food."

Xie Nanyi was still immersed in the sweetness Pei Xingzhi had created for her a second ago, but the next second she was suddenly exposed to Chu Ling's name and subconsciously showed a look of disgust.

"I really like it here, but are you still in contact with Chu Ling?"

Pei Xingzhi didn't know where his malice towards Chu Ling came from. How could anyone dislike someone as good as Chu Ling? Normally, Pei Xingzhi would have said a few more words to change his opinion of Chu Ling, but today he was the one treating Xie Nanyi to dinner, so there was no need for him to say anything that would spoil the mood.

"Hey, didn't you come out to eat with me? Why are you so concerned about Chu Ling?" Pei Xingzhi brushed it off. The band next to them was still playing an inappropriate tune. Pei Xingzhi rested his chin on his hand and watched them for a while. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked.

"Xie Nanyi, don't you think this place is strange?"

"strangeness?"

"Don't you think..." Pei Xingzhi lowered his voice and waved for Xie Nanyi to come closer to listen. "This place looks like a couples' restaurant. Did Chu Ling recommend the wrong place, or did I book the wrong restaurant?"

Xie Nanyi's hand froze in mid-air, and after a long pause, she hesitantly asked, "What did you say?"

Did you book the wrong restaurant?

They came here for a date, so why would Pei Xingzhi say something like that?

"It's this restaurant..." Pei Xingzhi thought he hadn't heard him clearly, so he repeated himself. He was only halfway through his sentence when he looked behind Xie Nanyi, frowned, and uttered a single word: "Dad?"

"What?" Xie Nanyi's expression suddenly changed, and seven or eight thoughts about being banned flashed through her mind in an instant.

"Dad, what brings you here?" Pei Xingzhi stood up and walked past Xie Nanyi to his side. Xie Nanyi followed him up. Behind them sat a middle-aged couple who seemed out of place in their surroundings.

"Xiao Zhi, you're here too." Pei's father chuckled twice, scratching his head. Ms. Qin glared at him, but when she looked at Pei Xingzhi again, her expression was gentle.

"Xiao Zhi, your parents are just passing by, don't worry about them, just keep dating."

"You guys are really something, I knew I shouldn't have told you." Pei Xingzhi complained in a low voice. There were screens between each table in the restaurant. If Pei's father hadn't been unable to contain his curiosity and secretly peeked over here, Pei Xingzhi wouldn't have been able to find him.

"Xiao Zhi, what happened?" Xie Nanyi asked, leaning closer to Pei Xingzhi. "Why haven't you gone back yet?"

Pei Xingzhi himself was already used to Xie Nanyi's little gestures of asserting her dominance, but Pei's father and Ms. Qin exchanged a glance because of their actions.

Who is this?

"Ah, he's my classmate, Xie Nanyi. Dad, you should know him. He's the one I took to the hospital last time." Pei Xingzhi belatedly realized that the two of them were being too intimate, and quickly moved away from Xie Nanyi.

"So you're Xiaozhi's classmate? Are you an Alpha?" Pei's father smiled, but his expression wasn't very pleasant.

The son, being a Beta, might not understand, but he and his lover could clearly sense the Alpha's possessiveness towards Xiao Zhi.

Xiao Zhi's body was covered in Alpha pheromones, so there was no need to ask who the pheromones belonged to.

"Yes, I am an Alpha." Xie Nanyi nodded, glanced down at Pei Xingzhi, and wore a polite smile.

"Very good, very good. He's much more handsome than Xiao Zhi." Pei's father said politely, while glancing behind Pei Xingzhi.

“Didn’t you say you were coming on a date? Where’s my future daughter-in-law? Didn’t you say you were going on a date with an Omega? I’m still waiting to see the daughter-in-law you found for me.” Ms. Qin said, emphasizing the word “Omega”.

"..."

Pei Xingzhi clearly hadn't expected him to ask such a question, especially with Xie Nanyi right there beside him. How was he supposed to answer?

"What Omega? Mom and Dad, what are you talking about? What daughter-in-law? You're overthinking it. You two eat your meal, I'm leaving now." Pei Xingzhi avoided their scrutinizing gazes. There was no answer to this question, so he chose not to answer.

"Xiao Zhi..." Xie Nanyi, standing behind him, spoke in a sinister tone. Pei Xingzhi, fearing that he would say something shocking, quickly jumped up and covered his mouth.

"Xie Nanyi, let's go quickly too. Mom and Dad, you can eat in peace. I won't disturb your date."

After Pei Xingzhi finished speaking, he pulled Xie Nanyi back to his table. He sat on the stool and shook his head with a helpless expression.

"I'm sorry, that's just how my parents are. They were just joking, so please don't take it to heart." The environment here is already prone to misunderstandings, and his parents just had to add those extra words. He was really afraid that Xie Nanyi would use this to wildly imagine things.

"Are you kidding?" Xie Nanyi sat down opposite him and loosened her tie. "So Xiao Zhi is just treating me to dinner today?"

“Yes.” Pei Xingzhi nodded. Otherwise, what other meaning did he have?

"This seems to be a couples' restaurant." Xie Nanyi gritted her teeth and continued to ask, "Did Xiaozhi book the wrong restaurant?"

"A couples' restaurant? Chu Ling really did recommend the wrong place to me!" No wonder the atmosphere here was so strange; if it was a couples' restaurant, everything would make sense. "Chu Ling, really, he almost got me killed."

"So you're saying we're not dating right now?" Xie Nanyi's face turned completely cold.

Pei Xingzhi was so nonchalant at the moment, so what did that kiss mean?

"What are you talking about? Of course not." Pei Xingzhi smiled and tilted his head back to finish the drink in his glass. "Although I know this is a bit ambiguous, don't overthink it. I've said it many times, we can only be friends at most, so don't force yourself to like me."

Be friends?

Xie Nanyi looked up, her face regaining its usual frivolous expression.

"Xiao Zhi is really putting me in a difficult position. I can't just be friends with you."

"Fine, whatever." Pei Xingzhi didn't take his words to heart and waved his hand, letting him go.

Although the atmosphere here isn't really suitable for the two of them, at least other aspects are quite good.

I can bookmark this so I can bring his future partner along sometime.

A note from the author:

After spending the whole night figuring out how to strategize, I cried my eyes out alone.