Chapter 26
Upon hearing this, Yu Xia paused, and after a long while, she slowly uttered, "Ah?"
Are you sure you're calling her...?
Yu Xia hesitated before raising her head.
Yu Xia raised her finger uncertainly and pointed to herself. After hesitating for a moment, she weakly asked, "Me?"
Are you sure you're not talking to Fu Ze? Did you turn your head in the wrong direction and face the wrong person?
Was he telling her that he wanted her to have dinner with him?
But Gu Yubai in front of her remained motionless, staring at her and nodding without changing his expression.
Yu Xia: "..."
No, why?
Is she and Gu Yubai someone who can eat together?
Are there any cases where the boss treats you to a meal as soon as you start a new job?
Is this some kind of coded language? Does it have a deeper meaning that she didn't grasp?
I have a question. On my first day at work, my boss said he wanted to have lunch with me. What does that mean, and how should I respond? I need an answer urgently!
The air freezes for one minute.
That minute felt like an eternity.
At this moment, Gu Yubai seemed to realize that his words just now might have been a bit abrupt, after seeing the little anchor's expression.
He spoke up because he saw the elevator was almost there, and he hadn't spoken to the young anchor yet that day. He was afraid that if he didn't speak up now, he would miss his chance, so in that situation, he blurted it out almost without thinking.
Looking back now, it was indeed abrupt.
"You helped Chi Ximin chase the thief last time, and she's been wanting to treat you to a meal to thank you. Today, knowing you work here, she wanted me to ask if you're free?"
Fu Ze, standing nearby: "?"
Wait, how come Chi Ximin is involved here? Didn't we make plans to have dinner together?
Upon hearing this, Yu Xia's expression softened.
Oh, I see.
That seems to make sense.
Yu Xia secretly glanced at Gu Yubai, only to see that he had a calm expression, as if he was just stating something very ordinary, without any other meaning.
“I…” Yu Xia just started to speak.
“Chi Ximin is at the restaurant, but if you need anything, I’ll talk to her for you,” Gu Yubai said very understandingly, seemingly respecting Yu Xia’s decision.
Fu Ze: ? ? ?
No, when was Chi Ximin supposed to be here? If not, why is she already at the restaurant? How come he didn't know?
Besides, wasn't it him who booked the restaurant?
"However, the food might have to go to waste." Seeing that Yu Xia remained unmoved, Gu Yubai stated the fact calmly after a while.
Yu Xia: "..."
"Okay, thank you, Mr. Gu and your sister."
"No trouble at all." Gu Yubai opened the car door for Yu Xia.
"Then... isn't Director Fu going?" Yu Xia hesitated, glancing at Fu Ze who was following behind Gu Yubai.
Gu Yubai seemed to have completely forgotten about this person, and only after Yu Xia reminded him did he remember that there was someone else with them.
He turned around, glanced hastily at Fu Ze behind him, and then uttered three words: "He's not going."
Fu Ze, who was about to open the car door and get in: ?
When did he stop going?
Gu Yubai looked at him.
Fu Ze: "..."
Well, he really is a big shot; we owe him something.
"Oh, right, dinner is already cooked at home, so I won't go."
Fu Ze gave a forced smile and laughed, "I left the gas cylinder on, I have to go back and eat from the gas cylinder."
"Goodbye, both of you." Having been stood up after someone made the decision for him, Fu Ze said this and walked away with a strong back.
Yu Xia: "..."
Gu Yubai: "..."
Yu Xia stared at Fu Ze's departing figure for a long while before finally speaking, "Is he... alright?"
Gu Yubai remained calm, as if it were commonplace: "It's nothing, he's always been like that, his mind isn't quite right."
Yeah.
I feel like neither of you is quite normal...
Yu Xia gave an awkward smile.
—
I don't know if the restaurant was too far from the studio or if the traffic was too bad, but it took more than an hour to get there.
The restaurant was a private dining room with a private dining area. As soon as Yu Xia entered, she saw Chi Ximin sitting in the middle of the room playing on her phone.
"Brother! Sister Yu Xia, you're here!" Upon hearing the door open, Chi Ximin quickly looked towards the entrance.
She was having a great time playing games at home when she suddenly received a message from her brother an hour ago, along with his location.
Chi Ximin was happily eating junk food that her brother forbade her to eat when she received this message. Her first reaction was, "What the heck is this?"
But soon her brother sent her another message, which was very brief.
【Bai】: To express your gratitude to Yu Xia, you want to invite her to this restaurant for dinner.
Chi Ximin:? ? ?
No, she wanted to thank Sister Yu Xia, but when did she book the restaurant and make an appointment with Sister Yu Xia?
Before she could even ponder the logic behind it, another message from Gu Yubai arrived.
【Bai】：Speed.
Send a private room number concurrently.
And so, Chi Ximin, who was forced into this situation, sat in this private room ten minutes ago, and that's how the scene just now unfolded.
Gu Yubai breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Chi Ximin sitting inside. He had deliberately delayed driving a little longer, just in case Chi Ximin hadn't arrived at the restaurant yet.
Fortunately, according to his calculations, the hastily made-up lie was able to cover up without being exposed.
As for why he lied back then, Gu Yubai didn't want to delve into it. He only knew that he didn't want to part ways with the little anchor so soon, so he said that.
Chi Ximin was also taken aback when she saw Yu Xia. She had been quite skeptical of the message, but she hadn't expected her brother to actually bring Yu Xia. Then, it dawned on her that she understood why her brother had sent that message—he was using her as a shield to invite Sister Yu Xia.
Once Chi Hee-min understood the whole story, she immediately switched into professional actor mode, greeting people with such enthusiasm that it seemed she had been waiting for them for a long time and was overjoyed to finally see them.
So, when Yu Xia sat down, she said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Chi Ximin skipped over and sat down next to Yu Xia with a grin. "No, no, I just arrived not long ago. Sister Yu Xia, do you want any more dishes? I'll have them brought out." The dishes on the table were ordered by Chi Ximin according to the menu sent by Gu Yubai. She assumed that Gu Yubai had ordered according to the restaurant's standard dishes, and she wasn't sure if Yu Xia would like them.
"You haven't been here long?" Yu Xia was taken aback when she heard this and subconsciously looked at Gu Yubai.
She vaguely remembered that Gu Yubai said Chi Ximin was already waiting in the restaurant at the elevator. Based on the time it takes to get from the studio to the restaurant, Chi Ximin must have been waiting for more than an hour.
Is this what you call "not long ago"?
Sensing a slightly awkward atmosphere at the dinner table, Chi Ximin realized that she might have accidentally said something wrong. She slowly looked at Gu Yubai, hoping that her brother could give her a hint so she could salvage the situation and prevent him from giving herself away!
Gu Yubai calmly took his seat, rolled up his sleeves, picked up the teacup to scald it, and said in a low voice, "An hour really isn't a long time."
"Ah, right, right! I was playing on my phone here, scrolling through a few short videos and you guys came, it didn't feel like long at all." Chi Ximin immediately chimed in, then quickly changed the subject, "Ordering, ordering, Sister Yu Xia, see if there's anything else you want to eat."
Indeed, in this day and age, with short videos consuming so much time, an hour doesn't seem like long at all; it passes in the blink of an eye.
Yu Xia turned her gaze to the dining table and was surprised to find that all the dishes ordered were her favorites, and none of them contained scallions or ginger.
"Did you order all of these?" Yu Xia asked.
"Huh?" Chi Ximin was taken aback, and then subconsciously glanced at her brother. Gu Yubai didn't react. After rinsing the bowl, he started rinsing the chopsticks.
"Ah, right! I ordered them all. How are they, Sister Yu Xia? Do they suit your taste?"
“Hmm,” Yu Xia smiled, “It suits us quite well. Your tastes are quite similar to mine.”
Chi Ximin picked up a piece of tofu and put it in Yu Xia's bowl: "Sister Yu Xia, you should try it. Their Mapo Tofu is very famous."
While Yu Xia was taking advantage of the situation, Chi Ximin glanced at her brother before casually asking, "Sister Yu Xia, what brings you here today?"
Chi Ximin's questioning was clever. She didn't ask how Yu Xia met her brother, but rather why Yu Xia was free today. The reason for this was twofold: first, she didn't know what her brother had said to Yu Xia; second, it created the impression that she had been telling her brother she wanted to treat Yu Xia to a meal as a thank you. This way, regardless of why Yu Xia came with her brother, this questioning method would minimize any potential mistakes.
Chi Ximin secretly gave herself a thumbs up in her heart, marveling at herself as a genius.
"I ran into him in the elevator when I got off work today. He told me that I had booked a restaurant and wanted to treat him to dinner. I thought I had nothing else to do, so I came with him," Yu Xia said truthfully without any suspicion.
After listening, Chi Ximin understood. Just as she had guessed, her brother had indeed used her as an excuse to invite Sister Yu Xia to dinner.
But... her brother is really something, he managed to trick her into working at the studio.
Chi Ximin paused her chopsticks above a plate of fish, glanced at her brother with a scrutinizing look, and her expression was full of "tsk tsk tsk".
Gu Yubai simply spun the turntable.
The turntable hit Chi Ximin's arm, and she lost her balance, swaying slightly. Then she saw her brother give her a warning look.
"Oh, Yu Xia, why don't you try this shrimp? It's delicious too." Chi Ximin snapped out of her daze and quickly put a shrimp into Yu Xia's bowl, avoiding her brother's gaze.
The meal went fairly smoothly. Although Chi Ximin called Yu Xia "Sister Yu," the two were actually not that far apart in age, and they got along well, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Gu Yubai remained mostly silent, barely uttering a word until the very end. It was as if he had only come here to fulfill Chi Ximin's request to treat Yu Xia to dinner, and it had nothing to do with him personally; he was simply a quiet companion.
Chi Ximin inwardly despised her brother. He was usually so sharp-tongued, but now he was mute. Instead of talking to Yu Xia to improve their relationship, he just sat there silently eating his meal, acting like he was there to be a freeloader.
Chi Ximin rolled her eyes inwardly. How could she possibly pursue someone like this? She'd be lucky if she didn't just look like a good-for-nothing.
Well, she'll have to step in when it really matters.
As Yu Xia finished her last bite, wiped her mouth, and prepared to pack her things, Chi Ximin suddenly called out to her with a smile:
"Sister Yu Xia".
"What's wrong?" Yu Xia stopped what she was doing.
"How do you think Baihe compares to my brother?"
Yu Xia paused and subconsciously looked over.
They happened to meet Gu Yubai's gaze.
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