Chapter 85
The production crew filming Gu Chiyan had already set up cameras in the room, with one camera pointing directly at the door. They were hoping to capture the female guest's surprised expression, but Qin Su didn't seem surprised at all; it looked like she had expected it.
She stepped inside, washed her hands in the porcelain basin brought by the waiter, looked around at the decor, and praised, "The place you chose is beautiful."
Gu Chiyan: "You guessed it was me before you came?"
"This shouldn't be difficult, right? I clearly saw the coffee machine had been used when I went to the kitchen this morning. There are very few people who like to brew their own coffee early in the morning." Qin Su sat down, turned her head to look at Gu Chiyan, who was still standing by the window, and asked in confusion, "Why are you still standing there? Are you posing for a photo?"
"Ahem." Gu Chiyan was defeated by her bluntness and coughed awkwardly, saying honestly, "The production team said I look more handsome standing here, and that it has a visual impact."
Upon hearing this, Qin Su looked at him carefully and could indeed tell that he had dressed up, and his tie even looked new.
Her gaze was natural and not presumptuous, but Gu Chiyan still couldn't help but hold his breath.
For him, this was a novel experience. He had always been the one to examine women from a male perspective, and rarely had he been in such a passive position of being examined.
He was a little nervous and didn't dare to move, managing to ask, "How is it?"
Qin Su smiled gently and said, "Not bad, very handsome."
Gu Chiyan involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could fully relax, Qin Su hesitated and said, "However..."
Gu Chiyan froze, then asked, "What?"
Qin Su: "Did you get your eyebrows done?"
She looked at Gu Chiyan and said with a forced smile, "You've done a bit too much work. You don't need to be so ruthless next time. But I can see your good intentions in this matter."
After all, he's a man who even grooms his eyebrows.
Gu Chiyan was stunned, subconsciously touched his eyebrows, and then couldn't help but laugh: "The makeup artist said that this kind of thinner eyebrow shape is popular among young male celebrities now."
"Looks like I haven't caught up with the latest fashion trends yet," Qin Su joked. "Sit down, let me take a closer look."
Gu Chiyan obediently gave up posing and sat down opposite her.
The moment they sat down, the distance between them instantly closed.
Although we've had a few private moments together in the Heartbeat House before, those were just normal interactions, unlike a formal date like this.
This psychological realization left Gu Chiyan somewhat at a loss, and for a moment he didn't know how to start the conversation.
Seeing that he didn't react, Qin Su raised her chin and said, "What are you standing there for? You invited me to dinner, but you won't even let me order?"
"Oh, oh." Gu Chiyan quickly waved to the waiter to bring the menu and handed it to Qin Su.
As Qin Su flipped through the menu, she asked, "Have you eaten here before? Do you have any recommendations?"
Upon hearing the question, the waiter next to her hesitated and glanced at Qin Su, who gave her a nonchalant look.
The waitresses here are all smart; she almost immediately understood Qin Su's meaning and quietly slipped out.
Gu Chiyan didn't notice her, busy finding dishes for Qin Su. Having filmed the show together for so many days, he knew Qin Su's tastes quite well, and immediately flipped through a few pages for Qin Su to see: "You can try this, and this one, you might like it."
Qin Su: "Really? Then I'll order some to try. This is my first time here."
Gu Chiyan said, "If you like what you've eaten, I'll go with you to get a membership card. Their ingredients are pretty good."
Qin Su said, "This place is quiet despite being in a busy area, and it's not easy to find. How did you discover it?"
Gu Chiyan: "I came here through someone's introduction. It happened one time..."
While ordering food, the two quickly started chatting, and the tension brought about by the "date" label gradually dissipated.
Inside the observation room, Zhang Wenyan nodded frequently, his face full of appreciation and agreement.
Xiang Shuangshuang couldn't help but say, "Brother Wenyan, isn't this just a normal conversation? Why are you making that face?"
Zhang Wenyan laughed and said, "You're too young."
"Huh?" Zuo Fei, standing beside him, asked blankly, "I didn't see it either. Is there some hidden meaning in what they said?"
Zhang Wenyan then looked at the others.
Shi Yi: "I think I've figured something out, but I'm not quite sure."
Tan Ling timely reminded him: "There's no mystery, it's all about technique."
“Yes.” Zhang Wenyan affirmed, “As I watched, my professional instincts kicked in. I felt that Qin Su would be a perfect host for an interview program, haha. She’s so good at controlling the pace and initiative of the conversation.”
Xiang Shuangshuang: "?" Isn't this just a normal chat? Where are the tips?
Seeing that she didn't understand, Zhang Wenyan said, "You can think about it: if you suddenly started going on a formal date with someone of the opposite sex with whom you were only casual acquaintances, what would the atmosphere be like?"
Xiang Shuangshuang imagined it for a moment: "Awkward, speechless, restless, forcing myself to remain calm..."
“These emotions were also present to varying degrees in Gu Chiyan during that period of time,” Zhang Wenyan said patiently, tapping the screen remotely. “But look at him now, the state and atmosphere between him and Qin Su are very relaxed.”
“On the surface, Gu Chiyan chose this restaurant and initiated the invitation, but in reality, the initiative was in her hands after Qin Su entered the room,” Tan Ling added. “She first affirmed Gu Chiyan’s seriousness and took control of the conversation. Then, after Gu Chiyan sat down, she cleverly used the restaurant and dishes as topics to give Gu Chiyan something to talk about.”
"This topic happens to be something Gu Chiyan is familiar with. When a person talks about something they are familiar with, they will unconsciously feel a sense of security and their emotions will relax."
Shi Yi thought for a moment and said, "Moreover, food can be said to be a kind of culture. Many topics can be derived from dishes and flavors. As long as you talk more, you will always find new entry points in these conversations."
Tan Ling: "Smart!"
Xiang Shuangshuang: "Wow, I've learned something. This method seems to be very universal."
“I have a question.” Zuo Fei raised her hand and asked bluntly, “What if I ask them to talk about the restaurant and the dishes, but they ask the waiter to do it? Wouldn’t that put the conversation at an impasse?”
Zhang Wenyan was speechless.
Tan Ling replied, "If you've already thrown out topics to the other person, and they still turn them away, there are two possibilities. First, the other person's emotional intelligence isn't very high. Second, the other person doesn't want to talk to you much. Otherwise, if they had any intention of talking to you, they would have seized the opportunity immediately."
"Moreover, this is a skill, and it is not necessarily limited to restaurants and dishes. You need to learn and apply it flexibly."
The comments section was flooded with messages like, "I've learned something new!"
[I really didn't realize it until the host mentioned it. Wow, so this is the art of conversation?]
【Won't this be very tiring?】
[For those who are proficient in it, it's not tiring, because emotional intelligence is instinctive for them; they don't even need to think. Only those who need to work hard to improve it will try to figure it out and gradually learn to apply it.]
[I'm jotting this down in my notebook, haha, perfect for my blind date next week.]
As Shi Yi said, once two people have a suitable starting point for a conversation, they can gradually expand on the topic.
As Gu Chiyan chatted with the friend who introduced him to the restaurant, he talked about his regret of not being able to eat Chinese food during his time studying abroad. Qin Su always managed to pick up on the conversation at the right time, and sometimes just a few words were enough to make Gu Chiyan feel that "there is someone in this world who understands me so well."
When the conversation turned to his decision to start his own business after returning to China from studying abroad, Gu Chiyan suddenly paused and looked at Qin Su, saying, "My family doesn't actually support me trying to make things happen on my own."
Many wealthy families do not support their children and grandchildren to start their own businesses. Countless lessons have shown that if the children do not cause trouble and honestly manage the family fortune, making money from money and interest from interest, they will live a very good life. However, if they encounter unworthy descendants who mess things up, they may quickly squander the family fortune.
If Gu Chiyan hadn't been intelligent and steady from childhood, his family would never have agreed to him starting his own company.
Qin Su said "Oh?" and asked, "But you still managed to convince them in the end?"
Gu Chiyan said, "We had a family meeting and talked for three hours. I gave myself a few years, and they also hoped that I could settle down and start a family during this time."
Qin Su objectively commented, "It's very fair."
“You’re the first person to say that,” Gu Chiyan said. “Not many of my friends know about my situation, but they generally have two reactions. One is that they are shocked that my family seems very democratic, and that we don’t have the kind of arguments and card-suspension dramas shown in TV dramas. The other is that they feel indignant on my behalf, thinking that the agreement in my family is essentially increasing my pressure and forcing me to submit.”
“But I know myself,” he said in a low voice. “My family has raised me for so many years, spending a lot of time, money and energy. They even agreed to let me go out on my own while I’m young, and even provided initial capital for my business. That’s already very good. I have nothing to complain about.”
Even so, a hint of melancholy crept into his expression.
Qin Su smiled slightly: "Looking at you, people who know you would think you're going back to inherit the family business, but people who don't would think you're going to jail. Although everyone has their own ambitions, even if you take a path that doesn't align with your aspirations, it's not a loss."
Gu Chiyan was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh: "I thought you would comfort me."
Qin Su: "If you deserve comfort, how are the millions of ordinary people supposed to live?"
Moreover, to be frank, Gu Chiyan's statement just now was only half true and half false.
When men pursue women, they generally use three main tactics: showing off their charm, playing the victim, and using money. Among these, playing the victim is the most effective emotional weapon.
Girls are mostly kind-hearted, soft-hearted, emotional, and easily empathetic. They inevitably feel pity when they hear about other people's troubles and difficulties. When a good-looking and decent-natured man suddenly tells her his untold secrets, the difficulties of family and work, and the confusion of life's predicaments, it is hard for a normal person not to be moved. Those with particularly soft hearts will be overflowing with maternal love in no time and transform into a female bodhisattva to save the other person.
Everyone says that being a father figure is terrible, but people who are used to playing the father figure are the ones who hurt others. What's so terrible about that? What's truly terrible is feeling sorry for strangers with whom you have no family ties and acting as their mother psychologically and emotionally. That's how you end up hurting yourself.
Qin Su never takes the initiative to act as someone's mother.
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