Qi Xuan was somewhat surprised. It wasn't strange that Ye Zhi had plans, but she always used to tell him about them in advance. Why was she being so mysterious this time?
Qi Xuan chuckled, "Are you worried that if I knew in advance, our date might be fraught with all sorts of unexpected situations?"
"Pah, pah, pah! Don't say such things! There won't be any unexpected situations!" Ye Zhi immediately became a little nervous. Every date they'd had before had been full of mishaps. She really had to pay more attention this time; it simply had to go smoothly!
Qi Xuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected Ye Zhi to care so much about this date.
"Alright, the weekend will definitely go smoothly," Qi Xuan chuckled.
They chatted for a few more sentences and then hung up the phone.
Qi Xuan didn't dwell on the matter. Of course, he was very curious about what plans Ye Zhi had, but since Ye Zhi wanted to give him a surprise, well… although he didn't know if it would be a surprise or a shock, he was willing to wait for Ye Zhi to reveal the answer herself, not wanting to spoil her kind intentions.
However, he began to notice that the people around him seemed to be acting a bit strangely.
During dinner, he observed Ye Zhi secretly pulling the butler aside. They were whispering mysteriously, and he had no idea what they were discussing.
After that, the butler started acting a bit peculiar, often sneaking glances at him with an almost approving gaze. But whenever Qi Xuan looked over, the butler would avert his eyes and couldn't help but steal a smile.
Moreover, the butler had suddenly started preparing all sorts of things for him, from toothpaste and toothbrushes to clothes and socks. And the butler was preparing them secretly behind his back.
The butler's state was really too odd, and Qi Xuan couldn't pretend not to notice.
Finally, before bedtime, Qi Xuan found the butler and asked him what he was so busy with.
The butler maintained his smile, but his expression was a bit evasive. "Oh, Young Master, I'm just preparing some luggage for your business trip. You don't need to overthink it."
Qi Xuan was speechless. He hadn't been overthinking it initially, but the butler's last sentence, attempting to conceal something, made him have to.
"I don't have any business trips planned recently," Qi Xuan said calmly.
"I'm just rehearsing in advance, in case of unforeseen circumstances!" the butler said with a smile. "Oh, Young Master, don't ask so many questions. I've always had good judgment, and I wouldn't harm you, would I?"
Qi Xuan: "…Butler, I'm very sure now that you are gaslighting me."
The butler's old face flushed. "Young Master, I don't understand your young people's terms. Just rest assured, this is definitely a good thing!"
Seeing that the butler absolutely refused to say anything, Qi Xuan pondered for a moment. "You only need to answer one question: is this related to Ah Zhi?"
The butler was very taken aback. The next moment, he smiled with relief and helplessness. "Young Master, I really can't hide anything from you. Don't ask anything else; I have to keep it a secret!"
Hearing him say that, Qi Xuan was naturally certain that this should be part of Ye Zhi's surprise, so he didn't think much of it.
"Then you should rest early," Qi Xuan instructed.
The butler was touched and guilty. "Oh, my Young Master has grown up and learned to care for others. Young Master, you and Miss Ye should live a good life together in the future. As long as you two are harmonious, I will be at peace…"
Qi Xuan: …
The more he heard, the stranger it sounded. However, Qi Xuan didn't think too much about it.
The following evening, Qi Heng and Cheng Yi called Qi Xuan home alone for dinner. At the table, they spoke at length about how the two of them should interact, how to foster their relationship, maintain novelty, and how to resolve conflicts if they arose.
Qi Xuan didn't say anything at the time, but after returning to Half Mountain Villa, he felt more and more that something was amiss.
If it were just the butler, it would have been one thing, but now his parents were also speaking strangely. The way they spoke, it was as if he were the one getting married and moving in with Ye Zhi… Wait, could it be that Ye Zhi really planned to live with him?
Qi Xuan's heart suddenly began to race, but the next moment, he took a deep breath and calmed his restless heart.
Heh.
He wouldn't overthink it. After being fooled so many times, he no longer believed. Ye Zhi, that heart-stealing wicked woman, always teased him without taking responsibility. This time, the butler must have misunderstood something and told his parents, and they had also misunderstood.
However, there was still a faint sense of anticipation in his heart. He couldn't help but walk to the window and look across.
The light in Ye Zhi's bedroom was on. Ye Zhi was sitting on the balcony, with her laptop in front of her, seemingly busy with something.
As if sensing his gaze, Ye Zhi turned to look at him and asked in surprise, "You're not asleep yet?"
"Mm," Qi Xuan suppressed his slightly restless heart and asked calmly, "Ah Zhi, the approval for the overpass has long been granted. When you have time in the near future, should I find someone to build the bridge?"
After asking, Qi Xuan looked at Ye Zhi nervously.
He was testing her.
If Ye Zhi really intended to live with him, then they could conveniently set aside time to build the overpass. If she refused, it would mean it was all a misunderstanding.
"Ah?" Ye Zhi was stunned for a moment. She spoke with displeasure, "Qi Xuan, how can you do this?!"
Qi Xuan sighed. As expected, he had been overthinking.
"Our Ye family is a real estate company. Of course, building an overpass should be handled by me! You're asking someone else to let others make money from me? How can I maintain my standing in the real estate circle if that gets out?" Ye Zhi said, hands on her hips, looking indignant.
Qi Xuan: …
Indeed, he had been overthinking.
"Then…" Qi Xuan's heartbeat quickened a bit. "When do you plan to build the bridge?"
"Now that you mention it, I really haven't thought about it…" Ye Zhi propped her chin with her hand. "I should first find a reliable construction team and then pick a suitable date."
"…Alright." Qi Xuan sighed inwardly. He became even more uncertain. She agreed to build the bridge but hadn't thought about the timing, so was she planning to live with him or not?
Forget it, he would just quietly wait for the weekend to arrive.
Qi Xuan, for whom time seemed to crawl, finally waited until the weekend.
However, he waited and waited from early in the morning, and Ye Zhi never came to ask him out.
Qi Xuan waited for a long time. He even saw the butler bring over Zhao Cai and play with it in the living room.
He finally couldn't help but ask, "Butler, has Ah Zhi woken up yet?"
"Ah?" The butler looked surprised. "Miss Ye went out early this morning. Didn't you know?"
Qi Xuan: …
Thank you, butler, or he would still be in the dark. So the situation now was that Ye Zhi, who had actively asked him out, had broken the appointment on the day of the date?
Qi Xuan sighed helplessly. He took out his phone, preparing to call Ye Zhi.
"Young Master, are you going to call Miss Ye?" the butler asked.
"Mm," Qi Xuan nodded. "I wanted to ask if she perhaps forgot about today's date…"