Considering Ji Zhaoyun's actual condition, Shen Jianxi chose a few gentler amusement park rides. Coupled with Ji Zhaoyun's fast pass, they managed to experience quite a few by noon.
Sitting in the theme Western restaurant at the amusement park, Shen Jianxi stared intently at the rabbit ears atop Ji Zhaoyun's head, her eyes sparkling with amusement, making him unconsciously turn his head away.
Fiddling with his two long ears, Ji Zhaoyun coughed, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"Stop looking at me!" he growled in annoyance. "I told you they didn't look good. Forget it, I'll take them off."
As he said this, he reached to remove the rabbit ears.
Shen Jianxi quickly reached out to stop him. "No, no, they look great! They suit you perfectly. I've never seen anyone so cute..."
"Little white rabbit, hahaha—"
Ji Zhaoyun's face darkened like ink, but he didn't try to pull off the headband again. His gaze, when it landed on the wolf ear headband on Shen Jianxi's head, softened.
The waiter brought their meals, which were also shaped like cartoon characters.
Shen Jianxi's was a cute little cat, and Ji Zhaoyun's was a handsome husky, both decorated with steak, pasta, vegetables, and fruit.
The taste wasn't particularly outstanding. Ji Zhaoyun's brow furrowed slightly with his first bite, but seeing Shen Jianxi so engrossed across from him, he swallowed back his desire to suggest finding another place.
Never mind, he thought, the food at amusement park restaurants isn't the point; it's the atmosphere.
Or you could say, it's paying a lot to be a fool.
The meal was barely passable for Ji Zhaoyun, but Shen Jianxi found it quite enjoyable. Putting aside the taste, she felt as though her mindset had regressed by five years.
She was very happy. In the face of this joy, the man was no longer important.
While waiting for the dessert, Shen Jianxi went to the restroom to touch up her makeup, leaving Ji Zhaoyun sitting there idly.
Suddenly, a man wearing a mask, hat, and sunglasses sat down opposite him. Ji Zhaoyun frowned, and before he could ask him to leave, the man spoke.
"Mr. Ji, what a coincidence."
Hearing the voice, Ji Zhaoyun's expression relaxed. He put on a polite smile and nodded slightly. "I didn't expect to run into Actor Shen here."
Shen Xingzhi glanced at the water glass in front of him and the women's bag beside him, then casually asked, "Mr. Ji, are you out with a friend?"
Ji Zhaoyun nodded with an air of nobility. "Yes."
His eyes, however, continued to hint at something.
Seeing his demeanor, Shen Xingzhi's lips twitched. After a moment's thought, he asked again, "Girlfriend?"
Hearing the question he wanted to hear, Ji Zhaoyun regained his composed demeanor, feigning indifference. "Not yet."
After saying that, he paused and added, "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be soon."
Shen Xingzhi gave Ji Zhaoyun a complex look. It wasn't that he wanted to overthink it, but the man's expression suggested a strong potential for being lovestruck.
"Actor Shen, what brings you here...?"
"I was attending an event nearby and decided to stop by after it ended."
Shen Xingzhi's main reason for being there was to bring a young lady later that afternoon. He had asked several of his staff members, and they had all recommended this place.
"Mm."
"Oh."
"..."
A strange silence suddenly fell between the two men.
Shen Jianxi emerged from the restroom and, as she rounded the corner, saw the two men sitting face-to-face.
Shen Jianxi: !!!
Coincidentally, Shen Xingzhi turned his head, and the moment he saw her, she quickly ducked back into the restroom.
How did those two end up together?!
She wondered if Shen Xingzhi had seen her just now.
So how should she get out now???
As Shen Jianxi pondered her next move, Shen Xingzhi suddenly stood up. Seeing Ji Zhaoyun's confused gaze, he smiled distractedly. "Mr. Ji, we'll talk another day. Something has suddenly come up."
He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he thought he had seen a familiar figure just now.
"Certainly, Actor Shen. Please take care."
Upon hearing that he was leaving, Ji Zhaoyun's heart soared, and he naturally made no move to stop him.
A more genuine smile appeared on his face, and he stood up.
After politely shaking hands and bidding farewell, Shen Xingzhi walked towards the direction of the restrooms.
The footsteps in the restaurant were noisy, making it impossible to distinguish who belonged to whom, but Shen Jianxi's heart began to race.
She didn't dare to peek, as there were no obstructions between their dining table and the restrooms. If she were to look out and their eyes met, no, six eyes meeting would be a disaster.
Shen Jianxi thought carefully and took out her phone to message Ji Zhaoyun. However, as soon as she took out her phone, a shadow fell over her.
Although she had already guessed who it was, Shen Jianxi still looked up with a bewildered expression. Upon seeing the person, her pupils widened slightly in surprise, and in the next second, they filled with delight.
"Brother Xingzhi!" Although happy, she remembered they were in a public place and was aware of Shen Xingzhi's influence, so she spoke in a low voice.
Shen Xingzhi's mask hid his expression, but from his visible eyes, Shen Jianxi couldn't detect any smile.
He raised his hand and pressed his fingertip against the corner of Shen Jianxi's mouth, gently wiping away the excess lipstick.
His movements were slow but carried a strong sense of pressure.
Shen Jianxi didn't evade, looking at him openly until Shen Xingzhi withdrew his hand and said emotionlessly, "Who did you come with?"
With Shen Xingzhi's discerning eye, he could tell at a glance that the young lady's outfit today matched the women's bag he had seen at Ji Zhaoyun's table earlier.
It wasn't that he was overthinking; it was just that as he walked towards the restrooms, Shen Xingzhi observed the patrons in the restaurant. There were couples, parents with children, and groups of close friends.
However, upon seeing her attire, Shen Xingzhi had largely concluded that she was not accompanied by anyone among them.
Although the dress was simple, it was a creation by Master Hewlett, and in this restaurant, only that Mr. Ji's attire could match it.
His movements were as gentle as ever as he tidied Shen Jianxi's hair. "Did you come with Mr. Ji? Hmm?"
Shen Jianxi, adhering to the principle of never admitting guilt until caught, stubbornly replied, "I came alone."
77: "The deceased's mouth was the only thing that was stubborn."
The familiar voice startled Shen Jianxi, followed by an overwhelming sense of joy.
"77!"
"Hey! Your seventh uncle is here." 77's voice was lazy and a little cheeky.
"...Shall we fight?"
"Cough cough cough..." 77 coughed abruptly, changing the subject. "Let's go, Ji Zhaoyun is getting ready to look for you."
Hearing this, Shen Jianxi had no time to question 77. She could only take Shen Xingzhi's hand and say in a soft voice, "Let's go out first, Brother Xingzhi. It seems someone has noticed you."
Shen Xingzhi tilted his head slightly and could indeed see that people were already pointing and speculating. Some were even preparing to approach. Looking at Shen Jianxi, who had no cover, he pulled her out through the back door of the restaurant.
They had barely left when Ji Zhaoyun arrived. He couldn't conveniently enter the women's restroom, so he stopped a lady who was about to go in. "Excuse me, my girlfriend has been inside for a long time, and I'm worried something might have happened to her. Could you please check for me?"
After speaking, he handed her a bank card. "This is for your trouble."
The lady gave him a look as if he were crazy, gave a perfunctory "Mm," and entered the restroom.
Ji Zhaoyun awkwardly touched his nose and put the card back. Just as he was about to stop another person, the women's restroom door suddenly opened.
He looked over and saw it was the same lady.
"No one's inside."
"Thank you."
At this point, Ji Zhaoyun's heart tightened. A person had simply vanished without a word, making it impossible for him not to consider unfortunate possibilities.
As for Shen Jianxi, she only remembered Mr. Ji at the table when she walked out of the amusement park. She quickly summoned 77. "77, help me send Ji Zhaoyun a message saying I had an emergency and had to leave."
77: "What if he thinks the message is from a kidnapper if he thinks you've been abducted?"
"...Then use my voice to send a voice message." Shen Jianxi was helpless.
77 nodded, then remembered she probably hadn't seen it, and replied, "Alright~ Handsome 77 is at your service~"
"..."
Was it her imagination? Why had 77 become so... flirty after returning?
Leaving the matter to 77, Shen Jianxi put aside thoughts of Ji Zhaoyun for the moment and focused her energy on Shen Xingzhi. As a result, she didn't have time to see what 77 had sent to Ji Zhaoyun.
...
Before they were discovered, Shen Jianxi followed Shen Xingzhi into his van.
The assistant and driver in the car couldn't hide their shock upon seeing her, but their professionalism prevented them from asking any questions.
Shen Xingzhi got into the car and closed his eyes, not saying a word.
Shen Jianxi knew he was waiting for her to explain herself, but such situations were a game of chess. Whoever yielded first lost and would be at a disadvantage in the relationship.
And when dealing with someone like Shen Xingzhi, the worst thing was to be at a disadvantage and suppressed by him.
Neither of them spoke, so naturally, the assistant and driver dared not speak either. Shen Jianxi didn't ask where they were going and quietly watched the scenery outside the window, remaining silent.
However, this was just on the surface. In reality, she was engrossed in watching a crosstalk performance with 77.
Shen Jianxi felt that 77 was doing it on purpose, playing crosstalk at this very moment. Who knew how hard she was trying to suppress her laughter.
77: Ding! Favorability +4, current Ji Zhaoyun favorability is 75.
"Hmm?" Forgetting the crosstalk, Shen Jianxi was full of questions. "77, what did you send him?"
She expected 77 to tell her the answer, but instead, 77 started playing coy. Its tone was very proud: "You'll know when you get back and check yourself."
Then it sighed, feigning maturity. "You young people, you really need to learn from the great 77."
"..." Shen Jianxi's lips twitched, and she shook her head without speaking.
...
The car entered the underground parking garage. Shen Xingzhi opened his eyes at the opportune moment. They got out from opposite sides, and the car drove away as soon as the doors were closed.
Shen Xingzhi walked ahead. Shen Jianxi glanced at the distance between them and quickened her pace, overtaking him.
A man could be sacrificed, but her pride could not be lost.
77: This person is unexpectedly childish in unexpected places...
The silence between them continued until Shen Xingzhi opened the door.
Shen Jianxi was still contemplating whether to go barefoot while looking at the single pair of men's slippers in the room. Suddenly, Shen Xingzhi bent down, took off her shoes, then scooped her up and placed her on the sofa.
"I didn't have time to buy women's slippers. You sit here for a while."
After saying that, he turned and walked away, right before Shen Jianxi's eyes?!
She stared blankly at the closed door, not understanding what Shen Xingzhi was up to.
"77, where do you think he went?"
77 flipped through "How to Make a Pretty Girl/Handsome Guy Fall in Love with Me," and calmly said, "I guess he went out to buy you slippers and to calm down."
Shen Jianxi nodded. "I think so too."
She sat dazed on the sofa, then suddenly remembered something. She took out her phone and found the chat with Ji Zhaoyun. A voice message had appeared.
For some reason, Shen Jianxi had a bad premonition.
She took a deep breath and slowly moved her finger to the voice message, tapping it lightly.
A sweet voice came from the phone's speaker, even sweeter than her own tone, but the content of the voice message made her blood boil and her anger rise.
Shen Jianxi incredulously listened again:
"Brother Zhaoyun~ I'm not feeling very well, so I'm going back early. Xi Xi just doesn't want Brother to worry. Brother, please don't be angry with me~ Xi Xi likes Brother Zhaoyun the most, mua!"
At the end, 77 naturally sent an emoji.
Although Ji Zhaoyun hadn't replied below, judging by the increase in favorability on the way, he not only didn't reject it but seemed to like it?
"Ugh!"
How disgusting! How greasy!
Shen Jianxi couldn't help it and roared in her mind: "77, I never realized you had this side to you?! Listen to yourself, does this sound like something I would say? No, does this sound like something a normal person would say?!"
"My image! You owe me my image!!!"
To her wails, 77 remained extremely calm. It gently turned a page of the book.
"Did the favorability increase?"
"...It did."
"See? Right?!"
"..."
At this point, Shen Jianxi had nothing more to say. After all, the favorability had indeed increased. She glanced at the chat between the two again and let out a disgusted "eeew."
She never expected Ji Zhaoyun to be into that. Thinking about it sent shivers down her spine.
She leaned back against the sofa, looking up at the ceiling with a lifeless expression. The sound of a password being entered came from outside the door, followed by the sounds of the door closing and footsteps.
Shen Jianxi felt someone squatting beside her. She looked down and saw Shen Xingzhi putting on the newly bought slippers for her.
After putting them on, he looked up. As their eyes met, he suddenly smiled gently.
"Come on, now it's time to talk."