After putting on the down jacket handed to him by Feng Qingyi, Qin Yuchuan stood to the side watching her touch up her makeup.
He wasn't familiar with women's cosmetics and curiously eyed the various bottles and jars on the dressing table.
"Do you think this color looks good?" Feng Qingyi initiated a conversation.
Qin Yuchuan carefully examined the color on Feng Qingyi's lips. "...It looks nice."
Though he didn't understand why she'd paint her lips orange, it did look quite appealing.
Hearing this, Feng Qingyi put down her lipstick. "Alright, let's go!"
For their first meal out together, Feng Qingyi decided to ask Qin Yuchuan's opinion.
"Qin Yuchuan, is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Qin Yuchuan: "Anything is fine."
"How about we go for hot pot?" She wanted to introduce him to this earthly delight.
Qin Yuchuan didn't have many requirements when it came to food. When conditions allowed, he enjoyed good meals; when they didn't, as long as he could fill his stomach, it was enough.
"Mm-hmm."
After getting his affirmative response, Feng Qingyi said, "Then I'll take you to the place my friends and I often go to. It's the best hot pot restaurant near our university."
The journey to the hot pot restaurant wasn't far, but Qin Yuchuan's hairstyle and striking looks drew quite a bit of attention.
They were frequently stared at along the way, and several girls even approached to ask for his WeChat contact, which Feng Qingyi ruthlessly rejected.
She wondered, didn't they look like a couple?
Arriving at the hot pot restaurant, considering Qin Yuchuan's preference for milder flavors, Feng Qingyi specifically ordered a split pot with both spicy and non-spicy broths.
Just as they finished ordering, Feng Qingyi spotted Feng Qingci and Lou Xi.
Since it was just the two of them, she hadn't booked a private room and was seated in the main dining area.
Their position was quite noticeable, and if Feng Qingci and Lou Xi came this way, they would definitely see them.
If Feng Qingci found out, her parents would likely know too, and she hadn't figured out how to explain things to them yet.
"Qingyi, what's wrong?"
"I see my brother!"
Qin Yuchuan turned to look. "And then?"
Feng Qingyi: "I haven't told him about us yet. He tends to exaggerate things, and if he blurts something out to my parents, it won't be good."
"I also told my friend that you're in the antique business. If they really notice us, don't say anything different."
Qin Yuchuan asked with amusement, "Do you think I'm not presentable enough?"
"No, we're just preparing for any situation. We can't exactly tell them you're from ancient times. They might think we're both crazy."
Hearing Feng Qingyi's explanation, Qin Yuchuan said, "Then what other background details should I remember?"
Feng Qingyi thought for a moment: "I only told my friend you're in the antique business. You can improvise the rest."
"If he asks where you're from, just say Sea City."
"Actually, it's easy to fool my brother, but his girlfriend, who's also my good friend Lou Xi, is very smart and not easily deceived. You'll need to be more careful with her."
Qin Yuchuan responded somewhat helplessly, "Alright."
"They seem to be going to the opposite side. I hope they don't notice us," Feng Qingyi prayed.
However, fate had other plans. Just as Feng Qingyi finished her prayer, Feng Qingci and Lou Xi sat down to their right, separated only by a low partition.
For the first time, Feng Qingyi felt the layout of this hot pot restaurant was unreasonable. The partition was even latticed – how was this any different from sitting at the same table?
"Feng Qingyi, what are you doing here?" Feng Qingci had just sat down when he spotted Feng Qingyi trying to act inconspicuous across from them.
Feng Qingyi retorted, "If you can be here, why can't I?"
"I'm here on a date... Wait, who's that opposite you?" Feng Qingci finally noticed Qin Yuchuan's presence.
Feng Qingyi: "How is that any of your business?"
"Feng Qingyi, what kind of attitude is that? I'm just showing concern for you, and this is how you respond?"
Feng Qingci felt that the relationship between Feng Qingyi and the man opposite her was not simple.
Why would a grown man keep such long hair?
If he hadn't just seen his face, he might have thought it was a woman.
Feng Qingyi didn't reply to Feng Qingci, but instead addressed Lou Xi: "Xixi, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Qin Yuchuan."
Lou Xi stared at Qin Yuchuan's face for a moment. She felt she had seen this face somewhere before.
It seemed to be in Qingyi's art studio. Last time, she had said it was just an imaginary character from a novel.
"Hello! I'm Lou Xi."
Qin Yuchuan: "Miss Lou, Mr. Feng, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Mr. Qin doesn't look very young. How did you meet my sister?" Feng Qingci hadn't yet processed the fact that his sister suddenly had a boyfriend.
Just the last time they had dinner, she was saying she had no plans for romance, but now it seemed that was just an excuse.
Qin Yuchuan replied, "We met online."
"Online?" This couldn't be some scammer after money or sex, could it?
Fearing Feng Qingci might say something strange, Feng Qingyi intervened, "Yes, we met online, hit it off, then met in person, and eventually got together."
"...Where is Mr. Qin's family from, and what do you do?" This was bad; his sister had probably been deceived.
This girl usually seemed quite smart, but at crucial moments, she could be so clueless.
It seemed true that when women fall in love, their brains stop working properly.
He was determined to expose this Qin's true colors today and make them break up immediately.
Qin Yuchuan replied, "My family is in the antique business, currently residing in Sea City."
Feng Qingyi watched admiringly as Qin Yuchuan calmly told these lies.
She always felt nervous when lying, but for him, it didn't seem to be a problem at all.
Feng Qingci tried to find flaws in Qin Yuchuan's expression, but his face remained impassive, revealing nothing.
"How old are you this year, Mr. Qin?"
"Twenty-five."
"That seems a bit old. Which university did you graduate from?"
"Mr. Feng shouldn't be so old-fashioned. Age shouldn't be a criterion for judging relationships."
"Where are you currently employed, Mr. Qin?"
"It's nothing impressive, just barely making ends meet."
"..."
Feng Qingyi listened to their back-and-forth. Although Feng Qingci occasionally asked questions that Qin Yuchuan wasn't familiar with, he always managed to deflect or give vague responses.
Feng Qingci felt that after asking so many questions, he hadn't really found out anything substantial, which left him feeling quite unsatisfied.
At this moment, the dishes for Feng Qingyi's table were served. Feng Qingci glanced at the yin-yang hotpot on her side and remarked, "These flavors don't complement each other. They shouldn't be mixed together."
Feng Qingyi glared at him. "Can you stop being so difficult?"
"I just think you two aren't very compatible," he persisted.
Though this Qin fellow was handsome, with elegant manners and seemingly from a good family background, Feng Qingci couldn't help but think he was far too shrewd. His sister would never be able to control such a man. For all she knew, he might even have her counting his money while he was busy swindling her!
