Chapter 25: Candlelight Dinner and Ferris Wheel

"Don't go. Running into each other is fate. Besides, I'd really love to know what exactly you meant by 'so fair and delicate.'"

Su Siyun's eyes crinkled into a dazzling smile, her tone sounding incredibly sweet.

But that was only the Su Siyun that Weng Jilin and Yu Mengmeng saw. Having lived under the same roof as her for years, Chen Ye knew the moment he heard that tone that she had locked her sights on him.

Behind the honeyed smile and sweet words lurked a freezing glacier.

Weng Jilin didn't catch on. To him, it just sounded like Su Siyun had a crush on Chen Ye.

"Damn, Su Siyun actually seems into you! Stop running!" He immediately grabbed Chen Ye and spun him around. Facing Yu Mengmeng and Su Siyun, who were standing a short distance away, he smiled and explained, "Chen Ye wasn't trying to run away. He just thought he dropped some money behind him."

At this, the expressions of both Su Siyun and Chen Ye shifted slightly, though Yu Mengmeng remained oblivious.

Chen Ye really wanted to punch his buddy, who clearly had more money than sense. Was that the kind of thing you could just say out loud?

What a flimsy cover-up! Su Siyun shared the exact same thought.

Yu Mengmeng glanced curiously between the two of them, sensing that something was a bit off. She decided to be the first to break the tension.

"Let's not just stand out here. I remember there's a snack street inside. Let's go get something to eat and stroll around!" she suggested to the boys, tugging lightly at Su Siyun's sleeve.

Chen Ye didn't mind, but Weng Jilin immediately panicked.

He had invited Yu Mengmeng here for a candlelight dinner of steak and abalone! If they filled up on street food, how were they supposed to eat the good stuff later?

"Uh, well..." Weng Jilin rubbed his hands together like a nervous housefly, at a complete loss for how to explain.

He had only told Yu Mengmeng they were coming out to hang out. He hadn't mentioned the rest of the itinerary.

Seeing his buddy acting so painfully innocent, Chen Ye shook his head in exasperation. If he hadn't tagged along tonight, it was highly debatable whether Weng Jilin would have even managed to coax her onto the Ferris wheel, let alone confess his feelings.

How could such a wealthy young master, who usually handled himself with such confidence and generosity, turn into a headless chicken the moment a girl was involved?

"Let's save the snacks for later. Weng Jilin said he wanted to ride the Ferris wheel, so he booked two cabins. You should come check it out with us, Class Rep. I've never been on one before either," Chen Ye asked Yu Mengmeng smoothly.

The stars of tonight were Weng Jilin and Yu Mengmeng. All plans had to revolve around their preferences.

"We're riding the Ferris wheel too?!" Yu Mengmeng asked in surprise, her eyes widening on her round face.

Ferris wheel tickets weren't cheap, especially not for the newly opened, high-end one towering above them. Tickets had to be at least a hundred and something per person. Her parents were just regular employees, each making around three thousand a month. A single ticket here was almost worth two days of her father's wages. She worried that this would be way too expensive.

"The tickets are already paid for anyway, so we might as well ride it," Weng Jilin chimed in, suddenly having a moment of clarity.

Yu Mengmeng hesitated, but Su Siyun suddenly spoke up, whispering to her best friend, "Let's go together. I actually want to ride it too."

She had already figured out what Weng Jilin was up to and was more than happy to play matchmaker.

Faced with her best friend's request, Yu Mengmeng finally nodded, offering a sweet smile. "Then let's go!"

Weng Jilin let out a massive sigh of relief and hurriedly pointed the way. "Come on, let's go. Take a right here."

Yu Mengmeng walked ahead with him. Chen Ye turned to follow, but as he did, he noticed Su Siyun standing completely still, her gaze fixed intently on him.

Today, Su Siyun was wearing a black denim midi skirt—a rare choice for a girl her age in this era. She paired it with a cropped black denim jacket over a tight, pure white blouse, along with a delicate crossbody bag. Her outfit gave off the distinct vibe of a female college student from before Chen Ye's rebirth.

Her fashion sense was quite ahead of its time.

"Aren't you going in?" Chen Ye asked casually.

It didn't matter how avant-garde her fashion was. It wasn't as if he had never seen Su Siyun naked before, so her current appearance didn't stir the slightest ripple in his heart.

In response to Chen Ye's indifference, Su Siyun's grip on her bag slowly tightened, though she maintained a polite smile on the surface. Without a word, she stepped forward on her long, snow-white legs and followed her friend. Chen Ye followed suit.

Soon, the four of them arrived at the base of the Ferris wheel. Right next to it was a Western restaurant bustling with a constant stream of customers.

Even in this era, there were actually quite a few people with some disposable income. Folks were especially willing to try things that had recently been introduced to the country and marketed as high-end. Saying something like, "I went out for Western food last night," was guaranteed to draw an envious "WOW" from others.

Weng Jilin handed the tickets to the staff so they could make preparations. The waiters had already been notified about the arrival of such a VIP client.

Shortly after, an empty cabin descended and stopped at the boarding platform.

"How... are we arranging the seating for you four?" the operator asked, holding the four tickets.

Logically, two guys and two girls meant two couples. But based on his years of reading people, there wasn't a single established couple in this group. Still, anyone who booked such an expensive candlelight dinner package was likely a rich kid getting ready to confess his feelings.

Casting a casual glance at the most dazzling girl of the four, the operator sighed inwardly. If only he had been that rich back in the day, he could have chased after beautiful girls too. Unfortunately, all the pretty girls belonged to wealthy young masters.

"Let the two of them go in first. She and I will wait for the next one," Chen Ye instructed the operator, pointing at Weng Jilin and Yu Mengmeng. He spoke up before Weng Jilin could embarrass himself by stuttering.

"You got it!"

The operator gave an OK hand gesture, then hurriedly ushered Weng Jilin and Yu Mengmeng forward. "Please step inside, you two. The food will be brought over right away."

Before Yu Mengmeng could even process what was happening, she was practically shooed inside.

As soon as she sat down—still trying to figure out what was going on—several waiters rushed out of the adjacent Western restaurant carrying trays. Each dish was covered with a stainless steel cloche to keep the dust off.

In no time, the square table inside the cabin was adorned with fresh flowers and red candles. Even the red wine had been poured. The romantic ambiance was instantly maxed out.

No matter how clueless Yu Mengmeng usually was, she finally understood what was happening. Her small face immediately flushed as red as the tablecloth. Tensing up completely, she sat rigidly in her chair, keeping her head bowed in utter awkwardness, too afraid to move a muscle.

Across from her, Weng Jilin wasn't faring much better. But at least he had seen his fair share of the world, so he wasn't exactly awkward. However, seeing Yu Mengmeng blushing so hard made him feel a bit shy as well.

The operator quickly but thoroughly went over the safety guidelines before pulling the cabin door firmly shut.

The entire process had taken less than five minutes.

Everyone waiting for the Ferris wheel and all the passing tourists were stunned. Even Su Siyun, who came from a highly privileged background, was slightly taken aback. She wondered if it was actually possible to pull off something like this.

She abruptly turned her head to look at Chen Ye, only to find his expression completely normal, without a trace of surprise.

It was as if...

"You knew about this?!"