Chapter 30: Meaning

Su Yunzhou felt a little creeped out by her stare. Faced with this question, he really didn't know how to explain. He wondered, "Could I just say I have a system?"

Looking at the Affinity that had dropped to a mere single point, he figured it couldn't hold on much longer anyway. "Alas! I can only give up!" he thought.

Su Yunzhou stood up somewhat helplessly. "If you're not willing, just pretend I never brought it up. Thanks for the tea!"

Jiang Shiyue then realized she had lost her composure a bit. She had been too sensitive and subconsciously entered a defensive state. Thinking about it carefully, the fact that she was a foodie—no, that she loved trying new restaurants—was something many regular customers from the Pharmaceutical Factory knew.

"Mr. Su, please wait. I agree to your request," Jiang Shiyue said. "Don't misunderstand; your side profile just now looked a lot like a friend of mine, so I was a little distracted."

"Uh..." Su Yunzhou froze for a moment and said speechlessly, "Could your excuse be any more half-hearted?"

Jiang Shiyue revealed an amicable smile. "Mr. Su, I'm just joking with you.

"You're a fine, upstanding man. You wouldn't hold a grudge against a weak little woman like me, right?"

As expected of the Boss Lady of a lounge bar. Just a few words, yet they packed a powerful punch. Su Yunzhou sat back down, giving face to the system.

Jiang Shiyue poured him a cup of tea. "I have a straightforward personality and love to joke around. Please don't mind." Seeing him nod without saying a word, she continued, "Then it's happily decided. I'll take you out to try new restaurants as compensation, and when you have time, you can come make a guest appearance at my bar."

Su Yunzhou looked at the woman who could change her mood as fast as flipping the pages of a book. He profoundly realized that the mature woman the system had selected this time was on hell difficulty. However, for the sake of money, he just had to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

He nodded and said, "Then it's settled. But I will be the one to decide the times we go restaurant hunting."

"Sure!" Jiang Shiyue's beautiful eyes darted around. "Do you have time today? I know of a very famous teppanyaki place nearby."

Faced with this probe, Su Yunzhou thought about how her Affinity had already hit rock bottom anyway. He might as well ignore it for now and score a point back first. "I have plans with someone tonight. Wait for my notice next time!"

Saying that, he stood up again. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Jiang Shiyue was taken aback and hadn't fully reacted. Seeing Su Yunzhou already a few steps away, she hurriedly called out, "Um... shouldn't we at least exchange contact info first?"

Su Yunzhou almost stumbled. Keeping his face expressionless, he turned around and opened the QR code on his phone. After successfully adding each other, he left the private room with an aloof air.

Once she confirmed he was gone, a silvery, bell-like laughter echoed throughout the private room. Fortunately, the soundproofing was good. Otherwise, if Su Yunzhou had heard it, he definitely would have...

Jian Shan was waiting in the lobby. Seeing Mr. Su come out, he immediately followed and pressed the elevator button. He was actually very curious but didn't ask anything. After escorting Mr. Su to the 18th floor and confirming he didn't need any other services, he respectfully took his leave.

Lying on the comfortable single sofa, Su Yunzhou recalled their recent meeting and sighed. "Ugh! I suffered a total defeat in our first clash. She's too hard to conquer; I can only put this on hold for now."

He unlocked his phone. Stepping on Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms had sent yet another friend request. "Who is this? Why are they so persistent?" he wondered. "I asked for her name and she won't say. Rejected."

He swiped his finger across the screen. Miaomiao had sent a greeting message, just like always. Society was just this realistic: the one you love doesn't love you, and you ignore the one who loves you. In order to keep this fish named Miaomiao on the hook, Su Yunzhou still replied to her messages occasionally.

[I've been a bit busy these past few days. I'll hit you up when I'm free.]

She replied in seconds.

[Handsome~]

[Miaomiao will be waiting for you~]

Su Yunzhou coldly replied with an "Oh."

Looking at her phone, Miaomiao hesitated for a moment before finding a tantalizing boudoir photo in her album and sending it over. Then, she began to count down.

Ten seconds. Thirty-eight seconds. Ninety seconds.

She tapped "Recall." The chat box remained completely unresponsive. This made Miaomiao a little discouraged. She didn't know if the handsome guy genuinely hadn't seen it, or if he really wasn't interested in her.

She thought, "No! I can't give up. Success is never an accident; it's all about relentless perseverance. In order to jump social classes, no matter how hard or tiring it is, it's worth the wait."

Su Yunzhou opened Little Blue Book and casually chatted with Liu Yiyi. Time flew by, and soon it was six-thirty in the evening. Su Yunzhou picked up the gift he had prepared in advance and headed toward Yujing Bay.

Liu Yiyi waved excitedly when she saw him appear. She had carefully dressed up today. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her cheeks were as white as jade. She had a graceful figure, wearing a high-quality, form-fitting short-sleeved top. The strap of her crossbody Louis Vuitton bag rested perfectly between her proud curves. For her lower half, she wore a little black dress that ended just above her knees, while a pair of long, straight legs clad in black stockings added an extra layer of enchanting charm.

For a moment, Su Yunzhou was entranced.

Seeing this, Liu Yiyi felt a surge of secret delight. She thought, "HEHE, dressing up for so long after getting off work wasn't a waste." She broke into a stunning smile, walked over, and linked arms with him. "What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Feeling the soft, unintentional brush against his arm and looking at the alluring woman in black stockings before him, Su Yunzhou felt a rush of heat in his body, sparking a certain undeniable urge. "HEHE! This is the first time I've seen you dress like this. You look so beautiful; I was mesmerized all at once."

Seeing the glint in his eyes, Liu Yiyi felt both nervous and expectant. Her smile grew even brighter. "Let's go! Didn't you say you were taking me out for dinner and a movie?"

Su Yunzhou handed her a bag. "Accept this gift I've been preparing for a while first!"

Liu Yiyi's pretty face showed a hint of confusion mixed with pleasant surprise. After opening it and seeing the Mango smartphone, she couldn't stop grinning. Even the crinkles at the corners of her eyes radiated joy. "Thank you~"

Su Yunzhou held her soft, slightly sweaty hand, his eyes filled with profound meaning as he said, "I finally managed to give it to you."

[Affinity +1]

Liu Yiyi let out a sweet giggle. She naturally knew what he meant by "finally," and her heart was instantly flooded with sweetness and delight.

Swaying slightly, the two walked arm-in-arm beneath the streetlights. They chatted casually, saying whatever came to mind without any reservations. This long-lost sense of relaxation thoroughly captivated Liu Yiyi; this was also the most enchanting stage at the beginning of a romance.

...

Mobei Western Restaurant.

Even though it was his second time eating here, the flavor and dishes were as deliciously refreshing as ever. During the meal, the two sat on the same side of the table, making their little interactions all the more interesting. (To all the gentlemen out there: remember, when dining with a beauty, never sit across from her.)

The head chef even prepared a special dessert just for them. It made Liu Yiyi, who hadn't wanted to eat much for fear of gaining weight, unable to resist the temptation.

After the meal, the two went to a nearby garden-style cinema.

The cinema must have formerly been a factory district. It covered a massive area, much like a small park. The screening rooms were converted from old warehouses, and with modern renovations, they felt highly artistic. One could only imagine what it felt like to watch a movie in such a place. Of course, the tickets were far from cheap. But to Su Yunzhou, who didn't lack money, this was a total non-issue.

Su Yunzhou didn't actually care what movie they watched; he just liked the feeling of the two of them snuggling together. Liu Yiyi browsed for a long time before happily discovering an old classic—*Scent of a Woman*. It just so happened to be starting in ten minutes. Su Yunzhou agreed to her choice, and the two entered the screening room holding popcorn and soda water.

Why not drink sugary sodas? This was one of the amusing things about women. They felt that drinking sodas would definitely make them gain weight, but eating popcorn might not.

Because they bought the tickets late, their seats were situated near the back. Su Yunzhou was quite satisfied with this. Sitting in the back row was just perfect to... *HEHEHE~* Of course, he only thought about it. Just a piece of advice to all the gentlemen out there: cinemas are equipped with high-definition night-vision cameras. Don't ask how I know. Regardless, don't try anything extreme.

The charm of an old movie lied in its true ability to transcend time and showcase the diversity and rich connotations of life. This was especially true for that tango scene that deserved to go down in history—*Por Una Cabeza*. It was simply magnificent.

After the movie, the two walked out of the theater hand in hand. Liu Yiyi was still immersed in the plot. Whatever she was thinking about, a somewhat sorrowful expression surfaced on her face.

Su Yunzhou asked softly, "Yiyi, what's wrong?"

"Oh!" Liu Yiyi paused and said, "I was still thinking about the movie's plot. The ending was indeed uplifting, but I feel like that was just a momentary change. Life is still meaningless."

"Why do you say that?" Su Yunzhou asked.

Liu Yiyi elaborated, "Charlie made the right choice once, but when facing this chaotic world in the future, will he really be able to maintain his inner purity?

"And what about Lieutenant Colonel Slade? He seemed to return to his family, but will he truly be able to 'return'?"

Hearing this, Su Yunzhou fell slightly silent. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Yiyi, whenever you feel like life is meaningless, think about adult videos. Even in the scenes you skip over, someone still earnestly added subtitles."

"PFFT~" Looking at Su Yunzhou spouting absolute nonsense with a completely straight face, Liu Yiyi burst into laughter. Then, she fired back a question, "Do you watch adult videos often?"

"Uh..."