The Flaming Steak was the top signature dish on the restaurant’s menu, boasting an enticing combination of appearance, aroma, and flavor.
Because of the flaming presentation when served, many vloggers used this dish as their opening shot.
Clearly, Cheng Daichuan had even said the steak at the cruise restaurant was pretty good.
He seemed to really like steak…
Yet, looking at such an appetizing short video, he still asked that kind of question.
“Is the steak good…?”
But for some reason, Cheng Daichuan’s calm tone, tinged with some emotion, made Ruan Xi feel inexplicably comforted.
Ruan Xi said, “The steak is good— definitely delicious, tender, and juicy!”
After speaking, she rewound the progress bar back to the start and replayed the clip, clearly not satisfied yet, and highly recommended, “This steak is really tasty, even more tender than the one at the cruise restaurant.”
Because of their close relationship and Ruan Xi’s straightforward nature, Cheng Daichuan could easily read some of her emotions:
When she showed him the video, her face was radiant, and her eyes sparkled with delight— it was excitement.
While watching the clip, she would occasionally lean her phone closer to him, sneaking glances his way, a small proud curve tugging at her lips, carrying a subtle “look, look” boastfulness.
Most of the video focused on the steak, but Cheng Daichuan still noticed Zhang Xu.
Zhang Xu was sitting directly across from Ruan Xi.
It was a table for two, with no one else. Zhang Xu’s wrist, wearing a titanium-gold Apple Watch, and his hand stroking the handle of a dinner knife, appeared briefly on screen.
When the waiter sprayed gold powder— probably to capture the shimmering sparks— the camera shifted upward and just happened to catch Zhang Xu staring at Ruan Xi.
His intense gaze was anything but innocent.
The noisy background of the restaurant faintly carried Ruan Xi’s quiet exclamation, her voice joyful.
So joyful… it almost sounded piercing.
Cheng Daichuan turned to look at Ruan Xi—
The setting sun’s glow ignited her eyes as she stared fixedly at what must have been a video she’d replayed countless times.
So, what was truly unforgettable to her — the texture of the flaming steak, or the person she shared it with?
Ruan Xi quickly realized Cheng Daichuan wasn’t really paying attention to the video.
She grew a bit unhappy, somewhat disappointed, and with dwindling enthusiasm, she withdrew her phone and turned off the video.
The orange light of dusk filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the room.
Unconsciously, in order to show Cheng Daichuan the video, Ruan Xi had ended up sitting very close to him.
She curled her legs on the sofa, her body carrying the damp freshness of a recent shower, even the subtle pursing of her lips held a certain charm.
Cheng Daichuan looked at the suddenly silent Ruan Xi. “Are you upset?”
“No.”
“You are, though. It’s written all over your face— ‘I’m not happy.’”
“Mind your own business.”
Cheng Daichuan leaned closer, lowering his eyes to look at her. “I have to mind it. Am I the reason you’re upset?”
No, she wasn’t mad at him.
Ruan Xi was mad at herself.
She wanted Cheng Daichuan to be interested in the flaming steak, to say he wanted to try it.
That way, she could smoothly invite him and throw out the few lines she had already rehearsed in her mind— “Then how about you come over,” “I’ll treat you,” “Let’s hang out with Shi Chao at my place for a few days”…
But the flaming steak hadn’t sparked Cheng Daichuan’s appetite.
Her plan had failed, and she couldn’t bring herself to confess her feelings to him.
She gloomily said, “I’m not mad. Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to go to the gym? Go ahead; I want to be alone for a bit.”
Cheng Daichuan silently stared at her, unblinking, as if there were subtitles on her face.
She felt a little embarrassed. “What are you looking at? If you keep staring, I won’t treat you to steak anymore.”
Cheng Daichuan said, “No need to treat, I’m not interested in that restaurant.”
Ruan Xi was almost frustrated to death.
She pressed her lips tighter but then heard Cheng Daichuan sigh softly before saying, “If we go to your place, can you take us to try other things?”
Ruan Xi was pleasantly surprised. “You really want to go?”
Cheng Daichuan said, “I do, but I think I just upset my only connection there. Don’t know if they still want to be a tour guide.”
Ruan Xi nearly laughed but forced herself to keep a straight face. “No, I don’t want to.”
“Ah, then what now?”
“You guys can just wander around by yourselves.”
“You don’t want to hang out with us?”
“Nope!”
Cheng Daichuan smiled. “That’s a shame. I was coming just to see you. How about we pick another city to visit?”
Ruan Xi got flustered. “Cheng Daichuan…”
Cheng Daichuan smiled at her and reached his arm around her waist.
There was a gap between her back and the sofa’s backrest, and his phone lay at the end of that gap.
Even though he could have asked her to get up or help him, he deliberately reached into the gap, his arm lightly brushing against her back as he reached for the phone, his breath near her ear.
A trace of warmth.
Her fingers holding the phone tightened slightly.
Cheng Daichuan’s hand dialed Shi Chao’s number.
Shi Chao answered right away, not even waiting for Cheng Daichuan to speak, chatting on his own: “Lately you’ve been really clingy! How long has it been since you hung up? Have you missed me or Ais? We’re almost bored to death here.”
Cheng Daichuan teased, “Want me to swim back?”
He laughed.
His gaze fell on Ruan Xi’s beaming face. “Ruan Xi said she’ll treat us.”
Shi Chao was ecstatic. “When? Where? What are we eating? Is there a budget?”
Even that amazing flaming steak wasn’t good enough for them!
Who knows what they’ll treat us to!
Ruan Xi threw a light blue pillow on Cheng Daichuan from the sofa. “I never said I’d treat.”
Cheng Daichuan laughed as he accepted the pillow hits. “Ah, then no treat.”
Shi Chao was displeased. “What do you mean no treat after saying treat? A man’s word is his bond…”
Ruan Xi couldn’t explain the situation clearly, but Cheng Daichuan was smooth as ever. “I’ll treat then.”
Whether Cheng Daichuan or Ruan Xi was paying didn’t matter to Shi Chao, as long as someone invited them to eat.
So the conversation on the phone basically repeated like a loop—
“When? Where? What to eat? Is there a budget?”
Cheng Daichuan answered only one question: “Probably near Ruan Xi’s old home.”
Shi Chao was surprised for a while, then suddenly shouted, “Are we going to Xi Zi’s place to hang out?!”
Cheng Daichuan laughed. “That’s the plan. You in?”
“Of course!”
Ruan Xi had prepared a few stirring lines but never got to say them.
In under five minutes, Cheng Daichuan’s call had finalized the trip.
They even agreed Cheng Daichuan would drive, taking Shi Chao and Ais along to find Ruan Xi.
After hanging up, Cheng Daichuan asked Ruan Xi, “Is that okay?”
Ruan Xi nodded.
He looked at her for a long time, long enough for her cheeks to flush, then asked, “Feeling better?”
Ruan Xi stubbornly said, “So-so.”
Cheng Daichuan pocketed his phone and headed toward the entrance. Ruan Xi asked, “Are you going to the gym now?”
He countered, “You’re in the room alone. What are you planning to do?”
Her ankle wasn’t fully healed, so she definitely wouldn’t go to the gym.
After discussing the cruise trip itinerary with them, her heart was very happy.
She shook the phone in her hand and said she actually had lots to do.
Just casually checking online messages, sending island scenery photos to her family, planning where to take them around her old home, video calling her parents…
Her smile was radiant. “If my parents are busy, I can even scroll through my Moments.”
Cheng Daichuan didn’t leave. He grabbed a plastic bag from the pharmacy at the entrance.
“Does your ankle still hurt?”
“Just a little…”
Before Ruan Xi finished, Cheng Daichuan had already knelt on one knee in front of her.
He cupped her calf with his palm, took off her slipper, and placed her foot on his leg.
Her bare sole touched the fabric of his casual pants, and Ruan Xi’s breath instantly became unsteady.
Cheng Daichuan lowered his eyelids, seemingly focused only on examining her injury. His thumb gently rubbed her ankle bone. “Not bad, no swelling.”
This, this, this…
Cheng Daichuan’s behavior was downright seductive!
Ruan Xi’s scalp tingled as she stammered her agreement, “Yeah, no swelling…”
He reached into the plastic bag with a rustling sound.
He pulled out some anti-inflammatory and pain relief spray, sprayed it twice on her ankle.
The coolness of the medicine seeped into her bones, but her heart felt as if something was lightly brushing back and forth, tickling her.
Ruan Xi could hardly speak clearly. “I want to check Moments now. You should go to the gym.”
Cheng Daichuan frowned.
He snatched Ruan Xi’s phone. “Not going. And you’re not looking.”
The golden dusk slipped away quickly; the sea darkened, and the clouds by the horizon dimmed.
Cheng Daichuan tossed Ruan Xi’s phone onto the sofa and sat down on the bed opposite.
Even though they were gathered in the same room, Cheng Daichuan didn’t exactly love chatting.
Ruan Xi was a little surprised, blinking. “What do you want to talk about…”
Wearing her short-sleeved shorts pajamas, curled up on the sofa hugging her knees, she looked confused and innocent.
Cheng Daichuan frowned, his mood complex, glancing at her.
Ruan Xi had completely blacked out from the drinking episode, forgetting everything, but Cheng Daichuan had not.
He wasn’t mentally prepared to be alone with her at night.
He had planned to go to the gym to kill some time, wait until she fell asleep, then return.
But Zhang Xu’s update…
Ruan Xi would feel sad if she saw it, right?
Cheng Daichuan rested his elbow on his knee. “Tour guide Ruan, when others come to find you, how do they usually hang out?”
“Not many people come to play with me.”
“Doesn’t Zhang Xu count?”
“Oh…”
Ruan Xi sounded somewhat reluctant to talk about this. “Zhang Xu… we didn’t really hang out.”
Cheng Daichuan replied softly, “Is that so?”
Ruan Xi had indeed made detailed plans to hang out with him but never got to execute them.
During the May Fourth Holiday, Ruan Xi had gone back home to visit Granny Shi.
While having a meal with her family at Granny Shi’s house, she suddenly received a message from Zhang Xu, asking if she’d welcome him coming over to hang out.
A friend from afar—how could she say no?
Though she secretly wished it had been Cheng Daichuan who sent the message instead…
Ruan Xi studied at university in another city and rarely went home.
She often called friends living in her hometown, asked about a few reliable restaurants, and carefully noted down some scenic spots that were worth visiting.
The first meal she took Zhang Xu to was the flaming steak; the second was at a barbecue restaurant that had been open for more than ten years.
She never imagined Zhang Xu would say what he did, asking her, “How about trying dating me?”
Ruan Xi, of course, refused.
She put down the skewer in her hand and shook her head bluntly, “You know I like someone else.”
Zhang Xu showed little emotion, ate and drank as usual, shrugged carelessly, “I really wanted to date you, but fine, we can just keep being friends.”
But once such a thing happened, nothing would ever be the same.
Even if they promised to pretend it never happened, it was just self-deception.
After that, Ruan Xi and Zhang Xu never had a heart-to-heart talk again.
They became mere acquaintances who occasionally exchanged a line or two on social media.
“Tss—”
Cheng Daichuan popped open a can of cold cola.
Ruan Xi snapped back to reality.
Judging from his tone, it was a reminder: “Ruan Xi, Zhang Xu must have dated a few girlfriends.”
“I know.”
Ruan Xi knew well how frequently Zhang Xu changed girlfriends, which made her even angrier.
Even rabbits don’t eat the grass right under their noses.
He never cherished their friendship, and perhaps those moments she thought were heartfelt were just his flirting tactics.
But if the roles were reversed, would Cheng Daichuan think she hadn’t cherished their friendship if he knew about her feelings?
Ruan Xi sighed.
Cheng Daichuan put down the cola and reached out, gently rubbing Ruan Xi’s hair.