Chapter 210 - Are You Ready For Your First Date?

Over the next few days, both parties of this little war had been busy. Da Xia was preparing for her launch and Feng Xuan was busy adding the final details to Liu Meilien's date.

It had been a downer when her step-sister broke the news to them that Qing Lok said no—for all the right reasons. Feng Xuan and Wang Yimin finally revisited the thought of using actors or models for the project. But Liu Meilien decided that Feng Xuan's original idea of using a camera as her date would be best to get them more viewers.

She already felt too lost at this that she decided to sink lower. She cheered herself up by thinking that it would only happen once. Besides, she would not be able to consider this as a real date and if she did, she dated a whole lot of viewers. Who had ever done that for their first date?

Only her.

She let the make-up artist spray her face. She hardly slept the night before because she was nervous about this. 

"Liu Meilien," said a soft voice from outside the van. "We need you out in two minutes, okay?"

She nodded to the woman who had a pair of headphones on top of her head, a clipboard in her hands. "Thank you."

Feng Xuan and Wang Yimin decided not to come today and make sure that everything was going smoothly with the socials. The stylist helped her down and fix her dress. The whole day was already planned. The first location would be at the new branch of Gretel's. It had not yet opened to the public that was why there would be no other people inside.

Feng Xuan thought of the ingenious idea of adding a fun family-friendly activity inside the cake shop. People would be able to avail the program of "DIY at Gretel's" wherein they would be able to make their own sweets. Now the woman was not only promoting YANG, she was practically telling the whole world that her step-sister was single and up for grabs, and she was also promoting her cake shop. 

Liu Meilien could only shake her head at how Feng Xuan's mind worked.

The reporters and journalists that would cover the event were already on stand-by and were only waiting for her so they could start. Liu Meilien tried not to look at the camera and the man that was carrying it. She didn't want to feel more uncomfortable than necessary. How would it feel like for a camera to follow you all day and pretend that it was a person?!

Guess she would just have to find out.

She nodded at the director and she was about to walk towards the people that would doc.u.ment her day when her attention was caught by the soft hum of an engine from a car slowing down to a stop on one of the parking spaces.

Liu Meilien's heart leapt.

There were only a number of people who could afford a car that looked like that.

She could barely contain the smile that lifted the corner of her lips upwards when Qing Lok went out of the car wearing a beige sweater and pants in a darker shade with white shoes and coat. 

She quickly jogged over to him in her thigh-high boots. Wang Yimin loved it so much she thought it would be nice to accentuate her legs today. "You made it after all!" she said.

Qing Lok smiled at her and her heart felt like it exploded in fireworks. "I do not want you to waste your first date. You certainly deserve more than a camera." He locked the car and fixed his coat. 

"You're dressed well today," she commented.

"Let me compliment you first, okay?" he chuckled. "You look great. Like a plush bear. You certainly look cuddly in that coat. Are you warm enough?" he asked when he saw that it ended just above her knees.

She nodded.

"And as to follow with what you said, my sister-in-law helped me choose clothes via a video call. She told me you're wearing pink. And this is the pinkest it could get."

She willed her cheeks to drop even just a fraction of the smile but it would not budge. Not when Qing Lok's smile was as big as hers. "I appreciate the effort."

"Should we go meet those creeps who's going to follow us all day?" he joked.

"Let's go."

Surprisingly, he offered his arm to her and she took it. The coat's fabric was smooth under her fingers and he smelled like a cool wind. 

Before they got close enough to the people, Liu Meilien had to ask the question. "What made you change your mind? Did Feng Xuan convince you?"

He shook his head. "She has nothing to do with this."

"I thought you are worried about the women you dated before. So… what changed?"

He pulled his arm closer, like a small embrace. He looked at her and said, "They can say all they want to say after they see this. It was not their fault that I was so shitty to them. But then again, none of them were you."

Liu Meilien could barely contain what she was feeling.

He breathed out. "I can't promise that I'll be the best person to date after this. This will be recorded so I'm conditioned to be on my best behaviour. I really, really hope that this would turn out better than what happened with the others. But to be safe, no promises."

She didn't know what she should reply to that so she just smiled. 

Qing Lok nodded to the bunch of people waiting for them. "Are you ready for your first date?" He stopped walking first and turned to her. "Are you ready for OUR first date?"

She didn't trust her words. So she nodded her head again, like a small bubblehead.

"Alright. Let's do this," he said and their date started.