CH 540

“Please. Even if you don’t know how to reply, smile! You must maintain your goddess-like image, always! What’s with that dumb face earlier?! The reporters will always choose pictures with shock value to publish along with their articles. You were so stunning back at the gala, but once you turned around, your candid pictures were taken by them. Do you still want your goddess-like image?!”

His rapid bombardment of savagery had Yun Shishi’s soul almost leaving her body.

Gu Xingze squeezed his brows and reminded, “Qin Zhou, be gentle.”

“Fine. Clear up everything. We still have a photo shoot with the creator tonight. Remember; if someone fights you for your seat later, don’t give in to them, got it? You’re the female lead. Just stand beside Xingze.” He gave her this advice, worried that Yan Bingqing would vie for her seat.

She nodded in understanding.

After the photo shoot with the creator, the kickoff ceremony officially ended.

In the blink of an eye, it was already evening.

“Shall we have dinner together?” Gu Xingze shifted toward Yun Shishi and asked.

She smacked her lips together. She somewhat felt famished, so she dipped her head in consent.

He probed again. “What do you want to eat?”

“Erm… Is there anything good to eat nearby?”

He replied, “We’ll go to wherever you want to eat.”

She suggested with a playful giggle, “Let’s go have western food.”

He could not refrain from letting out a chuckle as he acceded to her request.

Secret·Love, a restaurant serving western cuisines, was located within the busiest area on Huaihai Road. The restaurant, which was decorated with elegant finishes, served exquisite western food – hence its popularity. Without a reservation, it would be difficult to arrange for a seat in the establishment, and furthermore, it was currently dinner time.

Gu Xingze was aware that Yun Shishi was craving for western food at Secret·Love; thus, he requested an assistant to phone the restaurant for a reservation.

The restaurant manager subsequently reserved a booth with a nice ambiance for them. With dim lightings, stained glass windows, and beaded curtains, it looked uniquely romantic.

As such, when the waiter led them into the booth, her heart tingled with joy and excitement!

She occupied her seat, looking all satisfied; her little head spun around curiously to inspect the ornaments in the booth.

Gu Xingze, meanwhile, slid into his seat gracefully. She glanced up at him just then and shot him an extremely bright smile, saying joyously, “It’s really romantic here. This is a good place for a meal. Xingze, thank you.”

He fell into a tiny stupor. It just dawned on him that she had thanked him for bringing her here to enjoy western food. At that, his brows could not help coming to a slight crease.

He was tired with western cuisines for he had eaten such from a young age. To be honest, the food prepared by Secret·Love did taste authentic, but his picky taste buds deemed it to be only of an average standard.

He originally intended to bring her to a French restaurant he frequented if she enjoyed western food, yet seeing how she longed to come here, he disposed of that thought.

Observing his knitted brows, she came to an assumption that she had somehow angered him. As she remembered her calling him directly by his name just then, she timidly corrected herself as her face blushed with embarrassment. “… Mr. Gu!”

He raised a brow in suspicion, and she went on to explain herself. “I shouldn’t be addressing you by your first name.”

“You may.”

“Hm? What…”

He picked up the menus in composure and handed one of them to her. Looking deeply into her eyes, he simply said, “You may call me by my first name.”

There was a moment of warmth in his orbs before they quickly reverted to their original calmness. He glanced downward to read the menu.

She was stunned for a while. Did he just say that she could call him directly by his first name?!