บท 49: A little more…real

"Then, it's a date."

It would be a lie to say that Qi Jianyi wasn't caught off guard. Song Chengfeng's straightforwardness struck her like a sudden gust of wind, unexpected and bracing. The ease with which he declared it, without the slightest hesitation, left her momentarily speechless. 

Her lips parted, then closed again, as if words were hanging on the tip of her tongue but refused to form. She blinked, her mind scrambling to catch up.

On one hand, she was surprised by his honesty. It wasn't every day someone so confidently called a casual movie outing a date without a trace of awkwardness. On the other hand, a sigh escaped her lips as she looked at him, bemused. 

She couldn't help but think, with this level of bluntness, no wonder he hasn't found a girlfriend yet. Her thoughts slipped out as they so often did, unfiltered.

"Young Master Song, you're way too straightforward," she remarked, her tone halfway between teasing and genuine concern.