Chapter 289: My Answer Will Always Be You

Chu Xinran had originally come to discuss plans for the next episode of the dating show with Fang Zhou, particularly regarding the upcoming one-on-one dates. But suddenly, she changed her mind.

She should ask Fang Zhou for advice on how to manage the company alongside her mother.

After all, a great girlfriend shouldn’t drag her boyfriend down in his career.

Of course, Chu Xinran also felt it was necessary to subtly hint at her feelings.

Otherwise, if Fang Zhou didn’t choose her, it would truly be heartbreaking.

So, at first, Chu Xinran didn’t reveal her real intentions. She simply spent the day at the base with Fang Zhou, watching them train.

She helped out by bringing fruit and serving tea, taking care of the logistics.

This behavior earned her a lot of goodwill.

Especially in such a hardworking environment, having a beautiful girl softly ask if you want some fruit felt heavenly.

Li Siming had known Chu Xinran for a while.

Back when Fang Zhou and Chu Xinran were dating in college, he had introduced her to his friends a few times.

When Fang Zhou broke up with her, Chu Xinran had tried to get information about him through Li Siming.

But at that time, Li Siming was tight-lipped and didn’t reveal anything about Fang Zhou’s whereabouts.

Seeing Chu Xinran at the base today, Li Siming was initially a bit nervous.

However, instead of holding a grudge for past events, Chu Xinran greeted him warmly and even helped clean up around the base.

Li Siming immediately thought that if he had to choose one of Fang Zhou’s ex-girlfriends, Chu Xinran would definitely be the top pick.

After all, such a gentle and considerate girl was hard to come by.

Compared to the others, at least Fang Zhou could manage her.

Of course, in Li Siming’s eyes, his own girlfriend was the most gentle and considerate of all. No one could compare—that’s love for you.

Chu Xinran held back her question until the afternoon when she was about to leave.

As Fang Zhou walked her to the door and she was about to get in the car, she couldn’t help but ask, “Who will you choose for the date in the next episode?”

Fang Zhou was taken aback; he hadn’t even thought about it.

He realized time had flown by—it had already been almost a week since the last episode.

Previously, he might have chosen Tang Wan because she was a lawyer and could protect herself.

Moreover, she was the only one without any entanglements with him, which made her the safest choice.

However, Tang Wan had already paired up with his good friend Liu Hao, leaving him out of the equation.

And after everything that had happened, he couldn’t just choose no one like he did in the first episode.

He had to pick someone, and he needed to think carefully about it.

Fang Zhou’s silence made Chu Xinran feel a pang of sadness.

So, she was never his first choice.

Chu Xinran smiled bitterly. She had always known this truth but had been reluctant to accept it.

Since she had decided to overcome her paranoia, she shouldn’t think negatively.

Chu Xinran blinked her eyes and said seriously to Fang Zhou, “If you haven’t decided yet, can you consider putting me first?”

“If it’s the girls’ turn to choose first, my answer will always be you.”

Fang Zhou’s heart skipped a beat, moved by Chu Xinran’s firm choice.

She was truly like she had said in the program, always choosing him whenever possible.

Looking into her doe-like eyes, Fang Zhou couldn’t bring himself to lie to her.

So, he reached out, patted her head, and gently replied, “I’ll think about it.”

Chu Xinran nodded lightly, then got into her car, giving Fang Zhou one last longing look before telling the driver to go.

You can never wake a person who pretends to be asleep.

She had done all she could.

If she continued to rely on useless tears to get Fang Zhou back, it would only make things harder for herself.

It was better to take a step back; maybe he would consider her more seriously.

Fang Zhou stood there for a moment before turning to go back to the base to continue training. He suddenly noticed someone standing at the corner, staring at him.

As he squinted to get a better look, his heart sank.

What was Zhang Zhiyin doing there?

Had she seen his interaction with Chu Xinran? Her face looked so dark.

Fang Zhou quickly walked over and called out to her.

“Zhiyin, what are you doing here?”

He remembered only his sister knew about this place. How did they all find it?

Zhang Zhiyin looked pale, like she had just recovered from a serious illness, her lips devoid of color.

She forced a bitter smile and replied, “Li Siming told me.”

Fang Zhou understood. “I see. Do you need something? Or are you looking for Li Siming?”

“By the way, you look really pale. Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Compared to these questions, Zhang Zhiyin was more curious about whether he had gotten back together with Chu Xinran.

“Are you back with her?”

Zhang Zhiyin wasn’t one to beat around the bush; she asked directly.

Fang Zhou shook his head. “No.”

“No? Then it’s just a matter of time.”

Zhang Zhiyin smiled, the meaning behind her words clear.

In her heart, she had already decided Fang Zhou and Chu Xinran were back together.

During the last fan meeting, they were already very close.

And their recent interaction wasn’t something Fang Zhou would do with just anyone.

He had never been that intimate with her.

Fang Zhou was always very clear with his boundaries, never doing anything ambiguous.

He never said anything that could be misunderstood by friends; he had strong boundaries.

This strong sense of boundaries made Zhang Zhiyin feel hopeless, as if a barrier was always between them, one she could never break through.

That’s why she never dared confess her feelings to him as a teenager.

She feared losing Fang Zhou as a friend.

But she never expected that staying silent would lead to someone else snatching him away in college.

Zhang Zhiyin learned a valuable lesson from that.

The fruit on the tree will eventually be picked by someone. If you don’t pick it, someone else will.

In the end, the only one who regrets is you, while others enjoy the fruits of victory.