They once said nights were beautiful, exciting, and exhausting.

Yet tonight's darkness felt entirely different—before the pleasant date, an oppressive chill had begun to seep through the air in layers, making it feel utterly unpleasant.

Because of Liu Qingqing's intervention, Li Qian was now unbearably nervous, even panicking over her choice of clothes.

"Qianqian, just wear this one—it'll have Yang Yi wrapped around your finger for sure," Liu Qingqing teased as she watched Li Qian darting about like a scalded ant, periodically chiming in with suggestions.

"Qingqing, stop teasing me! I'm dying over here already!" Li Qian pleaded while frantically sorting through clothes.

Meanwhile across town, an identical scene was unfolding—though the dynamic was slightly different. The anxious ones weren't Yang Yi, but his friends Xu Ming and the others.

"Boss, hurry up! I've dug out all my best stuff!" Xu Ming blurted anxiously.

"C'mon boss, you're as calm as a monk at meditation hour," Ye Xiaohou scoffed.

"Yige, make a decision already!" Lin Fat seemed equally flustered.

Yang Yi chuckled at their antics and remarked, "You three are acting like it's your date instead of mine."

"It is yours!" they chorused in unison.

"Geez, it's just dinner—what's with the panic?" Yang Yi shrugged indifferently.

The moment he finished speaking, Xu Ming and company straightened up solemnly: "Boss! Yige!"

"Wha—" Yang Yi jumped slightly at their sudden intensity before asking, "What now?"

"Do you even know what it means when a girl asks a guy out for the first time? Do you realize how precious this is—especially with someone as beautiful as a school idol?"

"Stop stop damn it! I'll change if it makes you happy!" Yang Yi finally snapped under their relentless bombardment, hastily changing before heading to his appointment.

Linglong Western Restaurant was A City's famed culinary gem—not only celebrated for its cuisine but also infamous as the most romantic destination in town.

A boy with tousled bangs appeared at the entrance, wearing a white open-collar shirt paired with a black tie and matching pants. His plain white sneakers contrasted oddly with the smug smirk he wore—completing an unmistakably delinquent look.

As he entered, a waiter approached immediately, bowing politely: "Welcome sir, how many for your table?"

"Two seats," the boy replied nonchalantly.

"Right this way please." The waiter led him to a window-side booth where he ordered coffee and began sipping slowly.

Minutes later, another figure entered through those same doors—the girl was striking in her purple casual wear with neatly tied long hair that accentuated her uniquely mature aura. She took a deep breath before stepping inside the restaurant, politely declining the waiter's assistance as she strode directly toward an unoccupied booth.

It's said a man waiting for his date is normal, but a woman waiting constitutes poor manners. This absurd theory had both broken and forged countless relationships throughout history—the infamous dating rulebook.

"You've been waiting long?" The girl asked softly.

"Uh—" The boy turned at her familiar voice, eyes widening in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprised to see me?" She smiled faintly instead of taking offense.

He quickly recalled the lunchtime incident and inwardly grimaced: "Didn't expect that little twist from her."

"May I sit?" The girl asked with measured calm.

"Sure," he shrugged, smiling faintly as she lowered herself onto the seat.

"Are you disappointed Qingqing didn't come instead of me?" She inquired gently.

"C'mon, doesn't matter much. Why don't we eat first and talk later?" He dismissed it casually.

"Hmm." Her response carried a shy timidity he couldn't quite decipher.

Summoning the waiter, he ordered the romantic set meal with an added bottle of red wine—the dishes arrived promptly while the wine followed swiftly.

"Let's not waste this," he said with his signature delinquent smirk lingering, raising his glass for a toast she reciprocated with equal hesitation. Their shared silence stretched through the entire meal until finally:

"So Li Qian...what exactly is going on?" His voice was casual but edged with expectation.

Needless to say, this girl in purple was none other than Li Qian herself—though it didn't take a genius to guess who her counterpart might be. At Yang Yi's question, the wine already in her system only intensified the crimson blooming across her cheeks.

"Yang...Yi, I..." Her forced composure shattered under layers of anxiety and shyness.

"Ah, even Linglong's Ice Queen gets tongue-tied around me?" He smirked knowingly, still puzzled why Qingqing had arranged this but Ruan Qian had shown up instead.

"Actually Yang Yi, I—" Her heart pounded with a desperate clarity—hadn't she already fallen for him? Why was confessing now so terrifyingly difficult?

"Haha—if talking to me makes you speechless, maybe we should call it quits." He stood abruptly toward the checkout counter.

The sight of his retreating back sent panic surging through her veins. Clenching her breath: "Yang Yi! I love you!"

"Wha—" Two steps from the table had him freezing mid-step at those words, eyes widening in genuine shock as he slowly turned to face her.