Elena was genuinely surprised when she heard what Yuchen said just now.
A date?
It had been two years since anyone had asked her out on a date, and she couldn't help but feel a little weird about it.
"How is it?" Yuchen asked, awaiting her response. "You're not busy, are you? We can go on a date for a bit," he continued with a hopeful expression.
Yuchen couldn't help but wonder why Elena seemed afraid of him. The only reason he could fathom was that she somehow knew about his involvement with the mafia. However, he was quite certain that Elena had no way of knowing about that.
So, what else could be the reason? Was she afraid of strangers? Though that didn't seem possible, considering her extensive involvement with various people in her line of work.
Then, what actually happened? Yuchen was really curious.
Elena took a moment to think before responding to the invitation.
She had some free time today, which was why she agreed to meet the man who would soon become her husband. But at the same time, doubts clouded her mind.
A date… It had been quite some time since she had last been on one, and the idea felt rather strange.
After all, why did he have to explain that they were going on a date and make her flustered like this?
"Okay. I don't see any harm in getting some public exposure from the media," said Elena, who deliberately emphasized that what they were going to do now was not a date, but because she saw an opportunity for the reporter to capture a photo of them together that might give the impression of a date, thus helping her plans.
After all, after she thought about it some more. sitting together in a cafe like this hardly seemed like they were on a date.
So, she convinced herself that right now she's working on making her plans work, and not on a date.
Yes, Elena doesn't want to admit that they are going on a date. The last time a man had asked her on a date, she ended up being kidnapped.
So, this isn't a date at all!
Yuchen smiled, pleased that Elena finally agreed to his invitation. He couldn't quite comprehend why he had suggested it was a date in the first place.
Well, a man and a woman going out together... what else could it be if not a date?
The two of them got up from their seats, ready to leave the cafe.
"Wait a minute. I'll pay the bill," Elena declared, heading straight to the cashier to settle both her and Yuchen's orders.
Yuchen, about to explain that he had already paid for his own, decided against it when Elena confidently took charge. He was amused by her assertiveness and didn't want to spoil her fun.
"Eh? Has it been paid?" Elena asked, surprised by the cafe owner's response.
"Yes, your handsome friend has already paid for his order," the woman replied with a playful smile. "It's been a long time since I saw you come here with a man," she added, teasing Elena good-naturedly.
This cafe had been Elena's regular haunt for over ten years, not just because of its proximity to her office, but also because of the coffee and cakes that suited her perfectly. Though she didn't visit every day, the cafe's owner had grown familiar with her frequent presence.
Elena was taken aback when she heard the woman's words. She forgot that she used to come to take her ex to this cafe because this is one of her favorite places.
"Yes. To be honest, he's more than just a friend, but for now, it's still a secret," answered Elena with a playful smile, trying to take advantage of the situation.
Elena then immediately walked out of the cafe and suddenly recalled that she had eaten the cake that Yuchen had ordered. She couldn't help but cringe at her lack of manners.
When Elena emerged from the cafe, she was taken aback when she saw Yuchen standing outside looking preoccupied with his cell phone.
Before, Elena had not had time to pay attention to Yuchen's appearance, but she had to admit that he really looked handsome in his white t-shirt, jeans, and white shoes.
It was as if the color white was tailored exclusively for him.
"Oh," Yuchen said when he finally saw Elena who had come out. He then put his cell phone in his trouser pocket.
"Why didn't you tell me that you already paid for your order?" Elena asked, walking over to Yuchen.
"You didn't give me a chance to say it," Yuchen replied, slightly defensive.
Elena sighed, realizing her haste had prevented him from explaining.
"So, how much did the cake cost? I'll pay for it," said Elena who felt a little embarrassed and uncomfortable because she had finished the black forest cake.
Even though Yuchen said it was fine for her to finish the cake, Elena still felt awkward about it.
"No need! What are you talking about?" asked Yuchen, completely taken aback by Elena's insistence on reimbursing him for the cake.
"But…" Elena persisted, insisting on repaying him.
Yuchen sighed, not expecting Elena to react this way. It's just a cake, why does she insist on paying him back?
"Well, if you really want to make up for it, just treat me next time. What's clear is that I won't take your money to replace the cake," Yuchen said firmly, hoping to put an end to the matter.
Elena, who was ready to transfer the money immediately put her handphone back into her bag.
"So? Where are we going?" Elena asked curiously, eager to play along with their faux date, but unsure of their destination.
"How about walking to my office together? We can make it look like you're dropping me off," Elena proposed..
They just need to look like they're on a date, and walking together counts like a date, right? It's a simple yet effective way to appear like a couple.
However, Yuchen's expression seemed to disapprove of the idea. He wanted more time with her, not just a short walk.
But where should they go? It had been so long since he'd hung out with a woman, and Yuchen didn't know what to do.
Yuchen's brain tried to work hard, thinking about where they should go.
"How about going out to eat?"
Yuchen immediately threw the idea away. It was still late afternoon, and going for a meal felt like too much, especially since they had just come out from the cafe.
Then, the thought of watching a movie came to him, but Yuchen immediately pushed it away. That's not a bad idea, but he needed to interact with Elena, not just sit around for a few hours watching a movie.
"So?" Elena asked, sounding slightly impatient as they stood on the street without a plan.
Elena then tried to see if the reporter who was stalking her was still standing there or not.
"Let's just walk first," Elena continued, and hugged Yuchen's arm to quickly walk away from that place when she saw the reporter was still there.
Yuchen's expression returned to one of surprise when Elena hugged his arm again. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Had he misunderstood Elena's frightened reaction earlier?
"So? Have you decided where we are going?" Elena asked, half whispering, and immediately let go of Yuchen's arm. After a moment of consideration, she felt it was too strange to walk with a man while holding onto his arm.
"Hmm…" Yuchen didn't answer immediately. The man appeared lost in thought as they continued walking forward.
Meanwhile, Elena decided to head towards her office. After all, it wasn't her who had proposed going on a date, right? Besides, she still considered walking together like this as a sort of date.
"Ah!" Suddenly, Yuchen stopped in his tracks as a thought crossed his mind.
"How about we go to an amusement park?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement because he had come up with a great idea.