His physiological preference

Yang Zhiyan put down the teacup and slowly circled her finger on the inside of the cup.

"A meal buddy," she said.

"A meal buddy?"

"Yeah. Everyone's alone, so eating together keeps us company. Nothing special."

Jiang Siya stared at her.

"Zhiyan, your eyes blink unnaturally when you lie."

Yang Zhiyan subconsciously controlled her eyes to look elsewhere.

Jiang Siya burst out laughing.

"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore," she said, picking up the tongs to continue flipping the meat. "But seriously, you're both single, do you actually have feelings for him?"

Yang Zhiyan carefully laid out the lettuce leaves one by one on the plate. After she finished laying out the last leaf, she looked up at Jiang Siya.

When Yang Zhiyan is in a bad mood, she likes to tidy up her things, which helps her calm down.

"I don't know," she said.

"have no idea?"

"Well..." Yang Zhiyan thought for a moment, pausing for a long time before choosing her words, "He's a really good person. Good-looking, good-natured, from a good family, and generous. I can't see any flaws in him."

"Then that's settled!" Jiang Siya slammed her hand on the table. "Such a good man, what are you still hesitating for?"

"But..." Yang Zhiyan paused for a moment.

"But what?"

Yang Zhiyan looked at the sizzling pork belly on the grill. The fatty parts became translucent under the heat of the charcoal fire, and drops of oil dripped into the charcoal, raising a small wisp of white smoke.

"Well," she said, picking up the tongs and flipping the pork belly over, "he's too outstanding, and my family background isn't a good match for his."

Jiang Siya looked at her, her gossip turning into heartache. She reached out and patted Yang Zhiyan's hand.

"Zhiyan, you've never been in a relationship, you don't understand. When you're in a relationship, what do you care about family background? As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. If he has a good body, use it; if he has good connections, use them too. Do whatever makes you happy. Life is short, why care about so many rules and regulations? But, Zhiyan, remember not to get too deeply involved. When it comes to relationships, you have to stay rational while you're happy."

Yang Zhiyan looked at her, thinking, "What kind of lewd words are these? If you have a good body, just use it. But he does have a very good physique."

Ugh, what am I thinking? The key is to stay rational while being happy.

"So what do you think I should do?"

Jiang Siya tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"If you're interested, you can give him a little hint. For example, invite him to a movie or a walk. Occasionally, casually make a small, intimate gesture. It doesn't have to be much, just let him know you're not averse to it. If he's interested too, you'll soon move to the next stage."

Yang Zhiyan thought about it and realized it was indeed feasible. This way, she could avoid awkwardness. If she were too proactive, what if the other person didn't reciprocate? Wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing?

As Yang Zhiyan finished eating the barbecue, she put down her chopsticks and picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. Her gaze unconsciously swept towards the window. The barbecue restaurant had floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the pedestrian walkway of the commercial street outside.

At this time of day, the streets are bustling with people, young men and women in pairs, some holding hands, some arm in arm, and some taking selfies.

Her gaze swept across the crowd and then fixed on it.

About fifty meters away outside the glass window.

Qin Yuzheng.

He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and the hem tucked into his trousers, his back ramrod straight. He was standing at the entrance of a brightly lit restaurant, the sign above the door reading "Shanghai Cuisine".

A woman was standing next to him.

The woman was wearing a pale yellow dress, and had long, straight, shiny black hair that cascaded over her shoulders.

Her features were exquisite, the kind of beauty that you'd remember at first glance, with a touch of heroism in her eyes and brows. She wasn't short; in flat shoes, she probably reached Qin Yuzheng's ear.

She placed her hand on Qin Yuzheng's arm and gently shook his arm in an intimate gesture.

Qin Yuzheng was talking to the woman with his head tilted to the side. He had a smile on his lips, relaxed and natural.

Yang Zhiyan dropped the tissue in her hand onto the table.

She bent down to pick it up, and when she looked up again, the two people were no longer there.

Yang Zhiyan looked in the direction of the pedestrian walkway and saw their backs. Qin Yuzheng was walking on the side closest to the road, while the woman was walking on the inner side, her hand still on his arm. The two figures gradually disappeared into the crowd.

Yang Zhiyan's gaze followed that figure until it was swallowed up by the crowd.

"Zhiyan? Zhiyan?"

Jiang Siya's voice came from the other side.

"Huh?" She turned her head.

"What are you looking at? I've called you several times." Jiang Siya followed her gaze and looked out the window. There were only pedestrians coming and going outside, nothing special.

"It's nothing," Yang Zhiyan picked up her teacup, only to find it was empty, and put it down again. "I was looking at a GG card."

Jiang Siya glanced down at her phone; it was probably a message from home. Her fingers flew across the screen as she typed.

Yang Zhiyan sat opposite her, placing her hands on her knees, her fingers slowly clenching the fabric of her dress.

She thought their relationship had progressed to the next level.

The night he helped her fix her hair, the moment he wiped her mouth, the silence as they washed dishes side by side in the kitchen—she mistakenly thought that he, like her, had developed feelings for her.

Was she mistaken? Were they just casual diners, or was she also a fish in his pond?

It's true that you can't have feelings for those in positions of power, or you'll only end up being the one who suffers.

Yang Zhiyan lowered her head and looked at the half-eaten plate of spicy stir-fried rice cakes on the table.

The rice cake had cooled down, and the sauce had congealed on top, making it look unappetizing. She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece, and put it in her mouth. The rice cake was hard and sticky, and she couldn't swallow it after chewing for a long time.

"This rice cake doesn't taste good when it's cold," Jiang Siya noticed.

"Okay, I'm not eating anymore." Yang Zhiyan put down her chopsticks.

Jiang Siya paid the bill, and the two walked out of the barbecue restaurant. It was already dark outside, and the neon lights of the commercial street were lit up, red, green, blue, and purple, illuminating the whole street as if it were daytime.

The wind was hot, blowing on my face like someone was using a hairdryer. The cicadas' chirping came from the roadside trees, wave after wave, so noisy it was irritating.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Siya glanced at her.

"It's nothing," Yang Zhiyan smiled, "I just ate too much."

"Shall I take you home?"

"it is good."

Jiang Siya's car was parked in a nearby parking lot. Yang Zhiyan sat in the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and cracked the window open.

A hot breeze blew in and blew on her face. She wanted to blow on it to clear her head.

As the car entered the underground parking lot of Shengshi Tianxi, Yang Zhiyan glanced at the time. 9:47.

"We're here," Jiang Siya said, parking the car and turning to look at her. "Are you really alright? You seemed a bit off tonight."

"You might be a little tired from work lately," Yang Zhiyan unbuckled her seatbelt and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay. Drive carefully."

"Then you should get some rest."

Yang Zhiyan pushed open the car door and stepped into the elevator. Her face was reflected in the elevator wall; her complexion was pale, and her lips were almost bloodless. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, but the smile was forced.

The lights were on in the corridor on the 22nd floor.

She walked to her door and rummaged through her bag for her keys. The keys were at the very bottom of the bag, and it took her a while to find them.

I heard the sound of a door opening behind me.

Yang Zhiyan turned her head.

Qin Yuzheng stood at the opposite doorway, wearing a dark gray bathrobe with a belt tied around his waist and the collar loosely open, revealing a section of his collarbone and the beginning of his pectoral muscles.