Join a Dating Reality Show with the Aloof, Fishing-Style Richest Man - Chapter 31.2

Sister Li noticed this. Although Lu Zhao had seemed normal the past few days, Sister Li felt she had been a bit “wilted.”

Now, after just one party, her mood had changed this much?

“What are you so happy about?” Sister Li asked curiously.

“Huh?” Lu Zhao turned to her. “Do I look that happy?”

Sister Li: “…Obviously.”

Those alluring fox eyes were practically smiling like a fool.

Lu Zhao touched her face and realized her smile was indeed quite wide. “Maybe… it’s because my job is secure!”

If her job was safe, shouldn’t she be happy?

“?”

Sister Li looked at her, not understanding. Was her job ever in danger?

Lu Zhao didn’t explain. Instead, she said, “Take a detour through Zhongshan Road on the way back. I want to pick up some Sesame Oil Chicken.”

Sister Li’s face dropped. “No! you need to control your diet!”

“Oh, it’s for President Ji. She really likes the Sesame Oil Chicken from that place,” Lu Zhao said with a broad grin.

Sister Li: “…”

Ultimately, Lu Zhao got the chicken. Smelling the aroma from the box, she swallowed her saliva. She hadn’t eaten much at the party and was feeling hungry.

But she wasn’t lying; Ji Zhaoxi did like it. Lu Zhao decided to buy it as a reward for her. After all, Ji Zhaoxi’s heart was so firm! To avoid marrying someone she didn’t like, she had sent someone to give a warning!

That was so cool!

Back at the hotel, Lu Zhao said goodbye to Sister Li and walked inside, her heels clicking on the floor.

Sister Li watched her retreating back, noting how her pace quickened.

“…”

It was hard not to suspect something was going on!

She sighed wearily, thinking about the messy situation with Ji Zhaoxi. If Lu Zhao was this deep in, what would happen in the future?

Sister Li was so worried she felt she would have nightmares tonight.

Lu Zhao had no idea about the storm in Sister Li’s mind. She carried the bag into the elevator and ran into the show’s male lead, Zhou Shunan.

“Hello, Teacher Zhou,” Lu Zhao greeted him proactively.

Zhou Shunan looked at the bag in her hand and sniffed. “What is that? It smells so good!”

“Sesame Oil Chicken,” Lu Zhao said, and then went silent.

This was specifically for Ji Zhaoxi; it wouldn’t be appropriate to invite him to eat, and she didn’t want too much contact with him anyway.

Seeing she wasn’t continuing the conversation, and remembering what the third female lead had told him, Zhou Shunan pursed his lips and didn’t bother her further.

When she reached her floor, Lu Zhao said goodbye. Her room was at the very end of the hallway, far from the elevator and relatively quiet.

She swiped her key card. Tangyuan, having heard the noise, was already waiting by the door.

Lu Zhao entered, placed the bag on the entry cabinet, and scooped up the cat. She looked up to see Ji Zhaoxi sitting by the bay window with a laptop on her lap, turning to look at her.

Lu Zhao smiled, closed the door with her leg, and picked up the takeout box. “Did you have enough for dinner today?”

Ji Zhaoxi noticed the bag and the logo on it. The smell told her exactly what it was.

She didn’t answer the question immediately. Instead, she asked, “Didn’t I tell you to message me so I could have someone pick you up?”

She was still dressed in clothes suitable for going out.

“Sister Li was there, so she brought me back.”

“I brought you some Sesame Oil Chicken. Want to try some?”

Lu Zhao put the bag on the dining table. Tangyuan jumped down and sniffed the bag.

Ji Zhaoxi closed her laptop. Her gaze landed squarely on Lu Zhao’s face. She suddenly asked, “Are you very happy right now?”

“Yes!” Lu Zhao nodded and opened the box. The aroma became even more intense. She handed a pair of chopsticks to Ji Zhaoxi.

Ji Zhaoxi took them but kept glancing at Lu Zhao. She had said she was going to a party; had she met someone there?

Ji Zhaoxi’s face darkened for a moment before she dismissed the thought. Even if she had met someone, it likely wouldn’t involve feelings.

But she still felt a bit suffocated. You could never be sure about emotions.

After all, love at first sight existed…

“Hmm? Are you too full to eat?” Lu Zhao asked hesitantly.

“No, I haven’t eaten dinner yet,” Ji Zhaoxi said truthfully. For the past two days, she had been coming over to eat with Lu Zhao. Since Lu Zhao wasn’t here today, she had no appetite.

“Why didn’t you eat?” Lu Zhao frowned and advised earnestly, “No matter how busy work is, you have to eat. You’re not a young girl in her teens or early twenties anymore; your body can’t take it!”

At this, Ji Zhaoxi, who was about to use her chopsticks, paused. she looked up at Lu Zhao with a somber expression, her voice muffled.

“Are you calling me old?”

“I suppose I can’t compare to you people in your early twenties. I’m almost thirty.”

“?”

Lu Zhao’s eyes widened. She waved her hands in denial. “No, no! I didn’t mean that!”

“I just wanted to advise you to take care of your health!”

Lu Zhao wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she thought she heard a hint of resentment in those words.

Ji Zhaoxi pursed her lips and took a piece of chicken. The familiar taste captured her taste buds, but it didn’t dissipate the stuffiness in her heart.

Indeed, she was 27, three years older than Lu Zhao. They say a three-year gap is a generation gap; she and Lu Zhao were from different worlds…

Seeing Ji Zhaoxi’s silence, Lu Zhao felt a wave of regret. Why did she have to mention her health being inferior to young people!

Lu Zhao wanted to slap herself.

She silently picked up some chopsticks and started eating. Tangyuan approached, its pink nose sniffing the air. It looked up with its blue eyes, looking incredibly pitiful.

Lu Zhao: “…”

“You can’t eat this.” Lu Zhao covered the cat’s eyes. She felt terrible—one night, and she had hurt both of their feelings. Were this person and cat trying to kill her with guilt today!

While eating, Ji Zhaoxi suddenly asked, “Why did you think to bring me food today?”

There was an unspoken understanding between them. Ji Zhaoxi hadn’t eaten, and Lu Zhao had happened to bring food back.

“Uh…” Lu Zhao hesitated. She couldn’t really say it was a reward, right? That felt weird.

“I… I just wanted some, so I bought it.”

Ji Zhaoxi glanced at her stuttering response but didn’t say more. They ate quietly.

The chicken was prepared uniquely; it wasn’t greasy even if eaten alone. Half a chicken was just right for the two of them.

Since Tangyuan didn’t get any, it lay on the other side of the table with its belly up, looking like it had been hit by a heavy blow, radiating “emo” vibes.

Lu Zhao looked at the little thing. It didn’t make a fuss when it was unhappy; it just kept it inside. She wondered who it had learned that from.

Unable to watch any longer, Lu Zhao got up to get a cat treat for Tangyuan. “Don’t eat too much this late.”

She was afraid it would be too energetic to sleep at night.

Watching Lu Zhao’s actions, Ji Zhaoxi’s expression softened. She felt her earlier behavior was a bit childish. What was she even arguing with her about…

Even if there was a three-year gap, didn’t many people say “an older woman is like a gold brick”?

After eating, Ji Zhaoxi took the initiative to tidy up the trash and place it outside. Then she looked at the person still playing with the cat. “Do you want to shower first, or should I?”

Lu Zhao looked up. “I just ate. Let’s sit for a bit.”

Ji Zhaoxi was silent for two seconds before walking over and sitting across from Lu Zhao, gently stroking Tangyuan’s back.

Tangyuan, licking its treat, flicked its fluffy tail occasionally, not minding the hands on its head and back.

Ji Zhaoxi looked at Lu Zhao’s styling today—a red dress that highlighted her style, with chestnut-colored long curls. She was both bright and elegant, with a touch of alluring charm.

Ji Zhaoxi looked down. She really had grown up to be quite dazzling.

“President Ji, you keep coming here and staying here. Don’t you care at all what people online say?” Lu Zhao asked. Ji Zhaoxi was so open about it that she wondered if people would suspect they were a legal couple.

Ji Zhaoxi looked up. “Do you care?”

Lu Zhao: “…A little.”

“Oh. I don’t care at all.”

“…”

She was speechless.

After they finished digesting their food, Ji Zhaoxi showered first. When she came out, she was wearing gray silk pajamas. Her hair was clipped up, revealing a long, elegant neck. Even in such simple attire, she was captivating.

Lu Zhao felt she finally understood the phrase “good enough to eat.” Ji Zhaoxi was the textbook definition!

When Lu Zhao went into the bathroom, Ji Zhaoxi opened her laptop. Her expression became serious, and her eyes behind her glasses turned cold.

Step by step, she would make everyone who had hurt them lose everything!

With a cold face, she watched her plan proceed steadily as expected. A cold smirk appeared on her lips.

Just wait. Soon, they would understand what it meant to feel the same pain.

She kept an ear out for the bathroom. When she heard the water stop, she wrapped up her work, closed the laptop, and rubbed her cheeks. Once she had regained a soft expression, she pulled Tangyuan close and whispered, “Will Zhaozhao like me like this?”

“Will she?”

Ji Zhaoxi murmured, her thoughts drifting. Sometimes she even felt disgusted with herself; how could she ask others to like her?

But she still wanted Lu Zhao’s affection, like an obsessed person who would never be satisfied until they had it.

She turned to look at the night outside. She was in the light now, no longer the girl who shrank in the shadows and only knew how to cry.

She had grown up and had the power to protect herself and the people she cared about.

When Lu Zhao came out, she saw Ji Zhaoxi sitting by the window holding Tangyuan. The atmosphere around her was strange—very somber.

Lu Zhao’s cheerful mood dampened. This version of Ji Zhaoxi looked too lonely, making her feel uncomfortable.

Thinking of something, Lu Zhao found her bag, took something out, and walked over to Ji Zhaoxi.

“Baby,” Lu Zhao called out.

Ji Zhaoxi was stunned. She looked back at Lu Zhao. This was the first time Lu Zhao had called her “baby” in such a soft voice, without any hint of acting.

“Want some candy?” Lu Zhao handed her the item. “An orange-flavored lollipop.”

Ji Zhaoxi was completely dazed. She looked at the smile on Lu Zhao’s face—those fox eyes were full of gentleness—and then at the lollipop. It really was orange-flavored.

Ji Zhaoxi’s throat felt dry, and her nose began to sting.

“You…”

She couldn’t continue. She stared blankly at the lollipop, as if transported back in time.

Once, someone else had handed her an orange-flavored lollipop just like this.

Since then, she had been obsessed with the taste of oranges.

It gave her a sense of security.

Seeing her frozen, Lu Zhao realized she might need help. She took the candy back, opened the wrapper, and handed it back.

Ji Zhaoxi looked at the candy held to her lips, then at Lu Zhao’s eyes, and finally opened her mouth to take it.

The sweet taste filled her mouth. Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes crinkled. She stared at Lu Zhao with a look Lu Zhao couldn’t decipher.

Lu Zhao didn’t mind. She sat on the window ledge as well, playing with Tangyuan’s paws. She said softly, “Tonight is a special late-night emotional radio station hosted by Little Lu. If this lady has any problems, you can tell the host. The host will listen carefully~”

With the candy in her mouth, Ji Zhaoxi felt her bad mood from earlier gradually lift. Her tone was softer than ever.

“Then, Host Little Lu, is this radio service free?”

Lu Zhao’s beautiful eyes curved into crescents.

“The original intention was for it to be free, but if you don’t mind, you can also tip. The host isn’t that strict with the conditions.”

Ji Zhaoxi was almost laughed at by this. She whispered, “Money-grubber!”

Lu Zhao had sharp ears. Far from being ashamed, she seemed proud. With her chin tilted up, she looked like a little red fox standing up to show off its beautiful fur—utterly adorable.

Ji Zhaoxi’s gaze softened even further.

How could there be such a cute little fox in this world?

She hoped that one day, this little fox would voluntarily walk into the cage named Ji Zhaoxi. Don’t be afraid of her. Although she looks like a cage, she will never force you to stay.

“So, dear listener, is there something bothering you?” Lu Zhao’s voice changed, sounding just like a gentle host on an emotional radio station, with a magic that could make people relax.

Ji Zhaoxi nodded and said seriously, “I have one very big worry.”

Lu Zhao’s ears perked up. She couldn’t help but be curious. “Tell me more?”

“Tell me, why doesn’t she like me?” Ji Zhaoxi’s tone was both serious and sincere. She was truly seeking an answer, full of confusion.

“Do you think I’m not beautiful? Is my net worth not high enough? Why doesn’t she see me? Why has she never considered me?”

Lu Zhao was stumped by these questions. However, as an enthusiastic person who had been single since birth, she felt she knew a lot about being an emotional advisor for others!

As an observer, she surely saw things more clearly than those involved!

“What are the conditions of the person you like?”

“Her…”

Ji Zhaoxi’s gaze drifted. She couldn’t help but smile slightly. She whispered, “She is very good. A very dazzling person. So dazzling that I can always find her first in a crowd.”

“And she has a very kind heart. Although she sometimes seems carefree, she always notices other people’s emotions and offers comfort.”

“She is also a very filial and professional person.”

As she listened to Ji Zhaoxi, Lu Zhao’s emotions tightened. Her bright expression faded, and her hand on Tangyuan stopped moving. She listened carefully.

“It sounds like she’s great in your eyes,” Lu Zhao nodded in agreement.

“She’s great in everyone’s eyes.”

Ji Zhaoxi said this while looking into Lu Zhao’s eyes.

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