Su Zhiyi's reason for choosing Si Yanjing was simple.
Song Lian and Si Yanjing came from similar family backgrounds, both met her requirements, and both could take her to the Su family's charity gala without arousing suspicion from anyone except the Su family members.
By the time Si Yanjing presented the invitation, in the eyes of the Su family, she would be entering the gala as Si Yanjing's companion.
In the eyes of others, however, she would be entering as the eldest Miss Su.
As for why she didn't choose Song Lian... the reason was also simple.
The Song family's relationship with the Su family was too close. All the wealthy families knew that her engagement to Song Lian had been called off.
Even if the two of them had a good relationship, they could only be on good terms in private, not on an occasion like this.
Plus, that guy Song Lian... was hard to control.
Compared to Song Lian, Si Yanjing was much easier to control.
To avoid any trouble at the gala that might disrupt her plan, she weighed Si Yanjing and Song Lian back and forth, and ultimately chose Si Yanjing.
Si Yanjing had been kept in the dark the whole time, completely unaware that Su Zhiyi's initiative to go on a date with him had ulterior motives.
He didn't notice at all what Su Zhiyi was thinking about during her silence.
His mind was completely filled with the words "someone I like," and his thoughts drifted away like a released balloon, making him feel a little light-headed.
Indeed, easy to control.
Su Zhiyi glanced at Si Yanjing from the corner of her eye and further reinforced the impression of "easy to control" in her mind.
Si Yanjing gently shook his head and let out a hot breath.
His mind was already unsettled, but he still forced himself to remain calm and chat with Su Zhiyi: "Oh, oh. I don't like going on dates with people I don't like either."
Su Zhiyi rested her chin on one hand, her lively eyes narrowing slightly. She tilted her head to look at Si Yanjing and asked bluntly, "Hey, you don't like going on dates with people you don't like either, so do you like me?"
Si Yanjing's voice was very low, but he still admitted it: "Mm."
Su Zhiyi switched to a coquettish tone, making anyone's heart melt: "Say it louder. I didn't hear you."
She pretended to be angry.
"Is it that hard to say you like me? Don't you like me?"
"No, why would you think that?"
Hearing Su Zhiyi's words, Si Yanjing immediately panicked, and this time his voice rose a few notches.
"Then say... you like me, that you like me the most."
Si Yanjing awkwardly repeated Su Zhiyi's words. Each word added to his sense of shame, but he still said the whole sentence without missing a word.
"I like you. I like you the most."
Su Zhiyi was delighted by his words and let out a few cheerful laughs, her whole body shaking with joy.
"Mm-hmm~ What I like most is when you're this straightforward with sweet talk. From now on, you have to tell me you like me often."
"Mm, mm."
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Su Zhiyi stopped teasing the innocent young man whose earlobes were red enough to bleed. She leaned back against the car seat and quietly waited for Si Yanjing to drive them to their destination.
If you asked Su Zhiyi which stage of a relationship she enjoyed most with a man...
It wasn't the initial acquaintance stage, nor the dating stage, and certainly not the marriage stage.
It was the ambiguous stage.
She enjoyed being ambiguous with a man who was handsome, fit, wealthy, powerful, self-disciplined, excellent in every way, and obedient.
And Si Yanjing was exactly that kind of man.
Of course, she didn't mind providing Si Yanjing with a little extra emotional value.
Si Yanjing was like a little spinning top. If she gave him a push, he would spin in response to her. It was rather amusing.
Su Zhiyi had planned today's date with Si Yanjing flawlessly, without a single flaw.
It would definitely leave a deep impression on Si Yanjing, one he wouldn't soon forget.
Si Yanjing loved racing, but she valued her life too much to engage in such overly thrilling entertainment as racing.
So she planned to spend the morning at the game arcade with Si Yanjing. Virtual electronic racing was still racing, wasn't it?
In the afternoon, she would watch a romance movie with Si Yanjing. In the evening, they would go to a restaurant for dinner. As for the night... of course, they would go to Si Yanjing's house.
She hadn't forgotten the real purpose of her date with Si Yanjing.
*
A warm, soft body collided into his arms, carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance.
Su Zhiyi wrapped her arm around Si Yanjing's, pressing against him in an extremely intimate posture.
The girl's light-colored eyes, as clear as a newborn fawn's, blinked a few times. Her voice was warm and soft, even more gentle and cute than her usual tone, with a clear hint of coquettishness.
"Yanjing, that doll is so cute! I want it!"
Hearing the girl's sweet, soft voice, Si Yanjing subconsciously lowered his head and happened to meet her clear, watery eyes.