Chapter 19: The Second Blind Date

Today's French restaurant had been carefully selected by Chen Yuqi and Choi Sooyoung from the very beginning, with the reservation made more than a week in advance. So, when Chen Zhe and Im Nayeon entered the restaurant and informed the approaching waiter of their reserved booth number, the two were promptly led to their designated spot.

The reason Chen Yuqi and Choi Sooyoung chose French cuisine for Chen Zhe was easy to understand. After all, a formal French meal, from appetizers to dessert, could last several hours.

As soon as Chen Zhe and his companion sat down, the waiter brought a basket of freshly baked bread. Just at that moment, Chen Zhe looked up, intending to ask the waiter where the restroom was. He had drunk plenty of water that morning due to nerves, and after standing outside for so long, his bladder was now quite uncomfortable.

But as he lifted his gaze, he caught sight of a nearby table where two women wearing sunglasses were staring at him. He immediately recognized them: his own sister, Chen Yuqi, and her close friend, Choi Sooyoung.

“Excuse me, where is the restroom?” Although Chen Zhe was somewhat exasperated by his sister and her friend, he didn’t bother with them for now and decided to deal with his pressing need first.

After learning the location of the restroom from the waiter, Chen Zhe apologized to Im Nayeon and hurried off.

Watching Chen Zhe leave, Im Nayeon tilted her head in confusion. Normally, men tried to present their best selves in front of women, yet this Chen Zhe, here for a matchmaking date, had immediately asked for the restroom, a behavior she had never seen before.

“You brat, instead of entertaining your date, you ran straight to the restroom.” As Chen Zhe was finishing up in the restroom and washing his hands, his sister blocked his way.

“Uh, Sis, I really couldn’t hold it any longer,” Chen Zhe replied, his voice tinged with grievance at being confronted like this.

“Who told you to drink so much water this morning? You made Sooyoung and me think you were getting cold feet at the critical moment, so we rushed over to intercept you. Fine, now hurry back.” Seeing his pitiful expression, Chen Yuqi slapped his shoulder and urged him back to his seat.

—————— Boundary of earnest French dining ——————

Since it was his first time having French cuisine, Chen Zhe focused his attention on Im Nayeon, imitating her movements. He picked up a piece of bread, gently broke off a small bit, dipped it lightly in butter, and put it in his mouth.

After chewing a few bites, Chen Zhe’s eyes lit up. The combination of the bread and butter was delightful, perfectly suited to his taste. Having finished the first piece, he repeated the process several more times, finally feeling his stomach a bit more settled.

Next came the appetizer. Upon seeing the round objects on the plate, Chen Zhe felt his scalp tingle and his whole body uneasy. Swallowing nervously, he cast a murderous glance at his sister.

She had ordered baked escargot for him—a delicacy he was encountering for the first time. After glaring at his sister for a while and seeing no response, Chen Zhe could only turn his attention back to the table, noticing a bowl of lemon water beside the escargot. He tilted his head in confusion, having no idea what the lemon water was for.

“Chen Zhe-ssi, you’ve never had French food before, have you?” Im Nayeon had already noticed, from the moment he ate the bread, that Chen Zhe was mimicking her actions. Now, seeing him staring blankly at the lemon water, she was certain he’d never experienced French cuisine. Whether out of curiosity or as a test, she decided to ask directly.

Caught off guard by her question, Chen Zhe was momentarily at a loss for words. Glancing up, he saw his sister and Choi Sooyoung mouthing silently at him, urging him to tell the truth. He gratefully accepted their support.

“Well, I’m really sorry, Im Nayeon-ssi. This is actually my first time having French food!” Chen Zhe scratched his cheek in embarrassment, giving her an apologetic smile as he confessed.

“When I saw you imitating my movements earlier, I had my suspicions. And when you stared at the lemon water, I was pretty much sure.” Seeing his awkward expression, Im Nayeon couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

In her mind, she began scoring Chen Zhe: his appearance could easily earn over ninety points, his outfit was well-coordinated, showing a sense of taste. Judging by his words, he seemed sincere and not prone to lying. After pondering for a while, Im Nayeon decided to test his character again later, to see if he was merely pretending or truly genuine.

“So, Im Nayeon-ssi, what’s the lemon water for?” Since everything was out in the open, Chen Zhe abandoned any pretenses and asked her directly.

“You really are straightforward, Chen Zhe-ssi!” Seeing him become more natural after admitting his inexperience, Im Nayeon smiled and shook her head, her impression of him rising a bit more.

“This lemon water is for washing our hands. Washing with lemon water helps remove grease and odors. As for the process, it’s just like regular hand washing—gently cleanse your hands in the lemon water, but be careful not to splash.” Im Nayeon dipped her hands into the lemon water, demonstrating with elegant, gentle movements as she explained.

“So there’s such a custom—good to know!” Chen Zhe observed her actions closely and, after listening to her explanation, his face lit up with understanding.

When Im Nayeon withdrew her hands and began drying them with a towel, Chen Zhe recalled her movements and followed suit, gently washing his hands, though his gestures were awkward and stiff, resembling a malfunctioning robot. Im Nayeon covered her mouth to laugh again.

“You really are an interesting person, Chen Zhe-ssi! Now, let me show you how to eat escargot.” Once she had controlled her laughter, Im Nayeon picked up the small fork and tongs, ready to teach Chen Zhe the proper way to enjoy escargot.