It would’ve been one thing if it really were a blind date. But it wasn’t.
What made it awkward was that the person in front of her wasn’t her blind date at all.
Su Tian looked at Qin Yan.
Qin Yan looked back at her, his cool eyes carrying a trace of emotion. Before she could fully register it, he lowered his gaze and continued eating his noodles, hiding whatever he was feeling.
Su Tian didn’t want misunderstandings to spread. No matter what, she had to explain it clearly—she couldn’t let Qin Yan’s reputation be affected.
“Auntie Wang, you’ve got it wrong. He’s not my blind date. He’s just a friend. I’m not on a blind date.”
But Auntie Wang wasn’t buying Su Tian’s explanation. She sized up the handsome young man in front of her—truly good-looking, tall with long legs, a solid build. Since when did doctors from the clinic look this good? What a bargain for this girl. He was a doctor, after all! If this worked out, the Su family would really have it good—one daughter married well and went to the city, and the other wouldn’t be any worse, landing such a good-looking man.
These days, good looks might not fill your stomach, but staring at a face like that could make you eat an extra bowl of rice.
Jealous yet perfunctory, Auntie Wang said, “Auntie understands. You young folks are thin-skinned. Whatever you say, that’s what it is.”
She didn’t forget to cue Qin Yan as well. “Young man, you have to treat Sweet Girl well. She’s capable and likable—you really mustn’t miss out.”
Qin Yan, suddenly called out: “……”
Su Tian, wishing she could crawl under the table: “……”
And when Auntie Wang finally left, she still wore an expression that clearly said, Look how much I helped you—when you two make it, I’d better be seated at the main table, glancing back again and again as she walked away.
Su Tian didn’t want to talk anymore.
Looking at Qin Yan’s silent face, she knew she should say something, but she had no idea what to say. All she could do was bury her head and eat, shoveling noodles down so fast she almost choked.
Then Qin Yan added calmly, “I’m not in a hurry. You can eat slowly.”
Su Tian: “……”
Thanks for your thoughtfulness. You can just pretend I don’t exist.
When she was almost done, Su Tian still felt she should say something. “She got it wrong. Don’t take it to heart.”
Qin Yan didn’t answer her. He kept eating and asked instead, “Are you going on blind dates?”
Su Tian’s face heated up. It was embarrassing to talk about, but since he’d asked—and since he’d been mistaken for her blind date—she had to explain. She nodded. “My mom arranged it.”
“Do you want to get married?”
When Qin Yan said this, he was looking straight at her, clearly seeing the conflicted little expressions on her face.
“My mom thinks I should get married. Like not getting married is some kind of crime.”
Not just in the 1980s—even decades later, after 2024, not getting married still felt like a crime. The difference was that later on, women were independent, could choose not to marry, ignore gossip, and support themselves with a job.
In this era, if you didn’t marry…
Su Tian shuddered at the thought. If she dared say she didn’t want to marry, her mom would probably swallow her whole.
After what she’d gone through in her previous life with a beast like Guo Zhiwei, and after seeing scum like Chen Xiaojun, Su Tian genuinely felt that not marrying was great. Even without a formal job right now, as long as she worked hard livestreaming and selling goods, she could earn enough to support herself.
She was close to ten thousand already. Ten thousand! As long as she used the money well—buying property, opening a factory, doing business, riding the wave of the times—she could definitely build wealth and become a successful woman, an entrepreneur.
With money and a career, what was a man worth?
Watching her troubled expression, Qin Yan clenched his fist quietly. When he relaxed it again, his throat felt tight, his voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor.
“Since you’re going on blind dates, and you want to get married… can you consider me?”
Su Tian thought she’d misheard. She stared at him, question marks all over her face. “What did you say?”
Since he’d already said it, Qin Yan took on a go-for-broke expression. He looked at Su Tian seriously, his voice cool but firm.
“Can I go on a blind date with you? Can I court you? I want to marry you.”
Su Tian’s head buzzed. She stared at the man in front of her in disbelief, as if she were hallucinating, her eyes locked on Qin Yan.
“You… I… we?”
Good heavens? This wasn’t a mistake, right?
As if to make sure she couldn’t ignore it, the ever-nosy Little Eight jumped out:
【Side-character male has proposed marriage. Life trajectory has undergone a major change. One hour of livestream time awarded. Would you like to start the livestream?】
The words side-character stabbed right into her heart.
Su Tian: “???”
Is now really the time to start a livestream?!
Her mind was in complete chaos, like she was dreaming. In her thoughts, she said, “I’ll open it tonight. I’m not in the mood right now.”
She’d been confessed to?
No—she’d been proposed to.
Qin Yan, you’re something else. Quietly pulling a move this big.
Damn, you’re impressive.
She never would’ve imagined that Qin Yan would want to marry her.
Ahhhhh!
Little Eight was getting a headache from her chaotic inner monologue:
【Tonight at eight, Monkey Stamp special livestream.】
Su Tian gave a mental OK.
Seeing Su Tian’s dazed, startled expression, Qin Yan laughed awkwardly, feeling a bit of regret. The moment he heard she was going on blind dates, he panicked, afraid she’d be taken by someone else.
They hadn’t known each other long, but Qin Yan had to admit it—he liked Su Tian.
There were plenty of marriageable girls in the compound, but he’d never felt this way about any of them. He’d never had sweaty palms around them, never been at a loss for words. He’d never thought about them when eating, never dreamed of them at night.
But with her—she appeared in his thoughts, even in his dreams.
Qin Yan knew it. He’d awakened. He’d fallen for a girl he’d only met a few times.
And once he’d set his heart on her, he couldn’t let her slip away.
Originally, he hadn’t planned to make up his mind so quickly. It was all thanks to that nosy auntie—otherwise, he wouldn’t have known that Su Tian’s family had already arranged blind dates for her. If he didn’t act now, she might really be married off to someone else.
The thought of that made Qin Yan stop worrying about anything else and act first. After all, the man was unmarried and the woman unwed—he was proposing openly and honorably.
“I know this sounds a bit abrupt,” he said seriously. “I’m not joking. I really want to marry you. If you’re willing, we can start with a blind date. When I get back, I’ll ask your aunt to help arrange it, and we’ll go through the proper process.”
Su Tian could hear the sincerity in his voice.
It was just… having someone arrange a blind date at this point and going through formalities felt a little absurd.
Afraid he might really go and ask her aunt, Su Tian stopped him immediately. “No need. Let me think it over. When’s the next time you’ll pass through our town? I’ll give you an answer then.”
Not being rejected outright, Qin Yan secretly let out a breath of relief. “Next Monday.”
Su Tian answered decisively, “Next Monday I’ll give you my answer.”
Qin Yan finally relaxed. “Alright. I should also explain my family situation. My dad passed away in an accident when I was twelve. My mom raised us on her own. I have a younger sister—she’s ten this year.”
“I work transporting goods for the salt factory. I earn eighty-seven yuan a month, and it’ll go up in the future.”
“After we get married, I’ll hand my wages over to you. I can also arrange a job for you at the salt factory. You’ll be in charge at home. My mom and sister are both easy to get along with. Once my sister grows up, you won’t need to worry about her—she’ll take over my mom’s position.”
He added, “Right now I’ve saved 1,173.85 yuan. The bride price is up to you. If it’s not enough, I can borrow more—”
Did he really need to be this precise, down to the last cent?
“Stop, stop, stop—don’t say anymore,” Su Tian cut him off. “I roughly know your situation. I’ll go back and think about it. Wait for my answer on Monday.”
The more she listened, the more alarmed she felt. If she didn’t interrupt him, he might even tell her where he hid his money. He was being way too unguarded—as if she were already family.
Qin Yan nodded, his palms drenched with sweat.
Su Tian suddenly remembered something important. “You still haven’t told me how much the watch costs.”
What a mess. She should’ve paid first before all this. Now that personal matters were mixed in, what if he said to forget it? What was she supposed to do then?
As expected, Qin Yan didn’t disappoint her. “The watch didn’t cost much. Twenty yuan is fine—you’ve already paid.”
Su Tian’s expression turned serious. “If you do this, I’ll reject you right now. One thing is one thing, got it?”
Qin Yan was scolded into straightening his back instinctively. He nodded and gave a number. “Without industrial coupons, it’s twenty yuan more expensive. It’s this year’s new model—235 yuan total. You’ve already paid twenty, so just give me 235.”
Su Tian withdrew 240 yuan from the livestream system, counted out 235 for him, and used the rest to pay for the noodles.
Qin Yan took the money. Watching Su Tian settle the bill, he was about to return five yuan to her. One look from her was enough. In public, the man who was usually decisive and aloof silently withdrew the five yuan.
He walked her to the roadside where she’d catch her ride. Watching her get off, Qin Yan hesitated, wanting to say something.
Su Tian was much more at ease. Standing by the road, she smiled and waved. “Travel safely. See you next Monday at the usual time.”
With just that sentence, the restless anxiety in Qin Yan’s heart suddenly settled. He nodded heavily, started the truck, and watched her figure grow smaller in the rearview mirror.
Qin Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed inwardly.
“I’m done for,” he thought. “If I really marry her, I’ll probably end up completely henpecked.”