The sky was always exceptionally blue after the rain. The air outside the window was fresh and pleasant, and the temperature was comfortably cool. Yet none of that could change the fact that going to work felt like attending a funeral to Cheng Xin.
The world is such a beautiful place, yet I have to go to work every single day.
Standing on her balcony, Cheng Xin let out a heavy sigh.
The morning’s work was as hectic as a battlefield. Cheng Xin and Yan Xiyue were practically driven to despair by all the data analysis and content planning they had to do. After finally surviving until lunchtime, the two at last got to enjoy the Chongqing noodles they’d been craving at a little restaurant in the alley opposite their company.
What surprised Cheng Xin was that Zhao Lin hadn’t joined them. She’d assumed that since the two had only just started dating, they’d want to stick together every waking moment.
“Sigh.” Yan Xiyue waved a hand dismissively. “He’s from Guangdong Province. He’s the kind of person who thinks even braised beef noodles are too spicy. Forget about eating Chongqing noodles with him. Our tastes are completely incompatible.”
Although Yan Xiyue sounded disdainful, she couldn’t quite suppress the smile tugging at her lips. Whenever Zhao Lin was mentioned, even her eyes seemed to overflow with happiness.
While Cheng Xin and Yan Xiyue were enthusiastically enjoying their Chongqing noodles, Xie Jing also arrived at the company cafeteria.
Before heading upstairs, his gaze almost involuntarily swept across the noisy food counters and the communal dining area.
He didn’t even know what he was trying to find.
He’d simply done it instinctively.
Completely unaware of Xie Jing’s unusual behavior, Cheng Xin and Yan Xiyue finished their noodles and then lined up to buy a cup of milk tea each.
Taking a long, satisfying sip, Cheng Xin couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
Now this is what I call living.
Turning her head, Cheng Xin noticed that Yan Xiyue had ordered another two cups of milk tea from the cashier to take away.
“I know one of those is for Zhao Lin, but who’s the other one for?” Cheng Xin asked curiously.
“For Sister Zhou. Didn’t we just drink her ginger tea the other day? It’s only polite to return the favor, so I thought I’d bring her some milk tea,” Yan Xiyue explained with a smile.
“Hold on.” As she spoke, Cheng Xin hurriedly explained to the cashier that they only needed one takeaway cup, not two.
Yan Xiyue didn’t understand why, but she still followed Cheng Xin’s suggestion and ordered only one cup to take away.
Only then did Cheng Xin turn to explain.
“You joined the company later, so you probably don’t know. Sister Zhou is really serious about healthy living. She doesn’t drink milk tea at all. Even thirty-percent sweetness is unbearably sweet to her. Unless she absolutely has to, she basically avoids sugary foods. According to her, once you start getting older, controlling your sugar intake is the key to slowing down aging.”
Hearing this, Yan Xiyue finally understood.
“No wonder Sister Zhou’s skin looks so good. She barely has any spots or blemishes.”
“You should say that to Sister Zhou’s face. I guarantee she’ll be smiling from ear to ear,” Cheng Xin teased.
The two returned to the office laughing and chatting.
Taking advantage of the fact that nobody else was around, Yan Xiyue sneaked over to Zhao Lin’s workstation and secretly placed the milk tea on his desk, looking for all the world like a thief.
Seeing how suspiciously she was behaving, Cheng Xin almost burst out laughing.
Fortunately, she managed to restrain herself. Otherwise, Yan Xiyue would definitely have become so embarrassed that she’d gotten angry.
Before Cheng Xin could look away, the phone she’d casually placed on her desk suddenly vibrated.
Biting her straw, Cheng Xin picked up her phone and saw a familiar contact name appear on the screen.
Wang Dawei: [Xinxin, baby! Are you there? Are you there? Curious Cat Peeking Out.jpg]
Wang Dawei was merely a nickname. Her real name was Wang Tianwei, and she was Cheng Xin’s university roommate as well as her closest friend throughout their four years of university.
Wang Tianwei loved calling her Cheng Xinxin, so naturally, Cheng Xin had started calling her Wang Dawei in return.
Both of them had attended university in Yicheng. However, after graduation, Cheng Xin chose to remain in Yicheng, while Wang Tianwei’s parents insisted that she return to neighboring Pingcheng.
Cheng Xin still remembered the day they parted after graduation.
Wang Tianwei had clung to her and cried her eyes out. She’d lamented how much she hated the fact that she wasn’t a lesbian and therefore couldn’t give Cheng Xin the happiness she deserved.
Her dramatic declaration had left Cheng Xin caught between laughter and tears.
Fortunately, Pingcheng wasn’t far from Yicheng. It was only a two-hour drive, so either Cheng Xin would visit her, or Wang Tianwei would come to Yicheng.
The two still managed to see each other from time to time.
Cheng Xinxin: [What’s up, our beautiful Flower of Pingcheng?]
Wang Dawei: [Oh, stop it~ So shy.jpg]
Cheng Xinxin: [Covering Mouth and Laughing.jpg]
Wang Dawei: [Well… um… twiddles fingers… This little lady is getting married~]
Cheng Xinxin: [???]
Wang Dawei: [Sigh, a business marriage alliance, you know how it is. The date’s already been set for May 5. Will you be free? Come be my bridesmaid! I’ll cover all your travel expenses. No need for a hotel, though—you can just stay at my place. I’ll pick out an absolutely gorgeous bridesmaid dress for you, and there’ll be a huge red envelope and wedding favors too! An offer this good doesn’t come around twice~]
Cheng Xin had always expected Wang Tianwei to get married someday, but she hadn’t imagined it would happen so soon.
After all, not long ago, when the two had met up to go shopping, they’d discussed marriage. At the time, Wang Tianwei hadn’t shown any intention of getting married.
How had she suddenly made such a hasty decision?
However, Wang Tianwei had always been good at keeping things to herself. If she didn’t want to discuss something, asking her a hundred times wouldn’t make any difference.
Cheng Xin could only suppress her concerns and begin typing a reply.
Cheng Xinxin: [Of course I’m going! How could I pass up such a profitable deal? Even if I’m busy, I’ll make time. I absolutely have to see just how gorgeous this so-called gorgeous bridesmaid dress is. Hmph! Cat with Hands on Hips.jpg]
Wang Dawei: [I guarantee you’ll be the prettiest girl at the wedding~]
Cheng Xinxin: [Hahaha, then I’ll look forward to it.]
Wang Dawei: [Love you, baby~ Blowing Kisses Cat.jpg]
Cheng Xinxin: [Blowing Kisses Cat.jpg]
After finishing her conversation with Wang Tianwei, Cheng Xin opened her calendar.
May 5 was the last day of the holiday.
That wasn’t too bad.
If she couldn’t make it back on the day of the wedding, she could simply take an extra day off work the following day.
Cheng Xin set a reminder on her phone.
Since there was still plenty of time before the wedding, she began browsing online for a wedding gift for Wang Tianwei.
Flowers were definitely a must, but what else should she get?
After searching through countless options without finding anything satisfactory, Cheng Xin was just about to ask Yan Xiyue for her opinion.
However, when she turned around, she discovered that her friend had already disappeared.
Not only that, but the milk tea she’d placed on Zhao Lin’s desk earlier was gone too.
Clearly, the newly established couple had found somewhere to spend some quality time together.
Cheng Xin smiled and shook her head.
They’d already agreed yesterday to go out for a lovely dinner together.
Sure enough, the moment work ended that evening, Yan Xiyue, her cheeks slightly flushed, dragged Cheng Xin to the entrance of the company building.
Before long, an electric car used for everyday commuting pulled up in front of them.
And who else could be sitting in the driver’s seat but Zhao Lin?
Cheng Xin remembered that Zhao Lin’s rented apartment was somewhere near the company.
For him to drive over despite living so close showed that he was making a genuine effort.
It wasn’t raining that evening.
As night fell, the streetlights along the roads lit up one after another.
By then, Cheng Xin had arrived with Yan Xiyue and Zhao Lin at a Western-style restaurant with a wonderfully romantic atmosphere.
Green plants decorated nearly every corner of the restaurant, while the dining tables were adorned with blooming pink ranunculus flowers.
Under the soft lighting, the entire place looked dazzling and dreamlike.
They’d barely finished ordering, and the food hadn’t even arrived yet, when Yan Xiyue launched into her photography session.
She’d always been someone who loved posting on WeChat Moments. No matter what happened, she enjoyed sharing it with her friends.
After taking several selfies, Yan Xiyue asked Cheng Xin to take a few photographs of her.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Lin volunteered instead, declaring that taking beautiful pictures of his girlfriend was one of a boyfriend’s responsibilities.
Yan Xiyue hesitantly handed him her phone.
Since he sounded so confident, she assumed his photography skills must be pretty decent…
Like hell they were!
Looking at the photograph on her phone, which showed a woman rolling her eyes with practically no neck, Yan Xiyue nearly strangled Zhao Lin on the spot.
In the end, Cheng Xin, who was laughing so hard she could barely contain herself, took the phone and snapped several beautiful pictures of Yan Xiyue that made her look both elegant and slightly melancholic.
Only then did Yan Xiyue finally beam with satisfaction.
By the time they’d finished fooling around, the waiters had brought all their dishes to the table.
As the three chatted while eating, Cheng Xin learned that Zhao Lin’s family circumstances were indeed quite good.
Both his parents worked in government-affiliated positions, and the family owned a house and a car.
However, after the two-child policy was introduced, his parents had another child, who was currently attending elementary school.
The three continued eating until around seven o’clock.
Right on schedule, a WeChat message from Teacher Dong appeared on Cheng Xin’s phone.
At first, Cheng Xin assumed it was just another ordinary check-in from her mother.
However, the moment she unlocked her phone and read the message, the smile on her face instantly froze.
She truly hadn’t expected that the all-powerful Teacher Dong could arrange a blind date for her from several hundred kilometers away.
Cheng Xin immediately placed her phone facedown on the dining table.
I can’t see it. I can’t see it. I can’t—
She hadn’t even finished repeating the words to herself when her phone began ringing.
Cheng Xin felt as though she needed an oxygen tank.
Pressing her lips together, she endured the curious gazes of Yan Xiyue and Zhao Lin, put on a fake smile, and answered the call with deliberately exaggerated surprise.
“Mom! Why are you calling me at this hour?”
“I know you saw my WeChat message. Stop pretending you didn’t,” Teacher Dong immediately exposed her act.
Cheng Xin’s face fell.
“Every time I ask you to go on a blind date, you pull this nonsense. Do you think I’d ever do anything to harm you? This young man is also living in Yicheng right now. He works in finance, and his parents are acquaintances of ours. We know exactly what kind of family he comes from.”
“Mm-hmm,” Cheng Xin replied perfunctorily.
“As if I don’t know you! Ever since you were little, you’ve always liked playing with good-looking people. This young man’s parents are both quite attractive, so he certainly can’t be bad-looking himself. If you’re free tomorrow evening, go meet him. Understand?”
“Understood, Mom.”
Cheng Xin didn’t feel reassured in the slightest.
Her head still ached.
Seeing her like this, Yan Xiyue could only offer some comfort on the way home.
“Who knows? Maybe he’ll turn out to be pretty good.”
Cheng Xin forced a small smile.
Fortunately, they’d just arrived at her residential complex.
After getting out of the car, Cheng Xin waved weakly at her friend before turning and walking toward the buildings.
“At this age, there’s really no escaping pressure to get married unless you’re already in a relationship,” Zhao Lin remarked when he noticed Yan Xiyue was still watching Cheng Xin’s retreating figure.
“Yeah,” Yan Xiyue agreed with a nod.
“Actually, I have a buddy who’s also from Yicheng. His family’s pretty well-off. He’s just not very tall. I could introduce him to Cheng Xin and—”
“Stop right there!” Yan Xiyue immediately interrupted before Zhao Lin could finish.
“Cheng Xin isn’t single because she can’t find anyone. She’s single because she doesn’t want to date anyone, okay?”
“But my buddy’s a pretty good catch.”
“Cheng Xin is an even better catch!”
The bickering couple, who always seemed ready to challenge each other, immediately started arguing again.
In the end, Yan Xiyue emerged victorious.
And she was right.
Zhao Lin had only joined the company a few months ago. What did he know?
A quiet, well-behaved girl like Cheng Xin was actually very popular at the company.
Plenty of men had pursued her!
She’d simply given every single one of them the polite “You’re a nice guy, but…” rejection.
Her official explanation was always that she wanted to focus on building her career at this stage of her life and had no plans to date for the time being.
It was only after they’d grown closer that Yan Xiyue, who had come to understand Cheng Xin’s true obsession with good looks, finally realized the real reason she remained single.
None of the men pursuing her met her standards for physical appearance.
In Cheng Xin’s own words, the boyfriend she chose absolutely had to be someone she could proudly take out in public.
Ideally, he should be so handsome that anyone who saw them together would immediately think:
That woman must have some serious skills to land a man like that.
A man’s looks are a woman’s glory.
Yan Xiyue had to admit that Cheng Xin possessed quite a dry sense of humor.
But speaking of looks, Yan Xiyue felt that, so far, President Xie was probably the only man who met Cheng Xin’s standards.
Yet did those two even have the slightest connection?
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Cheng Xin had finished showering and thrown herself onto her bed.
Perhaps because of her mother’s influence, when she began imagining her little bedtime drama that night, her thoughts unconsciously drifted toward blind dates.
【At the Xie family’s ancestral residence, Xie Jing was having dinner with his parents and Cheng Xin.
He gently set down his bowl and chopsticks.
Then his cool voice slowly sounded.
“A blind date?”】