What is despair?
Despair is a toad dreaming of eating swan meat, lacking the self awareness to think she could actually have a blind date with someone like Lin Xuehe.
Wen Ya covered her face. She did not even have the courage to apologize and quietly moved to another corner.
She must have had a pig’s brain. Who was Lin Xuehe? He was someone who did not even give face to the big boss, a man who practically looked down on people from the tip of his nose. Would someone like him lower himself to come on a blind date?
Even if he did go on a blind date, would he not reserve the entire venue?
And even if he did not reserve the venue, would the blind date partner possibly be her?
“Are you alright?”
A concerned voice came from across the table. Wen Ya’s face was red. She could hardly lift her head, but she had no choice but to do so.
“Sorry, I mistook someone just now. I thought that person was you…”
The man in the pink shirt suddenly understood. “So that’s what happened. I thought you came so early because you already had another appointment before this.”
So early?
Even in her embarrassment, Wen Ya caught that key phrase and momentarily forgot her awkwardness. “Early?”
The man in the pink shirt spoke cheerfully. “Yes. The ideas in China and abroad are really different. We emphasize punctuality. Isn’t arriving early just a waste of time? I really don’t understand how people here think.”
Wen Ya, who had arrived early out of politeness only to be criticized for it, said, “Abroad, it is really like that?”
That could not be right, could it?
Emphasizing punctuality should simply mean not being late, right?
The man in the pink shirt shrugged. “I can only say most of the time.”
Wen Ya said awkwardly, “Alright, I only wasted five minutes.”
“Only five minutes?” The man in the pink shirt blinked and sighed in disbelief. “Five minutes can be used to do many things.”
The corner of Wen Ya’s mouth twitched. She was beginning to feel that the real waste was the twenty minutes she spent choosing a dress online, plus the hour she spent getting up early to do her makeup and rushing here.
Perhaps noticing that her expression had turned unpleasant, the man in the pink shirt adjusted his tone again. “Sorry, I unconsciously switched into work pattern. That might have sounded a bit harsh to you.”
“It’s alright. Just different perspectives.”
The man in the pink shirt smiled. “Yes, just like this blind date. I will be honest, please don’t mind. I really dislike this whole blind date practice among Chinese people.”
Blind dates have no national boundaries, perhaps only differences in form. Who says being introduced by friends is not a kind of blind date?
Wen Ya maintained her smile. Although she herself was not very fond of blind dates either, the form itself should not be criticized.
“What kind of people need blind dates? Only people without ability need blind dates.” The man in the pink shirt spoke decisively.
Wen Ya, a person without ability, continued smiling.
“Sorry, I am a very straightforward person. Of course I am not saying you have no ability, but as a woman you even took the initiative to send out your photo…” The man in the pink shirt hummed thoughtfully for a moment before producing a single word, “Cool.”
At that point, Wen Ya could finally define her blind date partner. This person was a perfect blend of East and West, successfully discarding the strengths and keeping the worst parts of both.
Unfortunately, her mother had tried to find her a blind date with better conditions, yet had overlooked a phrase passed down through Chinese culture for many years.
Matching families of equal status. Reaching above one’s station is not so easy.
Because their parents were friends and it was her family who had contacted the other side first, Wen Ya could not turn hostile. She spent the entire time with lowered eyes, quietly listening as he delivered grand speeches mixing Chinese and English.
After finishing one cup of coffee, the man in the pink shirt ended the conversation with impressive “efficiency” and summarized.
“Well then, that’s it. But now that I think about it, it’s really strange. This is the first time I have seen a café open for business as early as nine in the morning.”
Wen Ya stood up and curled her lips slightly. “Perhaps it is because there are differences between China and abroad.”
The man in the pink shirt shrugged again. “Alright then.”
After splitting the bill, they left the café and exchanged another farewell.
The man in the pink shirt reminded her with concern, “Remember to convey my meaning to your parents. I truly dislike the form of blind dates. If we met in another setting, perhaps we could still…”
Wen Ya interrupted him. “Overemphasizing things is also a waste of time. I will explain it clearly.”
“OK.”
The man in the pink shirt blinked and added, “Ah, one more thing. There are too many backward customs in this country. If I don’t drive you home, people here won’t gossip about me, right?”
“Differences between home and abroad.”
The man in the pink shirt gave her a satisfied wink. “Well, do as you like. Bye.”
Wen Ya waved and watched his car drive away. Only then did she move her lips and mutter, “Stupid idiot.”
Lin Xuehe, who had just come out and happened to hear that sentence, “….”
“Miss Wen?”
A flat voice full of mockery came from behind her. Wen Ya felt as if she had been electrocuted, goosebumps instantly rising all over her body.
Wen Ya gritted her teeth and ran off without even turning her head. The wind lifted her carefully styled bangs and turned them into a messy middle part.
To hell with being a lady!
Today was truly a wonderful day!!!
She returned home with her hair disheveled. Mother Wen was in the kitchen kneading fish balls. When she saw her, she cried out in shock.
“Oh my!”
Wen Ya flashed a grin, practically writing the words “ha ha” across the middle part of her hairline.
Mother Wen hurriedly set down the fish balls and rushed out of the kitchen. “Are you still the daughter who went on a blind date today?”
“No.” Wen Ya looked at her coldly. “I am a super typhoon.”
After saying that, she even rubbed her long hair again as if it were not messy enough.
Mother Wen was both annoyed and amused. “Go on, go on. What happened? You came back so early. It didn’t go well?”
“How could that be? He even said I was very cool.”
“Cool?”
Wen Ya nodded. “He said a girl taking the initiative to send out her photo is very cool.”
No one was foolish. As soon as Mother Wen heard that, her face darkened, half guilty and half angry. “He even studied abroad, yet he speaks so unpleasantly!”
“Mom, let me be honest with you. Our conditions are right there, so let’s not aim too high. Instead of hoping I marry into a wealthy family and fly up the branches to become a phoenix, it would be better to hope I get promoted and earn a raise so I can transform myself.”
Wen Ya had thought it through clearly. “If you really insist on me going on blind dates, then pick someone based on character and personality. Don’t get jealous just because someone has good conditions. We should still look for someone of equal standing, it’s less pressure that way.”
Mother Wen’s eyes reddened. “Why can’t my daughter find someone good?”
“Because your daughter is at best the prettiest in the whole neighborhood, not someone famous across the country.” Wen Ya patted her back to comfort her. She herself felt quite irritated, so she planned to return to her room and lie down for a while to recover her energy.
After walking several steps, she turned back and reminded Mother Wen, “And don’t keep worrying about this. I’m twenty five, not thirty five. There’s no need to rush like this.”
After saying that, she returned to her room, tossed down her bag, kicked off her shoes, and burrowed into the blanket.
Stop thinking about it.
Once sea turtles have basked enough in the sun, they always return to the ocean.
Monday, the start of a brand new week.
When her colleague saw Wen Ya, she was startled by her lifeless eyes. “We haven’t seen you for two days. What happened?”
Wen Ya raised two fingers.
Her colleague was uncertain. “Peace sign?”
Wen Ya was furious. She shook her two thin fingers vigorously. “Two nights. Two whole nights of being haunted by nightmares!”
“……”
Her eyes were bloodshot. “There was a monster biting me and refusing to let go, no matter what! And it kept repeating the same sentence!”
Her colleague grew a little curious. “What monster?”
Wen Ya slapped the desk. “Peppa Pig!”
“…What a cute monster.” Her colleague felt conflicted. “My daughter likes watching that. So what did it say?”
Wen Ya’s face darkened as she lowered her voice.
“Miss Wen—”
A hand suddenly reached over and roughly covered her forehead. Wen Ya hurriedly pulled it away, paying particular attention to her appearance. “What are you doing? I spent five minutes this morning blow drying these bangs!”
Her colleague looked innocent. “You don’t have a fever, so why are you talking nonsense?”
Wen Ya was enraged. Truly, the day does not understand the darkness of night. Some people simply cannot be taught.
Better to work! Only work torments everyone equally!
After a busy morning, the internal office phone rang.
“Wen Ya, make two cups of coffee.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
Putting down her work, Wen Ya happily stood up and walked toward the pantry. She actually quite enjoyed making coffee.
Carrying the coffee to the door of the big boss’s office, she knocked twice out of formality. Gathering her spirits and putting on a smile, she slowly pushed the door open.
Their eyes met.
Lin Xuehe sat leisurely on the leather sofa. “Miss Wen?”
Wen Ya’s smile froze at the corners of her mouth. “……”
The big boss, completely unaware of the reference, looked puzzled. “Xuehe, you’ve never used that half foreign style of addressing people before.”
“I used to not, but…”
“Mr. Jiang can call me whatever he likes.” At the critical moment, Wen Ya gathered her courage and rudely interrupted him. While steadily placing the coffee down, she pretended to remain calm. “Your coffee.”
After setting down the coffee, she straightened up and looked at the big boss with a calm expression. “Do you have any other instructions?”
The big boss pondered for a moment before speaking. “Here is the situation. I’ll need to trouble you for the next few days. Xuehe arrived in a hurry, and the house his company arranged for him is in a bad location. Try to find a few apartments not far from his company with better conditions this week and let him choose.”
Wen Ya stared blankly at Lin Xuehe for a moment. He remained as cold as ever.
“I already have your contact information. I will send you the specific requirements later.”
Monday, the start of a brand new week.
Wen Ya’s vision went dark. All she wanted was to grab this overseas returnee in front of her with her bare hands, the one who did not eat scallions, ginger, or garlic, did not eat spicy food, seafood, organs, chicken, duck, fish, pork, or vegetables.
And drown him in the toilet.