The next morning.
Qin Shuzhi groggily opened her eyes and found herself lying in her own bed.
Her head was still a bit dizzy. She propped herself up, shook her head, and then remembered what had happened last night.
Last night, she had been drinking alone at a bar. By the time Qi Yishan called her, she had already drunk quite a lot, which scared Qi Yishan into rushing over to the bar and dragging her home.
The phone on the nightstand rang. She picked it up and saw it was Qi Yishan, so she answered with a yawn.
“Drunkard, are you awake yet?”
“I’m awake. Thanks for last night.”
“You…” Qi Yishan asked cautiously, “Were you drinking last night because of my brother?”
Qin Shuzhi rolled her eyes, not very elegantly. “Does he really think that highly of himself?”
“Then why?”
Qin Shuzhi let out a sigh and told her about what had happened when she went home yesterday.
“So, right now… your marriage is the number one priority in your family?”
Qin Shuzhi said gloomily, “Yes, it is.”
“Then what are you going to do? You and my scumbag brother are completely done, so where are you going to find someone who meets your marriage standards in such a short time to fulfill this requirement?”
Qin Shuzhi sighed and lay back on the bed. “Who knows? Maybe… heaven will take pity on me and send me a perfect match?”
She said it jokingly, but she had already decided that she still needed to go home today and tell her parents about the breakup.
Qi Yishan let out a dry “heh heh” laugh and mimicked her tone. “Maybe… you just drank too much last night. Honey, my suggestion is that you get some more sleep. Daydreaming is still pretty nice.”
Qin Shuzhi played along. “Alright, if that doesn’t work… I’ll ask the God of Dreams in a bit if he has anyone for me.”
Qi Yishan couldn’t keep the bit going anymore. “Goodbye.”
After hanging up, Qin Shuzhi held her phone and suddenly remembered that when Qi Yishan’s call had come in last night, she seemed to have been on another call.
The other caller wasn’t a telemarketer, but rather…
Mr. Shi.
Remembering that little episode, Qin Shuzhi sat up abruptly and immediately searched through last night’s call log, then called the unfamiliar number back.
It was picked up quickly. “Miss Qin?”
Before Qin Shuzhi could even say anything, a magnetic, pleasant voice came through first.
“Hello, Mr. Shi.”
Qin Shuzhi smiled apologetically. “Um… sorry, when you called me last night, I was at the bar, so…”
She didn’t even know how the call had been disconnected.
“I know.” Shi Yuanxing’s voice was gentle.
When he had arrived at the bar last night, she was already gone.
Worried that something had happened to her, he had checked the surveillance footage at the bar and only left after confirming that her friend had taken her away.
“Are you alright?”
He was asking about her hangover.
“I’m fine, thanks for your concern… Are you free today? I’d like to return the things I borrowed from you.”
There was a brief pause on the other end, then he asked, “Have you had breakfast yet?”
“…Not yet.”
Shi Yuanxing said, “Then shall we meet for dim sum?”
“Sure.” Qin Shuzhi agreed readily. It worked out perfectly—she wanted to treat him to a meal to express her gratitude anyway.
Shi Yuanxing gave her an address. After hanging up, Qin Shuzhi quickly got herself ready and headed out.
Half an hour later, she arrived at the meeting spot.
It was a teahouse with an antique charm.
Qin Shuzhi told the server the room number Yuanxing had given her, and the server led her to a private dining room.
After thanking the server, Qin Shuzhi opened the door and went in.
Just inside the entrance stood an elegant folding screen.
She walked around the screen and was about to head further in when she heard a man’s voice from within—tinged with helplessness and a hint of laughter.
“Grandma, if you keep this up, you’re overacting.”
Qin Shuzhi paused mid-step and peered inside, catching sight of a tall, straight-backed figure standing by the window.
“…Please stop setting me up on blind dates. I’ll find my own wife… What?”
The man pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation. “You’re giving me three days to bring you back a granddaughter-in-law?”
“Grandma, don’t be silly. Marriage isn’t a game—once you marry someone, you’re responsible for them for life…”
As Shi Yuanxing spoke, he turned around, and his gaze unexpectedly met a pair of beautiful peach-blossom eyes.
“Grandma, I have something to take care of. I’ll talk to you later.”
He hung up the phone in a hurry.
Qin Shuzhi stood there awkwardly, holding a bag in her hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
She had actually been considering quietly slipping back out, but he turned around just then.
“No harm done.”
Shi Yuanxing put away his phone and gave a gentle smile. “I thought you’d take a little longer to get here.”
Qin Shuzhi explained, “I took a cab over. The driver probably knew the route well, so we got here a bit faster.”
Shi Yuanxing walked to the small round table and pulled out a chair for her. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Once she was seated, he walked around to the opposite side and sat down, then picked up the teapot beside him, poured a cup of tea, and slid it over to Qin Shuzhi. “Flower tea—would you like to try it?”
“Sure.”
Qin Shuzhi picked up the warm cup and took a sip. The floral fragrance was rich, with a refreshing, mind-clearing quality.
“It’s very good,” she praised.
“This flower tea helps clear the mind and sober you up.”
Hearing this, Qin Shuzhi’s hand paused as she set down the cup, and she suddenly looked at the handsome, refined man before her.
So, he had ordered it specially for her hungover state?
This man was truly attentive.
“Oh, right—the shawl and shoes. I’m returning them to you.”
Qin Shuzhi handed him the bag she’d brought and thanked him once again.
Looking at the shawl again, she guessed it must have belonged to his grandmother.
Recalling his phone call just now, besides the respect in his words toward his elder, there was also a coaxing, soothing tone in his gentle voice.
Clearly, he was a very filial person.
Just as she was thinking this, two servers knocked and came in to serve the dishes.
They set plate after plate of delicate pastries on the table, then withdrew and closed the door behind them.
“These are all light, signature snacks of this place. See if they suit your taste?”
Qin Shuzhi couldn’t help but look at him.
Given that pot of hangover-relieving tea, it wasn’t hard to guess that these snacks had also been specially ordered for her.
He wasn’t just attentive—he was also considerate.
Suddenly, her mother’s words echoed in Qin Shuzhi’s mind: “The first requirement of a quality husband is gentleness and thoughtfulness…”
Shi Yuanxing used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of milky-white pastry into her bowl. When he looked up, he saw the woman staring at him without blinking.
Thinking she disliked having food placed in her bowl, he was about to apologize when he heard her suddenly ask:
“Mr. Shi… would you be interested in marrying me?”
Shi Yuanxing’s pupils trembled violently, and he looked at her in disbelief. “You… what did you say?”
“I just heard that your elder seems quite anxious about your marriage.”
And she’d only given him three days to get it done.
Qin Shuzhi mustered her courage. “So, would you be willing to marry me?”
Shi Yuanxing’s breath caught in his throat. He struggled to suppress the surging emotions within him. It was a long moment before he steadied his voice and managed to ask, “Miss Qin, are you… sure you’re sober now?”