As soon as Lin Zhou got home, Xie Wei’s relentless barrage came in.
Rubbing her slightly aching temples, Lin Zhou already anticipated how the call would go. She put the phone on speaker before answering, worried that the volume on the other end might be too loud and hurt her ears.
“Lin Zhou, I carefully arranged a blind date for you. How could you just leave the other person at the bar and walk off on your own?!” Xie Wei’s voice was just as ear-splitting as Lin Zhou had expected.
“Sister Weiwei, please have mercy. Male models may have great bodies and looks, but I don’t like younger men. Don’t casually introduce people to me anymore. As for fate, let it take its course.” Vita hadn’t even mentioned that she left with Gu Minxuan. That kid was quite thoughtful in her own way.
“Can’t you at least try? Vita really likes you.” Sure enough, Lin Zhou had guessed it right. This call from Xie Wei was instigated by Vita.
Lin Zhou never beat around the bush. “But I don’t like her. If I don’t like someone, even trying feels like a waste of time.” The words were a bit harsh. If Vita were standing beside Xie Wei and heard this, she would probably give up completely.
Vita was at least five years younger than Lin Zhou. Lin Zhou had no intention of being both a wife and a mother.
At the bar, Xie Wei hung up helplessly. “No chance.”
Her gaze was suddenly drawn to a man in a suit sitting in the corner. In the middle of summer, wearing a full suit outdoors was rather conspicuous. It was precisely that sense of incongruity that made Xie Wei take a few extra looks.
He couldn’t be called stunningly handsome, but if ten were a perfect score, he was easily a seven or eight. More importantly, his figure was excellent. Even seated, the well-fitted suit could barely contain his defined muscles.
Most crucially, the man radiated the charm of a mature man from head to toe.
Xie Wei pushed away the clingy Vita and walked straight toward him. She took a glass of wine from a waiter, and her graceful figure quickly appeared in front of the man.
“Hello, I’m Xie Wei, the owner here. May I have a drink with you?”
Her voice was pleasant, clear and melodious, completely at odds with her alluring figure.
Qin Cheng curved his lips into a smile. “Of course.” Having been stood up by Gu Minxuan, drinking alone was rather dull anyway. Since the owner herself came over to sit with him, chatting for a while wouldn’t hurt.
With his consent, Xie Wei naturally sat down across from Qin Cheng and started chatting casually. As they talked, she discovered that Qin Cheng was a graduate of B University and was actually Lin Zhou’s alumnus.
Xie Wei’s eyes lit up. “Mr. Qin, do you have a girlfriend?”
Caught off guard by the question, Qin Cheng thought to himself that perhaps the owner had taken a liking to him. He put on a reserved air and replied, “I’m too busy. I don’t have time for dating.”
Worried that Xie Wei might misunderstand and think he was out looking for a fling, he added, “I only came out to meet a friend today, but I got stood up.”
“That’s fine. Your friend stood you up, but you made a friend out of me. You’re not losing out, are you?” Xie Wei’s easy familiarity was something she had honed from running a bar. If you didn’t thicken your skin and build rapport with customers, how could you get regulars?
“What the boss says makes a lot of sense.” Qin Cheng raised his glass and clinked it with hers again. He secretly observed Xie Wei. She had a bright, captivating face, without heavy makeup, just a light touch of color on her lips, which suited her perfectly.
She had an open personality and was very talkative. Even sitting together for a long time, there was no awkward silence.
In Qin Cheng’s mind, Xie Wei earned a solid nine out of ten.
Xie Wei was also secretly sizing up Qin Cheng. Judging by his seated posture, he had to be at least 180 centimeters tall. Standing next to Lin Zhou, he would be just right.
“What do you do for a living, Mr. Qin? You’re so well-dressed and carry yourself so well. Let me guess, are you the boss of some company?”
She said it jokingly, but in reality she was probing for more information, mentally comparing him to Lin Zhou to see whether he might be suitable.
She sighed inwardly. She really was acting like an old mother, worrying about Lin Zhou’s marriage all day long.
Now she was even asking about his profession.
Qin Cheng subconsciously straightened his back. It seemed Boss Xie was quite satisfied with his initial information and wanted to learn more.
He cleared his throat and said modestly, “I’m not a boss. I just co-founded a law firm with a few friends.”
Xie Wei couldn’t help slapping her thigh. This was great. Co-founding a law firm meant he was basically the boss of a law firm. His profession matched Chengdu’s, and he was even more accomplished.
If Lin Zhou dated Qin Cheng and then ran into Chengdu, it would be a perfect slap in Chengdu’s face.
Chengdu was just a small-time lawyer, yet he had dared to dump Lin Zhou, thinking she wouldn’t be able to find anyone better. She would show him that without Lawyer Cheng, Lin Zhou could still find Lawyer Qin, whose position was even higher.
The more she thought about it, the more satisfied she felt. The smile on her face nearly reached her ears. “Lawyer Qin, how about we add each other on WeChat?”
She would help Lin Zhou screen him first. If everything checked out, Lawyer Qin would become Lin Zhou’s second blind date candidate.
Seeing Xie Wei’s undisguised enthusiasm, Qin Cheng felt pleased as well. There was hope.
The two of them sat together for the entire evening. By the time Xie Wei’s bar closed, it was already past midnight.
“It’s so late. Let me take you home.” Earlier, after drinking, Qin Cheng had felt warm and took off his suit jacket, draping it over the sofa. He was left in just a shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
After chatting for a while, Xie Wei learned that Qin Cheng had just attended a court hearing that afternoon. He hadn’t had time to change before meeting his friend, only to be stood up.
Luckily, he ran into Xie Wei, with whom he could chat so pleasantly. Otherwise, the trip would have been a waste.
Xie Wei was quite happy to hear that. She thought this man really knew how to talk, far better than Chengdu.
Now he was even being gentlemanly and offering to take her home. Very good, worth further observation. Still, she said, “It’s fine. I’m used to getting home late. I have a regular designated driver who will pick me up.”
Rejected, Qin Cheng didn’t look unhappy, nor did he insist. Independent women were good. At least they wouldn’t constantly bother you while you were working.
Qin Cheng had always wanted someone more independent. Unfortunately, the ones who liked him tended to be overly delicate, which didn’t interest him.
When they were about to part, Xie Wei asked, “Lawyer Qin, what kind of girl do you like?”
“Someone independent.” Like you. Qin Cheng put it very tactfully, though his eyes rested on Xie Wei.
Unfortunately, Xie Wei was used to men staring at her directly, openly displaying their desire. Qin Cheng’s gaze was too frank and restrained, and she completely failed to read into it. Instead, she felt particularly pleased. Lin Zhou was exactly that kind of person.
Very good. The second round of evaluation passed.
Satisfied, Xie Wei nodded and waved goodbye. “Lawyer Qin, come have a drink at my bar when you have time. It’s on me. If you can’t find anyone to eat with or something, you can call me too. I’m just busier at night. I’m quite free during the day.”
Was this an invitation for a second meeting? Qin Cheng felt delighted, but only smiled faintly. “Alright.”
After seeing Xie Wei off, Qin Cheng called Gu Minxuan. Gu Minxuan was in a bad mood and couldn’t sleep. When Qin Cheng called, he answered quickly. “Lawyer Qin, calling this late. Got dumped?”
Qin Cheng shook the suit jacket draped over his arm and said smugly, “President Gu, I think I’ve run into some romantic luck.”
Already in a bad mood, Gu Minxuan had to endure this provocation in the middle of the night. He forced a smile and said, “Congratulations.” Not sincere at all.
“You’re a bit off today, aren’t you?” Qin Cheng said as he got into the passenger seat, waiting for his driver.
“It’s nothing. You’re successful in love. Am I not allowed to fail in love?”
Qin Cheng burst out laughing on the other end. “Even you, Gu Minxuan, can’t get someone you want? That’s not right. Don’t you date?”
Gu Minxuan was annoyed as well. He didn’t want to date, yet the woman he wanted didn’t like transactional relationships. “I’ve changed,” he said gloomily. After enduring another round of Qin Cheng’s laughter, the already unpleasant night became even more restless.
Lin Zhou, did he want her, or not?