When firefighters were mentioned, for some reason, Xu Jialan actually thought of him.
Her fingertips curled slightly as she looked into Madam Liang’s expectant eyes. After pausing for a few seconds, she nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll go.”
Madam Liang beamed, “Good, I’ll send you the meeting address later.”
Xu Jialan: “…Okay.”
After dinner, it was already very late.
Xu Jialan bid farewell to Old Liang and his wife, then drove home.
While driving, her phone chimed.
Xu Jialan glanced quickly and saw that it was a message from Madam Liang.
Thinking about how she had actually agreed to go on a blind date, she suddenly felt a bit of regret.
Why did her emotions become so unsettled just because she heard about someone with the same profession as him?
…
The next day, Saturday.
The alarm on her phone kept ringing.
A fair arm reached out from under the covers, grabbed the phone, and turned off the alarm.
Xu Jialan lingered in bed for over ten minutes before slowly getting up.
Her soft long hair draped lazily down her back, making her appear less aloof and more gentle.
After finishing her morning routine, she heard her phone notify her of an incoming message.
Xu Jialan bent over, picked up the phone beside her pillow, and saw it was a message from Madam Liang.
She was asking if she had gotten up and reminding her not to forget the blind date later.
Seeing the words “blind date,” Xu Jialan fell silent for a long moment before replying to Madam Liang.
Xu Jialan: 【Got it, Madam. I won’t forget.】
She walked to the walk-in closet and looked at the clothes inside, which were almost all various shirts and wide-leg trousers in monotonous styles.
These… probably weren’t suitable for a blind date, right?
Xu Jialan hesitated for a moment, then dug out a white fishtail skirt from the corner of the wardrobe and pulled out a light gray-green shirt to change into.
Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection and thought she seemed genuinely different from usual.
Xu Jialan’s brow twitched slightly.
It was just a perfunctory blind date—why was she taking it so seriously?
After some thought, she considered changing her outfit again, but checking the time, she realized it was almost too late.
Grabbing her bag, phone, and car keys, Xu Jialan headed out.
The agreed-upon restaurant was in the city center of Nancheng.
When she arrived near the restaurant, there was some traffic congestion.
Xu Jialan struggled to find a parking spot and, by the time she parked, was already five minutes late.
Frowning, she quickened her pace toward the restaurant.
As soon as she entered, a server approached her.
“Miss, are you here for a meal?”
Xu Jialan paused slightly, “Yes, but a private room has already been reserved. It’s number 302.”
The server checked the reservation information and smiled, “Are you Miss Xu?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Alright, this way please.”
The main hall was almost full.
Xu Jialan glanced around briefly before looking away.
The private room was on the third floor.
The environment was very quiet.
The server gradually came to a stop, “Miss Xu, we’ve arrived at private room 302.”
Xu Jialan nodded, “Thank you.”
She stepped forward, lightly knocked three times on the door, and then pushed it open.
Xu Jialan looked up.
A man was already sitting there.
He also looked up.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
Xu Jialan’s mind went blank for a moment.
The man was clearly surprised as well, then he curved his lips into a smile, “So it’s you, Xu Jialan.”
The voice was somewhat deep, familiar to her yet carrying a trace of unfamiliarity.
Xu Jialan snapped back to reality, her hand unconsciously tightening around her handbag.
It took her a long moment to find her voice again. “You… came for a blind date?”
Shen Xichuan’s thin lips curved slightly upward, but he didn’t answer her question. Instead, he turned his gaze to the waiter behind him. “We’re ready to order now.”
He stood up and pulled out the adjacent chair with gentlemanly grace. “Have a seat first, and we can talk slowly.”
Watching his movements, Xu Jialan paused for half a second before stepping forward and sitting down.
“Thank you.”
Shen Xichuan raised an eyebrow with a light smile and sat down as well, his gaze resting openly on her face.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Being this close to him made Xu Jialan somewhat nervous, though she showed no sign of it on her face. She offered a faint smile. “Much better.”
She pressed her lips together. “Last time… thank you.”
Shen Xichuan raised an eyebrow. “Just doing my job. No need to thank me.”
Just then, the waiter arrived with a tablet for them to place their order.
Shen Xichuan gestured slightly. “You order. See what you’d like to eat.”
“Alright.”
Xu Jialan took the tablet, lowering her eyes to browse the menu.
She took a subtle deep breath, trying to calm herself.
But her fingertips still trembled almost imperceptibly as she swiped through the screen.
After selecting a few dishes, she handed the tablet back to the man beside her.
Shen Xichuan took it, glancing down as he reviewed her choices.
After a moment, he raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
He added a dessert before returning the tablet to the waiter.
“Thank you.”
The private room fell into silence.
A truly profound silence.
Xu Jialan didn’t know what to say.
Shen Xichuan picked up the water pitcher, poured a glass, and placed it before her.
Xu Jialan was momentarily taken aback. “Thank you.”
The corners of Shen Xichuan’s mouth lifted slightly as he took a sip of water. “What about you? Coming for a blind date right after being discharged from the hospital?”
Just as she was about to drink, his words made Xu Jialan nearly choke.
A hint of helplessness flashed in Shen Xichuan’s eyes. “Be careful. I’m not going to eat you.”
The tips of Xu Jialan’s ears turned red. She pressed her lips together and set down her glass.
Her cool fingertips lightly touched the cup’s surface, the tea’s warmth gradually returning feeling to her hands.
She lowered her head slightly. “I… Madam asked me to come. She said…”
Shen Xichuan tilted his head, perfectly at ease. “What did she say?”
Remembering Madam Liang’s words, a soft smile touched Xu Jialan’s lips. “She told me to come see if her newfound friend’s son truly possesses both talent and looks.”
Seeing her smile, Shen Xichuan’s gaze deepened slightly.
Xu Jialan was quite beautiful. The light green clothing made her skin appear exceptionally fair, and that smile was like a frozen snow lotus suddenly thawing, revealing its inherent brilliance.
The man chuckled softly, his profound eyes fixed on her. “Now that you’ve seen me, what do you think?”
Hearing this, Xu Jialan visibly froze. “What?”
“Xu Jialan, what do you think of me?” Shen Xichuan asked with sincere seriousness.