At noon, the restaurant on the top floor of a five-star hotel buzzed with activity.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling across the polished stone floor and casting an elegant yet chilly glow.
The soft clink of silverware against porcelain blended with hushed conversations and the gentle melody of a piano, creating an atmosphere so refined it was almost flawless.
Only Su Jinyue had no interest in appreciating any of it.
She had never imagined that going on blind dates could be this exhausting.
Sitting upright at the dining table, she lifted her teacup with graceful composure.
Her beautiful face revealed little emotion, while her clear, tranquil eyes gave away nothing of what she was thinking.
The man sitting across from her couldn’t have been more different.
From the moment he sat down, Song Ziqian wore a confident smile.
His tailored suit fit him perfectly, and the watch on his wrist was clearly worth a fortune.
He spent the entire conversation proudly introducing his family’s accomplishments.
“Our Zhang family has been in the construction business for three generations.
More than half the residential developments in East City were built by us.
My grandfather used to be the Chamber of Commerce president, and my father is currently a member of the National Business Association.” Leaning back slightly, he looked at Su Jinyue as though presenting an exceptionally impressive résumé.
“Once we’re married, you’ll become the eldest daughter-in-law of a prestigious family.
Naturally, you’ll never lack for anything.” Su Jinyue gave a faint nod.
She set her teacup onto its saucer so gently that it barely made a sound.
“You’re certainly an outstanding man.” The smile on Song Ziqian’s lips deepened instantly.
But her next sentence froze it in place.
“But I don’t like living under endless rules and obligations in a large family.” “…” Song Ziqian fell silent for several seconds.
He clearly hadn’t expected Su Jinyue to reject a marriage proposal from the Zhang family so bluntly.
She offered no further explanation.
She had never been interested in marriage to begin with.
If her father, Su Zhengting, hadn’t kept forcing her onto blind dates, she would have much rather spent the entire day at the library than sit here listening to strangers brag about their family fortunes.
The first blind date ended unpleasantly.
Then came the second.
Su Jinyue gradually felt as though she were nothing more than a product placed on display, waiting to be evaluated by one unfamiliar man after another.
The next man was named Xia Mingzhe.
The moment he sat down, he skipped the pleasantries.
“I own houses all over the country.” Taking a sip of coffee, Xia Mingzhe wore a smug expression.
“I could drive a different luxury car every day and still have several collecting dust in my garage.
To put it simply, I don’t lack money.
The only thing I’m missing is a wife like you.” Su Jinyue studied him for a few seconds before calmly taking another sip of tea.
“My family has more than enough wealth.” She paused.
“We probably couldn’t spend it all even after three generations.” Then she continued evenly.
“So I have no intention of marrying an ATM.” Xia Mingzhe was used to women trying to impress him.
Her words landed like a slap across his pride.
His face darkened instantly.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and the confidence in his eyes vanished.
Veins bulged across the hand gripping his coffee cup before he slammed it onto the table, drawing curious glances from nearby diners.
He stared at Su Jinyue.
Yet from beginning to end, she remained perfectly calm, barely sparing him another glance.
“You really don’t know a good thing when you see one.” Grinding his teeth, he swallowed his anger, though every trace of his earlier gentlemanly façade had disappeared.
He wanted to say more to salvage his dignity, but every word now would only embarrass him further.
Finally, he let out a cold snort, shoved his chair back, adjusted his cufflinks, and shot her one last resentful glare.
“We’ll see if you can find someone better than me.” With that, he turned and strode away, deliberately letting his footsteps echo across the marble floor as though trying to vent his frustration.
Even after taking several steps, he couldn’t resist looking back.
Su Jinyue had already lowered her eyes to her tea, completely indifferent to his departure.
That only made his expression uglier.
Clenching his jaw, he stormed out of the restaurant.
Beyond the glass windows, the sky stretched endlessly blue without a single cloud.
An airplane drifted slowly across the horizon, leaving a thin white trail behind it.
For some reason, Su Jinyue envied that plane.
At least it knew exactly where it was headed.
She didn’t.
By the third blind date, she had nearly run out of patience.
The man sitting across from her this time wore glasses and dressed far more modestly than the previous two.
He carried himself with the quiet confidence of an intellectual.
His name was Mo Ziyu.
Adjusting his glasses, he introduced himself calmly.
“I work at the City Bureau of Justice.
My family background is ordinary, but my career has excellent prospects.” He paused to observe her.
“If we get married, I’d hope you’d support me with social connections and networking.” Su Jinyue answered without hesitation.
“Being married to someone in public service means dealing with endless relationships and pressure every single day.” A faint smile touched her lips.
“That doesn’t suit someone who enjoys a peaceful life.” Mo Ziyu’s expression changed immediately.
His eyes traveled over her from head to toe before growing increasingly spiteful.
“I’ve heard you’ve rejected quite a few candidates before me.” Su Jinyue remained silent.
“You think wealthy families have too many rules.
You think rich men are too flashy.
And now even someone like me isn’t good enough.” Leaning forward slightly, his voice dropped into open mockery.
“So what?
Are you looking for a man willing to bow his head and obey your every command?” Su Jinyue frowned.
The conversation had already become meaningless.
But Mo Ziyu had no intention of stopping.
He let out a sneer.
“Or maybe you actually prefer women.” Her hand paused around her teacup.
“Maybe the reason you’re still going on blind dates isn’t because you’re picky.” “It’s because no man can stand you.” His words became increasingly vicious.
“You think being some rich heiress makes you special?
You just happened to be born into the right family.
Since you’ve got money, why don’t you buy yourself a mirror?
You’re barely attractive, your family’s wealth isn’t even that extraordinary, yet you act like you’re royalty.” Splash!
A glass of water suddenly emptied over Mo Ziyu’s head.
Water dripped from his hair down his forehead and across his furious face.
Su Jinyue froze as well.
Looking up, she saw a man standing behind Mo Ziyu.
He wore a simple white dress shirt beneath a black blazer.
There was nothing flashy about his appearance, yet his presence somehow overshadowed everything around him.
His sharply defined features remained cold and composed, while his deep, unwavering eyes showed not the slightest ripple of emotion.
An empty glass remained in his hand.
Mo Ziyu jumped to his feet.
“Who the hell are you?” The man placed the empty glass on the table.
He didn’t even bother looking at him.
“A man who doesn’t respect women…” His deep voice remained perfectly calm.
“…doesn’t deserve to know my name.” Mo Ziyu choked on his own anger.
He wanted to explode, but facing the icy gaze before him, he couldn’t force out another word.
In the end, he merely ground his teeth, grabbed his chair, and stormed away.
His figure disappeared beyond the restaurant doors.
Su Jinyue still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
She watched the stranger.
Instead of leaving, he calmly pulled out the chair across from her and sat down as naturally as though it had always belonged to him.
Every movement was relaxed and unhurried, yet somehow carried an undeniable sense of authority.
She looked at him.
He looked back into her eyes.
Silence stretched between them for several seconds.
She had never seen this man before.
At least, not that she could remember.
His gaze briefly landed on the teacup before her before returning to her slightly weary face.
Finally, he spoke.
“I’m the person you’ve been looking for.” Su Jinyue blinked in confusion.
The man continued evenly.
“Miss Su is looking for someone without a prestigious family, without immense wealth, and without a complicated family she’d have to deal with every day.” A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“In that case, I’m the most suitable candidate.” Su Jinyue stared at him for a long moment.
For the first time throughout the entire day of blind dates, she didn’t reject someone immediately.
For the first time she found the man before her unexpectedly intriguing.
What she didn’t know was that this man – Gu Jingshen would one day become the person she loved more than anyone else and the one who would break her heart more than anyone else.