Chapter Two: The Blind Date That Turned Into Someone Else

2. The Blind Date That Turned Into Someone Else

The matchmaking agency arranged their first social gathering at a café in the city center.

It was Saturday afternoon. Sunlight slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and several green potted plants beside the windows swayed gently in the breeze. The aroma of coffee mixed with the sweetness of freshly baked bread and filled the air.

Ji Baozhu sat by the window, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the coffee spoon on the table.

Sitting across from her, Lin Wanhua looked much more relaxed.

“Bao-jie, relax a little.” Wanhua lifted her coffee and took a leisurely sip. “The more nervous you are, the easier it is for the other person to notice.”

“I’m not nervous.” Bao-jie stubbornly denied it.

“You’ve looked at the door seventeen times since we got here.”

“Have I?”

“You have.” Wanhua held back a laugh.

“And you’ve rearranged the sugar packets on the table three times.”

Bao-jie lowered her head and looked. Sure enough, the six packets of sugar had already been lined up in a perfectly neat row.

“I just think they weren’t arranged properly.”

“Bao-jie.” Wanhua patted her hand. “This is a blind date, not a sugar-packet military parade.”

Bao-jie could not help laughing. “Stop making fun of me.”

“I’m just afraid you’ll get so nervous that you’ll scare the man away later.”

“Am I really that scary?”

“Not scary.” Wanhua thought for a moment. “It’s just that your presence is too strong.”

“Then I’ll tone it down a little later.”

“Good.”

As the two women were talking, a slightly heavyset, middle-aged man wearing a dark suit walked over.

He looked to be around fifty. His hair was combed perfectly, he wore an expensive watch on his wrist, and he carried himself with the air of a successful businessman.

He stopped beside the table and looked at Bao-jie first. “Excuse me, are you Ms. Ji?”

Bao-jie immediately stood up. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Hello, my name is Chen Guodong.” The man extended his hand. “I currently run a trading company.”

“Hello.” Bao-jie quickly shook his hand.

“And this is...” Chen Guodong's gaze fell on Wanhua.

“My friend.” Bao-jie quickly introduced her. “She came with me.”

“Oh.” Chen Guodong nodded.

“Please, sit. Sit.”

The three of them took their seats. At first, the atmosphere was fairly normal.

Chen Guodong asked Bao-jie about her age, work, interests, and what she usually liked to do.

Bao-jie answered each question one by one.

“I manage several rental properties myself.”

“Oh, you’re a landlord?”

“Yes.”

“That’s pretty good.” Chen Guodong nodded. “You must be pretty busy normally.”

“Not really.” Bao-jie smiled. “The tenants are all pretty well-behaved.”

“Tenants?” Chen Guodong looked at her.

“The young people who live in my properties.”

“Oh...” he responded.

The conversation continued for several minutes, and Bao-jie gradually relaxed.

However, at some point, she noticed that Chen Guodong's gaze seemed to keep drifting to the side.

And the direction of that gaze—not toward her.

It was toward Lin Wanhua.

“What does Ms. Lin do?” Chen Guodong suddenly asked.

Wanhua was slightly startled. “Me?”

“Yes.”

“I work at a television station.”

“A television station?”

Chen Guodong's eyes lit up. “Are you a host?”

“No.” Wanhua shook her head with a smile. “I write scripts.”

“A screenwriter?”

“Something like that.”

“That’s interesting.” Chen Guodong unconsciously leaned forward a little.

“What do you usually write?”

“Television dramas.”

“Romance stories?”

“Sometimes.”

“Then you must understand women very well.”

Wanhua smiled. “I only know how to write women. That doesn’t necessarily mean I understand women.”

“Hahaha.” Chen Guodong burst out laughing.

Bao-jie sat beside them and took a sip of coffee. Suddenly, she felt that the coffee tasted a little bitter.

“So...” Chen Guodong asked again, “Does Ms. Lin have a boyfriend?”

Bao-jie nearly choked on her coffee. She looked up.

“Mr. Chen.”

“Yes?”

“Isn’t this supposed to be a blind date between you and me?”

Chen Guodong froze. “Yes.”

“Then why do you keep asking her questions?”

The man smiled awkwardly. “I was just... making conversation.”

“Oh.” Bao-jie nodded. “Then keep talking.”

After saying that, she actually moved her chair back a little, folded her arms across her chest, and assumed the posture of a spectator.

Wanhua looked at her and almost burst out laughing.

“Bao-jie.”

“You two talk.” Bao-jie lowered her voice. “I’ll just be the extra person today.”

“Seriously?” Wanhua tried to hold back her laughter.

Chen Guodong clearly did not notice the subtle change in the atmosphere. Instead, he became more and more enthusiastic as the conversation continued.

“Ms. Lin, I really admire talented women.”

“Thank you.”

“If you’re willing, I’d really like to take you out to dinner sometime.”

Bao-jie finally could not hold back any longer. “Mr. Chen.”

“Yes?”

“Did you get the wrong person?”

Chen Guodong froze.

Wanhua finally burst out laughing as well.

Chen Guodong said seriously, “I’m sorry.”

She quickly waved her hand. “Mr. Chen, I came here with Bao-jie today.”

Chen Guodong looked at Bao-jie, then at Wanhua. The situation suddenly became rather awkward.

“I...” He cleared his throat twice. “I just feel that Ms. Lin and I have more to talk about.”

Bao-jie nodded. “I understand.” She smiled very naturally. “Then you two keep talking.”

With that, she lowered her head and drank her coffee. Inside, however, she could not help sighing.

At my very first blind date, the companion I brought along stole the man away from me.

What was this supposed to be? Going on a blind date and ending up matching with someone else?

Wanhua kept holding back her laughter. It was not until the two of them walked out of the café that Bao-jie stopped.

“Go ahead and laugh.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“Your mouth is practically stretched from ear to ear.”

Wanhua finally burst out laughing. “Bao-jie, don’t be angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Bao-jie shrugged. “I just think that man doesn’t have very good taste.”

“What do you mean?”

“He fell for you, which means he still has some taste.”

Wanhua froze for a moment.

“He fell for me?”

“Exactly.” Bao-jie said with a completely serious expression, “So his taste is still questionable.”

“...” Wanhua did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Bao-jie, are you complimenting me or insulting me?”

“You decide.”

The two women looked at each other and smiled.

3. The second social gathering was arranged at a Chinese restaurant.

This time, Bao-jie had learned her lesson from the previous encounter.

She deliberately chose a simple, elegant dress in a subdued color and restyled her hair. Before leaving the house, she even stood in front of the mirror for several minutes, looking at herself.

“Do I look okay?” she asked.

Standing behind her, Wallace Yu-kan nodded.

“You look great.”

Bao-jie turned around. “Really?”

“Really.” Yu-kan smiled sincerely. “You look very young today, Bao-jie.”

“You really know how to say the right thing.” Bao-jie smiled with satisfaction.

This time, Yu-kan was her companion. As they had agreed beforehand, his identity today was Bao-jie's “cousin.”

The two of them sat against the wall of the restaurant and waited.

Before long, a man in his fifties walked in.

He was wearing a simple shirt and trousers. Unlike Mr. Chen from the first date, he had neither a suit nor an expensive watch, but his expression was calm and steady.

“Excuse me, are you Ms. Ji?”

“Yes.” Bao-jie stood up.

“Hello, my last name is Wang.” After sitting down, Mr. Wang looked from Bao-jie to Yu-kan.

“And this is...?”

Bao-jie smiled as she introduced him. “My cousin, Yu-kan.”

“Oh, your cousin.” Mr. Wang nodded.

“Hello.” Yu-kan politely inclined his head. “Hello, Mr. Wang.”

A server brought them the menus.

But Mr. Wang did not hurry to order. Instead, he began chatting with Bao-jie.

“What do you normally do, Ms. Ji?”

“I manage a house myself.”

“You’re a landlord?”

“Something like that.”

“Oh.” The man nodded. “Your life must be pretty stable.”

Bao-jie smiled. “It’s okay.”

She began trying to talk about her interests and daily life, and even mentioned that she liked jewelry design.

But after only a few sentences, she suddenly noticed that Mr. Wang seemed distracted.

Once again, his gaze drifted toward Yu-kan.

“Mr. Yu, what do you do for a living?”

“I draw portraits in the park.”

“You paint?” Mr. Wang's eyes lit up.

“You’re an artist?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Yu-kan smiled modestly.

“I just make a living by drawing.”

“That’s great.” Mr. Wang carefully studied Yu-kan. “For a young man, having a skill you can rely on is the most important thing.”

Bao-jie quietly sipped her tea beside them. She suddenly had a very familiar feeling.

Sure enough—from that point on, almost every question Mr. Wang asked revolved around Yu-kan.

“How old are you this year?”

“Thirty.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

Yu-kan froze for a moment. “No.”

“That’s good.”

Mr. Wang immediately smiled. “I have a daughter. She’s twenty-eight and works in Taipei.”

The teacup in Bao-jie's hand stopped halfway to her lips.

Yu-kan was also stunned. “Uh...”

Mr. Wang became more and more enthusiastic. “My daughter is a good person. She’s pretty, too, and quite independent.”

“Mr. Wang...” Bao-jie finally could not hold back. “Weren’t you supposed to be here on a blind date with me today?”

Mr. Wang slapped his forehead. “That’s right, that’s right.” He smiled awkwardly. “I’m sorry.”

Bao-jie put on a very professional smile. “It’s okay.”

She lowered her head and drank her tea, but inside she was thinking:

Could it be that I really have no market left?

Mr. Wang, however, turned to Yu-kan again.

“Mr. Yu, if you don’t mind, you could get to know my daughter sometime.”

“I...” Yu-kan looked somewhat at a loss. “Well...”

“You’re young. Just get to know each other first.” Mr. Wang smiled enthusiastically. “My daughter likes polite, refined young men like you.”

Yu-kan's face turned slightly red. “Thank you, Mr. Wang.”

Bao-jie watched the scene from the side and finally could not hold back her laughter. “All right.” She set down her teacup. “Mr. Wang, I don’t think there’s any need for us to continue this social gathering today.”

“Ms. Ji, that’s not what I meant…”

“It’s okay.” Bao-jie smiled and waved her hand. “At least we still got something out of today.”

“What did we get?” Mr. Wang asked, puzzled.

Bao-jie pointed at You-kan. “I found my cousin a future father-in-law.”

You-kan was instantly so embarrassed that he did not know what to say.

Mr. Wang froze for a moment, then could not help laughing. “Ms. Ji, you’re really funny.”

“What can I do?” Bao-jie said with a bright smile. “The blind date didn’t work out, so I have to take some spoils of war home.”

4. The Blind Date Where the Supporting Character Became the Lead

By the time they returned to the “Single Life Community,” it was already dark.

The living room was brightly lit.

Lin Wanhua, Zhang Ningjing, Sun Qing, Liu Dingtian, and Zhu Erdong were all sitting on the sofa, like a group of spectators waiting for the results of a competition.

The moment the door opened, Liu Dingtian rushed over. “Well?”

“Did it work out?”

“Did you exchange phone numbers?”

“What does the other person do?”

Everyone bombarded her with questions.

After changing her shoes, Bao-jie slowly walked into the living room. “Take a guess.”

“It definitely worked!” Sun Qing said first.

“I’m not so sure.” Lin Wanhua shook her head. “Judging by Bao-jie’s expression, there’s definitely a story.”

Liu Dingtian looked at You-kan. “You-kan, you tell us.”

You-kan awkwardly scratched his head. “Mr. Wang said…”

“Said what?”

“He wanted to introduce his daughter to me.”

The living room instantly fell completely silent.

The next second—

“Hahahahaha!”

Everyone laughed so hard they were practically falling over.

Liu Dingtian even slapped the arm of the sofa. “Bao-jie! You’re unbelievable at these two blind dates!”

“The first guy was interested in Wanhua, and the second guy was interested in You-kan!”

“Did you go on blind dates, or did you go there to play matchmaker?” Zhu Erdong laughed so hard that tears nearly came to his eyes.

“Shut up!” Bao-jie grabbed a throw pillow and threw it at him. “What are you laughing at?”

“You people have absolutely no sympathy.” Lin Wanhua walked over laughing and put an arm around Bao-jie’s shoulders.

“All right, all right, Bao-jie.”

“I won’t laugh anymore.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“Because…” Wanhua held back her laughter. “Although you didn’t find a husband in either of your two blind dates, you managed to create a romantic twist of fate for You-kan and me.”

“…” Bao-jie glared at her. “Say one more word and I’m not talking to you anymore.”

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Standing in the middle of the living room, Bao-jie looked at this heartless bunch of tenants and finally could not help laughing herself.

She was not angry. In fact, she knew her circumstances were not bad. She had a house, a job, the ability to take care of herself, and a heart willing to care for others. It was just that over the years, she had never met the person who could truly see her.

Perhaps that person simply had not appeared yet. Or perhaps… that person really would never appear. At that thought, she let out a soft sigh. But soon, she lifted her head again.

“All right.” Bao-jie clapped her hands. “So what if I failed?”

“Besides, I’m doing just fine on my own.”

“And besides, I have all of you guys to keep me company.” She looked at everyone with a bright smile. “As long as you don’t eat me out of house and home, I can afford to keep you all.”

“Don’t worry!” Liu Dingtian immediately raised his hand. “We’ll definitely work hard to make money!”

Zhu Erdong added, “On the condition that Bao-jie doesn’t kick us out.”

“Good. At least you know that much.”

Everyone laughed and carried on together.

No one noticed that You-kan, sitting quietly in the corner, was looking at Bao-jie’s back with a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

And Bao-jie herself never imagined that these two seemingly absurd blind dates would not help her find a husband.

But they did make one thing even clearer to her.

What she truly wanted to hold on to might never have been just marriage.

It was this lively, noisy home in front of her—a place that nevertheless made her feel warm.